Jesus And The Holy Spirit

[00:00:00] This audio sermon is provided by AnabaptistSermons.com and may be freely copied and distributed. You may not sell or edit this sermon. Our prayer is that you would be blessed by this ministry. If you would see my notes, you would laugh. If you would know how confused and how jumbled up my notes are, [00:00:35] then if you would know how jumbled up my mind is, you would understand. And I think that God is trying to get at me about my pride. because I want to be a dynamic speaker. For what reason? To honor and glorify God. [00:01:10] Is that why I want to? You know, why are we a Christian? To make ourselves feel good? You know, our security is in Christ. Amen. But I think that sometimes we put too much security in our religion, in the things that we do, in the things that we say. And I feel like I didn't prepare enough for Thursday night, I didn't prepare enough for Friday night, and I haven't prepared enough. [00:01:51] Lord knows I have prepared, sat and prepared and took in and prayed, spent most of the night praying and I still stand up here with nothing. Feels like nothing. And I know that there are those of you that are praying for me even as I speak. And I feel like God is storing those prayers up for the next time. I don't know. That's just how I feel. [00:02:25] Sometimes feelings aren't always true, are they? What we feel. So, I say that if you didn't come here seeking the Lord and concentrating and focusing on what the Holy Spirit is saying to you specifically this morning, Even if it's one thing that he wants to change you in, it's a waste of your time. [00:02:59] Because I just feel very, I don't know, dry and weak this morning. So, please continue to pray. Like I said, I don't think I have much to say. But I really, really want us to seek the Lord this morning. [00:03:32] And try and keep our minds focused on what the Holy Spirit is saying to you. Not to somebody else, but to you. I have no title. I have no... Sorry, Justin. I have no... I don't even know what to say, what scripture to read first, but somehow I want us to look to the Holy Spirit. [00:04:05] Do you need the Holy Spirit? Did Jesus need the Holy Spirit? That was a question that I had. Did Jesus need the Holy Spirit? So I want to look at that a little bit. And I also want us to somehow be challenged by the life of Paul. The life of Paul, you know, that's many, many sermons in a row. So it won't look a whole lot, but there are some thoughts that I had. I haven't ran out. [00:04:37] I like to put these little green sticky notes in my Bible so I even ran out of those today. Luke chapter 2. Well, first of all, Isaiah 66, I think it is. I hope that rambling didn't depress you. I didn't mean it to depress you. Maybe it's 61. It's 61. [00:05:13] And this is Jesus. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me. Why? He has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor. This is Jesus, this is not me talking. To preach good tidings to the poor, he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. [00:05:49] You think that's talking about a real jail? No, I don't think so. Verse 2, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn. who mourn their sin, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Why? Why would that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that he may be glorified, that he may be glorified. [00:06:33] that God may be glorified. Are we pursuing righteousness? Are you pursuing righteousness with all of your heart that you may be glorified? No. That He may be glorified. And too often when God does something in my life, when God gives me a revelation, a thought, an idea, Hallelujah. Who gets the credit? Who do I give the credit to? I give myself the credit. Glory to Dwayne. Hallelujah. Glory to Dwayne. That's so wrong. The planting of the Lord that he may be glorified. [00:07:21] Then Luke chapter 2. So Christ had an anointing. He had the Holy Spirit. Look at Luke chapter 2 verse 40. And the child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. This was before his baptism. [00:07:53] And there's been a lot of talk in this church over this pulpit about the Holy Spirit. And I feel like at 10, 30, 11 o'clock last night I was thinking, you know what, this has been said over and over and over and it's nothing new and why am I getting up here and saying all this? Here we go again about the Holy Spirit. You need the Holy Spirit. You need nothing else but the Holy Spirit. We must desire the Holy Spirit. And if we are living for ourselves [00:08:29] and disobeying Him time after time, oh, maybe one obedience, then we feel better, but then disobey Him the next time. How are we going to be filled with the Holy Spirit? I don't think it works that way. Luke 2, verse 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. If you go to chapter 3 [00:09:11] Now those two verses were before his baptism. In verse 21 we read, When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized. And while he prayed, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon him. And a voice came from heaven which said, You are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Chapter 4, verse 1 [00:09:41] Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit. How much more do we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Verse 14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit. [00:10:12] When we have the Holy Spirit, we have power. Do you know what that power is? You have authority. Authority is power. Do you know what that feels like? Have you experienced it? And if you haven't, run after it. Do everything that you can to know what that is, to have that power. [00:10:44] For some reason, us men, we like power. Well, some ladies like power too, I guess, but obviously. Maybe we all like power. But men like power. I know it's fun to sit in the green bomb and rev the motor. Jamie likes power and fast cars. I mean, I do too. You ever drive a Corvette? Ay, ay, ay. Push the accelerator down there. There's power there. But it's nothing like the power of the Holy Spirit. Here we are pursuing power, but it's the wrong kind of power. [00:11:19] We pursue it in cars. We pursue it on the job. We pursue it in family. Sometimes wrongly. We pursue it in the church. It's the wrong kind of power. Verse 18 Jesus says, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me. [00:11:51] Remember, this is from Isaiah 