Under The Influence

UNDER THE INFLUENCE

Text: Acts 2: 12-13

Tell story to this point beginning Acts 1: 5 Then 10 days later Pentecost.

These men thought the 120 were drunk, under the influence.

We know that they weren’t.

They were acting strangely.

It wasn’t normal for people to be that happy, that early.

As we look to the Word we will see why they were thought to be drunk.

And hopefully we too will be found to be: Under The Influence.

I. There Must be A Substance To Be Influenced By.

A. They were thought to be intoxicated with new wine.

1. Intoxicants cause people to act differently.

2. Some laugh, some sing, some cry.

B. They were under the influence of the Holy Ghost.

1. Same thing with the Holy Ghost.

2. Some laugh (joy), some sing (praise), some cry (tears of joy)

C. One is worldly, one is of God.

1. Are you under the influence of the world?

2. Or God?

II. It Depends On The Amount Of The Substance.

A. Worldly standards are .08 % BAC (Field Sobriety Test)

B. If you are under the influence of the Holy Ghost it’s 100%.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

C. When you are under the influence of the Holy Ghost it shows.

III. What Are You Putting The New Wine In?

A. It has to be a new container.

Lu 5:37-38 And no man puts new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.

B. It’s the same with the Holy Ghost.

1. The container it is put in must be new.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

2. The old man can’t receive it.

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

C. Are you trying to put the New Wine in old bottles?

Conclusion: When was the last time an experience with God made people wonder what you were on?

Have you ever really been under the influence?

Or are you just a social partaker?

Having just enough to be social able, but not getting totally under the influence.

Are you trying to put this New Wine in an old bottle? It won’t work?

Re-new the old bottle into a vessel of honor.

2 Timothy 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

Then the Lord can fill you, and you will be Under The Influence.