The Power Of A Spirit-Filled Life Series

SALUTATION

INTRODUCTION - SET THE TONE

SAY: TODAY IS PENTECOST SUNDAY - THE CHURCH’S BIRTHDAY.

BACKGROUND:

DEUT. 16:16 – PENTECOST WAS ONE OF 3 FEASTS CELEBRATED ANNUALLY BY THE JEWS – IT WAS A FEAST OF THANKSGIVING – FIRSTFRUIT – WEEKS - CITY WAS CROWDED.

CELEBRATED 50 DAYS AFTER THE PASSOVER.

SAY: TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE, PENTECOST OCCURRED 50 DAYS AFTER THE RESSURECTION AND 10 DAYS AFTER JESUS WENT BACK TO HEAVEN - THE ASCENSION. READ V-1 THE DISCIPLES WAS EXPECTING IT… KNEW IT WAS COMING BUT DID NOT KNOW WHEN.

CONTEXT FOR V-1.

PENTECOST IS ABOUT THE POWER OF GOD FALLING ONTO THE BELIEVERS ONCE AND FOR ALL. IT’S ABOUT GOD’S PEOPLE BEING ANNOINTED FOR THE WORK OF MINISTRY –

SOMETHING IS SIGNIFICANT HERE AND IT WORTH TAKING NOTE OFF.

IN OLD TESTAMENT THE SPIRIT HAD THE SAME POWER AND OPERATION THAT IT HAS TODAY – IN FACT THE SPIRIT OF GOD WAS ACTIVE DURING CREATION, IT EMPOWERED MEN FOR SPECIFIC TASK, BUILD THE TABENACLE, WHEN SAUL WAS ANNOINTED KING, THE SPIRIT REST UPON HIM, AND SO IT WAS WITH DAVID, BUT THE PROBLEM IN THE OT, THE SPIRIT WOULD REST UPON THEM AND ENABLED THEM TO COMPLETE THEIR ASSIGNMENT AND THEN HE WOULD LEAVE THEM UNTIL SOMETHING ELSE COMES UP – SAMSON – SPIRIT LEFT AND HE DID NOT EVEN KNOW.

BUT OH SAINTS OF GOD, IT’S DIFFERENT NOW, WHAT WAS STARTED AT PENTECOST IS STILL ACTIVE TODAY – THE SPIRIT OF GOD IS NOT HERE TODAY AND GONE TOMORROW, BUT ACCORDING TO THE WORD, HE IS HERE TO STAY AND IS NOW AVAILABLE TO EVERY BELIEVER, BUT IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN AUTOMATICALLY –

LOOK AT OUR TEXT IN 2:1; 1:12-14, BEFORE THE SPIRIT CAME UPON THE BELIEVERS, THE BIBLE SAYS THAT THEY WERE ALL TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE. B&S, ONE OF THE THINGS WE COULD CONCLUDE FROM THIS TEXT IS THAT BEFORE THE SPIRIT OF GOD CAN HAVE FREE COURSE AMONG US,

1. THERE HAS TO BE A SENSE OF ONENESS AND A STRONG COMMITMENT TO CHRISTIAN UNITY.

WE DON’T ALWAYS HAVE TO BE UNIFIED IN OUR METHODS, BUT OUR MESSAGE SHOULD BE THE SAME – NOT ALWAYS UNIFIED IN STRATEGIES, BUT OUR VISION MUST ALL BE THE SAME. LOOK AT OUR THEME: WE MAY NOT ALWAYS AGREE ON HOW WE ARE GOING TO GET THINGS DONE, BUT IF WE CAN SOMEHOW COME TO AN AGREEMENT ON WHAT NEEDS TO GET DONE, WE ARE POSITIONING OURSELVES FOR A MIGHTY MOVE OF GOD. GOD CAN’T MOVE THE WAY HE WANTS TO MOVE UNTIL WE GRAB HOLD OF THE VISION AND MANDATE THAT HE HAS PRESCRIBED FOR THIS HOUSE.

IN OTHER WORDS,

2. THERE HAS TO BE A SPIRIT OF OBEDIENCE AND A SERIOUS ATTITUDE TOWARD THE CHURCH’S PRIORITY- 1:4.

WHO ARE WE AND WHAT HAS GOD CALLED US TO DO. NO, I AM NOT INTERESTED IN WHAT GOD HAS CALLED SOMEONE ELSE TO DO, I AM TALKING ABOUT WHAT HE HAS CALLED AND COMMISSIONED US TO DO AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH. MY B&S, I AM REALIZING MORE AND MORE THAT GOD WANTS MUST TAKE PRIORITY OVER WHAAT WE WANT, BUT IT WILL ONLY HAPPEN WHEN THERE IS A SPIRIT OF OBEDIENCE IN THE HOUSE – WE CAN’T ALL DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO AND EXPECT THE SPIRIT OF GOD TO FALL FRESH ON US, THE THING TO DO IS TO SEEK OUT GOD’S WILL FOR US AND BE WILLING TO SUBMIT OURSELVES TO WHAT HE WANTS, EVEN IF IT CAUSES US GRIEF AND PAIN, HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD TODAY, WHEN THE CHURCH IS DOING WHAT GOD ASKS IT TO DO, GOD ENABLES HIS POWER TO FALL FRESH UPON US SO THAT WE CAN DO MORE OF WHAT HE HAS CALED US TO DO AND GO ONE TO ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS FOR HIM, BUT IT TAKES A SPIRIT OF OBEDIENCE AND A SERIOUS ATTITUDE TOWARD THE CHURCH’S PRIORITY. LOOK AT CH. 1:V-4. THEY MUST STAY IN JERUSALEM – EVERYONE OF THEM. NONE MUST LEAVE –

I HAVE NO DOUBTS THAT SOME WERE PROBABLY ANXIOUS – SOME WERE IN FEAR FOR THEIR LIVES – SOME WERE BECOMING DISCORAGED – BUT GOD’S PRIORITY WAS FOR THEM TO REMAIN UNITED IN PRAYER IN THE SAME PLACE UNTIL THEY HEARD FROM GOD AGAIN ( PRAY TOGETHER). SAINTS OF GOD, IT IS ALWAYS GOD WHO DETERMINES THE PRIORITY – OUR JOB IS TO OBEY – I FEEL BAD THAT I HAVE TO SAY THIS, BUT GOD COMMUNICATES HIS PRIORITY TO US THROUGH HIS UNDERSHEPHERD, WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IT IS TO COMMUNICATE THAT TO THE BODY AND WHEN THE BODY GETS A HOLD OF WHAT GOD WANTS AND LINES UP WITH WHAT GOD WANTS, THE SPIRIT IS READY TO FALL MIGHTILY UPON US AD THEN AND ONLY THEN WOULD WE BEGIN TO SEE GREAT THINGS AMONG US.