The Holy Spirit — Afi Pastoral Conference Italy 2025 Session 1 by Pastor Enoch Adeboye: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

The Impossible Made Possible

The passage is from Luke 1:34–37, where Mary asks the angel, "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" And the angel answers: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you... for no word from God will fail."

After being given the responsibility of leading the church in 1981, everything was tried — prayer, fasting, studying the word, conferences on church growth in America and South Korea. Nothing seemed to work. It almost seemed as if all effort was in vain. Then came the cry to God: "Don't let my life be a waste. Help me succeed."

And then God spoke through these verses: when a woman has God, how can the impossible become possible? The answer is the Holy Spirit.

How can the impossible become possible? How can a ministry become a success? How can the sick get better? How can mountains be moved? The key is the Holy Spirit.

Zechariah 4:6 — Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord.

Acts 1:8 — You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses.

It is good to be a good preacher. But if we want to be used in these end times, especially among new generations — they are not interested in great oratory. They have access to all kinds of New Age movements, magic, and psychics. They want to see the demonstration of power. The Holy Spirit is what they need to see.

What One Miracle Can Do

At Pentecost, there were about 500 disciples when Jesus left. When the Holy Spirit came, Peter preached one message — and according to Acts 2:41, over 3,000 people were converted in one day. One message with power made all the difference.

Acts 3:1–8 — the healing of the lame man at the temple gate was followed by another message from Peter. By Acts 4:4, the church had grown to over 8,000. A simple miracle can make all the difference.

When visiting a country in Europe where Christianity had practically disappeared, the Nigerian ambassador hosted a dinner and invited ambassadors. One of them asked: "What is God?" That was how far from faith people were. But that evening, a man who had been brought from the hospital with a terminal illness — all his equipment still on him — reached the exit door and the power of the Holy Spirit fell. He was healed. He removed his equipment, got up, and rejoiced. The preaching had not even begun. When people were asked who wanted to receive Jesus, they all came — because they saw the power of God. It is not oratory. It is whether there is power in your message.

The Holy Spirit Purifies the Church

Having a big crowd is nice. But the important thing is not how many people come — it is how many of them are headed for heaven.

Acts 5:1–11 — Ananias and Sapphira pretended to have sold their land for a certain sum, but the Holy Spirit revealed the truth to Peter. The result was fear. Instead of driving people away, this fear led to further growth. You need the Holy Spirit to reveal what is happening in your congregation. You need the Holy Spirit to put the fear of God in the members of your community.

John 15:1–5 — When a branch does not bear fruit, the Father prunes it. The Holy Spirit purifies the church so it is healthy and can grow more.

The Holy Spirit Conquers Cities

Acts 8:5–8 — Philip went to Samaria because he was filled with the Holy Spirit. He preached and the whole city was converted.

Instead of organising evangelistic crusades and inviting church leaders who then organised other events on the same day, meetings called Holy Ghost moments were started — where people could feel what the Holy Spirit was doing. Now, instead of organising evangelistic crusades, people come and ask for meetings of the Holy Spirit to be held in their cities. The requests from around the world exceed what could ever be met.

The Holy Spirit Works Extraordinary Miracles

Acts 19:11–12 — God performed extraordinary miracles through Paul. Handkerchiefs or other items Paul had touched were brought to the sick and they were healed — because Paul was constantly filled with the Holy Spirit. If you seek the Holy Spirit, if you are constantly filled, even your sweat has power.

After a tiring tour of America, an assistant came with a request to pray for a grandmother who had had stomach surgery and had a haemorrhage that would not stop. Remembering Paul who sent handkerchiefs when he could not go himself, a handkerchief was taken, prayed over, and sent. The next day, the grandmother was not only healed — there was not even a scar from the surgery. God wants to use you the same way. All you need is the Holy Spirit.

Receiving the Holy Spirit — Two Ways

There are two ways to catch fire. When a farmer goes to his farm and his torch goes out in the rain, he can either receive fire directly from God — as Moses received fire directly in Exodus 3 — or he can climb the tallest tree, see where smoke is rising, and go borrow fire from those who have it. That is called impartation. Joshua received fire from Moses.

You can receive the Holy Spirit directly through prayer. Or you can go to one who is already on fire and filled with the Holy Spirit, and ask that they impart the Holy Spirit to you.

Doctrine and Power Together

Jesus said people might say, "In your name I have done miracles" — but if they don't have the doctrine of Jesus, he will say, "I don't know you." Good doctrine is essential. The entire doctrine can be summarised in one sentence: "Be holy because I am holy." Jesus took away all sin so that you could be a new creation, holy as he is holy. When this happens, miracles confirm it.