Phil Beach Jr. emphasizes the vital role of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers, highlighting that the Spirit is given not for personal gain or status but to empower individuals to live for Christ and obey God's commandments. He warns against the superficial association of the Holy Spirit with success and popularity, urging believers to seek a genuine relationship with God that transforms their hearts and lives. The sermon reflects on the early church's reliance on the Holy Spirit, illustrating how true empowerment leads to a passion for God's word and a commitment to obey Him above all else.

Acts chapter five. Acts chapter five, we just like to begin to observe some very remarkable features that were occurring in the life of the church back in the days of Acts. Now, I want you to notice certain characteristics that were present, as this is the word of God and this is what God is wanting to do in our lives today. This is what the Lord is wanting to do in the church today. As you know, the book of Acts is a record of the acts of the Holy Spirit, not the apostles, the acts of the Holy Spirit and his work through, listen, through a company of believers who yielded their life to Christ. We've got to get these things sorted out in the day that we're living in. The Holy Spirit is not given to people who simply want to call themselves Christians. The Holy Spirit is not given to folks who simply want to join a church and be a part of a charismatic or charismatic movement. The Holy Spirit isn't given to people who want to just simply be Pentecostalers. Pentecostalers, the Holy Spirit has become associated with movements. The Holy Spirit has become associated with gifts, signs, wonders. The Holy Spirit has become associated with status quo. The Holy Spirit has become associated with being successful. I've heard them and they're saying it from the pulpits all throughout the land. And God have mercy upon their soul. Whoever wants to be successful, get the Holy Spirit in your life. Dear brothers and sisters, these things are horrendous. They're they're breaking the heart of God. The Holy Spirit was given in the book of Acts to a company of believers who were devastated, who had no hope, who had no desires, who had nothing to live for in this world. But Christ and the Holy Spirit descended upon those in the upper room who had been devastated and who wanted nothing but the will of God. The Holy Spirit bears witness today only. And I say that with confidence from the word of God, the Holy Spirit bears witness only with hearts that have been brought by the grace of God to the place where they want nothing but Jesus, nothing but Jesus. Listen, the Holy Spirit has come not to give me a life, but it's come to take mine away so I can have him as my life. This is why the Holy Spirit has come, so that Christ can be my life, Christ can be my preoccupation, Christ can be my lover, Christ can be my healer. Oh, how God longs for people who will just graciously say to people, good to see you, good to see you, but I have to get away. Say to your own wife, say to your own husband, how often do you say to your own husband and wife, oh, I love you, sweetheart. I just got to get away. I've just just give me some time alone. I've got to commune with the lover of my soul. I've got to talk to my God. I've got to hear his voice. I've got to I've got to pour out my soul to him. I've got to just commune with him and love with him. This is what the father is longing for to see in the bride of his son, lovers of Jesus passionately in love with Jesus, those who want to feed upon Christ, those who want to feed upon every word that comes out of his mouth. This is what the Holy Spirit does. He awakens us. He awakens us to the realities of heaven. He awakens us to spiritual things. The Holy Spirit actively working in the life of a believer will not allow that believer to fall asleep, will not allow that believer to begin to pursue after the things of this life in their heart of hearts to where their treasure becomes something down here. Now, that will happen in our life if the Holy Spirit's not working, because that's what we are in our flesh. But the Holy Spirit comes and lifts us out of that realm and empowers us and strengthens us to live a life whose interests are in God feeding on Jesus Christ. And so, as we mentioned here in Acts, we're in Acts chapter five, but the Holy Spirit is first mentioned in Acts chapter one in verse number six, when they therefore were come together, they asked him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? And he said to them, it is not for you to know the times or seasons which the father has put in his own power. Today, the same questions are being asked, is it time, Lord, that you're going to restore the kingdom? Is it time, Lord, that the that the great tribulation is about to happen or is it already happening? When is this going to happen? When is that going to happen? And as we've mentioned many months ago, there is a preoccupation in the day that we live in with end time events, a preoccupation, an unhealthy preoccupation. We ought rather to hear the words of Jesus. It's not for you to know times and seasons which father has put in his own hands. I don't care who you are. I