Pastor Kevin Bryan
Mt. Pisgah Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Sabbath August 8, 2015
Series Theme: "God's Empowering Presence: The Indwelling & Out-flowing of the Holy Spirit"
Title: "It's Winnable"
Sermon Notes for Sermon # 2
Thesis Statement: "We can each triumph over temptation by experiencing regeneration through new birth and possess a new nature by walking in the Newness of life, empowered by the Holy Spirit."
1. Scripture Lesson: Joel 2:28, "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh ..."
2. Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit
3. There in the Upper Room in Jerusalem, they prayed, repented of their sins, confessed their lack of faith, Humbled their hearts and Surrendered their lives anew to the Holy Spirit
4. Evangelism, P. 698, "After the ascension of Christ, the Holy Spirit did not immediately descend. There were ten days after His ascension before the Holy Spirit was given. This time was devoted by the disciples to most earnest preparation for receiving so precious an endowment. The rich treasures of heaven were poured out to them after they had searched their own hearts diligently and had sacrificed every idol. They were before God, humbling their souls, strengthening their faith, confessing their sins and their hearts were in harmony with one another."
Acts 2:1-2
5. Unity is a prerequisite for the outpouring, indwelling and out-flowing of the Holy Spirit
6. The Descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost is the Biblical model for what we may expect of His working in the church of God today
7. Heaven's power was Unleashed on the disciples at Pentecost
8. The first reason the Holy Spirit was poured out was Confirmation that Christ's Sacrifice was accepted in heaven
Acts 2:33
9. Christ Triumphant, p. 301, "Christ determined to bestow a gift on those who had been with Him and on those who should believe on Him, because this was the occasion of His ascension and inauguration, a jubilee in heaven. What gift could Christ bestow rich enough to signalize and grace His ascension to the mediatorial throne? It must be worthy of His greatness and His royalty. Christ gave His representative, the third person of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit. This Gift could not be excelled. . . . On the day of Pentecost Christ gave His disciples the Holy Spirit as their Comforter. He was ever to abide with His church."
10. The second reason the Holy Spirit was poured out was that they met the Conditions
11. For ten days they gathered and sought the promised outpouring and infilling of the Holy Spirit
12. Steps to Christ, p. 93, "Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Not that it is necessary in order to make known to God what we are, but in order to enable us to receive Him. Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him. When Jesus was upon the earth, He taught His disciples how to pray. He directed them to present their daily needs before God, and to cast all their cares upon Him. And the assurance He gave them that their petitions should be heard, is assurance also to us."
13. Acts of the Apostles, p. 56, "Morning by morning, as the heralds of the gospel kneel before the Lord and renew their vows of consecration to Him, He will grant them the presence of His Spirit, with its reviving, sanctifying power. As they go forth to the day's duties, they have the assurance that the unseen agency of the Holy Spirit enables them to be "laborers together with God."
14. Charles Spurgeon: What the Holy Spirit does in the life of the believer, "The great necessity of the church is to be continuously moved by the power of the Holy Spirit."
15. There is a definite and distinct difference between the Holy Spirit being with and around a person and the Holy Spirit being in a person
Matthew 26:14-16; John 14:17; Romans 8:9
16. Judas was fine having the Holy Spirit with him and around him, but he was Objectionable to having the Holy Spirit in him
James 1:14; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Galatians 5:16; Romans 7:7-14
17. Three Sources of Temptation
1. Our own Carnal nature
2. The World
1 John 5:19; John 12:31
3. Demons and Devil
Matt. 4:3; 1 Thessalonians 3:5; Genesis 3:1-7; Rev. 20:2; 1 Peter 5:8
18. Believers need to understand two things about their battle with temptation
1. It is a Mental Battle
2 Corinthians 10:3-5; Philippians 2:8
19. The central issue of the Great Controversy is the issue over the Mind and the mindset determines your Worship
2. It is a Spiritual Battle
2 Corinthian 10:3-4; Ephesians 6:12-13; 1 Corinthians 10:13
20. Four principles a Christian may employ to emerge victorious over temptation and sin
1. Be Filled with the Holy Spirit
Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:16; 24-5:25
2. Avoid things and places which tempt us to sin
Matthew 6:13; Romans 13:13
3. Clothe yourself in Christ
To be clothe in Christ to put on the Whole Armor of God
Romans 13:14; Ephesians 6:11
4. The principle of Resisting & Yielding
21. To sin a Christian must always make two unbiblical decisions
1. Yield to temptation
2. Resist the Holy Spirit
22. In order to overcome temptation the Christian must:
1. Resist temptation
2. Yield to the Holy Spirit
23. As we yield ourselves to the power of the Holy Spirit, the power of the temptation is Weakened
Romans 8:2; Galatians 5:16; James 4:7-8
24. The Holy Spirit's desire is to fill us and transform us from Spiritual Death to Life
Ephesians 2:1-6
25. The ministry of Creation , redemption and New Birth is a Trinitarian work
26. To regenerate means to make Anew
27. Through regeneration the Holy Spirit gives life to people who are Spiritually Dead
28. Counsels for the Church, p. 326, "He calls for a renewal of spiritual life. The spiritual energies of His people have long been torpid, but there is to be a resurrection from apparent death. By prayer and confession of sin we must clear the King's highway. As we do this, the power of the Spirit will come to us. We need the Pentecostal energy. This will come, for the Lord has promised to send His Spirit as the all-conquering power."
God's end-time church will be a Spirit-lead, Spirit-filled and Spirit-empowered church