Empowered by the Holy Spirit: A Call to Action
Summary
In my sermon today, I began by greeting the congregation warmly, acknowledging several birthdays, and sharing prayer requests for members of our church family and their loved ones. I emphasized the importance of intercessory prayer, especially for those facing health challenges and surgeries, and for the peace of Jerusalem amidst international tensions.
I then transitioned to the heart of my message, focusing on the person and work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. I encouraged the congregation to consider the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, who not only draws us to salvation but also empowers us to live holy and impactful lives. I spoke about the baptism in the Holy Spirit as an experience received by faith, just as we receive salvation, and not something we work for or earn.
I highlighted the significance of Pentecost, not only as a historical event but as a present reality that convinces, equips, empowers, and encourages believers to make a difference in the world. I urged the congregation to thirst for more of God, to allow rivers of living water to flow from within them, impacting those around them with the life-giving power of the Spirit.
I shared the story of Peter and John in Acts 4, who, when filled with the Holy Spirit, spoke with boldness and wisdom that astonished the religious authorities. I pointed out that the same Spirit that empowered the early disciples is available to us today, enabling us to be bold witnesses for Christ.
I called the church to a season of fasting and prayer leading up to Pentecost, asking them to fast one meal each Wednesday and to donate the money they would have spent on that meal to a good cause. I believe that as we seek God collectively, He will move powerfully in our midst.
I concluded the sermon with a call to action, inviting those who had not yet received Christ or who had drifted away to come forward and make a commitment to follow Him. I rejoiced over the salvation of a man named Kevin, who had come to the altar during the service, and I encouraged the congregation to continue praying for those who are seeking God.
Key Takeaways:
1. The Holy Spirit is not a force to be manipulated for our benefit; rather, we are created for His purposes. As believers, we must understand that the Spirit's role is to carry out Christ's rule and authority in and through our lives, transforming us into His likeness and empowering us to fulfill His mission on earth. ([50:38])
2. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is not about obtaining more of the Spirit; it is about the Spirit getting more of us. This post-conversion work of the Spirit is about yielding to Him by faith and allowing Him to work through us, bringing about a life that is increasingly surrendered to God's will and purposes. ([51:28])
3. The early church was marked by a bold proclamation of the gospel, accompanied by holy lives that testified to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. As modern-day believers, we are called to be peculiar people, radically different from the world, living out the truth of the gospel with integrity and passion. ([01:00:10])
4. The gift of the Holy Spirit is not an optional teaching for a select few; it is essential for all believers who desire to see God and experience His presence in their lives. Holiness is not optional, and the Spirit's work in our lives is to lead us into a deeper walk with God, characterized by purity and power. ([01:03:12])
5. As we approach Pentecost, we are called to a deeper hunger and thirst for God, positioning ourselves to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit. This pre-Pentecost season is a time to seek God earnestly, believing that He will move in miraculous ways, bringing revival, healing, and transformation to our lives and our communities. ([01:31:13])
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. John 7:37-39 (NIV)
> On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
2. Acts 4:7-13 (NIV)
> They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
#### Observation Questions
1. What did Jesus promise would flow from those who believe in Him according to John 7:37-39?
2. In Acts 4:7-13, what question did the authorities ask Peter and John, and how did they respond?
3. How did the religious leaders react to the boldness and wisdom of Peter and John in Acts 4:13?
4. What was the significance of the Holy Spirit in the transformation of Peter and John’s behavior as described in the sermon? ([49:33])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. What does it mean for "rivers of living water" to flow from within believers, as mentioned in John 7:37-39?
2. How does the story of Peter and John in Acts 4 illustrate the transformative power of the Holy Spirit? ([49:33])
3. Why is the baptism in the Holy Spirit described as the Spirit getting more of us rather than us getting more of the Spirit? ([51:28])
4. How does the sermon suggest that the early church's bold proclamation of the gospel and holy living are connected to the work of the Holy Spirit? ([01:00:10])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt spiritually "thirsty." How did you seek to quench that thirst, and what was the outcome? ([42:28])
2. The sermon calls for a season of fasting and prayer leading up to Pentecost. How can you incorporate fasting and prayer into your weekly routine to seek more of God's presence? ([01:26:47])
3. Peter and John were described as ordinary men who astonished the religious leaders with their boldness. How can you allow the Holy Spirit to work through you in your daily interactions to make a similar impact? ([01:04:39])
4. The pastor emphasized that the Holy Spirit's work is to lead us into a deeper walk with God characterized by purity and power. What steps can you take this week to yield more of yourself to the Holy Spirit? ([51:28])
5. The sermon mentioned the importance of living holy lives as a testimony to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. Identify one area of your life where you can strive for greater holiness and integrity. ([01:00:10])
6. How can you be a "wellspring of life" for those around you, allowing the rivers of living water to flow from within you and impact others? ([45:26])
7. The pastor shared a story about Kevin's salvation during the service. How can you support and pray for new believers in your community to help them grow in their faith? ([29:09])
Devotional
Day 1: Yielding to the Spirit's Purpose
The Holy Spirit is not a tool for personal gain but the divine enabler of Christ's mission within us. Believers are called to recognize that the Spirit's primary role is to establish Christ's rule and authority in their lives. This transformative process reshapes individuals into the likeness of Jesus, empowering them to carry out His work on earth. It is a journey of becoming vessels through which the Spirit can manifest the love, power, and wisdom of God to a world in need. The Spirit's indwelling presence ensures that one's life is not merely self-directed but aligned with the greater purpose of God's kingdom. [50:38]
"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." - 2 Corinthians 3:18
Reflection: How can you more fully allow the Holy Spirit to guide your decisions and actions today?