don't care how much Bible you've studied. Nobody today knows exactly what God is up to. Nobody. And you might be able to put some pieces together, but I would even be reluctant to do that because time after time over the last 30 years, the great Bible teachers and prophecy teachers of our day have written hundreds and hundreds of books predicting what was going to happen. And they all end up being wrong. They all end up being wrong. And then 10 years later, they write new books. So is it wrong to inquire? No, it's not wrong. It's not wrong to search the scriptures, but let's just go to the words of Jesus. It's not for us to know. It's not for us to have clear cut answers. This is what God is doing. This is what this means. And God is going to do this at this time, at this season. No one knows. No one knows. However, verse eight, but you shall receive power, brothers and sisters. Our preoccupation in the day that we live in ought not to be regarding the times and seasons that God has put in his own authority. But our preoccupation ought to be the desire and an insatiable passion to be empowered. Empowered, but you shall receive power, that word is Dunamis, which is the word where we get the word dynamite, you shall receive enabling, you shall receive a clothing of dynamite. After that, the Holy Ghost is come upon you. And so you see, brothers and sisters, the distinct teaching of Jesus Christ is after the Holy Ghost comes upon you, you will be empowered, you will be enabled, enabled to do what? Why does the Holy Spirit come upon us? Enabled to do what? Please listen to the word of God and you shall be witnesses unto me. Both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth, and we find in Acts chapter two. That the day of Pentecost was fully come and now this is about to be the fulfillment, the beginning of the fulfillment of the words of Jesus. And they were all with one accord in one place now. These all that it's referring to that the scriptures referring to are a little over 100 people that were gathered together and they were praying and they were waiting for the words of Jesus. And the Bible says that there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled the house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them cloven tongues like as a fire and it sat on each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance. And so now this is the beginning here of the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus, where when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be empowered and clothed upon. And so we see that Peter preached a sermon in verse 14, and these are these are the effects, these are the effects of the Holy Spirit coming upon us, empowering us. Let me let me tell you, brothers and sisters, when the Holy Spirit of God. Gets a hold of you and gets into your life. You will be empowered to speak the word of God, you will be empowered to live the word of God, not necessarily, quote unquote, become a preacher, but you will be empowered to speak the word of God. There is a famine in the church today regarding speaking the word of God. What do you do when you're in struggles? What do you do at home? What do you do in your situations? Most of the time people speak their own thoughts, they speak out their own ideas, they speak out their own feelings, they speak out their own opinions, they speak out their own anger and grief. We've learned over the past several months the things that come out during a trial. Brothers and sisters, when we're going through a trial, a test, a fiery furnace, and we've been brought to the place where we are clothed upon with the Holy Spirit, we're going to speak the word of God into one another's lives. This is why we need the Holy Spirit so desperately to empower us to speak the word of God. What are you speaking? It's doubtful you're speaking the word of God. If you're spending all your time watching television, it really is doubtful. The inordinate interest in entertainment and TV in the church today is a sure indictment from heaven. The Holy Spirit is not present. We want to hear Father's voice when we're full of the Holy Ghost, not the foolishness of men. And that's 99 percent of what you're going to get from the television. Foolishness, pure, unadulterated foolishness. But why does it interest us? So we have religion, not the Holy Spirit. Jesus never promised. That the message would be popular. But nevertheless, it's true. It's true. They spoke the word of God. When the Holy Ghost came upon them. Chapter three, a lame man was healed when the Holy Spirit came upon them, verses one through 10. Verses 11 through 26, Peter again speaks to the people, he speaks the word of God. Chapter four, Peter and John are again speaking to Jewish leaders. Verse 23, chapter four, and being let go, that is, they had been imprisoned and they were let go. Now, but before we look at that, just notice verse number, but notice verse number 18 of chapter four. Now, see again, brothers and sisters, this is this is what goes on when the Holy Ghost gets into people's lives. Why there's nothing going on. You know, there's a lot of religious machinery going on, but that doesn't do anything that looks good. It makes us able to say, well, this is what