June 13, 2025 • 28 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham. A
little later in the program, we'll tell you how you
can get a copy of doctor Graham's book Angels. But first,
here's the message Transformed.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Take your Bibles and turn with me to acts the
second chapter. Two centuries ago, a group of believers led
by twelve men, armed with nothing but a simple yet
powerful message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ changed the world.
It was a small group of one hundred and twenty
(00:43):
people who began meeting in an upstairs room and praying
and waiting on the promise that God had given them,
the promise of the Father. They had no human advantage,
they had no physical advantage. There was no media, there
was no satellite technology, certainly not computers the World Wide Web.
(01:06):
There were no published materials or books. There were no
financial resources, they had no magnificent facilities. And yet these
Christians not only survived, but they thrived, facing impossible odds,
even extreme persecution and opposition. And yet they delivered on
(01:31):
the message of Christ and fulfilled the mission of Jesus.
Unless you think, well, these people were supercharged, they were
super saints, and they aren't like me.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Well, I beg to differ.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Those twelve disciples and others who joined them were ordinarily ordinary.
But something happened that engaged them with God and.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
With the Gospel and with going into all the world.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Something happened to them, something changed these ordinary men who
had failed. You know, they fled at the cross. They
ran for their lives. Between the cross of the resurrection,
they were hiding in the shadows, fearful of their lives.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Even after the resurrection.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
When they saw Christ and certainly believed, yet they wondered
about their own future. They were living with some regrets
because of their failure. Simon Peter was a perfect example
of that. There was confusion, lack of clarity. But Jesus
gathered them before his ascension, and his last words to
(02:44):
them was to go into all the world and preach
the gospel. But he said, I will not leave you abandoned,
the orphan. I will be with you, and my very spirit,
the Holy Spirit, will empower you as you engage the world.
Someone said that the Samehavior went up, the Spirit came down,
the Church went out, and the lost came in. And
(03:11):
that's what happened on the day of Pentecosts. In Acts
chapter two. That day, a day that makes a difference
in our lives to this very day takes place. And
we're going to look at just the first portion of
Acts chapter two when it says the day of Pentecost arrived.
They were all together in one place, and suddenly there
(03:34):
came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind,
and it filled the entire house where they were sitting,
and divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and
rested on each one of them, and they were all
marked this filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to
speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
(03:59):
If you are ordinary person, and most of us are,
and think that God uses other people but he can't
use me, I want to show you in God's word
today how God can use you mightily, forcibly, powerfully in
the world.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
And this is normal Christian living.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
It is to live in obedience to Christ and his
call his commands upon our lives. Now, when you think
about it from a human perspective, this whole thing about
spreading the gospel at the outset didn't make much sense.
He had gathered these fishermen and tax collectors and he
(04:46):
had given them. He had placed in their hands the
future of the Christian faith. The future of the Church
was in the hands of these men. There was no
plan be He had no second team, backup squad.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
If these men failed, No, he gave them the charge.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
He issued the call, and they responded. When the Holy
Spirit fell, they were transformed. Now maybe you're wondering, Okay,
what does it mean to be transformed, Well, that's what
we see in the verses that we just read a
(05:29):
moment ago. How we are transformed. Number one, from emptiness
to fullness. These early believers had been with Christ, and Christ.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Had been with them.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
God was with us in the presence, in the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ. But spiritually they were empty,
and they needed His presence to go forward with their
lives and the future of the mission. You know, Jesus
the Incarnation was God with us. Calvary was God for us.
(06:11):
But at the day of Pentecost, we now have God
in us because on that day where the company signs
and symbols and miracles and powerful manifestations, the spirit of God,
the promise of the Father was delivered and they.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Now of course, when you read this passage, the subject
of the baptism of the Spirit and the filling of
the Spirit comes up. Perhaps someone has asked you in
the past, do you have the baptism of the spirit.
Have you been baptized with the spirit? Well, what is
the baptism of the spirit. The word baptism means to immerse,
(06:57):
and so when you speak of the baptism the spirit,
it means that we are now immersed.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
When we are.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Baptized in water, we are identified with Christ, his death,
his burial, his resurrection. And so when the baptism the
Spirit takes place, we are now identified with Christ.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
You say, when does this take place? Is this some activity?
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Is this some action that takes place subsequent to salvation?
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Not at all.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
As a matter of fact, the baptism of the Holy
Spirit takes place simultaneously, instantaneously, automatically, when we are saved,
when we come to know.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
For example, in this same chapter II of Acts, look
at verse thirty eight, when many who heard the message
of Christ came running up and wanting to know what
to do. In response, Peter said to them, repent and
be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin, literally translated, because
of the forgiveness of your sins.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
And notice this, spraise, and you will receive the gift
of the Holy Spirit. In other words, when you repent
and you respond in.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Faith to the Lord Jesus Christ, you come to know
him as your Lord and savior. Then you receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit. Notice this is not gifts
of the spirit, but the gift of the spirit.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
In other words, God's Spirit now dwells us.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
God's Spirit comes to live in us. And every Christian
has received the Holy Spirit because of what happened on
the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit of God arrived.
