MUST HAVE THE WORKING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

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1 Text: Acts 2:1-11,12-18,21(NLT) On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability. 5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers. 7 They were completely amazed. How can this be? they exclaimed. These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! They stood there amazed and perplexed. What can this mean? they asked each other. 13 But others in the crowd ridiculed them, saying, They re just drunk, that s all"14 Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. 15 These people are not drunk, as some of you are assuming. Nine o clock in the morning is much too early for that. 16 No, what you see was predicted long ago by the prophet Joel: 17 In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. 18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants men and women alike and they will prophesy...21 But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Focusing on the relationship with the Holy Spirit as the promised gift from the Father let us consider these key truths. The day has come and gone when Spirit filled believers can without wisdom wildly demonstrate the expressions of the Holy Spirit. Neither are we living in the day when we can dismiss the work of the Holy Spirit in the church and perhaps more importantly in our personal lives. We MUST HAVE THE WORKING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT or we will become ineffective. We must be to all intents and purposes BALANCED. The Holy Spirit brings a... Promised Gift Progressive Relationship Productive Result A Promised Gift This account given by Luke could be used to support a specific teaching and submit to the truth that speaking in tongues is an essential attribute of the work of the Holy Spirit. The highest priority is to focus on the expression of love and grace that God is giving. This "Gift of the Father" Jesus promised was meant to empower and encourage these disciples for the work of the ministry they had been given. Think of this. Gifts are usually given to those we care about, to those we desire to communicate love, appreciation and support. On this day when all of the Jews were celebrating the beginning of the first indications of the coming harvest, the day of new beginnings, God strategically planned to give them something no one had received up to this point the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Previously men and women were moved on by periods of enlightenment for specific purposes and events but now these were being filled with the Spirit as part of the inheritance in Jesus. 1

2 The Holy Spirit came as a gift from God because of what Jesus had accomplished. The Holy Spirit came because Jesus paid the price to remove the obstacles of sin that kept man from being able to enjoy the full expression of what a relationship with God could produce. When we begin a relationship with someone special in our lives we do so with the hope that we will continue to discover the things in their lives that make them who they are. We look for the ingredients that have made them attractive to us. We look for their inner man; their character, personality, value etc. The Holy Spirit has come as a gift from the Father because of the accomplished obedience of Jesus to us so we can fully understand all God has for us. John 16:7 15 (NLT) 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don t, the Advocate won t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. 10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. 11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged. 12 There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can t bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me. The Holy Spirit is God, more than an add-on or a after-the-fact experience. He is just as much God as the Father and Jesus. In all these respects, we see the Holy Spirit as one who operates in the church as a definite personality a Person given as a gift to the church to assure that the continued ministry of the resurrected Christ is expressed and verified. The Holy Spirit, then, has all the characteristics of a person: 1. He possesses the attributes of mind (Rom. 8:27), will (I Cor. 12:11), and feeling (Eph. 4:30). 2. He engages in such activities as revealing (2 Pet. 1:21), teaching (John 14:26), witnessing (Heb. 10:15), interceding (Rom. 8:26), speaking (Rev. 2:7), commanding (Acts 16:6, 7), and testifying (John 15:26). 3. He has a relationship with human persons: He can be grieved (Eph. 4:30), lied to (Acts 5:3), and blasphemed (Matt. 12:31, 32). 4. The Holy Spirit possesses the divine attributes of the Godhead: He is eternal (Heb. 9:14), omnipresent (Ps. 139:7 10), omnipotent (Luke 1:35), and omniscient (I Cor. 2:10, 11). 5. He is referred to by such names as the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit of promise, the Spirit of truth, the Spirit of grace, the Spirit of life, the Spirit of adoption, and the Spirit of holiness. 6. He is illustrated with such symbols as fire (Acts 2:1, 2), wind (Acts 2:1, 2), water (John 7:37 39), a seal (Eph. 1:13), oil (Acts 10:38), and a dove (John 1:32). We need to become comfortable with the work of the Holy Spirit because He is the expression of all Jesus is and does. The work of the Holy Spirit is a... Progressive Relationship As with all developing relationships we learn as we go. We give and take. We bless and we are blessed. The Holy Spirit came to fill us with all God has, with every spiritual blessing Jesus has provided. Now we need to be responsive to Him and let Him work in our lives as only He can do. The Holy Spirit is the "Action Agent" or the One who makes what the Father has willed and Jesus has exemplified happen in our lives. Without the Holy Spirit we would not be able to know or understand how God works or experience being an effective Christian. The Holy Spirit, as we have stated, is as much a part of our relationship with the Father as Jesus because they 2

