Sunday June 24, 2007

How Can I be Filled with the Holy Spirit?
John 14:15-17, 25-27

I. Introduction

Over the last few weeks I have shared six biblical reasons to be filled or baptized in the Holy Spirit:

    - Because God commands us to be filled with the Holy Spirit
    - Because to hunger and thirst for the Holy Spirit is to hunger and thirst for God
    - Because it has always been the purpose of God to fill His people with the Holy Spirit
    - Because the only way to accomplish God’s purpose for the church is to be empowered by the Holy Spirit
    - Because not only does the Holy Spirit empower us for what we might consider spiritual work, but the Holy Spirit       empowers us for life
    - Because the Holy Spirit not only empowers us for work, but the Spirit empowers us to live a life of victory and holiness

Before moving on to the question of how we are filled with the Spirit, let me share an illustration that further highlights our need to actually experience the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives.

It's been argued that a person with an experience is never at the mercy of a person with an argument!

A number of years ago … a great evangelist by the name of H.A. Ironside was preaching on the streets when a well known professor who was a very vocal and active atheist … began to heckle him and his message!

Ironside kept trying to preach but this bitter professor kept yelling — "There is no God, Jesus is a myth!"

Ironside kept preaching … the antagonistic professor got more belligerent and began to taunt Ironside by shouting — "I challenge you to a debate! Are you afraid to debate me?"

Ironside knew that a debate wouldn't prove much … but he needed to respond to the attacks … so he said — "Sir I accept your challenge … but on one condition! When you come to the debate, I ask that you bring with you ten men and women whose lives have been changed for the better by the message of atheism! Bring some alcoholics and drug addicts who have been set free by atheism's power … bring former prostitutes, criminals and outcasts a let them tell us how atheism has lifted them out of the pit!'

"And sir,' Ironside said — "if you can find ten such men and women, I will be happy to debate you. And when I come, I will gladly bring with me two hundred men and women from this very city whose lives have been transformed in just those ways by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ!"

The professor … walked away.

A person with an experience is never at the mercy of a person with an argument!
We need to experience the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit, but how do we receive the Spirit?

II. How are we filled or baptized in the Holy Spirit?

A clarification:

It is important to distinguish between the indwelling and filling of the Spirit.

The indwelling of the Spirit is not for a select few believers, but rather for all believers.

The Holy Spirit is a gift given to all believers in Jesus without exception, and no conditions are placed upon this gift except faith in Christ.

“On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, 38 and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, 'Out of the believer's heart shall flow rivers of living water.'’ 39 Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” (John 7:37-39, NRSV)

The Holy Spirit is given at salvation.

“In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; 14 this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people, to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:13-14, NRSV)

This is in contrast to the filling of the Spirit command found in Ephesians 5:18, “be filled with the Spirit…”

We should be so completely yielded to the Holy Spirit that He can possess us fully, and in that sense, fill us.

To be filled with the Spirit implies freedom for Him to occupy every part of our lives, guiding and controlling us. His power then can be exerted through us so that what we do is fruitful to God.

The filling of the Spirit does not apply to outward acts alone; it also applies to the innermost thoughts and motives of our actions.

So, the question remains, “How are we filled with the Spirit?”

First, let me state that sin will hinder us from receiving the fullness of the Spirit

If we have put our trust in Jesus Christ, then the Holy Spirit dwells in us, but we can experience either the fullness of the Spirit or we can quench the Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:19 says, “Do not quench the Spirit.” (NRSV)

Sin quenches the work of the Spirit, like water quenches a fire.

While I believe that any sin we commit hinders the work of the Spirit in our lives, this could lead us all to despair. How can we ever be filled with the Spirit?

The point here is not to deceive yourself. If you are committed to your sin and unwilling to yield to the will of God in your life – you cannot expect God to pour out His Spirit on you.

You may experience moments of blessing, especially when you first come to Christ, but God expects you to turn away from your sin and to battle daily against it.

If you remain committed to your sin – you will not experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit's working and power in your life.

However, if you truly commit yourself to follow Christ (even though you may stumble along in your journey); God longs to empower you with His Holy Spirit.

What is ironic about this is that to truly have victory over your sin you must have the Holy Spirit.

What begins as a commitment to “go and sin no more” can only be accomplished by seeking the fullness of the Spirit.

Speaking to a large audience, D.L. Moody held up a glass and asked, “How can I get the air out of this glass?”
One man shouted, “Suck it out with a pump!”
Moody replied, “That would create a vacuum and shatter the glass.”
After numerous other suggestions Moody smiled, picked up a pitcher of water, and filled the glass. “There,” he said, “all the air is now removed.” He then went on to explain that victory in the Christian life is not accomplished by “sucking out a sin here and there,” but by being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Moody Bible Institute’s Today in the Word, September, 1991, p. 30

How do we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

A. We must empty ourselves out before God so that we can be filled with His Holy Spirit.

This is an act of surrendering all that we are and allowing God to take control of our thoughts, actions and direction in life.

Many Christians do not experience the blessings of God because they do not walk in the ways of God.

“Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what should we do?’ 38 Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him.’”
(Acts 2:37-40, NRSV)

Repentance is not only turning away from the actions of sin, but it is a turning away from our self-dependence and self-will.

In repentance we are committing ourselves to no longer go our own way, but to embrace God’s way and follow Him with all our heart.

This leads us to our third point.

B. We must seek to live in obedience to the Word of God.

God gives His Holy Spirit to those who obey Him.

The apostles when speaking to the Jewish leaders said, “And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5:32, NRSV)

Do you remember the Scripture that was read earlier?

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.” (John 14:15-17, NRSV)

Are you ready to obey and do what you are asked to do?

C. We ask to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said, “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13, NRSV)

“You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.” (James 4:2-3, NRSV)

See Acts 8:14-24 (Simon offering money for the Spirit)

D. We ask believing (trusting) that we will receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

“The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard?” (Galatians 3:2-3, NRSV)

We receive the Holy Spirit by faith in the same way we receive the Lord in salvation by faith.
We believe for the Spirit to come in power and that when He does we literally become a habitation of God.

Is this so hard to believe?

“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
(Luke 11:9-13, NRSV)

III. Application

How are we filled with the Spirit?
- We repent from our commitment to sin.
- We empty ourselves out before God so that we can be filled with His Holy Spirit.
- We seek to live in obedience to the Word of God.
- We ask to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
- We ask believing that we will receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.