Motivated Spirituality

220px-A_W_TozerA thoughtful discussion of what the gift of  the Holy Spirit.

http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?lid=300

God's Great Promise to His Church A.W. Tozer

I. Introduction. (Luke 24, Acts 1)

A. The Holy Spirit is a Person.

B. He is one with the Father and the Son.

II. The practical effect of the Persons of the Holy Spirit.  A. The Father promised the Spirit as a gift to His children.

1. He likely had in mind a father's love for his children.

2. He likely wanted to show that one does not have to be afraid of the Holy Spirit.

a. This does not mean reverence in this context.

b. This means fear.

c. One does not have to fear the Holy Spirit just as a boy does not have to be afraid of a promised bicycle from his father.

B. The Father never thought of His church apart from the Holy Spirit.

1. The Spirit is the divine medium/solution by which God would build His church.

2. God makes promises concerning the Spirit. (Joel 2)

a. Jesus calls these Old Testament claims the promise of the Father.

b. Jesus talks about the coming of the Spirit. (John 14)

3. Three discernable periods.

a. The period of John the Baptist to the coming of Christ.

1) Disciples called, commissioned, and taught.

2) If we could find people like these ignorant disciples before the Spirit, we would make them bishops.

3) They experienced the best Bible school in the world under Christ; their degree was inside of themselves.

4) They had not received anything yet - they were only promised that they would receive something.

a) It was to be a new kind of life from outside of the world.

b) It would live within them and teach them.

c) Jesus built anticipation for this.

b. Period of the preparation.

1) They stopped their activity during this period.

a) We are too busy today, but here the Lord says not to go.

b) One of the biggest mistakes we make is to put born again believers into ministry right away.

c) The priests were born into the priesthood, but they did not serve until they were anointed.

d) There is a level of amateurism in Christianity.

e) Sometimes it would do the church good to wait.

2) The Spirit did not come to make them one but because they were one.

a) Unity is a musical term.

c. The Spirit's sudden arrival.

1) The Holy Spirit not being upon us is subnormal.

2) Words are always inadequate to express the greatness of God.

a) God has to over-fulfill His promise in order to express Himself.

b) God is always greater than words.

3) The individual Christian is affected by this.

a) This was not a onetime event that has no effect anymore.

b) Questions.

i. Was it for the First Century Christians only? The last days began with Pentecost and continue today - the Scofield Bible.

ii. Does the new birth of the First Century Christians make ours unnecessary? Peter's new birth in 33AD would not do us any good now, just as his breakfast would not do us any good now.

2iii. What value for us is it that Jerusalem was filled with the Holy Spirit? We have the same responsibility as they did and our portion is more than an echo. iv. Did they have greater power than we did? Yes, but we have just reverted back to the Adamic heart.

v. Does your heart witness that what you now have is all that God had in mind when He depicted the fullness of the Spirit? The example of Moody who had the Spirit come upon Him in power beyond His coming in salvation.

c. This teaching is not aside from anything that other denominations teach as well - that the power of the Holy Spirit would come suddenly upon God's people.

4) Pray and yield and believe and obey and see what God will do for you in the next weeks.

Application questions.

1. In what ways are teachings on the Person of the Holy Spirit applicable to the church today?

2. What is the value of waiting for God to do something?

3. What can be dangerous about moving too quickly or moving into ministry right after conversion? The Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples in power was a radical event that changed them.  The speaker asks his audience to validate this from the Scriptures.  Is this a separate event from the Holy Spirit's indwelling at the new birth?  If so, what will you do to receive the Spirit in this way or foster obedience to Him in your personal walk today?

http://www.discipleshiplibrary.com/pdfs/NET01856.pdf

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