The Holy Spirit Promised

Michael Ellis

Acts of Harvest • Sermon • Submitted 7 years ago

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The OT foretold and Jesus Christ reaffirmed that the Holy Spirit would be poured out on God’s people, transforming, empowering and gifting them.

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Title: The Holy Spirit Promised

What this is all about: Preparing for the Harvest

What I want you to know: You are the reaper, so reap!

Series: Acts of Harvest

Text:

Date: January 7, 2018

Pastor Mike Ellis

Introduction:

Today we are going to start a new series in the book of Acts.

This will not be an exhaustive series, but instead a series that is based on the work of harvesting.

This theme comes from none other than Jesus Christ himself.

This idea of harvesting comes from two portions of Scripture.

We will discuss those in just a minute but first let’s stand for the reading of the Word as I read

Acts 1:1–14 CSB

I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.” Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away. When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. They all were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

The Harvest

As I mentioned there are two portions of Scripture that this theme comes from.

The first is found in the Gospel of Matthew.

, which says,

- 35 Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.,

- 36 When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.

Matthew 9:35–38 CSB

35 Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”

- 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few.

- 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”

For some context, we find Jesus doing what Jesus does; ministry.

He is healing people of their sickness.

He is forgiving sins.

He is driving out demons.

He is even adding disciples to His group, that we find in 9:9 when He calls Matthew to follow Him.

It was then, as He was doing His normal thing, that He said these words about the harvest.

Vs 36 says that when He saw the crowds He felt compassion.

“Compassion is part of a person’s core values, the heart issues that propel actions.” Jeff Iorg, The Character of Leadership

This compassion can only be described in the physical sense.

This is the kind of compassion that is felt within the gut,

and Jesus looked out and saw the people who were so poor,

so far removed from their hearts cry,

so beat up spiritually and left without any kind of real leadership to be devoured by spiritual predators.

Jesus looked at these people and ached for them.

He looked over at the disciples and said, “look around”.

Do you see these people, do you see their pain, do you see their suffering?

Pray that God will send out more workers.

The second portion of Scripture is found in the Gospel of John.

, which says,

27 Just then his disciples arrived, and they were amazed that he was talking with a woman. Yet no one said, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

28 Then the woman left her water jar, went into town, and told the people,

29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?”

30 They left the town and made their way to him.

31 In the meantime the disciples kept urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.”

32 But he said, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.”

John 4:27–38 CSB

27 Just then his disciples arrived, and they were amazed that he was talking with a woman. Yet no one said, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?” 28 Then the woman left her water jar, went into town, and told the people, 29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” 30 They left the town and made their way to him. 31 In the meantime the disciples kept urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But he said, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.” 33 The disciples said to one another, “Could someone have brought him something to eat?” 34 “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work,” Jesus told them. 35 “Don’t you say, ‘There are still four more months, and then comes the harvest’? Listen to what I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest. 36 The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together. 37 For in this case the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap what you didn’t labor for; others have labored, and you have benefited from their labor.”

33 The disciples said to one another, “Could someone have brought him something to eat?”

34 “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work,” Jesus told them.

35 “Don’t you say, ‘There are still four more months, and then comes the harvest’? Listen to what I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest.

36 The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together.

37 For in this case the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’

38 I sent you to reap what you didn’t labor for; others have labored, and you have benefited from their labor.”

Within these verses we find Jesus once again doing what He does; ministry.

This time He is breaking all the “rules” though.

He is talking to a woman which was cultural taboo, and to just throw in a little more rebellion, He is talking to a Samaritan woman.

This is the famous “Woman at the well account”.

Jesus had just told her that there was hope.

After she drops everything that she was doing, she runs back into town to tell everyone the things that she heard.

During this time the disciples and Jesus were having a back and forth conversation about lunch.

Picking up in vs 34, Jesus says that His food is to do the will of Him (the Father) who sent him as well as to finish his work.

And then in verse 35, Jesus says, look around, the world is ready for a savior.

The work is always being done.

says,

1 Corinthians 3:5–9 CSB

5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. 6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. 9 For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building.

We all have a role in how this plays out for our family, friends, coworkers, strangers, enemies, and all others.

This role has been gifted to us by the Holy Spirit.

We are to use this gift wisely as we follow his lead in the entire process of the Harvest.

The process of the harvest starts and ends with Him.

The Holy Spirit

Shifting back into the first chapter of Acts we find the promise of the Holy Spirit given by Jesus before He ascends to the Father.

This was not the first promise that we find in Scripture.

It is important to note here that in the days before Pentecost (which we will talk about next week) the Holy Spirit would reside and leave people as the Father saw fit.

So, this promise of the Holy Spirit would have had great implications.

