There is a lot of confusion about the Holy Spirit.

..Some of the confusion has caused people to say they think they wouldn’t like the Holy Spirit. But let us remind you… You have to try it before you can say you like, or don’t like it.

There are so many benefits to trying the Spirit. It leads you into all truth, it gives you power, it will bring you back to life, it draws you closer to God, it leads you to deeper prayer..

The Holy Spirit is a gift from God. Have you received the Gift of the Holy Ghost? How does someone know they have received the gift of the Spirit? Let’s took a look at the Book of Acts to see what it is like to receive the Spirit.

The Spirit is Radical
The Holy Spirit was at the Creation of the World (Genesis 1:2)
The Spirit has always been a part of God’s plan
In Acts 2, 10, 19 believers were filled with Holy Spirit and spoke with tongues
In Acts 8 people had believed, shown signs of repentance, received the Word of God, been baptized in Jesus name, experienced miracles, healing, and demonic deliverance, and had great joy… yet didn’t have the Holy Spirit.

Try it You’ll Like It 5 – Receive the Spirit

Sermon Notes by Chris Fluitt

**Bumper Video –
Try it you’ll like it
You can’t say you like it until you’ve tried it.
Welcome to Redemption Church. My name is Chris Fluitt. I serve as Lead Pastor and I believe God has something for us today.

In the past weeks we told you to Try Faith, prayer, and worship. These are things you have to try in order to like them. Last week we told you to try baptism. Baptism isn’t symbolic only, Powerful things happen in baptism.   We are having a Baptism Sunday on July 20^th. If you haven’t been baptized or feel like you want to be re-baptized, please text us at 254 717 6844. We would be happy to talk with you…
Today we have a challenging message in front of us. I have been challenged with this message for weeks and prayerful on how to present this and that it would be received.
Today we want to encourage you to Try The Spirit.
Before we get into this I want you to join me in prayer. I want you invite the Holy Spirit to come and be in this place with us. I want you to invite the Holy Ghost into your heart and your life and your home. All over this place let’s lift up prayer…

There is a lot of confusion over the Holy Spirit.   TEXT LINE
If you have questions about the Holy Spirit please text our anonymous line 214 856 0550
To a large segment of Christianity The Holy Spirit is this mysterious ghost… or dove like creature… The Holy Spirit, He is rarely mentioned in Sunday Services… To be such a cornerstone of the 1^st Century Church only to become a footnote in the 21^st Century Church.
Why should you try the Spirit?
John 4:24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”(NIV)
God is Spirit. God is the Holy Spirit. The Spirit inside you is God. You worship God by the Holy Spirit.   DO YOU WANT TO TAKE YOUR WORSHIP TO A NEW LEVEL? It’s by the Spirit!
John 3:5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.(NIV)
We are commanded by Jesus to be Born Again. Born of water and born of Spirit. This New Birth is our entry into the Kingdom. Paul supports this idea in Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,(NIV)
You want to Try the Spirit!   The Holy Spirit takes us to heaven. Anyone want to be in heaven? It brings you back to life. You think you might like that?
Romans 8:6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;(NIV)
Romans 8:11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.(NIV)
The Spirit leads you into Truth. John 16:13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.(NIV)
Jesus tells us that the Spirit is our Power source. Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”(NIV)

The Holy Spirit, also known as the Holy Ghost, exploded on the scene in Acts 2. But make no mistake, The Spirit was present in the Old Testament. The Spirit was present and active from the beginning.
Genesis 1:2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.(NIV)
The Holy Spirit inside you is the same Spirit that created the world. What better to come set your world right but the Spirit?
The Spirit out pouring that took place in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost was prophesied of in your Old Testament.

