POWER FOR POSITIVE TRANSFORMATION

THE HOLY SPIRIT: POWER FOR POSITIVE TRANSFORMATION

BY PASTOR WILLIAM BOACHIE-ANSAH

TEXT: ACTS 1:1-11

He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:1-8, R SV)

This was part of Jesus’ final message to His disciples: His ultimate command was that they become his witnesses….

But there were many and serious challenges which made them unenthusiastic. They were expecting Jesus to overthrow the powers that be and establish a political kingdom for them to rule with Him!

All of the places mentioned represented trouble and danger, both real and imagined. Jews—which almost all of Jesus’ listeners were—were a small minority in the Roman Empire. The disciples therefore needed the power for transformation – the Holy Spirit –so as to be able to meet squarely the numerous challenges some of which are listed below:​

1.

JERUSALEM

•

Jerusalem was not the apostles’ home

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Jesus’ crucifixion had recently taken place there.

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Leaders still plotted to stamp out what was left of His movement.

•

Their accent was even a laughing stock. Yet Christ told His followers to start their witness there, in the place of greatest hostility and intimidation

2.

JUDEA:

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The Home Of Pure Judaism

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What philosophical arguments were they going to put up to challenge the priests, etc to convince them that the old order has changed?

•

They ran the risk of death for proclaiming Jesus Christ as the only savior.

3.

SAMARIA

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Samaritans were a corrupted race

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Jews had nothing to do with Samaritans.

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They could find it difficult to disabuse their minds of their “Mountain-top” worship system which had its roots in the teaching of Moses.

4.

THE END OF THE EARTH

•

Speaking ….and probably eating and sleeping with Gentiles...Unimaginable!

•

How to overcome racial and cultural prejudices

•

How can these villagers go to all these places, and by which means of transport

Jesus knew the assignment He was giving the Disciples. He also knew what they needed to make them effective in accomplishing the task. They needed a powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit which can transform them from the simple uneducated villagers to powerful fearless preachers.

Truly, when the Holy Spirit came upon them on the day of Pentecost, they were transformed positively. They were able to impact their community so effectively that people all over were asking them what to do. (Act 2:38)

Bold and powerful preachings, mass conversions and miracles became the order of the day in the life of the early church, beginning from Jerusalem and spreading to every part of the known world.

Without the power of the Holy Spirit, how could these apostles have overcome these challenges?

We need more of this power now! If you want to be a strong Christian, there is the need for you to pray for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Allow Him to lead you in every sphere of your life. He is the only accredited agent of positive transformation in this world. There is no way Christians can surmount the ever-increasing challenges associated with post modernism in which we find ourselves today without the effective in filling and direction of the Holy Spirit. We should allow Him to take His rightful place in our lives and the running of our churches.

POWER FOR POSITIVE TRANSFORMATION (PART 2)

TEXTS: 2Cor 6:1

¶ We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

2Ti 1:6 -8

¶ Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,

At the beginning of Acts, Jesus’ followers appear confused and fearful. But by the end of the book they are well on their way to transforming the Roman world with the gospel. What accounts for this dramatic change? Acts 1:8 provides the answer: “You shall receive power.” But notice:

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT POWER

(1)

The power promised was not force or political authority. Not political power, but empowerment for service. Israel had enjoyed superiority under David and Solomon, but those days were a distant memory. Jesus was not indicating a revival of Jewish dominance. Instead, the word “power” means ability or capacity. Jesus promised that once the Holy Spirit came upon them, His followers would have a new ability.

(2)

The ability had more to do with being than doing. The believers would “be witnesses,” not just “do witnessing.” Evangelism is a process, not just an event. It involves a total lifestyle, not just occasional efforts.  Paul says, “I can do all things….”

(3)

The power came from without, not from within. The believers were not to manufacture their own ways of proclaiming the gospel, but to look for supernatural ability from the Spirit to make them effective in gospel presentation. The power came when the Holy Spirit arrived, not before.

(4)

The believers were to be witnesses to Christ, not to themselves. They were to make disciples not to themselves but to the risen Lord (Matt. 28:18–20).

SOME ELEMENTS OF THE CHANGING WORLD FOR WHICH THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVES US TRANSFORMATION

1.

THE “HERE-AND-NOW” THINKING The ability to work for the things of God and heaven

2.

THE “ME, MYSELF AND I” THINKING: Selfish interests in us are killed. The ability to think of the good of  the children of God

3.

THE “PROSPERITY-AT-ALL-COST” THINKING: Greed of all forms is cleared. Cheating and all moral deficiencies

JESUS DELIVERS ON HIS PROMISES SO IF WE ASK NOW, WE SHALL ALSO RECEIVE MORE AND MORE TO TRANSFORM US IN EVERY WAY!

With Christ in you, DON’T SEE ONLY THE CHALLENGES AND DANGERS IN THIS CHANGING WORLD. OPEN YOUR EYES TO ITS numerous OPPORTUNITIES!