In Acts 19, Paul arrives in Ephesus, and ended up staying there for effectively over two years, constructing a church neighborhood, to whom he would later write one among his letters. We study a lot on this chapter about how vital it’s to know your authority in Christ Jesus.
The story is advised of a younger boy, Ben Hooper, who grew as much as change into a Governor of Tennessee. Ben was born to a younger girl who was not married, and in consequence, Ben didn’t have many pals in his college, and actually, endured a lot ridicule. When Ben was 12 years previous, a brand new preacher got here to their native church, and Ben started attending on Sundays. Due to how he was seen in the neighborhood, he would sneak in after the service had begun, after which depart throughout the benediction. One Sunday when he obtained caught up within the benediction, he discovered himself exiting with the opposite parishioners. Conserving his head down, feeling he could be rejected by the folks of the church, he out of the blue felt a heavy hand on his shoulder and seemed up, solely to be wanting into the eyes of the Pastor. Ben mentioned, “I seemed up and the preacher was wanting proper at me. ‘Who’re you, son? Whose boy are you?’ he requested. I felt this massive weight coming down on me. It was like a giant black cloud. Even the preacher was placing me down. However as he seemed down at me, learning my face, he started to smile a giant smile of recognition. “Wait a minute!” he mentioned. “I do know who you’re. I see the household resemblance now. You’re a baby of God.” With that he slapped me throughout the rump and mentioned, “Boy, you’ve obtained an incredible inheritance. Go and declare it.” This revelation was a pivotal second in Ben Hooper’s life.
Many believers know concerning the Lord, however we should first know Him personally, after which get to know “who we’re in Jesus.” Realizing that you’re a baby of God, and the authority you might have within the title of Jesus, is vital in being utilized by God. That is demonstrated in Acts 19 in two vital methods.
Being Baptized within the Holy Spirit
When Paul arrived in Ephesus, his first encounter was with a small group of males who had heard the message of John the Baptist, and had repented, however they hadn’t heard the excellent news of the cross. When Paul shared the Gospel with them, they instantly obtained Jesus as Savior, have been baptized in water and “Then when Paul laid his fingers on them, the Holy Spirit got here on them, they usually spoke in different tongues and prophesied.”
You might shortly skip over this little incident, however it is a vital second in Church historical past. This was additional proof that the Gospel, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit wasn’t only for Jewish folks, or simply for the apostles, nevertheless it was for all folks. Going again to Acts 1:8, when Jesus was with the disciples earlier than He ascended again to heaven, He mentioned to them, “However you’ll obtain energy when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you may be my witnesses, telling folks about me in every single place.”
On the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit moved on the believers, all 120 of them have been crammed with the Holy Spirit and started to talk in different tongues. It’s of word that when Paul planted the church in Ephesus, he instantly obtained the primary converts baptized within the Holy Spirit, simply as Jesus had commanded.
There are individuals who imagine that the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the presents of the Holy Spirit that include His presence in our lives, was only for the Apostles – that primarily, these presents “ceased” after the final Apostle died. In case you return to Acts 1 nonetheless, Jesus was saying, “I want you to inform others what I’ve performed, however don’t try to do that in your individual energy – wait till I’ve stuffed you with My Spirit, and empowered you to be My witnesses.” (my paraphrase)
The facility of the Holy Spirit is simply as vital in 2024 because it was within the first century. One of many issues that thrills me most about main Alpha, is watching lives remodeled by the facility of the Holy Spirit, after which watching folks on the Alpha weekend, being stuffed and empowered by the Holy Spirit themselves, to be a witness of what Jesus has performed.
The Authority of Jesus’ Identify
Paul spent two years instructing the Phrase of God fervently, and “God gave him the facility to carry out uncommon miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his pores and skin have been positioned on sick folks, they have been healed of their illnesses, and evil spirits have been expelled.” There have been individuals who have been dazzled by this and tried to copy what they noticed occurring by way of the fingers of Paul. Each in that day, and to our present day, there are individuals who will probably be awed by distinctive indicators and wonders, and plenty of believers have gotten into the ditch by making an attempt to repeat, and even chase after supernatural manifestations. God’s goal, nonetheless, was to make use of these miracles to attract folks to Jesus, and to display that final authority rests within the individual and title of Jesus.
Ephesus was a metropolis rampant with Idol Worship and sorcery. One specific group of younger Jews have been fairly impressed with the authority that they noticed in Paul, and even over the demonic realm. They went about making an attempt to train authority over demons, “A bunch of Jews was touring from city to city casting out evil spirits. They tried to make use of the title of the Lord Jesus of their incantation, saying, “I command you within the title of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come back out!” (Acts 19:13 NLT) They have been utilizing the Identify of Jesus as if that title was magical. It wasn’t magical, and the demons beat them severely that day as, even they, acknowledged that these younger males had no authority. I enterprise to say, that in 2024, there are nonetheless people who find themselves utilizing the Identify of Jesus in a lot the identical method. If we return to the good fee, nonetheless, Jesus mentioned,
“I’ve been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Subsequently, go and make disciples of all of the nations,[a] baptizing them within the title of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Educate these new disciples to obey all of the instructions I’ve given you. And make sure of this: I’m with you all the time, even to the top of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20
Our theme at Coastal Church this 12 months of “GO!” is predicated on this command, however to have authority to hold out this fee, you could actually “know” the one who has despatched you. Your authority is in “figuring out Him”, and never in utilizing His title as if it had some magical powers.
Going again to the story we started with, about Ben Hooper, that second modified his life, as a result of he had a revelation of who he was. So let me ask you an identical query – “Who’re you?” To cite what the Pastor mentioned to younger Ben, I say to you, ‘Wait a minute!’ I do know who you’re. I see the household resemblance now. You’re a baby of God.’ That’s the place your authority rests – in figuring out that you’re a baby of God.
