The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit – Part 6 Lawson and Barbara Perdue

  Praise the Lord, friends, and welcome to the broadcast. I’m so glad that you’ve tuned in today. We are talking again with my wife, Barbara, about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And we’re gonna be sharing all of this week about the Holy Spirit and His gifts. So, you don’t wanna miss this broadcast. There’s great things that God has available to you when you receive the Holy Spirit. Blessings. Friends, it’s so good to have you with us. We’re continuing to share this week on “The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit.” Now, last week, Barbara, you and I talked about the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 where the Spirit came into the upper room on the day of Pentecost, and those disciples of Jesus received the Holy Spirit and spoke with other tongues. But then, we went on to talk about the continual outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And we talked about how Samaria received the word of God and the Holy Spirit in Acts 8. We talked about how Cornelius’s house and the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit in Acts 10. And we talked about how the Ephesian elders, the disciples of John, received the Holy Spirit in Acts 19. So, thank God it wasn’t limited just to that group of people on the day of Pentecost. It went forward from there. And in Acts 2:39, when Peter was preaching on the day of Pentecost, he said, “This promise is to you and to your children, and to as many as are far off. Even as many as the Lord our God shall call.” So, we live in the day of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And all you have to do to be a candidate to receive the Holy Spirit is receive Jesus as your Savior. When they ask in Acts 2:37 when Peter was preaching, “What shall we do?” Peter said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus, and you shall receive the Holy Ghost.” So, you’ve gotta believe on Jesus and identify with His work, and receive the Holy Spirit. Praise God.

 

  Praise God. And we brought out you don’t have to wait and tarry.

 

  Yeah.

 

  Like the disciples did, because the Holy Spirit has already, like you mentioned, been poured out or the outpouring. I like that. And we talked about this. We just shared very briefly our testimonies. And both of us have shared the same testimony. When we were filled with the Spirit, baptized in the Holy Spirit, it was life changing.

 

  Yes.

 

  It changed our life dramatically.

 

  Yeah, and when you get baptized in the Holy Spirit, it’s a baptism of power and a baptism of fire. That’s what the Bible calls it. And in Acts 1:8 Jesus said, “You shall receive power after the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you’ll be witnesses unto Me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth.”

 

  I like that.

 

  Praise God. So, we’re gonna receive power. Special, wonderful, miracle working power. The power of God. The dunamis of God. Thank God for the power of the Holy Spirit. So, thank God we receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us and our life testifies of Jesus. Now, after Acts 2, the disciples begin to move forward in the power of God. And so, the Holy Spirit, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is an outpouring of power. So, let’s read Acts 3. Barbara, I’ll have you read it, verse 1 through 6.

 

  Okay, I love this. “So, now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour prayer, the ninth hour, and a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they lay daily at the gate of the temple, which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple, who seen Peter and John about to go into the temple, ask for alms. And fixing his eyes on him with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So, he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold, I do not have, but what I do have I give to you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Rise up and walk.”

 

  Hallelujah! Silver and gold. You know, and it wasn’t that the apostles didn’t have money, because if you read in Acts 2, right? The people were selling their properties and bringing the proceeds and laying it at the feet of the apostles. So, the apostles had some money, but Peter left his wallet home. And so he said, “Hey, I left my wallet, but I got something better for you today.” Amen? Than $20. Hallelujah. Or $10 or 5. I’ve got, praise God such as I have, I got the power of God. And so, Peter and John took a hold of this man. Lame from his mother’s womb. The scripture says he was over 40 years old. Wow, what a miracle. This was the working of miracles. So, when you receive the Holy Spirit, you see God gave us Jesus. That’s the greatest gift. And Jesus, right? In giving us Jesus, Jesus gave us salvation and gave us the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit gives us gifts. And the Bible talks about these gifts in actually 1 Corinthians 12. There are nine manifestations or gifts of the Holy Spirit. They’re the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, the discerning of spirits, the gift of faith, the working of miracles, the gifts of healing, the gift of prophecy, the gift of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. Nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Three of those are gifts of revelation, three of them are gifts of power, and three of ’em are gifts that speak. Hallelujah. So, when we see this, you know, this man, it’s important we see he gave heed expecting to receive something of them. Some of you watching today haven’t been expecting to receive very much. Expectancy is the breeding ground for miracles. And so, Peter and John took a hold of him, but they had something to offer. Glory to God. They were filled with the Holy Spirit. And so they lifted him up. And the Bible says that he went, this was the working of a miracle. The definition of the working of miracles is when God works through a person or instrument to perform a supernatural act in an instant. And this man who had never walked, who was lame from his mother’s womb, do you know what? He didn’t have much muscle structure. He had to learn how to walk, but he went walking and leaping and praising God.

 

  Well, in verse 7 it says, “And they took him by the right hand,” as you mentioned, “And lifted him up, and immediately,”

 

  Yeah.

