(Clip) The Power of the Spirit—Neglected but Needed — Shane Idleman

Receiving the Promised Power of the Holy Spirit

It's neglected, but it's needed in the church today. How many of you are familiar with this verse? Acts 1 .8 But you shall receive power. You shall receive power. Not might receive power. You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.

There's a power source. Any of you have electric appliances, what do you have to do with it? And many Christians are not plugged in to the power source. Power is directly related to the connection. The outflow is directly related to the filling.

The fire is directly related to the fuel. The power of the Holy Spirit. Has the Holy Spirit truly come upon you? And the reason this is so important is this, this is where the church changes lives. Without this, we don't really change a lot of lives.

The Spirit's Power in Unity and Prayer

We have a social gathering, but it's the power of the Spirit that keeps us together in unity. It's the power of the Spirit who gets the prayers answered in the prayer room. It's the power of the Spirit who gets us to our knees and we work on all these different things and we see the Lord moving in powerful and profound ways.

Sensing God's Presence

I was just watching the other day the 10-year anniversary video we did. You can find it on YouTube. And I noticed, I didn't see this before, but a lot of people were saying you can feel the Spirit there at the church.

And I know that bothers some people that haven't really felt much at all. And here's what I think people are saying why this is so important. Can you sense evil? I've been in some places. You can sense evil.

I mean, you just want to get out of there. Or you feel it. Why couldn't the reverse be true? Think about it. You ever watching some at home and you're like this is not right? Or going to a movie theater?

I remember I went into homes of just... I went in L .A. I'll never forget to minister to this guy. You feel like you need to take a shower when you leave. The smell. The darkness. It was just, you can sense it.

So on the flip side, can you sense the light? Can you sense God moving? And so that's what people say when they say they can feel the Spirit there. Have we ever stopped to consider this for a moment? That God created emotions?

God created neurotransmitters. God created serotonin. His idea. Yeah. All the other hormones are different. He created all those things. And I believe through our emotions, through our feelings, we can feel God and experience God.

There are times when I don't and I still have to come. There are times when I don't and I still have to worship. And we just have to be ready in and out of season. But there are profound and meaningful times where you can feel the power and presence of God.

Distinguishing Genuine Emotion from Emotionalism

I don't understand why that's a bad thing. And you'll watch some videos out there of guys who'll say that's just emotionalism. Well, here's the difference. I want to clarify this. I think it's important.

God created emotions. Come and make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Anytime people would encounter God, they were changed. They would fall on their face. They would raise their arms. They would weep and be broken.

Emotions were engaged. Emotionalism, though, is making decisions based on my emotion. And I think that's where people get confused. They'll say, oh, that's just emotionalism. You guys are up here at the altar and you're all emotional.

That's just emotionalism. Well, if that guy repents and leaves and goes home and becomes a better father or a better husband, how's that a bad thing? See, the problem is, these people have never experienced God and they're putting you down when you do.

They've never experienced God. Or they'll see people acting weird and say, oh, it's just emotionalism. Okay, I got it sometimes for sure. People get carried away. You have to be careful there, but I don't understand if God created emotions for when you have a child, when you experience something great, or your wedding day, or whatever it is.

These are how you experience life. Wouldn't it make sense that He would want you to experience Him? As long as the experiences line up with Scripture? So when people say, people up here at the altar, that's just emotionalism.

Biblical Expressions of Encountering God's Presence

I can give you lots of verses about that. Bowing down in the holy presence of God. Laying prostrate in the holy presence of God. Crying out when they would feel the presence of God. Being taken back by the presence of God.

Crying out for deliverance in the presence of God. Being drawn to worship in the presence of God. Waiting in an upper room until the Spirit of God fell upon them and then they left that room speaking in a language and glorifying God and they experienced God.

There's so much joy. The joy of the Lord was their strength in the New Testament. So, you know, I think that you have a problem with emotions in God. I don't think you've really ever experienced Him. Maybe pride has prevented that.

The Spirit's Filling Produces Joy and Holiness

I know for sure in my 20s, I didn't experience God. I knew Him, I was a Christian, but I never had that deep and profound filling and moving of the Holy Spirit. Why? Because I was quenching and grieving the Spirit.

It's the Spirit that gives me joy. It's being full of the Spirit. Full of joy and peace and gentleness and kindness and longsuffering. Can you imagine if God would fill us completely? And people would want to just get away from you.

What is wrong? They're always smiling. They're always all bubbling. Everything's going good for them. Good for them. And you know those people, the joy of the Lord is my strength. Joy and peace and longsuffering and gentleness and kindness and grace is flowing out of them.

Biblical Models of Transforming Encounters with God

They're experiencing God. It's emotions. Isaiah, I'm a man of unclean lips. John would fall to the ground. Elisha would just be ripped apart by this experience. Moses would just... Lord, turn. Others would say, Lord, stay Your hand.

I'm going to explode from Your presence and just the power of God upon their lives and that's all I want for others is to experience that. And it's okay to pray, Holy Spirit, come. Holy Spirit, stay. Oh, I need to feel Your fire.

I need to see Your gaze. Holy Spirit, You are welcome here. He leads us. He draws us. He convicts us. He comforts us. He renews us. He revives us. He restores us. He reconciles us. He resurrects us. He rejuvenates us.

He reinforces us. He refreshes us. He repurposes us. And He recovers us from the brink of destruction.