Let¡¯s start this morning with a question: Agree or Disagree? GOD NEVER ASKS US TO DO ANYTHING THAT WE CANNOT DO. We¡¯ll come back to that question in a few minutes.
Imagine that I give four individuals the identical task of putting together two 2x4’s using six 3" screws. The first person is given no tools to work with. The second is given a small screw driver. The third is given a cordless drill with dead battery. And finally the fourth is given an identical drill with a one-hour battery charger. Whom do you think will complete the task?
The first person with no tools may get the screws to start into the wood, but theirs is an impossible task that would never be completed. The second individual would get the screws into the wood, and may even work hard enough to join the two boards together, but with a small screw driver, they would be unable to finish the job. The third person with the drill and dead battery may have some success, but will also have difficulty finishing the job. The fourth person is the only one will complete the task as required and then also finish the job the others started. In only 61 minutes, 60 minutes to wait for the battery to be fully charged and then 1 minute screw in all 24 of the screws joining the 8 boards together, the job will be completed.
Jesus left His disciples with a job to do. We call it the Great Commission. Jesus said, ¡°Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere¡± (Mark 16:15 NLT). For Jesus¡¯ disciples this task was an impossibility; how could a small group of followers tell the world about Jesus? It would be like trying to screw together our 2x4’s without any tools.
If Jesus had first given the Great commission to you and me today then we might have an easier time trying to do it. Even with the world population exceeding six billion, we could at least make use of the media, the internet and air travel to make our way into the distant places of the world. Still our best efforts would be like using a small screw driver, or worse still, a cordless drill without any power.
Jesus told his disciples to tell everybody, everywhere, but He also told them something else. Jesus said, ¡°Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you what he promised. Remember, I have told you about this before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit¡± (Acts 1:4-5 NLT).
In order for Jesus¡¯ disciples to accomplish the great task before them they needed the power of the Holy Spirit. Even with all the modern technology available to us today, we also must wait for our ¡°battery to be charged.¡± Without the power of the Holy Spirit it is impossible for the world to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.
So now back to the question we started with: Agree or Disagree¨CGOD NEVER ASKS US TO DO ANYTHING THAT WE CANNOT DO? Is there anyone who wants to change their mind? If you have not already guessed, we cannot do anything God asks us to do apart from Him.
Now if you¡¯re paying attention, I just said BOTH! Can we do what God asks us to do? Absolutely . . . and absolutely not!
¡ñ God wants us to live righteous lives¨Cto be free from sin. The Bible tells us, ¡°Be holy, because I am holy¡± (1 Peter 1:16 NIV). Unfortunately our best efforts apart from God are useless; ¡°all our righteous acts are like filthy rags¡± (Isaiah 64:6 NIV).
¡ñ God can give us a dream, and we can pursue a God-given vision for our lives with everything in us. Unfortunately all our effort and hard work will miss the divine purpose God has for our lives. We¡¯re like Abraham and Sarah with God¡¯s dream for a son finding our own ¡°Hagar¡± and giving birth to an ¡°Ishmael¡± instead of waiting for God to give us our promised ¡°Isaac.¡±
We can try to do what God asks us to do on our own, but our best efforts apart from God are not even a ¡°second best.¡± We can¡¯t really do anything for God without His help.
God knows our limitations; He knows how weak we are even when we try to appear strong. Therefore, when God asks us to do something He provides the enablement. God won¡¯t ask us to do anything that He is not prepared to help us do; God won¡¯t leave you to do it on your own.
+ Philippians 4:13 For I CAN DO EVERYTHING WITH THE HELP OF CHRIST who gives me the strength I need. (NLT)
Paul learned to depend upon God; he knew that there was nothing he could not do that God asked him to do . . . provided he relied upon God and didn¡¯t try to do it himself!
Jesus gave the disciples no small task; likewise you and I have a big job to do. We are to tell the world¨Ceveryone, everywhere¨Cabout the love of Jesus. (Now just so no one feels like they are ¡°off the hook,¡± the Great Commission begins with our neighbors and moves out in ever widening circles.)
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is God¡¯s enablement to do what Jesus has asked us to do. The Holy Spirit makes it possible for you and me to reach our world for Christ.
+ Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (NIV)
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is POWER FOR A PURPOSE. It is not just to make us feel good or to know how much God loves us. Jesus said the power of the Holy Spirit would make us WITNESSES; the Holy Spirit makes it possible for us to tell our world about Jesus.
How does the Holy Spirt empower or energize us to fulfil the Great Commission? What does it mean to have the ¡°power¡± of the Holy Spirit?
The baptism in the Holy Spirt gives the believer power¨Cpower with a passion, proficiency and presence.
1. HOLY SPIRIT POWER PRODUCES A PASSION!
¡°GOD IS LOVE¡± (see 1 John 4:8). John 3:16, perhaps the best know verse in the Bible, tells us God¡¯s love is the motive for why we can receive eternal life. God¡¯s love compelled Him to take action; He could not sit and watch us be destroyed. God loved you and me so much He gave Jesus to die in our place.
