Empowered By the Spirit

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We continue in our series about The Spirit today! How many are enjoying this?

Lesson Connection

Power Unrecognized

{IMAGE: ROSE BOWL FLOAT}

You may have seen footage of the Rose Parade before. Huge floats. Cost hundreds of thousands of dollars each. Sponsored by companies. It’s a New Years Day thing, since the late 1800s.

But in 1938, it didn’t go so well. As a matter of fact, it went horrible. There was one company’s float that was going down the avenue with all the others. Everything was going like it should. Children and parents watching and clapping. It was going well. Until it wasn’t.

Suddenly, this amazing float’s movement came to a quick halt. The engine coughed. People were looking at one another. It had stopped… because it ran out of gas.

All the planning, preparation, expense… all the execution to be a part of this massive event - the whole thing was held up until someone could return with aa can of gas. And here’s the best part: that float that stopped the Rose Parade in its tracks because it ran out of gas… it was sponsored by the Standard Oil Company (the largest oil company in the world at the time). The company had plenty of fuel. Their float didn’t.

And power that is unrecognized and not utilized is worthless.

As a child of God, I am not self-sufficient. We don’t operate just out of human strength or ingenuity. We are connected to a source of limitless power that we draw on to succeed for the kingdom of God.

We are empowered by the Spirit.

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And I am of the opinion that you should never have to sputter to a stop because you’ve run out of the power that’s endued from on high! We’ve got to stay connected!

Jesus Promised Power Through the Spirit

Over the three years that the disciples had spent with Jesus, they had become very accustomed to relying on Jesus’ strength and power.

But Jesus was preparing to leave the disciples. And a short time before that, Jesus made them an awesome promise, if they just would have understood it at the time:

John 14:18 KJV 1900

18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

They were looking for Jesus to come again, and He definitely will. But before His return to take up His Church, Jesus promised them something more immediate:

Acts 1:8 KJV 1900

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.

That Power Would Enable Us to Be His Witnesses

And we know that, in just a few days after what He told them, that spiritual encounter would be unveiled to the world!

But there’s something important about that power He was telling about… He also gave the reason WHY He was giving it:

Acts 1:8 KJV 1900

He told them WHY. “I’m not just giving this to you so you can turn cartwheels in the Spirit and feel good!”

And I hold another belief. I believe Jesus would also tell us today, “I didn’t give the power of the Spirit to you just so you could have good church!”

No, He didn’t. That’s not what the Word of God says.

It says He gave us the power so that we could do the work of spreading His gospel throughout the earth. It serves other purposes. But that one right there matters to Him a lot.

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I Will Rely on the Spirit’s Power to Enable Me to Be God’s Witness

Now, it’s for sure that they needed that power to reach their world back then. Without a doubt.

But we do, also. As a matter of fact, it’s likely that we need His Spirit even more. When you look at the culture around us that is godless… and about the only thing that’s sure to get someone to be absolutely hateful is to in any way imply that there’s such a thing as absolute truth. Any commitment to anything like that…

And we’re supposed to be fishers of men, right? Well this fishing hole that you and I are sitting at is poisoned with all sorts of human philosophy and corruption. Spiritual confusion has pierced our society so much that something as basic as gender has been twisted until we’re told there are over one hundred different genders beyond male and female.

If we’re honest, that’s the fishing hole we’re sitting at. This is the world we’re commissioned to reach.

However, I’m willing to submit to you that because of how nasty the water is down there, there are some fish that are so sick and tired of it, they’re about ready to just jump right out on the bank. We’ve just got to be watching for those hungry people!

But one thing I will promise you, is that, if we’re going to be a witness to a people who are so heavily influenced by these things in our world, it is absolutely VITAL that we be empowered by the Holy Ghost.

Them people out there that have callouses all around their heart because of how many times they’ve been hurt in the world - the only thing that’s going to be able to pierce through all of that is the Spirit of God.

If we’re going to reach our world, we’re going to have to have a demonstration of spiritual power! And He promised He would provide it!

God’s Power Was Demonstrated Through the Early Church

That promise He made about power coming… on the day of Pentecost, the power fell. Fire sat on their heads. They spoke with other tongues.

And that’s why Pentecost is not some other flavor of religion or Christianity. What it is, is a people who have realized that the power is for me! It’s really this simple: we’re going to take Jesus at His word: we will receive power!

It’s a book of the ACTS of the Holy Ghost! And the book says that signs will follow them that believe! So here’s a litmus test: have you been seeing signs? I mean, the book says that if it’s real, we’ll see signs.

I know I have. I’ve seen my wife healed. I’ve seen lives turned around. I’ve seen financial miracles for people in this church. I’ve seen sickness healed. I’ve seen the signs - THIS IS THE REAL THING!

Other places may claim to have it, but thee signs aren’t there to signify it. It’s like the sign of tongues for the Holy Ghost - if it’s real, the sign will be there.

There is something real here that I have planted my feet and decided my family is going to be a part of!

And not only that, it’s growing!

The First Believers Asked God to Perform Miracles

Right after that miracle at the gate from last week (the lame man healed), Peter and John were just covered up by people - SMOTHERED. And the reason why is that they knew it was the Spirit that was the source of power that healed this man.

The religious leaders were so aggravated by it that they arrested the disciples and held them overnight. And the next day those leaders got together and agreed that they would threaten the disciples to no longer speak in the name of Jesus to anyone. “Just don’t do it.”

And the disciples told them that they had to obey the directions of the Spirit, which had empowered them. That’s true apostolic boldness.

