Introduction
(Pastor Reggie shared about his family, showing a picture.)
We’ve been in a series called The Unshakables.
Have you ever had someone give you a task to do but did not give you the right equipment?
Personal examples:
College entrance exam on Spanish Paper writing Trying out for football (Wonkey)
Jesus has given us a great task.
Jesus has given Christ followers the task of bringing Him glory and helping others to grow spiritually in order to fulfill His purpose for their lives. (Pastor Reggie showed a picture about being made great for a great purpose.) This is called being a disciple and making disciples. Matthew 28:18-20 speaks of this task.
Matthew 28:18-20 NIV Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
We need special equipment to complete the task.
(Pastor Reggie showed a picture with wrong equipment.)
Without the right equipment this can be a daunting task. Why?
- People immerse or baptize themselves into things that will promote them, give them possession, or give them pleasure.
- Our natural tendency is to be self-centered and not consider other people.
- We don’t want to be rejected.
- We don’t want to hold others to a standard because we don’t want anyone to hold us to a standard.
- People seem to love doing what they want to do: sin.
- We are convinced that other assignments are more important instead of that which will impact eternity.
When Jesus gave this task to His followers they were facing similar situations. Jews -thought a suffering savior was foolish. Romans -thought redemption of the world was foolish. They persecuted Christ's followers. Epicureans -emphasized enjoying earthly pleasure as the highest state of happiness. Stoics - believed that life was not about feelings, only ethics and morality which ultimately a man’s mind could control. Christians taught a need for Christ to change.
Despite all of these challenges they faced, His followers were able to complete the task. Christ followers multiplied and spread all over the earth. (Pastor Reggie referenced China, Sudan, and Indonesia.) How did they do it?
Jesus makes the right equipment available to us:
(Pastor Reggie showed a picture with firefighters.)
Let’s read the parallel verse to Matthew 28:18-20 which is Luke 24:
Luke 24:44-49 NIV He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. 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.”
Jesus is saying He is going to give Christ followers special equipment to glorify Him and make disciples. This equipment is power. Acts 1:4-5 gives us another version of the same story:
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. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 1:7-8 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 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.”
In both of the stories we see that Jesus is promising to give special equipment to Christ followers through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
In Acts 2 they receive the equipment or power:
Acts 2:1-5, 7-8, 11 NIV When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? both Jews and converts to Judaism; Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is: An immersion into the Holy Spirit’s power; That happens immediately or some point after you’ve become a Christ follower; Accompanied with physical manifestations of the Spirit; For the purpose of power to serve and minister to others for Christ's glory.
Many other times throughout the Book of Acts we see this power through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit being used to glorify God and help others to grow spiritually in order to fulfill His purpose for their lives.
In Acts 4:8 Peter is again filled with the Holy Spirit and speaks with such power that the Jewish leaders were amazed at his boldness in spite of his being relatively uneducated (4:13). In Acts 4:31 other disciples were praying and the place where they were was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. The effect of their fullness was that they spoke the Word of God with extraordinary boldness and Christ-exalting power. In Acts 6 we meet Stephen who is full of faith and the Holy Spirit (v. 5). And Luke tells us in verse 8 that he was therefore full of power and did wonders and signs among the people, but especially in verse 10, the leaders could not resist the wisdom and Spirit with which he spoke. His fullness gave him an extraordinary power for Christ-exalting ministry. In Acts 9:17 Paul is filled with the Holy Spirit at his conversion and the result was that he spoke with such extraordinary power that the Jews of Damascus were confounded (9:22). In Acts 11:24 Barnabas was full of the Holy Spirit and faith and the effect Luke mentions was that “a large company was added to the Lord” (as at Pentecost).
Conclusion
Jesus has given us a great task. We need special equipment to complete the task. Jesus makes the right equipment (power) available to us through the Baptism of the Holy Spirit so we can complete the task.
If you have not yet, receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Pastor Reggie shared some testimonies.) If you have already, be active in using your equipment: God gave it to you for accomplishing His task.
1 Timothy 4:14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
Second City Church- The Unshakables Sermon Series 2015