#4
SERIES ON THE HOLY
SPIRIT
"THE HOLY SPIRIT EMPOWERS!"
TEXT: Acts
1:8
INTRO: One of the
greatest events in the New Testament was Pentecost. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit did more
to transform the spreading of the Gospel than any other single event. These believers were filled with power
after Pentecost ... yet so often many misunderstand the nature of this
power. The church today still needs
this great gift Jesus promised His followers when He ascended back to heaven …
this promise of the father to be endued with power from on
high.
ILLUS: THE
NIAGARA FALLS ARE AN IMPRESSIVE SIGHT, SO MANY NEWLYWEDS HAVE GONE THERE TO SEE
THE BEAUTY OF THE FALLS AND TO DISCOVER THE BEAUTY OF EACH OTHER IN THE
PROCESS. THE RIDE AT THE BOTTOM OF
THE FALLS ON THE MAIDEN OF THE MIST IS IMPRESSIVE AS YOU GO NEAR THE FALLS AND
THE SPRAY FROM THE MIGHTY RIVER FALLS GENTLY ON YOUR FACE. THE LIGHT SHOW IS IMPRESSIVE TOO AS THEY
LIGHT UP WITH COLORS THE FALLS AT NIGHT.
IT IS QUITE A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT AND NICE FOR A HONEYMOON ... BUT IF YOU ARE
GOING TO LIVE IN NIAGARA FALLS YOU WILL DISCOVER QUICKLY THAT WHAT YOU
APPRECIATE IN THE LONG RUN IS THE POWER THAT COMES FROM THESE SAME FALLS. THIS IS POWER TO LIVE BY! THIS IS LIKE THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT, THE TONGUES AND OTHER MANIFESTATIONS ARE WONDERFUL, BUT THE MAIN FOCUS
OF THIS BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE POWER IT GIVES US TO LIVE BY! THEREFORE, IT IS A VITAL NEED FOR EVERY
BELIEVER. –
SOURCE UNKNOWN
ILLUS: AS
ONE MINISTER SAID IT, "THOUGH EVERY BELIEVER HAS THE HOLY SPIRIT (SALVATION),
THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES NOT HAVE EVERY BELIEVER!" (BAPTISM OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT)
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
We
truly need this power of the Holy Spirit in our lives today; it is no accident
that the greatest missionary thrust in the world today comes from Pentecostals!
The fastest growing segment of
Christianity in the world today are Pentecostals, this also is not
accidental. We need to understand
the nature of this power, and we can best do this by looking at God's
Word:
PROP.SENT: The Bible teaches us that we need the
power of the Holy Spirit and that God has made this power available to all who
will ask and receive in faith. This
power is the power “TO BE” witnesses ... with the emphasis on the two words "TO
BE!"
I. PROVISION 1:8a
A. Type
1. There are two different Greek words
for “power.”
a. One is “exsousia” ... which is translated "authority" in 1:7b.
We get our English word “exertion” from this; it has more to do
with conferred power.
b. The other word is "dunamis" which is translated here in 1:8a as “power.”
We get our English word "dynamite" from it ... it has to do more
with power in the sense of "ability."
2. Though Jesus had finished all His
work and was ready to return to glory He knew that these believers were not
ready to go out into the world in their own power or
strength.
a. He had already given them His
authority but now they would need another kind of
power.
b. They would need a type of power
that literally could transform them!
3. Doing any ministry in our own power
will not work well, the world today is full of examples of Christians attempting
to minister in their own strength!
4. Jesus here would not permit them to
do anything. He instructs them to
wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit ... this
will empower them the way they need to be empowered for doing the work Jesus was
leaving them to do!
5. They needed something more than
just authority, they needed transforming power!
B. Touched
1. The first part of this verse is
very clear:
"For you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on
you…"
a. This touch of the Spirit will be a
real experience, one that is noticed!
b. This experience of the Holy Spirit
is different from salvation, these people had already received the Holy Spirit;
Jesus had "breathed on them" earlier and
said “Receive
the Holy Spirit.” (Jn.
2. This is
where they who already had the Holy Spirit would now have the Holy Spirit have
them!
3. This “Baptism of the Spirit” would
deliver to them real POWER ... "dunamis," meaning "ability."
4. While there have been arguments for
centuries over the tongues part, there has been agreement over the fact of the
Baptism of the Holy Spirit as a work of grace from
God!
a. Some of the greatest men and women
of history have recorded this experience in their lives and the resulting power
it gave them!
b. There can be little doubt that
Pentecost had a dramatic effect on the early believers and their ability to
witness for Christ and change the world!