 

  So, this was immediately. “His feet and ankle bones received strength.” As you said you know, if you haven’t used those muscles for 40 years or since you’ve been born, and now someone lifts you up, that took an act of faith. And I love it that immediately they received that strength so he could stand and walk.

 

  Amen.

 

  So like you said, a miracle.

 

  I like something that you said there, Barbara. This took an act of faith. See, this was the working of miracles. Andrew Wommack actually teaches this. But when the gifts were in operation, it still takes faith on the part of those receiving, right? To receive from God. So, even though this was the manifestation of the working of a miracle, probably, you know, the gifts of healing, maybe a combination of the gift of faith, working miracles and the gifts of healing. Sometimes these gifts work together. This man still had faith. He expected to receive something from them. And immediately, “And he leaping up,” it says in verse 8, “Stood and walked and entered into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God. And they knew that it was him who sat for alms.” They knew that this was this beggar who begged regularly at the Beautiful Gate of the temple. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what happened to him.

 

  Well, they knew that he’d been born that way and no one had ever seen him walk.

 

  Hallelujah.

 

  And so, what a miracle and how exciting. I can just imagine this gentleman who received this healing to now to be able to get up out of the dirt and to walk and praise God and leap, and to receive that strength so that the muscles work.

 

  Amen.

 

  The bones.

 

  Praise God. You know, this reminds me about three years ago. Two to three years ago. A woman brought her two year old child here to church who had never walked. And you and I laid hands on this young man and prayed for him. And I spoke to his brain and you laid hands on him and he walked out of this church. And that was the first time that he ever walked. And that the family, he was over two years old, the family was so excited, you know? They brought him from another state. And we see miracles, and miracles are exciting.

 

  Yeah.

 

  I mean, this is exciting to me.

 

  Well, and there was another young woman who brought her small child who was a very cute little girl. And they just were having problems. She was seeing a doctor, under a doctor’s care. They couldn’t really discover why her daughter wasn’t walking. And so she, while the mother was holding the little girl, I just laid hands on her and prayed for her. I believe you ministered to that family as well. And it was kind of in the same time as what you were saying. And they took her by the hand. And we had some other people on our staff who saw this little girl in the foyer. As they left, she was walking.

 

  Hallelujah.

 

  And so, the mother came back at another time to give her testimony about that, that her daughter left walking.

 

  Amen. You know, one of the things I’m sharing in this message is that the power of God is real. And this is what I’ve seen in over 40 years of teaching and preaching. The Word of God since I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, is that the power of God is real. And people need to see the power of God in manifestation. They need to see things like the Book of Acts. And the Book of Acts has no amen? It has no end. And we are in Acts 29. We are still believers who believe on Jesus and receive the Holy Spirit are still moving forward in the power of the Holy Spirit and seeing people set free from all these different kind of things that the devil would try to hold them up with. And glory to God, we’re still seeing miracles, healings, people delivered from the power of the devil. You know, thank God, the word of God is true and Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

 

  Praise God.

 

  Amen.

 

  As we look at this, it says in verse 11. “The lame man who was healed helped Peter and John and the people ran together to them in the porch, which is called Solomon’s, greatly wondering. And when Peter saw it, he said to the people, ‘You men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? And why do you look so earnestly on us?'” In other words, it’s not us, it’s not our own power as though by our own power or holiness, we made this man to walk. You know, it’s good to live clean, it’s good to live holy. It’ll help your faith. Praise God. It’ll help you not have a condemned conscience. But people don’t receive because we’re good and holy, they receive because Jesus is good and holy.

 

  Amen.

 

  They don’t receive because they’re good and holy, they receive because Jesus is good and holy. And Peter’s preaching Jesus. Now, look at what Peter says in verse 13. He says, “The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers has glorified his Son Jesus, who you delivered up.” Man, Peter doesn’t miss an opportunity to present salvation. “God sent Jesus, you crucified Him in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him go. But you denied the Holy One and just then decided a murderer…” Peter man, he lays it on ’em. “To be granted unto you, and you killed the Prince of Life whom God has raised from the dead whereof we are witnesses. God raised Jesus from the dead and we’re witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus. And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong. It’s the name of Jesus and faith in the name of Jesus that frees people from Satan’s power who you see and know. Yes, the faith, which is by Him, has given him perfect soundness in the presence of you all.” Thank God.

 

  Amen.

 

  I am glad that we are serving a God that is alive. I’m glad that we’re serving a Savior that is alive. And I’m glad that the word of God is true. And I’m glad that miracles aren’t just a thing of the past. I’m glad the Bible says that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amen. So, we’re gonna take a short break. We’re gonna come back after this. And this causes no small stir in the church. Praise God. Well, we need some things to shake up religion. Amen? And cause no small stir in the church. Stay tuned. We’ll be back right after this short word. Friends, I’m so glad that you’re with us today. And I wanna tell you about a very special offer today. And this week we are offering “Absolute Victory in Christ.” My book on salvation, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and believing the word for a donation of any amount. Plus we’re offering our teaching on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in audio or video download, free of charge. Blessings.