we're doing for God. Let me tell you something. There was never a statement in the New Testament where men got up and talked about what they were doing for God. It was not heard of. They were so preoccupied with what God had done. Through his son and what the Holy Ghost was doing, they dare not talk about what they thought they were doing. They know they could do nothing, nothing. And there's multitudes of people feeding off this need to be associated with something that looks like they're doing something for God. It's absurd. It's absurd, it's it's it's it's the sorrow of God's heart. Now, there's now now now there's the need for God's people to be able to boast in the work of God. Go to a big church, we got all these things going on. How sad. How sad. Now, listen to this, Acts chapter four. Verse 18, and they called them and commanded them not to speak nor to teach in the name of Jesus. Now, here's here's what the Holy Ghost here's what people who have the Holy Ghost say. Verse 19, but Peter and John answered and said to them, whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than to God, judge you. Oh, here we go. Listen, for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them because of the people for all glorified God. Brothers and sisters. When God brings us to the place where in our desperation we cry out for the gift, the promise of the father we will find within our heart as we continue to remain under the authority of the Holy Spirit and the word of God, we will find the same unquestionable urgency within our hearts and souls that is testified here in verse number 19 and 20. We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. We cannot but speak. We are compelled to obey God. We are compelled. We are driven. We are controlled. We are empowered. We are we are endured with power from on high. We must obey God's word and listen, don't associate this with I must go out and be a great preacher or I must go out and be a great teacher. I must I must become a missionary to China. So be it if that's what God says. But but this happens in your life. This happens when you argue with one another. I must I'm I'm I'm compelled to humble myself and say I'm sorry. I'm compelled to humble myself and say I was wrong. I'm compelled. I must speak the truth. She make this stuff applicable in your real world. If it's not working there, it's not working anywhere. Thank you for that, Amy. I'm brothers and sisters, where's the Holy Spirit in our lives? It's not religion. Where's the Holy Spirit working in our lives? He's hovering. All Christians everywhere who name the name of the Lord are being weighed in the balance. It's not an issue of whether God's going to reject his own. God will not reject his own. The issue is, where's the house that honors the son? Where are the living stones? That received the Holy Spirit. And walk by his power. Now, isn't the good word of God refreshing? Listen, don't take your experience as your standard. I don't care what you're doing and how God's talking to you and what your revelations are. Who cares? What is God's word say? What is God's word say? This is what God's word says. So let's just put this together. Now we've got we've got a company of believers in the New Testament who were promised by Jesus that they were going to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, the promise of the father. Upon receiving it, they were clothed upon with power from on high. They received spiritual dynamite in their life, and this spiritual dynamite empowered them, empowered them to speak the word of God. It affected. Their meditation, it affected their interests, it affected the things that they meditated upon. You can't speak the word of God if you don't spend time in the word of God. They lost their interests for the things of this world. They didn't become irresponsible people, and the Bible condemned those who thought that becoming a Christian meant that they could be a busybody and not work and mind everyone's business. That's not what God said. He condemned those in the churches who were being irresponsible and who were being freeloaders. This isn't you won't become irresponsible and weird when you get the Holy Ghost. But you'll become a different person than the child of this world. You'll want work in the world, but your treasure will be in heaven. And you'll go through the same struggles that everyone else, but you'll speak the word of God instead of the mumble jumble of this day. You'll judge everything by the word of God. You'll feed on the word. And so they spoke the word of God. Number two, they had this insatiable passion to obey God rather than man. Let me tell you, when you get the Holy Ghost working in your life, you no longer determine what to do based on whether people are going to like you or not, whether it's the popular thing to do. You suddenly realize the most important thing in your life is to obey God, obey God's word. What did they say? Peter and John said, you you judge, you judge what's right in the sight of God. Should we obey you or should we obey God? You you tell us what you think we should do. This must occur in the life of every believer, and it cannot and will not occur until we come to a crisis and we ask for the Holy Spirit and we