Filled with Holy Spirit

Written By Rev Law Hui Seng
Posted By Teresa Han

AMC Sermon Filled with Holy Spirit 8th Jan, 2012

Acts 13:4-13

Main Idea: Be filled with Holy Spirit to serve Jesus Christ

Objectives:
A. Teach the congregation to be filled with Holy Spirit to serve Jesus.

B. The congregation to learn the effects of being filled with Holy Spirit.

A. Introduction
- Too many disciples of Jesus Christ in the Methodist churches in Sabah and Sarawak have not discovered the powerful impacts of being filled with Holy Spirit.
- I pray that today’s passage will inspire you to desire to be filled with Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus, to serve Jesus in the church and out there in the world to make disciples of all nations.
- All the more now, you have the afternoon Mandarin service, you have made a historical decision, that will cause many people to come to this (Agape Methodist church) and be saved and become disciples of Jesus, not just believers and Christians. You must desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit to go out there to touch people’s life and invite them into the kingdom.
- Let us see how Apostle Paul was so filled with Holy Spirit to serve the cause of Jesus.
- Before that, let us turn to the Jerusalem map at the back of the bible to see Apostle Paul first missionary route so that you can imagine the hard efforts involved by him.
- You see to the north of Jerusalem, there is a place called Antioch, from here, you go south-west, you see a place called, Seleucia, the sea port of Antioch. It is from here that apostle Paul, Barnabas and John (a cousin of Barnabas, a helper) departed went on sea journey to a big island called Cyprus. Many Jews lived there. Gospel had been preached there by disciples who were persecuted in connection to the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts 11:19. May be the team was asked to follow up on the converts. May be they had to travel for months before they reached Salamis, on the eastern side of the island Cyprus. As they arrived Salamis, verse 6, they travelled through the whole island, and we can assume they preached the gospel along the way. Then, finally, they reached Paphos, on the western side of the island. We are going to look at what happened there later on. But, for now, I want point out that, from this town, the team continued their first missionary to Perga in Pamphylia, at the mainland, where John left them and returned to Jerusalem in verse 13. From there, you will notice, Paul and the team continued their maiden missionary trip.
- What happened at Paphos before they left for Perga? Along the whole journey from Salamis to Paphos there must be a lot of stops, rest and preaching of the word of God, but Luke, the author kept no records of the events. May be no significant events worth the mention, but when it comes to Paphos, Luke highligted this encounter of Paul with Elymas.

