Title: The Full Blessing

Date: 2008-06-22

Reference: Acts 8: 14-17

""I’ve been sharing thoughts about The Holy Spirit these last few Sundays. The more I say about The Holy Spirit, the more I have to say. The Holy Spirit is God Himself at work in human life. On the day of Pentecost, a small group of Christians became aware of a new empowering presence in their lives. This presence made the Gospel real to them, inspired them in mission, and energized them as they did God’s will. Today, this same Holy Spirit brings us power and allows us to cope with the challenges of life. I’ve seen it over and over again.ordinary people who have become dynamic, active, effective ministers as a result of the Spirit’s presence.

The places where the Holy Spirit is moving among the people are the places where the church is alive and well. I’m not talking about worship style. I’m talking about people who are open to a new touch. People who have come to know God personally through the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit has always been around. Way back in the beginning, Genesis Chapter one, the Spirit of God was moving over the water. When Jesus was baptized by John, in the river Jordan, the Spirit of God was there in the form of a dove. On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit filled the house where the disciples were praying. Acts 3:4 says: “The Spirit of God took control of everyone and they all began speaking whatever language the Spirit let them speak.” As we have seen, all through the book of Acts, the Spirit came upon each group of new believers in the same way.

To the great surprise of the church members, the Spirit even came upon Gentiles who were open to receiving Him. On one occasion God led Peter to the house of Cornelius. While Peter was preaching and teaching the Holy Spirit came upon all who were listening. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles.

In today’s account from the New Testament, a group of Samaritans believed in Jesus. They had not received the Holy Spirit, and so the Power of the Spirit was not available to them in their ministry. Peter and John came to them and put hands on them, and they were baptized in the spirit. These Samaritan believers had been converted under the ministry of Phillip. For whatever reason, Phillip had not taught them about the Holy Spirit. In the same way, many today, love Jesus and try their level best to live for Jesus. But they have never experienced the Spirit of Jesus in their lives. The Power of God is missing in their lives and ministry.

Peter and John, upon arriving, understood immediately that the Samaritan believers were attempting to make it under their own power and steam. They were good people, but they were not depending on the power of God’s Spirit for their ministry. Because they were trying to go it alone they were not as effective as they could and should have been.

Over the years I have known people who have received the Holy Spirit at conversion. I have also known many others who love and believe in Christ but who have never received the full blessing of His presence in the Holy Spirit.

When the baptism of the Holy Spirit is left out of our ministries, our preaching, and teaching, we produce a converted, convicted, dedicated people who have no power. Many people in the church today feel they must do their level best to make it happen. They think it’s all up to them. And many of these well meaning persons burn out under the pressure and burdens of ministry.

When we experience the Spirit we realize what has been missing in our lives. In my own ministry, early on, a series of professional and personal challenges made me realize I was lacking in real power. I returned to my Pentecostal roots and asked the Spirit of God to become real to me and to equip me for ministry. When God came everything changed. It is possible for a person to be highly trained, theologically grounded, knowledgeable of Scripture, aware of church tradition and not have to blessing the Spirit of God wants to give. Without the full blessing or baptism in the Spirit we are powerless in the world.

Our own John Wesley struggled with this for years until his heart was warmed by the Holy Spirit. The church is facing an energy crisis just as surely as our nation and world is facing an energy crisis. The world and national economy will grind to a halt without a steady, affordable, dependable source of power. The same is true in the church. Our power comes not from oil wells but from the Spirit of God.

People of God have always understood that our power is from God. Remember the story of David and Goliath, the Shepherd boy who killed the giant. King Saul was a great and mighty warrior.

But the Spirit of God had departed from Saul and left to his own devises he was weak and trembling in fear before the Giant and the army of Philistines. David was a shepherd boy who brought food to his three older brothers who were soldiers in Saul’s army. David arrived and found King Saul and the Israelite Army demoralized, trembling in fear, hiding in holes in the ground as Goliath mocked and challenged them daily.

David, full of God’s spirit, depending on God’s strength and not his own, chose five smooth stones and went out to meet the giant. He hit Goliath in the forehead and brought him down. With their leader struck down the army of the Philistines was easily defeated.

Today, in the church, in our daily lives, many enemies as large as a giant challenge us. Physical, intellectual, economic, moral, and spiritual giants loom before us. Without the Holy Spirit we resemble Saul We are fearful. With the Spirit we will be victorious like David.

The expression: “Do not be afraid” occurs exactly 365 times in the Bible, once for every day of the year. Isaiah 41:10 contains the promise of the Holy Spirit.”Fear not for I am with you.”

Goliath had armor, a huge sword and was backed up by an army. He was an experienced soldier. His one great weakness was that God was not with him. David said: “If only God is with me, I will prevail.” Goliath ridiculed David, but David said.”I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts.” With the power of faith and the presence of God David prevailed, and so shall we.

I’ve found it’s not so difficult to get a person interested in the message of Christ. But it is more difficult to sustain the interest. Millions of persons make decisions for Christ but there is a huge attrition rate. That’s because Christians live in the same world as everyone else. We face the same challenges as everyone else who lives. The difference is: Each step we take, each breath we breath, each task we undertake, each challenge we face we know we are preserved by God’s Spirit. Politicians are debating about energy, the price of gas, and what can be done. We know the greatest un tapped power source in the world, in the church and in our individual lives is the Holy Spirit of the living God.

The Holy Spirit desires to be a constant presence in our lives. A steady guide. So many times the answers to difficult questions come when I am listening to what the Spirit has to say. God desires to be involved in our lives. He cares about the big things and the small issues we face. God’s spirit is there for us.gently nudging, leading, guiding, supporting, holding up. Baptism in the Spirit makes us aware of the Spirit’s presence. And allows us to see the Spirit as a reliable friend, someone we can trust. Many have made the very real mistake of referring to the spirit as an it. As an object rather than as a living person. The Holy Spirit is a living presence in our lives, a person with whom we can relate. The power behind all our ministries.

We human beings move in time. The Holy Spirit operates in Eternity. God sees the end from the beginning. God cannot be taken by surprise.Our past, present and future are before God and in God’s care all at once. An emergency to us is an opportunity for God. The moment we begin to see things through the lens of the Spirit the picture becomes bearable and we find new strength.

We must allow God’s spirit to speak to us and for us and to give us power for ministry. The Holy Spirit assures us of God’s intimate knowledge of each of us. The Holy Spirit provides us with signs and wonders that our faith is not in vain. The Holy Spirit assures us that the promises of God are based on reality. We need the full blessing of God, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. ""