A Brief History of the Holy Spirit - Part 4 - Acts and Epistles

It is not inaccurate to call the fifth book of the New Testament 'The Acts of the Holy Spirt'. His work and works fill this action-packed account of the early Church and its growth. As we see this era of transition develop we can see how Acts 1:8 is the key verse of this wonderful book.

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Spell since Pentecost of 30 ad. The promise of his unique coming within his people has been being fulfilled as each day. New people are added to that body. And now what we going to do is we're going to step back into the Testament New Testament and begin and Acts chapter 1 and Trace you'll be able to do it better at home and maybe even some of the low points of the acts of the Holy Spirit In the book of Acts because we'll learn much. of what he longs to do in US today Let's pray. Thank you Father. We have been brought here today by different compulsions weather obligation weather Duty weather responsibilities weather the desire to meet with are our brothers and sisters or whether We've Come To Worship You and I pray that all of those would be true for all of us, but at this moment we ask that your spirit would give us particular inside to learn from how he has been interacting and interact in the church since day one. And that we the church today. Would be responsive to his leadership his guidance and his priorities for us in Jesus name we pray. amen So let's get right to it. There was you heard the story of the gentleman who was shall we say inebriated as was his regular habit every Saturday night and on the way home. He decided to take a shortcut. That's always a very dangerous thing to do and he fell down a well. And he knew that the shortcut was out of the the beaten path and a he was in pretty much distress because the more he moved the deeper, he sunk into the mud at the bottom of the well, and he knew that it wouldn't be long until he was out of sight and his life was gone. So he plead with God and finally, he said Lord if you get me out of this, I'll serve you the rest of my life.

Unbeknownst to him another Resident was taking the same shortcut and heard his voice and called out to him and rescued him out of the well. Now he may have had a weakness for alcohol, but he was a man of his word and he dedicated the rest of his life to pushing people down that well.

You say sometimes our experience we think is what everybody should have our share and it's what everybody needs. But that's not always the case and when we read through and study the book of Acts will learn that the Holy Spirit does not work the same way every time and every situation in every circumstance, and as we learned that we can take comfort because he adapts to us in our needs and our particular Tendencies and the desire the need that we have for instruction and guidance to take your Bibles and we'll turn to chapter 1 of the book of Acts to a start off on our our tour. We will just be hitting some of the points with you can follow along in your your notes there and and write in any further comments if there's something that I skip over or you don't touch on you can study it on your own and and if you need some additional input, give me an email sent me an e-mail. Give me a call and we'll sit down and we'll talk about it. Maybe we'll do it in person. But whatever you need to do. Let me know about that. Look at verse 3 of chapter 1 of the book of Acts. It says 2DS that is to the apostles. He also presented himself alive after his suffering with buy mini convincing proofs appearing to them over a. Of 40 days and speaking all the things concerning the kingdom of God. So Jesus had a 40-day Ministry after his resurrection in which he taught and help and clarify and brought Focus to them. And of course they had questions in and they ain't he gave them answers and one of the questions is actually listed here and they asked him, you know, is it now that you're going to set up your kingdom? I mean, you know you and your glorified body I mean and and we in the the the exhilaration of the resurrection and all of this Now's the Time to do it, but Port said no that he had something else for them and inverse 5 at 6. It says so when they had come together and we're asking him Lord at this time. Will you be restoring the kingdom to Israel? And he said it is not for you to know the times or the epics which the father has fixed by his authority but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be my Witnesses both in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria and even to the remotest part of me, so there had been a difference with How did Holy Spirit interacted with the disciples up to this time? And there was going to be a time? It was only about seven days away and which That relationship with the Holy Spirit was going to get an upgrade and what an upgrade it was because we know that once Jesus made this promise that it was they were going to be baptized with the holy spirit with not many days from now that that happened and they would receive power to be Witnesses. The focus we need to remember and something we'll see repeatedly in our study today is that this was not power to make him feel good. It was not even power necessarily to heal people and to make other people feel good. It was not to take possession over there the kingdom of wrong. It was not even to set up the kingdom of God on Earth. But it was to be witnesses to and for him a very important point and very important subject because that just after seven days some amazing things happen and we talked about those more at linked last week and how we we saw that there were miraculous aspects of this in Chapter 2. There was a noise of a great wind and then there was there were tongues as a fire appearing over the individuals which never happened again in the rest of the book of Acts and at least not that was recorded and the Holy Spirit fill them and then they began to speak with languages. Now that is repeated a few times and then the message was understandable to the people in Jerusalem who had come there for resurrection and then for Sukkot just for the next Holiday that they were going to be till they were thousands of extra Jewish people but yet their native language was another language and that's what they heard some amazing things and it caused them to ask questions. What does all this mean? Well Peter being the opportunist that he is for the king of God said Jesus is the reason and he goes to build and to teach them about Jesus as Messiah and how he was rejected and how they needed to repent that is changed their mind and believe that he was the Messiah that got it promised these people then who believed were then also given the baptism of the Holy Spirit and they were baptized in water and some people question whether that is a possibility for 5,000 people be baptized but course as in many other questions about Bible or Bible History, it has been proven over and over again with the archeologist shovel that there were hundreds literally hundreds of small boat around that area that they could have baptized probably ten thousand people in a very minimal. Time with about 200 Believers that they probably had at this point. Now what we find is they were given and they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit as was promised. Now look at us. Let's think about Chapter 3 of the book of Acts. Guess who's not even mentioned in the book of Acts chapter 3 Wow, in another 2,000 people come to Fay does that mean the Holy Spirit didn't take he took the day off know what it means as in most cases where the holy spirit is acting and an active. There's no mention of the Holy Spirit, but there is mention of Jesus. There is mention about the mighty acts of God there is A conviction that the Holy Spirit brings to people that they need a savior. The holy spirit is not to try to get people to believe in him. But they get them to believe in Jesus. That's what he's convicting work is now of course when a person comes to faith in him then often then they get the information and they can't believe in the Holy Spirit and learn about his action and working their lot. We're going to talk about that a lot more next week, but

