23.05.10 - How To Be Influential: You Will Receive Power

READ John 15:26-27, 16:7-15

When you stand before God, do you want to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant”? Do you want to know that you did something for God; that you made a difference for the Kingdom of God?

You don’t want to be like the servant who refused to use his talents, who did nothing and was cast outside into darkness. In the Bible we are called God’s co-workers. We work with Him. We are called to bear fruit and we don’t want to be one of those branches that bears no fruit and is therefore cut off and thrown into the fire. We want to make a difference for the Kingdom of God.

Jesus wanted the disciples to be influential. He wanted them to make a difference, even though He wasn’t going to be with them. It was at the Last Supper that He talked about them being fruitful branches in the vine.

If we look at the Last Supper we see that Jesus spent a lot of time talking about the Holy Spirit. Matthew gives less than 1/5 of a chapter to the Last Supper. John gives 6 chapters and half of chapter 14 and half of chapter 16 are about the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ reckoning, a big part of preparing the disciples to be influential was that they should know and experience the Holy Spirit.

If they needed the Holy Spirit to be influential, do we too? If the apostles needed the Holy Spirit, what would make us think we can be influential without Him?

The other day, I read a book by Francis Chan, entitled Forgotten God, subtitle: Reversing our tragic neglect of the Holy Spirit. Chan says that we can do church pretty nicely without the Holy Spirit. We can rely on our personality, our charisma, having a good worship team and providing interesting services, and being friendly, and we can attract a crowd. But all of those things can be explained without the Holy Spirit. What is happening that can be explained only by the presence and power of God? What is happening that is inexplicable apart from it being the work of the Holy Spirit?

Equally, what is happening in your life that has only one explanation: God was at work? What is happening in your live that is obviously God because it couldn’t possibly be you?

Chan says that it is a staggering thing to say that God Himself lives in me. The Holy Spirit of God lives within us. That is a staggering statement. God Himself lives in me. If that was true, shouldn’t people be able to see a difference? Shouldn’t we stand out from others?

For the Apostles, the experience of the Holy Spirit was going to be essential. But do we think we can make a difference without that experience of the Holy Spirit?

At the end of Luke’s gospel, Jesus commissioned the disciples with these words:
Luke 24:46-49 46 He told them, "This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 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."

Jesus gave them the job of preaching to the world... but He told them not to do it (stay in the city) until they had received power from God. Don’t attempt it without the Holy Spirit.

Again, at the beginning of Acts, we read this:
Acts 1:4-5 4 On one occasion...He gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

Jesus did not want them trying to do the work He had given them without first receiving the Holy Spirit. Then He said:
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

You will receive power. That is what we need if we are to make a difference for the Kingdom of God.

I don’t know if you do feel powerful. Let’s not beat ourselves up over that. We might even doubt if God’s promise is true because it might not have been our experience. I’m not going to debate that. I am going to assume that the promise of power is true. There is power available. How can we experience that power?

In the book, Francis Chan says that Joni Eareckson Tada is the most Spirit-filled person he knows. Many of you will know of Joni Eareckson Tada. At the age of 17 she had a diving accident that left her a quadriplegic, paralysed from the neck down. Initially, she wanted to end her life but she instead surrendered to God and the Spirit of God has transformed her into a person of tremendous humility, and a love that enables her to look beyond her own pain and see the hurt others are carrying. She has become a highly sought-after painter and, of course, she can paint only by holding the brush between her teeth. Her autobiography was made into a feature film. She is a recording artists and hosts a daily radio program. She began a Christian ministry to the disabled which impacts thousands of families around the world. By 2008, another of her organisations had distributed 52,342 wheelchairs to 102 different countries. She was appointed to the U.S. State Department’s Disability Advisory Committee. She has worked with Condoleeza Rice and she has written 35 books. Last year Joni was inducted into the Indiana Wesleyan University Society of World Changers. World changers. A quadriplegic empowered by the Holy Spirit.