61. Because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery, of sight to the blind and to set at liberty those who are oppressed to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. Verse 32, And they were astonished at his teaching, [00:12:25] for his word was with authority. I think King James has power. I don't remember for sure. Or maybe I just stuck that word in there. Authority. If somebody has authority, they have power because he was filled with the Holy Spirit. Verse 36, And when they, then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, What a word is this? For with authority and power he commanded the unclean spirits, and they came out. [00:12:56] So, Jesus here at the beginning of his ministry, before his ministry, was filled with the Holy Spirit. And you, what is your ministry? If you are a Christian, you have a ministry. You are a minister. A minister is one who serves. and teachers. [00:13:28] You were saved to serve. I think I heard Denny say that one time. I like that. You were not, I've heard this over this pulpit too already. You were not saved from hell. You were saved to serve Him. You were saved to bring honor and glory to Him. Not to live for yourself. I'm not even sure why that makes me cry. [00:13:59] I think it's pretty crazy for us to think that we can that we can serve the Lord in any way, any way, any shape, any form without the Holy Spirit. That's crazy. [00:14:34] And even the littlest way. If Jesus needed the Holy Spirit, how much more do we need Him? Man. Be a real Christian. The bottom line of being a real Christian is ministry. [00:15:10] I want to look at Paul a little bit. Where did Paul meet Jesus? I met him on the road to Damascus. I think that's in Acts chapter 9, I think. [00:15:45] Yeah. Maybe I'll read the first three, or nine verses. Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest. Breathing threats. My goodness. That kind of stood out to me again this time reading through there. And asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus so that if he found any who were of the way. [00:16:17] A question came into my mind. Am I of the way? Am I known to the community that that dude is of the way? Whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, Here's this man, he's got it all together. I'm very zealous making sure. He's very religious from what I understand. [00:17:05] There's a word that starts with a V. I think it's vehement or something. This seems like a big word. But this, he just had it together. And now he finds himself on the ground. And he hears this voice from heaven saying, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And I believe that Saul thought he knew that he was doing everything right. And he said, this is what Saul said, Who are you, Lord? [00:17:36] Notice, he recognized him as Lord. I think sometimes we as Christians maybe think we're Lord. Do we really see Christ, God the Father, as Lord of everything? Then the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads, the international. [00:18:16] So he, trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what do you want me to do? You know, is that what we say every day? Every day that we come to him, he shines light. Through his word, and we say, what do you want me to do, Lord? Then the Lord said to him, arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do. And the man who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. [00:18:49] Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus, and he was there. and he was three days without sight and neither ate nor drank. So here's this powerful man being called by God. He noticed him as Lord. [00:19:23] He said, I really wonder, we don't know what all he did those three days, But he didn't eat, he didn't drink, and here's this powerful man without sight. And he responded in the right way. I wonder when he was converted, you know. I wonder if during that time on the road to Damascus he was awakened. I think of those verses, awake you who sleep. [00:19:54] I forget where that's found right now. I should have looked it up. But I believe he had a complete conversion. And I think that as soon as his eyes were opened, maybe we should read on down. Verse 17. And Ananias went his way and entered the house and laying his hands on him, he said, [00:20:24] Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road as you came has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit. Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales and he received his sight at once and he arose and was baptized. So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. Verse 20, immediately he preached to Christ in the synagogues that he is the Son of God. [00:21:00] You know, that's not what I did when I became converted. You know, and sometimes I don't even do that now. Oh yeah, I'm a preacher. What about during the week? How am I living my life during the week? What decisions do I make that I pursue righteousness? Or do I make decisions that I'm turning away from righteousness? [00:21:33] And sometimes we don't preach Christ when Christ tells us to. He gives us opportunity and we still don't. Here is Saul. Nobody needed to ask him, Are you a Christian? They knew it. It was obvious from the time that he was converted. Right away, they knew. Acts 24. [00:22:10] One verse I want to read there. This is Paul, I forget who he told this to now, but this is a confession, not really a confession, maybe it's a profession, I'm not sure what to call it. But, you know, if I say I need the Holy Spirit, that can be a confession, you know, it's not necessarily a confession, it's not always something that you did wrong. But he says here, this being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men. [00:22:46] Sometimes we strive to make sure we have a good name among everybody around here, you know, our community. But do we have a good name with God? Do we have a conscience without offense towards God? And nobody's going to know that part of you, because it's in your mind. It's in your actions too. 2 Corinthians chapter 2, actually chapter 11. [00:23:32] Now, Paul here was, I think he was looking over his, watching after his sheep. In chapter 10, he kind of sounds like he's boasting, even though he says not boasting of things. But, you know, they were making, in chapter 10, in verse 2, he says, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh? [00:24:02] Okay, so they were