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WHY Why Pursue the Holy Spirit? Lesson 6 Acts 8:4-17 111118

Introduction 1 As a church we value many things but central to all of those values there are five “core” values. Core values are the fundamental ideals that shape the culture of our church. And understanding them helps answer the question, “why do we do what we do?” 2 And that is the name of this series … WHY. a In the first week we leapfrogged over our first core value of “sound biblical teaching” and took up our 2nd core value of “spirit-filled worship” and answered the question why do we spend 40-50% of our gathering to expressively worship God? b Four weeks ago we took up the core value of “global missions” and answered the question why do we have such an emphasis on getting the gospel to least-reached and unreached people groups of the world? c Three weeks ago we considered a core value we call “spiritual family” answered the question why do we regularly urge you to be connected, to belong to a small group, be a vital part of this spiritual family, … to not be satisfied with merely attending? d For the last two weeks we have been looking at the core value of “wholehearted serving” which answers the question why are we always encouraging people to follow example of serving and giving. e So we are finished with our core values. This morning we will finish the series by looking at one of our two ministry distinctives. Our (2) ministry distinctives are “Gospel-centeredness” and the “Baptism with the Holy Spirit.” We are going to take up the latter. And the question I hope to answer today is, why so much emphasis on pursuing the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the power of the Holy Spirit? 3 We are a church that believes in and seeks the empowering gifts of the Holy Spirit. Now before I go any further let me clarify what I mean when I say “gifts of the Holy Spirit.” The gifts of the Holy Spirit can best be understood by separating them into three categories. a 5 Ministry Gifts of Ephesians 4 … apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers

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b 7 Motive Gifts of Romans 12 … prophecy, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leadership and mercy. c 9 Manifestation Gifts of 1 Corinthians 12 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good (1 Cor12:7).… word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healings, working of miracles. prophecy, discernment of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues. These gifts are not resident. 4 It is this third category of gifts that I am referring to when I say we are a church that believes in and seeks the empowerment and gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are called manifestation gifts because unlike the ministry gifts and motive gifts they are not resident and permanent. They manifest only as the Holy Spirit wills. 5 Now when it comes to these Manifestation Gifts churches fall into one of three categories. a The gifts have passed away. b The gifts still exist but do not practice them. c The gifts still exist and are to be desired. Eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. 1 Corinthians 14:1 Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; 20 do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21 Test everything. Hold on to the good. 1 Thessalonians 5:19–21 Don’t suppress the Spirit, and don’t stifle those who have a word from the Master. 1 Thessalonians 5:19–20 The Message 6 So, we are a church that believes in and seeks the gifts of the Holy Spirit. And these gifts are made available through an empowerment of the Spirit known as the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, the second of our two ministry distinctives.

Background 1 Our text is Acts 8. But for us to understand it we need to go back to & 2. In Acts chapter 1 just before Jesus ascended to heaven he said to his disciples. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in , and in all and , and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 a Jesus says two things here; You shall receive power for the mission through the Holy Spirit ….

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b And, after you receive power you will start in Jerusalem, go out to Judea and from there to Samaria and then to the ends of the earth. c And since the ends of the earth remain unreached, since there are still people groups in the world that have never heard the gospel, this power is still valid and needed today. And it will not be unnecessary until the gospel has been proclaimed to every people group. 2 In Acts chapter 2, 120 disciples received the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. 1 When the day of came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. :1–4 3 Now, according to verse one, all of this happened on the day of Pentecost. So what is the Day of Pentecost and why is it so significant? a Pentecost was a Jewish religious feast (1/7) in which the people gave thanks to God in anticipation of bringing in the ripening harvest and therefore it was also called the Feast of Harvest (Ex 23:16, Dt 16:10). b And this presents a beautiful symbolic significance. The outpouring of the Spirit’s power was given at harvest time to say that the Spirit’s empowerment is necessary to bring in the harvest of fallen humanity back into the barn of God. c And that is just what happened on the day of Pentecost. The Spirit filled 120 believers, one of them named Peter preached a message and 3000 believed in Christ that very day. 4 Now after receiving the power of the Holy Spirit the 120 disciples went out to work in the harvest field in Jerusalem like Jesus said. But they did not go out to the harvest fields of Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. 5 So nearly four years after Pentecost in Acts chapter 8 God moves the church out of Jerusalem by the means of a great persecution. Acts 8 tells the story of one of those who left Jerusalem named Phillip.

