Red Letters: The Fires of Pentecost - Pastor Josiah Elias

Thank you, God, that you are awakening your church! Awaken your people! Draw us near you. We need to know you more.

Faith Chapel is shooting up a flare – a declaration from the heart. This house was built on revival in the 70’s and all were welcomed. God moved in this place. That is the DNA of this house. We are attracting others who are likeminded. July 31 and August 1, Jesus Image will host a Pastor/Leader Conference at Faith Chapel. Faith Chapel members can register for half price.

Our mission is to Culture Like Christ. The vision is Jesus.

Pastor Josiah said that he was raised in an AG church and has always known about Pentecost and tongues, but many have a different background. So, what does the scripture say? This is for you. He wants to provoke you to step out in faith and watch God meet you.

We have been studying Scriptures chronologically for months. It wasn’t planned that Pentecost Sunday would land on the Pentecost scriptures, but God worked it out! In Luke 11:1, “Jesus was in a certain place praying.” We can pray anywhere but having a “certain place” can be important. Josiah recalled working at a golf resort at a time he wasn’t connected well with God. The church up the street had a 24-hour prayer room.

Josiah would go there – his “certain place” – after work at night. There he came back to his relationship with God. He has had other “certain places” where he engages with God. Find your spot.

It’s notable that the disciples didn’t ask Jesus about many things like the secret of

miracles and such. They asked Jesus how to pray. They had enough spiritual sense to connect the dots that Jesus connected to the Father through prayer. Input gave output.

The Lord’s prayer is talked about in Matthew and Luke. Luke is a bit shorter, but there are strong similarities between both accounts.

1. Worship God first. Approach God in a posture of worship. This is why we

begin our service with worship.

2. Invite His Kingdom. God loves to manifest where He is appreciated. We get

excited in this house, dancing and making a joyful noise.

3. Make requests for both natural and spiritual needs to be met.

4. Be reminded that we are to forgive others as he has forgiven us. If you

haven’t received baptism of the Holy Spirit, it may be that you have something

to forgive. Unforgiveness has a way of clogging the pipe. Letting go of an

offense, releasing it and giving it to God, flushes the pipes.

5. Pray for His protection from temptation. Temptation can ultimately mature to

sin, hurting your relationship with God.

“We are not told that Jesus ever taught His disciples how to preach, but He taught them how to pray. He wanted them to have power with God; then He knew they would have power with man.” Dwight L. Moody

In Luke 11:5, Jesus teaches about prayer with a parable. The man in the house finally answers the door because of persistent knocking. Persistence is faith flexing.

Something about persistence attracts God. In our microwave society, we want

immediate results and get discouraged when healing or breakthroughs don’t happen quickly. We need to refuse to reconcile with doubt. Press in.

Persistence is faith still flexing.

Josiah spoke of having back pain in the past. He was often prayed for. Though the pain sometimes subsided, sometimes it returned. He told others that he would go to the grave believing for healing. If God chose not to heal, he would praise Him. If he was healed, he would praise Him. Don’t set up camp in a spirit of doubt. Press in.

In Luke 11:9, it says everyone who asks receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be open. For everyone, the door will open. This is a promise of God for the persistent one. We don’t receive because we don’t ask. We don’t find because we don’t seek. We accept defeat before we let our faith begin to climb.

THIS AIN’T DOUBT CHAPEL. This is Faith Chapel! As believers, we are already

“crazy”. We believe in the virgin birth. We believe in resurrection from the dead. Put faith back into His word. Trust that He is faithful and watch God breakthrough.

Luke 11:11 illustrates God’s promise to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.

John14:16 and John 20:22 also speak of receiving the Holy Spirit. At the point of

salvation, we don’t need a “scripted prayer”. Just pour out your heart to God. Let the posture of your sincere heart come before God. When you put your faith in God, the Holy Spirit will make His home in you.

Receiving the Holy Spirit first happened in John 20:22, after Jesus was raised. He

breathed on them and said, “receive the Holy Spirit”. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came upon people, but didn’t dwell in them. Since the New Testament, the Holy Spirit makes residence in you. You are the house of the Lord. The same Spirit Jesus had is in you! Whether you’ve known Jesus for decades or came to Him today for the first time, you have the same spirit in you. Yes, we grow in our understanding and continue to be equipped, but we have the same power.

We need this in the church. We are not a building of entertainment, but a people filled with God’s power. People will come to Faith Chapel needing an encounter with God, not just good music, fancy lights or great preaching. They need Him. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit.

