The Need of the Power of God in Our Lives

Luke 24.36-53

The LORD had been crucified, buried and had risen. It was now 40 days later. He had been speaking to them before His death and after His death about the coming of the Holy Spirit. He told them He was going away and that He would not leave them as orphans, that He would come to them.

He had died on Passover, rose from the dead on the third day. He likened his death to a seed that goes into the ground.
John 12:24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.

He had instructed them at the end if these 40 days not to leave Jerusalem but to wait in the city until they had been clothed with power from on High.

Now He led them up the Mount of Olives, a familiar place to them. At its base was the Garden of Gethsemene. They were above that now. There He ascended back into heaven. All they had was the experiences of walking with Him and the Word He left them. Yet their hearts were filled with joy as they wondered what was next, prayerfully wondered.

They waited. 10 days had elapsed. God's perfect timing was in place. His plan was about to be revealed. Sometimes, many times we just have to go with what we have been given by the LORD and then wait for Him to act.

And act He did! What he had spoken about in Acts 1.1-8 came to pass in Acts 2.

Peter explained it. Filled with the Spirit, these followers of Jesus came out of the Upper Room and went out onto the streets of Jerusalem with the Good News. Peter quoted from Joel in his first sermon in the new born church:
Joel 2:28-32 “And afterward,I will pour out my Spirit on all people.Your sons and daughters will prophesy,your old men will dream dreams,your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women,I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavensand on the earth,blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darknessand the moon to bloodbefore the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And everyone who callson the name of the Lord will be saved;for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance,as the Lord has said,even among the survivors whom the Lord calls. "

Then because it was the Day of Pentecost and there were visitors from all over the world in Jerusalem for the Feast, people from every nation heard and 3,000 believed and were baptized!

The LORD was accomplishing His purposed. In wrath remember mercy prophet Habakuk had prayed. Jesus told of the coming destruction of Jerusalem. That had not changed. It was going to happen within 40 years. But for this time of grace, everyone who called upon the Name of the LORD was saved.

I had planned to bring a message on our need of national repentance this morning. I will do that next week. I got the right message just the wrong week. The past few days there was a tug towards a message on the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer.

Those early believers came out of the security of the upper room and went onto the streets of Jerusalem!

1. We Need to Stir Up the Gift of God that is within Us.
2 Timothy 1:6-8 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.
to kindle up, inflame one's mind, strength, zeal
This could be referring to Timothy's particular gift, perhaps of prophecy.
It could be referring to the Holy Spirit Himself.

How can we fan into flame His Presence within us?
*By reading His Word, particularly passages like we are looking at this morning.
*Worship songs can help do this.
*Praying with other believers does this
*Reading accounts of when His Spirit was outpoured throughout
His Story.

2. We Need To See the Need of His Spirit Within the Church Today!
Zechariah 4:6 So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty."

With all our technology and our resources we can depend our these things. We need Him! We need His power. We need to see ourselves like the disciples after Jesus went back into heaven during that 10 day period between he ascension and the Day of Pentecost when the had nothing. Jesus was back in heaven, He have them instructions about the evangelization of the world and then had them wait for the power.

They could do nothing without Him.

3. We Need to See the Ongoing Need of His Power. Acts 4
Acts 4:29-31 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

When they were threatened they prayed for power. They didn't try and organize to stop the persecution. They prayed for power.
They didn't seek to get away from it. They had their instructions from Jesus and obeyed Him.

We are so afraid of persecution. Paul's prayerful concern for Timothy
about being ashamed. God help us!

God is not through with us. He desires to work in His church here in America the way He is around the world today. He desires for us to be filled with His Spirit. He has called us to be His witnesses.