His Focus as we see in the Book of John chapter 16, is that Jesus my glorified now that's chapter 2 and chapter 3 chapter 4. I want you to turn ahead to that chapter 4 of the book of Acts because in the and Acts chapter for something very important happens. And that is the Believers are taken into custody. The the apostles are taken into custody and and their Peter gets another opportunity and he speaks up for Christ notice what it says in verse 2 of chapter 4 Let's begin the first one as they were speaking to the people the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them being greatly disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead and they were they laid hands on them and put them in jail until the next day for it was already evening, but many of those who had heard the message believe and the number of the men came to be 5,000. So this is this is what I just mentioned in chapter 3 and then this carries over to chapter 4 and what we find is is they then or called on the carpet by the very group of people that led in Jesus being crucified bought this. That could be quite an intimidating Force Too Faced for these Believers and how are they going to do this? Well if you were in Amber Jesus promised that they would be given a refreshed memory of what he had spoken and they would be given ability to speak before Kings and authorities and we see the Fulfillment of that right here in this this particular buying they say and it's already saying the end of her seven by what power or what name have you done this? And then we see burst 8 begins this way then Peter filled with the Holy Spirit said to them rulers and Elders of the people if we are on trial for a benefit done to a sick man as to how the man has been made. Well it it be let it be known to you. But and all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified. God raised from the dead by this name this man stands before you and good help and he didn't pull any punches and he got the gospel into because he goes on to say in verse 12 and heat and there is salvation in no one else. For there is no other name other than Jesus under Heaven that are that has been given among Man by which we must be safe. And so here we find him taking advantage of this opportunity being being filled with the spirit. Now a lot of people a lot of people talk about being filled with the spirit and because we're very literal-minded people, you know, we think of volume right, you know, Phil and I like your half-full or 2/3 or 3/4 or in a 10 by 10 sport, you know, I mean not fight in 9/10. Here because it is talking about being controlled by this is cooperative control. That's probably the best term I can use for being filled with the spirit. He Peter was cooperating with God so that the Holy Spirit Would be in control of what he was doing. Now, when we read about people being filled with the spirit. They're all kinds of things that happened but one of the primary things that happens is people Point other people to Jesus and they do it with an attitude of one beggar telling another beggar where to get bread notice what he says, there's no other name under Heaven whereby who we must be saved. There's no judgement of pointing the finger at them and say you did it you need this you need to believe they did but he did too and so this is a common thing now I have red Agate I lose my patience with him sometime. I've read a lot about being filled with the spirit. I mean, it's a command in scripture to be filled with the spirit. We can see that next week, too, but Do I want to know how to do it and I want to learn from people who have but what I've been disappointed with is a lot of people when they talk about being filled with the spirit. It becomes almost a mechanistic I think imma Campo type thing or it becomes a thing that is a mystical type thing. But in reality it is pretty much a simple response to the truth that God gives me or you at any given time will it again we'll talk about it more next week, but let me tell you this anyone that goes on with flowery words in very eloquent statements in and talks about being filled with the spirit or they get various static and you know, and and they talk about things like that the Holy Spirit doing these wonderful Mighty work, which he does, you know, no question.

