Preached: 26.03.2017, CCCL
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Text: Acts 2:37-47
Subject: Basics of Faith
Theme: 8) The Outcome for a believer being filled with the Holy Spirit
Title: “Why do I need to be baptized with the Holy Spirit?”
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Introduction

• Back at the Basics of Faith I want to look at the second part of our topic about the baptism or being filled with the Holy Spirit. Today I want to look in particular the outcome for a believer being filled with the Holy Spirit.

• In the last sermon about the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we looked at the fact that every believer is in need to be baptised in the Holy Spirit. We mentioned two reasons from the passage in Acts 1:1-9:

1) At the baptism in the Holy Spirit we received his power – the need of the means to serve our Lord in the most effective way;

2) By the baptism in the Holy Spirit, we become his witness – the need of purpose, which means that we are indeed called to be God’s servant.

• With the last point that we become the witness of Jesus by the baptism in the Holy Spirit, we also see already one very important outcome.

• When we read Acts 2 – the first appearance of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit first time came upon the believers and they started to speak in new tongues – we actually see a very visible and extraordinary outcome for these believers. In the first verses, we see how powerful the Holy Spirit came upon them, like the rush of a violent wind (verse 2) and divided tongues, as of fire (verse 3). It was a great miracle and great happening. It is an experience that all of us wish, as we seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Not only did it happen in their midst, but it was seen by many Jews and spectators that were just at the same place. Also, they were amazed because they heard them suddenly speaking in their own native language. In verse 7 & 12 we read they were amazed and astonished. It was a great miracle and outcome. We would consider it as a great revival. This is what we are often so much longing for.

• What we see in all this is the fact that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the believers had a tremendous, new outcome for them. It was a revival experience that they will never forget. Also in other Holy Spirit experiences, we see that it always brought a new outcome for believers that were filled with the Holy Spirit. The fact is that…

 
Prop.: A Believer being filled with the Holy Spirit experiences a new outcome!

 
• Things are not anymore the way they were before. However, the question remains what actually is the exact outcome when one is being filled with the Holy Spirit? Is it just a powerful Pentecost experience, in which the Holy Spirit comes upon us and we start to speak in other tongues and maybe also start to exercise other gifts? But if that is the only outcome we desire when the Holy Spirit comes upon us and we get filled with him, we fall quite short. Is the new outcome only for the moment or does it have a continues effect on our Christian life? What is exactly the new outcome that we experience when we are filled with the Holy Spirit?

• In Acts 2 we should not just read the beginning of the Pentecost experience, but especially also the end. Because just at the end we actually see the real and long term outcome for the believers when they were filled with the Holy Spirit. It was not just a one-time power experience, but it had deep and positive consequences for their lives.

• After the sermon of Peter on the day of Pentecost, we read in verse 37 that they were cut to their heart. In other words, they were touched by the Holy Spirit. They wanted to know what they need to do further. Peter told them that they need to repent and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they would be also filled with the Holy Spirit and receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. As God’s children, they would receive what God had promised, the gift of the Holy Spirit. We are then told that more than 3000 people were added.

• When we read then further we see actually that they were not just added but, that the baptism of the Holy Spirit had such an impact on their lives and a totally new outcome. This new outcome is two-fold as we can read further from verse 42-47.

 
I. A believer being filled with the Holy Spirit experiences a new outcome in ones own personal life (verses 42-43)

• As already mentioned altogether we see in Acts 2 that when the Holy Spirit came upon them, they got the new gift of speaking in tongues and other gifts. Furthermore, on that time, they received the power of the Holy Spirit as it was pronounced already Acts 1:8. It is a power from God, which we can only experience by the Holy Spirit. It is not a power that we just without any reason would feel strong, but a power that we realise in times when we really feel week and face strong challenges. It is a power that is given to us for our life and ministry for Jesus.

