Some results of the present of the Holy Spirit in our lfie

Acts 1:8 ESV

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.”

What does the Pentecost meant for the disciples?

Pentecost in the Jewish tradition:

Pentekost is the Greek word for fiftieth which stood for the festival celebrated on the 50th day after Passover. In the OT this festival, called Shavuoth (Weeks) in Judaism, is referred to as the Feast of Weeks (Ex 34:22; Dt 16:10) because it occurs 7 weeks after Passover. Other names: “the Feast of Harvest”, “the Day of First Fruits”.

At some point in the Graeco-Roman period, the festival became primarily a celebration of the giving of the law.

Pentecost in the view of the Apostles - Acts 2:16-21

It explains how a seemingly new movement is actually rooted in ancient promises associated with Judaism and yet includes Gentiles. Darrel Bock

What are the results of the Holy Spirit baptism in our life?

There are many things that the Holy Spirit is doing in us when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit by God and Jesus (Who’s baptizing us? God or Jesus? Acts 2:33): empowering for being witnesses, miracles, spiritual gifts, special guidance, etc etc.

Today we’ll speak about 3 results of the presence of the Holy Spirit in our life. Two of them have in view the congregation and one of them have in view the private life.

1.The Holy Spirit empowers us to begin making disciples! Acts 1:8 & Matt. 28:19

We need to understand the proper place of every single teaching of Jesus

Some of us say: I am a witness. I don’t do disciples, but I’m a witness. Others: I’m doing thousands of disciples, but I’m not a witness. Others: we work for the Kingdom of God. Who cares about disciples? Others: I just give my money to the poor. What Kingdom? I don’t care about a Kingdom until out there are poor people.

The bigger image: Kingdom of God! Acts 1:3 - 28:31. Making disciples is how we properly answer to God’s grace that moved us in His Kingdom. At the beginning we cannot witness but only if we are baptized in the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ commandment “make disciples”, it’s valid until the Judgment Day!

Being witnesses it’s the very starting point of doing disciples! There is no other starting point! We can’t start making disciples without the Holy Spirit!

The Pentecost values nothing if it doesn’t move me to make disciples! The real Pentecost is simply enabling me to obey Jesus’ command: make disciples. We can reassure ourselves with the idea that we speak in other languages, with the idea that we give money to the poor, with the idea that we have managed to build walls and buildings: if we do not make disciples, our whole Pentecost is equal to zero!

The Book of Acts ends as Jesus commanded: Acts 28:31b - he taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. (The structure of making disciples: baptize and teach).

Who’s your disciple?

Let’s start with the church people: it doesn’t help at all to be 1.000 babies. Instead let’s be 250 mature people in Christ. Then we’ll conquer the whole Houston in days...

Ask yourself: Am I filled with the Holy Spirit? Then who’s my disciple?

  Two Texans were traveling together on vacation. They decided to stop at one of the natural wonders of the world, Niagara Falls. As they took the beautiful drive from Lake Erie to the falls they were filled with admiration and awe at the size and power of the Niagara River. They were particularly impressed with the rapids just above the falls and stopped there to look. From there they could see the massive mist cloud that always hangs over the precipice.

One of the men, having already been there, said, “Come and I’ll show you the greatest unused power in the world.” Taking him to the foot of Niagara Falls, he said, “There is the greatest unused power in the world.”

“Ah, no, my friend, not so!” was the reply of the other. “The greatest unused power in the world is the power of the Holy Spirit of the living God.”6651

1 Michael P. Green. (2000). 1500 illustrations for biblical preaching (pp. 190–191). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.

Are we God’s church? Did He fill us with the Holy Spirit? Then let’s just be Jesus witnesses on the earth, let’s make disciples, let’s bring everyone in God’s Kingdom

2.Holy Spirit keeps us close to God’s holiness - Acts 5

Context: (1) everything was nice but there was not a perfect church: Greek widows have suffered, there were people that didn’t sell their properties because they didn’t want to, and so on. (2) Ananias and Sapphira wanted a good reputation, but using a bad method.

Ananias and Sapphira

We must understand that they were not all sending their properties! Most of them did, but as always, there are some people not following the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Ananias and Sapphira “kept back” some of the money (see Josh. 7:1)

The lie was not against the men, but against Holy Spirit (V. 2) and God (v. 4).

Principles:

A. Don’t care about your own reputation: Acts 2:11!

B. Don’t be jealous!

C. When we do something toward community we actually do something against God himself!

D. Do not treat things differently from the holy apostles: When someone lies, we have to confront him!

“It’s ok. You should repent though. Anyways, we all lie sometimes, so it’s fine. Go in peace...”

Is it only about lying?

What if I just make politics against one brother in the church, don’t I actually do politics against Holy Spirit? What about gossip? What other things are we doing one against another and we forget we’re doing that against the Holy Spirit?

Are we God’s church? Did He fill us with the Holy Spirit? Then let’s just stop lying the Holy Spirit. Let's not gossip about the Holy Spirit anymore.

1.Helps me with my biggest personal problem. Luk. 22:57 & Acts 4:21, 29.

Peter: he wanted to look powerful, but he was a coward.

John: he was shy. Until Pentecost (See Acts 2:14)

! It doesn’t fix it for me. I have do be aware! Gal. 2

The baptism in the Holy Spirit doesn’t fix my life. I have to allow the Spirit to work in me! Gal. 5:25 - that means we are born again, raised from the death, but let’s also walk by the Spirit, that means to obey the Spirit!

What’s your biggest personal problem?

Love for: money, food

Gossip

Unforgiveness

Whatelse?

  A committee of ministers in a certain city was discussing the possibility of having D. L. Moody to serve as the evangelist during a city-wide evangelistic campaign. Finally, one young minister who did not want to invite Moody stood up and said: “Why Moody? Does he have a monopoly of the Holy Spirit?” There was silence. Then an old, godly minister spoke up: “No, he does not have a monopoly of the Holy Spirit; but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly of D. L. Moody.”1

1 Tan, P. L. (1996). Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations: Signs of the Times (p. 1403). Garland, TX: Bible Communications, Inc.

Are we God’s church? Yes. Did He fill us with the Holy Spirit? Yes. Then let him posses us! Let Him work! He is here! He is in us. Let’s live by the Spirit!

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