Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. 8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
12 "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
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We read in the Old Testament a very fascinating story of Elisha receiving the anointing through Elijah.
We know the story.
Elijah is about to be taken up, and Elisha makes one last request. He asks for a double portion of the Spirit of Elijah.
There is an important lesson of discipleship in here, because what Elijah was telling Elisha was “if you are going to do what I do, you have to be what I am.”
But I want you to lock your minds on Elisha’s request.
The spirit that Elijah had was a demonstration of the unction of God. The anointing of God in one’s life.
This is what Elisha was searching for.
He was looking for that same kind of anointing to come upon him.
This is why he was following him.
He knew Elijah had the Holy Spirit at work in his life.
And he was able to receive Elijah’s mantle which was a symbol of God’s anointing in Elijah’s life.
Adam Clarke’s commentary says, He smote the waters, and when they did not divide… In other words, the Vulgate bible points out that in the original language, “He smote the waters first, and they did not divide.” Then comes the words, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” It reads like this, “And he smote the waters and they did not divide, and he said, ‘Where is the God of Elijah, even now?’ And he struck the waters a second time and they were divided hither and thither…”
This surmises for us that at first, perhaps he was confiding too much in his own strength and ability, and that although he knew the drill, there was much more to it.
Then, having evoked the God of Elijah, he succeeds and the waters split.
If we are going to make impact, it’s going to take far more than ourselves to accomplish the task.
Man’s Ability
There is a competitive spirit in the hearts of man. We see this in sports. Men don’t go into a sport without having the sense that they might win.
It would be hard pressed to see someone give it there all, with the intent to lose.
We have the desire to succeed.
This is also transpired in the Christian arena.
You don’t follow after Christ without counting the cost. Christ made reference to this in the new testament-
Luke 14:28-30
For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost , whether he has enough to finish it — 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.
And so here we see that it is in man to strive to count the cost and succeed in all that we want to achieve.
Also in the heart of man is the adventure of the impossible.
Men climb the highest mountain
Men swim the deepest sea
What we are a part of is an incredible task.
We are a part of a calling that is impossible in man’s eyes.
It is impossible to see a city turn to Jesus given our own ability.
But we desire to succeed.
A desire to succeed in the call that God has for us in our lives.
This is why we are gathered here today. Because men and women are striving to see the destiny that God has for them. We are here in order that we might finish the race strong.
With success comes failure, and this is where we begin to panic.
Here is Elisha, waiting for the river Jordan to part, but nothing happens.
Picture with me if you will. Here is Elisha; he’s picked up the mantle. He understands exactly what’s involved. He understands that in order to get back across the Jordan River, he’s going to have to step up to the river. He’s going to smite the river, and the river is going to divide. Remember all the things that are involved there. Also the bible school students in the school of the prophets are watching. He steps up to the river and smites it. He’s waiting for the waters to roll back. All the motions are right. He has all the gestures that he learned from Elijah, but nothing happens.
This is the first trial of Elisha’s ministry.
He had the staff, but it seemed like he didn’t have the stuff.
He could have easily looked at the mantle and thought, this only worked for Elijah. He could have quit, but he was still on the other side of the Jordan.
Imagine if Elisha started to swim back.
This is where we can begin to trust in our own ability. .
We take matters in our own hands.
When things don’t seem to go the way God said, the way your pastor said it would go. The first instinct is to take matters into your own hands.
This is very true on the mission field. We begin to think, maybe if I study more. Maybe if I try another method. Maybe if I worked harder and beat the servants to do more.
We begin to get discouraged simply because things aren’t going the way we thought they should go.
We begin to get harder on ourselves. We take it out on the people of God. We can even blame our fellow brothers and sisters. “They are the cause for it!”
For some of you, you’ve been fighting the urge to call it quits.
There are times we are faced with no results, and the undaunted feeling that we must fix it.
But what happens when you can’t?
What can happen in this darkest of moments, is that we make the gravest mistakes. When we take matters in our own hands, we tie God’s hands and in turn fail to reach the full potential God has for us.
I want you to focus on what Elisha does. He says, “Where is the God of Elijah?” This speaks much wisdom for us.
Elisha didn’t trust in his own ability, he looked onto the God that made it happen for his fathers.
God’s Ability
Here is an important lesson.
Because God is more into what we are doing than we are. We look at the empty chairs. We look at people’s problems. We look at all the problems. All the negative. However, God is into what we are doing more than we can ever be.
The bible says,
2 Peter 3:9
not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
God is into us winning the world for Jesus. He is looking for men and women who are willing to lay it down to see God’s kingdom established.
God’s desire is that we succeed in reaching our potential.
He is seeking those who would seek the impossible.