Now every believer is baptized by the Holy Spirit. When
we receive Christ. You say, how so well, listen to
(08:59):
First corinthi is Chapter twelve and verse thirteen. You may
want to mark this as a reference twelve, verse thirteen
of First Corinthians. For in one spirit we are all baptized,
all baptized into one body. Jews and Greek slaves are free,
and we're all made to drink of one spirit. So
(09:22):
again I say The baptism of the Holy Spirit is something.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
That God does for us.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
God gives to us when we come to know Christ.
Did you know that if you don't have the Holy Spirit,
you're not a believer. That's what Romans chapter eight, verse
nine says. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of
Christ does not belong to him.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
It's impossible to.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Say Jesus is Lord without the convincing, convicting work and witness.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Jesus said in John chapter sixteen that the Holy Spirit
has come into the world world to convict the world
of sin, righteousness and judgment. And so he convicts us,
and he convinces us that Jesus is Lord. And we
respond because of the work of the Holy Spirit. The
baptism the Spirit means that Christ is now in us.
His Spirit is living in us. We are no longer empty,
(10:19):
We are no longer powerless to live a victorious life,
a successful Christian life.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
We now have the power of His presence.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
This is the supernatural, sovereign work of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Is the singular work of the Holy.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Spirit, never to be repeated, work of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
In our lives. He endwells us personally he dwells us permanently.
He witnesses within the witness of the Holy.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Spirit, assuring us that when we open God's Word and
we read God's Word and we respond to the Gospel,
assuring us within that we belong to him. This is
the is the testimony of the Spirit. So when the
Spirit came that day, they were transformed from emptiness to fullness.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
transformed In his book Angels, Doctor Graham takes you through
scripture to explore how angels serve, protect and point us
to the power of our Savior. We want to send
you this powerful book today to thank you for your
generous gift to help PowerPoint end this current year of
ministry on June thirtieth as strong as possible. This is
(11:33):
so important. A two hundred thousand dollars matching grant has
been offered by generous friends, which means every dollar you
give through June thirtieth will be doubled. Call one eight
hundred seven ninety five four six two seven. That's one
eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven. You
can also text the word angels to five nine seven
(11:54):
eight nine don't let stress rob you of peace. It
is possible to break the destructive grip of six stress
on your life and enjoy the peace and abundance God
desires for you. That's what doctor Graham helps you do
in his booklet Breaking Free from Stress. We want to
send you a digital download of Breaking Free from Stress
when you sign up for email updates from PowerPoint Today.
(12:15):
Just go to PowerPoint dot org slash stress and sign
up today. Now let's get back to today's message. Transformed.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
But there's something else that took place that day.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
They were transformed from fear to courage. I mean, you
can't even believe that men like Simon, Peter and these
others who ran at the cross are then the same
people who are standing and praising God and proclaiming Christ
in the city streets.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
What happened? What made the difference?
Speaker 2 (12:52):
What changed these Christians from cowardly to courageous I'm hiding
in the shadows to running into the streets and proclaiming
the gospel. There's only one explanation, the arrival and the
anointing of.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
The Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Now, when the Holy Spirit came, there were powerful demonstrations
of his power at his presence. For example, there was
a mighty rushing wind, and then an explosive ball of fire,
according to the verses we just read, then separating and
lighting upon the heads of believers, they became as human candles.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
It says, as of fire.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
They are now fired up, propelled, and the baptism of
the Spirit. As they received that that witness and that
work of the Spirit. That day, they spoke languages that
they have never learned. Now, the purpose of this message
is not to discuss the gift of tongues or of languages.
But I can tell you for sure, when you read
this passage of scripture, you don't have to be you
(13:57):
don't have to wonder about this. There is one thing
for sure when you read this passage. When the Holy
Spirit came and baptized them with fire, and they spoke
with other tongues, they spoke with the languages that they
had never learned, genuine languages, authentic languages that were was
heard and understood by the people who had gathered at
(14:18):
the day of Pentecost, this great Jewish feast.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
From all over the world.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
And so the miracle of Pentecost was a miracle of sound.
There was the sound of the mighty rushing wind. There
was the miracle of sight. It appeared upon them as
divided tongues of fire. And there was the miracle of speech.
As now these are proclaiming with praises to God, the
(14:42):
Lord Jesus Christ.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
All of these.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Symbols of what takes place in our lives as well.
