The receiving of the Holy Spirit

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 28 NOVEMBER 2021

ACTS 1 VERSES 1 - 11

We have spent time looking at Peter, how on one occasion he fished all night and caught nothing, then Jesus told him to let down his nets once more and he caught such a large amount of fish he was not able to contain them all (Luke 5)  On that occasion Jesus asked him to "follow me".  As the Lord speaks to us today he too asks us to follow him.  Have we turned from that pathway today?  Peter had to get out of his boat and leave aside the success he had experienced in catching so many fish.  Mark 1 verse 17 "And Jesus said unto them come ye after me and I will make you to become fishers of men."  It implies a process, building up training, being a pilgrim, not signing a form and overnight you are a fisher of men.  

Think of the word "follow" today.  We can only become fishers of men if we follow Christ, with him on our side.  Peter was here amongst the disciples on the final earthly meeting with Jesus.  How important it would be in his life from here on.  Luke 24 verse 50 "and he led them out."  Jesus had something important to say to them.  It is important to be in the house of God today, to have fellowship with God's people, for God to say something important to us.  Jesus would speak to them and show them the way ahead.  He woul speak of the coming of the Holy Spirit, the infilling of the Spirit, how it would happen and when it would happen.  Luke tells us in verse 1 "the former treatise (or gospel)."  Luke, the writer of Acts tells this man Theophilus (lover of God is what his name means), my previous book dealt with Jesus, his life, his miracles and parables, now I am writing about the Holy Spirit who took over from Jesus.  "After that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen."  What Jesus will continue to do through the power of the Holy Spirit working through us.  The Holy Spirit must work in the lives of unbelievers to bring them to Christ, to salvation.  You know that yourself personally.  The moment you were in sin, you heard the gospel of saving grace, how Jesus came into the world without sin, gave his life for you and me, how he went to the cross of Calvary, he took every sin on himself and was sacrificed.   Maybe you heard that message once, twice, or several times and fought against it for a life time.  Maybe you felt you didn't need this great salvation, felt the church was all you needed, you attended every week, if you read your bible that you would be alright.  But one night you were listening to the word of God.  God would take that word and apply it to you and show you your need of salvation.  The Holy Spirit worked in your life when you surrendered to Christ.  That is not the work of any preacher or evangelist.  If the Holy Spirit is not dealing with your heart and soul you will never be saved.  The Holy Spirit must be alive and working in us to tell others about Christ.  We have to possess it to give it out to others.  If the preacher doesn't have salvation it will never come out of his lips.  You cannot preach God's salvation if you haven't got it. It is only the Holy Spirrit that can work in our lives.  The disciples were gathered around the Lord.  He led them out.  You are led into God's house today.  You come with a desire to be here today.  Why did the Lord bring his disciples here?  He had something important to say to them.  For their present day and their future too.  He wanted to point them to the source of the power that would come.  Maybe the Lord is dealing with you today.  He wants you to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  When you were born again you received the Holy Spirit but you were not filled.  Following after yes but not filled.  Remember how the spies when they returned from spying out the land of Canaan they brought back the produce of that land.  They carried a cluster of grapes between 2 men.  This was a productive land.  He would bring his people into the blessing of the fullness of the Holy Spirt - to enter into his presence.  He brings us today to a feast not a famine.  When the 12 spies came back to the camp they showed the produce and they told the people it was a great land the Lord had brought them to but they could not take it.  The cities are large and the walls tall.  Joshua told the people when they reached Canaan "if God be for us who can be against us?"  10 men brought an evil report.  The people were discouraged.  But 2 men Joshua and Caleb brought the truth.  We need men and women to hear the truth, to begin to tell the truth.  It didn't deter Caleb and Joshua.  Caleb was not for turning back.  Caleb heard the promise and for 40 years he wholly followed the Lord.  The disciples followed the Lord out to the Mount of Olives to hear what would happen next.  Remember how Elisha craved the double portion Elijah had.  He was going to tke over the role of the prophet.  He asked Elijah for that double portion and was told "if you see me go you can have it."  They both went around the various cities, he tried to discourage him but he refused to be left behind.  He wanted to follow him.  "Do you not know the Lord will take your master away from you?" the people said to Elisha.  When Elijah was taken up in the whirlind he had to receive the mantle and then go to the Jordan River.  He smote the river so that he could walk across on dry ground.  Are you discouraged today?  Are you following the Lord wholeheartedly?