Luke 18:27-30
But He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."
Then Peter said, "See, we have left all and followed You."
So He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life."
Listen, God recognizes that what you are doing is the impossible! This scripture is correlated together for a purpose. He understands this man of God, and He is in to it!
He is into making the impossible possible!
Peter says, we have left all and followed You.
Jesus says, hey I’m into that!
His ability is activated through our weaknesses. He chose the foolishness to confound the wise, because His ability is exhibited.
A man decided to buy a chainsaw. A logging foreman sold him a used one that he guaranteed would cut down 100 trees in a single day. A week later, a very unhappy man came back to report that the saw must be faulty because he could only cut down 8 trees per day. The logger looked at the carburetor. He checked the gas and the spark plug. He commented that he couldn't find anything wrong. He then grabbed the saw, pulled on the starter cord, and the chain saw promptly went "BZZZZZZZZZZ." The man who had bought the saw jumped and cried out, "What's that noise!"
At some point, we are going to have to turn on the power of God!
It is in our weaknesses that He is made strong. He chose to lessen the armies of Gideon to win the battle, so that all may know Him and His demonstrable power. It is something supernatural and this is what we must tap ourselves into, to be able to cross the river Jordan.
Zech 4:6
This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel:
'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,'
vs10
For who has despised the day of small things?
These verses are talking about the foundation of the church. It is only going to come though the Spirit of God.
With Man it is impossible, but with God it is made possible!
When He Is Come
Our text is a very important portion of scripture to take note,
“When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself . . . for He shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you."
On the day of Pentecost they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.
This is the power that He told them to wait for.
Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
He knew they wouldn’t be able to fulfill the call of God on their own ability.
They came out of that room aflame with God, and were able to face a hostile world.
Under the preaching of the first Holy Ghost inspired sermon, three thousand people were born again.
Talk about seeing conversions without serving hot dogs!
Jesus was now fully revealed by the power of the Holy Spirit to Peter and the rest. They preached Christ in the demonstration and power of the Holy Spirit. There was no hesitation, no fear on the part of any one of them. They were at once ready to die if necessary.
When the Holy Spirit came down upon them, they began to prophesy and speak in other tongues. People gathered together. The Holy Spirit drew a crowd without the aid of the people!
This is the power that is needed to reach our cities. This is the power that has been demonstrated throughout all the past revivals, and will be poured out in these last days. We will not be able to reach our city without it.
It is not in our ability but His. It is His light that must shine through us to reach this dark world.
-HE-
Our text says, HE will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Acts 5: 32
"The Holy Ghost, whom God hath given"
What does God give?
Sanctification? Holiness? Purity? Perfect love? A clean heart?
Is it to these experiences our attention is called?
On the day of Pentecost they were all filled with the Holy Ghost.
This is the power that He told them to wait for.
Acts 1:8
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
He knew they wouldn’t be able to fulfill the call of God on their own ability.
They came out of that room aflame with God, and were able to face a hostile world.
Under the preaching of the first Holy Ghost inspired sermon, three thousand people were born again.
Talk about seeing conversions without serving hot dogs!
Jesus was now fully revealed by the power of the Holy Spirit to Peter and the rest. They preached Christ in the demonstration and power of the Holy Spirit. There was no hesitation, no fear on the part of any one of them. They were at once ready to die if necessary.
When the Holy Spirit came down upon them, they began to prophesy and speak in other tongues. People gathered together. The Holy Spirit drew a crowd without the aid of the people!
This is the power that is needed to reach our cities. This is the power that has been demonstrated throughout all the past revivals, and will be poured out in these last days. We will not be able to reach our city without it.
It is not in our ability but His. It is His light that must shine through us to reach this dark world.
-HE-
Our text says, HE will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Acts 5: 32
"The Holy Ghost, whom God hath given"
What does God give?
Sanctification? Holiness? Purity? Perfect love? A clean heart?
Is it to these experiences our attention is called?
Let us read again: "The Holy Ghost, whom God hath given." So then, the question is not, "What does God give?" but, "Whom does God give?" And the answer is "The Holy Ghost." Do you see the difference?
There is much revelation to seeing the Holy Spirit not as just some presence to contend for, but God Himself. The third person of the Godhead.
This is whom we must contend for. He is real and has dwelled amongst our fathers and even in us.
AB Simpson said these words,
"Once it was the blessing, now it is the Lord; Once it was the feeling, now it is His Word; Once His gifts I wanted, now the Giver own; Once I sought for healing, now Himself alone."
"Once it was my working, His it hence shall be;
Once I tried to use Him, Now He uses me."
There is power in the possession of the Holy Spirit, we must be possessed by Him.
