The Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power — David Wilkerson

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The Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power

I want to speak to you this morning about demonstration of the spirit and of power. You've just seen it. Please go to First Corinthians, second chapter, second chapter, First Corinthians, first five verses.

Paul’s Message of Christ Crucified

And I, brethren, when I came to you, this is Paul speaking, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God, for I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified.

And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of men's wisdom, but in demonstration of the spirit and of power, that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Holy Spirit, I need you. We need you. And I ask you to come now with anointing from the throne room. Give us ears to hear and speak life to us this morning, we pray. We acknowledge our need to have a voice that is under your authority and ears to hear what the spirit would say to us.

In Christ's name I pray. Amen. When I read through Paul's letter to the Corinthians and starting the first chapter and first verse and go right through, when you get to chapter two, you stop suddenly and you have to ponder these words.

He speaks of demonstration of the Holy Spirit and of power. Now, folks, we have people running all over the world for such things. They want to see what they have believed would be a demonstration and manifestation of the Holy Ghost and of power.

People want to hear and see power. They want manifestations. And when they speak of manifestations, it's usually something emotional. But when you study through first and second Corinthians, you don't find anything emotional.

When people talk about a demonstration of the power of the Holy Ghost, if you look through it, where is it in Corinthians? You will not find any emotional experience. You will not find people being slain by the spirit.

You see, when I was a young pastor, when I was a young evangelist, that was my prayer. Lord, do for me what you did for the apostle Paul. Give me such a powerful message. Give me such a broken heart that when I stand up, there'll be manifestations and demonstration.

I want to see people fall on their face. I want to see them run to the altar. I want to see you manifest. Let that power of the Holy Ghost so come upon me when I preach that nobody can walk out. And I want to see people slain by the spirit of God, not by the just laying out of hands, but I want to see them convicted of their sins.

And I want a demonstration. I want a manifestation of the Holy Spirit. But what is the manifestation of the Holy Spirit? Where is it in Paul's ministry to the Corinthians? You don't find it in Corinth.

Search everywhere through first and second Corinthians, you will not find some demonstration. What you do see and hear in Paul's meetings and hear in his messages is what the world calls foolishness. He preaches a very practical message.

He preaches on ordinary subjects of everyday life. You find him speaking, in fact, the Bible says he preached long. He preached till midnight. And on one occasion in Troas, he's preaching into the wee hours of the morning and a young man by the name Eudaicus falls from the third floor.

He's sitting at the window and falls out, evidently fell asleep during Paul's preaching. And Paul had to go down and resurrect him from the dead. It doesn't sound like a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

It doesn't sound like some great powerful meeting. You hear him preach about carnality, strife, marriage, love, fornication, widows, dress, divorce, order in the church, giving, tithing. So here's a man with no charisma.

Here's a man with no commanding voice. Here's a man who they accused of being unattractive in his appearance and also that his preaching was abominable or despicable. In other words, what they were saying about Paul in the very words, Paul said he came to them in fear and a trembling.

He stood before the people before he preached and doing his preaching. He said, I came with fear and trembling and I've been told that my bodily presence is weak and my speech is contemptible. In other words, people were saying about Paul, you're not a very good preacher and you're not.

You don't have any charisma and you're not very attractive. He's such a plain looking man. All kinds of things that were thrown at Paul, the apostle. So where's the demonstration of the Holy Spirit and the power?

Becoming the Message

Some many months ago, I don't know how long ago, I was talking to Pastor Carter about my messages to pastors when I travel to conferences. And he said, Pastor Dave, don't worry about your message because you are the message.

You are the message when you be. It is what you are, what you're becoming. In other words, when a man or woman becomes more like Christ, that becomes the message, becomes the testimony. And I've never forgotten that.

And I've been focused on that. And I believe that with all my heart. And that's what where we're heading in this message. But Paul was saying is simply this. The message you hear from me is showing forth a work that Holy Spirit has done.

If my words have any power, if they have any authority, it's the work. I am a demonstration. I am an example. I'm a pattern of what God can do to take a man without charisma, take a man without a commanding voice, take a man with a vile sinner such as I and do something with him.

He said, I'm the miracle. You can marvel at what God has done. He's not proud at all, but he's saying, I know who I am in Christ. I know what Jesus has done for me. And I know how the Holy Spirit has been working on my life, trying to produce the life of Christ.