Day 2: Surrender for Spiritual Fullness
The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a deepening of the believer's relationship with God, marked by a surrender that allows the Spirit to gain more of the individual. This post-conversion experience is not about believers gaining more of the Spirit but rather the Spirit taking over more areas of their lives. It is an act of faith, yielding to the Spirit's influence and allowing Him to work through them. This surrender leads to a life increasingly aligned with God's will, characterized by a growing holiness and a powerful witness to the transformative love of God. [51:28]
"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit." - Ephesians 5:18
Reflection: What part of your life have you not yet surrendered to the Holy Spirit, and what steps can you take to yield that area to Him?
Day 3: Boldness in Gospel Proclamation
The early church's hallmark was its bold and unapologetic proclamation of the gospel, undergirded by lives that bore witness to the Holy Spirit's transformative power. Today's believers are called to emulate this radical distinctiveness, living out the gospel's truth with integrity and fervor. The Spirit enables Christians to stand out as peculiar people, not conforming to the world but reflecting the holiness and love of God in every aspect of their lives. This boldness in speech and purity in conduct serves as a powerful testimony to the reality of God's kingdom. [01:00:10]
"For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power." - 1 Corinthians 4:20
Reflection: In what ways can you live out a bolder testimony of your faith in your current environment?
Day 4: Essential Gift of the Spirit
The Holy Spirit's indwelling is not a luxury for a select few but a vital necessity for all who seek to know God and experience His presence. Holiness is not an optional aspect of the Christian life; it is the very essence of it. The Spirit's role is to lead believers into a deeper communion with God, marked by purity and divine power. This gift is essential for living a life that is fully responsive to God's call, enabling believers to walk in the fullness of their identity in Christ. [01:03:12]
"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." - Galatians 5:25
Reflection: How can you cultivate a daily practice that helps you keep in step with the Spirit's leading?
Day 5: Hunger for the Spirit's Fullness
As Pentecost approaches, believers are called to intensify their hunger and thirst for God, positioning themselves to receive the Holy Spirit's fullness. This season of anticipation is a time for earnest seeking, with the expectation that God will move in miraculous ways. It is a period of fasting, prayer, and open-hearted seeking, believing that revival, healing, and transformation will flow as the Spirit is poured out. The promise of Pentecost is as real today as it was in the early church, inviting all to experience the living water that quenches the deepest spiritual thirst. [01:31:13]
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." - Matthew 5:6
Reflection: What can you do to cultivate a deeper desire for the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in your life?
Quotes
1) "Spirit-filled lives radiate the personality of Jesus Christ... That they would see Jesus in us as demonstrators of love and depositors of hope... There's 8,000 hearts that are aflame telling the good news that Jesus is the Messiah and that Jesus Christ saves." [01:17:13]
2) "The early church preached the gospel out of their own testimony... they preached it out of the truth that God had given that they received and it also came not only proclaiming the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit but it came out of their holy lives." [01:00:10]
3) "The Holy Spirit is the secret behind this kind of life... He brings spiritual insight, practical application, and empowerment into your life to live out the truth of God's great salvation day by day." [58:46]
4) "The baptism of the Holy Spirit is an experience that we receive by faith the same way we receive by faith our salvation... It is not something you've got to work for. You receive it by faith." [01:08:05]
5) "The Holy Spirit was not given for us; we were created for him... Jesus sent the Spirit not for us, but for him to carry out his rule and authority in and through our lives." [50:38]
6) "It's not that you're going to get more of the Holy Spirit. He's going to get more of you... He's going to get more of you in your yielding to him by faith and receiving." [51:28]
7) "The day of Pentecost convinced, equipped, empowered, and encouraged the early church to make a difference in their world... My goal today is to spend some time convincing you of the need." [01:09:20]
8) "Without understanding and dealing with Pentecost you're stopping short of what God wants to do in your life... The pinnacle of Christ's work... Jesus talked about the person of the Holy Spirit more than he did anything else." [57:14]
9) "Rivers of living water, prayers that have been prayed, are flowing right now... Because rivers of living water shall flow out of you, not for you, but for those around you." [45:26]
10) "It is impossible for us to stop speaking about all the things that we have seen and heard... It is impossible for me to not tell about the goodness of my God." [01:22:25]
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