Pointing here to a great mystery.  Verse 4 "wait"  This was the promise of God not to the disciples only but to all believers that we might be filled with the Holy Spirit.  This was the power they needed to set out with.  On the Day of Pentcost Peter cast out his net and 3000 were saved.  He couldn't have done that without the power of the Holy Spirit.   Jesus had taught his disciples all about this Holy Spirit - John 14 verse 6.  Jesus said he would not leave them as orphans in this land.  The Holy Spirit would be with them.  He is the one who draws alongside us even today.  John 14 verse 26 he is also to be our teacher, to bring back to our minds all that has been revealed to us.  That is going to be important in soul winning.  He is the Comforter and he will lead you into all truth.  He will point to and glorify the Lord Jesus.  That is the ministry of the Holy Spirit today.  

Jesus points here to the means of it.  A baptism of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity.  God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit has the same attributes as God.  He can only be received as a gift from God.  Acts 1 verse 5 "but ye shall be baptised with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."  The means of receiving was clear.  Remember Philip in Samaria in Acts 8.  The believers had to leave Jerusalem because of the great opposition to the church. Philip left there and came to Samaria where he preached the Lord unto the people.  He saw a tremendous work done in that place, the people were saved and delivered from evil spirits.  Simon the sorcerer did many magic tricks but he also believed.  It is possible to have a head knowledge of what the Lord has done for us that we need to be saved but that is not heart knowledge.  We turn from our sins in our past life, trust the Lord with all our heart, soul and mind, then we are made new creatures in Christ.  We are not falling back into the old life but there are still old haunts that used to take us down.  Saved by the grace of God and going on with the Lord.  Simon got saved along with other people.  So they sent for Peter an John to preach about the Holy Spirit. When they came down they laid hands on the people who began to receive the Holy Spiit.  Simon came with a purse of money and asked "give me also this power."  Peter said to him "your money perish with you becuse thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money."  You cannot purchase the gift of God, it is only by receiving it by faith and coming to trust in him.  On the Day of Pentecost Peter described it from Joel 2 verse 28 "And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions."  On the Day of Pentecost in the upper room the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and they went out into the city of Jerusalem.  They began to preach the gospel.  The people heard the gospel in their own language.  They looked on them as ignorant men. Some said they were drunk others that they were babbling.  Peter filled with Holy Ghost said they were not drunk but took them back to the book of Joel.  What a testimony Peter had - he is becoming a fisher of men.  What about you and I?  Is this something reserved for Peter or the disciples?  Do we not need this same infilling of the Spirit?  Have we waited before God to receive this power of God.?  Have we received the  Holy Spirit to bring us into that which he would have us to do today?

 

I go a fishing

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SUNDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2021

JOHN 21 VERSES 1 - 14

Whilst not all the disciples are named in this passage ("2 other of his disciples") all were important to the Lord.  We only want to look at Peter.  It was another fruitless night of catching nothing.  When they returned to the shore a voice called out "have you any meat?"  They replied "no".  They didn't recognise Jesus on the shore.  He tells them to "cast the net on the right side of the ship and ye shall find."  Sure enough they did that and they had so many they were not able to bring them all in.  John turns to Peter and tells him it is Jesus.  Immediately Peter jumped out of the boat.  He didn't wait until they got back to shore.  Peter was called to be a fisher of men.  We too are called to do the same today.  Jesus would make Peter a fisher of men.  Andrew started it off when he went and found Peter and told him they had found the Messiah.  We can see in Peter's life his rashness, his redundancy, his recall and his reflection.

The course of Peter's life.  Peter is at this junction in his life because of his obedience  to God.  Why were they here at the Sea of Galilee?  On the resurrection day as the disciples made their way to the tomb one of the things on their mind was the stone in front of the tomb.  How could they ever move it?  When they arrived at the tomb they looked in amazement as the stone had been rolled back.  Maybe you are worrying without any purpose to worry.  Why not leave it with the Lord.  "Cast all your cares upon the Lord for he cares for you."  They found the stone rolled away.  Next they found the tomb empty.  Christ had risen from the dead.  God had raised him from the dead.  It was not possible for the pains of death to hold him.  We serve a risen Saviour today.  Matthew 28 verse 7 the angel said "go quickly and tell my disciples that he is risen from the dead and behold he goeth before you into Galilee and you shall see him as I have told you."  Mark makes it clear "tell my disciples and Peter".  Peter was not to be left out.  We serve a gracious Saviour, one who doesn't hold our failures before us.  He bids us to come unto him.  Matthew 28 verse 10 "be not afraid, go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee and there shall they see me."  Peter and the other disicples were in Galilee because that is where they were told to be.  Are we in the place where God would have us to be today?  God had promised to meet them there and nowhere else.  We are to follow the direction of the word of God if we are not where Jesus wants us to be we will not enjoy the presence of Christ.  Think of Elijah the mighty prophet.  He could call down fire from heaven.  1 Kings 17 he came with a word from the Lord to Ahab.  Then he had to flee to the brook Cherith.  He would be fed by ravens and drink from the brook.  I'm sure he thought about that message.  He thought about the word he had just brought to Ahab.  There would be no rain.  If that was true then how would he himself be sustained by the brook Cherith?  Ahab and his soldiers searched every place of his kingdom to find him but God had hidden him by the brook.  Elijah never knew God to fail.  Every day he was there.  If we are where God would have us to be there will be blessing for us but only in the place where God would have us to be.  The bible makes it clear not to turn aside from the gathering of ourselves together.  We are to be with the people of God today.  In Acts 16 Lydia came to a riverside "where prayer was wont to be made."  The word "wont" means a habitual custom.  People who made it a habit to meet in prayer.  Here was Peter and the course he was on was because of the word of God. 

