Learning the Epistles – Study 167 |
Acts 10:37-38
Introduction: Hebrews 1:9 teaches us that “…God, hath anointed thee [Jesus] with the oil of gladness [Holy Spirit power] above thy [His] fellows.” With that in mind, we also realize that the main reason for the filling of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was so believers could witness with the power of God to the lost and see them saved.
– On that day, 3,000 people from 16 different nationalities had the Gospel preached to them in their own language.
– Getting the lost saved was the main reason for the filling of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.
– Speaking in tongues was simply a tool God used to spread the Gospel message on that day.
– 1 Corinthians 14:22 says what the purpose of tongues was, “Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.”
The fullness of the Spirit is not evidenced by speaking in an unknown tongue or any other supernatural gifting, but by speaking the Word of God with boldness, “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:31)
We are admonished to be filled with the Spirit in Ephesians 5:18, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” To be “filled with the Spirit” is to be “controlled by the Spirit.”
* Holy-Spirit fullness is the result of a total yielding to the Spirit of God. You can’t fight God and be Spirit-filled!
Our opening text plainly stated that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, “That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” (Acts 10:37-38)
Jesus did all His ministry, all His preaching, all His healings, all His miracles, and all His soul winning in the power of the Holy Spirit! He chose to do this as an example to us.
– Jesus laid aside His Heavenly robes and took upon Himself a robe of flesh, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8)
– How amazing is this! Jesus, the Lord of Glory, became flesh and dwelt among us as a Spirit-filled man!
– According to Philippians 2, Jesus did all His work in the power of the Holy Spirit, not as Deity. Jesus left that power in Heaven and did everything as a Spirit-filled man.
1. The Old Testament teaches that Jesus was Spirit-filled.
– Isaiah 42:1-4, “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him…”
– Isaiah 61:1-2, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek…”
– Isaiah 11:1-3, “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears.”
2. The New Testament teaches that Jesus was Spirit-filled.
– Acts 10:38, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power…”
– Hebrews 9:14, “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
– Acts 1:2, “Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen.”
3. Jesus did all He did in the power of the Holy Spirit.
– The power of the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus at His baptism, “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:29-34)
– The Word of God plainly states that Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit, “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” (Luke 4:1)
* Jesus fought Satan as a Spirit-filled man, not as God. There, in Luke 4:1-13, we find the rest of the story, how Satan tempted Jesus with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life after Jesus had fasted for 40 days. Hebrews 4:14-15 tell us the end result of His being Holy-Spirit filled during that temptation, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”
* Had Jesus done all of this as God, we would have no example to follow; but because He did what He did as a Spirit-filled man, we can follow His example!
4. With the Holy Spirit’s power, we can do even more.
– Notice with me the promise of John 14:12, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
– Why more? Jesus only ministered publicly for three years. We have more years to live in the power of the Holy Spirit than Jesus did.
* The modern-day charismatic movement centers itself on tongues and miracles. However, the power of the Holy Spirit centers around the saving of the lost. If what is happening today does not follow this Bible pattern, it is not of God!
Conclusion: Simply put, if Jesus needed to depend on the filling of the Holy Spirit as a man, how much more do we need to depend on the filling of the Holy Spirit as men? Who controls you: the Holy Spirit or you?
