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Clothed With Power from On High Luke 24:45-49

Sermon delivered by Min. Jason Evans At First Resurrection Baptist Church Sunday, April 27, 2014

I. They gathered around his body. Theythe disciples and othersbeheld their crucified Lord as he ate broiled fish before their very eyes. Jesus, the one who Peter denied three times and who all abandoned, except John and a few women, the one Judas Iscariot betrayed with a kiss; Jesusthe one crucified between two criminals and mockingly called, the King of the Jews, the one who died and was buried in a borrowed tomb, is alive! Christ has risen from the dead just like he said he would. II. It was in Jerusalem where the risen Jesus appeared to his disciples before his return to the Father. The Lord greeted them. He assured them that he wasnt a ghost but a living being of flesh and bones. The Lord opened the Scriptures to them and reminded them of the destiny of the Messiah. He told them of their mission to spread the good news around the world starting in Jerusalem. Jesus told them that they were to be witnesses of these things. And he said that he said that he will send the promise of the Father to them. Finally, Jesus told his disciples that they must stay in the city until they are clothed, endued as the King James Version says, with power from on high. III. What we see here in this final chapter of Lukes Gospel is the end of Jesus earthly ministry and the beginning of the ministry of Christs church. Before our Lords ascension, Luke tells us in his second volume, the Book of Acts, that Jesus spent 40 days with his disciples which grew from the original Eleven remaining disciples to a band of one hundred-twenty souls; many women were including, the mother of Jesus being among them. The Lord in his infinite wisdom knew that his followers needed help for the great mission ahead of them. They needed power to proclaim the gospel of the

crucified and risen Savior in every corner of the world. This power was Gods promise to them as his children gathered from among the nations. This power was the source of Gods peoples boldness to speak truth to the principalities and powers of the present age. This power brought new life, vitality, and energy to carry on Christs liberating ministry to the poor, the oppressed, and those bound to sin and death. This power was not found in the earth. This power was from on high. It was Gods power. It was Holy Ghost power. IV. The Spirit of GodGods living and active personal presenceis the power which gave birth to the church of Jesus Christ. Throughout Lukes Gospel the Holy Spirit plays a prominent role in the ministry of Jesus. In chapter 1, we see that it is through the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary. Likewise, the Spirit empowers the prophet John the Baptist from conception to prepare the way of the Lord and to make his paths straight. Its also in Luke where we find the Spirit empowering the elderly Simeon and the aged prophetess Anna to prophecy the mission and destiny of the newborn Jesus at his dedication at the temple. We find the Spirit descending in the bodily form of a dove upon Jesus at his baptism. Afterwards, the Holy Spirit immediately drives Jesus into the wilderness where he fasts for 40 days and his tempted by the devil on several occasions. Luke declares, Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit and news about him spread through the whole countryside. It was on a Sabbath day when Jesus taught in the synagogue and opened the scroll to the prophet Isaiah where it reads, The Spirit of the LORD is [upon] me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight to blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the LORDs favor. It is by the Spirits power Jesus preached the coming kingdom of God. Through the Spirits anointing, Jesus performed mighty deeds among the people. He healed the sick. He raised the dead. He gave sight to the blind. He cast out devils and delivered women from the bondage of Satan. He forgave sinners and welcomed Gentiles into the fold of God. The greatest demonstration of the Spirits power was made manifest on Easter Sunday when God raised Jesus from the dead. Luke, in his gospel account and the Book of Acts, demonstrates to us that Gods Spirit is living, dynamic, and moving throughout the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

