Latest / The Daily Word / October 18 – Have You Received the Gift?

Transcript

October 18 – Have You Received the Gift? · The Daily Word

• Brandon: Well, welcome once again to the Daily Word Podcast. Here we are, October the 18th. Fall has officially, can I say fallen? Does that that make sense? Leaves are beautiful colors. They're all over our yards and all over our roads. we're in a beautiful time of the year in this fall season. And I hope on this beautiful October the 18th fall day, you're having an amazing day. Hey, today wanna thank you for being a part of the Daily Word podcast. this is our effort to bring a daily strength and an encouragement to you, but also remind you on a daily, regular basis that God wants to speak to you. And so go spend time with God. today our our reading, it's Acts chapter eight, ver eight through nine, rather. Acts chapter eight through nine is the reading in the life journal reading plan. And I want to read to you today from Acts chapter eight. Verse fourteen through seventeen. Acts eight, fourteen through seventeen. Here's what it says. Now, when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. Acts chapter eighteen or eight, rather. Verse 14 through 17. in this passage, we see that the gospel, which in the book of Acts is spreading throughout the known world at the time. the kind of order of the scripture, if you're reading and studying the New Testament, you have the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are the accounts of Jesus' life and ministry on the earth. and then you have the book of Acts. The book of Acts, the Acts of the Apostles. It is the book of the Bible that is the account of how the gospel began to spread after Jesus ascended throughout the known world. Why? Because Matthew 28, 18 through 20, Jesus told his disciples, Guys, I need you to go into all the known world and to make disciples of all the nations. I started something, but I'm handing it to you, and I need you to go to be my vessels and instruments to share the gospel with all who would receive it. And so we have in the book of Acts the apostles, the disciples, they're going into the known world at the time and they're preaching the gospel. And we see in this passage that the gospel had gone to a place called Samaria. It says in verse 14. Now, when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent to them Peter and John. And here's why Peter and John came. Who came down and they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they only were baptized in the name of Jesus. What we see in this passage is the importance. Of us not only receiving Jesus, but us receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. Can I just tell you right now, the Holy Spirit is a gift from God. I don't know what you've heard, I don't know what you have been told, I don't know what your experience has been, but hear me. The greatest gift apart from salvation that God has given us, it is His Spirit. In fact, Jesus spoke about the Holy Spirit in this way, he he said, Listen, what what father of you doesn't want to give good gifts to his kids? And and we we read that and we're like, yeah, God, give me some good gifts. I want a I want a house on on the lake. I want a I want a new new car. I want a promotion. But Jesus doesn't go there. He goes, what father amongst you doesn't want to give good gifts to his kids? And he says in the same way Your Father who is in heaven wants to give you the Holy Spirit. This is the gift of the Father that Jesus spoke about. Jesus said John 14:12, he goes, I'm gonna, I'm gonna go. And when I go, the gift of the Father is gonna come. That is my my spirit, the Holy Spirit. the Holy Spirit's the one who baptizes us and fills us with power. So we can live with boldness. He's the one who Jesus would write that he leads and guides us into knowing the truth. He's the one who reminds us of things that we need in the moment. The Holy Spirit is the one who speaks to us and through us so that we can be witnesses for Christ. He's the one that gives us these different ministry gifts so that we can, just like Jesus did. We can minister to people. Everything that God has called us to do, and dare I say, everything that God has called us to be, it is impossible without the gifts, the empowerment, the enablement of the Holy Spirit. And yet, yet so many people they live having received Jesus, but having never received the Holy Spirit. They live having received the gift of salvation, but they live like an iPhone with no charger, packed full of potential, but no power to realize that potential. Can I just say that again? So many believers live like an iPhone with no charger, packed full of potential, yet with no power to ever realize that potential. We need the gift of the Holy Spirit, so much so that Jesus said in Acts chapter 1, verse 4. He said, I need you to wait. If I was preaching in church, I'd say, look at your neighbor and say, wait. I need you to wait for the gift of the Father. Verse 