The Power Series 3 - The Power of being filled | Colin D Cruz

This message was preached by Colin D' Cruz at Word of Grace Church on the April 19 th 2015. To listen/download the audio please click here

After Good Friday, Jesus rose 3 days later. The disciples were however confused, fearful and unsure. Jesus appears to them on that first resurrection day. Their faith is built up to an extent. Thomas still doubted.

In John 20, during those 40 days, Peter suddenly goes back fishing and Jesus meets them in a miraculous way and gives them a great catch.

We could be like this- we believe in Jesus but our faith is shaky. We can be fearful because of today’s political scenario. We can be doubtful because of mountains in our lives. 

However we saw that  the solution was the day of Pentecost. This transformed the disciples from fearful to fearless, from lambs to lions. What transformed them was the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and they were never the same again.

Four times in the gospels and Acts was Jesus referred to as the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit. One promise has been singled out as the promise of the Father, i.e. Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

The kind of life that Jesus wants us to live is one where we are full of power and boldness. The normal church life is a supernatural life. There is a lot of confusion in Christian circles regarding the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and the working of the Holy Spirit. John 3:7 says that the wind blows wherever it pleases.

 The working of the Holy Spirit is mysterious.

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit was there right in Genesis 1. He has always been there. The Holy Spirit however, came upon a few people for a time to accomplish a task. In Gen 41:38 Joseph was described as the one in who is the Spirit of God. Moses in Numbers 11:17. Judges 6:34- Gideon. It was always God’s desire to put his spirit on all flesh and there are prophecies about it. Joel 2:28

Q. What is the effect of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit?

Acts 2:14- the disciples were filled and at the same time, Peter, who denied and deserted Jesus now speaks boldly to a large crowd. And in the power of the Holy Spirit is able to expound scripture that they could not understand at one time.

In Acts 3 we see signs and wonders which followed. Even when their shadow fell on people they were healed.

Q. Where is the Holy Spirit today? Don’t we need the Holy Spirit like that today?

Christians fall under 2 categories, one category believes that you receive everything at the time of conversion and the other believes in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit at some point after conversion. What’s important is that we have the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. In Acts 2: 38 Peter said:

1.      Repent- putting your faith in Jesus. Putting up your hand at a meeting asking you to put your faith in Jesus is not a sign of repenting unless it is accompanied with genuine repentance.

2.      Be baptized- it is a simple act but important. Everywhere in the Bible where a person has repented they were then baptized.

3.      We then need to receive the Holy Spirit. Our experience is not the basis of our faith but what the Bible says is.

At Pentecost, the disciples were already believers. Often Baptism of the Holy Spirit quickly follows being born again. In Acts 19:1 Paul meet a group of disciples. In Acts, the word ‘disciples’ always refers to believers. He asks them, did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed

You can go to Agra and not see the Taj Mahal. Does that mean that you did not go to Agra? So it is with the baptism of the Holy Spirit and being born again. Acts 2:4- one of the signs of the baptism of the Holy Spirit is that they spoke in tongues.

Acts 10: 44-  the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message- even on the gentiles- praising God, speaking in tongues and even prophesying.

These were tangible signs of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Some changes took place. It’s a normal church life but a supernatural life. Would you like to have it? God wants to do the same thing with us. It’s a continual thing. Immense joy in the midst of trials when there is an overflow of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

 In John 7:35 Jesus says that if anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. There is something we need to do. The disciples had to wait. We need to come to Jesus and be thirty for the Holy Spirit.

  

Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that have people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service. To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.