B. Paul’s encounter with Elymas
- It is very interesting to take note that Paul from this passage onwards, he is playing key mission roles in the book of Acts. It is here in this passage (verse 9) his name was changed from Saul (a Hebrew name which means asked of God) to Paul (Hellenistic name which means little). It could mean that from now on, he would reach out to the Gentiles as he was called by Jesus to do it in Chapter 9:15. Jesus chosen instrument to make disciples among the Gentiles was in action now. But for this passage, it was his encounter with a Jew, before he encountered the Gentiles in his other parts of mission.
- Let us see what happened at the mission field, at Paphos, where it was so significant that Luke wrote it down. In encountering Elymas, Paul was filled by the Holy Spirit (verse 9), the verse where I get my sermon title from. I regard this verse as the key verse as it is the verse where everything falls into place. Without being filled with the Holy Spirit, Paul would not be able to do mission with the proconsul, may be the governor of Cyprus. Anyway, right from verse 4, Luke says Pauls and Barnabas were sent by Holy Spirit to go for the mission. In verses 2 and 3, they say that, the commissioning of the 2 was as a result of Holy Spirit’s instruction, which happened during worshipping the Lord and fasting. For this matter, I strongly believe that when we worship Jesus on a Sunday service like this, we must expect the Holy Spirit to speak to us also. Do you say Amen to this? I start to reach out to my mother side uncle’s children (who are my cousins) and their children after I heard the Holy Spirit used a still small voice in my heart to tell me to invite them for last year moon cake evangelistic meeting during a service here at Agape Methodist.
- Now, why Paul was so harsh on Elymas, pronouncing something like a curse on him? In verses 10 and 11, it says, “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery...Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun.” What was at stake that caused Paul to be so daring to pronounce such punishment on Elymas?
- I can understand why, and what is at stake. The proconsul, the governor, Sergius Paulus, he could be the most powerful person in the political position under the Roman empire at Cyprus, and he showed interest in the word of God. In verse 7, it says, he sent for Paul and Barnabas because he wanted to hear the word of God. What an opportunity to grasp! If the Chief Minister of Sabah, Musa comes to you and expresses interest in the gospel, as you do mission, what do you do? I am sure you will by all means help him to know Jesus personally.
- However, in this case, there was another, very influential person called Elymas, Jewish the sorcerer, in verse 8, we are told that he tried to pull away the proconsul from coming to the faith of Jesus. Before this, the proconsul must have mixed with Elymas who could do some supernatural power, and satisfied the interests of proconsul. Directly, Elymas gained some economic interest from the proconsul also. Elymas knew very well, the influence of God’s word on him would cause the loss of economic support for him. Therefore, he tried hard to prevent Paul and Barnabas influence on him.
- At the same time, Paul, who was directed by God to do mission knew the spiritual warfare involved. Based on the pronouncement of the punishment, you can see that Paul had discerned the devil at work behind Elymas if not, he would not call Elymas, a child of the devil, an enemy of everything that is right, full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. You think Paul and Barnabas were able to counter Elymas who empowered by the devil, with their human flesh wisdom, strength and might?
- How could Paul know the devil behind Elymas? Unless God helped him to discern. How could Paul be so courageous to pronounce a punishment on Elymas? He had no authority to do it. Unless God gave him the courage. At this critical moment, this is where in verse 9, Paul was filled by the Holy Spirit to do pronouncement. Take note of the supernatural power that Paul received after being filled with the Holy Spirit, receiving discernment and courage. The effects of being filled with Holy Spirit were Paul was blessed with courage and discernment. I believe, as you serve Christ, as you learn to love others and reach out to others for Christ’s sake, it does not matter who are they, Jesus Christ will be there to fill you with the Holy Spirit and give you courage and discernment. Do you say amen to that? You got to believe it and ask for it.
- I always get courage to pray spiritual warfare prayer and fight the devil head on in praying for the sick, in Iban and Penan long houses, in removing charms of all kinds and burning them. I always experience Jesus’ protection in terms of journey mercy, good health and wisdom to minister on mission trip. One of the questions that the Holy Spirit always remind me to ask when I pray for the sick and the troubled is always, what sin have you committed. If the person is not able to tell me, as the Holy Spirit leads me, I ask about, what wrong one has done, any conflicts with people, any enemy, any hatred, any greed, any pride, etc. I strongly believe that as I apply the teachings of James 5, as people confess their sins, Jesus will heal them; and the devil will not have any foothold to attack us. As we confess our sins and repent, Jesus forgives and heals. If their sickness continues after I pray, I always remind them to consult a doctor as not all sicknesses are due to our sins or the devil.
- Now, we know the immediate effect of the pronouncement of the punishment. In verses 11b, it says, “Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.” It was an evidence of the Holy Spirit at work so mightily.
- Now, what is the ultimate result of Paul being filled with the Holy Spirit? The answer is found in verse 12, “When the proconsul saw what happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.” You see the powerful role of the Holy Spirit in converting an intelligent and powerful like Sergius Paulus?
- I pray that the sermon today on being filled with Holy Spirit is not for information and knowledge, it is for practice.

C. Applications
- On the practice of being filled with Holy Spirit, I think you want to know whether the Holy Spirit fills every Christian or not? My answer is very simple and I always emphasize this. As you come to know Christ, your life is transformed, you are born again, the Holy Spirit lives in you. Then, as you serve the purpose of Christ, you ask for the Holy Spirit to fill you, He will fill you and empower you to do his work. Luke 11:11-13 Jesus teaches us, “which of your fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
- One application you can do with this verse is that our heavenly father will fill us with the Holy Spirit as we ask Him.
- The trouble with a lot of us is we do not even ask. Now, why? May I ask you now, why? If you are ignorant of the teaching, after today, you should just ask as Jesus leads you.
- But, a lot of us do not ask because we feel we are not up to the mark to the mission of Jesus yet. This is a wrong thinking, and sometimes it is an excuse. Jesus can use any child of Him to accomplish His purpose. You need to exercise your faith to step forward and answer the call of Jesus, like Paul and Barnabas.
- Some of us are just to preoccupied with worldly things that we are all the time distracted from drawing near to Jesus and how can we even think of praying for Jesus to fill us with Holy Spirit to do His mission?
- Some of us under certain bondage of a sin, which you have not let go and allow Jesus to forgive you and you repent, and the devil always get you. To this group of children of God, I urge you, all the more, you must ask Jesus to fill you with His Spirit to overcome the evil power?

D. Conclusion and action
- Can you now humble yourself, take a step of faith, and fill free to follow me in a prayer which asks Jesus to fill you to serve Him? If after listening to the sermon, you have heard the Holy Spirit telling you in your heart to be filled with the Holy Spirit to reach out to others, to solve your problems and to repent from your sins, please follow me in prayers.
- Lord Jesus Christ, I hear your calling to ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit, the spirit who filled apostle Paul to also fill me. I sincerely desire you to give me courage to open my mouth to give testimony about how you have blessed and invite them to come for small groups, fellowship and the Sunday services. I sincerely desire you to empower me to solve all my personal problems. I sincerely desire you to forgive me from all my sins and I repent from them. In Christ’s most powerful name I pray, Amen.”

Questions for discussion

1. Share some other effects of being filled with the Holy Spirit.
2. Share your experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit.
3. Share the verses from Acts 1 to 12 that touch on the doctrine of being filled with Holy Spirit.

By Rev Law Hui Seng