The Apostle Paul makes a strong statement to the Believers in Philippi, “being confident of this very thing that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;” Philippians 1:6
What is the good work that He has started in you? Jesus makes this good work clear when He addressed the people seeking Him, “Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”, John 6:28
Do you believe in Him whom He sent?
Remember, a Christian is one who believes in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Hence the name Christ-ian!
All that we know about God we learn from the Bible, so the obvious question is, “Do you believe in the Bible?”
Do you believe all of it or just parts of it? It’s easy to believe the easy stuff like:
- salvation by Grace,
- the Lord is good,
- we are His children,
- there is a mansion in heaven waiting for us.
However, do you believe the hard stuff, the stuff that challenges your:
- Intellect–
- doesn’t make sense.
- I’m too smart for this.
- This is for children.
- Pride–
- I’m afraid that others will think,
- I don’t want to look like a fool.
The greatest challenge is to believe and trust in God and how He will complete the work!
This is the area that requires us to walk by faith and not by sight! (2 Corinthians 5:7). The real test of faith is to recognize that we must learn to submit to the work of the HOLY SPIRIT in our lives, even when we may feel awkward, embarrassed or afraid. When we walk by faith, we give evidence that we truly believe!
Too Much Information! False preconceptions or beliefs.
We live in a world that is filled with information; books, newspapers, magazines, and on-line. The media in general, is trying to shape your beliefs and opinions.
Most people don’t even know how or when they came to their beliefs or opinions. All opinions are based on a premise. A premise is defined as
“a proposition upon which an argument is based or from which a conclusion is drawn.” It is the foundation of what it is you believe.
- The premise may be true or false. You can build a logical conclusion on a false premise. The argument will still be false!
- People tend to believe what they agree with. Fake news… non-critical acceptance of statements.
- We need to be Critical. I don’t mean fault-finding; I do mean careful or analytical evaluations.
Scripture is based on God’s truths, not opinions!
The Challenges:
Challenge 1: Rehabilitation or Re-creation (Born-again)?
So many believe that being a Christian is a process of rehabilitation. That is, restoring and fixing those parts of our lives that don’t conform to the teachings of Jesus Christ. It is more of learning how to behave like a Christian on the outside. It becomes more about morals and ethics, which are essential but will not deal with the underlying issue, which is our sinful nature.
[testimony of my first house- tear the whole thing down!].
Being a born-again Christian is not about rehabilitation, but about re-creation, tearing down the old, and replacing with the new man/woman!
One must be born-again before the “Helper,” the Holy Spirit, can help!
- 2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
If all things have become new, why hang on to old ways of thinking?
The Apostle Paul warns us in Colossians 2: 8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.
Again, the question is do you believe in the Bible, the whole Bible?
It’s easy to believe in the areas we’re comfortable with. It’s much more challenging to believe in those areas we are uncomfortable with. The challenge is to walk or operate by FAITH!
Challenge 2:
For many, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is an uncomfortable area of the Bible.
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is an event following salvation. It is a gift that is offered by Grace but must be received by faith.
I.E. Pst. Robert Morris: your mother in law has come to live in your house; she is in the house, but have you accepted her? Analogous to the baptism of the Holy Spirit., at salvation the Holy Spirit has come to live in the house (you are the house) but have you accepted Him?
Challenge 3:
Speaking/praying in Tongues is essential for a Spiritual Christian and is a sign of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Most of the time, you don’t know how to pray, but the Holy Spirit knows how to pray, and He makes intercession for you.
Jude 1:20, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit”
The Holy Spirit knows how to pray when you don’t, Romans 8: 26, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
A common excuse:
I prayed for the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and nothing happened!
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit does not have to be an emotional experience, for some it is and others it is not [my testimony].
Two related parables that are often treated separately, but when taken together gives tells us much about the Holy Spirit and the way He works in our lives.
Luke 11:5,
5 And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.”
Continue…
Luke 11:9 Keep Asking, Seeking, Knocking
“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11 If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Close with Call to Baptism of the Holy Spirit-
I don’t know where you are on the issue of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, but it is in the Bible!
- You may not even have heard about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
- You may have been taught that it was for the Apostles and not for today.
- That it was a single event in the formation of the Christian Church on the Day of Pentecost 2000 years ago.
- In extreme cases, that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is not of God!
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit simply means that you have surrendered to the work of the Holy Spirit, who is God, in your life.
Jesus received the Holy Spirit at His water baptism by John the Baptist. Then he was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit and while there was tempted by Satan. When Jesus left the wilderness, He left under the power of the Spirit. Now Jesus was ready to operate under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. (Read all of this in Matthew 3:13–4:11, Luke 4:18-19)
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit was good enough for Jesus it should be good enough for us!
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit was promised by the Father and fulfilled by Jesus.
The promise:
Acts 1: 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The fulfillment
Acts 2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Ephesians 3: Appreciation of the Mystery (A mystery is something that must be accepted by faith and not by sight or understanding.
“14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— 19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think,according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”