Understanding And Obtaining the Power of the Spirit — Shane Idleman

The Resurrection and the Martyrs' Testimony

You need to read a book called Foxe's Book of Martyrs. Order it today, or read online, Foxe's Book of Martyrs. Because these disciples that supposedly stole his body, right, if you're gonna do that, then it's a hoax.

Right, you're gonna, you know, you're kind of, let's, we have this hoax, we have this big, you know, the conspiracy, let's go hide his body. Okay, well, they were tortured. They were hung upside down and crucified.

They were beheaded. They were thrown to wild beasts because they did not deny the faith. If they had, were in some of this elaborate hoax, as soon as they caught them, they say, okay, okay, you got me.

We put him, you know, in such and such place. Nobody's gonna die for something they know is a blatant lie. What happened is they saw the risen Savior. Then they waited in an upper room, which is so important.

Waiting for the Promise of the Father

They waited in this upper room for days, seeking God, praying. Jesus actually said, don't go do anything. Just wait, wait. Jesus said, wait. Don't answer, those who know, but think about this. What were they waiting for?

What were they waiting for? We're actually gonna celebrate it, I believe, May 19th. They were waiting for the promise. Wait, wait a minute, they're saved, they're believers? Yeah, they're waiting and praying and fasting, waiting.

Jesus said, the promise is coming, the promise. This will be the difference maker. This is night and day. This is spiritual power and weakness. This is boldness and being a coward. Wait, wait, wait for that promise.

And they don't know really what to expect, but as they're praying and as they're waiting, it was incredible because it actually says, and this huge wind came through. The house literally shook in a place called the upper room.

Pentecost and the Power to Witness

And what happened? The promise of the Father came and they were now filled mightily with the Holy Spirit. Oh no, there's a weird term again. Shane, you're getting out there. Jesus said it, Jesus said it.

Not me. He said, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be witnesses to all the ends of the earth. Without the Spirit's power, you can do nothing. You think I'd walk into Planet Fitness on my own?

Heck no, no way. Boldness, boldness to speak the truth, boldness to witness. I don't care what you call me. I don't care what you say. Christ has changed my life and this boldness rises up in me and I've got to speak the truth because his word is in my heart like a burning fire.

That's the boldness of the Spirit. So it's available as believers to everyone. That was a waiting period. You don't have to wait anymore. It comes with salvation. The gift of God, the gift of, can you, I mean, this is mind blowing.

The Indwelling Spirit and Total Surrender

I don't know why this is all coming up on Easter but here we go. But it's, it's my, Resurrection Sunday, okay. Golly, I get chewed out again. I'm joking with you guys, right? It really, it doesn't bother me.

Because, so now the Holy Spirit of God, God is triune, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit now comes inside a believer. What? By the way, no other religion does that, says that, teaches that.

So now as a believer, so as a believer, you have all of the Holy Spirit, but does he have all of you? That's the difference. That's the difference. In my 20s, I was a believer, but I had about this much of the Holy Spirit.

You want to know why? Because I had this much of Shane Eidelman. Cocky, self-sufficient, self-made, look what I've accomplished. God, yeah, I'll pray when I need it. And that's why the Bible says you're quenching and grieving the Spirit.

Repenting of Compromise and Fear

Was I, was I standing up for God? No way, no way. I was a coward for the things of God. Why? Because it hurt my image. I had friends, remember I had friends, we're hitting the bar, we're doing stuff. I've got this image I've got to uphold.

But in my closet, I was a Christian. Just don't tell people. And so here is this miraculous, incredible power of God being quenched and grieved. Think about those two terms. Quenched, I put out the fire.

Grieved, I've broken the heart of God. And when you repent of both of those things, the fire comes back. The fire, I didn't even, I didn't know what in the world was happening. I had no clue. In Courtsill, California, I still remember the house, I still remember the couch, I still remember my tears on the table.

What is this? Well, I got to find a Bible. I just, I got to get, I got to, I got to get the Bible. Mickey's big mouth, I'm taking you to the trash. Some of you don't know what that means, there's someone.

Right, and this, what's this change? Now I want to, I love people. I want to, I want to speak boldly for God. What, what is happening to me? The promise of the Father. When full repentance, and that's the problem in the majority of the church, is they've not fully surrendered.

That's just the truth. And let me just, quick exhortation to those who, who do love the Bible. You're a student of the Bible. You love to study the Greek and the Hebrew. Do you know you can still be quenching and grieving the Spirit of God because of pride?

Pride, Teachability, and the Power of God

Pride, pride, pride. Unteachable, eager to dispute. You think you know it all. You're putting people down. You have a critical heart. You know nothing about the power of God. And everything I just said, I struggle with.

Uh-oh. Cat's out of the bag. But I say, Lord, that's not right. I don't want it to affect my sermon. Please, God. I don't want it to affect the church. And you repent and refilled. The more you think about it, that's what it is.

Continual Filling with the Holy Spirit

Repent, refilled. Repent, refilled. Repent, refilled. Get in the Word, refilled. And I think somebody by the name of Paul said that. Be not drunk with wine, which is debauchery, basically, but be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Look up that word if you want for fun. It's the Greek, it's a verb that actually, it actually says, be, be being filled. It's like you're constantly being filled with the Holy Spirit. It's not, hey, I did that two years ago.

Well, good for you. Well, you better get underneath the fountain of living water again because you're a leaky vessel. Deal moody, I can't take credit. And so I have no clue, but we're gonna get back on track here what that was for.

But that is so important because that's the key. That's the key. Guys, that's the key. It's too late to switch topics, but that's the key. So many of you are looking, looking. All you need to do is stop looking and fully repent.

Repentance and a Clean Heart

I want that boldness. I want the Word of God to come alive. I want to worship. Then repent of pride, repent of arrogance, repent of compromise, repent of lukewarm living, repent of rejecting God or putting Him on the back burner and say, God, I come, hands open wide.

Take this humble vessel, create in me a clean heart. Renew a right spirit in me. God, break me from the depths of my soul. I want to come out of the prayer closet on fire for you because I will tell you this, the only way to be prepared for where our nation is going is to be filled with the Spirit.

Spiritual Readiness in a Time of Crisis

You're gonna get through this on your own finances and your own wit, your humor, you're a good negotiator. What happens when they convert all of our income to cryptocurrency? And then the grid goes out, power grid, no access.

Anybody live by the grid that went out yesterday? Holy smokes, you don't realize how, I couldn't take a shower, I couldn't, the refrigerators weren't working like most of the day. Phones aren't charging.

That's for six or seven hours and we're throwing a fit. Folks, how are you gonna be prepared? Fill with the Spirit of God. It doesn't make it easy, but it makes it manageable.