• We read then also in Luke 24:49 Jesus saying: “I am going to send you what my Father has promised, but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” The power of God is our new cloth as Christians. Everything we do we should do in the power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

• Another great description of the power of the Holy Spirit Jesus gives us in John 7:37-39: “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified.” Jesus uses the picture of a living water to illustrate the Holy Spirit. He tells us a few points here:

◦ First of all, if we feel thirsty we should come to Jesus. He is the one that has the living water and gives it to them that ask him. When we look in our world we see so many people being thirsty and still, they can’t find the living water in the world. Because only Jesus has the living water. Jesus is the one who gives us the living water.

◦ Secondly, Jesus makes clear that this living water that He gives is the Holy Spirit. When we receive the power of the Holy Spirit, we actually receive the living water. It is so refreshing and fills our whole life with new strength, motivation, illumination and purpose for life. That is why we need the power of the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues is actually a gift that helps us to stay in a continuous communication with God in the Spirit, that edifies us and refreshes us. However, it is the power of the Holy Spirit that is most necessary.

◦ Finally, we see how the power of the Holy Spirit is not only refreshing us, but it evens makes us a channel of this living water to other people. Through the Holy Spirit, God uses you and me to be a testimony to the people around us, who don’t know Jesus. Through us, the people receive a taste of this living water with our hope and prayer that they would allow the Holy Spirit to lead themselves to the living water, Jesus Christ. But we become the channel of the living water and the Holy Spirit works through us.

• For this reason, we are then also added to the other believers and the fellowship of God, which is the church as we can read in verse 41.

• When we read then verses 42-43 we see even a deeper meaning and outcome of the Holy Spirit with our personal life: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.” I believe that this was also the work of the Holy Spirit in the believers live. The Holy Spirit gave the power and desire that the believers would devote themselves to the apostles teaching. It was their desire to receive and grow more in the teaching. Through the Holy Spirit, we get the desire to come into the fellowship of the believers, receive teaching and see God’s work and miracle also in the church.

• This is all happens when we get filled with the Holy Spirit. It is not only for the moment that we get filled with the Spirit, but in the power of the Holy Spirit, we lead into the fellowship where we received more nourishing and edification for our Christian life.

Illustration:
1) The Holy Spirit’s Work in Our Lives: “The story is told about a little boy who was flying a kite. It was a windy day, and the kite kept going higher and higher. Finally, it got so high that it was out of sight. A man passed by and saw the little boy holding onto the string. The man could not see the kite, and he asked the boy, “How do you even know you have a kite up there?” The boy replied, “Because I can feel it.” Although we cannot see the Holy Spirit, we should be able to sense His work in our lives changing us into the image of Christ.” (Source: A Firm Foundation, Paul Chappell)

2) Charles Spurgeon on the Need for God’s Power: “Without the Spirit of God, we can do nothing. We are as ships without the wind, branches without sap, and like coals without fire, we are useless.” (Charles Spurgeon)

3) A simple example of a car: A car can look so beautiful and has everything one likes on a car, but if it does not have an engine insight, it will never run. Like a car needs an engine, a Christian needs the Holy Spirit. Further, if a car does not get fuel, again and again, it will neither run when it is out of fuel. As a car needs the fuel to run, we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit again and again.

• We need the power of the Holy Spirit, the living water of Jesus Christ for our lives. Being filled with the Holy Spirit gives a new personal outcome. But being filled with the Holy Spirit has still a deeper dimensional outcome:

 
II. A believer being filled with the Holy Spirit experiences a new outcome to a new community level (verses 44-47)

 
• Whereas the first outcome was directed towards us and our life, the second outcome of being filled with the Holy Spirit is directed towards others and in particularly the church of Christ. The Holy Spirit is not just poured out for our own personal experience and well-being, but especially for the well-being of the body of Christ. God’s intention is always that those who get saved through Jesus, also get attached to the body of Christ and thus also affiliated with a local fellowship or church. The new outcome of being filled with the Holy Spirit results in the fact to be added to a fellowship of believers. Every believer is called to be a member of a local church and thus the universal body of Christ.