But they don't. Make the gospel clear and they don't seem to have a focus on doing what the holy spirit is specifically. Describe that's doing that is convicting people of sin righteousness and judgment and particularly the sin of not believing in Jesus when they're not doing that. That makes a red flag come up for me. And that tells me that maybe they're not as filled. As they want to lead us to believe. Now I hope they are I mean I read some of the books and and all of that and I read their articles, but when I see that there is a dearth of concern for people who do not know Jesus. I know they really not being directed by the Holy Spirit. At least not in the time that they're talkin to me or riding this particular thing. So we need to be very careful about that because sometimes what happens is we have a tendency to come to the scriptures and read backwards our experience or our prejudice or our tradition into what we see there. Let me let me explain a little bit more these people at Pentecost were filled with the Holy Spirit and they spoke with different language is literally the worst word is God's a'lelia and they had ability from the Holy Spirit to speak and others had the ability to understand. Okay. Now they were them water baptized. I want to I meant to put the light just a little bit earlier. We did it last week and we're anticipating having a baptismal service sometime and maybe April and so be thinking about that if You have not been more to baptize to book to book but we have in the lobby. We might have on the one on the left may not be available. I think I might have used the last one up this week preparing for water baptism an interactive study. And then the other is water baptism necessary for salvation. It's important but it's not necessary for salvation. That doesn't mean that it's an option because it's still a command. It's not a command to be saved but it is a command by God that we should we should be back. Alright, and so in that book deals with all the different passages that people bring up. That that they think teach the other opposite. But anyway, that's just information. Here's the thing. The scriptures are not to be interpreted by our experience or by our tradition our experience in our tradition our to be evaluated by the scriptures, but we must remember to that the scriptures recount history. And they unveil God's plan progressively. Show that in the gospels Jesus says the holy spirit is going to come upon you in a particular way. It's going to happen in the future, you know, not many days from now. You see some people have a mistaken idea that here's an example they say Oh, Jesus is doing all the same kind of work today as through the holy spirit that he did when he was on Earth. Well because then they use the verse from Hebrews chapter 13 verse where it says Jesus the same yesterday today and forever will wait a second. There's a real problem with that because Jesus By nature and by character my motivation always is the same. He has been the same since before the world was created because he's got he's unchanged. God says in the Book of Malachi. I the Lord do not change, but that doesn't mean that God does not work differently in history. And it doesn't mean that Jesus hasn't dealt differently in history. I mean there was one time when he was involved in creation as a Creator another time when he appears in different the often he's two different people. He appears as an angel appears as a man at different times in the Old Testament and then of course he restricted himself.

To a human body in the Incarnation, right and then there was a time and when she was hung upon the cross and he died physically and then he rose from the grave in a in a glorified body and now he lives in heaven with his his his body. His bodily presence is in heaven with the father. And there was is going to be a time when he comes. So Jesus is always the same yesterday today and forever, but he doesn't always work in the same way. It's right. So it's important for us to understand that do not let your tradition of your experience or some guy standing up with a suit and tie tell you something differently. Okay always test what I say always desk what you hear what you read what you see on TV and by the word of God rather than the other way around it's very important that you do that now, let's get back to the book of Acts because we saw Acts chapter 4 that he was filled with the Holy Spirit and it directed him to do something to tell people about Jesus. In the most uncomfortable the ways for those other people. All right. That's the way it works now in chapter well in chapter 5 or let me just just talk about you after 5 for a second here in chapter 5 of the book of Acts. We see that some people get into big trouble. Because they want to be thought of better than they really were now. We all want to be thought of well. But this particular couple in the early stage in the church. wide by implication and the Holy Spirit in order to set an example of the priority of Truth truthfulness and honesty in the church dealt very severely with ananias and Sapphira. Now some some pastors preach funeral. I think they want to preach ananias and Sapphira into hell, but I actually think we're going to meet them to people in heaven. Because I believe they're Believers because God never says that they weren't believers. But they committed a terrible sin and it was for them the Senate to death. Now. God takes truth. Seriously soda seat particularly trying to deceive someone. And particularly the church is not a good thing. That's the reason we come here. We need to be honest with one another now that doesn't mean that we bring all of our dirty laundry and we dumped it here every week. It get really feel all right, but it does mean that we come and we do meet with people and we do talk honestly, and we do are open to their Direction in their help and out particularly and in a private or in small group we do with it and we deal with them honestly and we deal with him rightly and we don't come here trying to impress one another in chapter 6, is that weird? Yes in chapter 6 chapter 6 we have a really delightful section where the church needed some help and guess where they found it at the end of their own arm in the form of deacons. The people that they appointed as servants us with me can me and and these men were full of the holy spirit. That was a qualification in chapter 6 verse 3 and there was one particular Deacon who stood out in some ways and because he was full of faith and the Holy Spirit and the Lord was using him as a preacher teacher and I'll not all deacons have that gift and he though was useful in that is think Stephen and he got in particular controversy with people probably very close to him in an ethnicity and in in background. And they had a real struggle going on and it led to him being Stone, but they were unable to cope with the wisdom of the spirit with which he was speaking.

