Empowered by the Spirit: Living Boldly for Christ

We see this moment in the church though right that that that this this the moment in the in the church where the they have went together. Last week we talked about it. Jesus was there. He was with the disciples and he said listen I want you to go to Jerusalem and I want you to wait for me for the gift of the father. That they had to go and they had to wait for the gift of the father. And this title of today's sermon in this series of of of empowered is the fire that falls because that's what we see. We see fire falling on the people of God. [00:54:09]

What we see in that is that the Holy Spirit is powerful. That when the spirit comes on the people of God, it's in power. How do we know this? One, fire is powerful. Right? We we right now in a drought, right? We've seen what fire can do. Fire is a powerful element. Two, the people that are around heard of it, right? You only hear about something that's powerful. Fire is powerful. When the spirit of God comes down onto his people, it is powerful. [00:58:24]

I wrote a quote this week and this is what it said. It said, "We are not praying for a new Pentecost because the original one was enough." That that moment in Pentecost, that moment when the Holy Spirit came down onto the people of God, we don't need a new moment like that because that was enough. We don't need another sacrifice from the son of God because the sacrifice he made was enough. The the power of God is enough in our lives. We are praying for obedience to the one that was already given. [00:59:18]

Often in the church, right, we're like, I need a new touch of the Holy Spirit. I need a new touch of of your presence. And yes, that is true. But the original pro touch was enough. The problem is the people of God are not surrendering to him and not humbly being go moving in obedience in him. He gave more than enough power. So what do we see in this moment in scripture? Don't settle for a tamed faith. When g when Jesus is promised a powerful presence of his holy spirit. [00:59:56]

Often in the church, right, we have this timid attitude, this tame sort of faith. And the people of God are not called to be tame. They're called to be loving. They are called to be kind. They're called to be patient. But what I see in the life of Christ, I don't see this timid person. He is bold in what he says to those around him. He is bold in his actions. The people of God are called to be bold in the power of the Holy Spirit. We're not called to be timid individuals. [01:00:59]

We're not called to to to be the little mouses of Christians. We are called to be bold followers of Jesus proclaiming the gospel message. What I love is, you know, in the movie in the Star Wars series or in in the franchise, right? Everybody isn't doesn't have the force, right? Right. They they look like go this person has the force and this other person doesn't have the force. It's nothing that they do. There's nothing they can do. They can't go like, "Hey, can I go to this planet? Can I do this thing to get the power of the force?" [01:01:26]

What I love is the Holy Spirit is is given to everyone that is a follower of Jesus. It isn't just for some Christians and not for others. It's for all of the followers of Jesus is the Holy Spirit's presence. It's for you to grab hold of his power. We're not called to to to live these this these timid lives. We're called to live a life that is powerful. This gift has been poured out on all of the believers. the Holy Spirit's presence. [01:01:59]

They were they got miraculous gifts from the power of the Holy Spirit to do the work that God had for them. That's what we see here, right? Right? This says that they were able to speak in other languages as the spirit enabled them. Right? The people further up in it, right, heard the gospel message being spoken in their own language. And it even says in the scripture, right? It says, what does it say? They they gathered, right? They heard the noise. They heard the commotion, right? They Peter gives the best sermon ever, right? [01:02:12]

Peter didn't do anything. He was surrendered in the presence of his father. So Peter goes out in the power of the Holy Spirit, in the power that they had just been bestowed, had just been bestowed upon them, and he begins to preach. And what happens is the people that are there, right, hear the message of God in their language. And they even start to ask themselves. They go, "Aren't these Galileans like these guys aren't well educated individuals? These are fishermen, right? Like you know, these guys have jobs from like all of none of them are these professional elites that should know all these languages." [01:03:00]

And what we see in this is that God can move and God can use individuals that are obedient to him. That the Holy Spirit's power is powerful enough to use everyday individuals to do something that is amazing. The spirit doesn't just fall on him though, right? It flows through him. The spirit flows through him. The people hear in their own language. It says their hearts are stirred and the Lord speaks to them and they give their lives over to God. The power of the Holy Spirit isn't something for ourselves, not just for ourselves. [01:04:09]

It's something to work in us and through us for the lives of those around us. Jim Symbolo says it this way. He says, "God does not anoint plans. He anoints people. people who speak. Now, yes, we plan in the church, right? God, you know, gives us the the the gifts of a brain to be able to plan, but plans do not happen unless godly people that are moved, that are called to do something, actually go and do it. Often in the church, it's like, well, well, I don't know how to do that, and I don't know what to do. and and we get filled with anxiety and stress and whatifs and I often I just want to say just do it like if it's not perfect I don't care right if it's not perfect Jesus doesn't care Jesus wants you moving in his presence in his spirit in obedience and he will take you and he will mature you and he will perfect you over time does that mean you'll be a perfect individual one day no you'll never be perfect because we're flawed individuals [01:04:50]

We will misspeak sometimes and that's okay. But when we are moving in his presence and we're moving in his spirit, he enables us to do things that we never could imagine that we could do. The Holy Spirit moved not in him but through him. It was a story. Peter's told his story. Church, when the Holy Spirit moves through you, you it's through your story is how he moves. is through your voice. It's through your obedience because your life matters in the kingdom. Your testimony matters in the kingdom. [01:05:37]

