Sermon Tone Analysis

*We Have Something (or Someone) For Which They Longed*

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*Pentecost Year B 2009*

 

Rev.

Canon Glenn E. Davis

 

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive /the promise of the Spirit through faith/ (emphasis mine) (Gal.

3:13-14 NKJV).

Overview: The Old Testament people of God yearned for intimacy with God: conscience-cleansing forgiveness of sin, power to obey the law, and life-changing experiences of His presence.

The finished work of Christ on the Cross performed the work needed for us to experience all these truths and much more.

What Old Testament men and women of faith hoped for and desired, we as New Covenant believers now know.

We must not take these precious truths for granted.

This sermon is about these great truths and how we can fully experience their power and perfection.

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is an overwhelming experience of the Spirit’s presence, power, and purity: a total submergence within the person of the Holy Spirit.

This individual experience is instantaneous and may (could or should) be reoccurring.

The Baptism refers to the initial work of the Spirit in uniting believers to Christ as well as on-going encounters with the Spirit bringing refreshment and strengthening in the Christian life.

*Question:* The same day as your conversion you received the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

*Answer: *Yes, it happened like this: After dinner we were moving books and furniture to another law office.

The thought took possession of my mind that as soon as I was alone in the new office, I would try to pray again.

Later, I made up a good fire in an open fireplace and accompanied Squire W. to the door.

As I closed the door and turned around, my heart seemed to be liquid within me.

All my feelings seemed to rise and flow out, and the utterance of my heart was, I want to pour my whole soul out to God.

The rising of my soul was so great that I rushed into the room back of the front office to pray.

There was no fire there and no light; nevertheless it appeared to me as if it were perfectly light.

As I went in and shut the door after me, it seemed as if I met the Lord Jesus Christ face-to-face.

It did not occur to me then, nor did it for some time afterward, that it was wholly a mental state.

On the contrary, it seemed to me that I saw Him as I would see any other man.

He said nothing, but looked at me in such a manner as to break me right down at His feet.

I have always since regarded this as a most remarkable state of mind, for it seemed to me a reality that He stood right before me, and I feel down at His feet and poured out my soul to Him.

I wept aloud like a child, and made such confessions as I could with my choked utterance.

It seemed to me that I bathed His feet with my tears, and yet I had no distinct impression that I touched Him, that I recollect.[1]

[Charles G. Finney, evangelist and author: /Lectures on Revival/, /Autobiography/,/ and Systematic Theology./]

*Five Expressions of the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts*

1. “Baptized”-The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an overwhelming experience of the Spirit’s presence, power, and purity: a total submergence within the person of the Holy Spirit.

This individual experience is instantaneous and may be reoccurring.

The Baptism refers to the initial work of the Spirit in uniting believers to Christ as well as on-going encounters with the Spirit bringing refreshment and strengthening in the Christian life (Mark 1:8; Acts 11:16).

2. “Filled”-The phrase, “to be filled,” points to an inner penetration or pervasion of the Spirit into my whole being as a believer.

Also, “release” and “infilling” are terms which express the Spirit’s work of totally, inwardly occupying a believer’s heart and life (Acts 1:4; 9:17).

It should be noted, that “baptized” and “filled” are the same event and denote the totality of the Spirit’s working both within and without in the believer’s life.

3. “Outpouring”-The outpouring of the Holy Spirit suggests an overwhelming experience of the Spirit’s person and presence as well as to the idea of abundance (i.e., without limitation) (Joel 2:28-29; John 3:34; Acts 2:17-18, 33; 10:45).

The Holy Spirit at conversion indwells all believers, but they may not be experiencing all his presence, benefits, power, and gifts.

4. “Falling of the Spirit”-Falling connotes suddenness, forcefulness, and power (Acts 2:21; 8:16; 10:44).

5. “Coming Upon” or “Clothed With”- To be clothed with the Holy Spirit expresses an active, continuing endowment of the Spirit: possession by and investiture with the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; 19:6).

Baptism (with, by, or in) the Holy Spirit is the same preposition in the Greek language.

*Old Testament Longing for the Personal, Inward, Presence of the Holy Spirit*

1. Prophetic Longing: Moses desired that all Israelites would hear God’s voice and declare that message to the people (Numbers 11:29).

2. Prophetic Prediction: Moses yearns for a prophetic voice that would continue to share God’s word to the people.

“Now God speaks of Moses as a prophet and promises a future prophet like him for Israel.

In the first century A.D., Jews expected a final prophet, whom NT writers identified as Jesus.”

(Deut.

18:14-22; Acts 3:22–24; 7:37).

3. Spirit Regeneration Foretold: Ezekiel prophesies that one day the Holy Spirit will come, cleanse from sin, transform hearts, and produce an obedient people (Ezek.