The Necessity for Empowerment 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all

WHY? / Why Pursue the Holy Spirit / Acts 8.4-17 3 paid close attention to what he said. 7 With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city. 9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. 14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

1 Verse 12 says that the Samaritans had believed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ and had been baptized in water because they had believed. Verse 14-16 repeats that. 2 So, when the Apostles came up from Jerusalem the Samaritans were already believers in Jesus Christ and therefore indwelt by the Holy Spirit. a Of the many things that happen when you believe in Christ one of the most wonderful is that the Holy Spirit indwells you by making your body His temple (1 Cor 6:19). It is astonishing and wonderful at the same time. b And this indwelling is not without significant notification. The Holy Spirit does not covertly indwell you but bears witness with your own spirit that you are in fact a child of God. Romans 8 says … … you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Romans 8:15-16 c In other words, the Holy Spirit gives you an inward knowing that He indwells you … that you have believed in Jesus Christ, that you are a child of God by faith in Jesus.

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3 So, these Samaritans had this inward witness because they were indwelt by the Holy Spirit because they were believers. Why then did Peter and John travel to Samaria and pray for the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit if the Holy Spirit already indwelled them? a Maybe a better question is … what did Luke mean here when he says that the Apostles came up and prayed for them that they might “receive” the Holy Spirit. What does “receive” mean here? Verse 16 seems to answer the question. …15 When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. b Notice the language here. That had not received the Holy Spirit coming upon them. It does not say the Holy Spirit did not indwell them but rather that the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon the Samaritans. c That language sounds just like Jesus words to the disciples following his resurrection. He told them to … … stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. Luke 24:49b. Clothing is something you put upon you. c And then after that he told them … Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Acts 1:4-5 With baptism water comes upon you. d And then a few days later just before his ascension He told them … But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; Acts 1:8a NKJV 4 Now this promise of being clothed with the Spirit’s power or baptized with the Holy Spirit or the Holy Spirit coming upon you was given to the disciples who already believed and were indwelt by the Holy Spirit. So what Jesus was making clear in three promises was that there was an experience of the Holy Spirit’s power which they needed for the mission of spreading the gospel. 5 And this is why Peter and John make the trek to Samaria to pray for these new believers. These new believers did not need more of the Holy Spirit but they did need to experience more of the Holy Spirit’s empowerment. They had not yet experienced their own Day of Pentecost like the believers in Jerusalem experienced.

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6 Now I think it is important to reiterate at this point that the Holy Spirit does not come into your life in parts. a You don’t get half of the Holy Spirit when you believe in Christ and then the other half sometime later. No, you get all of the Holy Spirit when you believe in Christ. b But what you don’t get in full is the empowering experience of the Holy Spirit. There is an experience of the Spirit’s empowerment that God has promised us if we will ask him for it. 7 Therefore, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is not getting more of the Holy Spirit but rather experiencing more of the Holy Spirit’s power for the mission. a This is why Paul in Ephesians 5 says to believers, “Be (being) filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18b • It is not because we do not have the Spirit but rather that we need to constantly experience more of the Holy Spirit’s power. • It’s not that we do not have the fulness of His Person but that we need the fulness of His power. • So, Paul says to believers who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, be filled with the Spirit. Be empowered.

The Rest of the Story 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord… Acts 8.17-21

1 When Peter and John laid hands on the Samaritan believers (v17) they received the Holy Spirit. And how do we know they received the Holy Spirit? Verse 18 gives us a clue. 18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money. a “When Simon saw.” He saw something. Something happened when the Apostles laid their hands on the Samaritan believers that was observable.