3 are all One. The Father has determined the way things should happen, Jesus becomes the expression and fulfillment of the Father's will to us and the Holy Spirit causes us to experience that first hand. Consider those in the Upper Room. They were there in obedience and desperation. They did not know what they would receive just that they trusted their relationship with Jesus enough to take Him at His word. They were looking for more of what Jesus could give them. We now have the account of what happened and how these common people were impacted by this experience so let us seek the same intimacy in our relationship with Jesus. The Holy Spirit enhances the relationship we have with Jesus. We seek Jesus and are open to the work of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit begins to work in us we understand more about Jesus. The progression of this relationship happens like this (to most of us). By God's grace we hear the gospel message of salvation provided by Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. Through God's mercy we are convicted (not condemned) and confess our sins. By God's love we are forgiven and accepted as children of God. As children of God we begin to grow up in our relationship with Jesus. Every one of these steps are Holy Spirit functions. It is only possible because He is the One who connects us with Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith. May we learn to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit. We cannot pray to Father without praying to Jesus, we cannot pray to Jesus without praying to the Holy Spirit. Not that we have to consciously call them out by name individually but because they are One, we by the very fact that we call out to one call out to all. By having a relationship with the Holy Spirit He will bring... Productive Result If we follow those that were there in the upper room as they go back to their lives we are given an account of what happened next. 1) When they met together there was an overwhelming sense of God s presence experienced by all who were present. 2) There was an evident transformation in the lives and witness of the disciples who were filled. 3) That which was experienced became the impetus for the growth of the church, as "daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ" (Acts 5:42). 4) The immediate evidence in three of the five accounts of receiving the Holy spirit was tongues "glossolalia": (Acts 10:46). [Glossolalia is a term derived from the Greek glossa ("tongue") and laleo ("to speak").] 5) The ultimate purpose of this experience was empowered witnessing (Acts 1:8) and a deeper dimension of Christian commitment for the achievement of gladness (Eph. 5:19), gratitude (Eph. 5:20), humility (Eph. 5:21), and fruitfulness (Gal. 5:22, 23). In essence when the Holy Spirit is allowed to work there is a greater all around effectiveness, satisfaction and fulfillment in the believer's life. Trust the Holy Spirit The Spirit will do things that reflect the purpose of God and we can trust Him to orchestrate this with love, grace, mercy and order. There is enough instruction in the word to help us to understand that we are to be wise with the gift that God has given us. Not to flaunt or misuse the work of the Holy Spirit for our own justification or reputation. 3

4 Let us come humbly into the presence of the Lord with an open heart to receive the working of the Holy Spirit because it is the will of the Father and Jesus paid the ultimate price for us to experience it. Wind, Fire and Speaking in Tongues I. Wind speaks of the mighty unseen power of the Spirit as He leads, guides and strengthens. II. III. IV. Fire speaks of the cleansing, purifying and glorifying power work of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 3:11,12 (NLT) Ex 3:2-5 (Burning Bush) Speaking in Tongues In regard to those who have "received," the Bible describes two basic functions of "tongues": it is for personal edification and for public encouragement. In the experience of the baptism in or infilling of the Holy Spirit, "tongues" functions as a sign of the Holy Spirit s presence. Jesus prophesied it as a sign (Mark 16:17), Paul referred to it as a sign (1 Cor. 14:22), and Peter noted its uniformity as a sign gift in confirming the validity of the Gentiles experience in the Holy Spirit. (Compare Acts 10:44 46 with 11:16, 17 and 15:7 9). Speaking with tongues is an expected sign, affirming the Holy Spirit s abiding presence and assuring the believer of an revitalized living witness. It is not viewed as a qualification for fullness of the Holy Spirit, but as one indication of that fullness. For personal edification a) First, "speaking in tongues" is for self edification (1 Cor. 14:2 4) by the believer in his most intimate and intercessory moments of communication with God as he is moved upon by the Holy Spirit. b) Speaking with tongues is a. a proof of the resurrection and glorification of Jesus Christ (John 16:7; Acts 2:26). b. an evidence of the baptism in or infilling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4; 10:45, 46; 19:6). c. a spiritual gift for self edification (1 Cor. 14:4; Jude 20). d. a spiritual gift for communication with God in private worship (I Cor. 14:15). e. a means by which the Holy Spirit intercedes through us in prayer (Rom. 8:26; 1 Cor. 14:14; Eph. 6:18). f. a spiritual means for rejoicing (1 Cor. 14:15; Eph. 5:18, 19). c) Paul s application of Isaiah s prophecy seems to indicate that speaking with tongues is also intended as a means of "rest" or "refreshing" (Is. 28:12; 1 Cor. 14:21). d) Tongues follow as one confirmation of the Word of God when it is preached (Mark 16:17, 20; 1 Cor. 14:22). V. For public encouragement I Corinthians 14 bases the gifts of the Spirit on the one sure foundation of love (1 Cor. 14:1). Public "tongues" also calls for integrity in practice as the key for the preservation of order in our fellowship and the worship services. We must recognize that it can be a vital and valuable part of worship when placed in its proper setting for the edification of the body (1 Cor. 14:12, 13). Sincere believers gather to worship God and to be thoroughly equipped for every good work through the teaching of His Word (2 Tim. 3:16, 17). Consequently, the scripturally sensitive believer recognizes the following New Testament direction regarding spiritual gifts: a) Speaking in "tongues" only edifies public worship when it is interpreted; thus, the worshiper is to pray for the interpretation and if it is withheld, he keeps silent, unless someone who functions in the gift of interpretation is known to be present (1 Cor. 14:5, 28). b) The Spirit works only to lift up; whenever He is truly present all things are in order and embarrassment or uneasiness is reduced. (I Cor. 14:26, 40). c) The "spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets" (I Cor. 14:32). That is, each truly Spirit filled person can exercise self control; thus, confusion can and should be avoided so that decency with unity may prevail (1 Cor. 14:40). d) The basis of all gifts is love. Love, not the experience of a gift, is the qualifying factor for those who would exercise spiritual gifts. In the administration of spiritual authority in the local congregation, the Word 4

5 demands that we "judge" (I Cor. 14:29) to confirm that those who exercise gifts actually do "pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts" (1 Cor. 13:1 13; 14:1). e) The Author and Dispenser of the gifts is the Holy Spirit, who divides them as He wills; No gift becomes the exclusive possession of any believer for his personal edification and pride. Rather, the gifts are placed in the church to be exercised by the body for the mutual lifting up of the believers (1 Cor. 12:1 11) and as a means for expanded ministry. f) The exercise of tongues is to be limited to sequences of two or three at the most (I Cor. 14:27). This is understood to be a guideline to keep the worship service in balance. "Let all things be done decently and in order" (I Cor. 14:40) Conclusion This is what Jesus wants us to have today. Let's seek all He has for us and be filled with the Spirit. 5