The Endowment of Power
The baptism in the Holy Spirit gives us the power we need to live the Christian life and fulfill our God-ordained ministry.
Zac Poonen emphasizes the importance of being baptized in the Holy Spirit to fulfill God's ordained ministry. He highlights how even Jesus needed to be anointed with the Holy Spirit and power before starting His public ministry, showing the necessity of this anointing for believers. By waiting for the Holy Spirit and being clothed with power, the apostles were transformed into bold witnesses for the Lord, demonstrating the power that comes from the Holy Spirit. Poonen stresses that what is needed to live the Christian life is not just doctrine but the power of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, providing power for godliness and service.
Text
The first apostles had forsaken everything to follow Jesus. But they still had to wait until they were baptized in the Holy Spirit before they could go out and fulfil their God-ordained ministry.
Jesus Himself needed to be anointed with the Holy Spirit and power before He could begin His public ministry (Acts 10:38). If even He needed this anointing, how much more we need it.
Jesus told His apostles to wait in Jerusalem until they were `clothed with power' (Lk. 24:49). And just before He ascended up to heaven, He told them again that when the Holy Spirit came upon them they would `receive power' (Acts 1:8). On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out on them. And those cowardly men were immediately transformed into bold, fiery witnesses for the Lord (Acts 2:1-4). What they received was exactly what Jesus had told them that they would receive - power.
What we need in order to live the Christian life is not just a doctrine but the power of God in our life. The baptism in the Holy Spirit gives us power for godliness as well as power for service.
Sermon Outline
- The Need for Power
- The Promise of Power
- The Reality of Power
- The transformation of the apostles on Pentecost
- The power for godliness and service
Key Quotes
“What they received was exactly what Jesus had told them that they would receive - power.” — Zac Poonen
“The baptism in the Holy Spirit gives us power for godliness as well as power for service.” — Zac Poonen
Application Points
- We need the power of God in our lives to live the Christian life.
- The baptism in the Holy Spirit gives us power for both godliness and service.
- We should seek to be anointed with the Holy Spirit and power before we begin our ministry.