To put it plainly: if it wasnt for the Spirit, we would not have a Savior to call on today with our earnest pleas. If it wasnt for the Spirit, we would not experience the miraculous joy of salvation. If it wasnt for the Spirit, we would not gather in the house of the Lord today to sing Zions songs in a strange land. If it wasnt for the Spirit, we wouldnt have the power to testify to the goodness of Jesus and all that he has done for us. Real talk: its by the grace that the Spirit gives that we are walking, living, breathing, praying, praising, lamenting, and lifting up holy hands to the Lord. Beloved, we are clothed today not just with the clothes that are on our backs, but we are clothed with the Power from on high. God promised the Spirit to all who ask of him. The Spirit is Gods gift of himself to us. This means, my brothers and sisters, you who are young and young at heart, that we are not alone. As Jesus said to his disciples in the Gospel of John, I will not leave you comfortless which means that he will not leave them as orphans. God their Fatherand our Father sent the Spirit to be with us and to dwell in us. We are not alone. God is with us. The Spirit abides within. How do we know this? We know this by faithtrusting in Jesus words. We who confess that Jesus is Lord do so by the Spirit. We call upon God as Abba, Father by the Spirit. We have righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit. We have power to overcome the trials and tribulations of this life because we have the anointing of the Holy Spirit working on this inside. Yet he is not only within us, but we are within him. You see, beloved of God, the Lord is the Spirit. The Spirit is not a thing to be controlled but he is the One who gives us self-control. The Spirit has authority over our lives because he is the Lord and we are his temple. We are the body of Christ and the Spirit unites us to the Lord Christ. We are saved, healed, delivered, and set free by the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. We are clothed today with the Power from on High. V. Further, brothers and sisters, we have a mission to accomplish. We have this treasure within earthen vessels not just for our benefit but for the benefit of the whole world. Jesus told his disciples to remain in the city until they received the heavenly gift. And when the day of Pentecost arrived ten days after the Lord ascended to heaven, Luke tells us in Acts 2 that a sound like a mighty rushing wind filled the house where the one hundred and twenty were gathered and the world was turned upside down ever since! The Spirit did not only come to make us shout in the pews, but to make us shout in the streets, on the playground, in the school yards, down the market aisles, in the board rooms, at the courthouse, and in the halls of assembly the coming of Gods reign of justice and peace. Oh, its good

to shout; its good and right to give our God the praise. But remember theres a storya testimonybehind every shout and every praise. The Spirit is the power to witness to these things. He is the power to declare to this unjust system of greedy politicians and violent authorities that Jesus the Crucified One is Lord. The Spirit is the power to stand in the gap for a people in desperate need of affordable healthcare and living wages. The Spirit is the power to speak life into dead churches and dying communities. Child of God, dont you know that the Spirit of the living Father dwells within you? He has wrapped his loving presence around you and has empowered you for this ministry? You are clothed today with power from on high! VI. You are clothed today with the same power that formed this world out of chaos. You are clothed today with the same power that brought the walls of Jericho down to a pile of rubble. You are clothed today with the same power that shut the mouths of lions so that Daniel could live. You are clothed today with the same power that brought Jesus Christ, the Son of God, into the world. You are clothed today with the same power that raised Jairus daughter and Lazarus from the dead. You are clothed today with the same power that brought 3,000 souls to Christ with one simple sermon. You are indeed clothed today with the same power that keeps the sun, moon, and stars in their courses above. You are clothed today with the same power that keeps this world from falling into decay and destruction. It is this power that brought you here today to hear this good news! It is this power that keeps you from falling and will present you faultless before Gods presence with exceeding great joy! Its this power that makes all things new! Its living water that quenches your thirst. It is oil that saturates you with gladness. Its the fire within your soul that causes you to give God the glory. He will keep you in perfect peace. He will give you unspeakable joy. He will guard your mind from the devils lies and your enemies snares. He will speak to you and will speak through you. In days of hardship, when all your strength is gone, the Spirit will intercede on your behalf with sighs too deep for words. You are clothed today in power that PECO doesnt offer. PGW cant contain it. It is power to love your enemies. It is power to walk in victory before the battle is won. It is power to tread on serpents heads. It is power to change the world. It is the power of the living God who offers it without price. Its already been paid for by the blood of the Risen Lamb. Thanks be to God. Amen.