Last week was another powerful word:
Fighting for our families
I also want to remind us of the message Andy brought on the Holy Spirit - also powerful
I brought up 2 weeks ago - “build people of build ministry”
If we consider the Holy Spirit as our helper - when we fight for our family:
We could say - ONE way to fight for our families is - IN the Spirit - BY the Spirit - WITH the Spirit
One way to build people - is to teach this kind of Holy Spirit prayer
One way to have power - “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you
I would like to highlight a kind/type of prayer:
I think it isn’t emphasised enough to the larger part of the body of Christ
I guess it’s safe to say - getting into this kind of prayer helps us to not play church
I REALLY WANT GOD - WE NEED HIM!
I WANT HIS PRESENCE ON US - (I am VERY aware He is IN US)
I Desire to SEE HIS GLORY POURED OUT ON THIS EARTH
TODAY:
Prayer highlights from my life
Scripture about the Holy Spirit helping us
The urgency of the early Apostles concerning the Holy Spirit
How I was filled with the Spirit and how you can be filled
My Prayer History Highlights
Sunday Night Church 1979 - Prayer School - While in Bible School - Monday Evening Prayer Nights - Travelling on the Road with Singing Group - Season as Travelling Ministry - ACTS 13 Gatherings - Sicily - Rome - Verona
Scripture About the Holy Spirit Helping Us
Rom. 8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (ESV)
THOUGHT: God’s Spirit does not remove our weakness, but helps us in our weakness.
When something is going on with a loved one - you don’t know how to pray
When there is a decision you need to make - you don’t know how to pray
When there is more than one opportunity - you don’t know which one is the best - or which one is God’s choice
When there is a painful situation that is hard to bear - you don’t know how to pray
When there is a life and death situation - but you don’t know how to pray
Helpeth our infirmities; the word imports such help, as when another of greater strength steps in, and sustains the burden that lies too heavy upon our shoulders - (Matthew Poole's Commentary)
Helpeth - This word properly means, to sustain with us; to aid us in supporting. It is applied usually to those who unite in supporting or carrying a burden. The meaning may be thus expressed: "he greatly assists or aids us.” - (Barnes Notes on the Bible)
The word αντιλαμβανεται, here rendered “helpeth", literally expresses the action of one who assists another to bear a burden, by taking hold of it on the opposite side, and bearing it with him, as persons do who assist one another in carrying heavy loads. - (Benson Commentary)
The meaning of the word “helps": (“And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness”)
The Greek word is sunantitambanomai. (I think you have to speak in tongues just to say this word:)
It is a compound word made up of three words.
Sun means "together with," anti means "against," and tambano means "to take hold of."
Putting them together, a very literal meaning of the word would be "take hold of together with against."
SUMMARY:
It isn’t us alone and it isn’t the Holy Spirit alone
It is the Holy Spirit and us
“the Holy Spirit takes hold of together with us against - that which needs prayed for or prayed out.”
The Urgency of the Early Apostles Concerning the Holy Spirit
STORY: Joe - was born-again and received the Holy Spirit on the same day - within an hour of being saved
Look at this progression: (Before Jesus suffered - died - and was raised)
John 7:39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (ESV)
The Holy Spirit could not be given until Jesus was raised from the dead and glorified
Here is what Jesus did AFTER He was raised from the dead:
John 20:22 After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. (ESV)
Jesus breathed on His disciples
The ones who heard His Words of truth - the ones who believed
Do you think they received the Holy Spirit? I DO!!
Eph. 1:13 In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed.
Before Jesus was taken up and sat on the right hand of His Father:
He said this to His believers - the ones who heard His Word
To ones He breathed on and said receive the Holy Spirit
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;
Acts 1:5 for John truly baptised with water, but you shall be baptised with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
They were believers - He breathed on numerous ones of them - they received and were sealed with the Spirit
Why then would they need to wait for this day?
AFTER He said this: They asked Jesus when He would return to restore the kingdom to Israel - He said it’s not for you to know
Then then said this
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come ON you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (ESV)
It’s like “your responsibility isn’t about freeing Israel from Rome”
Your responsibility is preaching and demonstrating the good news
THAT is what frees people from sin - YOU NEED POWER TO DO THAT!!
Remember: EARLIER they believed and received the Holy Spirit - AND the Holy Spirit came IN them
This was different - it is the Holy Spirit coming ON THEM
Acts 8:14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John,
Acts 8:15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
Acts 8:16 for he had not yet FALLEN ON any of them, but they had only been baptised in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts 8:17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. (ESV)
The believers who were sealed then received the Holy Spirit - They were then filled
When we believe and we are saved - can you see the Holy Spirit being imparted to (or He comes on the inside of us)
Acts 8:18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, (ESV)
Can the Holy Spirit be seen? No
This is when they began to speak in tongues
It happened in the early church
The apostles had an urgency - you see it in the books of Acts
Once they asked a question: Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed
Acts 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. (ESV)
We see here that salvation and the infilling of the Holy Spirit are two separate experiences
Jesus’ words about the Holy Spirit in John 14 refer to the New-Birth experience:
John 14:17 He is the Spirit of truth.b The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be IN YOU.
We looked at Acts 1:8 already:
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come ON YOU, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (ESV)
We see that Jesus refers to two different experiences in these two verses:
The Holy Ghost dwelling in you, and the Holy Ghost coming upon you in power - DWELLING IN and COMING UPON
How I was filled with the Spirit and How You Can
STORY: My brother Joe and I went to an underground meeting at Mount Carmel catholic church in Niles, Ohio
Joe was already filled with the Spirit as I mentioned
They brought who they called a Protestant minister in to teach on being filled with the Holy Spirit
He made the following things clear - which brought faith to me
Being filled with the Spirit was for everyone
Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” (ESV)
I was one of the far off people - nearly 2 thousand years later thousands of miles away from Jerusalem
I was hungry for it - I didn’t go there to debate if it was for everyone - if it was of the devil - if only the early apostles could lay hands on people receive it - if it ended with the last apostle - I was hungry
We pray and ask for it - and God fills us
Acts 8:14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John,
Acts 8:15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
But we must cooperate with Him and do the speaking
Acts 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. (ESV)
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