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b And Simon was so impressed by it he want to buy the power that produced it. So, what did Simon see? 2 Well in every other case of the baptism in the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts when the Spirit’s empowerment was received the recipients spoke in tongues or it is implied they did. And that is what Simon saw. He saw them praising God in an unknown, unlearned language. 3 With the Spirit’s empowerment came the Spirit’s language or gift of tongues. And we see this throughout the book of Acts. a In Acts 2 it says … All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Acts 2:4 b In Ananias prayed for Paul to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Later Paul testified… I thank God I speak in tongues … 1 Corinthians 14:18a c In the Jewish believers who had come with Peter to preach the gospel to Gentiles in Cornelius’ house were … 45b astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. d In When Paul placed his hands on them (Ephesian believers), the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. Acts 19:6 4 So Jeff are you saying that if you don’t speak in tongues you are not baptized in the Holy Spirit? No, I am not. And scripture is not definitive. a What we see in the testimony of the early church in the book of Acts is that when people initially received the experience of the empowerment of the Spirit or the baptism of the Spirit, they spoke in tongues. It’s an observation that serves as a guide but it is not a rule. b So, I think it’s possible to be baptized in the Holy Spirit without speaking in tongues. But if you really understand from Scripture what speaking in tongues is and you were not tainted by anyone else’s misunderstandings, personal fears or prejudices … I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t want to speak, worship and pray in tongues. 5 And yet there are many believers who are unenthusiastic about it. In fact some are even antagonistic towards the manifestation gifts and speaking in tongues? Why is this? a We are rational creatures that live in a natural world. And the realm of spiritual things is hard for us to wrap our brains around. Angels,

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demons, dreams and visions, words of knowledge, gifts of healings, prophecies. b Our problem is that we (especially in the Western world) want to understand everything. • We all, in one way or another, are control freaks when it comes to our relationship with God … so much so that we can’t even see it. • In our hearts we desire a God we can control, a God we can figure out and explain. We want everything to make sense to us. In the age of information we believe we are entitled to that. c But the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the mystery of the Spirit’s workings and especially speaking in other tongues is simply incompatible with the desire to understand everything about God and why he does things the way he does them. d And so, if we are not careful we can unknowingly resist the Holy Spirit’s power by minimizing or ignoring what we cannot understand/explain. • We can easily become passive about seeking what is mysterious about the Holy Spirit, what is unexplainable. • We can also easily become turned-off by the misuse of spiritual gifts by the spiritually immature. There has been no small amount of craziness done in the name of the Holy Spirit. e And so it easier to simply turn our hearts to focus only on right theology and the right practice of . We believe the right things and we live the right way but we lack the freshness and present experience of the power of the Holy Spirit. f This is why scripture calls us to stir up our hearts and experience fresh fillings of the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). • Paul says to Timothy, fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. • To the Thessalonians don’t quench the Spirit, don’t despise prophetic utterances (1 Thess. 5:19-20). • Even to the very spiritually-gifted Corinthians Paul said, do not forbid speaking in tongues, be eager to prophesy (1Cor 14:39b), and earnestly desire spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 14:1). g Why is this so important? Our culture is becoming more broken by the day. If there ever was a generation that needed a fresh outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit it is this generation. We need the Baptism with

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the Holy Spirit. We need God’s power and God’s gifts … including the gift of tongues. 6 So it might help to clarify what is speaking in tongues? 4-points a It is praising God in an unknown, unlearned language enabled by the Holy Spirit. On the day of Pentecost in the church at Jerusalem … All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them… declaring the wonders of God. Acts 2:4,11 • Notice they spoke of their own volition but the Spirit enabled. In other words, the Holy Spirit didn’t take over. They cooperated with the Spirit and they spoke as the Spirit enabled. • And what were they speaking through the Spirit’s enablement? The wonders of God. They were praising God. b It is a gift of God (Acts 10:45) that is primarily to be used for personal worship and prayer. But this kind of prayer is unique. It is prayer that flows directly from your spirit to God. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. 1 Corinthians 14:14-15 • My mind is unfruitful. In other words, my mind does not understand what I am praying. • Paul says the person who prays in tongues … utters mysteries with his spirit. 1 Cor 14:2b • To some that would be irrational. But Paul is saying it’s not irrational but rather it’s trans-rational. It is worship and praise that originates in the spirit and bypasses the mind. And this unique form of prayer … c It is a source of spiritual edification and strengthening. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself. 1 Cor 14:4a But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit … Jude 20 NKJV d It is one of the outflows of the Holy Spirit’s empowerment. (Acts ex.) “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. John 7:37b-39a

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• In the book of Acts the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is described from the vantage point of the Holy Spirit empowering the believer. The Spirit clothes, baptizes, comes upon, fills. • But here Jesus describes the Baptism in the Holy Spirit from the vantage point of a believer receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. He says it is like a river flowing out from within. • The NASB says from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. The Greek literally says, out of his belly will flow rivers of living water.

