WHEN GOD S SPIRIT MOVES Who s In Control (5)! 1

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Martin Wood
5 years ago
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1 WHEN GOD S SPIRIT MOVES Who s In Control (5)! 1 TITLE: Who s In Control MAIN SCRIPTURE: Acts 10:44-48; Eph 5:17 BIG IDEA: There s a difference between the Holy Spirit living in us and being filled with the Holy Spirit, which the Bible commands. BRIEF OUTLINE I.) INTRODUCTION II.) FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT A. FILLED MEANS CONTROLLED B. FILLED PEOPLE MOVE MOUNTAINS III.) EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT A. THE COUNTERFEIT OF SPIRIT-EMPOWERED B. STEPHEN S SPIRIT-EMPOWERED EXAMPLE IV.) REJECTED BY THE RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT A. REJECTING THE ONE THE SON SENT B. RECEIVING THE ONE THE SON SENT TODAY V.) NOT TAUGHT BUT GIVEN A. YOU CAN T TEACH THE SPIRIT B. ONLY GOD GIVES THE SPIRIT VI.) CONCLUSION ) INTRODUCTION Open with the example of David Berkowitz his life, incarcerations, and salvation. See session 5 of the DVD curriculum. When David became a Christian in prison he grew quickly in his Christian faith because he learned the secret back in those dark days of yielding and surrendering to a higher power. David has gone from being controlled by the powers of darkness to being under control of the power of the Holy Spirit. Now he is filled with the Holy Spirit. What does the phrase mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Have you ever thought about that phrase? Have you ever wondered what this phrase means? It s mentioned several times in the New Testament, even as a command. If we go back to Acts 2 when the church was born we found out that all the disciples who were gathered there in the upper room were baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit.

2 WHEN GOD S SPIRIT MOVES Who s In Control (5)! 2 Then we learned when the gospel went to the gentiles Peter was lead to the Roman centurion Cornelius home to preach the gospel. While he was speaking he was interrupted because they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. In Acts 19 Paul met certain Christians in Ephesus and asked them if they had indeed received the Holy Spirit since they believed because something must have been missing in their life with Christ and their witness. Then Paul baptized them because they hadn t heard or experienced Christian baptism. Then he laid hands on them and they were filled with the Holy Spirit. So there is this pattern in the early church of being filled with the Holy Spirit and a command in Scripture itself to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Well what does this mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? Since the Holy Spirit is a person what does it mean to be filled with a person? All christians have the Holy Spirit living within them or they are not Christians. If all Christians are always filled with the Holy Spirit why would the Bible say...and then Peter full of the Holy Spirit or Paul full of the Holy Spirit said? There s a difference between the Holy Spirit living in us and being filled with the Holy Spirit. Some think this a controversial, but it seems clear from Scripture. 3) FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT First we see that being filled was a qualification of a leader in the church. So this suggests that not everyone was filled with the Holy Spirit. In Acts the disciples were to choose out people from among them who were filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom. If all Christians are filled with the Holy Spirit at all times then why would this be a qualification? That would be like saying if someone is breathing that s a qualification of this job. Obviously everyone breaths, but not everyone is qualified for a job. Similarly all Christians are have the Holy Spirit, but being filled is something separate from simply having the Holy Spirit inside us. Then we read on in Eph 5:17. Read Eph 5:17. In other words, don t get carried away by wine and get into antichristian behavior. Instead be filled with the Spirit.

3 WHEN GOD S SPIRIT MOVES Who s In Control (5)! 3 This is not only a command be filled...do this, do that. It is a continuous present tense literally be being filled with the Holy Spirit. Or keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit. If all christians are always filled with the Holy Spirit why would Paul caution believers about wine and then give a command be filled. Filled here does not mean something like filling the bathtub with water. Filled here means to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. Not only walk in the Holy Spirit, but be controlled...and in this context instead of being controlled by wine. This is what set men and women apart down through the history of the Church. These spirit-controlled, spirit-filled people shook cities, while others didn t bare fruit. And spirit-controlled, spirit-filled churches blessed multitudes of people while others were barren. What was the difference between these people? Same gospel message and same doctrines. What made the difference? It was the difference between being filled with the Holy Spirit and just eking out a spiritual existence. One major proof of this was in the Book of Revelation, when Jesus had some harsh words to say against the Church of Laodicea 3. Read Revelation 3: You can t say Laodicea was a spirit-filled, spirit-controlled church when Jesus said he would vomit them out. Scripture is clear there is a difference between being a Christian and being a spirit-filled, controlled-by-the-holy Spirit Christian. The Bible says keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit, which means we can not be filled with the Holy Spirit, while the Holy Spirit is still living in us just like the church and Christians in Laodicea. Let s get honest here: How about in your own life or our own church. Can we say that we are filled with the Holy Spirit? We have the Holy Spirit in us, but are we controlled by Him? 4) EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT Amazing things happen when people are filled and controlled by the Holy Spirit.

