The promise, seeker, the power and the victory.
It would be tragic for us to come to the end of our time, only to find that what we thought was available for a future generation, was actually available for us now.
I've reduced almost my entire Christian experience and definition down to one thing…
"To be lead by the Holy Spirit"
It's much harder than it sounds, coz it relies on true relationship rather than keeping rules, which is easier to define and hold.
The promise of the Father.
The promise…what is it?
Acts 1v1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
Where did the Father promise it?
Joel 2:28 'And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. 30I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 31The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. 32And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.
Who was the promise for? Young and old, men and woman…that pretty much covers everyone!
Acts 2v1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11(both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs--we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?" 13Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine. " 14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17"`In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'
Was this a once off occurrence?
Peter's account of the filling of the Holy Spirit on the gentiles.
Acts 11v15 "As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16Then I remembered what the Lord had said: `John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?" 18When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.
They received the same infilling.
This promise was not just for the believers gathered at Pentecost but for every believer.
Acts 2:39 And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."
We see this powerful filling, the promise of the Father is for all ages, all genders, and for every generation from the time of Pentecost.
The seeking nature of the spirit.
Genesis 1v1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters
Isaiah 55v1 "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Isaiah 55v6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
Luke 11v9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 11"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If 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!"
We see that knowing the Holy Spirit goes beyond mere head knowledge, but moves into the area of experience. We experience His presence and the we experience His working through us.
Why have need of the Holy Spirit?
R.T Kendall "in 90% of churches today if the Holy Spirit did not show up for church, no-one would know the difference"
1) Acts 1:8 Power. Empowered to witness
It's arrogance in the extreme to expect to be able to do anything for the Lord, without the Empowering of the Holy Spirit…this is called works and flesh, and has no lasting fruit.
John 15.
2) Eph 1:7 17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe
- We gain wisdom
- We gain revelation
- We know Him better
- We may know the hope to which were called
- We may know our inheritance
- We may have great power
3) We may have fruit:
Galatians 5v22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law
4) Gifts of the spirit
1 Cor 12v5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. 7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
Words of wisdom, knowledge, healing power, faith, miraculous power, prophecy, discernment etc…
Remember the promise is for all young and old, male and female, close and far off.
5) Victory over sin and desires!
Galatians 5v16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
Galatians 5v24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires
(spirit brings this revelation.)
Friends its not principles and preaching of mans wise ways, but being filled with the person, presence and power of the spirit that will bring us to the place of victorious Christian living.
Let us then purpose in every area of our lives, personal lives and church lives, to be seeking and drinking of that which delights deeply, the Holy Spirit. Lets give Him time, lets give Him space, lets honor and revere Him deeply. But above all let us continually be filled, saturated by Him.
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