ILLUS: ON
DECEMBER 26, 1899 AT THE FUNERAL OF D.L. MOODY, DR. SCOFIELD SAID, “MOODY WAS
BAPTIZED WITH THE SPIRIT AND KNEW THAT HE WAS. IT WAS TO HIM AS DEFINITE AN EXPERIENCE
AS WAS HIS CONVERSION.” MOODY
HIMSELF HAD SAID, “THE BLESSING CAME UPON ME SUDDENLY, LIKE A FLASH OF
LIGHTENING. FOR MONTHS I HAD BEEN
WALKING THE STREETS OF NEW YORK. I
HAD NO MORE HEART IN THE BUSINESS I WAS ABOUT THAN IF I HAD NOT BELONGED TO THIS
WORLD AT ALL. RIGHT THERE, ON THE
STREET, THE FIRE OF GOD SEEMED TO COME UPON ME SO WONDERFULLY THAT I ASKED GOD
TO STAY HIS HAND. I WAS FILLED WITH
A SENSE OF GOD’S GOODNESS, AND I FELT AS THOUGH I COULD TAKE THE WHOLE WORLD TO
MY HEART. THIS HAPPENED YEARS AFTER
I WAS CONVERTED.
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
ILLUS: THE
STORY OF JONATHAN EDWARDS AND THE GREAT NEW ENGLAND REVIVAL THAT CAME FROM HIS
PREACHING STARTED WHEN HE DETERMINED HIMSELF TO RECEIVE GOD'S POWER. HE SPENT 3 DAYS AND 3 NIGHTS FASTING AND
PRAYING AND THEN HE PREACHED HIS MESSAGE "SINNERS IN THE HANDS OF AN ANGRY GOD."
THOUGH IN MANUSCRIPT FORM, AND
THOUGH HE READ IT FROM THE PULPIT THE POWER OF GOD WAS SO GREAT THAT PEOPLE
LITERALLY CRIED OUT DURING THE SERMON, SOME HELD ONTO THE POSTS FOR FEAR OF
SLIPPING INTO A FLAMING HELL, PEOPLE GRABBED ONTO CHAIRS, PEWS, POSTS ...
ANYTHING THEY COULD FIND BECAUSE THE POWER OF GOD TOUCHED THEM ... SCORES WERE
SAVED, AND THE POWER FILTERED OUT OF THE CHURCH AND INTO ALL OF NEW
ENGLAND! THIS IS
POWER!
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
5. Their new ABILITY clearly came as a
result of being baptized in the Holy Spirit!
6. We need this touch of the Spirit
today as well!
II. POSITION 1:8b
A. Transformation
1. Jesus states here that when the
power of the Holy Spirit comes upon them they WILL BE
witnesses.
2. The emphasis of this passage is on
these two little words -- TO BE or WILL
BE!
a. The transformation of their
character is in view here ... they will be dramatically
changed!
b. What is recorded in Acts following
this Pentecostal experience is proof positive of that
transformation!
3. These men and women who earlier had
been afraid, had hidden for fear of their lives, who often squabbled among
themselves now are united, bold, and have a clear sense of mission with
power!
a. Peter stands up in the midst of the
crowd to explain what was happening ... he clearly connects it with Scripture
lest the crowd think something bizarre was taking
place!
b. He preaches with new power, this
was a transformed Peter!
c. The rest speaks for this new power
as well, at least 3,000 people got saved that very day, a new record for
ministry for these guys!
4. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit did
not make Peter better than the other brothers in Christ but it did make Peter
better than Peter!
a. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
doesn't make us better than other Christians, but it does make us better than
ourselves!
b. Hence the real value of this gift
of the Spirit and its power!
5. They looked the same but they were
different, even the crowd took notice of the transformation of these guys and
gals, they were asking if these were the same guys and gals they had known
before?!
ILLUS: LIKE
TWO NEEDLES THAT LOOK IDENTICAL ... IF YOU TOOK ONE OF THEM AND PUT AN ELECTRIC
POWER THROUGH IT, IT WOULD BECOME MAGNETIZED AND THOUGH IT WOULD LOOK THE SAME
AS THE OTHER ONE IT WOULD ALWAYS POINT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION NOW THAT IT HAD
BEEN EMPOWERED! IT NOW CAN HAVE A
NEW AND IMPORTANT USE OTHER THAN JUST SEWING!
