Proclaiming Your Faith in the Spirit’s Power

July 19, 2006

Pastor Matt Black

Midweek Service

Acts 1:6-8

 

Discipleship: What are the Ten Commandments of God’s moral law?

                     (Quote them.)

 

Introduction: Open your Bible tonight to Acts 1.  We come this evening to a passage of Scripture that reveals how God saves us and uses us in proclaiming the message of the Gospel.  The title of tonight’s message is “Proclaiming Your Faith in the Spirit’s Power”.

 

[Read Acts 1:1-8]

 

Tonight we come to a fascinating passage of Scripture.  Jesus had promised to send his Spirit in an amazing way.  Christ prophesied that after His crucifixion, the disciples would forsake the Lord.  We read in Mark 14:27, “And Jesus saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.”

 

They were most certainly scattered.  Thomas was not the only one who doubted.  They all doubted.  Remember the women had returned from Christ’s grave, and proclaimed the Risen Christ to the apostles, and what does Luke 24:11 tell us?  “And [THE WOMENS’S] words seemed to [THE APOSTLES] as idle tales, and they believed them not.”

 

I want us to take a journey to the Temple Court now to prove this.  Let’s look at Peter, the leader of the apostles, had denied the Lord not once, but three times!   Turn over to Matthew 26, and beginning with verse 69, “Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. 70  But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what thou sayest. 71  And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. 72  And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. 73  And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech bewrayeth thee. 74  Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. 75  And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.”

 

Now, let’s go 40 days from that day, to the day of Pentecost. Look at Acts 2:14, “But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words…”  Look down at verse 36 for his main message: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

 

What was the result of all this?  Look at verse 37, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?”  Of course verse 38 gives his response: he told his dear friends and neighbors there to “repent”.  Repent means to wake up and see your life as God sees it!  It means to see that you have not just sinned against other people by lying, stealing, and blaspheming God, it means you realize you have sinned against God.  All these people were religious people, but he told them they needed to “repent”!  That’s strong language! 

 

You see even though you might be religious, you must realize that you have sinned against God.  The Bible says there’s coming a “Day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ” (Romans 2:16).

 

Here 40 days earlier Peter was quaking in his sandals because of the words of a little girl.  Now he has the boldness to stand in front of several thousand people and proclaim Christ.  What was the difference?

 

Look at our text in Acts 1:6-8, “When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7  And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

 

  1. First the Lord had to change their Mind!  (verses 6-7).

Here you have Jesus Christ risen from the dead, and these people are thinking about an EARTHLY KINGDOM!  How about you tonight?  Do you need a change of mind?  You might be saying, well, spiritual success for me is having a good life, making a lot of money, and having a loving family.  Wrong!  Spiritual success here is being part of God’s Kingdom and being a part of His program!

 

  1. Second notice the Lord had to change their Mastery. (verse 8)  “Ye shall receive power.”  These men were at this time still mastering themselves.  They had all their own ideas.  If God is going to use you, you must not be mastered by your own agenda.  What a change came at the Day of Pentecost.  Jesus had prophesied in John 14:20 that He would send the Holy Spirit.  He said, “At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.”  What happens on this day is that Christ is now not on the outside of the disciples giving them His Word, but He comes into their souls by the presence of the Holy Spirit.  This is what happens to every one of us when we are saved.

 

    1. When we are saved, we are Baptized in the Spirit. 

1 Corinthians 12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

 

Spirit baptism is the universal experience of all believers.  I’m not talking about signs and wonders, but what I am talking about is being baptized in the presence and person of the Lord.  This is universal for all believers.  Look at Ephesians 4:5-6, “One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6  One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”

 

Why can I fellowship with a Presbyterian or a Methodist that believes the Bible and is born again?  Because we share the oneness of our faith.  We may not agree on everything on earth, but we are most certainly one in Christ, and we shall be one for ever in heaven. 

 

On this day, Peter realized that he was not his own.  Look at 1 Corinthians 6:19, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

 

Listen, if you are Christian, the Holy Spirit lives inside of you!

 

    1. But we also experience Spirit-filling.

Ephesians 5:18  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

 

Are you all obeying the command to not be drunk with wine?  Are you tonight?  But do you see there is another command?

“Be filled with the Spirit!” 

 

This was the experience of the early Christians.  Acts 2:4  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost

 

Turn to Acts 13.  When Saul was saved, what happened?

Acts 13:9  Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,)filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

 

The chapter says that Paul began to share his faith!  People didn’t want to listen!  Look down at verse 52. 

 

Acts 13:52  And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.

 

Look back at Ephesians 5:18  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

 

What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit?  It means to be controlled.  Just like wine controls a person, and you do things you normally wouldn’t do if you were sober, the Spirit fills you and you do things you normally wouldn’t do if you were not Spirit-filled.

 

  1. Third, the Lord had to change their Method.  Here you have these disciples thinking that God was going to do all the work.  He was going to be king and call everyone to repentance Himself.  That would make it easy for us. We also need to change our method.  Prayer is important, but we need to stand up like Peter and be bold.  What does the Lord say in our text in Acts 1:8?  “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

 

  1. Finally, the Lord had to change their Mindset.  And that’s exactly what happened!  His whole mindset was focused on the Lord.  He was afraid of a little girl, and now he’s preaching to a multitude.  The world becomes bigger when the Spirit is in you. 

What comes with the Spirit?

 

1. Boldness

Proverbs 28:1  The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

 

2. Dependence

1 Corinthians 2:1-5, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2  For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 3  And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. 4  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

 

3. Humility

1 Peter 3:15  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

 

Conclusion:  Perhaps you feel like your faith should be private and personal.  Acts 1:8  “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

 

If you are a believer, you are sharing your faith.  It’s as natural as a baby crying.  You are going to share your faith.  Are you doing so?

 

Members’ Meeting

 

Closing Hymn: 147 Amazing Grace

 

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