The choice that Peter makes.  Commentators are hard on Peter at this stage.  Peter said "I go a fishing"  They didn't know what to do with themselves.  Some say Peter has mde a choice, he was going back to his old trade.  Peter returns to that which he knows.  Back to fishing.  He was turning from the course he was on.  Was he like Demas who walked away from the apostle Paul?  Maybe he enjoyed the comforts more than preaching the word of God.  We shouldn't want to give up because things have been difficult.  John Mark left the apostles.  The Lord came and he found Peter in his old trade.  The Lord is finding many today going back because of the hardships they are encountering.  They are putting their lifestyle before God.  Maybe Peter was contemplating the changes that were taking place.  The one who left heaven's glory came with one purpose - to be our Saviour, that he might take our sins away. What a wonderful Saviour we have.  He came to die for every one of us.

The command Peter had.  Peter was a leader.  When he announced he was going fishing they all said they would go too.  Influence is important.  Peter was making a decision that influenced everyting else.  He wanted to go back to fishing and the other disicples said they would follow him too.  You and I influence others around us with our attitudes, the things we say, the places we visit, the company we keep.  Peter was an influence.  1 Kings 12 Solomon came to the throne after his father's death.  He sought the Lord for guidance and leading.  Solomon had a great influence.  He ruled with an iron fist.  Rehoboam came to the throne after his death.  He was overwhelmed by the enormity of the task before him.  He turned to the elders who had been alive during his father's time.  He asked them for advice about what he should do.  The advice was to ease the taxes of the people which his father introduced and he would gain the respect of the people.  Then he went and asked the young people, those he had grown up with.  They influenced him and Rehoboam followed their instruction.  They told him to increase the taxes.  As a result Rehoboam divided the kingdom.  Such influence the younger men had on Rehoboam.  We have an influence today in our homes, in our work places, in our families, in our friendships, in our neighbourhoods.

The challenge Peter receives.  Peter receives a three fold challenge.  The manner it came took him back to the Judgmennt Day in Pilate's house.  There he had denied the Lord 3 times.  Now he is back fishing.  The Lord asks him 3 times "do you love me?"  God takes us back sometimes when we stumble and fall.  He takes us back to that place to make amends.  "Peter do you love me?"  Whenever Peter heard it was the Lord he jumped into the water.  He wanted to prove his love for the Lord.  You and I must be active in the work.  We need to come to the place where we need to check again for our love for the Lord.  "Do you love me Peter more than this?"  Was Jesus pointing to the other disciples when he asked this question?  Jesus was testing Peter's love.

The commission Peter receives.  "Feed my lambs".  The Lord was using 2 words in reference to love - agape love which is a deep devotional love and filial which is a mere friendship love.  The Lord was looking for something deeper than filial love but rather an agape love.  As the Lord comes to us again he asks us "do you really love me today?"  Is your life in my hands?  Are you my child today?

 

God who creates, communicates, controls and completes

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 7 NOVEMBER 2021

HEBREWS 1

In the past week we have been hearing a lot of global warming with the Cop26 summit in Glasgow.  Jesus said in Luke 21 verse 26"Men's hearts failing them for fear".  The Bereans in Acts 17 listened and went home to search the scriptures to see "whether those things be so."  The word of God has to be a final authority.  When Amos the prophet gathered the people together they rejected his preaching and asked him to leave the land completely.  He told them "I was no prophet neither was I a prophet's son but I was a herdman and a gatherer of sycamore fruit.  And the Lord took me as I followed the flock and the Lord said unto me, Go prophecy unto my people Israel."  William Tyndale was a bible translator who lived in the 14/1500's.  He was challenged about the work he was doing in translating the scriptures.  He wanted to take the bible and place it into the hands of every man and woman.  "If God spare my life here many years I will cause a boy that drives a plough to know God's word more than you do."  I wants us to go back to the basics of the word of God and see what the word of God has to say.  Look at Timothy's home.  He was taught the word of God.  His grandmother and mother were saved by the grace of God.  They took their role of seeing him saved very seriously.  What has God got to say about the world and our planet?

