LIFE AT THE HIGHEST PLANE!
BEING FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT – A MUST
FOR ALL CHRISTIANS!
SERMON #9
Acts 1:8.
Acts 2:1-4.
Acts 4:31
Ac 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (KJV)
Ac 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (KJV)
Ac 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. (KJV)
INTRODUCTION: This portion of God’s holy, inspired word has some very definite principles and responses to the filling of the Holy Spirit. I believe we can use them for doctrine and guidelines for our church in this day and time.
Ac 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (KJV)
We can tell immediately that the Christians that were to be filled with the Holy Spirit, not many days hence, would be witnesses for Christ everywhere they went.
There is a difference in the witness of a Christian that is filled with the Spirit and one that is not filled.
First of all, when I talk about being filled with the Holy Spirit, I am not talking about the indwelling of the Spirit. He comes into our body at the moment of salvation. That is the gift of the Holy Spirit as mentioned in Acts 2:38, the indwelling Spirit: “…and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
1 Cor. 6:19, “What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost….”
Rom. 8:14, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”
Thus the indwelling Spirit is given to all Christians at the time of salvation, and they are sealed by the Spirit at that time. Eph. 4:30, “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.”
To be filled with the Spirit of God is a command from God. Eph. 5:18, “….; but be filled with the Spirit.” This means to be controlled by the Spirit of God as one would be controlled with wine. It is a good thing to get the Holy Spirit, but it is far better when the Holy Spirit gets you.
Some people pray that they might get more of God. If I could do that eventually I could get enough of God that I could control Him. What we all need is for God to get more of us. I don’t pray for God’s help anymore. I don’t need help. I need a total take over by God. If, and when that happens, then God will be in complete control of my life.
Apparently the disciples weren’t filled with the Spirit of God when they were cast into prison in this passage of Scripture because in verse 31, after they had prayed they were filled with the Spirit.
Please take what I am saying in the right manner. Some very definite things took place immediately when they were all filled with the Spirit of God. They did not begin speaking in tongues. They did not have a healing service for the sick. They did not begin dancing in the spirit. There was no hand clapping nor was there any other outward manifestation of the fullness of the Spirit. But we can see the following things that took place and as a result of these things the community and the world around them was changed because of their work and ministry.
I. THEY DISPLAYED A GREAT BOLDNESS Vs 29.
Ac 4:29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,(KJV)
A. Spirit Filled Christian Will Have Boldness.
1. Boldness to speak to our neighbor.
2. Boldness to speak to the person setting beside us at the doctor’s office.
3. Boldness to give a tract to the grocery boy as he carries out your groceries.
4. Boldness to speak to the check out clerk at the store or wherever we are.
5. I’m talking about boldness in our witness.
6. Boldness to use every opportunity to witness for the Lord.
Christians are not afraid to speak up at the ball game – but remain silent concerning Christ.
We get excited when our team wins – but make no noise concerning Christ.
If the first Century Christians needed this power and boldness surely the 21st Century Christians need the same thing.
B. The Great Men Of The Past Were Bold.
1. D. L. Moody.
2. R. A. Torrey.
3. John Wesley.
4. C. H. Spurgeon.
5. Billy Sunday. If Billy Sunday was alive and still preaching most of America would consider him insane. He would break chairs – throw song books – runs up and down the aisles.
I read about these great men and I pray, “Lord, why can’t we have this today? Why, can’t we have some Moody’s and Spurgeon’s on the scene today? Why can’t we have the boldness they had?”
C. The Disciples Prayed For Boldness. They didn’t pray for safety while in prison. They didn’t pray for freedom. They prayed for boldness in their witness.
1. A holy boldness that would count for God.
2. It will change an introvert into a bold witness.
One Saturday afternoon several years ago I was visiting a bus route in Moore on West Main Street. I was knocking on doors, and knocked on this certain door. A man, Gene Wilhelm was his name, came to the door and I told him who I was and what I was doing. When I told him this, he began weeping. He invited me in the house and before long I had led him to the Lord. During my conversation with him I learned that he had cancer and only had a few weeks left to live. He did die sometime later and the family asked me to conduct his funeral. During those weeks between his wife, daughter and son all got saved.
My point is that I am basically a timid person. I probably did not want to knock on that door that day, but I did and the Holy Spirit used me that day to lead a dying man to Christ.
What I am saying is, we need BOLDNESS to use every opportunity granted us to witness to those who are lost. There is a Gene Wilhelm out there for each of you.
I am convinced that if the Independent Baptists would just witness when the opportunity arises and witness with boldness we could see thousands, even millions saved among Baptists every year. It is not our witness alone – but coupled with the power of the Spirit of God will turn people to Christ.
II. THEY DISPLAYED A GREAT SPIRIT OF BROTHERLINESS
A. The 21st Century Christian Needs Boldness And A Brotherly Love.
1. Our community needs to know that someone loves them. Our tracts with “You’ve Never Been So Loved” on them is not enough to convince them of this. There must be real live bodies going to people saying that BHBC is a church that loves, and that Jesus Christ loves them and died for them.
2. Fullness of the Spirit does not mean that we have to hate everyone.
3. Some fundamentalists think that they are supposed to make every sinner in town mad at them and if they don’t make them mad then they have failed as a fundamentalist. That’s a wrong concept.
4. Our world is dying for the lack of love.
Do you want to know why the liberal churches are growing? Because the have presented themselves as churches that love and care for people. It is more than an advertising ploy. They practice it daily. When we show our love for the community then we will see the community coming to us to get the message we have for them.