And because I couldn't cope with the wisdom and cuz they couldn't argue and put him down. intellectually or spiritually they resorted to physical violence. Happening all over the world today Christians are being persecuted as never before.

And they are. He got an opportunity to and he lays it out on them and he calls him at the end of his statement. You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit was speaking to connect them. He was trying to use Steve and he was probably trying to use other disciples and other and deacons and other Apostles, but yet they were resisting and we're going to face that and so just because he was filled with the Holy Spirit does it mean that he was protected from their rocks? The Rock's of the the people who tried to Stone it But God sovereignly allowed him to be Stone and killed read the book of Hebrews chapter 11 sometime. You'll see the success stories in the first part and the success stories in the second part 6 s stories in the first part has a lot of Deliverance the success stories in the second part some of them end up dead.

like Steven

but the Holy Spirit used and worked with this man and part of his words may be part of what

The Lord refers to as the goads the cattle prods that the spirit used to convict. One of the participants in that who was watching the roads. His name was Saul in chapter 8 another delightful story, which I wish we had time to go into Phillip was involved in a great activity and guess wait a second. That's a desert road. Okay. Now thankfully Phillip didn't say that but crowds to one man.

Ethiopian who had just happened to buy a copy of the the book of Isaiah and he was reading the scroll and the Lord said the spirit said to Philip go up and join this chariot. And so he did and he asked him. Do you understand what you're reading and one thing led to another and the man did finally understand and he said hey, here's water what keeps me from being baptized. and he said well if you believe In Jesus, then you can and it sure enough he did and then what's the Holy Spirit took Peter out? I have prayed at different times, you know, when I needed to be someplace for Ministry and was running late. I said Lord can't we didn't know I I haven't prayed that. I I have said Lord. Can you just prepare the traffic? You know, I bet it would be nice to have some of this transporter this beat Star Wars art pieces in it anyway, and guess what he was snatched away. I think one of the things we're going to learn in eternity. Is that the great Mobility we will have in our glorified bodies. Okay, I'm not going to go any further than that. Alright in chapter 9 we know the story of how Paul Saul came to fate and Messiah Jesus there on the road to Damascus. I believe he was saved there. He was not because when I asked comes to him, he says brother Saul the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was going to use Paul uniquely. And he needed to be connected immediately or not immediately or connected quickly with the group of the Believers. And so he was baptized the scales fell off his eyes he would then was able to see and we know well if we read the book of Acts in the Epistles much of the rest of the story, but he wanted him to be filled. Why because he had a great work for him to do it wasn't primarily to benefit so It was to benefit others, which would in fact, then re down to his benefit in his Joy. You will find this that when are you are filled with the Holy Spirit and you are actively involved in bringing benefit and blessing to other people that is where you find the greatest blessing the greatest benefit the greatest satisfaction. You won't find it necessarily in achieving and they're reaching the Dead the wrong on the success ladder in the church or in the world. But those things can even be by products and other opportunities by which you can use the gifts of the holy spirit has given you as he controls you to be used in very very great ways now. In chapter 10 and we're going to spend some more time on this next week because we running out of time today Paul. I choose me Peter was used to give the gospel to the Gentiles. This is a rendition from a movie that is available online and Cornelius here is a Roman Centurion and he is a Pious man. two interesting things here

An angel came and told him to send for Peter the angel didn't get him the gospel.