The God who creates - verses 1 and 2.  In Romans 8 verses 19 and 20 Paul warned the people to worship the creator rather than the creature.  God has created this world around us yet we want to worship the creation more than the creator.  Verse 1 tells me there is a God.  The writer begins with the one word "God".  He doesn't set out to prove his existence but sets out the fact that God is.  Psalm 19 verse 1 states "the heavens declare the glory of God.  C H Spurgeon said of Genesis 1 "in the beginning God decided not to be explained but to be."  We are the sons of Christ.  That is to be accepted as a truh or revelation to be apprehended by faith.  In Romans 1 verse 19 we have a clear revelation that God has done something very special for us.  God has created the heavens and the earth and everything in them but not only that he has revealed it to every man.  Verse 20 "so that they are without excuse."  Verses 21 - 27 God is saying he has created the worlds and all around us.  He has shown man that creation yet man has turned his back and said it is not of God.  We read that it was by his Son the living word he created the world.  He spoke and it was done.  He commanded and it stood fast.  All things were made by him and was not anything that was made by him.  We could get washed away with all the teaching of the world but we need to go back to basics and look at thse things in light of God's word.

We also see God who communicates "spoke in tmes past" verse 1.  "hath spoken unto us by his son" verse 2.  Some would say God stepped back from creation and left man to it.  These are "the last days".  When you go out and ask yourself 'how did God speak?' you only have to look up at the stars in the night sky - that is the revelation of God.  "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmaments showeth his handiwork." Psalm 19.  It is God who has created and declared it.  Romans 1 verse 20 "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse."  When we look at the stars, see the moon and sun, we see the glory of God because God has revealed that to us.  There is enough evidence to prove to the conscience of man.  There was a time when man knew God but now they glorify him not as God neither were thankful.  It is an awful thing to see a lack of thanks for what God has done for man himself.  God has spoken through his creation.  It tells us in Acts 14 verse 17 "nevertheless he left not himself without witness in that he did good and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness."  We stand back and see the seasons that pass by from one to another.  That is his revelation as well.  "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest and cold and heat and summer and winter and day and night shall not cease." (Genesis 8 verse 22)  That is God's word.  His communication with you and I.  We can listen to these men but we need to go back to the word of God.  God has spoken through his creation, communicated God's word - "but now in thse last days he has given us his son."  Does not want us to live in ignorance.  He took a virgin, separated her and he brought into the world the son of God.  He grew up amongst men and on the cross he suffered, bled and died revealing his great love for you and I.  God had sent his son for us even when we didn't think anything about him.  There is no other way to get to heaven today.  Nothing you can give to God to help secure your place in heaven.  If you can come to Christ bow your knees, see him suffering there, dying for you, that your sins might be forgiven that you might know with all assurance God died for your sins.  

The God who controls.  Hebrews 1 verse 3 "upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."  The word in this case is better translated "maintaining". He created all things but he didnt step back to this day.  He is maintaining.  It is going back to the days of Noah.  In Genesis chapter 7 Noah was separated to bulid the ark.  Verse 10 "And it came to pass after 7 days that the waters of the flood were upon the earth." Then look at how precise verse 11 is "In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of hte great deep broken up and the windows of heaven were opened.  And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights."  In verse 24 we read "And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days." Why? because God was in control.  In chapter 8 we see that God was bringing it all to an end.  "God made a wind to pass over the earth."  God was maintaining the world.  Verse 2 "The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped and the rain from heaven was restrained." God was stepping everything.  When Jesus was in the boat out on the lake the storm came up.  Jesus stood to his feet and spoke to the winds and waves, everything fell flat.  That is the God we have - he is the God who creates, communicates and controls.

He is the God who completes.  God is in control of this world and he reigns today.  Even the future of our planet is not in our leaders hands.  it is in God's hands.  Hebrews 1 verses 10 and 11.  John said in Revelation "I saw a new heaven and a new earth for the first heaven and the first earth will pass away."  It will only happen when God says it will happen.