The sound of the mighty rushing wind. The word for
wind here is the same word from which we when
we read our bibles. For breath, the new test word
for the spirit is breath.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
In the Hebrew language it is ruock. It is breath.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
God breathed on Adam and Eve, and they became living souls.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
They have been breathed upon with life and power.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
When Ezekiel the Prophet saw a vision in the valley
of dry bones, these skeletons had been slain in battle,
and nothing was left but a bone here and a
bone there. But then the sinews came together and the
bones were connected, but.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
They were still lifeless and powerless.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
And then God breathed into these skeletons, into these bodies,
and they became alive. And that's the picture of what
happens when we were dead. In our trespasses of sins,
and now we are man alive in Christ. And now
the spirit of God lives in us and breathes in us.
And of course the wind is invisible. You can't see it,
(15:55):
you can only feel it. Some people wonder about faith,
about the Christian life, and can you believe in faith?
And can you believe that your faith is real? Can
you believe in the God by faith? Because you can't
see faith and you can't see God. Jesus said, it's
like the wind that blows where it wills. You can't
see it, but you can see the impact and the
(16:16):
influence of the wind. And then, of course fire is
a symbol of God and his presence. When God spoke
to Moses out of the burning bush, he said, I
am the Great. I am Our God is a consuming fire,
and the fire of God's presence is now within us.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Fire cleanses, fire.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Consumes, and these men and women are now consumed by
the work of the Holy Spirit. And now they are
communicating the word of God. This is what happens when
the Spirit of Christ comes to live in us. We
are now emboldened and emblazoned to stand up for Christ,
(16:55):
to share Christ, to shine his lights in the world.
So what happened when they were transformed? They moved from
emptiness to fullness. The Spirit of God is now living
in them. They moved from failure and fear to courage,
(17:15):
and they moved to boldness and confidence in that faith.
Acts Chapter two, verse forty, and with many other words.
He bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, save
yourselves from this crooked generation.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Now who is this speaking?
Speaker 2 (17:33):
This is Simon Peter, the saint, Peter, who denied Jesus,
but now renewed by Christ himself restored in the love
of God, he is now filled with the Holy Spirit,
and he is confidently courageously sharing Christ. Chapter four of Acts,
verse thirteen. Later, when Peter and John were arrested and
beaten within an inch of their lives for sharing their faith,
(17:55):
they were told never to speak the name of Jesus again.
But those who watched them, those who observed them, said,
even though they were uneducated in common men, they were
astonished when they saw the boldness of Peter and John. Now,
how can you be courageous today? The biggest problem we have,
(18:17):
for the most part, in living for Christ, certainly in
sharing our faith, is fear, the fear of rejection, the
fear of mocking, the fear of laughter, the fear that
someone is going to call you a religious freak, a
Jesus freak, a fanatic. Whatever the fear, We're all filled
(18:37):
with fear of various kinds that, at various levels were
were calcitron and reluctant to go public with our faith.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
So how are we going to be courageous.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
By adding a theological degree, or going to the next
latest and greatest conference on evangelism, or by some emotional
esoteric experience in which we get zapped and all of
a sudden start speaking the word of God?
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Not at all?
Speaker 2 (19:04):
But rather, when we are filled with the Spirit of God,
can we live in obedience to His commands? And the
boldness that God gives us is real. The Holy Spirit
helps us and enables us and empowers us. Jesus said,
I will give you a helper, and he will be
with you, even the Spirit of Truth. Just as the
(19:28):
Father sent Jesus, he has now sent the Spirit to
live within us. So I ask you today, are you
living a transformed life? Have you moved from fear to courage,
from failure and defeat to victory and success in your
Christian life? Have you moved from being a weakling and
(19:49):
a whimp as far as your public faith goes to
being a warrior for God a witness for Christ? In
other words, are you informed? Should I ask your wife
or your husband? Are your kids? Should I ask the
people you work with?
Speaker 3 (20:10):
Are you transformed? For you?
Speaker 2 (20:12):
See, while every believer possesses the spirit, not every Christian
is full and possessed by the spirits. The spirit you
have all the spirit there is. You don't get the
spirit in liquid portions or parts. But the question is
(20:33):
does the Holy Spirit have you?
Speaker 3 (20:36):
The Spirit of God resides in you.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
But does He preside in you? He is resident? Is
he president? I heard someone say a long time ago
that many Christians have been to Calvary for pardon, but
they've never been to Pentecost for power. And while we
could never repeat this day, this historical day of Pentecost,
(21:00):
this was a once and for all powerful event in
history Christian history that inaugurated the birth of the Church
and baptized believers into His family forever. Why we don't
attempt to pray for another Pentecost? I mean, we wouldn't
pray for another Pentecost, anymore that we would pray for
another Calvary or another Bethlehem. These are historical acts of God,
(21:25):
but some of us need to pray for a personal Pentecost,
in the sense that we ask the Spirit of the
Living God in us to fill us. They were all
filled with the Holy Spirit. And while there is one
baptism of the Spirit, there are many feelings.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
And did you know this is a command.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Of the Word of God to be filled with the
Holy Spirit. We'll talk about that and another message and
what that means. But to be filled with the Holy
Spirit means that you are controlled by the Spirit of God.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
Who is living in you. That means you will be transformed.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Some have the spirit of God, but you don't understand
who you have and what you have. And therefore you're
trying to do everything that you do, trying to pray,
trying to witness, trying to worship, trying to be a
good husband, trying to be a good father, trying to
be a good person. You're trying to do all of
this and the strength of your humanity, and it.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Doesn't work that way. God has given us power.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
Christ is living in you. And the greatest spiritual lesson
I ever learned since the day I came to no
faith in Jesus Christ was the salvation that is in Christ.
