“Did You Receive the Holy Spirit?” (Exo 20:7; Acts 19:11-17) - The 10 Commandments for Today IV –

“Did You Receive the Holy Spirit?” (Exo 20:7; Acts 19:11-17)

- The 10 Commandments for Today IV –

Living in the Old Testament?

There was a Japanese soldier named Hiroo Onoda. In 1944 he was sent to the small island in the western Philippines to spy on U.S. forces in the area. However, allied forces defeated the Japanese army in the Philippines. While most of the Japanese troops on the island withdrew or surrendered, Mr. Onoda hid in the jungles. He dismissed the news saying World War II was over. He refused to believe that the war had ended and chose to remain in the jungles for 29 years. In 1974 his former commanding officer traveled to see him and tell him he was released from his military duties. Only then was Mr. Onoda persuaded to come out of hiding and finally surrendered.

Mr. Onoda was living in the time of war 29 more years unnecessarily because of his ignorance and stubbornness. In today’s scripture, Acts 19, Paul just arrived at the city of Ephesus. It was his third missionary journey around 55 A.D. There he met a group of disciples who were still living in the Old Testament. Jesus was already raised from the dead and ascended into heaven. The Holy Spirit already came down upon the apostles on the day of Pentecost about 20 years ago. But the disciples in Ephesus didn’t know the new age opened up by Jesus. They didn’t know the new life led by the Holy Spirit. All they knew was John’s baptism, a baptism of repentance. For them, salvation was mere forgiveness of sins. When they did wrong, they confessed their sins and kept living their own ways. They were ignorant of Pentecost, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Misusing God’s Name

In Ephesus, there was another group of people who misused the name of the Lord. At that time the city of Ephesus had a reputation as a center for the learning and practice of magical arts. According to F.F. Bruce, among practitioners of magic in ancient times Jews enjoyed high respect, because they were believed to have exceptionally effective spells at their command. They used God’s name for their occult practices. Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were a part of this group. They tried to invoke Jesus’ name over the demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” One day the evil spirit talked back, “I know Jesus and I’ve heard of Paul, but who are you?” Then the possessed man jumped on them and beat them up. Naked and bloody, they fled out of the house. How shameful! How powerless! Obviously, they violated the third commandment: “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God” (Exo 20:7). The seven sons of Sceva misused God’s name for their own personal advantage, and God did not hold them guiltless. We live in a world different from the Ephesians. We may not take God’s name in vain for sorcery. But oftentimes we are tempted to use God’s name to advance to our own agenda. We are tempted to misinterpret Scripture for our own purposes. God’s name has been used to endorse everything from the Crusades to the slave trade, from political parties to social causes, and the results are almost always disastrous.

Tongues and Prophecy (Acts 19:6)

Then, how can we avoid misusing God’s name? More positively, how can we honor God’s great name? The answer is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. When Paul met the people in Ephesus full of magical practices and misusing God’s name, the first question he specifically asked is this: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit?” Today’s scripture tells us how we can honor God’s holy name when His Spirit comes upon us. First, God’s name is honored when we speak in tongues and prophesy. Acts 19:6 says, “When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.” Tongues and prophecy have in common that God speaks through us. James 3:5 says, “Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” Our tongue is the representative of the body. When we pray in tongues, we experience “dying of self.” We die to self and live to Christ. We surrender our tongue, ourself, and let the Spirit of God pray through us. Romans 8:26 says, “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” When we pray in tongues, we pray in the Spirit (1Co 14:15 NLT). For me personally, when I pray in tongues, I feel refreshed and strengthened because the Spirit himself intercedes for me. Like Paul said, I would like all of us in this room to eagerly desire and speak in tongues and prophesy (14:5). The Bible says not all speak in tongues, not all prophesy (12:30). But the heart of these gifts is to crucify self and show who God is and glorify his name (12:7 MSG). God’s name is praised when we surrender ourselves to God and trust him more.

