Be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:1~4 

Be filled with the Holy Spirit.

 

○ Good morning everyone.

Today I want to share the message about the fullness of the Holy Spirit. First of all, let’s read the text of today’s sermon, the Acts of the Apostles chapter 2 and verse 1 to 4, with one voice.

 

○ Let’s read together.

1) When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

2) Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

3) They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.

4) All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

 

[A] The Holy Spirit must come.

○ The resurrected Lord commanded the apostles and believers who gathered together to wait for what the Father had promised.

 

○ Let’s read the Acts chapter 1 and verse 3 to 4:

3) After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

4) On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.

 

○ There is a time for everything. The Holy Spirit came at the time when God promised to pour the gift of the Holy Spirit. This means that the age of the Holy Spirit has begun from now on.

 

○ Matthew 4:17, “From that time on Jesus began to preach, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

 

○ And Romans 14:17, “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”

 

○ These two verses mean that it is time for the kingdom of God to expand, which is the work of the Holy Spirit.

 

○ So what is the mission of all believers? That is for believers to build the kingdom of God. The Holy Spirit must come for this.

 

[B] Human efforts are not everything.

○ The kingdom of God is not built without the Holy Spirit. Only when the Holy Spirit comes and works, the kingdom of God will be raised. The kingdom of God is not built by human efforts or human powers.

 

○ The story of the tower of Babel is a case in point. Let’s look at the book of Genesis.

 

○ Let’s read the verse 4 of chapter 11 together.

4) Then they said, Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.

 

○ Then what did God do? Let’s read Genesis 11:7~8.

7) Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.

8) So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city.

 

○ The Tower of Babel symbolizes an empire built by human efforts and human powers. The city of Jericho against God means the same thing.

 

○ God does not want people or nation that make a name for themselves and construct only for them. An empire that is built only by human efforts and human powers is bound to crumble and collapse someday.

 

[C] Be filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

○ OK. Let’s read the verse 4 of the Acts chapter 2 together one more time. “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

 

○ On the day of Pentecost, 120 believers gathered in the upper room and were filled with the Holy Spirit. It was the work of God. By the way, what shape of Holy Spirit came upon them?

 

○ Let’s read the Acts chapter 2 and verse 2~3 again. “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.”

 

○ Sound like the rush of a strong wind! Divided tongues of fire appeared!

 

○ The fullness of the Holy Spirit is described as fire. This teaches us what we need to do to work with our God.

 

○ Let’s read the Acts chapter 1 and verse 8 together. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses...”

 

○ So in order to be witnesses to the living Lord, we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

 

○ Then the fullness of the Holy Spirit gives us zeal, courage and boldness for the kingdom of God.

 

○ Only when the Holy Spirit as fire comes, we can actively participate in God’s work because we have zeal, courage and boldness given by God almighty.

 

○ What did Jesus do when he found people selling in the temple?

 

○ Let’s read the Gospel according to John chapter 2, verse 15~16.

15) So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.

16) To those who sold doves he said, Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!

 

○ And the next verse let’s read it together.

17) His disciples remembered that it is written: Zeal for your house will consume me.

 

○ Strong love for the house of God!

Zeal for the kingdom of God!

The fullness of the Holy Spirit gives us this strong love and zeal.

When the Holy Spirit comes, we will receive power and wisdom for God’s kingdom and his righteousness.

 

[D] The fullness of the Holy Spirit makes the Church alive.

○ OK. Let’s read the Acts chapter 2 and verse 4 once again.

“All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

 

○ On the day of Pentecost, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And they began to speak in different languages. However, it is important that these languages were understandable to each other.

 

○ There are various voices in the Church. But when the Church is full of the Holy Spirit, the Church has one voice.

 

○ When people try to make a name for themselves, God will scatter them. But if we try to exalt the name of God and work for the kingdom of God, God will make the Church one. The fullness of the Holy Spirit makes the Church alive.

 

○ The Church is the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit-filled Church speaks with one voice and act as one body.

 

○ Let’s read 2 Corinthians 12:4~7 together.

4) There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.

5) There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.

6) There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

7) Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

 

○ And the same chapter and verse 27, let’s read it together.

27) Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

 

○ We must pray for the fullness of Holy Spirit every day and every moment. Let’s read the prayer together: “Lord, be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

 

○ Dear sisters and brothers.

Please pray for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The fullness of the Holy Spirit is the driving force behind the expansion of the kingdom of God. The fullness of the Holy Spirit makes the Church one.

 

○ Let’s pray: Holy Spirit, come to us.

Come to us as the fire of love.

Come to us as the power of the Word.

Come to us as the healing of your touch.

In the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour we pray. Amen.