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THE HOLY SPIRIT
GIVES US THE
EMPOWERMENT TO LIVE AS
CHRISTIANS
A SERMON ORIGINALLY DELIVERED AT
THE FEDERATED CHURCH OF ATHENS
By Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor
18 MAY 1997
SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES:
Micah 3:8
Luke 1:15-17
Acts 1:6-8
Romans 8:26-27
Ephesians 5:18-21
6:18
Philippians 4:13
2 Timothy 3:2-5
I have heard more Christians express their
weaknesses than their strengths.
They say, "I can't do that." "I can't speak in front
of others." "I don't feel comfortable doing that."
"You should do it."
All such expressions are denying the power of
God which has been given to each of us.
Do you remember what Paul wrote to the
Philippians (4:13)?
13. I can do all things through Him who
strengthens me.
And this is true for each and every one of us.
Then why doesn't it work this way in and
through every believer?
God's power is all around us, and it flows to us
through His Holy Spirit; but it's our attitude,
more than anything else, that determines
whether or not this power infills us.
Our "can't do" attitude closes the door.
Our "can do" attitude opens the door.
Paul expressed this open door attitude: "I can do
all things through Him who strengthens me."
Listen to what we are told in Ephesians 5:18-21;
and as we listen to these words, consider
carefully the attitude differences.
18. And do not get drunk with wine, for
that is dissipation, but be filled with the
Spirit,
19. speaking to one another in psalms
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing
and making melody with your heart to
the Lord;
20. always giving thanks for all things in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to
God, even the Father;
21. and be subject to one another in the
fear of Christ.
People who get drunk are interested only in
themselves. It's a sign of their weakness.
They may claim it's for fun, or for some other
reason, but it's really an attempt to hide
themselves from the truth.
And this is exactly the attitude far too many
Christians express, when they say they can't do
something. They're hiding from the truth, for
God tells us we can do it.
And in various ways, and to greater or lesser
extents, we probably all do this.
This is why Paul is encouraging us to be filled
with the Holy Spirit.
This is not the same thing as having the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which we receive
when we truly come to believe.
Our infilling comes when we submit our will to
the Lord, and open our hearts and souls to Him
with a repentant and obedient attitude.
And as we do this we find our whole being
singing and giving thanks, and really desiring to
make a difference in the world to the glory of
God.
Let me give you an example.
Many people will tell us that they love animals,
and probably most of us gathered here would
say the same thing.
But in reality, it's like the magnetic card that
Mary put on our refrigerator, which says, "If
you really love animals, you won't eat them."
This is just as unconditional and as much an
attitude as our being infilled by the Holy Spirit
with the power to serve God in whatever ways
He desires.
We say we love animals, and yet we still eat
them.
We say that we love God, and yet we don't do as
He desires.
We limit or condition our love, and thus we
limit the power of God in us.
Listen to what we are told in 2 Timothy 3:2-5:
2. For men will be lovers of self, lovers
of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers,
disobedient to parents, ungrateful,
unholy,
3. unloving, irreconcilable, malicious
gossips, without self-control, brutal,
haters of good,
4. treacherous, reckless, conceited,
lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of
God;
5. holding to a form of godliness,
although they have denied its power; and
avoid such men as these.
Now, I don't believe that any of us are this bad,
but to some extent we participate in these
things, and as a result, we, too, deny the power
of God.
And the proof of this is, that if this were not so,
we would be a lot stronger spiritually.
This is enough of looking at the negative side;
let's look at the positive side, and how we can
improve our relationship with God, and truly be
filled with His Spirit.
One way is through prayer, and another is
through reading and studying God's word, and
applying it to our lives.
Note what Paul says about prayer in Romans
8:26-27:
26. And in the same way the Spirit also
helps our weakness; for we do not know
how to pray as we should, but the Spirit
Himself intercedes for us with groanings
too deep for words;
27. and He who searches the hearts
knows what the mind of the Spirit is,
because He intercedes for the saints
according to the will of God.
