Fill Me Up God
John 7:37-38
What do you expect to happen when you come to God’s house?
When was the last time you came to God’s house expecting something to happen?
When Your Expecting Something it means that you are looking forward to, anticipating something, to look forward to the occurrence of.
The Unexpected - is that which is/was not expected
In early 2015, Casey J released an album entitled, "The Truth" which has 11 songs and 1 bonus song. Its in my music catalog and on my i phone right now. Anyways there is one song that stands out that has reached out to churches to sing during their church service. The lyrics are: "If you provide the fire. I'll provide the sacrifice. If you pour out your spirit. Then I will open up inside, Fill me up God, Fill me up God. Fill me up God. Fill me up God." Yes I am talking the song entitled, "Fill Me Up God." Thats what we want.... we want to ask God to fill us up. I don't know about you but I want more of God and less of me.
I am told that It was originally written by a group called United Pursuit and was birthed out of a week dedicated to 100 hours of prayer. In that secret place, the songwriters began to cry out with what is now the song’s chorus, asking God to “fill them up." The song’s chorus reads like this:
You provide the fire, and I’ll provide the sacrifice.
You provide the Spirit, and I will open up inside.
Fill me up, God. Fill me up.
These are the words that have been resounding in my heart.
In reference to the song, it is “His Spirit that will open us up inside,” but I love what the first part of the song says, which is that when we “provide the sacrifice” He will “provide the fire.” It is in that place of laying down our lives, in that place of total surrender, when we offer our whole selves as a burnt offering to His consuming fire that He will come. This unquenchable fire burns up all that does not belong inside and prepares His temple (us), so that more of His Spirit can come and “open us up” for yet even more!
Until Jesus comes back this is the process and pattern that has been laid out and modeled.
When we cry out to be filled and ask for more of Him, and as we give more of ourselves, it actually becomes as a “vortex” in the spirit. What I mean by that is that as we ask for more, at the same time God is asking for more of us, and it becomes a back and forth cry where the response is the same as the initial call. Not only that, but the responses are multiplied as they progress, creating a vacuum effect, so that the desires and the infilling only grow deeper and have greater impact. This is because as we taste and see that the Lord is good, the hunger that we develop only grows deeper and deeper and it begins to cry out to Deep!
To experience a deeper dimension of God’s presence, your soul must hunger and thirst for God in the same way a deer pants for the safety and sustenance of water.
Psalm 42:1-2 declares....“As the hart [male red deer] panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”
In the natural, the panting of the deer is an audible agonizing for the safety the waters provide when pursued by a predator. When the deer runs into the water, the predator can no longer detect its scent. In addition to finding safety from its enemies, the deer finds relief from thirst in the waters. “Intimacy with God is found only in the realm of the spirit.”Spiritually, your process of discovering a deeper dimension of God’s presence involves longing, thirsting, and seeking.
David wrote...."O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary” (Psalm 63:1-2).
Intimacy with God is found only in the realm of the spirit.
There is a place of deep anointing, deep presence, and deep intimacy with God Almighty where “deep calleth unto deep” or spirit calls unto spirit. It is a place that is so pure that every part of your being is consumed by the presence of Almighty God; a deep place where there is perfect communion between your spirit and every dimension of God’s presence.
This is why the Psalmist said in Psalm 42:7 says Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy *waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
Another translations says Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
* Water-Spouts - A water-spout is a large tube formed of clouds by means of the electric fluid, the base being uppermost, and the point let down perpendicularly form the clouds. It has a particular kind of circular motion at the point; and, being hollow within, attracts vast quantities of water, which it frequently pours down in torrents upon the earth.
As we know, we’ve already received everything that pertains to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life, so when we are crying out for more it’s not that we are crying out for more of what we don’t have ( because we already have everything in and through Jesus), but we are crying out for the knowledge and revelation of what we have, so that it can be made life in the places within us that are not currently consumed with His presence (i.e., those places that are not fully consumed with His fire). We want the fullness of who He is, the fullness of His Spirit and glory, to occupy every place in our whole man (our body, soul, and spirit), so that we can fully manifest Him in the earth.
When we received Jesus as our Lord and Savior our spirit was changed and made new, totally perfected in Him when His Spirit became one with us; however, our souls are still “being” transformed into His image (2 Corinthians 3:18), and our bodies have not yet been transfigured. So it is in these places of our soul and body that we are crying out for the Perfect One to fill, heal, and restore. Jesus paid the price for our whole man to be saved, that sin would not separate any part of us from the Father. As we cry out for less of “us” and more of Him, we are asking that all that is not of Him be burned up and that the fullness of His promise, the fullness of His Son, would be manifest in and through us.