Malachi 3:1 “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple..
Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.(NIV)
Acts 2:2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.(NIV)
What is up with this wind? Jesus told us that the spirit birth would be like Wind…
John 3:7 You should not be surprised at my saying, `You must be born again.'(NIV)
John 3:8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”(NIV)
You will hear the sound of this wind but have no idea where it came from! This Holy Spirit can’t be controlled by man. It would be like trying to control the wind.
Isaiah 28:11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.(KJV)
Isaiah 28:12 To whom he said, This [is] the rest [wherewith] ye may cause the weary to rest; and this [is] the refreshing: yet they would not hear.(KJV)
Acts 2:3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.(KJV)
Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.(KJV)
Joel 2:28 `And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.(NIV)
Acts 2:16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:(NIV)
Acts 2:17 “`In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.(NIV)
The Holy Spirit out pouring isn’t just some strange thing that happens a few times in your Bible. The Spirit of God inside you has always been God’s plan.
John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever–(NIV)
John 14:17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.(NIV)
John 14:18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.(NIV)
The Spirit is Radical
Let’s take a look at the Book of Acts and see what the infilling of the Holy Spirit is like.
We have read Acts 2… There were 120 believers… not just men but also women… even Mary the mother of Jesus is recorded to be there in the Upper room.
Acts 2:4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.(NIV)
All of them where filled. All of them spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Not just men… Not just pastors and preachers… Everybody.   The Spirit is for everybody.
What a crazy scene that was in Acts 2. What happens in the upper room spills out into the public streets and 3000 souls where added to the Church.

Acts 10 the Spirit is poured out on Gentiles/non-Jews… Let’s see what that experience was like..
Acts 10:43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”(NIV)
Acts 10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.(NIV)
Acts 10:45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.(NIV)
Acts 10:46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said,(NIV)
Ok so some things here… While he was still preaching the gospel… The Spirit didn’t wait until the altar call to move. Peter couldn’t get through with his sermon before the Spirit started moving.
Redemption Church! I want that to happen here! I want God’s Spirit to move beyond the words we say in sermons.
What else happens here? Peter and the Jewish men with him are shocked because the Gentiles have received the Holy Spirit. How did they know they had received the Holy Spirit?
Acts 10:46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said,(NIV)
And the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit BEFORE they were baptized. God can fill you with His Spirit before you are baptized… but does that make baptism unnecessary? Peter didn’t think so because he has the Gentiles baptized in the name of Jesus in verse 48.
Peter then travels back to Jerusalem to share with everyone how the Gentiles where saved…
Acts 11:15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning.(NIV)
Acts 11:16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: `John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'(NIV)
Acts 11:17 So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?”(NIV)
Acts 11:18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”(NIV)
God gave the Gentiles the same gift. Do you believe God still gives the same gift? Is the same gift of the Spirit still available for those who believe on Jesus?
In Acts 19 some disciples of John are re-baptized in Jesus name. Remember we spoke about that last week?
Paul asks that really interesting question…
Acts 19:2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”(NIV)
They are re-baptized and then…
Acts 19:6 When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.(NIV)
These disciples were re-baptized into Jesus and the received the Spirit. Someone describe it…? They spoke in tongues and prophesied.
Are these encounters anything like church today? Don’t you think we should be encountering this unchanging God the same way? We want to be a 1^st century church connecting with a 21^st century world… That means we should be experiencing the Spirit… just like they did in Acts 2, Acts 10, & Acts 19.

How do you know you have received the Holy Spirit?
This is a legitimate question right? Based on denominational background we might all come up with different answers… because many churches disagree on the answer to this question.
Take a moment and get your answer in your head…