And he said, I've been in a fight. And he said, I've had victory and I know my battles are not over. I have not yet arrived. I still fight great battles. But I know who I am in Jesus Christ. And Paul was the demonstration of the Holy Ghost and power.

He was a manifestation of what God can do in a man or woman's heart who is fully yielded to the purposes of God. Who hunger and thirst after his righteousness. He could say, say what you want about me.

Tell me my preaching is not comparable to a policy. Tell me that I am not smooth. Tell me that I am not attractive. So be it. But he said, I can tell you one thing. I speak with authority. My words don't fall to the ground because there's something behind what I speak.

God has teached me how to live what I preach. And he comes now saying, I will not back off. I'm taking a stand right here now. He said, I don't care how many preachers you have. I've got to tell you that I speak the word with power.

I didn't come to you with the wisdom of man. I didn't come to you with philosophy or psychology. I came to you with the mind of God. I came to you and I spoke a simple, direct message to your heart. When I spoke about marriage, it touched your heart.

When I spoke about giving, it touched your heart. Because my words don't fall to the ground. That was not a boast. That's something that you ought to be able to say if you are committed to go all the way with Jesus, no matter what the cost.

Rejecting Comparison and Ministerial Imitation

And Paul looks around him at the church and he sees ministers and he sees believers comparing themselves one with another. He sees them competing. He sees and hears them boasting. And he said, I'm not going down the line of any other man.

He uses the very word. I'm not going down the line. I'm not going to get into his sphere. He has a sphere of ministry. And he's saying, I don't want that duplicated because many of these spheres of ministry are now being produced only to be duplicated.

He said, I'm not a duplication. I will not borrow another man's message. I'll not bother any other man. And I'm not going to compare myself with anybody else. And saints, you can get in trouble when you try to compare your spirituality with somebody else because it'll bring condemnation to your life.

It'll condemn you because you'll see so many. The enemy allow you to see things. And some of those that you measure yourself with, you don't know the battle, the struggle they go through anyhow. But Paul, the apostle, sees all of this competition.

He sees this boasting. He sees so many people going after ministries. Paul says, no, that's not for me. I'm not going down that line. I'm not going to buy into that sphere. I get letters and e-mails almost every day when the packages of letters are sent to me.

And last night I was reading through some. And the heart cry of so many Christians. They say our church is so confused. Everything that is coming along comes into our church. Paul looks at all of this confusion.

And he says, no, that's not for me. I'm not going to follow and duplicate any others. Folks, you have to get your own experience with God. You have to have your own prayer life. You have to have your own voice from God, that inner knowing from God.

You can't get it from listening to preaching. Even you can't get it from anywhere but being shut in with God by yourself and saying, Lord, whatever it costs, whatever the price. I want to know your voice.

I want to know your ways. Paul says, I do not come to you with an argument. I don't come to you with a method. I come to you with having been with God and I have a message that is uniquely mine. God's holy ghost is dealing with me, working within my sphere.

I don't have to look outside of that sphere or outside of my calling. I stay in that calling. Jesus had a very narrow sphere, a very narrow circle, very small circle. When the man came and said, would you divide my inheritance?

He said, that's none of my business. And he would never go. They wanted him to go to other parts of the world and he would not go. He was in this sphere. He said, I know my calling. This present society is sin sick.

This present society is stressed out. This president, this present society is crying for answers. Answers. They want a word from God. They're sick and tired of all of the hype. They're sick and tired of the entertainment in church.

They're sick and tired of all the new methods. And we hear this heart cry in our mailing list. You hear it all over the world now. There's a cry even in the world, even in the world. There's a cry. There's a need for answers.

I've got to have answers. And they're not going to listen. And the world is not going to listen until they stand eye to eye and toe to toe with those who are demonstration of the Holy Ghost that work in them and the power of the Holy Ghost.

Until they hear a sound. Until they hear a word with power and authority. I'm not talking about just preachers preaching from the pulpit. I'm talking about the authority God wants to give you in your household.

On your job. Wherever it may be. And I'll tell you the path to show you the path of that. Just a moment. In First Corinthians, the first chapter, verse chapter four, verse 16, Paul says, Wherefore, I beseech you, be followers of me.

Timothy, Paul’s Ways, and Following Christ

And then Paul went on to say, I'm sending Timothy to you. He's speaking to the Corinthian church. I'm sending Timothy to you who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways, which be in Christ. As I teach every man in every church.