 

  Look what God has done for you.

 

  Yes.

 

  You know, I mean, aren’t you so glad God restores all of us?

 

  Yes.

 

  And even to above and beyond, God brings… When He does it, when He restores something, it’s even more than you could have imagined. And I love that. Again, when God does something for us, it affects others and then other people even see it and testify to the goodness of God.

 

  Praise the Lord. Friends, I’m glad you stayed with us. We’re here. We’re continuing to share. You know, the church began in power. Glory to God. You know, it began with the Holy Spirit being poured out. With people being filled with the Holy Spirit. It began with the apostles and prophets, and evangelists and pastors and teachers. But it also began with all the manifestations of the Spirit. And I believe the Holy Spirit is still being poured out. I believe the gifts of the Spirit are still in operation today. Amen?

 

  Amen. Yeah.

 

  So, we’re gonna jump into Acts 4. Barbara, why don’t you start reading here in Acts 4:1 4.

 

  Okay, great. “So, now as they spoke to the people, the priest, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. However, many of those who heard the word believed and the number of the men came to be about 5,000.”

 

  So, the church was exploding with the power of God. And the religious people got worried. I mean, on the Day of Pentecost, the church grew from 120 to 3,120. Here a few days later, the church grew to over 5,000. The church was exploding with the power of God and the word of God, and noticed they were preaching Jesus and his resurrection. Jesus is still alive. And I’m glad that I know Jesus is alive. Hallelujah.

 

  Yeah.

 

  One reason I know He’s alive ’cause He lives in me. But another reason is because I’ve seen a lot of miracles even in my own life. And I never ceased to be amazed at the power of God.

 

  Amen.

 

  It’s a real thing. Glory to God. And so, the church was exploding and this caused a challenge, right? To the religious leaders. And so, they were bringing them in to try them. You can go ahead and read in verse 5 through 7 what happened when they came before these religious leaders.

 

  “So, it came to pass on the next day that their rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas, the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were the family of the high priests were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” This is an interesting question, isn’t it?

 

  Yeah.

 

  By whose name?

 

  Hallelujah. You know, they commanded them later not to preach or teach anymore in the name of Jesus. You know, the name of Jesus gets people upset.

 

  It gets the demons stirred up. It gets religious people stirred up.

 

  Yeah.

 

  When you start lifting high the name of Jesus.

 

  Yeah. You know what? Years and years ago here in Colorado Springs, I put a billboard out by the interstate. Jesus is Lord. Now, I’d put up Experience Jesus. I’d put up Celebrate Jesus. No comment. Nobody complained. But boy, when I put up Jesus is Lord, that just stirs up. People call in, they say, “Why you putting that sign up?” And then later, you know, we put up bus benches and signs on buses that Jesus is Lord. Never had any feedback about Celebrate Jesus, Experience Jesus, but when we put up the name of Jesus is Lord. Boy, somebody called the city and complained and they wanted me to take down my advertisement. Well, I just told ’em I was supposed to leave it up. So, I left it up four more years. It’s a long story. But that name gets religious people worried when you start telling in the name of Jesus. Praise God. But I thank God for the power of the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. “And so, by what power or what name have you done this?” Now, Barbara, go ahead and read verse 8 through 13. Acts 4:8 13.

 

  It says, “Then Peter filled with the Holy Spirit said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well. Let it be known to you all and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands there before you whole.” I like that. Jesus makes us whole.

 

  “This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Did you want me to read a couple more?

 

  Yeah. Read verse 13.

 

  “So now, when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled and they realized that they had been with Jesus.

 

  Amen. So, they preached Jesus. Jesus is alive. Jesus is well. Jesus is the healer, by His name this man stands before you whole. And Jesus is the Savior. In fact, they said there is no other name given under heaven whereby men must be saved. It’s the only name. Jesus is the only name that can save people. Jesus said, “I Am the Way, I Am the Truth. I Am the Life. No man comes to the Father except by Me.” In John chapter 14:6, Jesus is the only one who is the Son of God, who was born of a virgin, who lived a sinless, pure, perfect holy life, who died on the cross and took our sins, who God raised from the dead in a physical body, who sent the Holy Spirit, who is coming again, who is Lord of eternity. Jesus is Lord. That’s the message they preached.

 

  Amen.

 

  Jesus is Lord. God has raised Him from the dead. And you know what? They backed it up with power. Hallelujah.