-His Annointing-
This is what we see in Elisha. He makes a move and nothing happens. Now you are faced with a decision at that point and the decision is, “Ahh, this thing doesn’t work.” Or you can do what Elisha did, “Where is the God of Elijah?
You can either throw in the towel and say this thing doesn’t work”, or you can realize that God is still God and He’s still looking for someone that would quest for power, and that will yield there lives to Him and will press through. If you don’t press in to receive that, and you are trusting in your own ability, you have nothing.
There is a dimension to be possessed and that is His anointing. You can learn the right moves, you can have symbolism, but I want to tell you that sooner or later you’ll have to cross the river Jordan. Sooner or later you are going to need that personal contact and a relationship with God that will release that anointing.
All down the centuries God has anointed His servants. He came on Jesus and Peter and Paul. On Brainerd and Wesley and Finney. And He came on Roberts and Spurgeon and Moody. And when He did, the floodgates of heaven opened.
These men contended before the Lord in prayer. They wrestled in intercession. They agonized for souls. And as they did, the Spirit came upon them and thousands upon thousands were swept into the Kingdom.
It was their constant contact with God and their daily anointing of the Spirit that made them what they were.
When the going gets rough, it’s time to call on the God of our fathers. It is time to contend for breakthrough in prayer. It is time to ask God for a fresh anointing.
God can and will use you to the full limit of your capacity.
But it is going to have to be that you wait before Him; spend much time alone with God; agonize for souls, and though you know it not, you will be anointed with the Spirit of God. And in the power of the anointing you will be used for His glory.
Luke 4:18, 19
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord".
Here, my friend, is the work of the minister. To do it Jesus Christ was anointed. Have you, too, been anointed?
If your ministry is to be effective, you must be an anointed man.
Can you do it? Not unless you are Spirit-anointed. It is a big order for any man. And only the enabling power of the Spirit will suffice.
When Elisha called upon God, he was anointed with the same spirit that had rested on Elijah, and he fulfilled double of the things Elijah did in his life. Our pattern works. Call on the God of your fathers and find that same anointing that brought revival to them.
There is much revelation to seeing the Holy Spirit not as just some presence to contend for, but God Himself. The third person of the Godhead.
This is whom we must contend for. He is real and has dwelled amongst our fathers and even in us.
AB Simpson said these words,
"Once it was the blessing, now it is the Lord; Once it was the feeling, now it is His Word; Once His gifts I wanted, now the Giver own; Once I sought for healing, now Himself alone."
"Once it was my working, His it hence shall be;
Once I tried to use Him, Now He uses me."
There is power in the possession of the Holy Spirit, we must be possessed by Him.
-His Annointing-
This is what we see in Elisha. He makes a move and nothing happens. Now you are faced with a decision at that point and the decision is, “Ahh, this thing doesn’t work.” Or you can do what Elisha did, “Where is the God of Elijah?
You can either throw in the towel and say this thing doesn’t work”, or you can realize that God is still God and He’s still looking for someone that would quest for power, and that will yield there lives to Him and will press through. If you don’t press in to receive that, and you are trusting in your own ability, you have nothing.
There is a dimension to be possessed and that is His anointing. You can learn the right moves, you can have symbolism, but I want to tell you that sooner or later you’ll have to cross the river Jordan. Sooner or later you are going to need that personal contact and a relationship with God that will release that anointing.
All down the centuries God has anointed His servants. He came on Jesus and Peter and Paul. On Brainerd and Wesley and Finney. And He came on Roberts and Spurgeon and Moody. And when He did, the floodgates of heaven opened.
These men contended before the Lord in prayer. They wrestled in intercession. They agonized for souls. And as they did, the Spirit came upon them and thousands upon thousands were swept into the Kingdom.
It was their constant contact with God and their daily anointing of the Spirit that made them what they were.
When the going gets rough, it’s time to call on the God of our fathers. It is time to contend for breakthrough in prayer. It is time to ask God for a fresh anointing.
God can and will use you to the full limit of your capacity.
But it is going to have to be that you wait before Him; spend much time alone with God; agonize for souls, and though you know it not, you will be anointed with the Spirit of God. And in the power of the anointing you will be used for His glory.
Luke 4:18, 19
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord".
Here, my friend, is the work of the minister. To do it Jesus Christ was anointed. Have you, too, been anointed?
If your ministry is to be effective, you must be an anointed man.
Can you do it? Not unless you are Spirit-anointed. It is a big order for any man. And only the enabling power of the Spirit will suffice.
When Elisha called upon God, he was anointed with the same spirit that had rested on Elijah, and he fulfilled double of the things Elijah did in his life. Our pattern works. Call on the God of your fathers and find that same anointing that brought revival to them.
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