How
many times in the Gospels is it written that Jesus is the Lamb of God?
- ONLY ONCE, in John
But
the fact that Jesus will baptize us with the Holy Spirit is mentioned in EVERY
one of the four gospels, and at least twice in Acts. That’s SIX times.
Even
though Jesus is the Lamb of God is incredibly important because he died for our
sins, it is only mentioned once in the gospels but Jesus baptizing us with the
Holy Spirit is mentioned so many more times. It’s clear by this alone that
being baptized in the Holy Spirit is an important part of our spiritual journey
with Christ.
Acts 2:1-2 “When the day
of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.”
2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came
from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
- God’s Timing
In Acts 1:4-5 “ On one occasion, while he was
eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem but wait
for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For
John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be
baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus tells the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit before they left
Jerusalem, he even emphasized it further in Acts 1:8
“ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you
will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the
ends of the earth.”
But he never said how long they would have to wait for, nevertheless, they
obeyed and they waited. He wanted them to be equipped with the Spirit before
they went out into the world.
It is
clear from Acts 2:2 that we don’t know when God can pour out his Holy Spirit in
great measure upon his people but we have been commanded to wait for it, just
like Jesus told the disciples.
The work of the Holy Spirit is entirely based on God’s
timing, we cannot control the work of the Holy Spirit.
John
3:8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear
its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it
is with everyone born of the Spirit.
Even
though Jesus had even appeared before 500 people (1 Cor 15:6), on the day of
Pentecost, only 120 people were gathered in that room. Where were the other
380?
Let’s
choose to be a people who will wait on God.
When
the early Christians waited for the Spirit they weren’t idle they waited in
prayer for the Spirit.
There
have been many instances of Revival in history, like the Azua Street Revival or
the Hebrides Revival, when the Holy Spirit had been poured out on a large
number of people and they all turned to Jesus :
One
evening a group of around 200 - 300 people went to a police station because
they wanted relief from the internal strain they were experiencing and they
knew there was a Christian Policeman there who was a strong committed
Christian. After they arrived, they all faced such deep conviction. This was
not the work of Man but the Work of God.
How did it start? How did this wonderful revival take
place?
Two
old women, one 84 the other 82, one of them blind! were greatly burdened
because no young people attended any public worship anymore. So every Tuesday
and Thursday they would meet and pray from long stretches of time and they kept
doing it faithfully.
As
Christians, till our dying days, we can be used by God. The two old ladies
remained dedicated and prayed for a long time before any revival or change
happened. It all depends on God’s timing and you can do that too, especially
now when everyone is quarantined in their homes, take some time out of your fay
and pray for God to pour out his spirit and send a revival.
We saw
the work of God’s timing on the day of Pentecost as well as here. What we
can do to help is pray in faith and expectation asking God to pour out his
Spirit.
2. God’s Filling
In Acts
1v8 “ But you will receive power when the Holy
Spirit comes on you…”
Jesus
said we will receive power that will make us bold as lions, when we receive the
Spirit, to become witnesses.
Luke
24:49 “I am going to send you what my Father has
promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from
on high.”
If you
have never received the Holy Spirit, wait on the Holy Spirit, pray today, that
you would be filled the same power upon your life.
The disciples were all believers and they had the Holy
Spirit in them but the day of Pentecost brought the Holy Spirit UPON them.
DL
Moody and 2 women in his church would pray every Friday afternoon. He had a
ministry but there wasn’t any real power in it, so they prayed for his
ministry. Sometime later, in New York, God revealed himself to Moody. He too
prayed, obeyed and waited. Moody then continued with his ministry, with the
same sermons as he did before, but suddenly one day the Holy Spirit came upon him
in power and magnified his effort and HUNDREDS were saved. The same sermons,
but this time with the POWER of the spirit behind them.
Acts
2 v3 “ They saw what seemed to be tongues of
fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.”
The
120 were powerfully immersed in the Holy Spirit. They began to speak in
tongues, prophecy and declare the praises of God.
Acts
2:11 “ we hear them declaring the wonders of God
in our own tongues!”
The
result of the Filling of the Spirit is that there’s an outpouring of the Gifts
of the Spirit
(1
Cor 12:6.)The holy spirit gives us different gifts, gifts for each one of us.
We must keep in mind that these gifts God had given us are not for our own
glory but for the Common good
1
cor 12 v8-10
“8 To one
there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of
knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same
Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another
miraculous power, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between
spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues,[a] and to still another the
interpretation of tongues.”
Romans
12 mentions another set of gifts “ 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you:
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of
yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed
to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members,
and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we,
though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We
have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift
is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then
serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give
encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show
mercy, do it cheerfully.”
And so
we see that when the Holy Spirit is poured out, so are the gifts of the Spirit.
We see in Acts 3, after the day of Pentecost, Peter healed the cripple outside
the temple gate. Similarly,
God
has gifts for each one us. Let’s be a people that actively want and yearn for
these gifts.
1
Cor 14:1 “Follow the way of love and eagerly
desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.” Paul tells us to eagerly desire spiritual gifts.
What’s
the purpose of all this?
3. (i)God’s Mission
Acts
1:8 But you
will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my
witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of
the earth.”
Power,
filling and these gifts were all to help us to be his witnesses. God wants us
to proclaim the good news and has equipped us with all we need to do it.
So ask
yourself today :
- Am I using the gifts God has given me?
- Am I aware of the gifts God has given me?
- Am I developing the gifts God has given me?
- Am I deploying the gifts God has given me?
The
final reason and end result of the Holy Spirit being poured out is (ii)
God’s glory. He wants his name to be proclaimed in all the earth and his
glory to fill the earth as the waters cover the sea. When multitudes come to
Jesus it brings great glory to God and that is what we are called to do.
Acts 2
v11 God wants to see the world declaring the wonders of God in their own
tongue.
Have
you been baptized in the Holy Spirit? If you haven’t, then ask for it for “how
much more will the father give it to those who ask” And if you’ve already been
baptized pray for more, that you may be filled with it even more.
Let’s
pray for a great outpouring and revival. That people would be converted and
convicted.
Lord
pour out your Spirit in a greater measure so that people may turn to you.
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