• It says then also in verse 44: “All the believers were together and had everything in common.” When a believer is being filled with the Holy Spirit his strong desire and will are to be together with other believers. The outcome of the first believers being filled with the Holy Spirit was that they were continuously coming together. There is something wrong with a believer if he or she does not have the desire to be together with other believers. There are believers that say they do not need a church. They just live by the Word and the Spirit. But living by the Word and the Spirit means to be in a church. The church is the place where the Word is proclaimed and the Spirit is moving.

• This fellowship of the believer is not just a club, where one can find a good time. It is an intensive and deep fellowship with God and each other. We read that the believers in Acts 2 “had everything in common.” In verse 45 it even says about them: “They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had a need.” They were there for each other and helped each other. The believers were not concerned about themselves, but about the others. Our church should be a fellowship where we are first of all concerned for the others. That is the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

• Concerning the spiritual gifts, that the Holy Spirit gives us, Paul exhorts us to use them to edify the church. We read in 1 Corinthians 14:12: “So it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the Spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.” Later he says in 1 Corinthians 14:26: “What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.” We should come to the church to edify the church and contribute. The Holy Spirit wants to use us and give us gifts to edify our brothers and sisters and thus the church.

• We see the intensiveness of the fellowship in the next verses 46-47. They came together every day in the temple courts. They seek the fellowship with each other and especially with God. They were breaking bread and eating together. And finally, they were praising God together. The purpose of their fellowship was Jesus Christ.

• And then we also read about the result of this fellowship by the Holy Spirit in verse 47b: “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Before it says that these believers were enjoying the favour of the people. And that made the people come. I think it is this fellowship, the way how brothers and sisters in the Holy Spirit act with each other, that attracts other people to the church and to Jesus Christ. This is what the Holy Spirit wants to work in our fellowship with each other through each individual. This happens when we are filled with the Holy Spirit.

• Illustration: Already in the O.T. with Moses we see, how God pours out his Spirit upon individuals to be used for the community of Israel. And not only for the spiritual service but for the very practical service of building the place of prayer, the tabernacle. Two examples were Bezalel son of Uri and Oholiab son of Ahisamak. We read about them in Exodus 35:30-35: “Then Moses said to the sons of Israel, “See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. “And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding and in knowledge and in all craftsmanship; to make designs for working in gold and in silver and in bronze, and in the cutting of stones for settings and in the carving of wood, so as to perform in every inventive work. “He also has put in his heart to teach, both he and Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. “He has filled them with the skill to perform every work of an engraver and of a designer and of an embroiderer, in blue and in purple and in scarlet material, and in fine linen, and of a weaver, as performers of every work and makers of designs.”

• Picture Illustration: Local churches edify when every Member does its part.

• We are placed in the church and filled by the Holy Spirit so that we have a part to edify the church. The great outcome of the Holy Spirit is that we are a part of the body of Christ and enjoy a very valuable fellowship with other believers. As the Holy Spirit fills us and gives us gifts, he wants us to be a part of the local church to serve him there and edify the body of Christ. Let us the Holy Spirit allow to be taken into the new community as an outcome of him being filled.

 
Conclusion

• I think we have seen very clearly in Acts 2:37-47 that a Believer being filled with the Holy Spirit experiences a new outcome! It is a new outcome in one’s own personal life as well as being added to a new community, the church and body of Christ. There is nothing greater than to experience the Holy Spirit in our own personal life and enter a strong fellowship of believers.

• As we see the deep and profound outcome of the Holy Spirit, I hope we realise how much we have a need to be filled with the Holy Spirit, not just one time, but again and again. I hope we are aware that without the Holy Spirit we are not able or effective to be a servant of Jesus.

• Let us seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit and be filled with him. Let us desire again and again to be filled with the Holy Spirit, the living water for our soul and life. Let us seek the gifts of the Spirit to use in our ministry and to edify the body of Christ, His church. When the Holy Spirit touches us we want to invest and give all into the fellowship of the other believers. God will bless us richly. Amen