And… these disciples were realizing real quickly what a powerful demonstration of the Spirit could produce. In several instances, you see someone healed, it’s followed by preaching to the crowd who watched, and people responding to that preaching. And in one instance, God brought the number of believers up to 5,000!

So it was a demonstration of the Spirit that started a chain reaction for God to be able to gather people into His Church!

And the disciples started praying for God to repeat this pattern again and again! Signs and wonders! We ought to pray for that!

Stephen Worked Miracles Because He Was Empowered by the Spirit

And I’m going to show you this pattern in the Word. This pattern is all through the book of Acts! Signs and wonders! Preaching! Response! God adds to His Church!

“You’re talking awfully super-spiritual, Bro. Ryan.”

No, it’s not! I’m just taking Him at His Word. If we’ve got the real thing, the signs will follow.

Did you know that Stephen, in Acts, was described as someone who had such faith about him that the wonders just happened all around him??? I’m going to read it to you… but first, understand this: Stephen was assigned to be a servant.

The Church had grown so much that there were a great many widows, elders, and people who needed specific help and to be ministered to closely. The apostles were overwhelmed, because their first and highest calling was to pray, study, seek God, and not to wait on tables. So they needed help. They needed servants to attend to these needs…

And Stephen was one of the seven men they chose. So Stephen, merely a servant… here he is described:

Acts 6:8 KJV 1900

8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

Stephen waited on tables, and while he did, the Spirit worked wonders through him! Somebody get ahold of that today!

We ought to seek for God to use us through our daily routines! The mundane and the common can become UNcommon!!!

And notice, again, that the works he did were done “among the people.” The purpose was to capture the attention of the people so that they would become open to the gospel.

Peter’s Ministry Was Marked by Miraculous Confirmation

Let’s look at Peter…

In Acts 9, Peter went up to worship. When he got there, he was introduced to a man named Aeneas. This man had been in some sort of paralysis for eight years. He was bedridden and unable to take care of himself.

The power of God in Peter all of a sudden activated in his faith, and here’s what he told the man:

Acts 9:34 KJV 1900

34 And Peter said unto him, Æneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.

He arose immediately!

And God used that miracle power to reach the lost:

Acts 9:35 KJV 1900

35 And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.

The next moment was in Joppa. There was a woman named Tabitha. All the Church there loved her very much, Scripture says. This woman fell sick and ended up dying.

Since Peter was nearby, they sent for him. And when he got there…

Acts 9:40–41 KJV 1900

40 But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.

Now, that’s powerful. But what happened next is powerful, too:

Acts 9:42 KJV 1900

42 And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.

Someone got empowered by the Spirit, and there was a reaping of souls that happened.

I’m telling you, we need two things to be a part of this pattern:

Get hungry to be filled

Be unashamed and bold to see wonders

We Can Expect God’s Power to Be Demonstrated in Our Lives

Being used of God like what I’m reading to you about should not be a surprise to us. God’s purpose of reaching the lost with the gospel has not changed. WHAT WORKED THEN WILL WORK NOW!

{IMAGE: RANDY HALCOMB, HEALED}

I showed this picture during Tuesday night prayer. Our uncle Randy Halcomb was healed in the last two weeks! He, for years, couldn’t sit down. Walked hunched over in pain. Now, he stands straight up, healed by God!

And God gave me this scripture soon after I heard of his healing:

Acts 3:16 NLT

16 “Through faith in the name of Jesus, this man was healed—and you know how crippled he was before. Faith in Jesus’ name has healed him before your very eyes.

I’m telling you - we can expect miraculous demonstrations of God’s power in our own lives!!!

And we don’t need to conjure up something by some repetition of specific words or something - we can exercise simple faith in the power of God that’s in us…

Ephesians 3:20–21 KJV 1900

20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

The Spirit Still Empowers Believers Today

Our mission today is the same as it was for the Apostles. And God will work in us the same way. We hear the same commission they did:

Matthew 28:19–20 KJV 1900

19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Jesus Said Miraculous Signs Would Follow Believers

And the reason that I can have such confidence in what I’m talking about… the reason you can have such confidence about it… is because God promised it.

I’m just going to read the whole scripture to you. We need to hear it verbatim and believe it today.

Mark 16:17–18 KJV 1900

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

The signs follow us, not the other way around.

I don’t have to be some performer on a stage to conjure up the amazing to get attention for myself. I can simply anticipate that God will insert signs into my life, our lives, our ministries to accomplish His will.

We are Spirit-filled servants.

And our Master has assured us that signs and wonders are going to be seen in our labor. And He’ll get the glory for it.

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When I Step Out in Faith, God Will Confirm His Message

And we should never have a “look-at-me” spirit about us. Self-aggrandizing. But the problem is, neither should we cower in fear or intimidation or false humility. That stuff has got to go.

There are times that I didn’t want to be in the middle of anything at all that God said, “Go over there and do this,” and I learned quick that I better do it.

It’s not about me. I’m an ambassador for Christ in this world. An ambassador can speak knowing that their home government stands behind them with all its might and authority. So can I. So can you!

Conclusion

Internalizing the Message

There is such an alignment right now.

God showed me in January there was going to be a “sending out.” A commissioning.

I’ve been preparing for it in my spirit and my prayer. But I can see the alignment. It’s there. I’m standing here teaching on the Spirit now. So we can see the works come of it when that sending out in the Spirit happens.

“Well why are we going to do all of that, Bro Ryan?”

Because it’s time.

“You’re talking about some different stuff here. This is new.”

Yeah. Wait til 2023 hits. We’re crossing a threshold, people. In January, there’s going to be a lot of new.

“Well why?”

Cuz it’s time. That’s not me saying that. I’m just an ambassador for Christ.