-three Sundays ago we looked at the first part of Jesus’ four part strategy in developing a culture of outreach among His people…and that was: 1) Jesus transforms lives…
Last week we discovered the second part of Jesus strategy…
2) Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God Acts 1:3
“He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.”
Part 3: “Empowered By the Holy Spirit”
Acts 1:5, 8 and Eph 5:18
Intro – I am doing a post-Easter sermon series called “Developing A Culture of Outreach”.
-three Sundays ago we looked at the first part of Jesus’ four part strategy in developing a culture of outreach among His people…and that was: 1) Jesus transforms lives…
Last week we discovered the second part of Jesus strategy…
2) Jesus spoke about the kingdom of God Acts 1:3
“He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.”
Today we learn the third part of Jesus’ strategy:
3) Jesus empowers us with the Holy Spirit -read Acts 1:5, 8…
-this is the key for effective outreach…it has to be a HS empowered effort rather than a human effort…because spiritual work, the work of transformed lives and redeemed souls cannot be accomplished by our own effort and energy…it has to be a work of the HS…thru HS empowered followers of Jesus…
-we need the power and presence and fullness of the HS more than ever in these days…don’t we friends?…is that something you long for and desire?…
All you have to do is take a look at the first century followers of Jesus prior to Acts 2…and then after Acts 2…difference!
-especially Peter…gospels vs. Acts 2 and beyond…
-and the difference was the fullness of the HS…
So the key question is: Are you walking in the fullness of the HS today? You probably wonder: how can I know? Tell me what it means and how I can find that. That’s exactly what I hope to do today.
-let’s simply look at what the NT teaches about this and discover how each of us who knows Christ can be filled with the HS today and everyday…we will have an opportunity through prayer to receive the fullness of God’s Spirit today…
Open to Eph. 5…Prayer…read vv 15-20…
Three questions on the fullness of the Holy Spirit:
1) What is the filling of the Holy Spirit?
-acc. to v.18, it is:
• a command - “be filled” v.18 – not a suggestion or something reserved for only a certain group of Xns…this is for all of us who know Christ as our Lord and Savior…
• means to be controlled by the Holy Spirit v.18…filling means control…
The key to understanding this is the contrast between drunkenness and the filling of the HS given in v.18…(read)… …you and I know that when a person is drunk he or she is under the control of alcohol; they are influenced by it, their behavior is affected by it…they become different people…
That is the contrast Paul uses to describe the fullness of the HS. When a person is under the control of the HS (filled), they are influenced by Him, their behavior is affected, but in a very positive way: we display the qualities of Christ, we become different people…
What does it look like to be under the control of the HS (filled)? I did a quick survey of the NT to discover what are the evidences in someone’s life of the Spirit’s fullness:
Partial list:
• joy was mentioned several times Acts 13:52
• freedom (from anything that enslaves us) 2 Cor.3:17, Is. 61:1
• victory over sin Rm. 8:13
• boldness to speak the word of God and witness Acts 4:31
• from Eph. 5:15-20
• wisdom to live well in this evil age vv.15-16
But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. James 3:17
• understanding God’s will v.17
• building others up with life giving words v.19
(relational health…mutual submission, marriages…v.21ff…)
• a heart of worship to God v.19
• a thankful disposition v.20
So much more…
Now are all these things fully evident in a Spirit-filled person all the time? Certainly not. We’re talking about evidences here, not perfection…
Fruit of the Spirit
But by far the greatest indication that a person is walking in the fullness of the HS is that they are displaying the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Gal. 5:22-23: …love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control… but the greatest of these is love…
If you want to know if you are walking in the fullness of the HS, simply examine the fruit of your life…
2) When is a Christian filled with the Holy Spirit? (a second blessing? subsequent experience?)
• the answer to this has to do with the terms “baptism of the HS” and “filling of the HS”. The issue gets confusing when the terms baptism and filling are used to mean the same thing…the way I understand the Bible is that they don’t mean the same thing…there is a difference between the baptism of the Spirit and the filling of the Spirit.
…some teach a second blessing or subsequent experience of the HS after conversion…which is often referred to as the baptism of the HS…
• I believe the Bible teaches we are baptized in the Holy Spirit at the moment of conversion…1 Cor. 12:13…For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body — whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free — and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
BUT, just because we are baptized in the HS at conversion, that does not necessarily mean we are continually filled with the HS…a true believer in JC has the HS dwelling inside them, but not all are filled…(controlled)
eg. pilot light vs. burning flame…
• that is because the Bible teaches that the filling of the Holy Spirit is a regular, continual need for each of us…v. 18 ”present continuous verb: “keep on being filled…”
-listen to this helpful distinction from Warren Wiersbe: The baptism of the Spirit means that I belong to Christ’s body; the filling of the Spirit means that my body belongs to Christ.
So, acc. to the Bible, we need to be filled/controlled by the Spirit today, and tomorrow and the next day…every day, every moment…we do need a second experience of the Spirit’s filling…and a third one…and a hundredth one…continual…
Qtn is: are you filled with the HS right now? To answer that think of this question: who’s control and influence am I under right now? My own, or some other source or Christ’s?
3) how do I receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit?
It’s a matter of yieldedness and openness; of surrender and willingness; of awareness of our need and hunger for God.
-a matter of hunger and thirst…
It’s a matter of asking God.
If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:13
Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. John 7:37-39
Let me make an important distinction. Being filled with the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean I have more of the Spirit; it means the Spirit has more of me. Being filled with the Spirit happens as you continually choose to live submitted to the Lordship….
-like we said last week…as you make Jesus the King of your heart…
It happens as we learn to abide in Christ; stay connected to Him; stay alive and available and undistracted by sin and selfishness…
Let’s make this practical. God is ready, willing and able to fill you with the HS right now. He’s willing to fill you if you are open and willing to be filled…
There must be a sense of need—“Lord, I’m empty and I need to be filled by your Spirit. I need this pilot light to become a flame…I give up my need to control my own life…”
Why is it so important to be filled with the Holy Spirit?
-because this is how Jesus develops a culture of outreach among His people…how the gospel is spread and His kingdom expanded…how the work of God gets done…through people who are empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:5-8, 11
So we are not desiring this for ourselves first of all…we desire this first of all for the eternal glory of Jesus Christ…and then for the sake of lost souls…
eg. even in Acts 2, the day of Pentecost…unusual sign and wonders…pouring out of the HS upon the disciples gathered in the upper room…hard for some of us to understand…but even in that historic turning point for the new church…the HS was given not to primarily benefit the disciples…the Spirit was given with a view to reaching the lost and unreached from all tribes, cultures and languages…
-Acts 2:5-12…and v. 14 - Peter…
Prayer for the Filling of the Holy Spirit
Dear Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your great love and faithfulness to me. My heart is filled with joy whenever I think of the great salvation You have so freely given. Lord Jesus Christ, you have forgiven me of all my sin and brought me to the Heavenly Father. Thank You.
Now I come with the desire to be filled with Your Holy Spirit. I do not come because I am worthy, but because You have invited me to ask. Because You want Your children to receive good gifts from You, including the fullness of Your Holy Spirit.
I want to be filled with Your life, love and spiritual power. With boldness, joy and wisdom. With the fruit of Your Spirit. I want to love the lost and needy like You do. I want to reach others with Your love and gospel. I want You to use me in the ministry of expanding Your kingdom.
And so, with simple, childlike faith, I ask You Lord to fill me with the Holy Spirit. I open all of myself to You to receive all of Yourself in me.
Thank You for being faithful to Your promise that in these last days You would pour out Your Spirit on all people (Acts 2:17). May you be glorified through my life. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.
Worship…