I hear the Lord asking us to fully give of ourselves, to fully consecrate ourselves to Him, for it is in that place of total surrender, when we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, that He will come and fill us (body, soul, and spirit). Will you rend yourself as a burnt offering? Will you place yourself on the altar, that He would be the fire?
The ancient Israelites modeled the purpose and sacrifice of burnt offerings in what was a prophetic picture for the church today. The burnt offering was the first and one of the most significant offerings. I believe that it is a place of worship that the Lord is calling us to today, where we fully empty ourselves that we can be fully filled. This is the picture that Mary showed us when she poured out all of her “worship,” her whole self, as a love offering before Him. This is true worship, and it is much more than just singing and dancing before the Lord (although that is part of it). Worship is a lifestyle of surrender to Him that is seen in everything we do, say, think, and purpose, so that He can be enthroned on and inhabit our praises and so He can come and rest in us and be manifest through us.
It’s a time for true worshippers to arise, those who worship Him in spirit and in truth, offering their very selves as the burnt offering. Noah, Abraham, and Moses all offered burnt offerings as signs of their thankfulness, obedience, and worship (Genesis 8:20, 22:2, 22:13; Exodus 10:24-26). Then later, as stated in Leviticus, the Lord created exact regulations for the bronze altar of burnt offering, where He further outlined this method of sacrifice. In other forms of offering, sometimes the individual or the priest would receive a portion of the meat after it was sacrificed; however, when the burnt offering was sacrificed, it was totally consumed on the altar so that no meat remained.
It’s time that we begin to pour our whole selves out as love offerings, giving ourselves in true worship – as living sacrifices, allowing every work that we have built that is not of Him to be tested through the fire (1 Corinthians 3:13-15).
The corresponding words of the song “Fill Me Up” are these:
Love of God overflow.
Permeate all my soul.
What an awesome true picture. The result of His filling is that the love of God will overflow, even that it would permeate all the soul, thereby transforming us into His very image.
So, let us cry out – Lord, fill me up!
1. Fill us with who You are.
2. Fill us with the knowledge of You
3. Fill us with Your desires
4. Fill us with a hunger for more of You
5. Fill us to overflowing
When Jesus said, "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
Jesus’ words, “Come unto me, and drink,” is for those who's souls are parched and are thirsty. Thirst means to have a compassionate craving for something that we have not got at the moment. Thirst is a blessed thing; because that pain and longing which you feel you ought to feel it; it is a right and natural craving, which has its right and natural satisfaction: don't make the mistake as to what it is that your soul thirsts for, and where it is that it can be satisfied.
In Jeremiah 2: 13 God said," For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water."
Cisterns leak and will not hold water, and they can never satisfy our thirst. But those who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled.
These scriptures are just one of many that allude to the theme of many Bible passages that talk about the Christ's life-giving blessings. In promising to give the Holy Spirit to all who believed like when Joel said in the 2nd Chapter verses 28,29 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
Jesus used the term living water in 4:10 to indicate eternal life.
But here He uses the term to refer to the Holy Spirit. The two go together: Wherever the Holy Spirit is accepted, He brings eternal life and an experience that is subsequent to conversion and sanctification. The Baptism in the Holy Ghost and that tongue-speaking is the consequence of the baptism in the Holy Ghost.
Jesus teaches more about the Holy Spirit in John Chapters 14–16.
However when we come to Acts Chapter 2 we read where the Holy Ghost empowered Jesus’ followers on the Day of Pentecost 50 days after the Resurrection and the Holy Ghost has since been filling all who not only believe in Jesus as Savior but .......who want God to Fill them with the Power of the Holy Ghost.
This part is important because it was on the last and greatest day of the Feast of Tabernacles that Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. To the one who believes in Me, it is just as the Scripture has said: 'Streams of living water will flow from within him.'" He was speaking about the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. For the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
The Feast of Tabernacles was a seven-day event with a Sabbath day added as the eighth day, During this feast the Israelites dwelt in little temporary booths or huts made from tree limbs. There is an entire volume in the Talmud or Sacred Writing of the Jews directing how these booths were to be erected.
The purpose was to remind Israel of God’s provision in bringing them out of Egypt into the Promise Land. Which typifies Deliverance.
During this feast there was a special ritual that related to God’s provision. Which typifies Salvation, Sanctification, Infilling and Consecration.
