Joe’s Mighty Hammer.
Joe and Work partner, Rex, worked construction. They were framers – piece work, paid per house they framed. As a team, they were very, very good.
One day some guys next house over were unloading equipment – pneumatic powered nail guns. The new thing. Joe and Rex – what a joke – build a hose like real men. There was an exchange of words and a challenge – a race - $100.00.
So they set to work. They were running neck and neck. Joe and Rex skipped lunch to stay ahead. the hammering was Furious.
In the end Joe and rex – won, at least one hour before the other guys.
They celebrated, high fives, they were drenched in sweat and could hardly lift their arms.
The other guys packing up their equipment, like they had been at the beach. They were full of life and not worn out at all.
That evening, Joe and Rex bought a set of pneumatic powered nail guns.
We Are Expected To Get The Job Done
Whatever the tools we have, like Joe and Rex, we are expected to get the job done. We can work with a hammer or, we can work with power tools.
I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. John 14:12
Jesus asks us to build our spiritual house. Remember we found that to build a spiritual house w must build it by the by the Holy Spirit. Any other way, and we are not building a spiritual house. Why? Because the Holy Spirit is specifically sent to empower us, we are to operate in step with the Spirit. We saw that when I give my life over to Jesus, commit my life to him, repent of my past life, I say past life, because when we become Christians, we are spiritually reborn, born again or born from above – as Jesus put it....When I give my life to Jesus, and become a Christian, I receive the Holy Spirit and now I can start to build my spiritual house. Because remember, no spiritual house is build without the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, there is only frustration.
How do we accomplish this? Look at the top of your outline, you will see the verse from Zechariah 4:6 - Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord Almighty.
We accomplish it by the Holy Spirit. No other way...No, other, way.
We accomplish by the Holy Spirit. Remember we saw how the trinity operates:
Father -Initiates
Son – Accomplishes
Holy Spirit – Empowers
Classic example: Father sends son Jesus; Jesus accomplishes salvation/reconciliation work / Departs; Holy Spirit is sent to empower his people.
We are not to use the same old tools we tend to use. We are to be used by the Holy Spirit. Well how do we do that? How do we change from our old ways and follow the Spirit? By Empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
We have received spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit. We get them when we become a Christian. The reality is, just because I have the potential with spiritual gift, doesn’t mean I am living up to my potential.
Building a Spiritual house with the Holy Spirit is a process of receiving all that is ours. It is receiving all that is promised to us.
Joel 2:28 ‘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.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
Joel is speaking about our time – the time of the Christian Church. This is the Scripture Peter quotes in Acts 2:17-21. We live in the time of the Spirit. We have the Spirit upon us. We are promised wonderful things from the Holy Spirit. Where is it in my life? We must receive the power of the Holy Spirit.
Eph. 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
This isn’t speaking about a one time experience of the Holy Spirit – but multiple Experiences. Yes, when we become Christians the Holy Spirit resides within us. But no that is not all – there is more….For the Holy Spirit is given to us so that we may be equipped and empowered to carry out the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ. Holy Spirit: Justifies, Sanctifies…..Empowers. We have seen that the Holy Spirit is the one who moves upon us when we become Christians. When we repent and give our lives over to Jesus, the Holy Spirit is the one who converts us.
This is known as regeneration. The Holy Spirit changes us into something completely different. Then as we learn to walk with Christ the fruits of the Spirit start to emerge in our life.
Gal 5: 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control.
This is known as Sanctification. The Holy Spirit, over time changes our character.
We have Regeneration Sanctification and…Empowerment. Regeneration: Distinctly different from Empowerment.
We must be clear: The Holy Spirit comes upon us at conversion. There he makes us a new being, spiritually alive, He gives us spiritual gifts and He brings forth spiritual fruit in our lives. But this is not empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Looking at your outline you will see: Regeneration = Impartation of Spiritual Life. When we become Christians, are born again, our Spiritual life begins. Filling = Impartation of Power. The Holy Spirit comes upon us – empowering us. We see this over ad over again in Scripture, OT to through the NT. This is not a one time experience, but happens over and over, multiple times. The Holy Spirit comes upon us – and we are filled with power.
Next week we will examine this in detail. Understanding our experience of the Holy Spirit within us and the Holy Spirit upon us. Knowing this will help us receive what God has promised us in our lives.
Before I end let me say a couple of things:
Empowering Power Given To All Christians. This is not just for the first disciples. This did not end when the age of the Apostles ended. Some of you may have been taught that. Yet nowhere in Scripture does it say the power of the Holy Spirit is to end when the Apostolic age ends. No, the New Testament simply assumes we have the Holy Spirit. 1Cor. 12:11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.
Remember it is two fold:
One – Regeneration
Two – Filling with Power
Some of us have experienced regeneration, but may not have experienced filling with power. This Is Not “The Second Blessing”.
Those here who may have grown up in a Pentecostal Church may have been taught the doctrine of Second Blessing. This is not at all what I am speaking of. The Doctrine of Second Blessing speaks of a higher, more spiritual state, beyond that of a normal Christian. A one time occurrence where one becomes more spiritual. There is no such thing.
No – the power of the Holy Spirit is available to all Christians from the very beginning of their relationship. From the moment of their conversion.
The power of the Holy Spirit can come upon us many times, ut we need to be open to receive him.
Next week we will continue in or understanding of how this all works.
Trinity: Father Initiates; Son Accomplishes; Holy Spirit Empowers
Next Week: The Filling of the Holy Spirit – the Spirit upon us, The Spirit Within us.
