This Changes Everything

Scripture

Acts 2:1–14 ESV

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.

Introduction

The title of my message today is this..

Tell your neighbor, “This Changes Everything.”

And I am Excited to preach this message.

I have been waiting about a month to preach this message because I believe God spoke it for this day.

The Story

We are at the climax of a story in acts chapter two.

A very long, winding, and difficult story for those who were involved in it.

Walking

In the three years leading up to this story the disicples have expereinced a signifigant life change.

Jesus foung them as fisherman, tax collectors, and zellots..

and called them to come and follow him..

And for around 3 years they expereinced some of the most amazing highs a person could spiritually

They watched as Jesus healed the sick

and the lame.

and opened blinded eyes..

They heard as he taught a fresh teaching with authoriuty and authenticity

and smelled the beautiful fragrances as he was annointed

They Felt his pressence close each day and night..

They Tasted the bread and the wine as they ate with him..

But then a few weeks before this chapter things went south quick..

Crucified..

They watched helplessly as there messiah was taken into custody..

was sourged and beaten..

was tourtured and insulted..

Was turned on by the people who were supposed to be following him..

and was crucified..

Raised..

As if this wasnt a crazy enough emotional swing..

JEsus three days later raise again to life..

Just as he said he would..

And he he walks with them for 40 days more..

before he finally assends to heaven..

and as Jesus assends he tells them this in:

Acts 1:4–8 ESV

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

HE says listen..

Things are not over..

The helper is coming..

Go and wait for him..

And so they do..

Pentecost

and the bible says on the day of pentecost they are together..

in one mind and one according..

praying and worshiping..

and the holy spirit is given..

and he filled the believers in the upper room with the power of the holy spirt..

AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENS..

Peter..

Peter goes out and begins to preach..

Acts 2:14 ESV

But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words.

And the bibles says that out of this sermon..

3,000 people turn to faith in christ and are added to the newly born church..

WAIT..

But wait a minuite

Did you read the right name?

Peter?

The same man that a few weeks earlier had the oppurtunity to publically confess faith in christ to the jews while Jesus is being interagated..

and denied Jesus three times publically..

That same peter is preaching openly to the jews?

Yes..

What changed?

He was endued with power and boldness through the Holy SPirit..

God wants to change everything

Ive come to tell somone this morning.

God wants to shake your life up today..

He wants to give you the power to finally live and walk the way he has called you to live and walk

He wants to give you the ability to fulfilled the calling and purpose thats on your life..

The strength to live free from sin and a life of holiness for him..

He wants to restore your joy and strengthen you.

He wants to give you fresh revelation and unveil the gifts he has given you..

HE WANTS TO COME AND CHANGE EVERYTHING..

HE WANT TO FILL YOU OR REFILL YOU WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT…

JUST LIKE HE DID ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST

AND A COWARDLY DISICPLE WAS CHANGED INTO A BOLD AND POWERFUL PREACHER!

Who is the Holy Spirt?

He is the spirit of God.

He is the third member of the trinity, but is no less God and no less important than the father or son..

He was there from the beginning in genesis 1.. as the Bible says he was hovering over the waters..

He is the promised helper of Christ

John 14:16 ESV

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,

He is as real as any person on this earth..

He has a mind and will (romans 8:27)

The spirit carries the will and mind of god.

he is constantly carrying out this will in those who allow him to do so..

He has emotions (Ephesians 4:30)

the Bible speaks about how we can grieve the spirit..

But he is also joyous at other times..

He can be interacted with

HE speaks..

We can speak to him..

He can be felt…

We can walk with him..

We can talk with him..

HE IS AS REAL AS ANY PERSON ON THIS EARTH AND CAN BE INTERACTED WITH AS SUCH..

What does the Holy Spirit do?

1. He gives us power..

What is this power for?

So we can be witnesses for christ in the earth.

That means so we can live in such a way that other people see the Jesus inside of us..

its not power so we can act crazy and do magic tricks..

First He gives power so we can live a holy life like christ.

