“living A Spirit-Filled Life”

“Living a Spirit-Filled Life”

OPEN: I want to speak this morning on the topic of being filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is something we Christians like to talk about a lot - but I think for some it is a matter of talk but not necessarily a matter of experience. We talk about the doctrine of the HS, being in step with the HS, the revelation of the Holy Spirit – the ministry of the Holy Spirit but do we really know the reality of the Holy Spirit? - It’s hard to overstate the importance of this topic in the life of the believer and the life of the Church. For in this age of the Church – the kingdom of God is all about the power of the Holy Spirit manifesting Himself through us

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For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. (1 Cor. 4:20) For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)

When the Bible talks about the kingdom of God – it’s not saying, “Here’s a nice little churchy kind of idea.” When the Bible talks about the kingdom of God it is saying this is how God rules – this is how he has made life to function. When we see teaching on the kingdom of God it means we are to align ourselves with kingdom principles. When we do that we he can begin to fulfill his intended purposes in our life and find the joy of seeing our lives work as they’re supposed to work.

Jesus wants every one of his children to learn to depend upon the Holy Spirit every day of our life.

The absolute very first thing that occurred when Jesus began his earthly ministry was the empowering ministry of the Holy Spirit falling upon him as he was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17)

The very first thing that initiates the birth of the Church age was the arrival of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. - In fact Jesus told his disciple not to do a thing until they had been immersed in the Holy Spirit.

“On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4-5)

the first lessons we learn in the book of Acts – is that change is not going to come by the power of man/flesh – at least not the kind of change that Jesus wants to bring about.

If you are going to experience real change (walk in wisdom – know what the Lord’s will is) it won’t come about by your own will power. That’s why New Year resolutions don’t work. Most of them are forgotten by the third week in January. There’s got to be something more powerful than the will of man. That’s what Jesus was saying to his disciples, “Though you have been with me for 3 years and more, it is not enough that you have heard Me teach the multitudes, and have seen Me heal the sick and even raise the dead. It’s still not enough – You’re not yet empowered. You need to be empowered with the Holy Spirit in order to be effective and fruitful and live this new kind of life.” None of us can in our own energy, accomplish what Christ has commissioned us to do. We need something stronger than the power of the flesh – We need supernatural power to live the kind of life Christ calls us to. We need a personal invasion of the Holy Spirit into our lives – to be equipped to become the kind of people he desires us to be.

- the night before he was crucified – Jesus comforted his followers with the promise of help that would come from the Holy Spirit. If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:15-18)