The power
We have talked about tearing down the walls, building a strong foundation, the need to move in power, making sure the anointing remains…today I need us to look at the power the Lord wants us to have that is missing in many
Jesus promised the Holy Spirit for all of us…why
– As one person flowing in the Holy Spirit we are limited by time, energy, and distance…we can only be so many places talk to so many people..but if every Christian can be filled the power the whole world can be reached
– Jesus said greater works will we do (John 14:12 as he talked about the Holy Spirit) is this just the Holy Spirit being with us as we are saved or is there something more?
Jesus said Acts 1:5
John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 2: 1-4
On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
As far as I can tell from reading Acts and the Epistles every Christian in the first-century church was baptized in the Holy Spirit
Acts 8: 12-17
But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. 13 Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed. 14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. 15 As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Acts 19:1-7
And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all.
These Christ-followers had a relationship with Jesus, they had been immersed in water as a sign of their commitment to following Christ.
They had received Christ as their Lord and Savior, The Father was their Father and the Holy Spirit was in them in that you can not have one member of the Trinity and not have all three, immersed, but the apostles knew there was something else that they needed.
They were not talking about a passive work but a purposeful work of God! A baptism not of water, but of the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 3:11 reflects this from John the Baptist words in
“I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”
Let me ask you when you came to Christ did you feel like you were baptized in fire?
Most of us would say not. This is not a literal fire but a passion for the heart of God but the passion can be wasted if not empowered by God
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
Jesus said in Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
What is this power he spoke of? The power Paul talked about? The power the early Christians had?
It was what is called the infilling or baptism of the Holy Spirit
John 14:16, 17
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.
– Jesus said one would be coming that would be exactly like Him “another”
– He will be with you always
– he will lead you into all truth (also John 16:12,13)
– He lives with you when you come to Christ but fills you when you are baptized in the Holy Spirit
Earlier John14:12 Jesus said those who believe will do greater works and then he went on to talk about how…when the Holy Spirit comes on you the power comes
John 14:26 we are told
“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”
When you are filled with the Holy Spirit because he gave us the Bible as I shared last week he will cause us to remember all things
He will always remind us of our part and responsibility in the Kingdom
John 16: 8-15
And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. 10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. 11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged. 12 “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’
– Being filled with the Holy Spirit helps us to know our sin, not live there but to be drawn to freedom
– Being filled with the Spirit enables us to hear the truth, understand the truth, and walk in the truth
– Being filled with the Spirit means your life will glorify God as the Spirit through you will only glorify God
– Being filled with the Spirit opens our understanding to receive all he has for us!
BUT THERE IS MORE
The fruit of the Spirit and the gifts are alive in those who are filled with the Spirit or at least can be.
Galatians 5:22,23
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, meekness, kindness, faithfulness, 23 and self-control. There is no law against these things!
The gifts of the Spirit are mainly outlined in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 they are bookends to the love chapter I believe because apart from love these gifts are useless (1 Corinthians 13 tells us that by the Holy Spirit)
Word of wisdom – supernatural perspective on all things, right application of the truth…
Word of knowledge – insight and revelation of previously unknown things
Faith – not to be confused with saving faith – this gives peace in any storm a supernatural trust and confidence in God
Gifts of healing – healing physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually
Working of miracles – feeding people with little to nothing, casting out demons, raising the dead or making them dead
Prophecy – Divine revelation that always points people to Jesus a message or teaching to exhort, correct, equip, disclose sin, predict the future events
Discerning of spirits – both the insight into demonic, fleshly and Godly realm, you can tell very clearly if something is God or not…it is a testing of the spirits (1 John 4:1)
Tongues and praying in tongues some see these as separate regardless it is the ability to communicate to God and or for God in a known or unknown language that the speaker does not know. WE encourage everyone to have a prayer language as it edifies the person who prays
Interpretation of tongues – if tongues is to be used in public it should never be used without someone who can interpret
Helping – a supernatural desire to help in all or any way to accomplish the Kingdom purposes
Administration – to steer or guide a supernatural gift to order and design what needs to happen in a group with a plan or to accomplish a task
Hospitality – a gift to care for, serve, and minister to people through tenderness, compassion and food generally
Celibacy – a gift to desire only to give yourself to God for his purposes alone
This just skims the surface of all of this but all of this is available if you have committed to Christ and want to take the next step to receive the Baptism of or in the Holy Spirit
This is all part of the Spirit of power, love, and self-control that we can flow in as Christ-followers
Some of you may be saying…I am a spirit-filled believer this teaching is nice for others…the greatest church in the world at the time of Paul was in Ephesus they were flowing in the power of God but they had their struggles so Paul says this
Ephesians 5:18
“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,”
If you are ready today to be filled (baptized with the Holy Spirit) for the first time or to be renewed in Him come.
You might be asking do I need this? My response to you would be are you seeing the power, confidence, and fruit in your life? If not, then you need this!
He is not about falling down, laughing, crying or such things although you may do any of that or nothing if you receive prayer it depends upon what you need instead it is about being renewed in power
You may be given a prayer language or not but today you will be filled with the Spirit if you have Jesus as your Lord and savior