8: For when you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, then you'll have the power to be my witnesses and to do all that I've called you to do. We need the gift. We need the greatest gift apart from salvation that God offers. We need the gift of the Holy Spirit. It was so important. That when the gospel had spread to Samaria, they said, All right, the gospel has gone to Samaria and they received salvation, but they haven't yet received the Holy Spirit. So we need Peter and John. We need you to go down there and minister to them the Holy Spirit. They need to not only receive Jesus, they need to receive the gift of the Spirit of God. what a gift we have! That God's Spirit The Holy Spirit, that God's Spirit would come and would fall upon us, that would clothe us and endue us with power from on high, would baptize our life. Think about that picture. When you get baptized in water, you're all the way under, and then you come out. The Bible says Jesus, He wants to baptize us, fully immerse and cover us in His Spirit. So we have the empowerment to live the way He wants us to live and to do everything. Everything he wants us to do. My observation application would be: have you received the Holy Spirit? Like, like I I know you probably have received Jesus because you listen to the podcast, but have you been clothed and endued with power from on high? Are you living with boldness that's not your own, but it's it's boldness he's given you? Are you living every day like you got a GPS on the inside, led by the Spirit of God? Are you living in a way where God is speaking to you and God is speaking through you? Is your life full of power that even though it's difficult, you have the strength and the power to walk in his ways? Have you been, well have well, have you received the gift? The gift of salvation? No, not the gift of salvation. Have you received the gift? Of the Holy Spirit, because I'm telling you, there is a secondary gift, salvation, primary, but secondary. There is a secondary gift that is the baptism of the Holy Spirit that Jesus wants to give you. And it was so important that Peter and John went, Whoa, the gospel's gone to Samaria. We got to go down to Samaria and make sure they didn't just receive Jesus, but they received the Spirit of God. Brendan, how How do I receive the Spirit of God? Well, I'll just say right now maybe you're in the car, maybe you're at the gym, maybe not at the gym, but but right now, wherever you're you can lift your hands. Jesus said this gift is for all who would call upon and desire to you can lift your hands and say, God, today fill me with your spirit. Baptize me in your Holy Spirit. And just like salvation by faith today, you can receive The gift of the Holy Spirit. This Sunday, next opportunity you get, go to the altar at church. Find an elder. Find a pastor. Say, pray for me that I may be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Call a friend, pastor that you know. Say, hey, I listened to a podcast today. I need you to pray for me so I can receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. It's not, it's it's not difficult. It's you calling out to God and saying, God, I I want. To be baptized and then clothed with power from my on on high. In fact, can I just pray for you today as we close? I know we're a little bit more than our 10-minute podcast, but me just pray for you. And if you're listening to this and and you want to receive the power, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, I'm just gonna ask you right now, would you wherever you are, would you just lift up your hands? I'm gonna lift up my hands. Would you just lift up your hands? And via technology, I wanna pray for you today. J just like I was there laying my hands on you, I want to pray for you today in the name of Jesus that you would receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. God, I pray for every single man, every woman, every youth, young adult, every child sitting in a backseat, listening to this podcast while their parents are driving them to school. That for all who are listening who would desire to receive the baptism, the gift of your Holy Spirit. That God today they would receive that. I, via technology, I stretch out my hands towards them in the name of Jesus. I lay hands on them and I say, In Jesus' name, receive the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name, receive and be baptized in the Spirit of God. If that's you, just in faith, just say, God, I receive it today. I receive it today, God. God, I receive today the gift of your spirit. Fill my life. Empower my life. Baptize me today in your spirit. By faith I receive it in Jesus' name. Amen. Today I pray that you would be strengthened, encouraged, but challenged to not just receive salvation, but to be filled freshly and anew with the Spirit of God. Love you so much. Can't wait to talk to you again on another episode of the Daily Word Podcast. We will see you tomorrow. Until then, be blessed.