There are 2 Greek words for temple. Hieron is the entire precinct. (At 9400 Campo, we have many buildings.) Naos is only the sanctuary or sacred edifice. When Jesus calls us a sacred temple of the Spirit, he uses the word Naos. You and I are the most Holy Place! This is hard for us to reconcile when we look at our actions. We may not always feel this way, that we could be the inner sanctuary of the most Holy God. Are we going to let our behavior dictate what our truth is or let the truth of God dictate our behavior?

Your behavior will follow how you believe. When your behavior is off, remind yourself that you are the temple of God. Let your mind be renewed daily. Attack behavior from that stand to change behavior. Tell your flesh that the Spirit is in you. The fruit of the Spirit – live, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – is the indwelling of the Spirit in you.

Jesus didn’t send His disciples into ministry until they were baptized in the Spirit. He told them to “tarry” or wait on the Spirit. Notice that the promise of the Father was power and not just tongues. Tongues is an awesome gift that will edify you, build you up and be a tool of battle and intercession. Included in the promise is power.

Josiah said that he knew people with the gift of tongues who are mean! The gift of

tongues is good, but we need all of the fruit of the spirit. The indwelling work of the spirit makes you look Christlike. That is what is going to hold the power. If the power falls on poor character, what builds up will soon crash. There are people with the gift of power in the spiritual world without character. Power is also important, but what good is it to be a prophet if you “can’t keep your zipper up”? Have character and walk in love with your spouse, your kids, and your treatment of others. Walk in love 24/7so that you can be equipped with power, but character is needed to sustain. You don’t give power tools to toddlers. They must mature to handle tools. The Lord sees us the same way, helping us to walk in power and sustain healthy character.

At the end of Jesus’ ministry, the disciples were in process. Though they were learning, they weren’t perfect! Jesus had been working on their inside for a Godly infrastructure.

The indwelling work makes you more Christlike. A great prayer is: “God, mature me so that I can be able to handle what you have for me to do.” Difficult times prepare us for serving God. They build good character and an effective witness. We need character.

In Matthew 3:11, John said “Behold the Lamb. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with Fire.” Don’t be afraid of fire. Fire is not a charismatic term. Fire can purify or it can destroy, but it always gives light. Let His purifying work come inside you through the empowering work of the Spirit of God. Don’t be afraid of fire. “Our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:29

Paramount Point: He is all consuming.

We like to compartmentalize and expect fire to burn only at church or at certain times.

Give Him access to every room of your heart. He wants all of us – dreams, desires, family, home, job, finances, gifts, hobbies, sports. All of those things can be good and even a form of worship – or they can be idols. Bring God into all of it. Let Him consume every area of your life. Don’t be a half-in/half-out Christian. How consumed you are determines how you can stand up and die to self.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the Earth. Don’t forget! The empowering work of the Spirit of God is needed to minister and witness.

The disciples waited for the promise. While they waited, they engaged with God. There were 120 in the upper room, praying, seeking God, and gathering for days. They persisted until day 10! They kept seeking and praying until the day of Pentecost came.

Power was released. Don’t hit the abort button a moment before breakthrough.

The rest of the book of Acts is about the Spirit-filled church. Together they were in one accord (Greek: Homothumadon), with one mind, one purpose and one passion. Here at Faith Chapel, we named the Young Adult ministry “One Accord”. Something powerful happens when in one accord. Harmony leads to action.

Suddenly, quickly, everyone got it. It is important to link arms in unity with others,

seeking the Lord. This supernatural act and gift from God wasn’t just tongues, but it equipped them with:

Fresh boldness to proclaim the gospel

Fresh desire for God’s word

Fresh desire to pray

Fresh desire to worship

Acceleration of self-control

Conviction of sin

A whole bunch of stuff happens to life when filled with the Holy Spirit.

John’s baptism was the baptism of repentance to walk in newness. It is so important, but the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is needed to walk in power and tongues. After Pentecost, Peter began preaching. He had just denied Jesus, but now 3000 people were saved, and the spirit was pouring out. We continue to see the power as the lame were healed and miracles occurred. Bold speaking, healing, signs and wonders, and even shaking of the building occurred!

Josiah said, “I want you to open up your mind and heart. Tell God, if this is of you, I

want it. Ask in faith, believe, and posture yourself to receive. Keep your eyes on Him.

Let Him know that you want to be filled with the Spirit.”

The greatest gift you will ever receive is salvation. The second is the indwelling of the Spirit, so that you can live as He has called you to live. The only prerequisite to receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is to be saved. The first step is giving your life to Jesus. Now walk it out.

Submitted by,

Ed Jerrell