Pentecost (2)
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NEWS:
📷 Snapshot #1: Friday
In Hackney, East London hundreds of young people from three local churches stay up all night to pray and seek God.
📷 Snapshot #2: Saturday
In Trafalgar Square thousands gather to hear the gospel. Many healed and saved.
📷 Snapshot #3: Sunday
St Aldates, Oxford where George Whitfield gave his life to Christ, is overflowing. So many young people give their lives to Christ they lose count. Mainly ppl 13-30 but many others.
SLIDE- Over 400 baptisms recently in another church in UK The Spectator magazine headline this month “ a Christian revival is underway in the UK” as prominent thinkers turn to Christ.
Over Easter
- 12000 were baptised in France one of the most secular nations on earth
- over 400 gave their lives to Christ at Audacious church in Manchester
So things are happening. God is moving. You’re gonna see some very amazing things happen.
Happy bday the global church! Today is Pentecost
Grandma's carpet cleaner which has no power. It's exhausting. We have a rechargeable Dyson. When it is fully charged up, it is amazing! Sometimes I forget, though. When I try to clean the house and the battery has gone flat, I don’t tend to pick up that much.
On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
Background of the Holy Spirit. HS is the 3rd person of the Trinity. HS is a He not an it.He is known as The Comforter/ Encourager/ Helper/ Empowerer
BUT! Until this moment he had not fully come to earth. He always existed but wasn’t in operation en masse. Then, He is poured out on the disciples. Not just a bit. Overflowing
As the power fills the disciples, the church is born. As the Holy Spirit comes, new life is born. The HS brings life.
I’ve discovered the more my life is full of the Holy Spirit the more I have life, energy, enjoy life, love. The less the trials of life overwhelm me. The more I desire to pray/ to live for God/ to live boldly. But when I neglect resting and drawing from the Holy Spirit, I find the exact opposite is true.
So lets explore the HS today and His purpose. Some other names of the Holy Spirit are:
Spirit of life (Romans 8v2)
Spirit of holiness (Romans 1v4)
Spirit of grace (Zech 12v10)
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
The day of Pentecost is very important for us.
There are several implications of the Holy Spirit entering our lives. The difference He makes when His HS fills us.
(1) Relationship with God: it is very easy for our relationship with God to become one of "I’m supposed to pray, read the Bible so I better do it" This is dead religion. There is no joy in a forced r with God. God desires loving relationship. He desires our hearts. Not forced external behaviours.
His heart, and gospel.
R with God is the most important thing we can have. It is where we can exp God Himself and enjoy Him. God poured the HS into us in order to foster that r.
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.
Q: Who here has sometimes struggled with praying?
When we find ourselves with no desire or power or words to pray, then it is time to plug in, to create some space and rest and be refreshed. It is God who creates the desire and power inside us. We are built for r with God. But we need HS flowing thru us to bring that r alive.
(2) TRANSFORMATION. as we have already said, one of the names of the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of holiness. It is the Holy Spirit that leads us on a journey to become increasingly like Jesus.
Romans 8:13 (NLT)
if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live.
We may sometimes find ourselves in habits that God desires us free from, whether they are dark thoughts or acting in ungodly ways. The Spirit of God has the power to break us free from these things. In these times when God puts his finger on an area in my life that I have simply prayed, "God, I cannot do this but I trust your HS in me to do so." God never fails in leading us step-by-step to become more like Jesus. Let us continually be open to how he seeks to bring transformation in our lives, being led by his nudges and promptings. Be sensitive and aware of his prompting.
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.
Throughout our days & weeks the HS will give nudges or prompts to do something or not. May be Just a simple yet v clear thought.
STORIES: YES to flowers; NO to telling stories. Youtube arguments. What we watch makes a difference to the condition of our souls.
There is great reward in living a Spirit empowered life.
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Getting practical,
How are we filled?
(1) Recognise our need for the Holy Spirit. [Blessed are those who know they need God]
2nd point
Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,
The tense is passive, so we can really read this as being:
“Allow God to continually make you full of the Holy Spirit.”
I.e. God is pro-actively attempting to fill us with his HS. Always. And all we need do is recognize our need of Him & say yes to Him. Repeatedly. Thru each day. Find some time & give God the permission to fill you.
How are we filled? summarize
(1) Recognise our need for the Holy Spirit.
(2) Allow God to make you full of the Holy Spirit
Every day I try to make it my practice to be filled by his spirit. Because I know when I’m not, then I’m living life more tired, less motivated. My early indicator on how full I am of the Holy Spirit tends to be how patient I am with irritating people. The quicker I lose my rag, the more I need to receive. I encourage every one of you to find space in your day every day. Tell God that you need him and then allow him to fill you up. Not just a bit. But to overflowing so we can make an impact on the world around us.
Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ ”
As most of you will be aware, the vision of our church is to intentionally build and transform community by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that enables us and emboldens us to do this very thing. The church was not born until the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost. That’s how essential he is to this very role. We need his empowering on a daily basis. Let us take the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of life, into our communities and transform people around us. Let us bring hope and the message of Jesus into our homes, into our schools, into our workplaces, into our neighborhoods. And let us fill them with His light and life. As The Holy Spirit works through us; we will see genuine transformation.
Gospel message.
God desires to have a close, eternal r with every single person on the planet. A r that holds the promise of complete peace, joy and hope. Jesus loves us completely. He desired that r with us so much that He came to this planet and died instead of us that we may have our sins forgiven. Wiped clean. And he was raised to life to make us right with God. To give us peace with God. It is by placing our faith in Jesus that we are made right with God. And so, today is a day to make an extremely important decision.
In a moment I am going to pray and you may find yourself in one of the following three categories. Can I have every head bowed please.
1. You don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. You have never had a r with Him and would like to make the decision to follow Him today. To receive forgiveness and begin a r with Him.
2. You used to walk with Jesus but of late other things have got in the way and you would like to re-connect with Him today.
3. You’re not sure of your salvation. You’re not sure that at the end of your life you will be going to heaven and you desire that certainty that Jesus offers.
If you relate to any of those 3 then please pray along with me now, repeating these words out of your own heart.
Lord Jesus, I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I ask You to forgive me for all my wrongdoing, and receive me as Your child. I commit my life to You now. Amen
With every head still bowed could I ask you to raise your hand if you prayed that prayer?
Pause
Anybody else?
PAUSE – pray for these ppl to receive God’s peace and presence
Thank you Lord for you all incredible love that you have showed us. Pour out your presence. thank you that for everyone today who raised their hands have entered into a most wonderful relationship with you and can be assured of their salvation.
Ministry words of knowledge
Ministry:to be filled with the Holy Spirit for the first time/ or a recharge/ or the equipping and emboldening to spread the message of Jesus
The HS came in fire at pentecost and that is symbolic of our passion for Jesus. If u desire prayer for an increase in passion for Him come to front