I’m looking through Acts for the Greek word pimplemi that Luke uses regarding being “Spirit-filled.” Some cool takeaways pop out at me.

#1. Sometimes you have to wait.

#2. Sometimes you need to just open your mouth and speak.

#3. Sometimes you have to come back, and pray.

#4. Sometimes you need to lay hands on someone.

#5. Sometimes you need to just say it like it is.

Luke is the author of both the gospel of Luke and Acts. Before we talk about Acts, don’t forget about the three instances he shares in the Christmas story.

3 People are Filled with the Spirit in Luke 1:15, 1:39, 1:67:

A baby in mother’s womb, the baby’s elderly mom, and an elderly priest – the baby’s father.

John the Baptist in Elizabeth’s womb leaps with joy as he recognizes the way the truth the life (Luke 1:15).

Elizabeth second person filled with the HS and in a loud voice exclaims, “Blessed are you among women…and bless is the child you will bear”. (Luke 1:39)

Zechariah third person to be filled and he prophesies (testifies about Jesus, Luke 1:67).

There’s a lot to extrapolate. But what’s one thing we do see? God chose to fill them with his Holy Spirit to empower them to show us that Jesus is the Christ.

Now, about the 5 Fills in Acts (Acts 2:4, 4:8, 4:31, 9:17, 13:9):

First, what do we know about the 120 in the upper room in Acts 1 after Jesus’s ascension to Heaven?

They were told to wait. They were fervently in prayer. They were NOT perfect. They were preparing to teach people about Christ.

What will we see? Repeated fillings. Not specifically asked to be filled but instead, to be used for a purpose.

#1. Sometimes you have to wait.

Some of us want to move swiftly & quickly. We sense urgency and want to act. I can often engage in knee-jerk responses, especially when I get excited about something. It’s a good trait. But there will be situations when it’s better to be patient, hold back, and wait for the Lord’s promptings, nudges, and thrusts.

The apostles and disciples did wait, and then we see what happens in Acts 2:4: “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Peter then gives the first mega church sermon to a huge crowd of unbelievers. Thousands in the crowd hear, are convicted, and convert on the spot.

Jesus said in John 16 that it was better that He go, so that He could send back his Helper (Holy Spirit). As we can see in Acts 2, sometimes it’s better that we wait, so that we operate in His strength, not our own.

#2. Sometimes you need to just open your mouth and speak.

Have you ever felt unqualified?

It’s not always easy to know what to say, especially if we’re put on the spot. Sometimes we don’t have the words and our emotions take over.

We see Peter again filled in Acts 4:8. Up to this point the apostles did signs and wonders. The church had grown to 5,000. Peter & John healed a man crippled from birth and the Jews were annoyed that they were proclaiming Jesus. So they brought them before the Sanhedrin to question them.

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being questioned today for a good deed done for someone who was sick or to learn how this man was healed, you and all the people of Israel must understand that this man stands healthy before you because of the name of Jesus from Nazareth, whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead.” (Acts 4:8-11)

The Sanhedrin rulers were shocked by their boldness as uneducated and untrained men. They recognized that they must have been with Jesus, so they let Peter and John go.

We must remember we won’t always feel qualified. But now with Jesus, through the power of His Holy Spirit, we will be equipped. Regardless of how you feel, sometimes you just need to pause and push your insecurities to the side, open your mouth, and let His words flow out.

#3. Sometimes you have to come back, and pray.

Gameplans, strategies, and vision plans are all great things. But too much contemplation, analyzing, and prepping can prevent the Spirit from leading.

When Peter & John were released from the rulers, they went back and reported to their church. Together, they first grabbed a whiteboard; no they didn’t. They searched the internet for the latest research; not that either. They thought about how other churches do it; not quite. They all raised their voices to God in prayer.

They shared their hearts and didn’t ask to be filled by the Spirit but instead to what?

Acts 4:29 to “allow your servants to speak your word boldly.”

Acts 4:31 “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”

I’m not against praying to be filled. But I’m wondering if instead we turn our hearts to the purpose for why we seek the filling. For example, may we make this a regular part of our prayers-“Lord, we pray for boldness to speak your Word, even to a hostile audience, just like the early church did.”

#4. Sometimes you need to lay hands on someone.

I love the conversion story of Paul. He becomes the most powerful influence for Christianity. What piqued my interest when I first heard it is the man not many know the name of, who initiates his conversion.

Acts 9:17 “So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Could you imagine being told by the Lord to go lay hands on someone like Hitler!?

Ananias even tried to back out. “But the Lord told him, “Go, because he’s my chosen instrument to carry my name to unbelievers.” Acts 9:15

I say there is no formula to be filled by the Spirit. Some may posit that certain people need to you lay hands on you to impart Him. I don’t see that in scripture nor from experience. He can fill who, when, and where He wants. However, I also say if and when he does prompt us to lay hands on someone, let’s obey and lay hands on them like Ananias did, and not worry about the outcome.

#5. Sometimes you need to just say it like it is.

We never hear of Ananias again in the Bible. But we won’t stop hearing about Paul! Watch how he uses his ruthless demeanor to call out a false prophet and sorcerer. Make note: God will channel your personality traits to be used for Him once converted. Some of our flaws will actually become strengths.

This occult practitioner named Elymas was opposing Paul and Barnabas while they were on their first missionary journey to meet with the proconsul Sergius Paulus. “He tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith.” Acts 13:8

“But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?” Acts 13:9

“When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, because he was astonished at the Lord’s teaching.” Acts 13:12

We live in a soft culture. We’re often afraid of hurting someone’s feelings. Of course we need to pick and choose our battles. When it comes to someone preventing another from receiving the gospel, looks like that’s one time for sure we need to step in and just say it like it is!

RECAP

Our desire at 2:3 Ministries is to openly dialogue how to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. As we can see from these five fillings in Acts, there are multiple ways. The apostles waited. Peter opened his mouth. The church prayed. Ananias laid hands. Paul was straight-forward.

We don’t see any clear-cut manifesting that must or will always happen accordingly. However, we do see followers being filled in the presence of unbelievers. We see temporary, yet repeatable, empowering for purpose. We see fillings happening in order to share the testimony that Jesus is the Christ.

Don’t forget what we talked about last week regarding being filled with the Spirit and not being drunk on wine (Ephesians 5:18-19).

Read UNDER THE INFLUENCE PART 1 HERE.

God Bless,

Coach Theo (or is it Pastor?)