THE POWER

THE POWER

KEY PASSAGE: Acts 1:1-8 (NASB)

Welcome

I want to welcome everyone to our Sunday morning worship, including our first-time visitors. First-time visitors, please stand so we can see you and recognize you, and let us welcome our online viewers. We are glad to have you with us today.

Tithe and Offering

Let’s prepare our hearts to present our tithe and offering to God. As a reminder, your tithes and offerings allow this church to share the good news of Jesus Christ and proclaim the kingdom of God. So, “thank you” for your generous gifts to the church, and I also want to encourage you to continue to be a blessing to the work of God. I say this because this is one of the most significant investments in a person’s life. Ushers, please pass around the offering plates so we can collect our tithe and offerings. Please follow the directions on the screen on how to give online, in-person, and by mail.

Announcement

Please look up on the screen as we make our announcement. Remember, every Wednesday is our church's weekly Bible Study at 7:00 p.m., and I want to encourage you to join us for Bible Study. One of the good things about Bible Study is you get to ask questions and learn about the Scripture from other believers, which will help with your spiritual growth and development. We also have excellent teachers who lead Bible Study. Our new member class is on Saturday, March 2nd and 9th at 10:00 a.m.; if you are interested in joining the church, we have a sign-up at the back of the church, so please be sure to sign up for the new member class.

Declaration of Faith in God

Let us stand and say together the Declaration of Faith in God.

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION

Let’s pray.

O LORD, you are one God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That mystifies us, but it also inspires us. It leaves us speechless and makes us want to shout your praises. It makes us long to be unified and thankful for our amazing diversity. Help us live in the image of who you are and what you call us to be. I pray that Your Holy Spirit help and guide me to speak Your words to Your people faithfully to inspire them, encourage them, strengthen them, and draw them close to the feet of the cross. Amen.

SERMON INTRODUCTION

We have been talking about “The Names Of The Holy Spirit,” the names or synonyms given to the Holy Spirit in Scripture. And today, I want to speak of the Holy Spirit as the Power. In Acts chapter 1, the first eight verses, we are told that Jesus Christ has risen from the dead, and as He concludes the 40-day window between His resurrection and His ascension, Jesus comes and meets with His disciples. When Jesus comes to them and gathers with them, He tells them things at the end of verse 3, when He speaks about things concerning the Kingdom of God. In verse 6, the disciples ask Jesus one of the most profound theological questions: "Are you restoring the kingdom of Israel?”

SERMON EXPOSITION

The disciples of Jesus opened up a discussion about the kingdom; by the way, the Book of Acts is about the kingdom. The kingdom to come is Jesus' millennial reign over the whole earth, from Jerusalem, where Jesus will rule the entire planet and then the manifestation of the kingdom. Scripture tells us that Jesus will physically return and rule. In the meantime, Jesus left the church and birthed the church to be His kingdom delegates (representatives) until He returned, displaying and manifesting the presence of the kingdom of God in the midst of the culture.

And so, Jesus is teaching His disciples concerning the kingdom of God; that is what verse 3 of Acts chapter one is about. And so the teaching is about the kingdom, but Jesus throws in a zinger (statement) in verse 8. “But you will receive power," our word or message for today, “when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria and even to the remotest parts of the earth." Jesus talked to His disciples about the power, another name of the Holy Spirit. The Power; the Power.

Now, what Jesus has left behind in His absence for His disciples and the church is the person of the Holy Spirit and the power that accompanies that person. And today, one of the most misunderstood, missed- and underutilized aspects of the Holy Spirit is understanding His power. The Holy Spirit is a powerful person. He is the third member of the Trinity who takes from God and delivers to us so that the power of heaven is made available to you and me in history while we wait for Jesus Christ to return.

So, let's talk about power. Jesus has been teaching about the kingdom of God. And for those of you who are familiar, both in our church and outside of our church, with the philosophy of our ministry, it is about the kingdom. We are a kingdom-minded, kingdom-driven, and kingdom-purpose church. We affirm and believe in the kingdom of God. So, what raises a question: what is the kingdom of God? The kingdom agenda is the visible demonstration and manifestation of a comprehensive rule of God over every area of our lives.