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
6. The transformation is that of the
person ... not just the tongue!
a. It was "power TO
BE."
b. The emphasis of the verse is on the
"you will
be."
c. Charismata without character is not
the work of the Spirit of God ... God’s Spirit works on both, with a major
emphasis on character transformation!
7. Paul alludes to this same principle
with the Corinthians who had an abundance of manifestations but were lacking in
the character of love, the fruit of the Spirit!
8. The Work of the Spirit is to
transform and empower us! This is
why the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is so important for
believers!
a. Anything that empowers us TO BE better than we can be in our own strength
should be sought! “To be or not to be, THAT IS THE
QUESTION!”
b. There is little room in Jesus'
statement here for guesswork on the results of being baptized in the Holy
Spirit; He clearly says that they WILL BE
WITNESSES!
B. Testimony
1. What a testimony this power gave
these guys, their transformed lives became so evident that the whole community
was awed by their testimony of change!
a. As Jerusalem watched, these newly
empowered saints became a powerful community of believers, sharing with each
other, encouraging each other, serving one another out of a powerful love, all
evidences of a true revival!
b. Yes there were great miracles of
healings, great prophecies, great manifestations in other ways, but nothing
gripped the community as much as the testimony of these believers and the change
in their lives!
2. As wonderful as the miracles were,
what really transformed the world was the testimony of the people who were
radically changed by God's power, the miracles attracted attention but the
changed lives attracted converts!
a. Many times the miracles performed
were explained away by the unbelieving.
b. But they couldn't explain away the
changes in people lives!
ILLUS: IN
EAST LONDON, MOODY HAD TRAVELED AND HAD RENTED A HALL TO GIVE A SERMON. HE INVITED FOR THAT EVENING ATHEISTS,
SKEPTICS, AND FREETHINKERS. A MAN
BY THE NAME OF BRADLAUGH, WHO WAS THE AREA CHAMPION OF ATHEISM, HEARD OF THE
MEETING AND QUICKLY CALLED UP ALL HIS LEADERS FROM ALL HIS CLUBS TO HAVE THEM
ALL ATTEND THAT NIGHT THE MEETING.
ALL THE CLUBS OBEYED AND OVER 5,000 OF THEM SHOWED UP THAT NIGHT. THEY ALL LAUGHED WHEN MOODY OPENED THE
SERVICE BY ASKING THEM TO SING ONE OF THEIR FAVORITE HYMNS, FOR THEY HAVE
NONE! MOODY THEN WENT ON TO SPEAK,
READING A TEXT AND THEN SHARING A GREAT NUMBER OF STORIES ABOUT THE DEATHS OF
SAINTS AND SINNERS AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. HE SHARED THE TESTIMONIES OF THOSE WHO
DIED IN THE LORD ... AND THE STORIES OF THOSE WHO DIED WITHOUT CHRIST. WHEN DONE, HE ANNOUNCED A HYMN AND THEN
ASKED ANYONE WHO WANTED TO, TO LEAVE.
NO ONE MOVED! MOODY THEN
WENT ON AND ASKED THIS, “ALL YOU WHO WOULD RECEIVE CHRIST PLEASE STAND AND SAY
‘I WILL.’” ONE PERSON STOOD, THE
LEADER OF ALL THE ATHEISTS AND THE CLUBS, HE STOOD AND SHOUTED, "I WON'T!" MOODY THEN SAID, "MEN, YOU HAVE YOUR
CHAMPION HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HALL WHO SAID, 'I WON'T,' I ASK EVERY ONE
HERE WHO BELIEVES THAT MAN IS RIGHT TO RISE AND SAY, "I WON'T" WITH HIM." NO ONE
MOVED! MOODY THEN EXPRESSED A
"THANK GOD!" AND THEN ADDED, "NOW WHO'LL RISE AND SAY, "I WILL"? THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME UPON THAT CROWD AND
500 MEN SPRANG TO THEIR FEET SAYING ALL AT ONCE, "I WILL!" I WILL!" THOSE TESTIMONIES WERE USED POWERFULLY
BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD TO DO THE WORK!
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
3. Witnessing is not just a work of
verbal skills, it is the work of the Spirit of God in the life yielded and this
transformed life speaks loudly of the power of God!
4. WE testify about God with not just
words, but also our walk!