For us, who have hindsight may overlook this wonderful promise as well as the implications of it.

Conclusion:

Scripture References from; Christian Standard Bible. (2017). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Old Testament promises of the Holy Spirit fulfilled in the Old Testament

The promised Spirit enables prophecy

Today we are going to start a new series in the book of Acts.

This enabling of prophecy is key to all scripture.

It was the work of the Holy Spirit who spoke through the prophets.

So, all of the wonderful words spoken within the Old Testament can only be credited to the Holy Spirit.

Consider the events of Saul’s anointing in 1 Samuel.

1 Samuel 10:6 CSB

6 The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully on you, you will prophesy with them, and you will be transformed.

This will not be an exhaustive series, but instead a series that is based on the work of harvesting.

This theme comes from none other than Jesus Christ himself.

1 Samuel 10:10 CSB

10 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully on him, and he prophesied along with them.

So we have the promise of prophecy through the Holy Spirit.

Even as great as that is we still get something even better with the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit fulfils the promised presence of the Lord

This idea of harvesting comes from two portions of Scripture.

We get the promised presence of the Lord.

Exodus 33:14 CSB

14 And he replied, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

We will discuss those in just a minute but first let’s stand for the reading of the Word as I read

If the Lord is present among you,

and because of this promise we can move forward without being afraid.

Acts 1:1–14 CSB

1 I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach 2 until the day he was taken up, after he had given instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After he had suffered, he also presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.” 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.” 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14 They all were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

The Harvest

Haggai 2:5 CSB

5 This is the promise I made to you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit is present among you; don’t be afraid.’ ”

Old Testament promises of the Holy Spirit fulfilled in the New Testament

As I mentioned there are two portions of Scripture that this theme comes from.

The Spirit implements the promised new covenant

The first is found in the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 9:35-38

This is important for us today, because it is by this covenant that we live.

Jeremiah 31:33–34 CSB

33 “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin.

, which says,

So, what does that mean for us who live in the midst of this covenant?

The promised Spirit will renew Israel

- 36 When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.

Matthew 9:35–38 CSB

Ezekiel 36:26–27 CSB

26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.

- 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few.

The promised Spirit is the guarantee for Israel’s future

For some context, we find Jesus doing what Jesus does; ministry.

Isaiah 44:3 CSB

For I will pour water on the thirsty land and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants and my blessing on your offspring.

He is healing people of their sickness.

The promised Spirit will empower the life and work of the Messiah

He is driving out demons.

Isaiah 61:1–2 CSB

The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all who mourn,

He is even adding disciples to His group, that we find in 9:9 when He calls Matthew to follow Him.

The Spirit is promised for all people

Vs 36 says that when He saw the crowds He felt compassion.

Joel 2:28–29 CSB

After this I will pour out my Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions. I will even pour out my Spirit on the male and female slaves in those days.

“Compassion is part of a person’s core values, the heart issues that propel actions.” Jeff Iorg, The Character of Leadership Pg. 206

Promises of the Holy Spirit in the NT

This is the kind of compassion that is felt within the gut, and Jesus looked out and saw the people who were so poor, so far removed from their hearts cry, so beat up spiritually and left without any kind of real leadership to be devoured by spiritual predators.

The promise that Jesus Christ would baptize with the Spirit

Jesus looked at these people and ached for them.

Matthew 3:11 CSB

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove his sandals. He himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

He looked over at the disciples and said, “look around”.

The Spirit is promised by Jesus Christ

Pray that God will send out more workers.

Luke 24:49 CSB

And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.”

The second portion of Scripture is found in the Gospel of John. John 4:27-38

The Spirit is promised for the time after Jesus Christ’s resurrection and ascension

Within these verses we find Jesus once again doing what He does; ministry.

John 7:39 CSB

He said this about the Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit, for the Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

28 Then the woman left her water jar, went into town, and told the people,

The promised Spirit fulfils God’s word to Abraham

30 They left the town and made their way to him.

Galatians 3:14 CSB

The purpose was that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles by Christ Jesus, so that we could receive the promised Spirit through faith.

31 In the meantime the disciples kept urging him, “Rabbi, eat something.”

The promised Spirit guarantees to believers their future inheritance

32 But he said, “I have food to eat that you don’t know about.”

Ephesians 1:13–14 CSB

In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

33 The disciples said to one another, “Could someone have brought him something to eat?”

Conclusion:

34 “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work,” Jesus told them.

35 “Don’t you say, ‘There are still four more months, and then comes the harvest’? Listen to what I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest.

36 The reaper is already receiving pay and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together.

37 For in this case the saying is true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’

38 I sent you to reap what you didn’t labor for; others have labored, and you have benefited from their labor.”

Within these verses we find Jesus once again doing what He does; ministry.