What are the ways of Paul? I'm sending Timothy to you and he's going to remind you of all my ways. He's going to remind you what I teach every man in every church. Everywhere I go, I have this message.

And he says, follow me now. If you're going to follow Paul's ways, he's asking the Corinthian church. I'm going to send Timothy. He knows the way that I have taken. He knows what I've been through and he knows the cost.

Now, I'm going to send him to you and I'm going to have him remind you of all my ways. Everything that I teach and have been teaching you. He said, and as he comes to remind you, I want you to follow me.

Now, where is that going to lead you if you're going to follow the ways of Paul, the apostle, which leads to the full revelation of Jesus, a fuller revelation of Jesus Christ? Where does that take you?

Believers as a Spectacle to the World

For we are made, Paul said, we're made a spectacle unto the world and to angels and to men. Chapter four, verse nine. Spectacle here in the original Greek is theater. We are made and he's speaking of God.

We are made by God as a spectacle, a theater. You're on stage, folks. When you commit yourself to following Jesus Christ fully and you want to become an example, you want to be a testimony in this last day.

You look at the sin and corruption around you. You see it trying to creep into your own life and you say, no, I take a stand. I want to be a testimony. If everything around me is failing, if nobody else stands up, I am going to stand for Christ.

And when that determination is over, you're not backstage anymore. This is a worldwide stage. And the scripture says that. And Paul, the apostle, says very clearly, we are made a spectacle. In other words, is this great theater.

And you're called to step out on stage. And the Bible says that this this spectacle is before Prince before the world, which represents the principalities and powers of darkness and angels and all men.

And in the audience, folks, you can believe that you're on stage. You're in a spectacle. And when you say and when you say, I'm not backstage anymore, I want God to use me. I want to be a testimony. All of these things I'm going through.

And the Lord says, come and you are. In fact, here's the script right here. Every word has been written by the heavenly father. The script of this great spectacle is right here. It warns you, you read the script and it tells you what you're in for when you step on stage.

And the moment you make a commitment. The moment you said, I've had enough of softness, I've had enough of lethargy, I've had enough. God, whatever the cost, I want to be your word. I want to be your voice.

I want to be a testimony. To my family, to those on the job, I want to be a testimony. I want to speak life. I want I want the Holy Ghost upon my life. Then you are going to go before the world as a spectacle.

The Cost of Following Christ

And here's the script. All others will be strong and you're going to be the weak one. In fact, you're going to play the fool. You're going to play the fool. Paul said we are fools for Christ. And the script goes like this.

No, all others will be strong, but you are going to be weak. Others are going to be honored. You're going to be despised. You're going to experience hunger, thirst, nakedness, and you're going to be pounded in the face.

In other words, buffeted. You can stand before the whole world and these things are going to happen to you. Those who talk about a materialistic heaven talk about how there is no suffering. There's no pain.

Never attracts the devil's attention. The devil and all hell. So those are bit players. So those people, they don't attract the devil. The devil is in the audience. The devil goes to this spectacle. It attracts the powers of hell and darkness to be arrayed against you because you have made a commitment.

You stepped from behind stage and you went out. You stepped outside the backstage and said, no, Lord, I'm going with you. And the Lord said, this is the path. This is the way. This is how you become a demonstration of the Holy Ghost and His power.

You're going to go through this. You're going to play the fool. Only a fool would want to go Paul's way. And there are many who've read the script and said, that's not for me. All I want is heaven. I'm just going to hold on, do my best to get to heaven.

I don't want to go to hell. We are made by God as a spectacle. You would experience all of these things. Paul said, you will bless while others revile you. You will endure persecution. You will be slandered.

But you will entreat. You will be made as the filth or scum of the world, offscouring the dregs of all things. Then Paul's got the audacity to say, follow me. Follow me. If you see a demonstration, Paul says, of the spirit and the power in me.

Let me tell you how it came about. Let me tell you the path. You're going to be tested as no other man or woman. You're going to go through these things. It's all in the script. You're going to go through it and you're going to suffer.

And the world's going to watch how you react in spirit, in motive. How you react when everything comes against you. How you react is the love of Christ exemplified. Is there a sweetness? Is there saying, oh, Holy Ghost, hold me.