accept his lordship in our life. How many are sick and tired of being people pleasers? It's a snare around your neck. It affects almost everything you do. It's a noose. It's a burden. Oh, you're tired of it. You're you're you're more preoccupied and concerned about what people think than God. There's there's freedom from that. There is a place of freedom in God from that. But it's not from working it up. It's the place of freedom is where you come in desperation to God and say, Holy Spirit of God, come in your fullness and free me from this drive to please men and women and put in my heart a passion to obey you. Now, that doesn't mean you'll become obnoxious and obstinate and you'll no longer be able to be patient with people. But it'll affect your ultimate heart's desire, where ultimately you're looking for father's smile, not people's smile, father's pleasure, not people's pleasure. These qualities that we're talking about, brothers and sisters, they're supernatural qualities that only the Holy Spirit can produce. And the absence of these qualities in our life is a commentary telling us that the Holy Spirit's power and presence is not with us. We can't conjure these up, their gifts from God. And that brings us to chapter five. Annias and Sapphira. Engaged in hypocrisy. And they both lost their life. Here, the Holy Spirit was telling us that when we receive the Holy Spirit, though God is a God of grace, though God is a God of mercy, though God is a God of forgiveness, when we receive the Holy Spirit, there are consequences to our actions. Then in verses 12 through 16, many signs and wonders were being done in the name of the Lord Jesus, and then the apostles were arrested. Verse 17, chapter five. Then the high priest rose up and all they that were with him. And were filled with indignation and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. Listen, but the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors and brought them forth and said, go stand and speak in the temple to all the people, all the words of this life. And when they had heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning and taught. So. But when the high priest came that they were with him and called the council together and all the Senate of the Children of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought. But when the officers came and found them not in the prison, they returned and told verse 26, then went the captain with the office and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council and the high priest asked them, listen. Did not we straightly command you that you should not teach in the name of the Lord Jesus? Behold, you filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said. We ought to obey God rather than man. There it is. I hear that we ought to obey God rather than man. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus to whom he slew and hung on a tree. Him God hath exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a savior for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things. And so is also the Holy Ghost. Listen carefully, whom God hath given to them that obey him. There you have it. Now we could go through the whole book of Acts and we could find these consistent qualities and characteristics throughout the entire book of Acts. The ones we just mentioned are repeated over and over again in the life of every person or every group of people. Who received the promise of the father, verse 32, chapter five, and we are his witnesses. And so also is the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to them that obey him. Turn your Bibles to John, please. John, chapter 14, beginning in verse 15. If you love me, keep my commandments. We are witnesses, the apostles said, and so also is the Holy Spirit. And he and and the apostles said that God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey him. If you love me, keep my commandments. Now. We know the commandments of God and all of us know the Ten Commandments, right? Every one of the commandments that Jesus ever spoke, both in the Old and New Testament, can all be traced to the Ten Commandments. And the Ten Commandments can all be summed up in one commandment. To love God with all of our heart, mind, strength and soul and to love our neighbor as ourself. The fulfillment of those two commandments, love God and love our neighbor. Empowers us to obey all the other commandments. And so when Jesus said here, if you love me, keep my commandments. That means that we cannot separate love for God from keeping his commandments. If we do, then we are perverting. What true love to God is he wants us to keep his commandments. He gives us the power to keep his commandments by the Holy Spirit. Let's read on now right here. Verse number 16. And I will pray the father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you forever. That's talking about the Holy Spirit. That's talking about the promise of the father. That's the comforter, the spirit of truth that Jesus spoke about in Acts chapter one. When he says, Terry in Jerusalem, remember, he said, like I spoke to you. He said, like I spoke to you, what was he referring to right here? He was referring to this is when he spoke to the apostles. He was telling him about