But Francis Chan writes: Yet it is not because of these accomplishments that I consider her the most Spirit-filled person I know. Actually, it has nothing to do with all that she has accomplished. It has to do with the fact that you can’t spend ten minutes with Joni before she breaks out in song, quotes Scripture, or shares a touching and timely word of encouragement. I have never seen the fruit of the Spirit more obviously displayed in a person’s life as when I am with Joni. I can’t seem to have a conversation with Joni without shedding tears. It’s because Joni is a person whose life, at every level, gives evidence of the Spirit’s work in and through her.

Just for a moment, I want to see what sort of things Jesus said the Holy Spirit would do. Then I want to ask how we can experience Him. During the Last Supper, Jesus made a general statement:
John 14;16-17a I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – 17the Spirit of Truth.

What an amazing provision! “Another advocate”. “Another” means “another one just like Jesus”. God promises to give us someone just like Jesus who will be with us and will help us. Imagine having Jesus with you always and helping you! Well, you have!

If that is true, shouldn’t people be able to see a difference? With God Himself in you and God helping you, shouldn’t that be noticeable?

Indeed, during the Last Supper, Jesus said that the disciples would actually be better off with the Holy Spirit than having Jesus with them.

John 16:7 Very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.

More specifically, Jesus said the Holy Spirit would:
• teach them and guide them into all truth (14:26, 16:13)
• remind them of what Jesus had said (14:26)
• testify about Jesus (15:26) (in other words point people to Jesus) and bring Jesus glory (16:14)
• bring the world to conviction and judgement (16:8-11)

As we know, Jesus also said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” That is power to change us so that we become more like Jesus and the power to change other – influence. We can’t do either by ourselves. We can’t change ourselves or others. But the Holy Spirit gives power.

How can this be our experience?
1. Ask
At the Last Supper, Jesus said, “I will ask the Father and He will send you another advocate” (14:16) I am sure that is true. Jesus is still praying for you. I am sure He is praying for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But we also should ask. Do we want to be influential? We should be desperate. Jesus made these promises to the disciples but Acts 1:14 says that “they all joined together constantly in prayer.” How desperately are you praying for more of the Holy Spirit?

Luke 11:13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

2. Do nothing
The disciples were not to rush out and work. They were to do nothing until the Holy Spirit was given.

The Holy Spirit is a gift. It is by God’s grace that He gives us His Spirit. We cannot earn Him. We don’t receive the Holy Spirit as a reward for trying hard. Sometimes, we need to stop trying hard – stop trying to earn Him – and simply receive.

First and foremost we are talking about a relationship, not just about someone to help us minister. Relationships require time together. Often our lives are too busy and too noisy to simply relate. Maybe we need to do nothing except listen to the Spirit and talk to Him.

As we listen to Him we might realise that there are things He wants to do in our lives. That can be scary but the Holy Spirit wants to do only what is good for us. The challenge then is to let Him. At this stage He might not be asking us to serve in any way but just to allow Him to work.

We can experience the power of the Holy Spirit in our own lives, transforming us. But how can we experience the power of the Holy Spirit working through us to make a difference in other people’s lives?

3. Do what God asks
It is people who put themselves into places where they are dependent on God, who experience God. If we can cope by ourselves, then we don’t need God. It is when we step out in faith and obedience that we discover how faithful and how powerful God is.

Jesus promised “another comforter”. If we are already comfortable, why would we need a Comforter?

Jesus said, “Go and make disciples and I will be with you.” It is as we do the work that we have been commissioned to do that we find that Jesus is with us. We need the Holy Spirit’s guidance only if we are going somewhere. We need the Holy Spirit to remind us of Jesus’ words only if we are seeking to live in obedience to those words. When Jesus promised power through the Holy Spirit, He immediately followed that by saying “and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” It is power for mission. It is power for ministry.

Today is Pentecost; that day when the Holy Spirit came in power upon the disciples and they stood up boldly and proclaimed Jesus and saw a revival.

How can you be like them? Do you want to be? Do you want to be part of God’s team, ministering and seeing results? Is the key for you...
1. Some desperate prayer?
2. Being still, accepting God’s grace and relating to the Holy Spirit?
3. Stepping out and being obedient?