He gives us the power to execute the authority Christ has given us.. Luke 10

He gives us the power to do the greater works Jesus said we would do.. John 14

He gives us the power to See the signs and wonders that the bible so vividly recorded in Jesus life..

To pray with power and authority..

Galatians 5:16 ESV

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

some of you are wondering how your going to live the way god has called you to live…

You’ve been cleansed and set free.. but there is something in the back of your mind telling you that this won’t last..

That this is no different than any other time..

but that’s just the enemy trying to steal the break through god has given you..

The Holy Spirit is the power of God operating inside of you so you can live a clean and holy life!

This is why Paul would say where I am weak you are strong!

And why the Old Testament would say its not by power nor by might but by my spirit.

HE IS THE POWER THAT HELPS YOU LIFE AS YOU SHOULD!

toungues

most christians think you need the Holy Spirit just to speak in tongues..

but if you speak in tongue and act like hell then you don’t have the right Holy Spirit in you.

You need the Holy Spirit to go to steel yard..

To go to edgewater..

To go to walmart..

To drive down the road.

To watch tv

because he is the cleansing power that helps you act and be like christ!

This power is so that the ministry of Jesus will continue to work in the earth through us..

Secondly, He gives us power to do the things Jesus said we would do

He wants to do greater things in you than Jesus even did..

He wants to do signs and wonders..

To see people healed and delivered..

Witness and see people saved..

This is all through the power of the spirit..

2. He is our guide

John 16:13 ESV

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

He leads us in paths of righteousness and through the valleys of life.. Psalms 23He leads us into truth John 16

He will even set up divine appointments in your life for you to be the light of Christ..

He will guide you day if you will allow him..

He will prevent you from being in places you shouldn’t be..

He guides us in the will of God for our lives..

3. He is our teacher

He reveals the scriptures to us so that we can understand

He teaches us to live the way Jesus has called us to live..

He teaches us to love and to walk as we are instructed to in the scripture..

4. He is our helper

John 15:26 ESV

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

the holy spirit helps us in our everyday life..

He is our guide

The bible says he helps us to pray when we dont know what to pray..

He helps us to share when we dont know what to share with others..

He helps us..

5. He is our intercessor

Romans 8:26 ESV

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

That term interceeds means to stand between and plead for somone..

So he helps us to pray the prayers we need to pray to god through toungues and growns..

Thats why you can pray for someone in toungues even when you dont know what to say..

BEcause God is praying through you..

Toungues

What are toungues..

what does it mean to speak in toungues..

and the anwser to that is simple really..

Its you fully submiting yourself.. or yeilding yourself.. to the spirit..

and the holy spirit praying in a heavenly lanquage through you?

Why is that important ?

Because of the way God set up the divine laws of creation..

we have free will..

so we have to invite god into the situation for him to move..

and someone times we dont know how to do that..

or what to say..

or even what we need to say..

BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT KNOWS WHAT AND HOW..

SO HE PRAYS THROUGH US.

IN PERFECT PRAYERS TO GOD..

AS AN INTERCESSOR..

Example

This is why your grandma.. or momma..

could pray in toungues for you even when she didnt know you were out in the woods smoking dope..

and God could work in your life..

because the holy spirit knew..

all grandma needed to do was yeild to him..

6. He gives us gifts or god given abilities..

1 Corinthians 12:4–11 ESV

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

If you were hear last week you saw the gift of toungues and interpretation in operation..

but these are not the only gifts god gives..

He gives gifts of encouragment..

he gives the gift of helps..

He gifts many gifts..

but they are all for the edification and encouragement of the believer and the body..

7. He produces Fruit in us

Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

He helps us to act like Christ..

and embody the charactors of christ..

THE HOLY SPIRIT DOES MANY THINGS IN OUR LIVES..

AND HE WANTS TO COME AND FILL YOU TODAY..

He is still being poured out today

There are many in the body of christ that would say that the dispensation of the Holy Spirit ended with the apostles

But I can promise you this is not the case.