That we are not only saved by his death, but
we are saved by His life in us. In his
(22:40):
spirit now dwells us and infuses us with spiritual power,
so that we can win life's greatest battle, so that
we can overcome temptation, so that we can defeat the enemy.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
Knowing that greater is he that is in you than
he that is in the world.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
We can overcome oppositions against all odds. Even though we
don't have every advantage. We know that the message of
Jesus Christ can change the world through us. Imagine what
could happen if on that day one hundred and twenty
were engaged by the spirit of God and went out
and turned the world upside down.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Imagine what could happen.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
If believers today were all filled with the spirit of
God and went out as flaming on fire.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
Witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ. Just imagine what could happen.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
So maybe you need to pray today for a personal
Pentecost in that the spirit of God would fill you
and use you to take the message of His love
and his grace. That you were so shy that the
world would know Jesus.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message transformed.
On June thirtieth, we will close our books on another
year of ministry, and it's critical we end strong. That's
why generous friends have stepped forward with a two hundred
thousand dollars matching grant, which means every dollar you give
by June thirtieth will be doubled. Your gift to help
(24:10):
meet this grant in full is so important. We'll send
you doctor Graham's powerful book Angels. It's our special gift
and thank you to you. This encouraging book reveals what
Scripture says about God's messengers and how their presence reminds
us that Heaven is always near. Request your copy when
you call and give today. Call one eight hundred seven
(24:31):
ninety five four six two seven. That's one eight hundred
seven ninety five four six two seven. You can also
text the word angels to five nine seven eight nine.
That's angels to five nine seven eight nine, and don't
forget to visit Jack Graham dot org where you can
shop our East store, give a gift online, or sign
(24:52):
up for doctor Graham's free daily email devotional. Our website
again is Jack Graham dot org. And also be sure
to sign up for doctor Graham's podcast Bible in a
Year Pastor what is your PowerPoint for today?
Speaker 4 (25:08):
Well, let's just take a moment to talk about our
lives and maybe some words that so often unfortunately describe
our lives. Try the word empty, or what about the
word defeated, or even the word fearful. Are these the
kinds of words that describe your life? Or do the
words fulfilled, faithful, courageous describe you? Only a life that's
(25:30):
being transformed by the spirit of God can be described
as fulfilled, faithful, and courageous. And if you're like me,
I know you want your life to be described in
these ways. And yet so often we get hung up
on our past, how we fail God, how we've sinned.
But think about those first Christians. One deny Jesus three
times the night before the Lord was crucified, Another had
(25:52):
a huge anger problem, and all but one deserted Jesus
when it came time for him to die on the cross.
They all had reasons to beat themselves up and even
disqualify themselves from God's service. But wait a minute, that's
not how God operates. God renewed, restored, and used those
early disciples. Because He filled them with his spirit. They
(26:13):
could be restored and again used mightily of God in
our remaining moments together today. Let me ask you, is
there something in your past that is keeping you on
the bench spiritually? Now just think about this for a moment.
You have disqualified yourself and you're out of the game
right now because you think God no longer can use you.
Maybe it's more than one thing that you've done. Maybe
(26:35):
it's many things that you have done. Let me assure you,
as a child of God, of what the scripture says
to you in Romans eight one. There is therefore now
no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ. Satan
wants you to believe the exact opposite, and ohe how
easy it is to listen to his lies. But remember this,
(26:55):
As a follower of Jesus, you are not to live
in condemnation over your sins, no matter how many are,
how bad they may be. Trust in him, turn from
your sins, repent and receive His forgiveness and the fullness.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
Of His spirit.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
And God will use you in amazing ways if you
will just be prepared to be used.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember when you give a
gift of ten dollars or more to PowerPoint, we'll send
you doctor Graham's book Angels as our thanks. Call one
eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven. That's
one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word Angels to five nine
(27:38):
seven eight nine and join us again next time as
doctor Graham brings a message about how you can boldly
share the only message that can transform the world. That's
next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack
Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministry.
Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack Graham. A
little later in the program, we'll tell you how you
can get a copy of doctor Graham's book Angels. But first,
here's the message Transformed.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Take your Bibles and turn with me to acts the
second chapter. Two centuries ago, a group of believers led
by twelve men, armed with nothing but a simple yet
powerful message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ changed the world.
It was a small group of one hundred and twenty
(00:43):
people who began meeting in an upstairs room and praying
and waiting on the promise that God had given them,
the promise of the Father. They had no human advantage,
they had no physical advantage. There was no media, there
was no satellite technology, certainly not computers the World Wide Web.
(01:06):
There were no published materials or books. There were no
financial resources, they had no magnificent facilities. And yet these
Christians not only survived, but they thrived, facing impossible odds,
even extreme persecution and opposition. And yet they delivered on
(01:31):
the message of Christ and fulfilled the mission of Jesus.
Unless you think, well, these people were supercharged, they were
super saints, and they aren't like me.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Well, I beg to differ.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Those twelve disciples and others who joined them were ordinarily ordinary.
But something happened that engaged them with God and.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
With the Gospel and with going into all the world.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Something happened to them, something changed these ordinary men who
had failed. You know, they fled at the cross. They
ran for their lives. Between the cross of the resurrection,
they were hiding in the shadows, fearful of their lives.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Even after the resurrection.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
When they saw Christ and certainly believed, yet they wondered
about their own future. They were living with some regrets
because of their failure. Simon Peter was a perfect example
of that. There was confusion, lack of clarity. But Jesus
gathered them before his ascension, and his last words to
(02:44):
them was to go into all the world and preach
the gospel. But he said, I will not leave you abandoned,
the orphan. I will be with you, and my very spirit,
the Holy Spirit, will empower you as you engage the world.
Someone said that the Samehavior went up, the Spirit came down,
the Church went out, and the lost came in. And
(03:11):
that's what happened on the day of Pentecosts. In Acts
chapter two. That day, a day that makes a difference
in our lives to this very day takes place. And
we're going to look at just the first portion of
Acts chapter two when it says the day of Pentecost arrived.
They were all together in one place, and suddenly there
(03:34):
came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind,
and it filled the entire house where they were sitting,
and divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and
rested on each one of them, and they were all
marked this filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to
speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
(03:59):
If you are ordinary person, and most of us are,
and think that God uses other people but he can't
use me, I want to show you in God's word
today how God can use you mightily, forcibly, powerfully in
the world.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
And this is normal Christian living.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
It is to live in obedience to Christ and his
call his commands upon our lives. Now, when you think
about it from a human perspective, this whole thing about
spreading the gospel at the outset didn't make much sense.
He had gathered these fishermen and tax collectors and he
(04:46):
had given them. He had placed in their hands the
future of the Christian faith. The future of the Church
was in the hands of these men. There was no
plan be He had no second team, backup squad.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
If these men failed, No, he gave them the charge.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
He issued the call, and they responded. When the Holy
Spirit fell, they were transformed. Now maybe you're wondering, Okay,
what does it mean to be transformed, Well, that's what
we see in the verses that we just read a
(05:29):
moment ago. How we are transformed. Number one, from emptiness
to fullness. These early believers had been with Christ, and Christ.
Speaker 3 (05:42):
Had been with them.
Speaker 2 (05:45):
God was with us in the presence, in the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ. But spiritually they were empty,
and they needed His presence to go forward with their
lives and the future of the mission. You know, Jesus
the Incarnation was God with us. Calvary was God for us.
(06:11):
But at the day of Pentecost, we now have God
in us because on that day where the company signs
and symbols and miracles and powerful manifestations, the spirit of God,
the promise of the Father was delivered and they.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Now of course, when you read this passage, the subject
of the baptism of the Spirit and the filling of
the Spirit comes up. Perhaps someone has asked you in
the past, do you have the baptism of the spirit.
Have you been baptized with the spirit? Well, what is
the baptism of the spirit. The word baptism means to immerse,
(06:57):
and so when you speak of the baptism the spirit,
it means that we are now immersed.
Speaker 3 (07:02):
When we are.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
Baptized in water, we are identified with Christ, his death,
his burial, his resurrection. And so when the baptism the
Spirit takes place, we are now identified with Christ.
Speaker 3 (07:18):
You say, when does this take place? Is this some activity?
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Is this some action that takes place subsequent to salvation?
Speaker 3 (07:24):
Not at all.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
As a matter of fact, the baptism of the Holy
Spirit takes place simultaneously, instantaneously, automatically, when we are saved,
when we come to know.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
For example, in this same chapter II of Acts, look
at verse thirty eight, when many who heard the message
of Christ came running up and wanting to know what
to do. In response, Peter said to them, repent and
be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin, literally translated, because
of the forgiveness of your sins.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
And notice this, spraise, and you will receive the gift
of the Holy Spirit. In other words, when you repent
and you respond in.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
Faith to the Lord Jesus Christ, you come to know
him as your Lord and savior. Then you receive the
gift of the Holy Spirit. Notice this is not gifts
of the spirit, but the gift of the spirit.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
In other words, God's Spirit now dwells us.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
God's Spirit comes to live in us. And every Christian
has received the Holy Spirit because of what happened on
the day of Pentecost, when the Spirit of God arrived.
