Sent-Week 3-Depending on the Holy Spirit
There are extremes in every area of life. From politics to sports fans to personalities to communication to whatever else you can think of, there are always going to be extremes.
Peter was a guy who lived in the extremes. From intensity to insightfulness to impulsiveness to being infuriating to even being one who denied Christ. But God had a plan for Peter…and He has a plan for you, too.
ACTS 2:1-21:
1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12 And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
18 even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
19 And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
20 the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
21 And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
In this passage we see the Holy Spirit show off and immediately start to show off among the people who were gathered in the city of Jerusalem. And they all hear the disciples speaking in their own native languages. So what is happening? The Holy Spirit is at work.
So with that in mind, I want us to think about what it means for us to be dependent on the Holy Spirit in regards to our being a church “sent” to do God’s will where we are.
- The Holy Spirit Changes You
Peter was one way before the Holy Spirit came and another way (yet in some ways still the same) when the Holy Spirit came into his life. And just like Peter, the Holy Spirit wants to change you, too, and help you become what God has in mind for you to be.
- The Holy Spirit Speaks Through You
Peter hadn’t prepared his sermon, but he spoke from what the Holy Spirit gave to him, and he answered the questions of the people and connected them always back to Jesus. When we have the Holy Spirit working in us, He can do the same for us. We will be able to recall what we’ve learned and even state some things we haven’t learned but that the person or people we are talking to do need to hear. And even though Peter didn’t prepare a message, 3000 people came to faith in Jesus that day.
- The Holy Spirit Produces the Results
It wasn’t Peter who drew 3000 people to Jesus that day. It was the Holy Spirit’s leading that brought those people to an encounter with the resurrected Jesus and that is what changed their lives. So pray that the Holy Spirit would use you to bring your unsaved friends and family to Christ. Simply pray this little prayer and see what God might do with you as you seek to serve Him:
“Holy Spirit, Come and Flood My Life!”
We cannot be a church “Sent” and expect to get done what needs to be done on our own power. We need to trust in the power of the Holy Spirit to use us to see others come to know Jesus.
AMEN!