Personal Testimony 1 That was my experience as a sophomore in college some 37 years ago. a Without getting into details I was at a meeting of believers where I experienced the aliveness of Jesus Christ in a way I never had before. b In a moment of time I knew that Jesus was really alive and that I was genuinely saved. I was overwhelmed with his presence and I resolved to have everything he had for me. 2 And so when an invitation was given at the end of the meeting to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit I, without education and hesitation, moved to the front of the room and joined the line of people who had come forward. a We were all led in a prayer to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. And after I finished praying I literally felt this stirring in my belly. b The gentleman who was leading the service came to my place in the line and said, how can you speak in tongues with your mouth closed? c And the moment I opened my mouth out of my belly came a river of praise in an unknown language. 3 That was 37 years ago. And I cannot tell you how valuable that empowerment and the gift of speaking in tongues has been to me over the years as a husband, father, pastor and leader. 4 And what I learned that night in retrospect is that there are certain aspects of the Holy Spirit’s ministry that are sovereign and others that we must seek after. a We do not seek the Spirit to be saved. We are sought by the Spirit to be saved. But there and other aspects of the Holy Spirit’s ministry (power and gifts) that are contingent upon our wholeheartedly asking and seeking.

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b In other words, I had a divine appointment with God that summer night in 1981. But within that appointment prescheduled by God… there was something required of me. I needed to ask and seek. I needed to desire spiritual gifts. c No doubt God graced me with the means to do so but still I had to do it. There is a seeking required when it comes to the gifts and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. 5 God offers us this gift of empowerment but you have to more than “kind of want it.” a Contrary to popular understanding, the for the most part is not a how-to manual with which we simply follow the instructions to get the desired outcome. b No, the Bible is a treasure trove. A treasure trove is a hidden store of valuable or delightful things. And that is what the Bible is. According to Proverbs 2, the Bible holds out treasure to us and bids us to seek it out. • You see desire is the test to prove out the genuineness of our seeking. Desire fuels the seeking. That is really important to understanding much in the Bible. • What do you do when you really want something? You don’t wait around for it to come to you nicely packaged, fully assembled, and ready-to-use. You seek after it. Why? because you desire it. 6 Jesus says as much in Luke 11. So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Luke 11:9-10 a Now asking, seeking and knocking is true of prayer for anything. But Jesus specifically applies it to asking for the Holy Spirit, His person, power and gifts. But before he does, he reminds us of the Father’s desire to give us the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? (We are predisposed to do good for our children) 13 If you then, though you are evil (by comparison), know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! Luke 11:11-13

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b In other words God is saying to us, you don’t know how badly I want to give you this gift. If you take the desire of a loving parent to give to their children what they need and then multiply it by infinity you would still fall short of God’s desire for us to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit … to experience your own personal Pentecost. c Again Jesus said, If you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! Luke 11:13 d This is not the gift of sonship for we are already his children. This is the gift of empowerment. Receiving the Baptism in the Holy Spirit 1 If you are a born-again believer in Jesus Christ and you desire the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, the gift speaking in tongues or a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit I invite you to the altar where I would like to pray for you. 2 I would also like our prayer team to come up and after I pray a member of that team will be personally leading you in a prayer to receive the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. 3 You receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit the same way you receive salvation or anything else from God … by grace through faith. a And just like when you were saved … you may feel something or you may not feeling anything. b But you can know that you have received because you are asking in faith. But not the faith that reaches out and lays hold of a promise. Rather the faith that cups its hands and simply looks up to heaven and says, Thankyou Father for the gift of the Holy Spirit. I receive. 4 Prayer – Or have member of Prayer Team lead them in a prayer. a Father I thank you for the gift of my salvation through Jesus Christ. By faith I received salvation. b Now I come to You in faith to receive another gift, the gift of the Holy Spirit. c I know you want me to have this gift because you are my heavenly Father who gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask. d I believe I have received. Thank you Father.

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