He told them that Peter was the one who would give him the gospel and he would be saved via believing the words about the of the message that Peter had. also when the spirit directed Peter It was contrary to his tradition into his his background and this was even know me. This was like 7 years after Pentecost took him a long time to get to the Gentiles. But anyway notice it says while Peter was speaking when he came in and began to speak. I mean the fact that he went into a Gentiles house was a No-No according to his tradition, but he did it because of the way God reveal his message to him, but it's interesting that God didn't use that same method again in the book of Acts to reveal his his is well to someone. But anyway while Peter was still speaking that is sharing the gospel and we find that in verse 43 really great the word the Holy Spirit fell upon those who were listening to the message. They heard the gospel May believe. They didn't like I say, they weren't well-trained Baptist or Methodist or whatever. They didn't wait for the invitation to be given they just believed it. And guess what they were filled with the Holy Spirit and then it says and the uncircumcised and circumcised Believers the ones who Peter who came with Peter were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also amazing. Then it says Peter went ahead said surely. No one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did canning this also reinforces the message that normally the Holy Spirit comes upon belief and then it's followed by step to the baptism and then to be controlled by the Holy Spirit more consistently throughout lie, and that develops mature Believers or we can go into more in Chapter 13, Barnabas and Saul or set apart for and then sent out by the Holy Spirit on a mission. Then Paul is filled with the Holy Spirit and confronts a false prophet. Wait a second. If you're really filled with the Holy Spirit, you're going to have love joy peace patience kindness goodness self control and one of the things that the holy spirit will do as he will tell you and help you deal with error. And sometimes it can it will not be pleasant. For you nor for the person you're sharing it with but we have to stand for truth and righteousness and that's one of the things there then in chapter 15. God who knows the heart testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit. Why did why was this important? We've already talked about this in chapter 10. Well, this is almost V. This is this is probably close to about 12 to 15 years later. They're still having a problem accepting the Gentiles and you think we have problems with prejudice. Haha the early church did and so the Holy Spirit and he made no distinction between us and Them cleansing their hearts by faith. There's a wonderful truth and that there's some wonderful things that we could find throughout the rest is there's a whole section of chapter 22 to chapter 26.

But again, like what we saw in chapter 3 he was still at work. He just do it work and he wants to be working in US Paul again. I mean this guy would confront people and he does at the end of the book of Acts not the end of his life yet. But the end of the book of backs when they say that is the synagogue leaders in Rome did not agree with one another they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word the Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your father's and he talks about in the ensuing versus Eddie quotes from Isaiah and and another couple of passages that they were resistant. To God's message for them. People will resist the Holy Spirit. But I don't want you to God is calling us. Do not only know the truth, but to be filled and be being filled to be literal from Galatians chapter 5 to be being filled with the Holy Spirit on a day-to-day basis. To be control to actively cooperatively surrender to his control. That doesn't mean that we don't have any choices. It means we had some wonderful choices. It doesn't mean we don't show initiative, but it does mean that we work together with him according to his priorities by your heads and close your eyes, please

There's there is so much there is so much for us to 2 to remember we'll look at a couple of those things right before we close here. But the thing that I want you to think about right now. is first of all the obvious thing have I

accepted the holy spirit's testimony that Jesus is the Messiah and have I trusted in him. I believe that probably most if not all of you here have But I I need to lay that out because it's an important principle that we all waste need to enforce and put before us. That the Holy Spirit convicts us of our need to believe in Jesus. If you've done that. He has much much more for you and your Christian Life. To grow into no to experience to engage in. to develop fruit in That's going to be our Focus next week, but right now. I just want you to take a couple of moments to say Lord Jesus. Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit. Help me to cooperate with him this week. With what he wants me to do to learn and even to express your love to this world that I live in.

so much bother we

Get wrapped up in ourselves and our choices are plans help us to take a moment daily and throughout the day. to look to you to cooperate with your spirit to be sensitive to wear.

You're leading us at any given moment. So that we can be used by you control by your spirit. to see his fruit in our lives and the lives of those around us in Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Three things the spirit of God. It's at SCI high priority on truth. very very high priority on truth He works consistent with his character and never contradicts his word. And he longs to work within his own.