the coming Holy Spirit. Even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it sees him not. Neither knows him, but you know him, for he dwells with you and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless or I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you at that day. You shall know that I am in my father and you are in me and I am in you. He that has my commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me and he that loves me shall be loved of my father and I will love him and will manifest myself to him. Verse 23, if a man love me, he will keep my words. Now, how many times has Jesus said that in just this little section of Scripture? Over and over and over again. You see, the Holy Spirit is always connected to obedience to God's word. The Holy Spirit is always connected to. A desire within to speak God's word, the Holy Spirit is always connected to the desire to want to offer ourself to God. And be clean from this world. Unspotted from this world. So here he says again in verse 23, if a man love me, let him keep my words and my father will love him and we will come and make our abode. Verse 26, but the comforter, which the holy which is the Holy Spirit, whom the father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said to you. So they're the comforter again is now bringing to our remembrance the words of Jesus, bringing to our remembrance the commandments of Jesus and empowering us to keep those commandments. It's the Holy Spirit working in your life. I'm wondering, John, chapter 15, verse 18. If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own. But because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. Therefore, the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said to you, the servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept my sayings, they will keep yours also. Verse number 26. But when the comforter is come, there's the Holy Spirit again. Whom I will send unto unto you from the father, even the spirit of truth, which proceeds from the father, he shall testify of me. And he also shall bear witness because you have been with me from the beginning. And then, of course, chapter 16, chapter 16, verse seven. I tell you the truth. It is necessary for you that I go away. For if I go not away, the comforter will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin. That means convict of guilt. You see what the Holy Spirit's doing now, he's convicting the world of sin. And of righteousness and of judgment. Of sin, because they believe not of righteousness, because I go to my father and you see me no more of judgment because the prince of this world is judged. Verse 13. How be it when he the spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into all truth. John 17, 17, thy word is truth. Sanctify him by thy word. Thy word is truth. He will guide you into all truth. Brothers and sisters, I'm taking some extra time here to just read these scriptures just to show you. Just to show you what God's word says about the Holy Spirit and the word of God. And these are the things that are happening when the Holy Spirit is actively working in someone's life. We get hungry for God's word. Are you hungry for God's word? Don't talk about that, Phil. I'm so guilty about that. I try so hard to read my Bible and it just doesn't work. And I get so busy. Oh, you're in the you're in you're in the wrong realm, beloved. You're in the wrong realm of performance and guilt. And let me tell you something. You don't have to try when you're in love. You don't. It's not a matter of me trying. It's your heart. It's a change of your heart. You love God's word. What do you do with your free time? I don't have any free time. Yes, you do. What you you know what you do with your free time, what you want to do. That's why you never have any time for God, because you do what you want to do. Am I condemning you? No. Why should I condemn you? God's the judge. Tell me the truth. I've been around for 20 walking with the Lord for 24 years. I've heard people over and over and over again. Tell me, oh, preacher, you don't understand. I just don't have time. I just don't have time. I just don't have time for God. And I've been around. I've watched. I've observed. I've listened. I prayed. I've watched. I've observed. I've listened. I prayed. I've come to the conclusion. People do have time, but they don't want to spend it with God or for God. They want to do their own thing. Simple as that. Simple as that. That extra hour at night, that extra hour on the weekend. Oh, thank God. Thank you, Lord. I've got this extra time. I'm spending it with you. God. No. Don't do something. Why? Because the Holy Spirit is not abiding the way he wants to say. Then there's those who all they want to do is. Hallelujah, just one God, just one ministry, just one Christian activity. And it's all a bunch of legalism. It's all a bunch of rules. It's no more spiritual in God's eyes than the one who doesn't have time for God. Because it's coming from the wrong place. So you see. He'll guide you into all truth. Verse 13, for he shall not speak of himself. Let me tell you something, brothers and sisters. When you have the Holy Ghost, you'll find the spirit of God in you doesn't witness to things that