Payette River Vineyard, Sermons, Theology Thoughts, Vineyard Movement

Power With A Purpose

saintI just finished preaching this morning about the Holy Spirit being upon us to be witness of Jesus to the world. I was a little nervous today considering the topic and some other items…but God showed up and granted me peace during worship. Peace that carried through the sermon. 🙂

The main text of the sermon was Acts 1:1-11 – today was the first day of a series going through the book of Acts. It is kinda of strange as we have tried to go through the book of Acts two or three times over the last 4 years, but we keep getting distracted fairly early on. I pray that this time will be different. Besides, God must have something for us if we keep getting directed back to Acts.

Anyway, today I focused on the three adjectives of the Holy Spirit:

  • “with” – The Spirit us with us, drawing us to Jesus and convicting us of our sins (John 16).
  • “in” – When we bow our knees to Christ and give our lives to Jesus, the Spirit comes into us and seals us for God (2 Corth 1:22, Eph 1:13-14).

John 20:22 also shows this as the resurrected Jesus breathes on the apostles to receive the Holy Spirit. The world “breathes” refers back to Gen 2:7 when God breathed into man and created Adam. This time, Jesus is breathing into us, making us a new creation in Him.

  • “upon” – Acts 1:8, “you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses.” It is power with a purpose. Power to be a witness of Christ.

Going back to John 20:22 – the word ‘breath’ also refers to Ezekiel 37 when the ‘son of man’ prophesies to a valley of dry bones. These bones becomes a vast army filled with the Spirit of God – an army to conquer the enemy and to establish the Kingdom of God. Power with a purpose.

Jesus tells us in John 7:37-39 that those who follow Him will have streams of living water flowing out of them. This water is the Holy Spirit (vs 39) – meaning that the Spirit is going to pour out of believers and change the world. Power with a purpose.

Imagine a cup filled with water – that is the believer at salvation (“in” you). Now pour more water into the cup – that is the Spirit “upon” you; pouring over the cup rim and over the table. It is a water that is for those around you.

“I tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, because I am going to the Father.” -Jesus (John 14:12, NET Bible)

We must walk in the power of the Holy Spirit – listening to the Father just like Jesus (John 5:19, 30). If we don’t, we are nothing more then a social club doing good deeds. We must make room for Him to break into our lives and show the world Christ.

Power with a purpose. The purpose of being a witness to the world for Jesus – King Jesus, the Lord of All.