Purpose for the Power

Intro

Have you ever watched a relay race?

Essentially you have a team of runners who stage themselves at various parts of the race.

Instead of one person running the entire race by them self, each person only runs for a portion of the race.

As they come to the end of their portion, another member of their team is waiting for them to take their place in the race.

This transfer in responsibility for running the race is signified in the passing of a baton.

Essentially, if you have the baton, your are the runner and as you come to the end of your portion you hand that baton to your teammate who is running alongside you for a short period of time to match your pace.

Once the baton is passed, you step off the track and your teammate takes over.

Last week was Pentecost Sunday. And if you were here you know we talked about what that meant for the early Church and what it means for us today.

Primarily, we discussed that it was the fulfillment of a promise. And that promise was to give God’s people a power they had never experienced before.

This power would come through the pouring out of God’s Holy Spirit.

It would be this power that would change the world by building God’s Church.

We also said that unfortunately, there are well meaning Christians today who due to a lack of knowledge and/or understanding, who are living underpowered lives in Christ.

And this doesn’t mean they aren’t saved, and it doesn’t mean they are sincere.

But sincerity as I said last week isn’t going to...

break spiritual strongholds

push back the efforts of the enemy

transform our lives

change the world

Only the power of God made available to his children through the baptism in the Holy Spirit can do that.

But what we talked about last week was just the beginning. Pentecost was a starting point, not the climax of the story.

Far too many Christians today view the baptism in the Holy Spirit as a point of arrival when it is really a point of departure. Departure on a life long journey of spirit-filled living.

So this morning we are going to continue this conversation on Pentecost. In fact for the next couple of week we are going to be looking at how Pentecost changed everything and how being baptized in the Holy Spirit should change everything in your life too.

Power in the Text

I want to bring us back to the illustration of a relay race and the idea of passing on the baton.

You see, Jesus has this moment with his disciples where he in essence passes the baton to them. We read about it in Matthew 28...

Matthew 28:16-20 NLT 16 Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted!

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Many of you have heard this before, and for those that haven’t. This portion of scripture is what is commonly referred to as the great commission.

It is here that we see Jesus after his resurrection but before his ascension, giving the disciples their mission.

He is in essence passing the baton to them.

He has shown them for 3 years what it looks like to follow him. It is now their turn to do the same for others. To make new disciples, who like them, will follow Jesus.

This would become the primary responsibility not only of these first disciples, but for everyone of us would come after.

But here is the thing, for us to be successful at this, we have to be fully equipped for the task at hand.

Big Idea/Why it Matters

Some of you have heard this story before, so bare with me.

When I was deployed to Iraq during OIF I will never forget my first time going “outside the wire”.

We were being grouped up with the unit we were replacing and we had to move from one location to another.

It was at night which meant we were wearing NOD’s or night vision. Since this was our first mission outside the wire, I think out 3rd day in country, we still needed our standard combat load of ammo.

Well, as we were all lining up to receive this ammo from our armorer it come to be my turn.

And much to my surprise, instead of being given ammo for my M4, I was handed one 15 round magazine for my 9mm pistol (I carried both weapons).

I stood there thinking he was going to give me more, only to be told we hadn’t received our full combat loads and were out of M4 ammo so the 15 pistol rounds would be all I was getting.

Fortunately, everything went smoothly that night and there were no issues. But let me tell you something.

Had things went south, I would have had a better shot at throwing my pistol at a bad guy and hitting them with it than I would have had trying to shoot them while wearing NOD’s no less.

I wasn’t equipped for the mission at hand. That could have ended badly.

When it comes to the mission that God has given us, understand that we need to be properly equipped in order be successful.

Jesus knew that. This why he said what he did in Luke and Acts. We read this last week.

Luke 24:49 NLT 49 “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

Acts 1:4-5 NLT 4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 1:8 NLT 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.”

This power that we talked about last week had a primary purpose. And it was to equip us with what we needed to complete the mission God has given us.

Pentecost signaled the beginning of the spirit-filled life. The baptism in the Holy Spirit that was given to those believers who were doing what Jesus said and were waiting is what equipped them to actually carry out the Great Commission.

And sadly, there are Christians today who either don’t understand or who don’t believe in a pentecostal experience.

And they mean well, and they are serving God and their local Church, and they are working at making disciples.

The problem is that its as if they are trying to do it with a single 15 round magazine instead of a full combat load.

There is a reason Jesus told his disciples to wait. I don’t think it was because he didn’t think they would find any success at making disciples. People do this all the time.

Rather, I think it was because he knew that they would never see the maximum potential fruit of their ministry if they didn’t go into it fully equipped.

Jesus was passing the baton if you will. He was saying, here, its your turn to run. But don’t worry, I am going to give you access to God in a way that you never had it before.

And this access brings with it the power to run like I do.

Jesus told his disciples of a time when they too would do the things he did, in fact in an even greater capacity.

John 14:12 NLT 12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.

Jesus here was speaking to the baptism in the Holy Spirit that could not come until he returned to God the Father.

Jesus commanded his followers to carry on his mission in the world in obedience to the Son, through power of the Spirit, and for the glory of the Father.

Application/Closing

The Great Commission shows us how the power of the Holy Spirit was meant to operate in the life of a believer.

Jesus tells his disciples that “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations”.

Understand something this morning. Pentecost happened because Jesus caused it.

Jesus is the one who baptizes believers in the Holy Spirit. He has all authority in heaven and on earth.

All of creation is under his dominion. So as spirit-filled Christians we are subject to his authority.

One of the ways you can tell if someone is genuinely spirit-filled or a counterfeit is whether or not they are under the authority of Jesus.

And it is under this authority that we operate in order to do what? Make disciples

The power given at Pentecost is first and foremost given so that we can actually fulfill the great commission.

What are some things that should be happening if we are making disciples and not just converts?

People should be getting water baptized (v. 19)

Solid biblical teaching (v. 20)

Unfortunately when it comes to the pentecostal and charismatic movements there is too much of an emphasis on charismania. Everyone wants a sign and a wonder. Everyone wants a word.

Oprah, you get a word and you get a word.

Not enough emphasis on teaching the scriptures.

Disciples aren’t made from prophecy and tongues.

Those things may convince someone to accept Christ, but disciples are made from teaching them to walk in the way of Christ and to identify with him in baptism.

The power of the Holy Spirit is what equips us to do this.

You may never be called to another country, but you are called to cross the street.

You may not be called to formal ministry as an evangelist or a Pastor, but you are called to minister to those in your sphere of influence.

Are you relying on the Holy Spirit to help you in this area, or are you either too afraid to try, or trying to do it in your own power?

oLet Peter be our example. He received power, he stepped forward, and 3,000 people got save and baptized.

Pentecost changed everything because it changes everyone who experiences it. Have you waited in the city for the gift to come? If it came today, would you be ready and willing to go?

There is a lost and dying world that needs you to be willing.