 

  Well, we talked about how when we received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, how it was life changing for us. And you can tell here, it’s life changing for them. It gives you boldness. And I like how it brings it out in verse 13, that they could perceive that they were uneducated and untrained men, but yet they spoke with power.

 

  And these amazing signs and wonders were happening. You know, just things that were unexplainable.

 

  Yeah.

 

  So, the Holy Spirit changes things and I love… I heard someone else put it this way and I agree with it. You know, we all have a story of restoration. When we allow Jesus in our life, He brings us to a place of being restored, just like this lame man.

 

  Amen. Thank God restoration in the name of Jesus. So, Jesus is Lord. So what happened after this? They called them in and they didn’t, you know, they were really worried because people were converting from Judaism to Christianity. And so, they commanded them in verse 17 that they speak to nobody in the name of Jesus. Just like they wanted me to take down my Jesus bus benches, my Jesus signs on the buses. And I said, “No, I’ve been using the name of Jesus for three…” Our city said that’s hate language. This is crazy because one complaint. I had those signs up for years. Because of one complaint. It is crazy.

 

  Well.

 

  You know, I went to a meeting at Promise Keepers years ago at CU Boulder. And this was years and years ago. We had over 50,000 men in there. We had that place packed out. The end zone, the ends, everything worshiping Jesus. And there were six protestors outside and the news media came. Over 50,000 men and they’re worshiping God, worshiping Jesus, and they took pictures and interviewed the six protestors outside. My goodness, it is terrible when people are like this.

 

  Why didn’t they interview some of the 50,000 who are worshiping God?

 

  That’s what they shoulda done. That’s just the liberal news media for you. But when they called them, it says in verse 18, “They commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. And Peter and John said unto them, ‘Whether it’s right in the sight of God to listen to you more than God, you judge. But we cannot help talk about the things that we’ve seen and heard.'” When you have a personal experience of Jesus, a personal relationship with Jesus, a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit, you can’t help sometime but say something.

 

  That’s right.

 

  Hallelujah. So, they said, “Listen, we can’t really do anything because people were glorifying God because this man was over 40 years old.” It says in verse 22, “On this miracle of healing was showed.” But what’d they do? They went to their own company. You know what? If people persecute you for preaching Jesus, if they come against you for preaching Jesus, you need to get with your own company. Some of you are in some strange companies and you’re trying to convince those strange companies. And know what you need to do? You need to get somewhere where people are full of the Holy Ghost, where they’re full of the word of God, where they’re boldly preaching Jesus and get with your own company.

 

  Amen.

 

  You need to get with some people that think like you. Praise God. That will help you to move forward in the things of God. Hallelujah. To move forward in the things of the Holy Spirit. And so, they got together and they prayed, and they lifted up their voice to God and they prayed. In verse 29 to 31, they said, “Lord, behold their threatenings and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Thy word by stretching forth Your hand to heal, that signs and wonders may be done by the holy name of the Holy Child Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost in Acts 2. Now, they were filled. They stayed filled. You know, you need to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. It’s not just once and done. You need to stay filled with the Holy Ghost. And it says in verse 33, “With great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.”

 

  I like that.

 

  I love to say, where great grace is preached, great powers release. Pray for the people, Barbara, before we go off today.

 

  Well, dear Heavenly Father, we pray in the powerful name of Jesus. Lord, right now we take authority over anyone experiencing pain. I just take authority over that right now. We agree with our brothers and sisters in Christ that no deadly thing shall harm them.

 

  Amen.

 

  We command any sickness or disease to go. I thank you that they are blessed, they are whole, and they are prosperous in Jesus name.

 

  In Jesus name. Praise God. So, we command the pain to leave your body in the name of Jesus. You take authority over that as a believer in Jesus and you stand. Praise God. And I believe that you’re gonna get the victory. I wanna remind you about our offer. We’re offering this this week. “Absolute Victory in Christ” along with our teaching, “The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit.” This book has in it the message of salvation, how you’re saved. It has the message of how to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And it has also the the message that we’re believing the Word of God. Amen. So, be born again. Receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and believe the word of God. We’re offering this for any offering here in the continental United States. Thank you so much and God bless you.

 

  Every born again believer should be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Jesus commanded his disciples not to depart from Jerusalem until they had received power from on high. If the Acts 2 church needed the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, we still need it today. We’d like to bless you with the digital copy of the teaching, “The Outpouring of the Holy Spirit.” A $25 value free of charge. Download it today at charischristiancenter.com.

 

  Save the date for our Women’s Rejoice Conference. February 8th through 10th, 2024.

 

  My house and everywhere I walk there is bright glory and light shining ’cause God is with me. This is gonna be a lot of fun. I’ve also invited you this year.

 

  We’re gonna have our very good friend Cathy Duplantis here with us sharing at our Women’s Rejoice Conference.

 

  It’s time to rejoice.

 

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