Now every believer is baptized by the Holy Spirit. When
we receive Christ. You say, how so well, listen to
(08:59):
First corinthi is Chapter twelve and verse thirteen. You may
want to mark this as a reference twelve, verse thirteen
of First Corinthians. For in one spirit we are all baptized,
all baptized into one body. Jews and Greek slaves are free,
and we're all made to drink of one spirit. So
(09:22):
again I say The baptism of the Holy Spirit is something.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
That God does for us.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
God gives to us when we come to know Christ.
Did you know that if you don't have the Holy Spirit,
you're not a believer. That's what Romans chapter eight, verse
nine says. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of
Christ does not belong to him.
Speaker 3 (09:44):
It's impossible to.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Say Jesus is Lord without the convincing, convicting work and witness.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2 (09:56):
Jesus said in John chapter sixteen that the Holy Spirit
has come into the world world to convict the world
of sin, righteousness and judgment. And so he convicts us,
and he convinces us that Jesus is Lord. And we
respond because of the work of the Holy Spirit. The
baptism the Spirit means that Christ is now in us.
His Spirit is living in us. We are no longer empty,
(10:19):
We are no longer powerless to live a victorious life,
a successful Christian life.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
We now have the power of His presence.
Speaker 2 (10:29):
This is the supernatural, sovereign work of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 3 (10:33):
Is the singular work of the Holy.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Spirit, never to be repeated, work of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
In our lives. He endwells us personally he dwells us permanently.
He witnesses within the witness of the Holy.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Spirit, assuring us that when we open God's Word and
we read God's Word and we respond to the Gospel,
assuring us within that we belong to him. This is
the is the testimony of the Spirit. So when the
Spirit came that day, they were transformed from emptiness to fullness.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message
transformed In his book Angels, Doctor Graham takes you through
scripture to explore how angels serve, protect and point us
to the power of our Savior. We want to send
you this powerful book today to thank you for your
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(11:33):
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eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven. You
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(11:54):
eight nine don't let stress rob you of peace. It
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in his booklet Breaking Free from Stress. We want to
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(12:15):
Just go to PowerPoint dot org slash stress and sign
up today. Now let's get back to today's message. Transformed.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
But there's something else that took place that day.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
They were transformed from fear to courage. I mean, you
can't even believe that men like Simon, Peter and these
others who ran at the cross are then the same
people who are standing and praising God and proclaiming Christ
in the city streets.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
What happened? What made the difference?
Speaker 2 (12:52):
What changed these Christians from cowardly to courageous I'm hiding
in the shadows to running into the streets and proclaiming
the gospel. There's only one explanation, the arrival and the
anointing of.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
The Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Now, when the Holy Spirit came, there were powerful demonstrations
of his power at his presence. For example, there was
a mighty rushing wind, and then an explosive ball of fire,
according to the verses we just read, then separating and
lighting upon the heads of believers, they became as human candles.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
It says, as of fire.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
They are now fired up, propelled, and the baptism of
the Spirit. As they received that that witness and that
work of the Spirit. That day, they spoke languages that
they have never learned. Now, the purpose of this message
is not to discuss the gift of tongues or of languages.
But I can tell you for sure, when you read
this passage of scripture, you don't have to be you
(13:57):
don't have to wonder about this. There is one thing
for sure when you read this passage. When the Holy
Spirit came and baptized them with fire, and they spoke
with other tongues, they spoke with the languages that they
had never learned, genuine languages, authentic languages that were was
heard and understood by the people who had gathered at
(14:18):
the day of Pentecost, this great Jewish feast.
Speaker 3 (14:20):
From all over the world.
Speaker 2 (14:22):
And so the miracle of Pentecost was a miracle of sound.
There was the sound of the mighty rushing wind. There
was the miracle of sight. It appeared upon them as
divided tongues of fire. And there was the miracle of speech.
As now these are proclaiming with praises to God, the
(14:42):
Lord Jesus Christ.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
All of these.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
Symbols of what takes place in our lives as well.
The sound of the mighty rushing wind. The word for
wind here is the same word from which we when
we read our bibles. For breath, the new test word
for the spirit is breath.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
In the Hebrew language it is ruock. It is breath.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
God breathed on Adam and Eve, and they became living souls.
Speaker 3 (15:11):
They have been breathed upon with life and power.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
When Ezekiel the Prophet saw a vision in the valley
of dry bones, these skeletons had been slain in battle,
and nothing was left but a bone here and a
bone there. But then the sinews came together and the
bones were connected, but.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
They were still lifeless and powerless.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
And then God breathed into these skeletons, into these bodies,
and they became alive. And that's the picture of what
happens when we were dead. In our trespasses of sins,
and now we are man alive in Christ. And now
the spirit of God lives in us and breathes in us.