being charged with this crime of, I don't know what they were calling it, but they were being accused of walking according to the flesh. So he appeals that. And they were charged with being weak. So it was almost like he was boasting. So then when he starts chapter 11, he said, Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly. I think that's why he says folly, because it sounds like he's bragging himself up a little bit. And indeed, you do bear with me, [00:24:34] for I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. for I have betrothed you to one husband that I may present you as a chaste version to Christ but I fear lest somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Simplicity. If you look it up, the very first one it will say singleness. But are you single to Christ? [00:25:10] Or is there a little bit of self? Are you fully surrendered? Or do you have a little bit of self? The other way I like to look at simplicity that is in Christ, it's simple. Just give up. If I can get past my pride, it's so easy just to give up to Christ. and to be sold out to him. He speaks a little bit about in verse 4 there. [00:25:46] For if he who comes preaches another Jesus, a different spirit, a different gospel. I'd like to look at Colossians. Maybe start at verse 6. As you, therefore, have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. [00:26:20] Sounds a little bit like John. So walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. It's a whole other thing I've been working through, and we heard a little bit about it yesterday at men's prayer meeting about being thankful. Are you thankful for your salvation? Do you ever thank God? God, thank you for saving my soul. Verse 8 [00:26:52] 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. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. So here we have the world. We have people who, I don't even know if they try. [00:27:27] I'm sure that there are people that try to deceive people. But I think that many people in the world don't even try it. And for some reason, the devil uses them to get to us because we want to be more like them. We want to look more like them. We want to be accepted by them. I'm talking about the world. And we forget Christ. We forget where our power comes from. We forget about where our strength comes from. He says, beware, lest anyone cheat you. [00:28:15] 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 18 And you know, to the world, this message of the cross is foolishness. [00:28:48] You are weird. I talked to the guys a couple nights ago about being weird. We don't want to be weird. We don't want to look like a... It's just strange. You know... Oh, I just thought of something too. John chapter 12 Yeah, John chapter 12. [00:29:35] Jesus is teaching here. There, in verse 20, there were these certain Greeks that came to Philip, and they came to Philip who was from Bethsaida of Galilee and asked unto him, saying, Sir, we wish to see Jesus. Boy, I wish to see Jesus. I wish we all see Jesus every day. [00:30:07] Then Philip came and told Andrew and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus And this is what Jesus said The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified He didn't say that the Son of Man should die but he should be glorified Most assuredly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies it remains alone But if it dies it produces much grain He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. [00:30:40] If anyone serves me, let him follow me, and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, him my father will honor. And I know I've said this before, the call of Christ is to die, not to live. And so, I mean, the world's going to say you're weird if you want to die. [00:31:15] And they don't understand. Verse 18 of 1 Corinthians chapter 1 says, For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing. But to us who are being saved, it is the power of God. for it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. [00:31:47] Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since in the wisdom of God The world through wisdom did not know God. It pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to those who believe. For Jews request a sign and Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness. [00:32:24] but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God because the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. [00:33:07] But God has chosen the foolish things of this world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty. and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen and the things which are not to bring to nothing the things that are that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him you are in Christ Jesus who became for us wisdom from God [00:33:45] and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, that, as it is written, he who glories, let him glory in the Lord. Chapter 2 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling, and my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. [00:34:42] So I'm not sure what I'm trying to say this morning. Not sure what God's trying to say. Just a mess up here. You know, I want us to look at, of course, look at Christ. And I always go back to the verse. in 1 John 2, verse 6. [00:35:17] Paraphrased, you know, if you call yourself a Christian, you'll walk after Him. And I like the example of Paul that he gave us, that he lived, the power that he had from the Holy Spirit. That's the power that I want. That's the power that I want each one of us to have. But that conversion there in Acts chapter 9 I think is foundational. That's what he built on. That's where he started from. And so let's be sure that we are pursuing after righteousness. Let's pray. [00:35:56] The Lord, I pray that You would somehow take Your Word and speak to each one of our hearts this morning and even tomorrow and the next day and the next day and somehow, Lord, do a miracle and use the words spoken here Lord, to honor and glorify you and to change us, to challenge us and to convict us and to build us all up, Lord, and to humble us before you, before men, that we can be molded, not hard and unmoldable. [00:36:45] Lord, I pray that you would mold us and shape us into something that you can use to serve you, to show others, to be used by you to build your kingdom, to bring honor and glory to your name. In Jesus' name, Amen.