Modern history has proven that he is still alive and well..

Barney Creek Meeting House

in august of 1886 a group of people began meeting in the barney creek meeting house in Monroe country TN.

They were hungry for more of god..

Soon fire broke out in them and they were baptized and the CHURCH OF GOD was founded..

Azzuza

On April 9th 1906 in los angelus cal.. under the leadership of a man names William j Seymour revival broke our on asura street..

it continued until 1915 and sparked nationwide awakening and revival..

A small group of people had been waiting on the lord and praying when they were filled with the Holy Spirit..

It was the power of God dwelling in them.

Brownsville

On fathers day June 18 1995 at the Brownsville Assemblies of god in Pensacola Florida revival broke out

Over the next 5 years 4 million people would come and experience the power of the Holy Spirit.

Signs and wonders and repentance..

Asbury..

last year in college campuses all over the country..

pray and worship sessions began to spring up all over..

and the spirit of the lord came down in mulitple places and fueled fresh fire again..

HE IS STILL BEING POURED OUT..

Now

Just like he poured himself out in acts chapter two.

Just like he did at barney creek

Jut like azzuza

And just like Brownsville..

JUST LIKE ASBURY!

God wants to pour his spirit out on this body and fulfill the prophecy of Joel

Joel 2:28 ESV

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

GOD WANTS TO POUR HIS SPIRIT ON ALL FLESH!

What is the baptism of the holy spirit?

Salvation Everyone receives a portion at salvation..

he is the convector of sin (John 16:8)

The Holy Spirit is the one who showed you that you were separated from god…

But he is also

The revealer of truth (John 16:13)

He revealed the truth of your true nature..

But he also revealed the truth of the gospel to you..

He testified about Jesus (John 15:26)

And as the executor of gods will

He raises us from death to life just like Jesus (Romans 8:11)

And the sealer of the believer.. (Ephesians 1:13)

SALVATION IS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH JESUS AND APPLIED BY THE Holy Spirit..

When you receive Jesus into you heart, it is the Holy Spirit who carries him in and applies him to you..

So everyone receives a small portion of the Holy Spirit at salvation..

But it is not gods desire to stop their..

look whats acts 1:5 says

Acts 1:5 ESV

for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

He wants to Baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

Baptize

That word in the greek here is bapto

and it means too dip..

But not just a little dip.

It describes the process of complete immersion and is the same word used to describe a sunken ship..

Where the water is not just around you.. but is in every nook and cranny..

God wants to overflow you.. to submerse you in his spirit..

So that there is not a single part of you that is not covered inside or out..

HE wants to immerse you..

Salvation is like stepping into the water at ankle Deep..

Baptism is like going so deep that you a swept away..

He wants to baptize you

He wants to fill you!

How do I receive baptism

Know Jesus

Holy Spirit baptism is for the believer.

For the one who knows Christ as lord and savior and calls him his own.

There are no examples of Holy Spirit baptism in the Bible price to regeneration through salvation through christ.

The people who were baptized knew Christ as lord and savior..

In fact..

Simon the sourcer tried to buy the spirit and it didn’t turn out for him..

You must know Jesus..

Ask..

James 4:2 ESV

You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.

Jesus said in matthew 7:7

Matthew 7:7 ESV

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

You have to ask..

Receive

Many people get caught up in what the Holy Spirit will make you do and won’t make you do..

He won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do..

But after he comes your gonna wanna do something you never wanted to do before.

You must receive

you have to let down the wall.. and let go.. and let him in..

Dont worry about what its gonna sound like.

DOnt worry about what it going to look like..

Just receive.

Let down your guard.

Let down you wall

And let him come in and fill you.. .

Speak

Speak it in faith..

Toungues is the intial evidence of baptism..

in every filling in the new testament those who were filled spoke with new toungues..

you wont understnad it..

its not like going to spanish class..

Just speak it..

if it sounds like jiberish.. and it probably will..

Speak it in faith..

God wants to fill you..