Fill me with your love. Let me be an example to those around me. Let me not blow my lid. Let me not turn away to anxiousness and to fear. Oh, God, I need the Holy Spirit. Folks, you can't do it without the power of the Holy Spirit.

Persevering Under the Holy Spirit’s Power

Paul said, I don't write these things to frighten you. Oh, boy. He knew that once you set foot on stage, the Holy Spirit will come upon you. He knows that you're going to experience the revelation and power of Christ like you've never known because you've taken the step to stand up before the whole world and be on display.

You see, those that are eased in Zion don't need the Holy Ghost. Why would you need the Holy Ghost to sit on a rocker? Why would you need the Holy Ghost just to do your own thing? Paul's word to soft Christians and soft preachers would be just that.

The kingdom of God is not in word but in power. I'm telling you, saints, what you're going through now, you are on stage. You're in a spectacle, and you are the spectacle. And angels watch in amazement and wonder.

And if angels pray, I'm sure as God let them make it, you're faithful. And there's a cloud of witnesses, the Bible said, wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that is so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race or the spectacle set before us.

You're being watched. Everybody on your job is watching you. Your family is watching you. The church is watching you. God's watching you. Because God's trying to produce in you and in me a true manifestation, a true demonstration of the work of the Holy Spirit and His power.

The Christian Life as a Public Testimony

You know, there are a lot of times it gets so painful that you want to just walk off stage and say enough of this spectacle. You just want to walk off stage? That's what David said, oh, I just wish I had wings of a bird and I'd fly off to some quiet island.

That island doesn't exist. There's no such place. Because as my brother Don preached, wherever you go, there you are. I know I'm on stage. Not this stage. I know I'm on a stage. That stage is that whole circle, the whole sphere of those who know you and see you, walk with you, live with you, talk with you.

You know the thing that comforts me? Oh, there are times if any preacher or any teacher tells you that they often or at least occasionally don't feel like just walking off stage and say, that's enough, I've had enough, I can't handle this, then they're not being honest with you.

I'm telling you honest straight out. There are times that I've said, I've never ever thought of quitting on Jesus. But, Lord, I don't need this. I don't want this anymore. And the Lord says, I'm doing something in you.

You're on stage, my friend, my beloved son. You're on stage. And you see, there's intermissions in this great spectacle. That's prayer time. That's when you go backstage and you're all alone. You see, the director of this is our Heavenly Father and is our Lord Jesus Christ.

We know the director of this spectacle. And we come backstage and get alone with him. And he puts his hand on the shoulder. This is what I picture. At least this is for me. I hope it's for you. Tired and weary and saying, I just don't want to go back on stage.

And the Lord puts his hand on your shoulder and says, you're doing fine. I'm doing fine? I'm wanting to quit. The Lord said, no, no, no. You're not going to quit. I've got something going here. I've got something at work in you.

I'm making you a demonstration of the Holy Ghost and my power. You go back out there. I'm going to breathe life into you. I'm with you. All the angels, that's what Paul said, the angels, the whole world and all of mankind are watching.

The spectacle is before them. And for some of you now, and this is not a long message. I'm going to be finished in just a few minutes. The Holy Spirit is saying to you, you're all right. You're doing fine.

But get back out there because it's going to get a little harder. Lord, you just said I'm doing fine. That doesn't sound. Is that in the script? Yeah, it's all there. It's there in Galatians. It's there right through.

I wrote it. I told you to read the script. So we've been surprised because you haven't been reading the script. You weren't prepared. Oh, but I know the director. And I know that he's here to comfort you this morning and saying, get back in the battle.

Don't be afraid. And one of these days he says, and oh, by the way, when curtain call comes, when the curtain comes down, remember, we've got a feast. You come into my house. And all all of those. All of those who have been in this in this spectacle from the very from the cross on and all through history.

He said, we're going to have a celebration. We're going to be there, folks. That's why we endure because of the joy set before us. Looking forward to that day when we stand before Christ. Not a long message, but that's it.

I think it's the Holy Spirit in a simple way, trying to encourage you. Hold on. Keep moving on. You're doing all right. I'm with you. The devil's not going to bring you down. You're going to bring it up.

Invitation to the Discouraged and Backslidden

Will you stand, please? I don't have any word from the Lord about how to conduct this invitation. Now, I would say if you're discouraged and you. When I mentioned this about walking off stage or. Lord, I've had enough.