36:24-28).

4. Spirit Promised for Everyone: Joel declares that the Holy Spirit will be available for every believer: no matter the gender, age, or economic status (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:17-21).

5.

Spirit Release Foretold: The Lord fulfills the Old Testament promise that he will release the Holy Spirit.

What makes the New Covenant better than the Old?

The New Covenant secures the promise of an indwelling Holy Spirit who by his mighty power will produce an obedient and holy people of God.

In the New Covenant, God promises that he will keep us by his divine power; therefore, we need never to fear losing our salvation.

God promises in the New Covenant four truths that the Old Covenant could not deliver: forgiveness that reshapes a heart, personal experiential knowledge of God, heart-felt obedience, and Spirit-empowered living (Isa.

44:3; Gal.3:14).

Jeremiah foretells a day when under the new covenant that on-going grace, inspiration for holiness, and protection from cold heartedness will prevent the people of God from rejecting God and turning away from him (Jer.

31:31-34; 32:38-41).

*Prophecy Defined**    *

*Word of Prophecy* is spontaneous, Spirit-inspired, intelligible speech, orally delivered in the believer’s own words to the church gathered.

The prophetic word is intended for the building up of the people of God: comfort, strengthening, and encouragement.

Prophecy can be both foretelling; insights into the future plans of God, and forthtelling; God’s word for our present circumstances.

Evaluating a word of prophecy involves three elements: revelation, interpretation, and application.

Revelation: Is this word genuinely from the Holy Spirit having a sense of eternity?

Interpretation: What does the word mean to us? Application: What do we DO with this word?

New Testament prophecy points the Church to Christ, calls for obedience to his commands, and brings healing and restoration to the recipient(s).

The gift of prophecy reminds believers of their call to holiness, their dependence on God’s grace, and the faithfulness of God’s promise.

In short, the prophetic gift calls forth repentance, restoration and renewal in the Body of Christ.

The prophetic gift edifies the Church in her call to be God’s witness to the world (Acts 11:27-30; 21:9-14, 1 Cor.

12:31, 14:1, 39; Heb.

2:3-4).

“True Prophets are the healers, preachers, and teachers who are "binders of wounds," because they call people to genuine transformation and repentance.

True prophetic words point to sin, to what is amiss in a life or in a culture; they warn of the consequences if one fails to repent (here a predictive element can come in); they console; they encourage.

They do all this in conjunction with the fundamental truth that /the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy/ (Rev.

12:10).”[2]

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*Joel 2**: 28-32*

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*Prophethood of All Believers*

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Verse twenty-eight*: *In the* *Old Testament*, *the Holy Spirit was only available to corporate Israel or selected individuals in leadership: prophets, priests, or kings.

Joel prophesies that the Holy Spirit’s presence, purity, and power will be available to every believer.

In ancient Israel, the elder, aristocratic male was the main recipient of the Holy Spirit’s power, but under the New Covenant, the Holy Spirit would be available to all.

“Sons and daughters,” no gender distinctions--both male and female believers will receive the Spirit.

“Old men . . .

young men,” no one would be restricted by their age.

Youthfulness will no longer be a disqualification for Spirit endowment.

Verse twenty-nine: “Even on my servants,” Economic status will no longer prove a hindrance to the Spirit’s supernatural power.

No servant in the Old Testament ever prophesies.

“I will pour out,” God’s end-time move of the Spirit will not be relegated to a few individuals.

“In those days” is describing the work of the Spirit from the Day of Pentecost to the Second Advent.

Verse thirty: “Wonders in the heavens” is reference to the plagues in Egypt under Moses’ leadership.

“Blood and fire” is an illusion to the ministry of Elijah and the destruction of the prophets of Baal on Mt.

Carmel.

Therefore, the Holy Spirit will pour in a time of great spiritual warfare and the church will perform signs and wonders in the mighty power of the Spirit.

Verse thirty-one: “Moon to blood,” is a prophetic declaration of the onset of war and violence.

“Dreadful day of the Lord,” These events will occur before the great and final judgment.

Verse thirty-two: “Everyone who calls,” means me, means anybody, means everybody.

Peter (Acts 2:21) and Paul (Rom.

10:13) cite this text as God’s promise to deliver from sin all who call upon Christ and his finished work on the Cross.

“The Lord calls,” no one will be rejected for all who call upon the Lord do so because he already called them.

“Mount Zion and Jerusalem,” is the place of God’s presence.

These “end-time” signs are signs of redemption to all who turn to God.

 

Summary: Through the Spirit, Joel prophesies that the Holy Spirit will one day indwell all believers and that each believer when then have the ability to prophesy.

This prophetic gifting will allow the people of God to hear the voice of God address their specific needs for their specific circumstances: every believer a prophet.