Speak Ye Unto the Rock
To experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit, we must approach Him with delicate faith, trust, and confidence.
A.B. Simpson emphasizes the sensitivity of the Holy Spirit, comparing it to the delicate nature of love that cannot be won through force but through trust and affection. He illustrates that just as one cannot conquer a woman's heart with harshness, the Holy Spirit requires a gentle and unwavering faith to operate freely in our lives. Simpson urges believers to 'Speak to the Rock' rather than strike it, highlighting the importance of treating the Holy Spirit with tender confidence. He encourages the congregation to fully open themselves to the Spirit's fullness, receiving His life with the trust of a child or a bride. The sermon calls for a deep, faith-filled relationship with the Holy Spirit, akin to the nurturing bond between a flower and sunshine.
Text
The Holy Spirit is very sensitive, as love always is. You can conquer a wild beast by blows and chains, but you cannot conquer a woman's heart that way, or win the love of a sensitive nature; that must be wooed by the delicate touches of trust and affection. So the Holy Spirit has to be taken by a faith as delicate and sensitive as the gentle heart with whom it is coming in touch. One thought of unbelief, one expression of impatient distrust or fear will instantly check the perfect freedom of His operations as much as a breath of frost would wither the petals of the most sensitive rose or lily. Speak to the Rock do not strike it.
Believe in the Holy Spirit and treat Him with the most tender confidence and unwavering trust, and He will meet you with instant response and confidence.
Have you come to the rock in Kadesh? (Numbers 20:1-8). Have you opened all your being to the fullness of the Spirit, and then, with the confidence of the child to the mother, the bride to the husband, the flower to the sunshine, have you received by faith, and are you drinking of His blessed life?
Sermon Outline
- The Sensitive Nature of the Holy Spirit
- The Importance of Faith
- The Call to Receive the Holy Spirit
- Come to the Rock with confidence
- Open all being to the fullness of the Spirit
Key Quotes
“Speak to the Rock do not strike it.” — A.B. Simpson
“Believe in the Holy Spirit and treat Him with the most tender confidence and unwavering trust, and He will meet you with instant response and confidence.” — A.B. Simpson
“Have you come to the rock in Kadesh?” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- I must approach the Holy Spirit with tender confidence and unwavering trust.
- One thought of unbelief can hinder the Holy Spirit's operations, so I must guard my heart.
- To receive the fullness of the Spirit, I must open all my being to Him with confidence.