After Christ¡¯s resurrection, Peter was a man without a passion; he had been with Jesus, but his response was to go fishing. However after being filled with the Holy Spirit Peter had a passion that motivated him to action. Even after Peter had been arrested and stood before the same men who had Jesus crucified, he told the religious leaders, ¡°we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard¡± (Acts 4:20 NIV). Peter had a Holy Spirit-given passion; the love of God was burning within his heart for people, and nothing was going to stop him from telling them about Jesus.
The Apostle Paul was also transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit giving him a passion and love for people that motivated everything he did. Prior to accepting Christ, Paul, then known as Saul, did everything he could to try to put a stop to those who followed Jesus. The Holy Spirit changed all that. Paul said, ¡°Christ¡¯s love compels us¡±¨CGod¡¯s love controls what we do (see 2Corinthians 5:14 NIV).
Only Holy Spirit power can produce a divine passion for people in your heart. The Holy Spirit will give you eyes to see people the way that Jesus would see them¨Cears to hear their brokenness of their lives. A Holy Spirit passion burning within your heart gives you God¡¯s love for the lost.
I need the power of the Holy Spirit to rekindle God¡¯s passion again within my heart; I know it¡¯s not the motivation in my life like it should be . . . or has been. I remember when God let me feel the hopeless and lost feeling of people separated from Christ. I felt sick and no medication or sleep would help me. When with other pastor¡¯s my heart was so full of pain that I wanted to escape. Rather than asking for help, I returned to my hotel room. It was there as I prayed God showed me that what I was experiencing was an emptiness much like an alcoholic or drug addict. Nothing in this world could fill the void or end the pain. However God showed me that there was a key to set the captives free¨Cthe love of Jesus. I returned home with a renewed passion to see lives transformed¨CGod¡¯s passion, His love was alive in me.
The power of the Holy Spirit will produce a passion in our hearts, but there is more.
2. HOLY SPIRIT POWER PRODUCES PROFICIENCY.
Proficiency means competence. It¡¯s an ability or mastery.
Pearl completed the 4th grade Ohio proficiency tests this year. These tests are designed to show if students have achieved an acceptable level of knowledge and understanding (put another way, the state wants to know what its getting for their ¡°educational dollar). Dad is proud to say that she achieved mastery in all the areas she was tested. Pearl is competent; she has more than sufficient ability for a child of her age.
On our own we don¡¯t have the ability to tell others about Christ; we¡¯re tongue tied¨Cincompetent, and ineffective. At our very best, we¡¯re just an amateur¨Cuntrained and wet behind the ears. The power of the Holy Spirit changes all that.
Holy Spirit power gives us Christ¡¯s proficiency. God¡¯s competence and ability is now at work within us and through us. Remember Paul¡¯s confidence? ¡°I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength¨Cproficiency¡± (Philippians 4:13).
Let me put it to you another way: The baptism in the Holy Spirit does not just enable us to speak in tongues. The Holy Spirit also enables and equips us to speak in English (or whatever your native language is)! Holy Spirit power gives us the proficiency and competence to tell our world¨Cour families, friends, co-workers, anyone¨Cabout the love of Jesus.
+ Acts 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (NIV)
The Spirit enabled them to speak in tongues. The Greek word used is ¡°apophthengomai¡±. This word is used only three times, each in the book of Acts. ¡°Apophthengomai¡± literally means ¡°to speak out¡± or ¡°speak clearly¡±. Here in Acts 2:4 it shows us that the Holy Spirit produced language unknown by those speaking, but was clear and sensible to some who heard it. Many of those in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost said, ¡°We hear them telling of God¡¯s great love in our own languages¡± (see Acts 2:7-12).
The other two uses of ¡°apophthengomai¡± are both used in connection with the proclamation of the gospel (Acts 2:14; 26:25). The Holy Spirit enabled¨C¡°apophthengomai¡±¨Cthe speaker to speak clearly in their own language the good news of Jesus Christ. Peter and Paul could not speak clearly on their own; they needed help.
When you have been baptized in the Spirit you are enabled to speak in tongues and to speak of Christ¡¯s love in English with a proficiency and competency that is Spirit inspired. It¡¯s not your ability; it¡¯s Christ¡¯s in you! The Spirit ¡°apophthengomai¡± made it possible.
The Holy Spirit gives power producing passion and proficiency, but that¡¯s not all.
3. HOLY SPIRIT POWER PRODUCES PRESENCE.
A. He is there to direct - example - Phillip - only the Holy Spirit really knows what is going on in a person¡¯s heart at a given time. He knows the heartache, pain, joys.
B. He is there when you witness to touch others by His presence. It¡¯s not you, it¡¯s the Holy Spirit at work in someone¡¯s heart.