So before we even get into understanding the power of the Holy Spirit, let's get something straight. Bible study is foundational, but Bible study is not enough. Knowing the Scripture is critical for our church, but knowing the Scripture is not enough. Memorizing the Scripture is meaningful but not enough because Jesus says, “You need some power to go with it.”

That is why we see people who go to church for many years, and their lives stay unchanged, their marriages remain unchanged, and their spiritual lives stay unchanged. They may have the information through reading the Bible, but there is no transformation, and they may have the knowledge, but they don't have the power, so the word of God, which is alive and powerful, is not working for them because the power of the Holy Spirit is missing even if the teaching is orthodox, and Christ-centered, and kingdom focus, which it must be.

SERMON ILLUSTRATION

A newlywed, happy young couple moved into their new home, and like most young couples, they were very excited about their marriage and future. The couple faced their first winter in their new home. As the temperature began to get a little too cold for comfort, they decided it was time to flip the switch and turn on the heat in the house. They got nothing, and the house was cold inside. So, the wife called the heating guy to come and take a look at the furnace to fix the heating problem.

The serviceman showed up, and within a matter of minutes, he diagnosed the problem. The young couple held their breath, expecting to hear an arm and a leg (they would have to pay a lot) to fix their heating system. But the serviceman had surprising news: he had some good news for this couple; the problem was inconsequential (minor) and would only cost them a few bucks. The problem was the igniter (ignitor) was out, and the furnace designed to ignite automatically was self-igniting.

A tiny thing like an igniter was causing such a big problem, and it worked but was not making the connection necessary to kick the heater into gear and produce heat for the house. The igniter was there and in operation but wasn’t doing what it was designed to do because of a bad connection.

The couple didn’t need a new heater because they already had all the power. They need to change out a small part that would enable them to access the power in their heater to heat their home. Many Christians today wonder how they can have all the power of the Holy Spirit and have such a cold life, a cold marriage, a cold church, and sometimes unhappy lives. The problem is their igniter is not working and is not being used. When it is not in operation, the available power of the Holy Spirit does no good to a believer and a church.

The Holy Spirit is the igniter, and His job is to bring the truth of God because Jesus was speaking, teaching, of the pages of the Bible into your life experience. And if the power does not ignite you, you will not see the Word of God at work in your life, and it will seem like a book that doesn't work, even though you may believe it, read it, and study it. Now, you need to know the Bible, you need to study the Bible, you need to read the Bible, but you need the power to go with it.

Far too many Christians today aren't hooked up properly to the Holy Spirit, and they wonder why they can go nowhere and further in their Christian life. They have a book called the Bible, which explains the information, but there is no transformation because they don’t have the power. The person of the Holy Spirit is at work bringing the book, the Bible, to life.

The power of the Holy Spirit helps a believer to be able to serve the Lord and accomplish what He has called and equipped us to do according to Luke 24:49. Acts chapter one (1) verse right (8) is the key verse because it explains that the power of the church comes from the Holy Spirit and not from a pastor. A pastor can be a great expositor and preacher, but if the Holy Spirit is not at the center stage of his sermon, all the pastor does is pass on information without changing life.

In the Book of Acts, we are told that God’s people experience repeated fillings of the Spirit, and ordinary people could do extraordinary things because the Spirit of God was at work in their lives individually and collectively. Watch this: here it is: the job or role of the Holy Spirit is not to be quiet in the church or the life of a believer; the Holy Spirit is an absolute necessity both in the church and the life of a believer.

And when you are, watch this, clothed with Christ; you are clothed with power from on high. And what is that power? Acts 1:8, the power of the Holy Spirit. Clothing identifies who you are. Baptism is what you are supposed to wear. It is visible, so let me explain something.

Don't expect to experience the Holy Spirit's power if you don't have the proper uniform. If you are not wearing Jesus, Jesus is not going to give you the power of the Holy Spirit because your clothes are still hanging up in the closet. You are not wearing Jesus; that is, you are not visible, going public for Jesus, and lovingly, clearly identifying with Jesus Christ. It is time for you to go public for Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to take heaven and bring it to earth and

empower you with the Holy Spirit so that God's residence in you, upon you, becomes visible through you.