It never ceases to amaze me how some people
say they can't pray properly before others, and
yet when they are called upon to pray without
prior warning, they come forth with some of the
most tender and most inspiring words I've ever
heard.
And this happens because they are left with no
other option but to go to God for help, and He
does help.
Listen also to what Paul tells us in Ephesians
6:18:
18. With all prayer and petition pray at
all times in the Spirit, and with this in
view, be on the alert with all
perseverance and petition for all the
saints,
We see that while we are to pray at all times in
the Spirit, as we were instructed in the previous
passage, here we are told that we can magnify
our prayers by praying for each other at the
same time we pray about our own concerns.
And this is when we really begin to be
empowered.
Listen to what Micah says about having this
power (3:8):
1. On the other hand I am filled with
power—
With the Spirit of the Lord—
And with justice and courage
To make known to Jacob his rebellious
act,
Even to Israel his sin.
Micah is filled with the Spirit and power of
God, and in that power, he has the courage to
speak out against the evil around him, even to
government leaders.
And Micah is no different from any of us, as far
as our potential goes; for we, too, can do the
very same things…that is, if we are willing.
It is only our fears that keep us from being like
Micah; but our unconditional love of God will
overcome these fears, and permit the infilling of
the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God.
We can do it ... that is ... if we really want to.
We can and should speak out against the evil
around us, and encourage and support each
other to do the same.
Listen to what the angel told Zacharias, the
father of John the Baptist, about his yet to be
born son (Luke 1: 15-17):
15. "For he will be great in the sight of
the Lord, and he will drink no wine or
liquor; and he will be filled with the
Holy Spirit, while yet in his mother's
womb.
16. "And he will turn back many of the
sons of Israel to the Lord their God.
17. "And it is he who will go as a
forerunner before Him in the spirit and
 power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the
fathers back to the children, and the
disobedient to the attitude of the
righteous; so as to make ready a people
prepared for the Lord."
And since Zacharias and Elizabeth were
obedient to God's word, all this came to pass.
The whole family was filled with the Holy
Spirit, and with power.
Now some of us might be saying, "If an angel or
prophet spoke to me, I too could do more."
But, in reality, God has indeed spoken to us in
this manner, and we have not fully responded.
Listen also to what Jesus told His disciples just
prior to His Ascension (Acts 1:6-8):
6. And so when they had come together,
they were asking Him, saying, "Lord, is
it at this time You are restoring the
kingdom to Israel?"
 7. He said to them, "It is not for you to
know times or epochs which the Father
has fixed by His own authority;
8. but you shall receive power when the
Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you
shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem,
and in all Judea and Samaria, and even
to the remotest part of the earth."
This is the power to fulfill the great commission
given to us, as well: that we, too, would fulfill
His desire; that we would all be His witnesses
throughout the entire world.
This is all part of being a Christian.
And this happens only when we combine our
faith and our prayers together.
Our faith opens the door to admit the Holy
Spirit to indwell us, but our infilling occurs only
when we clean out the junk within us, and are
truly willing to have the Lord direct all aspects
of our lives.
Lord forgive me!
Take away my anger!
Help me to grow in Your love!
Help me to become more sensitive and
compassionate .
Lord, I'm willing to do whatever you want me to
do.
Fill me with your blessings, Lord, that I can
share them with others.
Lord, help me to spread love and peace and
compassion wherever I go.
Lord, please remove anything from me that is
not pleasing to you.
Thank You, Lord, for all the beautiful things
You show me.
Thank You for all that You have given me, and
please continue to help me be a good steward.
And thank You, Lord, for allowing me to be
here, today.
There are many, many more things to pray
about, all day long, as we go about our daily
activities.
And the more we are willing to live this way,
and unconditionally commit ourselves to the
Lord, the more power we'll receive; and the
more of a Christian we will become, and the
more believable a Christian we will appear to be
to others.
Amen.
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