The Holy Spirit is poured out in Samaria in Acts 8. Let’s read about it and see if we can clear this question of “how you know” up.
Acts 8:5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there.(NIV)
Acts 8:6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said.(NIV)
Acts 8:7 With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed.(NIV)
Acts 8:8 So there was great joy in that city.(NIV)
Let’s take note… Jesus is preached, Miracles & signs are performed, Demons are cast out, people are healed, there is Joy in the city.
Do you think they have received the Holy Spirit yet?
Acts 8:9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,(NIV)
Acts 8:10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.”(NIV)
Acts 8:11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic.(NIV)
So this guy, Simon the sorcerer was a big deal and controlled everything… moving on..
Acts 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.(NIV)
Take note – They BELIEVED… do you think they have received the Spirit as they believed for the 1^st time? And they were baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins… Surely this was the moment they were filled with the Spirit… right?
Acts 8:13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.(NIV)
How about that! Simon the Sorcerer was even getting ahold of Jesus…
What an amazing Revival! Do you agree this is some amazing move of God here?
Acts 8:14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.(NIV)
So they received the Word of God… Perhaps they received the Holy Spirit when they believed and received the Word?
Acts 8:15 When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,(NIV)
Acts 8:16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.(NIV)
How do you know you have received the Holy Spirit?
Say What!? Who had received the Holy Spirit so far? NO ONE!   Let the Word of God confront your belief system right here.
These people believed… They received the Word of God… They were baptized… They had personal experiences with God… God healed them and delivered them from demons… they had JOY… Joy is fruit of the Spirit and some people say that if you show the fruit that you must have the Spirit… but not here. They had Joy but no Holy Ghost…
As good as Believing is… It’s important and necessary for salvation to believe but it is not how you know you have received the Holy Spirit.
Water Baptism… Saying a sinner’s prayer… Feeling God’s presence and seeing His power on display… As good as these things are Acts 8 says that they aren’t evidence of the Spirit’s arrival.
Get this.. The Apostles John & Peter looked around at the citywide revival and they said… “Wait a second… We need to pray for these people because they still need to receive the Holy Spirit.
Redemption Church! If Peter & John were here today they would say the same thing! They would say I loved worshipping Jesus with you… I loved receiving the word of God and taking communion with you… I loved having fellowship with you… BUT THAT IS NOT ENOUGH!
Redemption we need to be a Church that is filled with the Holy Spirit!
Acts 8:17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.(NIV)
How did they know that they had received the Holy Spirit? Something must have happened that they could see! Some undeniable proof happened that Peter & John saw, that they had not seen happen previously in Acts 8… When they saw it – They knew!
They were not the only ones to see it… Acts 8:18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money(NIV)
When you receive the Holy Spirit, something happens. You know that you have received the Spirit and the people around you know that you have received it, because the evidence is visible.
So what is the evidence? Let’s review…
In Acts 2:4 They all received the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues
In Acts 10:46 Peter and the other Jews knew that the Gentiles received the Spirit because they heard them speak in tongues and magnify God.
In Acts 11:15 Peter testifies that the Spirit infilling in Acts 10 was just like what He had experienced in Acts 2.
That same Holy Ghost experience fell in Acts 19:6 and when Paul placed his hands on them they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

I have a friend name Jon. He was raised in a non-spirit filled church. He was hungry for more of God and started going to the Spirit filled church with me. He was very curious about the Holy Spirit. I remember very well the night he received the Holy Spirit speaking in tongues in the altar… I remember with tears in his eyes he said.. “You do know… You do know when you receive the Holy Spirit.”

MUSICIAN
My wife Sarah was raised in a church that didn’t talk much about the Holy Spirit. It seemed like when they talked about the Spirit it was always past tense… as in it was something God used to do. She was raised to believe that healing or speaking in tongues was probably of the devil and not God.
Then she met me. I was working as worship pastor here at Redemption Church. She heard about the Spirit here and was very nervous. I remember her asking “do I have to speak in tongues? I don’t think I would like that. I want more of God, but I don’t think I want the tongues thing.”
But remember “You have to try something before you can say you don’t like it.”
Then one Sunday she was in this altar talking to Jesus. She was singing songs to Jesus and giving her life to Jesus when all of a sudden she felt a little tremble in her lips. As she was speaking English to Jesus her language was, as she described at the time, “messing up.” BUT SHE DIDN’T STOP. She pressed on in love for Jesus and she started speaking in a language she didn’t know.
I asked Sarah what she would want you to know about her experience. She said… “I wanted Jesus but not the Holy Spirit, but when I received the Holy Spirit I realized it was Jesus I was receiving. Receiving the Holy Spirit didn’t feel weird like I thought it would… It felt like Jesus. The same Jesus I felt at belief and repentance, the same Jesus I would worship and feel Him near, was the same Jesus baptizing me with His Spirit.”

I believe that testimony is for someone here today. Perhaps you are completely weirded out and nervous about the idea of tongues…don’t be. It’s not about tongues. It is about Jesus.
Jesus is the message in Acts 2, Acts 8, Acts 10, Acts 19

There is one more thing I want to tell you from my experience with speaking in tongues and being field with the Spirit.
You have to give voice to it. You can’t speak in tongues if you never speak. So speak! Pray out loud. Worship out loud. Use your voice to love and honor Jesus. It is in that atmosphere that he will baptize with the Spirit.

 Receive the Spirit