Luke 24:49

SPIRITUAL POWER

‘And, behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.’

Luke 24:49

The question of questions for each of us to consider is, ‘How am I to make my life the home and embodiment of this power from above?’ If we turn to our Lord’s own example, or to the life of St. Paul or any other of His followers, or to any life we have known and felt to breathe around it this same power of the Spirit, some things become at once very obvious and clear to us.

I. Whoever desires to have his soul purified and invigorated, to be charged with this Divine electric influence, must have something of separateness and independence in his life.—He must feel himself as not merely one of the crowd moved by the desires, aims, hopes, tastes, and ambitions which may chance to prevail around him, but as a separate soul in direct communion with the Spirit of God. But if we are to realise this in our own life, it means that our times of daily prayer, whether in private or in public, are times at which we lay open our secret life to the Divine presence and influence; it means that we give some real thought and meditation to this presence of God in our life, and that we thus feed our souls continually on wholesome spiritual food.

II. But the hindrances that are always acting to undermine or destroy any such spiritual power in us are manifold, and seldom far away from our life.

(a) The world outside is always with us.

(b) Dullness of spirit.

(c) Worst of all hindrances is the harbouring of sensual appetite or craving, passion, or indulgence.

When you think of this Holy Spirit of God as a power in every good life, it become a very real question what and of what sort is the power that is holding sway over you in your leisure hours. This is indeed a question which never sleeps.

—Bishop Percival.

Illustration

‘When I think what turns upon the possession or the non-possession of the Holy Ghost; when I consider that without Him a soul—be it what it may, however amiable, however good—is worthless in God’s sight, and lost; when I feel—as every one who ever looks at his own heart must feel—that without the quickenings and sanctifyings of the Holy Ghost I can do nothing—I cannot pray—I cannot have a good thought; and when I know that on this mighty change, which the Spirit begins and ends, hangs my heaven or my hell—then I rejoice to know that God has not left the gift of the Spirit in a vague uncertainty, but He has made it the promise of the dispensation—“the promise of the Father.” ’

(SECOND OUTLINE)

THE GREATNESS OF POWER

I. The almighty power of the Holy Ghost—within me, without me, in me, upon me. This is:—

(a) Saving power.

(b) Separating power.

(c) Transforming power.

(d) Sustaining power.

(e) Soul-winning power.

II. ‘Now let Thy love my soul inflame, fresh power to me impart.’—Thus:—

(a) Power for service.

(b) Power for testimony.

(c) Power for suffering.

(d) Power for rejoicing.

Rev. C. G. Baskerville.

Illustration

‘It may be, you have something before you—some work, some cross, some difficulty. Now, whatever it be, be careful before you meet it that you have first sought and found “power,” “power from on high.” Let the young man be sure that he does not run into his profession, let a minister be sure he does not go to his ministry, let parents take care that they do not go to their duties with their children, let men beware, before they walk into their houses of business, or every man to his calling, let a man take care that he does not do it till he has good reason to know that he has found “power,” promised “power,” a power that shall enable him to go in the spirit of the words, “Now I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” ’

(THIRD OUTLINE)

SPIRITUAL INVESTITURE

This word ‘endued’ signifies an investiture. You have it used in Daniel 5:27. You have it used in Isaiah 22:21. You have it used in Leviticus 8:7. We too may be sure that this being endued with power from on high will give to us the investiture of priests, so that we too may have access into the very holiest, and we too may worship the Father in spirit and in truth.

Turn with me to three instances in the Old Testament Scriptures, where you find three men clothed with the Holy Ghost. And as we watch one character after the other, we shall see what is the result of this enduement of power.

I. The first man is in Judges 6—Is Gideon to fly again? No. We read in Judges 6:34: ‘The Spirit of God clothed Gideon,’ for so it is on the margin, ‘and he blew the trumpet, and Abi-ezer was gathered unto him.’ Oh that the Spirit of God may thus clothe you to-day, and as you look back upon the past and see failure, and as you to-day determine in the strength of the Lord to go and fight against the foe, even when the foe waxes still more outrageous against you, may the Spirit of God clothe you!

II. The second man you will find in 1 Chronicles 12—David is still an outlaw. But in the first twenty-two verses of the chapter you have a catalogue of the brave heroes that joined themselves to David whilst he was still hunted as a partridge upon the mountains. It is in Luke 24:18 that we read that ‘the Spirit of God clothed Amasai … and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse. Peace, peace be unto thee and to thine helpers, for God hath helped thee.’ Oh that the Spirit of God might in the same way clothe this congregation here to-day, and that we might with one heart and with one voice say, even as Amasai said, ‘Thine are we, Lord Jesus, and upon Thy side, Thou Son of God!’ Oh that every one of us might be clothed by the Spirit of God, that we may yield ourselves loyally, wholly, faithfully to our King!

III. But our religion is concerned not only with ourselves but also with our fellow-men, and therefore we must turn to the third man who is said to have been clothed with the Holy Ghost. In 2 Chronicles 24 you have an account of the reign of the young king Joash. In Luke 24:20 we read, ‘The Spirit of God came upon Zechariah … and said unto them … Because ye have forsaken the Lord, He hath also forsaken you.’

Rev. Canon E. A. Stuart.

(FOURTH OUTLINE)

THE MISSION OF THE HOLY GHOST

Pentecost, in the Church’s history, was to this dispensation what Bethlehem was to the Christian Era, and Christ ascended that His Spirit might be poured forth.

‘Wait,’ was our Lord’s command; wait for the promise of the Father. ‘Again, ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.’

I. This is the root idea of Christianity, not a new creed for each successive generation, but the heroism and might of a conquering force put into the Creed we have; not miracles wrought, ever and anon, for the Church, but wonders wrought by the Church with the material at hand; men and women carrying on Christ’s work as energised, Spirit-inspired witnesses, living over again Christ’s saintly life in the power which qualified and enabled them to do so, even the power of the Holy Ghost. This was the secret of Christ’s success, as it is the secret of all successful ministry.

II. In anxious days like these, the Church of Christ wants more and more living witnesses, laymen as well as clergy, who are taught of God, full of the Holy Ghost, and then used of God. If we would lift off the reproach too freely cast on our modern Christianity, that it is a creed of selfishness, we must show that we are not careful only of our own salvation, but that we are solicitous for the salvation of others.

—Dean Pigou.

Illustration

‘Well do I remember being requested to visit one of culture and mental gifts on her deathbed in a town where I was conducting a “Mission.” I found her in the deepest distress of mind in the prospect of Eternity. She told me she knew she could not live, but that she had no hope for Eternity. On questioning her as to her religious convictions, she answered me that with her whole soul she longed to know Christ. “They come,” she said, “and sit by my bedside, and bid me ‘to believe’ and to ‘accept Christ.’ Would to God I could, but I cannot.” I asked her if she understood that it must be given to us to believe in order that we may accept; and when I proceeded to explain to her that it is the office and work of the Holy Ghost to convince of sin, to discover our need of a Saviour, to reveal Him to the soul, and to enable us to accept Him, and appropriate personally His precious blood, it all seemed to come to her as a new truth. She did not depart this life without having “seen His salvation.” ’