Filled With The Spirit
Blessing Our Community • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Thank you, Sarah, for preaching last week. You may not know, but that was her first official sermon. As Sarah makes her way toward ordination and vocational ministry, we’ll hear more from her in the future.
What I’d like to do this morning is to continue thinking about Blessing Our Community. Remember,
As the people of God bless or “inject life” into a community, the community is lifted up (Proverbs 11:11).
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise.
With that as our starting place, I also want to continue our discussion concerning Pentecost that we started a couple of weeks ago. As a refresher, traditionally, the first Pentecost took place at Mt. Sinai (Exodus 19) – God descended upon a mountain and met with Moses and Israel, and in essence, commissioned Israel as priests to the nations. Then a couple of a thousand years later or so, we see a similar event around 33 A.D. in Jerusalem, Acts chapter 2, with the baptism or outpouring of the Holy Spirit where those who had been with Jesus were in essence also commissioned and empowered to go and make disciples of all nations. Of course, that commissioning extends to all followers of Christ.
The question is not God’s call – He’s already extended the invitation. The question is will we accept and respond to God’s call (continuing Sarah’s message).
This outpouring or baptism of the Spirit was and even now is mysterious, supernatural, it’s beyond comprehension and explanation. Yet, it happened, and still happens. Baptism with the Spirit is Biblical. I believe God wants to baptize and fill His people with His Spirit. Regarding the Spirit, we are called to live by the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit, pray in the Spirit, have our minds fixed on and governed by the Spirit. We are warned not to grieve or quench the Spirit (Eph.). The Holy Spirit is our Advocate, Comforter, Helper and He fills, guides, convicts, inspires, empowers, intercedes, helps us to pray, leads us to truth, and testifies to who Jesus is. Historically, the Church has affirmed the Spirit as the 3rd Person of the Godhead – Father, Son, Spirit – coequal, coeternal, coexistent, yet distinct. If you’re interested, it might be good to read the Athanasian Creed.
Ephesians 5:18 tells us to be filled with the Spirit. That tells me that
God intends for the Holy Spirit to have a prominent place of the Christian life and experience.
Ironically though, when we talk of the Holy Spirit Christians can become uneasy, skeptical, fearful, and even resist one of the greatest Gifts of God. Jesus said,
But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
For if I do not go away, the Advocate [the Helper, the one who walks alongside, the Holy Spirit] will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. If Jesus said it’s advantageous for us to have the Holy Spirit, then who are we to deny that truth? Should we not believe Him? Should we not endeavor to receive, trust, and commune with the Spirit by faith?
How God shows up in our world is a mystery.
God has expressed or revealed Himself as the Father as the Son as the Spirit.
Can’t quite grasp this, but we can embrace and enjoy the truth, enjoy the relationship. There are many things in this world we don’t understand yet we enjoy them. Men, do you understand women? Women, do you understand men? You get my point.
We can never fully or adequately explain this idea of a Triune God, but we can trust that our God who reveals Himself in three persons is One.
Shema ….
Back to Pentecost. What happened on Pentecost stays at Pentecost. No! Understand that the outpouring of the Spirit was a fulfillment of a prophecy given by Joel. The Apostle Peter, after being baptized with the Spirit, quoted Joel 2.
“ ‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;
even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
God’s Spirit, on the day of Pentecost became available to all – men, women, young and old, Jew and eventually Gentile. Not only available, but He also empowers with supernatural abilities.
Why is this important?
In the OT, God put His Spirit on particular people for particular purposes.
For example,
Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.
Notice something here –
David was already a believer when the Spirit came upon him.
a young Jewish boy committed to following Yahweh, and when anointed, the Spirit came upon him. He was a believer first, then the Spirit came upon him.
Another example.
The Lord said to Moses,
“See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,
and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship,
to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze,
in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.
Like David, he was already a believer prior to being filled with God’s Spirit. Something to think about.
Again, in the OT the Spirit was given to particular people for particular purposes, but in the NT, on the day of Pentecost, God said my Spirit is for all people.
So, this outpouring of the Spirit was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy, but also a fulfillment of a promise made by Jesus. Shortly before Pentecost,
Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures,
and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,
and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.
And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
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 farthest part of the earth.”
Interesting, Jesus did not begin His ministry until after receiving the Holy Spirit and He told His disciples wait for the same.
And then on the day of Pentecost, after being baptized by the Spirit, Peter said to the Jews in Jerusalem,
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all those who are far away, as many as the Lord our God calls to himself.”
Three or four years before Peter, John the Baptist proclaimed,
“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Who was John talking to? The crowds – the general public – not the 12 disciples.
Consider this – Jesus, who had laid aside His “Godness,” lived as a man dependent on God, thus He needed the Spirit. Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, the Spirit descended upon Jesus, and then
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness
for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry.
And after kicking that big bad devil with some Bible verses,
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country.
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
If Jesus Himself depended on the empowerment and infilling of the Spirit, how much more do we?
I could quote many other verses about the Spirit’s involvement in our lives, but I think I have given us enough for today. For the most part, I have allowed Scripture to speak for itself and I encourage you to do likewise and come to your own conclusion. Nonetheless, as I read God’s Word, I am under the belief that those who seek to follow Christ should also seek the baptism or infilling of the Spirit.
What does your heart tell you?
We have much more to say about the Holy Spirit which I’ll save for next week, but here are a few things to consider. As far as I can tell, the main purpose of receiving the Spirit is empowerment and witness. Again,
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.”
Power (dynamis) can mean strength in all its various forms. It can also mean ability or capability to perform an action, or to have authority.
All packed into that one word.
A witness (martys) is one who affirms or testifies about firsthand knowledge, experience, or truth.
You will receive power to be My witnesses. Power to overcome sin. Power to resist the enemy. Power to love God and neighbor. Power to carry out God’s call.
What is the Spirit saying to you? Are you filled, baptized … maybe need a fresh infilling? Baptism of the Spirit begins with desire (do I want to be filled), asking God to baptize me, and then giving God total control.
“God can’t fill what He doesn’t have.” ~ A.W. Tozer
