Luke 24:49-53 The Promise of the Father

 

Intro: These were exciting days for the Disciples – JESUS WAS ALIVE / HE HAD RISEN

A)   These days were a stark contrast to what these Disciples were feeling 40 days Previously

 

B)    40 days before they had their HOPES SHATTERED / their FAITH – DASHED  as they watched Jesus Crucified

1) Left them Depressed / Discouraged / confused

 

C)   But after 3 days – heard the report of the Rez. / then Jesus appeared to all the Disciples / was w/ them at least 12 times in the next  40 days

 

D)   After those 40 days where HE was seen by at least 500 people at once as well as many individually – HE leads them to the Mt. Of Olives

1) There HE pronounces blessing upon them & ascends up into Heaven

 

 

Now it was very important that Jesus ascend up into Heaven –But why ?

A)   1st Because Jesus declared in Jn. 14 – that He was going to Heaven to PREPARE A PLACE FOR US !!!

 

B)   Great truth – If you know the Lord – He has gone to heaven to Prepare a Place – Particularly for You !!!

1) This world is as bad as it gets for You – all Up ward & on ward from

      here

 

C)   2nd – Not just to PREPARE  a place – but to PLEAD – ON BEHALF OF YOU –   While still here / Flesh we sin / fail/ Blow it

 

D) Satan Brings accusation / 1 Jn. He is our Advocate –Defense attorney

1)   And We are told in the book of Heb.  that presently Jesus is in Heaven serving as Our High Priest – where – He lives to make intercession ….

So it was important that Jesus Ascend into Heaven so that He might Prepare a Place / & Plead on Behalf on but there is one more reason

A)   3rd Reason – Provide Power for You –

 

B)   A Lumber Jack who could cut down & cut up 5 trees a day w/ one of those two handled – hand saw – saw an add in the paper

1) The Hardware store was advertising a new saw that – Guaranteed that you could cut down 15 trees a day

 

C)   So He went down & bought it – and set out to use it – but after – 2 days he brought it back to the Story & was very Frustrated / only 2 trees a day

1) Bought this – Guaranteed – 15 trees only 2 – something is wrong –

 

D)   Manager of the Hard ware store said – Lets take a look – walked over to that saw – Chain saw – Pulled the Cord – engine roared /

1) Old guy jumped back – What is that ……..

 

E)    See that man was trying to use that Chain saw w/ out the Power supply

 We as believers often make the same mistake

1)     We want to walk w/ the Lord & be used by the Lord but we do so w/ out the Power source provided to us by the Lord

 

That is the focus of our study tonight 

49  "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."

 

A)  He needed to ASCEND so that the Promise of the Father might DESCEND from the Father & come upon them .

 

B)  What is the PROMISE OF THE FATHER? – It is the person & Power of the Holy Spirit in the Life of the Believer !!!!

 

C)  We have noted already – John 14:16 – Turn

 

 

16  "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever; 17  "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and SHALL be in you.

 

 

Now there are 3 aspects to the Holy Spirits work in the Life of a Person

Jesus mentions 2 of them here in v.17 of John Ch.14

A)   He is w/ you & He shall be in You

 

B)   The Holy Spirit was WITH them because He was w/ Jesus ? What is the function of the H.S. WITH a person .

 

Ch.16:7-11 7  "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8  "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin,& of righteousness,& of judgment: 9  "of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10  "of righteousness, because I go to My Father &  you see Me no more; 11"of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

 

A) According to this/  His first Job is to Convict the World of Sin- mainly their rejection of or not believing in J.C.

 

B)   If you are not a Christian tonight – H.S. is working on your Heart –

Conviction – You are a sinner / need a Savior / Only way Escape Judgment

 

C)   Also in Jn.15:26 -  "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.

 

D)   H.S. role is to Testify of Jesus – confirm the word – that these things are true

1) So that is the work of the H.S. w/ a Person – Convict / testify / Draw ..

 

But Jesus also said that He shall be IN YOU !!! / Now When did that take place for the Disciples –

A)   Jn. 20 after the Rez. – Jesus appears – turn

 

21  So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

 

B)   It was at this moment – that the Disciples were born again -  they were born of the Spirit . ( No one was saved until after the Cross & Rez.)

1) Paul in Romans 10 describes the Criteria for being saved

 

9       that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

 

C)   They believed that He was dead – but here they saw Him alive – they Believed – but then Jesus Breathed on them & said Receive ye the…..

 

D)   Now When Jesus says something like this – it Happens – at that moment they were indwelt w/ the H.S.

1) Their Spirits came to Life – And at that moment the H.S. took up Residence in their Hearts

 

E)   Listen to how Paul Describes this in – Romans 8:11

11  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

 

Now if His function w/ me was to convict me of the Sin of Unbelief / warn me of Judgment – what is His Purpose IN Me ?

A)That is what we have been talking about the last several weeks – He is called the Helper / teacher / Comforter

 

C) He is constantly involved in that role of Sanctifying us / Producing fruit thru Pruning us cutting away what doesn’t belong more fruit

D)So He is WITH US before conversion / Dwelling IN US after we are saved – but there is one more aspect of His ministry. Acts 1

 

4  And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me;

5  "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

 

8       "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

 

A)   This is the 3rd aspect of the H.S. that – Jesus told His disciples about – this is what they needed before – fulfill – great Commission

 

B)    Go into all the World preaching the Gospel – Make Disciples of all Nations

 

C) Now these guys – spent 31/2 yrs w/ the Lord Himself – w/ the Best

      teacher & Instructor

1) w/ the Greatest mentor &  Example yet it wasn’t enough

 

A)    That is why  He told them to go to Jerusalem & wait until they were ENDUED W/ Power from on HIGH !!!

