You Shall Be Witnesses
Scripture: Acts 1:8Devotional Series: The Spirit of Truth
Teaching: The Spirit Of Truth pt. 1 (SUN_AM 2021-09-12) by Pastor Star R Scott
Glory to God! Aren’t you thankful for that? All things are possible, because nothing is impossible with God; amen?
Let’s turn to John, the fourteenth chapter, and as we just finished teaching on the Person of the Holy Spirit, that Person of the Godhead which is so often overlooked in the church today—we go from everything to the Calvinist doctrine that believes in cessation, that there are no manifestations of the Holy Spirit today as we see in the New Testament, no longer believing that men enjoy a subsequent work of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, believing that it ended with the apostles. And yet the Scripture so plainly states that that great promise that they had partaken of was unto them, to their children, to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Aren’t you glad you’ve been called? Aren’t you glad that you’ve been called to partake of that refreshing of the Holy Ghost?
This is the refreshing: praying in the Holy Ghost. Hallelujah! I hope you’re availing yourselves of that. Paul said, “I thank God that I pray with tongues more than you all.” How vital it is to pray in the Spirit! He that prayeth in the Spirit, he that speaketh in tongues, speaketh not unto men but unto God and gives thanks well, hallelujah! The Scripture says as we’re praying in the Spirit, we’re edifying ourselves. We’re not going to be talking about that work of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but another vital ministry that the Holy Spirit provides us.
We know that the Lord had commanded them to go to Jerusalem and tarry, and He said wait for the promise. He said that “you would receive power after the Holy Ghost had come upon you, and you will be witnesses unto Me.” We see people looking to the Holy Spirit to empower them to be witnesses and rightfully so. We’ll talk a little bit about the fact that we are the temple of the Holy Ghost and that reference being made to the fact that we are the representation of Jesus on the earth. Jesus said, “I’m going to go away, and I’m going to send you another Comforter.” He said, “The things that I have done, greater things shall you do because I’ve gone to the Father.” And that Comforter has come and indwelt each one of us individually and given each one of us individually the capacity to do what He did, in His name. Not by our ability, not by our righteousness, not by our faith, but in the name of Jesus; amen?
So, it’s exciting to see that aspect of the Holy Spirit working in us. The Bible says, because the Holy Spirit indwells us, that we become living epistles that are read of men. Let’s remind ourselves this morning, people are watching us. Amen? There’s a lot of hypocrisy—always has been, always will be. “I’m not going to go to that church because there are hypocrites there.” Then you can’t go to any church, because there are hypocrites in every church. So, what we need to realize, then, is that we’re being watched, and that Holy Spirit power that indwells us will enable us to represent the mercy of God, the grace of God, the love of God, so that people could look on us and hopefully see Jesus; amen?
The Lord Himself said you’ll do greater things, so why would we say less? So much of the church today wants to walk around and talk about how weak they are and how their spirit is willing, but their flesh is weak. Well, join the club! We’re all that way. Amen? But that does not negate the ability of the Greater One in us enabling us to obey; enabling us to move in that grace; enabling us to walk, the Scripture says, as He walked. What a great promise! Something that we should wake up every day and be excited about, praise God! I get to go out and represent Jesus today! If only one person could glimpse Jesus in me, what a successful day; amen? If only I could share with one person today the love of God—how while I was found in my sins, while I was cast off in iniquity, while I was a hater of God, while I was an enemy of God, God loved me! Jesus died for me! And He is no respecter of persons. It’s for you today, for whosoever will, may come; amen?
Let’s turn to John, the fourteenth chapter, and as we just finished teaching on the Person of the Holy Spirit, that Person of the Godhead which is so often overlooked in the church today—we go from everything to the Calvinist doctrine that believes in cessation, that there are no manifestations of the Holy Spirit today as we see in the New Testament, no longer believing that men enjoy a subsequent work of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, believing that it ended with the apostles. And yet the Scripture so plainly states that that great promise that they had partaken of was unto them, to their children, to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. Aren’t you glad you’ve been called? Aren’t you glad that you’ve been called to partake of that refreshing of the Holy Ghost?
This is the refreshing: praying in the Holy Ghost. Hallelujah! I hope you’re availing yourselves of that. Paul said, “I thank God that I pray with tongues more than you all.” How vital it is to pray in the Spirit! He that prayeth in the Spirit, he that speaketh in tongues, speaketh not unto men but unto God and gives thanks well, hallelujah! The Scripture says as we’re praying in the Spirit, we’re edifying ourselves. We’re not going to be talking about that work of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, but another vital ministry that the Holy Spirit provides us.
We know that the Lord had commanded them to go to Jerusalem and tarry, and He said wait for the promise. He said that “you would receive power after the Holy Ghost had come upon you, and you will be witnesses unto Me.” We see people looking to the Holy Spirit to empower them to be witnesses and rightfully so. We’ll talk a little bit about the fact that we are the temple of the Holy Ghost and that reference being made to the fact that we are the representation of Jesus on the earth. Jesus said, “I’m going to go away, and I’m going to send you another Comforter.” He said, “The things that I have done, greater things shall you do because I’ve gone to the Father.” And that Comforter has come and indwelt each one of us individually and given each one of us individually the capacity to do what He did, in His name. Not by our ability, not by our righteousness, not by our faith, but in the name of Jesus; amen?
So, it’s exciting to see that aspect of the Holy Spirit working in us. The Bible says, because the Holy Spirit indwells us, that we become living epistles that are read of men. Let’s remind ourselves this morning, people are watching us. Amen? There’s a lot of hypocrisy—always has been, always will be. “I’m not going to go to that church because there are hypocrites there.” Then you can’t go to any church, because there are hypocrites in every church. So, what we need to realize, then, is that we’re being watched, and that Holy Spirit power that indwells us will enable us to represent the mercy of God, the grace of God, the love of God, so that people could look on us and hopefully see Jesus; amen?
The Lord Himself said you’ll do greater things, so why would we say less? So much of the church today wants to walk around and talk about how weak they are and how their spirit is willing, but their flesh is weak. Well, join the club! We’re all that way. Amen? But that does not negate the ability of the Greater One in us enabling us to obey; enabling us to move in that grace; enabling us to walk, the Scripture says, as He walked. What a great promise! Something that we should wake up every day and be excited about, praise God! I get to go out and represent Jesus today! If only one person could glimpse Jesus in me, what a successful day; amen? If only I could share with one person today the love of God—how while I was found in my sins, while I was cast off in iniquity, while I was a hater of God, while I was an enemy of God, God loved me! Jesus died for me! And He is no respecter of persons. It’s for you today, for whosoever will, may come; amen?