B. Brotherly Love Is Not A Weakness, But Rather A Strength.
Each member of this church has someone on their memory list that needs to be saved, or to be in church. Whoever those people are their only hope is that you will have enough boldness and brotherly love for them that you will make a strong effort to bring them to Christ. Without that effort many will go to Hell.
C. Brotherly Love Will Win More People Than A Polished, Planned Approach Of Soul Winning.
It matters not how well we can give out the Gospel plan to people, brotherly love will go much farther than will our polished presentation. The Gospel is what saves, but those who give the Gospel out must show love to those who we are taking it to.
D. Paul Said, “I Am Made All Things To All Men, That I Might By All Means Save Some.” 1 Cor. 9:22.
Maybe there are some here today that need to make that same vow to do whatever it will take to get your friends and family saved. Paul said whatever it takes I will do it. If we had about 30 families with that same attitude we would see dozens saved. Paul was saying that he would carry food to them, he would spend money on them if necessary, he would give his time to them. “All things.”
It is time that we stop praying only for these certain ones that is mentioned every service, and add to those prayers the feet of your brotherly love for them to see how much you really do love them.
Someone right this very minute needs to make a vow in their heart that this week they will go to some of those people they have been praying for and begin to try to lead them to Christ. Prayer is important, but putting feet to your prayers is also important. You will see success when you begin to take action with your prayers and let those folks see that you are not only praying for them, but you are working in their behalf to get them to God.
III. THEY DISPLAYED A GREAT BENEVOLENCE
A. Ac 4:32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. (KJV)
1. They were of one accord.
2. Each one would say, speaking of his own possessions, “This is not mine, but thine.”
3. Barnabas displayed this above the others. Ac 4:36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,
Ac 4:37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. (KJV)
Barnabas’ burden for the lost was so great that he sold some of his real estate and gave the money to the church to help spread the gospel. What would happen is someone here sold several acres of land, and bought a large billboard over on I-35 that displayed the dying love of Jesus Christ to the public. There are thousands of cars driving over 1-35 everyday. How many times do you suppose the Gospel would be given out if someone did that? A person may see something today that may not register until a week, month or even years later. Then all at once it will hit them and the Holy Spirit will begin to convict their heart.
Maybe someone would buy another van so we could have another bus route every Sunday bringing boys and girls in to S/S and church.
Illustration - The man that had seen the bus captain come to his door and knock every Saturday for two years. After that two years in his sleep he began to see that man come to the door and knock. He went to the pastor of that church and told the pastor that for weeks, every night he couldn’t sleep. All he could see was that man coming to that door and knocking bringing the gospel to his children. He could see him in his sleep, every night he could not get that man’s image out of his mind. He got saved in the pastor’s office. The Lord said that His word would not return to him void. Every tract, every gospel witness will fulfill its intended purpose. We must just be sure we get the gospel out to as many as we possibly can.
B. We Need To Be Constantly Looking Around Us To See Who Needs Financial Help.
Put some money in an offering envelop and write the person’s name on it and give it to one of the ushers to give it to that person.
1. The Lord will bless the person that will give.
2. Giving to others is part of the blessings that God gives a Spirit filled Christian. Giving when you cannot count it on your income tax record. If you only give so you can deduct it from your income tax form, your giving is in vain.
When the fullness of the Spirit of God came the spirit of benevolence came also.
IV. THEY RECEIVED A GREAT BLESSING Vs. 31.
Ac 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. (KJV)
A. Great Power In Their Witness Of The Resurrection Of Jesus Christ.
Notice the N.T. account of the “Great Power”.
Ac 5:15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. (KJV)
Ac 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. (KJV)
Ac 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. (KJV)
Chapter 5 is a continuation of Chapter 4. We see the greatness of the fullness of the Spirit in Chapter 4. In Chapter 5 we see two people who try to imitate this experience in the flesh. They fake it. It says, “They sold a possession, and kept back part of the price.” They wanted to appear to those present that they had the same spirit that the disciples had. If you will read these 1st eleven verses in Chapter 5 you will see that both the man and his wife die as a result of this imitation.
I used to be a member of a church where in Sunday School class we filled out offering envelopes and turned them in during Sunday School. I was a deacon in that church and once every month I would help count the money. Often times the wife would put on her envelope that the offering was in her husband’s envelope. However, she would mark down a certain figure that she was giving for offering, but they would write only one check and it was usually the husband’s envelope. The check would be written to cover both the husband’s and the wife’s offering. That was a fairly common thing that many families did.
There was this one couple, the wife had indicated on her envelope that her offering was in her husband’s envelope. She had listed a certain amount of offering in the proper place. The very next envelop I picked up was her husband’s. It also indicated that his offering was in her envelope in the amount of so many dollars. What was happening was that neither one was putting in anything, yet they pretended to be giving a certain amount. They lied about their offering. I have often wondered since then if they had ever read Acts 5. The sad part of the matter was that the husband was president of a bank, and they probably did not need to be so devious with their money. A spirit filled person won’t be guilty of that.
We must have the fullness of the Spirit of God if we expect to travel on a higher plane.
Is their any evidence of the fullness of the Spirit in your life? Can people observe your life and know that you are traveling on a “Higher Plane of Life”?
In all reality, all that A higher plane of life is, is that the individual Christian is operating in the fullness of the Holy Spirit of God.
INVITATION
