Living Under the Influence of the Holy Spirit

Summary

Continuing his look at the early church in Acts, the preacher describes what a life filled with the Holy Spirit actually looks like. Such believers are generous. He recalls his son, who drove for a ride-share service and once received astonishing tips from a drunken passenger, and asks: if alcohol can loosen a man's wallet, how much more should the Spirit make us generous toward the church, toward missions, and toward people in need.

He then highlights two more marks of the early church: genuine fellowship and worship. People who walk in the Spirit long to gather with God's people instead of waiting for a phone call to invite them. He laments how the pandemic scattered believers and praises the Slavic community for staying together. We come to church for one purpose, to glorify God, not to argue over musical styles or the preacher's manner. Like Joseph, who found favor with everyone from his father to Pharaoh, we gain favor with God and people when we keep our focus on Jesus and praise Him on the heights and in the valleys.

The fruit of a Spirit-led life is new souls born into God's kingdom. The same Spirit who filled the first church and added believers daily is unchanged today and works among every nation. He closes with a warning: many are so full of the rat the world serves them that they no longer crave the steak God offers. He urges the church to stay hungry and thirsty for the Lord and to carry the Spirit's influence into home and work, not only into the church building.

Key Points

• A Spirit-filled person is generous; God blesses us so that we can be a blessing to others.
• Real fellowship is essential - we should want to be with God's people, not wait to be invited.
• We gather for one reason, to glorify God, not to debate music or the preacher's style.
• Keeping our eyes on Jesus in highs and lows brings favor with God and people, as it did for Joseph.
• The Holy Spirit never changes; the same power that grew the early church works among all nations today.
• Don't fill up on what the world offers and lose your appetite for what God wants to give.
• Live under the Spirit's influence everywhere, at home and at work, not only on Sunday.