And of course the wind is invisible. You can't see it,
(15:55):
you can only feel it. Some people wonder about faith,
about the Christian life, and can you believe in faith?
And can you believe that your faith is real? Can
you believe in the God by faith? Because you can't
see faith and you can't see God. Jesus said, it's
like the wind that blows where it wills. You can't
see it, but you can see the impact and the
(16:16):
influence of the wind. And then, of course fire is
a symbol of God and his presence. When God spoke
to Moses out of the burning bush, he said, I
am the Great. I am Our God is a consuming fire,
and the fire of God's presence is now within us.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Fire cleanses, fire.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Consumes, and these men and women are now consumed by
the work of the Holy Spirit. And now they are
communicating the word of God. This is what happens when
the Spirit of Christ comes to live in us. We
are now emboldened and emblazoned to stand up for Christ,
(16:55):
to share Christ, to shine his lights in the world.
So what happened when they were transformed? They moved from
emptiness to fullness. The Spirit of God is now living
in them. They moved from failure and fear to courage,
(17:15):
and they moved to boldness and confidence in that faith.
Acts Chapter two, verse forty, and with many other words.
He bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, save
yourselves from this crooked generation.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
Now who is this speaking?
Speaker 2 (17:33):
This is Simon Peter, the saint, Peter, who denied Jesus,
but now renewed by Christ himself restored in the love
of God, he is now filled with the Holy Spirit,
and he is confidently courageously sharing Christ. Chapter four of Acts,
verse thirteen. Later, when Peter and John were arrested and
beaten within an inch of their lives for sharing their faith,
(17:55):
they were told never to speak the name of Jesus again.
But those who watched them, those who observed them, said,
even though they were uneducated in common men, they were
astonished when they saw the boldness of Peter and John. Now,
how can you be courageous today? The biggest problem we have,
(18:17):
for the most part, in living for Christ, certainly in
sharing our faith, is fear, the fear of rejection, the
fear of mocking, the fear of laughter, the fear that
someone is going to call you a religious freak, a
Jesus freak, a fanatic. Whatever the fear, We're all filled
(18:37):
with fear of various kinds that, at various levels were
were calcitron and reluctant to go public with our faith.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
So how are we going to be courageous.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
By adding a theological degree, or going to the next
latest and greatest conference on evangelism, or by some emotional
esoteric experience in which we get zapped and all of
a sudden start speaking the word of God?
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Not at all?
Speaker 2 (19:04):
But rather, when we are filled with the Spirit of God,
can we live in obedience to His commands? And the
boldness that God gives us is real. The Holy Spirit
helps us and enables us and empowers us. Jesus said,
I will give you a helper, and he will be
with you, even the Spirit of Truth. Just as the
(19:28):
Father sent Jesus, he has now sent the Spirit to
live within us. So I ask you today, are you
living a transformed life? Have you moved from fear to courage,
from failure and defeat to victory and success in your
Christian life? Have you moved from being a weakling and
(19:49):
a whimp as far as your public faith goes to
being a warrior for God a witness for Christ? In
other words, are you informed? Should I ask your wife
or your husband? Are your kids? Should I ask the
people you work with?
Speaker 3 (20:10):
Are you transformed? For you?
Speaker 2 (20:12):
See, while every believer possesses the spirit, not every Christian
is full and possessed by the spirits. The spirit you
have all the spirit there is. You don't get the
spirit in liquid portions or parts. But the question is
(20:33):
does the Holy Spirit have you?
Speaker 3 (20:36):
The Spirit of God resides in you.
Speaker 2 (20:39):
But does He preside in you? He is resident? Is
he president? I heard someone say a long time ago
that many Christians have been to Calvary for pardon, but
they've never been to Pentecost for power. And while we
could never repeat this day, this historical day of Pentecost,
(21:00):
this was a once and for all powerful event in
history Christian history that inaugurated the birth of the Church
and baptized believers into His family forever. Why we don't
attempt to pray for another Pentecost? I mean, we wouldn't
pray for another Pentecost, anymore that we would pray for
another Calvary or another Bethlehem. These are historical acts of God,
(21:25):
but some of us need to pray for a personal Pentecost,
in the sense that we ask the Spirit of the
Living God in us to fill us. They were all
filled with the Holy Spirit. And while there is one
baptism of the Spirit, there are many feelings.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
And did you know this is a command.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
Of the Word of God to be filled with the
Holy Spirit. We'll talk about that and another message and
what that means. But to be filled with the Holy
Spirit means that you are controlled by the Spirit of God.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
Who is living in you. That means you will be transformed.
