Holy Spirit: Power
Chris Seidman
Part of Holy Spirit—Person, Power, and Presence
October 31, 2021

Holy Spirit: Person, Power, and Presence

Power
October 31, 2021
Chris Seidman, Lead Minister, The Branch Church


1 Corinthians 6:19 (NIV)
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?


Genesis 1:2 (NIV)
… and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.


Genesis 2:7 (NIV)
Then the Lord God … breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.


Psalm 104:29-30 (NIV)
… when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the ground.


Exodus 35:30-33 (NIV)
Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel … and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills – to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. And he has given both him and Oholiab … the ability to teach others.

The Spirit Empowered …

  • Moses and the seventy elders to prophesy or speak the Word of the Lord (Numbers 11:24-29).

  • Joshua with leadership skills and wisdom (Numbers 27:18; Deuteronomy 34:9).

  • Israel’s judges to deliver His people from their oppressors - Othniel (Judges 3:10), Gideon (Judges 6:34), Jephthah (Judges 11:29), Samson (Judges 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14).


1 Samuel 10:6 (NIV)
“The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you … and you will be changed into a different person.


Later the Spirit of the Lord comes upon David to empower him when he is anointed king in 1 Samuel 16.


Isaiah 11:1-3 (NIV)
A shoot will come from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him – the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord … .

The Spirit Empowered … (cont.)

  • The Spirit empowered Ezekiel to literally stand up and endure the Word of the Lord to him because it was so overwhelming – he kept falling on his face!
    (Ezekiel 2:2 and 3:24)

  • Daniel was described by Nebuchadnezzar as one who had the spirit of his god within him to interpret dreams, give wisdom, and govern (Daniel 4:8-9 and 5:11).

  • The prophet Micah spoke of being filled with the Spirit of power (Micah 3:8).

  • The Spirit is mentioned as empowering God’s people against a spirit of fear in Haggai (Haggai 2:4).


Often when the Old Testament speaks of the Spirit of God filling a person – or being within or upon a person – it was referencing an empowerment of that person to do a certain thing for God or for His people.

References To The Power Of The Holy Spirit Associated With Jesus

  • Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit inside of Mary (Luke 1:35).

  • He preached by the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:17-18).

  • He cast out demons by the power of the Spirit (Matthew 12:28).

  • He “went around doing good and healing … .” by the power of the Spirit (Acts 10:38).

  • He lived a sinless life and gave His life on the cross by the power of the Spirit (Hebrews 9:14).

  • He was raised from the dead by the power of the Spirit (Romans 8:11).

  • Before He ascended into heaven He gave instructions to His followers through the power of the Spirit
    (Acts 1:1-2).


John 5:19 (NIV)
“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by hi
mself … .”


Luke 5:17 (NIV)
One day Jesus was teaching … . They had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick.


Philippians 2:6-7 (NIV)
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.


Acts 1:8a (NIV)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you … .”


Acts 1:8 (NIV)
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”


But in Acts it’s quite clear: those who have yet to be believers are reached through the transformation and the empowerment of those who are presently believers.

Boiling It Down To Two Ways

  • The power of the Spirit transforms our wills, our desires, and our characters over time into that of Jesus. (Expect different!)

Philippians 2:13 (NIV)
… for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

  • The power of the Spirit enables us to do things that are beyond ourselves in the name of Jesus. (Expect different!)

Takeaways

  • The kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power (1 Corinthians 4:19).

2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

  • The power of the Spirit isn’t about getting us out of every “jam,” always avoiding every kind of suffering, or self-denial.

2 Timothy 1:8 (NIV)
… join with me in the suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.

  • When it comes to walking in the power of the Spirit, faith is involved.

Galatians 3:5-6 (NIV)
So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Communion

  • Can you think of a time when you’ve experienced or seen the power of the Spirit recently?

  • What’s one area where you need and will believe for the power of the Spirit in your life this week?