are foolish. The Holy Spirit doesn't witness to boasting the boasting of man. I say this because most of the media today, most entertainment is glorifying the creature, not the creator. And you can't have the Holy Ghost. Working in you and sit. And set your eyes and set your ears and set your heart's attention on that. Which profanes the name of God. That glorifies men that talk that they're boasting, they're bragging their accomplishments. You can't do it without grieving the spirit of God. The Holy Ghost testifies of Christ. The Holy Ghost bears witness to that which is pure, that which is true, that which is honest, that which is just, that which is wholesome, that which is virtuous, that which is praiseworthy. That's what the Holy Ghost bears witness to. He shall not speak of himself, but whatever he shall hear that shall he speak and will show you things to come. He shall glorify me. Christ is speaking. The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ. You see, brothers and sisters, it's costly. Listen, please. It's costly. We're about to close now. It's costly to say yes to the Holy Spirit. It's costly. It's costly to say yes to a permanent guest. Who's purely heavenly. Purely holy, purely righteous, who never bears witness, never agrees with the horrible sin of man, never agrees with it, never puts his blessing on it, never places his approval on it, and never makes anyone happy in their heart. If they've got the Holy Ghost, if they're engaging in something that is not pleasing to God, that's separate, holy, separate, set apart for God. Where is that Holy Spirit today in the church? He's not there. He's not there. Other spirits have come masquerading as the Holy Spirit, speaking to people about men and glorifying men, glorifying people and glorifying what men are doing in the name of God. The Holy Ghost comes. He doesn't glorify what men are doing. He glorifies what God did and is doing in and through his son, period, period. That's it. The Holy Ghost bears witness to. So here we are. Here we are in the Holy Spirit, all things that the father hath are mine. Therefore, said I, he shall take of mine and shall show it to you. There you have it, brothers and sisters. Nothing but the word of God. There it is. The challenge is in all of our hearts. God is offering his Holy Spirit. God's spirit will give you wisdom from the word regarding whatever you're going through. He'll give us true joy and true life and true love. He'll change your life. Now let's bow our hearts. Let's bow our hearts. And let's ask our father to search our hearts once again. Father, thank you for your word in the presence of your Holy Spirit that is with us. The measure of his power that's working in us. But Lord, we know that today. You're crying out, you're looking for hearts. That will count the cost. And say, I know, Lord, to say yes to the fullness of your Holy Spirit. As I will, in fact, lose. My rights to rule and reign my passions to do my own thing, my stubbornness, my rebellion. I will become a man under authority under your authority, Lord. Now, if that's not what you want, then don't pray this prayer. You're not ready to. But if that's what you want. You want to be a man, a woman, a boy or a girl under the authority of God. Then I challenge you in your heart before God alone to pray. Oh, comforter, Holy Spirit. Come in your fullness in my life. Come in your fullness. Thank you, Lord. We just wait upon you in these next few moments, Lord. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord. You know, it's very unlikely if our brother Michael Fortini decided to hire me in his business. That he would consent to letting me work for him. And then spend all my days when I get there in his office telling him how to run his business. It's very unlikely that that would work out. See, because Mike probably didn't hire me to tell me how to run his business. Hired me because. He had a need in his company and he felt that if I was willing, I could work for him in this. This is the problem. And listen carefully, we're we're closing now. This is the problem with this perverted Christianity that's going on today. We become children of God and we don't realize that in becoming children of God. We are under father's authority and we don't come into the kingdom. To tell God how to run things or to do our own thing and then ask God to bless us. We come into the kingdom that we might become lawyer, loyal servants and love slaves to the king. And come to the place where we say. Your what do you say to kings? Your Highness, your majesty, your word is my your wish is my command. Your wish is my command. Is that where our heart is at today? I pray that's where God brings us. God bless you. And remember. When the Holy Spirit is received into your life. You will be empowered to obey God and love his word. It'll affect your home. It'll affect what you do. It'll affect what you say. If that's not being affected today, the Holy Spirit is not ruling and reigning in your life. It's as simple as that. So throw out your religion. Throw out all the ideas you have and acknowledge before God your poverty and acknowledge you need God. And he'll come and give you his spirit. If you acknowledge it, it's a gift. By grace, God bless you. Amen.