And often in the church like we I can't do it the way that he or she does it. You don't have to do it the way he or she does it. You have to do it the way that your father called you to do it. So you have some people that do ministry in some weird ways. To me, they're weird. To them, they're normal. I've told this story before. I have a buddy of mine and he does ministry through skating, right? Like through surfboards and skateboards. And they spread the gospel message through that. I could never do that. Why? Because if I try to get on a surfboard, I'm going to die. [01:06:38]

He took this thing that this this hobby that he had that he loved saw that other kids, other people that needed the gospel message and he took this thing and made it into a ministry and reach people for the gospel. He used his story, he used his voice and God used his obedience because his testimony matters. that God wants to work in our lives through us church through us. The spirit awakens in the world though in this right we continue right what happens is they they speak all these people you know come to the Lord and it says this they were amazed and perplexed and they asked one another what does this mean what does this mean fire comes down rests on the people of God right changes them they begin to have gifts and talents that they never had it before a crowd gathers right on the outside they go outside. [01:07:47]

Pet preer gives this amazing sermon. Their hearts are stirred. They start to ask each other questions like, "Aren't these Galileans? They're not these special individuals. They're not well-trained individuals. These are fishermen, right? These these are tax collectors. These are the bottom of the barrel people, but what they're saying sounds true. What they're saying is speaking to them." And amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean? What does this mean?" 3,000 people were saved that day because Peter was obedient to speak the message that God had for him. [01:08:26]

Church. We can do mighty and powerful things for the kingdom when we are obedient and we're letting the Holy Spirit's presence dwell in us and flow through us. We're called to do more than what we're doing in the church. We're called to do it in power. Just imagine 3,000 people standing there go gave their lives to Christ. That means there was probably more. Could you give the gospel message in front of that many? Now, some of you just get like you broke out into a cold sweat by me asking you that question, right? Some of you like, "No, thank you. I would have taken a step out the back door and I would have ran." [01:09:15]

But if the Holy Spirit is calling you to something, he will flow through you to do it. And so Peter moved out in faith and in trust. And he preached this message, church. That's what we're called to do. We're called to live in the power of the Holy Spirit that when the Lord says to move, we move. When he says to speak up, we speak up in a powerful way. There are moments though and the Holy Spirit will tell you to be quiet. And through silence, you will minister to somebody that you never imagined you could just minister to. [01:10:05]

It's not about what you're doing. It's about being obedient to what he's asking you to do. It's not about what you have in your mind of how it's supposed to work. It's about being obedient to what he's asking you to do. preacher. He gives this message and and he he does all this this this message. He speaks about it and his 3,000 were saved and the people began to ask, "What does this mean? What does this mean?" My question is, are we living lives that spark the question in the hearts of others? He he that's what happens in this moment, right? [01:10:44]

What do we see? What we see in this moment is that that the people of God, right, see that Peter is different. They see that they're speaking multiple languages, that they're hearing it in multiple languages. They're seeing the gifts of the Holy Spirit work. And it began to spark in them questions in their hearts. Who is this Jesus of Nazareth? Who is this Jesus? And the question is as Christians, as followers of Jesus, are we living a life that sparks that question in the hearts of others? Are people looking at us and and I've asked this question before, but I asked this question because honestly in the church it is hard sometimes the like I see you in church and you are the church. [01:11:24]

Are we living a life that sparks that question in the hearts of others that people see us and go, "Man, there's something different about that person. I need to know who this Jesus is." Because this friend that I once had is not the same friend that I have now. But this brother I had is not the same brother that I have now. That that my aunt that used to be my aunt is not the same aunt that I have now. Because the Lord has done something in us so much, so powerful in us through the Holy Spirit that we're different. And the people of God, the people that are around us see it and it sparks in their heart. Who is this Jesus? [01:13:36]

The disciples, you know, didn't need a lightsaber to change the world. You had the word of God in the f fire of the spirit. And so do we. I would love to have a lightsaber. I would love to have some of the best gifts and abilities to spread the gospel message. I think I'd spread the gospel message better in a Mercedes. Amen. I just think I would. I wouldn't. The disciples didn't need all this fancy stuff to spread the gospel message. They were broke. They were chased after. They were beaten. They smelled like fish. And yet they went to every corner that they could to spread the gospel message. [01:14:28]

And they did that in power of the power of the Holy Spirit. Often in the church, we think, well, I have to have a master's degree. Well, I have to get my doctorate. I have to go to college. I have to do this. I have to do that to spread the gospel message. You don't. You just have to be surrendered and have the Holy Spirit in. There are individuals that are in that have been in my life, some that are still in my life that that are some of the godliest people that know the scriptures forward and backwards. They have no masters or doctorates to they don't got a bachelor's or an associates degree to their name. [01:15:16]

They barely graduated high. Some of them they didn't even graduate high school. But they have consumed the gospel. They have dug into the words of God and they have memorized and internalized who Christ is calling us to be. Now, I'm not anti-education. Don't get me like that's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is you don't need to have something to be able to do the thing that God's calling you. All you need to be is surrendered in the Holy Spirit in your life to do what the Lord is calling you to do. [01:15:29]