5. This is where the Baptism of the
Holy Spirit finds its greatest work, in the transformed lives of those who
receive this gift, not just in the fascinating manifestations that
come!
a. It is not just what the Holy Spirit
does through us!
b. It is also what the Holy Spirit
does IN us!
III. PLACEMENT 1:8c
A. Tactical
1. The last part of this verse
stresses how this power will find its tactical
expression.
a. First in
b. The impact begins at home! First among the brothers and hometown
people!
2. The Power of the Holy Spirit should
make itself felt first in our homes!
a. God's love should shine forth
toward others.
b. There should be a greater desire to
serve!
c. There will be a great desire to
know God's Word.
d. There will be humility in great
abundance.
e. There will be signs and wonders as
a natural outflow!
3. The first city to be impacted by
all this power was Jerusalem! Their
changed lives made a great impact on the hometown
folks!
a. Notice later what happens, the
church is united and loving!
b. The saints shared with one another;
in humility they considered others first and sought ways to serve one
another.
c. They met daily to study the Word of
God and the Apostle's teaching!
d. They took a loving interest in the
lost of the world.
e. They were a people of prayer and
many miracles accompanied their ministry!
4. As they spread out S0 did the
Gospel, the whole world took notice of their lives, not just their worship
style!
5. The more they were scattered the
more the power of God revealed itself through their lives and
ministry!
6. The Lord today still tactically
puts Christians in unique places to show the world what a transformed Christian
really is! (Like when our daughter Christel became Miss
Vermont Teen U.S.A. 1994, she had many opportunities to share her faith and give
a good example of what it means to be a Christian in a secular
world.)
ILLUS: LARRY
MCKENZIE, WAS THE 1951 POLIO POSTER BOY. HIS PICTURE AND STORY HAVE BEEN USED BY
THE NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR INFANTILE PARALYSIS TO HELP THOUSANDS OF OTHER
STRICKEN CHILDREN ... BUT HE IS ALSO A WONDERFUL CHRISTIAN. FREQUENTLY AS HE TRAVELED AND SPOKE HE
ALWAYS INCLUDED HIS TESTIMONY OF FAITH IN CHRIST AND HIS LOVE FOR THE LORD
STRENGTHENING HIM. HIS TESTIMONY
HAS BEEN PRINTED UP IN A TRACT ENTITLED, "RISE UP AND WALK!" BY THE AMERICAN
TRACT SOCIETY. IN THAT TRACT LARRY
STATES HOW HE MET SUCH FAMOUS PEOPLE AS PRESIDENT HARRY S. TRUMAN, J. EDGAR
HOOVER, CHIEF OF THE FBI, AND OTHERS.
BUT HE SAYS, "I THINK OFTEN ABOUT THE TIME I WILL MEET THE LORD JESUS,
AND UNTIL THEN I REALLY WANT TO SERVE HIM ANY WAY I CAN"
– SOURCE UNKNOWN
a. We would be amazed to discover how
much of our history has been influenced by Christians in tactical
places!
b. God takes His people and fills them
with power and then scatters them in a world that desperately needs to see
transformed lives!
7. This occurred all through the pages
of the New Testament and is still happening today!
a. God has a
PLAN!
b. God has given us the
POWER!
B. Time
1. The last phrase of this verse might
mean not only to the ends of the known earth but until the end of time as
well!
a. This Baptism of the Holy Spirit was
not just for the first century saints as though we are better than they were, as
if we don't need what they needed!
b. It was the Gift of the Spirit for
them ... and for us today!
c. It was meant for all believers, for
all time!
2. We all need the Baptism of the Holy
Spirit! In Acts, they were “ALL FILLED!”
They were all told to “wait” until the promise
came.
3. Peter in his sermon mentioned
Joel's prophecy, which stated "in the last days."
4. If the early church needed the
Baptism of the Holy Spirit surely we do today as well!
5. We might do well to heed Jesus'
word "to
wait" until we are “endued with power from on high” too ... it is a
gift for all … for all time!
CONCLUSION:
What is the power of the Holy Spirit? Is it power just to express
manifestations? No, it is power
TO BE witnesses! While
manifestations come with the Spirit's power the principle power is that of
transforming us! The disciples
before Pentecost were weak and wavering, after Pentecost they were a force to
bee reckoned with! The Power of the
Spirit made them witnesses not just in word but also in character. The baptism of the Holy Spirit makes me
better than me, not necessarily better than others! Have you received power, and why
wouldn’t you?