The Difference Maker

The government work of building a submersible that could travel to the bottom of the ocean.

The challenges of deep sea exploration: A lack of light, the pressure of the ocean.

The government spent millions and millions of dollars. They had to develop a special glass that could stand the pressure of the depths. They developed special lights that would help them see greater distances in the murky dark light absent sea floor. Developed cameras that would film and relay what was seen to a ship that was sitting above on the surface.

It was a significant feat to develop such a submersible that could do what needed to be done. Man had been to the moon, but man had never seen the depths of our own planet.

After years of research, trial and error, millions spent. The submersible was finally ready. They dropped it to the sea floor. Everyone who had worked on the project gathered around a monitor on the ship, waiting for the first images to come bouncing back from the specially developed camera.

The camera came on, then the lights, and there it was. The first images immediately of what creatures lived under the deepest, darkest, and most intense pressure man has ever seen.

There were hundreds of schools of fish that were translucent and an inch long.

They were amazed at the new discovery.

What amazes me…We spent millions of dollars, millions of man hours of labor to build special glass, reinforced seams and walls thick enough to withstand the pressures of the ocean floor just to get a look at what was there.

God, speaking a word created a one inch fish that can withstand those same pressures.

I want to preach to you about “The Difference Maker”.

How many of us will admit… Life is full of pressure?

God has given us a difference maker. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit! It is the one thing that makes a difference in dealing with the pressures that everyone of us face.

Let me list for you some of the things that come with having the Holy Spirit.

Peace that passes all understanding. Philippians 4:7

Righteousness, peace and joy. Romans 14:17

Comforter - helper John 14:16

Power Acts 1:8

A simple truth is that there are too many circumstances in life that we are ill equipped to deal with alone. I don’t know what I would do without the baptism of the Holy Spirit!

Solomon writing of death and tragedy wrote:

Ecclesiastes 9:11 NKJV

I returned and saw under the sun that— The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.

We can be fast - that won’t win the race.

We can be strong - not enough for the battle of life.

There are going to be times when we need the Spirit of God to endure. It is the difference maker for life.

The spirit of man is amazing… Man has done some pretty incredible things. Inventive, skilled, intelligent. But some things can only be done by the Spirit of God.

Zechariah 4:6 NKJV

So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.

Look at the person near you: You are not mighty enough, you are not powerful enough. You need the baptism of the Holy Spirit!

Samson

With the Spirit

No one questioned the strength of this great man.

He killed a lion with empty hands. Judges 14:5-6

He killed thirty men. Judges 14:19

Judges 15 He slew 1,000 men in a battle alone with the jawbone of a donkey.

The difference maker for Samson was that the Spirit of God would move upon him mightily…Empowering him with great strength. Enabled him to do what others could not.

Judges 13:24–25 NKJV

So the woman bore a son and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him. And the Spirit of the Lord began to move upon him at Mahaneh Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Without the Spirit

The Philistines bound him with simple rope.

They put out his eyes.

He was a prisoner - grinding in the prison house for his enemies.

He became their folly - something to look upon and laugh at.

Judges 16:20 NKJV

And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the Lord had departed from him.

The Spirit of the Lord had left him.

See the difference in the same man with and without the Spirit of God.

Peter

Without the Spirit of God

He was so weak that he denied even knowing Jesus Christ to a servant girl.

Mark 14:66–68 NKJV

Now as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came. And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are saying.” And he went out on the porch, and a rooster crowed.

Three times he denied Him to a servant girl.

He cursed and swore for proof - could not stand the pressure of a young servant girl.

Mark 14:71 NKJV

Then he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”

Cursing - speech tells more about us than we would admit. Can people recognize you by the things you speak? Good, pleasant things… or by cursing and swearing.

After the baptism of the Holy Spirit

Acts 2:14 NKJV

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words.

He stood in the face of thousands and preached Jesus Christ!

He stood under the pressure of filled courtrooms and preached Jesus Christ!

Acts 4:5–8 NKJV

And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:

With boldness He said to the ruling party - Sanhedrin court.

Acts 4:19 NKJV

But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.

The difference maker was the Holy Spirit!

Your life - the difference maker is going to be the baptism of the Holy Spirit!

Acts 2:38 NKJV

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.