The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-01-18
THE HOLY SPIRIT"
IS SUBJECT
REV. HENRY VAN ENGELEN DE-
LINERS INTERESTING SER
MON AT BAPTIST CHURCH.

Baptist church by Rev. Henry Van
Engelen. Rev. Mr.. Van Engelen took
as his text And they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit" acts "a, and
developed the following line of
thought:
THE dostrine of the Holy Spirit
is one that merits the most careful
study of every believer. 1t is one
of the basic truths of Christianity and
| is vitality connected with our highest
| spiritual welfare. In our discussion
this morning we shall not aim at a
metaphysical disquisition of this great
| subject and shall not aim to be dog
matte, but rather let US simply listen
to the words of our Savior, as He
| invites US to come to Him with our
thirsty souls as the bestower of the
| Spirit John 7:37-39). AS we thus
| approach Him and His words with in
| curing, longing hearts, He Will also
breathe on us and say: Receive we
the Holy Spirit, and then will the
| Spirit be with u.s. and within u.s.
| upon u.s. and we shall also know
| what it is to be filled with the Spir-
| it,
ION the eve of His crusitixion we
hear our Savior speaking to His sor-
rowful disciples about the Comforter,
the Holy Spirit, who will come to
them after His departure and will
guide them into all the truth. AS He
appeared unto the disciples on the eve
of His resurrection, we read that our
| Savior breathed on them and said:
| Receive we the Holy Spirit Forty
days later, with the disciples about
Him on Mount Olivet, as He was
about to ascend to heaven, He charged
them not to depart from Jerusalem
but to wait for the promise of the
Father and said assuringly: 'Ye shall
be baptized in the Holy Spirit not
many days hence and 'Ye shall re-
ceive power when the Holy Spirit
Is come upon you, and We shall be
My Witnesses In obedience to their
risen and assembled Lord, these hum
BILE disciples remain in Jerusalem, and
for 10 days continue in prayer and
supplication, waiting for the fulfill
ment of this promise. They are not
disappointed, for at the end Of that
time the Holy Spirit suddenly comes
upon them in mighty power. A
sound as the rushing of a mighty wind
is heard, cloven tongues as of fire
appear and these tmid disciples tes-
tify with power that He who was
crucified as a malefactor few weeks
ago is risen, indeed and is truly the
Christ of God.
1,Jr 1,n a,,l, VIC
of the church born on Pentecost, we
see clearly that its leaders were spirit
filed men-men whose faculties were
controlled by the indwelling spirit, and
men upon whom new gifts were con-
ferred in accordance with the demands
of the hour. Thus we are astonished
to behold men, who had been at
times selfish, cowardly and revenge
full, transformed into unselfish, brave
and loving witnesses for the Savior.
so long as the church and it's leaders
continue to rely upon the Holy Spirit
for power they were aggressive and
prosperous. Whenever and wherever
the church has grieved the Holy Spirit
and thus repealed Him, weakness and
, inefficiency has ever been the alarm
ing result.
( Human nature is slow to grasp this
truth and to respond worthily to the
| presence of this mighty spirit and to
seek His gracious indwelling. There
fore, individual Christians and
churches are frequently weak and in
efficient because they are not ener-
gized with the only source of power
in spiritual things. If the disciples OF
, | or
! dertake their work without first re.
ceiving this baptism of power how
preposterous for us to think that we
5 could accomplish anything in the in
Y terest of His kingdom without it. Il
1 first-hand instruction from the grea
Q Teacher was not a sufficient equip
!, | ment for them, it is presumption or
= our part to undertake religious worl
9 without first receiving the Holy Spiri
g of power.
Q There can be found no compensa
r ton for the lack of the Holy Spirit
= presence in the lives of Christ's serv
ants Great learning and charming
+ eloquence can not avail without th
= great essential. We may have ampl
# machinery and thorough organization
# and it may seem to us that we ar
p just making things hum, but no rea
and lasting good will be accomplished
o by our superficial efforts. 1t is no
n necessary for any Christian or bod
e of Christians to be weak and useless
j. for it is the gracious plan Of Go
It that we should receive this powe
g for service. AS we read the accoun
8 of the early church in the book c
&c Acts, we feel that the very atmos
e phere was charged with divine powe
IS Their leaders were men full of fat
$ and the Holy Spirit, full of grace an
power What the church needs t.
n day is less reliance upon talent, metf
h DDS and equipment, and more abst
is lutte and humble dependence on tt
e part of both pulpit and pew upon tt
Is same Holy Spirit that energized an
crowned with success the efforts
those humble workers in the days
the apostles.
| We are not warranted in eXpectir
the outward experiences of Penteco
to be repeated. The strange nois
the tongue of fire and the gift
= tongues belonged to the birthday
"a the New Testament church, but IL
~ essential equivalent Of that days e,
u, perience, viz: Being filled with II
i, Spirit, is the normal equipment of Il
: church in all ages. and must
NJ sought by the believer today.