Speaker 2 (21:59):
Some have the spirit of God, but you don't understand
who you have and what you have. And therefore you're
trying to do everything that you do, trying to pray,
trying to witness, trying to worship, trying to be a
good husband, trying to be a good father, trying to
be a good person. You're trying to do all of
this and the strength of your humanity, and it.
Speaker 3 (22:16):
Doesn't work that way. God has given us power.
Speaker 2 (22:20):
I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.
Christ is living in you. And the greatest spiritual lesson
I ever learned since the day I came to no
faith in Jesus Christ was the salvation that is in Christ.
That we are not only saved by his death, but
we are saved by His life in us. In his
(22:40):
spirit now dwells us and infuses us with spiritual power,
so that we can win life's greatest battle, so that
we can overcome temptation, so that we can defeat the enemy.
Speaker 3 (22:53):
Knowing that greater is he that is in you than
he that is in the world.
Speaker 2 (22:58):
We can overcome oppositions against all odds. Even though we
don't have every advantage. We know that the message of
Jesus Christ can change the world through us. Imagine what
could happen if on that day one hundred and twenty
were engaged by the spirit of God and went out
and turned the world upside down.
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Imagine what could happen.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
If believers today were all filled with the spirit of
God and went out as flaming on fire.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
Witnesses for the Lord Jesus Christ. Just imagine what could happen.
Speaker 2 (23:31):
So maybe you need to pray today for a personal
Pentecost in that the spirit of God would fill you
and use you to take the message of His love
and his grace. That you were so shy that the
world would know Jesus.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message transformed.
On June thirtieth, we will close our books on another
year of ministry, and it's critical we end strong. That's
why generous friends have stepped forward with a two hundred
thousand dollars matching grant, which means every dollar you give
by June thirtieth will be doubled. Your gift to help
(24:10):
meet this grant in full is so important. We'll send
you doctor Graham's powerful book Angels. It's our special gift
and thank you to you. This encouraging book reveals what
Scripture says about God's messengers and how their presence reminds
us that Heaven is always near. Request your copy when
you call and give today. Call one eight hundred seven
(24:31):
ninety five four six two seven. That's one eight hundred
seven ninety five four six two seven. You can also
text the word angels to five nine seven eight nine.
That's angels to five nine seven eight nine, and don't
forget to visit Jack Graham dot org where you can
shop our East store, give a gift online, or sign
(24:52):
up for doctor Graham's free daily email devotional. Our website
again is Jack Graham dot org. And also be sure
to sign up for doctor Graham's podcast Bible in a
Year Pastor what is your PowerPoint for today?
Speaker 4 (25:08):
Well, let's just take a moment to talk about our
lives and maybe some words that so often unfortunately describe
our lives. Try the word empty, or what about the
word defeated, or even the word fearful. Are these the
kinds of words that describe your life? Or do the
words fulfilled, faithful, courageous describe you? Only a life that's
(25:30):
being transformed by the spirit of God can be described
as fulfilled, faithful, and courageous. And if you're like me,
I know you want your life to be described in
these ways. And yet so often we get hung up
on our past, how we fail God, how we've sinned.
But think about those first Christians. One deny Jesus three
times the night before the Lord was crucified, Another had
(25:52):
a huge anger problem, and all but one deserted Jesus
when it came time for him to die on the cross.
They all had reasons to beat themselves up and even
disqualify themselves from God's service. But wait a minute, that's
not how God operates. God renewed, restored, and used those
early disciples. Because He filled them with his spirit. They
(26:13):
could be restored and again used mightily of God in
our remaining moments together today. Let me ask you, is
there something in your past that is keeping you on
the bench spiritually? Now just think about this for a moment.
You have disqualified yourself and you're out of the game
right now because you think God no longer can use you.
Maybe it's more than one thing that you've done. Maybe
(26:35):
it's many things that you have done. Let me assure you,
as a child of God, of what the scripture says
to you in Romans eight one. There is therefore now
no condemnation for those who are in Jesus Christ. Satan
wants you to believe the exact opposite, and ohe how
easy it is to listen to his lies. But remember this,
(26:55):
As a follower of Jesus, you are not to live
in condemnation over your sins, no matter how many are,
how bad they may be. Trust in him, turn from
your sins, repent and receive His forgiveness and the fullness.
Speaker 3 (27:09):
Of His spirit.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
And God will use you in amazing ways if you
will just be prepared to be used.
Speaker 1 (27:16):
And that is today's PowerPoint. Remember when you give a
gift of ten dollars or more to PowerPoint, we'll send
you doctor Graham's book Angels as our thanks. Call one
eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven. That's
one eight hundred seven ninety five four six two seven.
You can also text the word Angels to five nine
(27:38):
seven eight nine and join us again next time as
doctor Graham brings a message about how you can boldly
share the only message that can transform the world. That's
next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack
Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministry.
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