At the break of day the worshippers would leave their booths to take part in the services.
They were all dressed in festive array. Each worshipper carried a special configuration of palm branches and the crowd would divide into 3 groups. Some would remain at the temple. Another group would go in procession to Maza (which some think is the Emmaus Road) and gather willow-branches to adorn the altar with a leafy canopy.
The third group would follow a Priest in procession from the temple down the valley to the Pool of Siloam… fed by the Rogel Spring of water further up the Kedron Valley. When the procession reached the Pool of Siloam (which overflowed to another pool) the Priest would fill a golden pitcher from the waters of the Siloam.
Music would be played along the way.
They then went back—timing their journey so that they reached the Temple just as the morning sacrifice was being laid on the Brazen Altar. A 3-fold trumpet blast welcomed the Priest as he entered through the Watergate.
The Watergate in the Bible symbolizes the word of God and its effect in our life. Eph 5:26 states ..."to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word," Psalm 119:9 states that it is only through the washing of God’s word that we can be clean. It is no coincidence that this gate was located next to the Fountain Gate as the two often go together.
The Fountain Gate was often used by the people for cleaning before proceeding on to the temple and it symbolizes a valley type experience where rubbish in our lives is cleared out through the dung gate, true faith comes forth and the fountains begin to flow quite quickly! This speaks to us of the living waters of the Holy Spirit that cleanse our lives and empower us for our Christian life.
The Dung Gate was where all of Jerusalem’s refuse and rubbish was taken out through the dung gate, down to the valley of Hinnom, where it would be burned this is what happens in our own life.
Valley experiences are used by the Lord to clear away the rubbish so that true faith, refined by the fire, can come forth and produce fruit.
Clearing away the rubbish in our lives is never easy but the benefits of this experience can be seen in the next gate. You will notice also that at this point of your Christian life there is a dramatic ‘turning of the corner’ that takes place, up until this point we have been moving downward and the experiences have been hard, but having come to this point there is a sharp turn in the road and we begin to move upward again.
All of this points to a place of constant expectation where we are anticipating more and more of God.
The Holy Spirit is the one who makes the word of God alive to us personally, allowing cleansing, encouragement and direction to take place in our life.
As the Priest ascended ‘the rise’ of the altar he was joined by another Priest carrying wine for the drink offering.
These two priests come to two silver funnels leading down to the base of the altar.
Into the eastern funnel the wine is poured. At the same time the water is poured into the western funnel. (Both the wine and the water represent the Holy Spirit in scripture.) As the priest pours the water the people are shouting for him to raise his hand.
Immediately after the water is poured the people begin the response chant rooted in Psalms 113 to 118… which focuses on God’s faithfulness… and to remind God of His promises.
The pouring of the water signified the prayer for abundant rain which was necessary for the growth of their crops.
Our text this morning opens on the seventh day. It is the last and greatest day of the Feast. Everything came to a great climax of joy on this day.
Then a silence follows. But One voice rises in the crowd and says “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
Jesus is not interrupting the ceremony. He is interpreting it. The celebration has come to a climax. It is a celebration of God’s goodness. It is a prayer for God’s provision.
Can you imagine the impact of Jesus’ invitation in that setting. He is not sitting in a teaching position but standing to proclaim an invitation. His voice is not soft and mellow but full of emotion and intensity. Who would dare to speak up like that at such a holy moment?
The Lord of Glory speaks up because it all points to him. It is all fulfilled in him.
No wonder the people respond as they do in John 7:40-41. “On hearing his words some of the people said, ‘Surely this man is the Prophet.’ Others said, ‘He is the Christ.’
They understood the claim he was making by that invitation. Only the Prophet, only the Christ the Anointed One could make such a claim.
….It was in this context that Jesus stood and cried out;
If anyone is thirsty let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Our deepest and most fundamental need is a relationship with God.
Again the Psalmist declared in Psalms 63:1 O God, you are my God; early will I seek you: my soul thirsts for you, my flesh longs for you in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.
There is an inherent connection between our souls and God.....just like fish need water to survive, just like our bodies need oxygen and blood to survive; our spirits need God to survive.
So Fill Me Up God!
If you provide the fire............ I'll provide the sacrifice........If you pour out your spirit .......then I will open up inside, fill me up God, fill me up God, fill me up God!
Listen, Jesus was the fulfillment of all that the ceremony typified 1 Cor. 10:3,4 says They all ate the same spiritual food and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
Israel had five remarkable blessings and privileges as they journeyed to the promised land. God saw to it that the believers had what was necessary to journey through the wilderness of life.