Healing and Freedom (vv. 11-12)

Secondly, God’s name is honored when his people are healed and evil spirits come out of them. Today’s passages, verse 11 and 12 says, “God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.” Every time Jesus preached the gospel, he always drove out the evil spirits and healed all the sick (ex. Matt 4:24; 8:16; 10:1) Although we don’t see many who are possessed with demons around us, many people still live under bondage to demonic powers today. Paul says, in his letter to the Ephesians, “You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil - the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God” (2:2 NLT). But when the Holy Spirit comes, we experience healing and freedom (cf. 2 Co 3:17). When I visited my family in Korea last time in 2010, my grandfather who is a retired pastor, gave me his journal. In the journal he describes how God healed his people and set them free from the power of the devil. While he was serving one particular church for 27 years, 13 demon possessed people were freed, 4 paralyzed people were cured, 7 people were raised from the dead, including 5 adults and 2 children, and many other who had cancer were also healed. I know this is true, because I was there. I went to his church. Many of them who were healed are still alive and active in the church. When the Holy Spirit comes, we see a demonstration of the Spirit’s power. When we experience the manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our church and in our own lives, then we come to have a godly reverence of God and God’s name is greatly honored (Acts 19:17).

Revival (vv. 17-20)

Third, God’s name is honored when, we experience revival. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ the sick were cured and the evil spirits were driven out in Ephesus. And the news soon spread all over the region. Many people became believers and confessed their sins. A number of them who had practiced occult arts gathered their books and burned them in front of everybody. The value of the books was 50,000 drachmas, which was several million dollars. When revival comes, God’s name is exalted and our lives are transformed. In his book, A faithful narrative of the surprising work of God, Jonathan Edwards, leader of the Great Awakening, shares his own story of revival that he experienced in his town, Northampton, MA, in 1735 in this way:

“…the town seemed to be full of the presence of God: it never was so full of love, nor so full of joy; and yet so full of distress, as it was then. There were remarkable tokens of God's presence in almost every house. It was a time of joy in families on the account of salvation's being brought unto them; par­ents rejoicing over their children as newborn, and husbands over their wives, and wives over their husbands. The goings of God were then seen in his sanctuary, God's day was a delight, and his tabernacles were amiable. Our public assemblies were then beautiful; the congre­gation was alive in God's service, everyone earnestly intent on the public worship, every hearer eager to drink in the words of the minis­ter as they came from his mouth; the assembly in general were, from time to time, in tears while the word was preached: some weeping with sorrow and distress, others with joy and love, others with pity and concern for the souls of their neighbors...”

Did You Receive the Holy Spirit?

When the Holy Spirit comes, God’s name is exalted on high. It is sure that from the moment when we receive and believe in Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit at all times (John 1:12; 14:16-17; Col 2:9-10). Although all Christians are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, not all Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit. How, then, can we be filled with the Holy Spirit? The answer is we must ask. We must sincerely desire to be directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit (Luke 11:9-13). Being filled with the Holy Spirit is not just for the chosen people, but for everyone. The Lord God Almighty promised, “In the last days 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” (Acts 2:17). Did you receive the Holy Spirit? Have you felt the fullness of the Holy Spirit? How can we glorify God’s name in our lives? How can we draw our family and friends to Christ? The answer is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. There is no community revival without personal revival. John Wesley said, “I set myself on fire and people come to watch me burn.” This is my prayer for Pentecost, “Set me on fire, Lord, I give myself as a sacrifice on the altar. Let me be a man of fire through the Holy Spirit.” And I pray the same prayer for you. When you light yourself on fire with passion, people will come form miles to watch you burn. Ask the Holy Spirit to come to your life! Welcome the Holy Spirit! Desire to be directed and empowered by the Holy Spirit! Surrender the control of your life to the Holy Spirit! You will experience the abundant and fruitful life that Christ promised (John 10:10), and through your life God will be glorified. Amen.