 

B)Jesus knew this would be the key to their effectiveness, to their ability to    witness to the world and to serve the  body of Christ!

          1.)          They needed the empowering that comes from being                               baptized with the spirit!

 

B)    Now if they needed this power in their lives how much more do we

 

This 3rd aspect of the H.S. work is revealed in the word – Upon –

A)   Not just w/ / not just in – but He will come upon you/V.5 Baptize you

B)   Think of Baptism – think of full immersion – water envelopes you –

1) Water & the Pitcher – over flowing - 

 

C)   Several types of Baptisms the Bible refers to : Baptism of fire –trials/ suffering / water Baptism – Something you do – faith in Christ

1) 1 Cor. 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body

 

D)   That is Salvation – You are immersed into the Body of Christ

 

But there is another Baptism the Bible speaks of – John the B / Matt 3:11 11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit

 

A)Baptism w/ the HS is something that Jesus does – Purpose is so that we can be his servants

 

A.  J.  Gordon, one of the founders of Gordon Conwell Divinity School, told of being out on a walk looking across a field -at a house

A.)           Beside house He saw what  looked like a man at a well furiously

        pumping a hand pump to get water

 

A)    Gordon watch in amazement  at the Speed & the tireless pumping as the man just went on and on- Up and down without ever slowing or stopping

 

C) This was truly a Remarkable sight - Gordon decided to head over there

     for a closer look -

1)   But as He moved closer – He  saw not a man / But a wooden figure that looked like a man

 

D)And that Arm that was  pumping so rapidly – was hinged at the elbow –

     and ATTACHED TO THE hand pump on the well

1) And the Water that was flowing forth wasn’t  because the Man was           pumping the water / but the water was pumping the Man !!!

That is the way it is with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. It is not - a man working hard - vigorously

A) It is the Holy spirit working through the person - empowering the person!

 

B)    Wait someone might say – if we receive the HS when we are saved – what is this coming upon all about

 

C)    Acts 19:1-7

 

Here in Acts 19 Paul comes to Ephesus and meets a group of people referred to as disciples!

A.) Throughout the Book of Acts, without a single exception, the term DISCIPLE is ALWAYS synonymous with the BELIEVER IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

 

B)He asks them a very interesting question - "Have you received           the spirit since you believed?"

          1.)Valid question - good question - one every believer should                  consider and be able to answer!

 

C) Paul - assuming these are believers - notices something missing with           these guys!  Something not there!

          1.)          I have been around folks like that - know doctrine,                        fundamentals down - right on - right - dead right!

 

Cc)          Argue doctrine by the hour - some are like modern day           Pharisees

          1.)          But something missing - worship is drudgery - witnessing                     is non existent - no life - no excitement - enthusiasm

 

D.)          Word enthusiasm interesting.   EN means In or full of.  THEOS           means God - full of God!

          1.)          Lack of fullness; lack of vibrancy in things of God - love           toward God

 

E.)          Paul asks - question - received Spirit?

          1.)          Fact that Paul asked this question makes it a valid question!

Now this is a Question we all should be able to answer as confidently as - Have you received Jesus?

A)Many in church today are like these guys - what mean - never heard?

 

B) Now there are those who suggest that Paul was not referring to the Baptism of the Spirit / but to Salvation

  1) In Essence they suggest Paul was asking them Are you really disciples / are you really in Christian ?

 

C)That is so silly / if that is what Paul meant / that is what he would have said / plus it makes no sense to say concerning salvation : Have received spirit -

1)   Given : Scriptures are clear : Spirit indwells you when saved – Paul taught that – Rom 8:11

 

The Problem these brothers & sisters have is they don’t understand why a person who has received the Spirit when saved / in dwelling

A)Why do they need a “ second work or experience “ If you have the H.S. in you How can you get more of Him they ask?

 

B)This is where they mess up / When saved - you get all of the spirit - He is dwelling in you.

 1) But the Baptism of Spirit or the Empowering of the spirit / isn’t you getting more of Him it is  Him getting all of you

 

C) ANALOGY Like sail on a sail boat - half way up - wind is only getting part of the sail

 1)All the wind that is there that day is available but only getting half of sail

 

D) Open it all the way - and boom - power the boat goes

 

Jesus wants to supply us w/ a Power that is beyond ourselves 

 A) how do we receive this Power –( No more waiting – no other place)

 

B) So How ?    Simple – Ask  -Luke 11:11-13

11  "If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?

12  "Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13  "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"

 

A)   Jesus is contrasting – how we as Human parents seek to give our Children what they need to succeed w/ Himself

 

B)   You guys Know How to take care of your Kids – even though your giving is flawed – Give them something get out of your hair

1) So too – if you give what is right – How much more will I give the H.S. to them that ask !!!

 

C)   But You have to ask – See The simple act of ASKING – of making the REQUEST – REVEALS A CONFESSION THAT THERE IS A NEED!!

 

Now what makes us daily come before the Lord & Say fill me today w/ Your Spirit – Empower me for this day – YOU SEE THE NEED

A)   Lord I confess today I can’t make it w/ out you – Can’t Love my wife..

 

B)   We will look at some examples next week of some of the things that take place in the lives of those who have received Baptism

 

C)   Gifts tongues / Hunger for the Word / Boldness to share

 

Eph 5 Continually being filled