If you're overwhelmed, if you've been this past week, especially you said, I am. I am absolutely overwhelmed. I am going through the struggle of my life. I've been through many battles, but this is the mother of all battles for me.

You can come. We'll pray with. Let's just pray with you at your seat. You don't have to come because we wouldn't even have room in the annex. We wouldn't have room. Let me just open these alters for those who have grown cold in your heart toward the Lord.

Which means actually, Lord, I don't want to be in this spectacle. I don't want to be a part of this. So you just drifted and you're not where you should be with Christ at all. And you came here this morning.

And when that happens, I have to tell you, when that happens, when you back away and you would begin to withdraw. And you're not living in faith and victory. All hell breaks loose. Life gets so burdened, it gets so overwhelming.

It's difficult enough for the true believer. But for those who have backed away and are drifting, I'm inviting you to step out of your seat boldly. If you don't know Christ, I want you to come up in the balcony, come down the stairs on either side, come down the aisle.

And in the annex, also, you can go to the lobby and come down here and meet me here in the main auditorium. The ushers will show you how to get here. And we'll pray with you. If you've grown cold or you backslidden or you don't know Christ, we're limited to that.

Please, wherever you're at upstairs here, you come as the spirit draws you. On the way into the church this morning, I was speaking to my wife, Teresa, and the scripture the Lord gave me is from Isaiah.

I think it's around the 40th, 41st chapter, which is comforting my people. And the Lord spoke clearly to my heart. This would be a day of great comfort for those that are struggling in the battle. You perhaps even feel like you're losing the battle.

God’s Sustaining Power in the Battle

But you see, that's a lie. If Christ is in you, you're not losing the battle. You're in a storm, but you're not losing the battle. You see, because the battle is already won. You already are the victor if Christ is in you.

And he has promised and he has staked his very name on bringing you and I through. If we have an honest heart for him, he has staked his very name and reputation on bringing us through across the finish line that he himself has already crossed.

And, of course, we are in him. So, therefore, we're already seated with him in heavenly places at the right hand of God. Exciting today. Exciting. Yes, this is a difficult hour. And there's no indication it's going to get any easier.

But there's a sustaining power of God that's in you and in me that will carry us through the deepest, darkest valleys and battles that we have to face. We're going to go through, folks. And we're going to come out the other side.

And one day this will just all be history. All of where we are today and what we're experiencing and having to go through. It's just a vapor, James says. It's going to be here for a while, then it's going to be gone.

And then forever we're going to be home. We're going to be with the Lord. There's going to be no sorrow, no sighing, no tears, no struggle, no disease, no sickness. What a day that is going to be. Till then, Jesus promises by the power of the Holy Spirit to keep you.

The Promise of Faithful Preservation

He promises. You can't hear it any more clearly than you've heard it today. This is a phenomenal word today. Get this tape. Make sure you keep it and listen to it again. Now, Father, I thank you. God, we thank you from the depths of our heart today.

Lord, that in the midst of what we have to go through, that you are our sustaining strength. You are faithful. Lord, even when you come back, it says in Revelation, you have a name written on you. Faithful and true.

Lord, you cannot be anything other than what you are. And every word you've spoken to us is yea and amen. And you will keep us in the middle of the battle. You will keep us at our post. You will teach us how to walk in rank with you, O God.

You will keep us in unity with your sovereign purpose for every life. And Jesus, when this is played out, your name above all will be held in lights and glorified for all of eternity. The sustainer of our souls.

God, we thank you so much from the very, very depths of our heart. Now, pray with me, those that have come to the altar. Lord Jesus, thank you for loving me. I'm asking you today to teach my heart to respond to your love.

That I may trust you. That I may lay down any grievance that I may have in my heart against you. Lord, you are faithful to me. You have kept me. And you will keep me. And I'm asking you today to put a passion for you, for truth, and for your work in my heart.

Give me faith. Increase my faith. That I may trust you to bring me through every struggle and every trial with a song of praise in my mouth. And a confidence in you that cannot be taken away. It cannot be shaken.

And when everything else is shaken, because of your life in me, I will still stand. And having done all, I will stand when it is all over. And I will give glory to your name. Because it's all about you.

And I thank you. From the depths of my heart. In Jesus' mighty name. Now give him praise. Give him thanks today. Hallelujah. This is the conclusion of the message.