Changing the Climate - Part 4 of 8
THE ANOINTING OF GOD
I really enjoyed last Sunday morning’s service. It is good to be stretched occasionally and I realise that some of us here were stretched quite a lot. This week I want to follow down a similar line but look at what I see as the other side of the coin. It is ok to have these moments of ‘ministry in the Lord’ but unless you understand what is happening, or why, or how, instead of being built up in the Lord, the enemy – that is always wanting to rob, kill and destroy – will attempt to bring confusion and division into our midst.
And so this morning, continuing the series I had planned on being “Climate Changers” I want to spend some time looking at the Holy Spirit and how He works in the believers life.
To begin with, we must realise that:
· THE HOLY SPIRIT IS A PROMISE
After the resurrection and prior to His return to Heaven, Jesus gave some clear and important instructions to His followers:
(LUKE 24:46-49 NIV) He told them, "This is what is written: the Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what My Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
The promise to which Jesus referred was the Holy Spirit. Earlier on in His ministry:
(JOHN 14:16-17 NASB) And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you.
Now this was not a new promise. The gift of the Holy Spirit had been promised since Old Testament times:
(JOEL 2:28-29 NIV) And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
· THE EVIDENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
So what is the evidence of the Holy Spirit given to believers? The Holy Spirit has many purposes but one of the main purposes of the Holy Spirit is to make the Christian a more powerful witness for the Gospel:
(ACTS 1:8 NIV) 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.
Eg. The evidence of the Holy Spirit in Peter’s life was immediate. Before the Day of Pentecost he had fearfully denied that he knew Jesus. After the Holy Spirit filled him, Peter preached a sermon that resulted in the salvation of 3,000 people.
It was the power of the Holy Spirit in the early church that resulted in the spread of the Gospel throughout the world. The book of Acts is a record of the Holy Spirit working in and through the early believers.
· BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
So what is this baptism? There are seven passages in the New Testament where the word "baptise" is used in relation to the Holy Spirit.
Four of these are the words of John the Baptist recorded in the Gospels and all relate to the same incident:
(MAT 3:11) I baptise you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. (MARK 1:8) (LUKE 3:16) (JOHN 1:33)
Jesus also spoke of the baptism of the Holy Spirit
(ACTS 1:5 NIV) For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.
In ACTS 11:16 there is the record of the events which took place in the home of Cornelius. Peter quoted the words of Jesus:
(ACTS 11:16 NIV) Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ’John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’
Paul also used the word "baptise" in relation to the Holy Spirit:
(1 COR 12:13 NIV) For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Use of the phrase "to baptise in" the Holy Spirit is the same as used to describe Christian baptism in water. In both cases baptism is an outward confirmation of an inward spiritual experience.
The Holy Spirit came down from Heaven and completely immersed [baptised] believers assembled in the upper room of a house in Jerusalem. They had been waiting for His coming as they had been commanded to do by Jesus. Peter quoted from the Book of Joel:
(JOEL 2:28-29 NIV) And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
Male and female, young and old were to be included in this outpouring of the Holy Spirit. They were to prophesy, dream dreams, and see visions. God’s Spirit was to empower both men and women.
And on the day the Holy Spirit was given, Peter said:
(ACTS 2:38-39 NIV) Peter replied, "Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."
· THE PHYSICAL SIGN
And so if the evidence was boldness what was the physical sign?
The Holy Spirit is invisible to the natural eye. Jesus compared Him to the wind:
(JOHN 3:8 NIV) The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.
Although the wind is invisible, the effects it produces can be seen and heard. When the wind blows the dust rises from the ground, the trees all bend in one direction, leaves rustle, and clouds move across the sky. These are all physical signs of the wind. So it is with the Holy Spirit. Even though He is invisible, the effects which the Holy Spirit produces can be seen and heard.
There are three places in the New Testament where we are told what happened when people were baptised in the Holy Spirit:
1. DAY OF PENTECOST:
Acts 2:2-4 is the record of what happened on the day of Pentecost:
(ACTS 2:2-4 NASB) And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent, rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
2. HOUSE OF CORNELIUS:
Acts 10:44-46 is the record of what happened when Peter preached the Gospel to a man named Cornelius and his family:
(ACTS 10:44-46 NASB) While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. And all the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God.
3. CONVERTS AT EPHESUS:
Acts 19:6 describes what happened to the first group of converts at Ephesus:
(ACTS 19:6 NASB) And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.
A COMMON SIGN: SPEAKING IN TONGUES
As we compare these passages there is one physical sign which is common to all three: Those who received the baptism of the Holy Spirit spoke with other tongues. Other supernatural signs of the Holy Spirit are mentioned, but none of these were evident on all three occasions.
On the day of Pentecost there was the sound of a rushing wind and visible tongues of fire were seen. These were not recorded on the other two occasions. At Ephesus the new converts prophesied. This is not mentioned as having occurred on the day of Pentecost or in the house of Cornelius.
The one outward sign which the apostles observed in the experience of Cornelius and his household was that they spoke with tongues. This physical sign was proof to the disciples that this family had been baptised in the Holy Spirit. From these Biblical records we conclude that the physical sign of speaking in tongues through the power of the Holy Spirit confirms that a person has been baptised in the Holy Spirit.
The sign of "tongues" can be languages known to man. This is what happened on the day of Pentecost:
(ACTS 2:7-8 NIV) Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language?
Tongues can also be a language not known to man. This is called an unknown tongue:
(1 COR 14:2 NIV) For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.
· PURPOSES FOR TONGUES
The sign of tongues received through baptism in the Holy Spirit has many purposes in the lives of believers. 1 COR 14 gives us a list of SOME of the purposes of tongues:
o Prayer to God: Verse 2
o Self-edification: Verse 4
o When interpreted they edify the church: Verses 12-13
o Intercession: Verse 14
o Sign to unbelievers: Verse 22
o Fulfilment of prophecy: Verse 21
o Praise: Verses 15,17
Because of time, I am going to finish at this point today and continue this on again on a couple of Sunday’s time.
We all come from diverse back grounds and I am sure that if you have been a Christian for a long time, many of you have had lots of teaching on the Holy Spirit. But rather than get this information from other people, I want to encourage you to do some things:
1. Read through the Book of Acts and see where and how the Holy Spirit moved in believers lives.
2. Begin seeking the Lord specifically in relation to the Holy Spirit.
3. If you do not speak in tongues, ask the Lord why not?
The whole reason why I am calling this little series of messages, changing the climate, is because I am convinced that we have to be the ones that affect the people around us – not the other way round.
The early church was BIRTHED through the demonstration of God’s power working through believers. It INCREASED through the demonstration of God’s power working through believers. And I am sure that if we want to impact this community and nation for God, the power of God needs to begin flowing through us in a more powerful and evident way.
(MARK 16:17-18 NIV) And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.