1. Israel had the cloud of God's presence. This refers to God's presence and guidance.
Exodus 13:21 says "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: he took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people"
2. Israel passed through the Red Sea. This refers to the great deliverance of God from the bondages and enslavements of Egypt which were a symbol of the world (cp. Exodus 14:13-31).
3. Israel was baptized into Moses and his leadership. Moses stood as a type of Christ. God gave Israel the leader it needed to reach the promised land. Therefore, any person who followed Moses through the Red Sea and under the cloud was baptized, immersed, and given over to Moses and his mission. The person was proclaiming that he was a follower of Moses and his mission to reach the promised land.
4. Israel partook of the food and water of God's provision. The word "spiritual" simply means that the food and water came from God. God provided for their needs; He took care of their day-to-day necessities (Exodus 16:4-8, 11-15; Exodus 17:6; Numbers 20:1f).
5. Israel had the presence of Christ. Note how Christ is said to have been present with Israel. The rock that provided water for Israel is said to have been Christ. Jesus Christ was the Source, the energy, the power, the Person who...
• caused the rock to gush forth water.
• caused the Red Sea to roll back.
• caused the cloud to guide Israel and to rain manna or bread.
• gave Moses and the promise of the promised land to the people.
Paul here in 1 Corinthians 10:4 is proclaiming that Jesus Christ is Jehovah of the Old Testament, the One who is called "the Rock" (Deut. 32:4; 2 Samuel 22:2; Psalm 18:2; Psalm 18:30-31; Psalm 92:15; etc). It was He, our Lord and Savior, who was guiding and providing for Israel through its wilderness journey toward the promised land.
However, what happened to most of the believers of Israel is tragic. There were over six-hundred thousand men alone who broke away from the enslavements of Egypt and began the journey to the promised land. This means that including the women and children there were well over two million who stepped out to follow God to the promised land (cp. Exodus 12:37; Numbers 1:46).
But the critical question is this:
How many remained faithful to God through the wilderness journey? How many actually turned away from the fleshly desires aroused by the delicious foods, drinks, and bodily stimulations of Egypt and the world? How many actually disciplined their bodies, subjected their desires, and kept their eyes and hearts upon the promised land? How many were faithful and steadfast, unmoveable and always abounding in the work of the Lord until they reached the promised land? Remember over two million began the journey: How many entered the promised land? Only two! Caleb and Joshua. Caleb and Joshua alone remained faithful to God. Only two did not sin and displease God. Everyone else, over two to three million, perished in the wilderness. They were overthrown, that is, scattered as corpses all over the wilderness. Why? Because they did not please God.
Zech. 1:2-3 says "The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers. Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts"
My Question to you today is.......... Are You Pleasing God?
Because if your satisfied with God you will please God.
John 7:38 says "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."
So those who are satisfied by Jesus will themselves become channels of spiritual refreshment for others.
The figure of rivers here in Chapter 7:38 contrasts with “a fountain” in John 4:14, illustrating the difference between one’s new birth and one’s experience of the overflowing fullness of the Spirit-filled life.
I'm here to tell you today that God is a KEEPER!
David said in Psalms 121 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Man is an embodiment of the triune God - Spirit , Soul and Body (I John. 5:7-8, I Thess. 5:23), representing the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is here to make sure that while we are still in this world, that we should be kept from the evil of the world, according to the prayer of Jesus Christ in Jhn. 17:15. The Apostle Paul learned that no amount of his effort could save him from the flesh (Rom. 7:14-25, I Cor. 9:27). Thank God that the Holy Spirit wars against the flesh to deliver our bodies from the contamination of the flesh (Gal.5:16,17).
This is possible because the believer is sanctified bodily by the indwelling Holy Spirit, so that he/she no longer lives under the law of sin, but under the law of grace.
This is why "I know Him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day" 2 Timothy 1:12.
I know that life at times can be hard but you and I have been given power from the Holy Ghost to walk through any fire that life may bring because God is a Keeper!
Conclusion: Are you dry spiritually? Are you saying, "There's gotta be something more." Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit. He will give you a river that will never dry. Wont you ask God to fill you? He will give you power, strength, and a prayer language to talk to him. Lord, if you provide the fire. We will provide the sacrifice. If you pour the spirit. We will open up inside. Fill us up God.
Help Me Holy Ghost!
EvenSo Come Lord Jesus!
Apostle Charles C Jones D.D.
