WINTER CAMP

INTRO

I have been walking with Jesus for 17 years.

In that amount of time, I have come to a few conclusions

The Holy Spirit is the most underrated figure of the godhead

The Holy Spirit is the greatest ally of the Believer

The Holy Spirit has so much to offer us

As I was studying for this talk

I came across a thought that shook me to the core

The commentator said that if the Holy Spirit would depart from the church today

It would take 30 years for the church to realize that something has drastically changed.

We would go on with the programs

We would go on with Sunday and Wednesday Service

Wondering what is missing, without ever knowing who or what is missing.

AS A PASTOR OF A SMALL CHURCH IN LONG BEACH, CA

I’VE LEARNED THAT MY LIFE IS WEAK WHEN I DO THINGS APART FROM THE SPIRIT

I’VE LEARNED THAT THE SPIRIT HAS SOMETHING SPECIAL FOR THE CHURCH

IN ORDER FOR US TO FURTHER UNDERSTAND THIS

I’VE BEEN TASKED WITH THE PRIVILEGE TO PREACH ON THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

LET’S START AT THE BEGINNING

Genesis 1:2 NKJV

2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

IN THE BEGINNING . . . CHAOS

BUT THE SPIRIT OF GOD WAS THERE.

AS THE SPIRIT HOVERED OVER THE FACE OF THE WATERS

GOD BEGAN TO BRING ORDER

GOD BEGAN TO BRING SHAPE TO HIS STORY

CREATING ADAM AND EVE

PURSUING THEM AFTER THE FALL

PUTTING UP WITH HUMANITIES SHORT COMINGS

THE FLOOD CAME

Genesis 6:3 NKJV

3 And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE READ THE OLD TESTAMENT

HE SAYS MY RUWACH WILL NOT REMAIN OR STRIVE WITH MAN FOREVER

WE SOMETHING UNIQUE HAPPEN

OVER THE COURSE OF HISTORY

GOD FILLED A SELECT FEW OF HUMANS WITH HIS SPIRIT

JOSEPH IN

BEZALEL IN

BALAAM IN

JOSHUA IN

OTHNIEL IN

SAUL IN BUT IN 16, THE SPIRIT OF GOD DEPARTED FROM HIM

ALL THROUGHOUT THE OT, WE HAVE THIS UNIQUE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO WERE LED AND FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD IN A VERY UNIQUE WAY

4,000 YEARS GO BY

THEN THERE WAS JOHN THE BAPTIST

JOHN WAS THIS RADICAL DUDE WHO WAS ACTUALLY GIVEN THE TASK OF INTRODUCING JESUS TO THE WORLD AS MESSIAH

HIS WHOLE IDENTITY WAS WRAPPED AROUND THIS TRUTH

He was the messenger

The Voice crying in the wilderness

Preparing the way of the Lord

Rolling out the red carpet for Messiah to do his thing.

JOHN SAID SOMETHING INTERESTING

Mark 1:8 NKJV

8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

WHAT DID JOHN MEAN BY THIS?

WHEN DID JESUS DO THIS?

HOW DID THIS ALL COME TO PASS

WELL, IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, JESUS BEGINS TO HINT AT WHAT JOHN THE BAPTIST HAD SAID ABOUT THIS HOLY SPIRIT

BUT INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, HE DID SO WHILE SPEAKING OF HIS DEPARTURE.

John 16:5–11 NKJV

5 “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

The disciples were not stoked

They were not happy about Jesus’ departure.

Sorrow had filled their heart.

But Jesus, in their fear and sorrow of the future, brings them hope through a promise

He said:

IT IS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE THAT I GO

FOR IF I DO NOT GO

THE HELPER WILL NOT COME TO YOU

BUT IF I DEPART

I WILL SEND HIM TO YOU.

AND WHEN HE COMES HE WILL DO SOME STUFF:

HE WILL CONVICT THE WORLD OF SIN, RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND JUDGEMENT

NOT ONLY THAT

BECAUSE THEY DO NOT BELIEVE ON JESUS

BUT HE WILL HAVE A PRACTICAL ROLE

THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS NAMED

OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

THE HELPER

BECAUSE HE WAS DEPARTING AND GOING TO THE FATHER

THE COMFORTER

THE TEACHER OF ALL THINGS

THE ONE WHO TESTIFIES OF JESUS

OF JUDGEMENT

BECAUSE THE RULER OF

NOT ONLY IS HE PRACTICAL HE IS THE SOURCE OF POWER FOR EVERY CHRISTIAN

AFTER JESUS ROSE FROM THE DEAD AND PRESENTED HIMSELF TO THE WOMEN AT THE GRAVE AND THE DISCIPLES THAT WERE GATHERED TO PRAY

After speaking peace to their hearts

After showing them his hands and feet

He says

Peace to you!