4 WHEN GOD S SPIRIT MOVES Who s In Control (5)! 4 Think about the other side of this demonic possession. Isn t it evident from Scripture that possession is a counterfeit for God s original plan of His creation? Demonic possession is being controlled and being filled by Satan in one way or another and this is clearly counterfeit to being filled by God s Spirit. We re not supposed to be just saved and church-attenders. We re to be on fire for God because we re filled by the Holy Spirit, and we re able to do things for the Kingdom because of this empowerment. We see this in the life of Stephen. He is chosen as a deacon and is filled with the Spirit. Full of faith he does all kinds of things through the Holy Spirit s power. He is so used by God that persecution breaks out against him and the Church. Never went to seminary or ordained or laid hands on by anyone. But when people are filled by the Holy Spirit all kinds of things can happen ordained by God. Stephen was so used by God through being filled by the Holy Spirit that he becomes the first martyr of the Church. We need more Stephen s in our day. Isn t that the great need we have today? Two of the major denominations in America are in negative growth for the last 6 years. Not gaining members but loosing members. This is after so much turmoil in this country 9/11, the Great Recession, shootings you d think people would be more aware of how short life is and would run to the Church for help. Don t you think we need a revival of people being filled with the Holy Spirit? Don t we need something to off-set the powers of the world? Is there no answer to the despair in the world? Is there no answer to the lazy Christian life many live? Do we just have to roll along and feel defeated and see our families broken apart? Doesn t God have anything as a fix for this? The problem is that hard and fast religious doctrines and traditions fight the Holy Spirit, which brings us to something happening in our day. 5) REJECTED BY THE RELIGIOUS ESTABLISHMENT William Law in the 1700 s wrote when Jesus was sent by the Father, the religious establishment fought him. They rejected him, even using Scripture. Thus he was crucified.

5 WHEN GOD S SPIRIT MOVES Who s In Control (5)! 5 He said that the day is coming when the religious establishment of Christianity will reject the one the Son sent not in the name of another god or cult but in the name of doctrine and traditions. Law said that the American church would will fight any openness to the movement and power of the Holy Spirit. We need to study the Scriptures and see what God has promised the Holy Spirit would do for the believers. Is this just for the select few and those living in the 1st century? There is no verse anywhere that says all this good power from the Spirit of God is only for those folks back in the early church. There is nowhere in Scripture that simply gives church attendance and Scripture reading and praise singing as a fix to broken families, addiction, or whatever. No the fix our world longs for for broken families, addictions, strongholds, violence, injustice, and whatever else can only come through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the same today, yesterday, and forever. And the same is true of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who must be in control. He is available today in full power if we re willing to humble ourselves and say to God Come and fill me. Control my life so your name might be glorified. 6) NOT TAUGHT, BUT GIVEN The thing about being filled with the Holy Spirit is that you can t teach it. You can t teach being filled with the Holy Spirit. There is an over emphasis today on teaching, teaching, teaching. Now teaching has its place. But you can t teach anyone to be filled with the Holy Spirit. God is the one who baptizes and fills us with the Holy Spirit. He is the one who pours out his abundant grace on our lives. That doesn't come from the pastor. That s why the Bible never says let us come boldly before to the teacher or church. No, it s the throne of grace we come boldly before. Which is why we need to come to God s throne through prayer to start a new by being filled with God s Spirit.

6 WHEN GOD S SPIRIT MOVES Who s In Control (5)! 6 Prayer always precedes revival. It always comes before a filling and new infilling of the Holy Spirit. That s why the church was born in a prayer meeting. Not in a teaching session, but a prayer meeting. Why? Because when God s people pray there is a fresh supply of the Spirit of God. That s why Paul asked the church of Philippi to pray for him, because there would be a new, fresh in-filling of the Holy Spirit to control and help Paul through his challenges. Let s not forget this cannot be taught. It doesn t come from buying a book or simply watching a DVD series. All we can do is point ourselves to God s throne of grace and ask him to do what he said to supply grace and mercy and be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will do it because God is faithful. 7) CONCLUSION In the day we live in, there s an over emphasis of teaching in the church. Teaching has its place. But when it comes to being filled with the Holy Spirit no one can teach this. We can talk about the Holy Spirits importance and study it from the Bible. But to be filled we need to go to the throne of grace. That s why the Enemy has fought prayer meetings across America. Prayer meetings carry us to God s throne to find filling from the Spirit. What is our own prayer emphasis in our church? Are we passionately emphasizing prayer? Are we seeking God s throne to fill us with His Spirit? How about our own personal lives? Are we saying to God in our own lives God come and fill me again and again and again with Your Holy Spirit. We need this in our church. Each day. Each week. Otherwise we will not accomplish the task before us given to us by King Jesus Himself. This day we want to humble ourselves before God s throne of grace and mercy, and confess our sins. We want to say to God this day, Lord come and fill your people. God is faithful and He will do it again and again. Today we ask him afresh to do just this to fill us with His Spirit.

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