This time He is breaking all the “rules” though.

He is talking to a woman which was cultural taboo, and to just throw in a little more rebellion, He is talking to a Samaritan woman.

This is the famous “Woman at the well account”.

Jesus had just told her that there was hope.

After she drops everything that she was doing, she runs back into town to tell everyone the things that she heard.

During this time the disciples and Jesus were having a back and forth conversation about lunch.

Picking up in vs 34, Jesus says that His food is to do the will of Him (the Father) who sent him as well as to finish his work.

And then in verse 35, Jesus says, look around, the world is ready for a savior.

The work is always being done.

says,

1 Corinthians 3:5–9 CSB

We all have a role in how this plays out for our family, friends, coworkers, strangers, enemies, and all others.

This role has been gifted to us by the Holy Spirit.

We are to use this gift wisely as we follow his lead in the entire process of the Harvest.

The process of the harvest starts and ends with Him.

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

Shifting back into the first chapter of Acts we find the promise of the Holy Spirit given by Jesus before He ascends to the Father.

This was not the first promise that we find in Scripture.

Scattered throughout all of Scripture we can find promises of the Holy Spirit and what it would mean for all humanity.

It is important to note here that in the days before Pentecost (which we will talk about next week) the Holy Spirit would reside in and leave people as the Father saw fit.

Consider Saul, the king of Israel.

In we find the Spirit of God come on Him in a powerful way.

1 Samuel 10:10 CSB

10 When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a group of prophets met him. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully on him, and he prophesied along with them.

But later we see because of the choices that Saul made the Spirit was removed from him. 1 Samuel 16:14

1 Samuel 16:14 CSB

14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and an evil spirit sent from the Lord began to torment him,

We can even read of king David’s prayers that the Lord not remove His Spirit from him after his disastrous decision about Bathsheba. Psalm 51:10-13

Psalm 51:10–13 CSB

10 God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not banish me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach the rebellious your ways, and sinners will return to you.

Some other great examples of the promise of the Holy Spirit in Scripture include, and

Jeremiah 31:33–34 CSB

And

Ezekiel 36:26–27 CSB

This idea of God’s Spirit being put inside of us speaks to the compassion that Jesus had when He looked out at the lost people.

According to the new covenant we have God’s teaching in us, written on our hearts.

We have a great and wonderful shepherd and will never be left alone for the predators of the world.

So, this promise of the Holy Spirit would have great implications for the entire world.

For us, who have hindsight, may overlook this wonderful promise as well as the importance of it.

Jesus speaks of the importance of the Holy Spirits coming into the world.

First; we see the promise of the baptism of the Holy Spirit which comes only at the moment of salvation, forever sealing us in God. ,

Matthew 3:1 CSB

1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea

Ephesians 1:13–14 CSB

13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.

Second; we see our need for the Holy Spirit.

John 16:7–15 CSB

7 Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9 About sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; 11 and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. 12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I told you that he takes from what is mine and will declare it to you.

The Power of the Holy Spirit

This is what the Holy Spirit means for us today.

The Holy Spirit equips and empowers us as believers so that the reign and reality of God is seen in the world.

This is done the acts of harvest.

This is done by responding to the call that you have been given.

This same and very powerful Holy Spirit that was responsible for the virgin birth of Christ, lives in you.

This same and very powerful Holy Spirit that was responsible for the resurrection of Christ lives in you.

This same and very powerful Holy Spirit that is responsible for all miracles, past, present, and future.

It is the same power that gives you what you need to accomplish that in which you have been called to do.

You can be the person that you were made to be, because of the person living inside of you.

The character that you should strive for is possible because the Holy Spirits power is building it inside of you.

Romans 15:13 CSB

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

2 Timothy 1:7 CSB

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.

It is the same power that preachers and teachers are inspired.

It is the same power that strengthens you.

But you have to respond.

Listen to what I’m telling you: Open your eyes and look at the fields, because they are ready for harvest.

Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.

Conclusion:

The work of harvest starts and ends the Holy Spirit.

If you have been saved from the eternal punishment that is due you because of your sins, then the Holy Spirit lives inside of you.

His work in you, is the work of the sower and the reaper.

His job is to prepare the soil, because only He can.

Your job is to plant, to water, to feed, and to harvest.

If you would please look at

Acts 1:9–14 CSB

9 After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. 11 They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.” 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem—a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 When they arrived, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14 They all were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

Let us follow the example of the disciples and stop staring up at an empty sky, and look out at the fields that are ready for harvest.

Let’s go to work.

Scripture References from; Christian Standard Bible. (2017). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

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