As the Father has sent me, so I send you

JESUS HAD DIED BEFORE THEIR EYES

And He breathed on them and said

Receive the Holy Spirit

This is the regenerating element of life

BUT NOW HE WAS THERE IN BODILY FORM

This is the Reset

This is the marker of being Born Again of His Spirit

This is the mark of every Christian

But that is not all.

But that is not all.

WHILE THEY WERE GATHERED TOGETHER, THEY DECIDED TO ASK JESUS AN INTERESTING QUESTION

THEY ASKED HIM

ACTS 1:

ARE YOU GOING TO RESTORE THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL NOW?

THESE DUDES ASKED A VERY NARROW QUESTION

A QUESTION THAT PUT THE FOCUS BACK ON THEIR NATION INSTEAD OF THE KINGDOM

JESUS ANSWERS

Acts 1:7–8 NKJV

7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

FRIENDS VERSE 7 IS SO KEY TO ESTABLISHING AN ADVENTUROUS CURIOSITY THAT COMES WITH FOLLOWING JESUS.

I don’t know about you but following Jesus should not be boring

It is an exciting way of life

A life led by the Holy Spirit

A life of Faith into the Unknown

Where things are not cookie cutter

But Miraculous

Exciting

And thrilling

Jesus says

It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority

He counters this encouragement with:

You will receive power

When the Holy Spirit comes upon you

This will give you the power to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

FRIENDS, THERE ARE A LOT OF US WHO HAVE RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF GOD

WHO’VE BEEN SEALED FOR ETERNITY WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

WHO ARE GETTING IN TO HEAVEN

BUT SADLY, WE HAVE YET TO EXPERIENCE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

BUT HAVE YET TO EXPERIENCE THE POWER THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT OFFERS US THROUGH HIS BAPTISM.

AFTER JESUS HAD ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN

THE DISCIPLES RETURNED TO JERUSALEM

AND THEY DID EXACTY WHAT JESUS SAID

“WAIT”

WAIT AT JERUSALEM FOR THE PROMISE TO COME TO PASS

WAIT AT JERUSALEM FOR THE IMPARTING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

WAIT AT JERUSALEM SO YOU CAN RECEIVE POWER

SO WHAT HAPPENED?

ACTS 2:1-

Acts 2:1–4 NKJV

1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

GOD FULFILLED HIS PROMISE

HE TOLD THEM TO GO TO JERUSALEM . . . THEY WENT

HE TOLD THEM TO WAIT . . . THEY WAITED

THEIR OBEDIENCE BROUGHT A MOVE OF GOD THAT CHANGED THE TRAJECTORY OF THE WORLD FOREVER

THE WORLD WAS CHANGED BECAUSE OF THE POWER THAT WAS DISPERSED THAT DAY

FRIENDS, THE RADICAL GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST IS NOT ONLY IN THE SALVIFICAL ASPECT OF THE GOSPEL

BUT IN THE RADICAL INCLUSION OF HUMANITY IN GOD’S MISSION TO SAVE THE WHOLE WORLD

THIS POWER IS FOR ALL WHO HAVE CALLED ON THE NAME OF THE LORD

THIS POWER IS AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WILLING TO BE USED BY GOD

FOR THOSE WILLING TO GO ON AN ADVENTURE

THE WHOLE TONGUE THING WAS NOTHING BUT A MEDIUM

A WAY FOR ALL PEOPLE TO HEAR THE GOSPEL

DON’T YOU REMEMBER WHAT JESUS SAID

“YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES UPON YOU AND WHAT . . .

YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES IN JERUSALEM, JUDEA, SAMARIA, AND TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH”

THE POWER OF GOD CAME UPON THE DISCIPLES THROUGH THE POWER OF LANGUAGE

FOR WHAT?

THAT THEY MAY SHARE THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST

Maybe today, you find yourself scared to share the good news

Good, it should scare you

You are being used to change the eternal destiny of a soul

It would be trippy to not be scared.