So, what is God expecting from you? For you to operate from the realm of the new kingdom that you are a part of, you will need power to operate in that realm. And the job, and the role of the Holy Spirit's job, is to kingdomize you.

In St. John chapter 16, Jesus talks to His disciples about the Holy Spirit, the promise of the Holy Spirit. Jesus began by saying in verse 12, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore, I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”

Okay, church, let me explain what Jesus is saying. Jesus is saying that this connection (hookup) is going on between God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. First, the connection (hookup) starts with my Daddy and everything my Daddy has; I have because I am His Son, the only begotten Son. Watch this: we are in sync 100%, and my Father discloses to Me what is His and what belongs to Him. I, Jesus, disclose what is mine, that belongs to my Father, to my Spirit.

My Father discloses it to Me, I disclose it to my Spirit, My Spirit will reveal it to you. Do you see the connection between God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? You get it from the Spirit, the Spirit receives it from the Son, and the Son gets it from the Father. Because guess what? These computers are networked: Father gives it to the Son, Son gives it to the Spirit, and the

Spirit gives it to you. So what does that tell you? If you are not in sync with the Holy Spirit, you will not get it from the Son because those three operate in sync. The Father gives it to the Son, the Son gives it to the Spirit, and it is the Spirit's job to give it to you, but give what to you? He says in chapter 16, verse 13, "And when He, the Spirit of truth comes."

The Spirit will only transfer truth. Let me say that again. The Spirit of God will only transfer truth. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus only transfers truth. So, if you are not operating on the Word of God, you are not operating on truth. So you can pray till you are blue in the face, you can call on the Holy Ghost all you want, the moment you detour from the Scripture, you have canceled out the transfer, you have unplugged the electricity, you have removed the power, you have cut the line because the Spirit only deals with truth. And Jesus says in John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” So leave scripture; you left the truth. Leave truth; you left the Holy Spirit. Leave the Holy Spirit; you left power.

So, many Christians aren't experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit today because they either have left the truth or are mixing it. Do you know what Christians do? They come to church on Sunday morning, get the Word from the preacher, then leave the church and dip it in human wisdom and understanding. They dip the Word of God in human opinion. They dip the Word in, “I think my mother said, my friends say, my homeboy say, my homegirl says, the media says.” They dip the Word of God and wonder why the Word isn't working for them because the truth has been compromised.

Faith Appeal and Call to Action (Conclusion)

In closing, the goal of every church is to make a big deal of Jesus Christ. That is our church's goal and should be the goal of every church that believes that Jesus is the Son of God. The Holy Spirit's goal is not to make a big deal of the Holy Spirit but to make a big deal about Jesus Christ. So it is your connection to Christ that engages the Holy Spirit, not only in talk but in walking, and He begins to engage with you. Every Christian has been connected to the power plant of the Holy Spirit, but every Christian, even though they are connected, has not flipped the switch because they do not have visible and verbal sight and sound of identification or glorification of Jesus Christ.

Jesus has offered us the power to live a resurrected life and have a resurrected impact by the presence of the Holy Spirit operating as a personal generator in our souls to produce the enablement to accomplish what He has called and equipped us to do.

If you are a believer, you have a built-in power plant already inside you, but if you don't know it and don't use it, take advantage of it, you won't benefit from it. Ask the Holy Spirit to equip and enable you to exercise whatever God commands. The Holy Spirit’s job is to ensure you have the strength and the ability to pull off whatever God has created, commanded, and expects of your life. The Holy Spirit is the power you have been looking for and the power you need; you already have, so use it, and you will experience heaven on earth.

Altar Call

If you are here and watching this livestream and you don’t have a relationship with Jesus, I have some good news for you. Jesus died on the cross because God placed the sins of this world on Him, including your sins. And because of the finished work of Jesus on the cross, you can live tomorrow; that is called eternal life.

Go to Jesus right now, and ask Him to come into your heart and forgive your sins. And you will experience the power of Jesus working in your life.

Let’s pray.

Benediction

Dear God, as we close this service today, we thank You for the provision You have given us through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank You for Your tremendous and costly love. Thank You for calling us to join You in telling the world the truth about themselves and Christ. For Your glory, we ask these things in the name of Jesus. Amen. God bless you, and we are dismissed.