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[0:00] All right, I want to talk to you this morning about an extremely important topic for any church, but I think especially for our church, and that is the need to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.

[0:12] The need to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit. I think being part of a church plant, it has, it is, and it will bring things to the surface, okay?

[0:25] Because there's not a whole lot of places to hide when you're in a church this size. And there's not a lot of other people to do stuff, so it puts weight on all of us.

[0:37] And so the combination of the proximity and the weight brings things to the surface, right? That's a, as they'd say in the coding world, that's a feature, not a bug, okay?

[0:49] That's a good thing. That's a good thing that our proximity brings things to the surface, and the level of shared responsibility brings things to the surface. But really, when it comes down to it, you don't need a church plant for that.

[1:03] You have life for that. And life itself brings things to the surface. At some point in time, all of us is faced, just like Judah was saying before we took of the Lord's table.

[1:14] We get to that place where there's nothing left of us. We get to that place where our work is not sufficient. Our energy is not enough. Our strength doesn't last, right?

[1:27] And the question is, what do you do in that moment? Where do you go in that moment? This last week was a particularly heavy week.

[1:40] It's been a while since I've had a week like this, but, you know, sometimes they come. And all in the same day, got one message on my phone about someone who we'd been walking with in church discipline and just seeing someone what looked like good fruit and growing.

[2:02] And he messaged to say that he had been actually lying to us and he was in secret sin and it was way worse than he had said.

[2:13] And on top of that, he started doing some other sins that he shouldn't have been doing. So I was like, okay, that's really heavy, but, you know, we'll deal with this. I think it was less than a half hour later, got another message from another person who we'd been walking with, confessing something in the darkness that was not exposed as far as sexual sin.

[2:37] I thought, oh, wow, okay, that's two in a row. And then a few hours later, I got a third message from another guy about some stuff, some pretty egregious sins that had come up.

[2:50] And three in one day. And it was right in the midst of a lot of good things that were happening, a lot of things that God was doing. And clearly the devil was attacking.

[3:01] I think there's been a lot of spiritual battle this last week, but I've been reminded of where to go. Because in those moments, you're tired, you're weary, you're upset, you're frustrated, you feel like you're depleted.

[3:17] And the question is, where do you go? And I really, I think, was focused because I've been studying this, so it was providential, to go to the Holy Spirit. And I actually, we're in the past, a week like this, I would have been probably battling discouragement all week.

[3:32] It was pretty much a one-day thing, and it didn't even last a whole day. Because I went to the Holy Spirit. And they said, I need to be filled by you. So when these things happen, the question is, where do you go?

[3:44] Okay, when you're weak, and you're lacking power, where do you go? Do you feel like in that moment, you have to consume entertainment so that you feel like you're in control?

[3:55] That's one of the reasons we gravitate towards entertainment, or even the entertainment, you could call it, I guess, of adult entertainment, of pornography and such, is because in those things, we have control.

[4:09] And you have to be aware that when you feel like you're losing control because you're feeling powerless, you'll be tempted to certain things that give you the semblance or the illusion of control.

[4:21] Okay? If you're not going to God. When you can't continue, when you have a lack of perseverance, where do you go? Where do you go? And you feel like, I can't keep doing this.

[4:32] I can't do this. I don't have the will or the energy or the strength to keep going. In those moments, where do you go? Where do you go? When you start, but you don't continue, or you say, I just can't do this, or you cancel on things or don't show up to things that you committed to because you feel like, I just can't.

[4:54] I just can't. Is that what you do? Do you cancel? Do you give up? Where do you go? Or do you go to the Holy Spirit? When you're in sin and you're lacking pleasure, where do you go?

[5:07] You feel like your pleasure tank, so to speak, is on empty. It's low. You're not feeling like you're enjoying much of anything. Where do you gravitate towards? John Piper said, sin is what you do when you're not satisfied in God.

[5:21] Okay? He said, spiritually satisfied people sin less. Really, that lack of pleasure is a lack of joy in God. But if your mind is distorted as to what you really want, you go drinking from cisterns that are broken.

[5:37] You go drinking from things that are never enough because that's not ultimately what you want. And then the devil in your flesh say, you just need more of it. You just need more. You just need more sensuality.

[5:47] You just need more carnal pleasure. The issue isn't what you're going to. The issue is, you don't have enough of it. And of course, that's a lie. Where do you go in that moment?

[5:58] Do you go to God? Do you cry out to God and say, I must find joy in you? When you're lonely, you're lacking a sense of presence. You feel like you're just kind of going through your life with no one else by your side.

[6:13] Maybe it's because you're single. Maybe it's because you're married and you're feeling disconnected from your spouse. Maybe it's because your friend group is changing or your friends are changing. You're changing.

[6:24] You don't know who's changing, but you're feeling lonely. You're feeling maybe that you have convictions that other people don't have. You have this sense of loneliness, this lack of presence. You feel alone.

[6:35] Where do you go? Where do you go? When you're out of order, when you're lacking priorities, okay? Do you escape from that then?

[6:46] You feel overwhelmed because your whole life's crashing in on you. It's like, I never feel like I'm getting ahead. I never feel like I have enough time. I never feel like I go to bed doing the things I want to do.

[6:56] I go to bed feeling like I was busy, but I don't really believe that I did what I was supposed to do. And it just starts, this oppressive weight starts crashing in on you. And you're feeling it on a regular basis.

[7:08] And it just feels like the responsibilities won't end. Where do you go? Where do you go? Do you go to God? Or do you try to escape and quasi rest in the wrong things?

[7:26] When you're afraid, when you're lacking boldness, when you're anxious, where do you go? Where do you go? Do you avoid those things that you're afraid of?

[7:38] When you know you're supposed to share the gospel, but you're afraid, do you avoid? When you know that there's things that God would have you to do and to take responsibility for, but you're anxious about them? Do you avoid them?

[7:49] Or do you go to God and say, God, I need your strength. I need your power. I need your boldness. When you're empty, you're feeling like you're lacking a sense of fullness.

[8:01] Like you just don't have enough in the tank. Where do you go? Do you fill up with other things? With food? With drink? With entertainment? With isolated fruitless consumption?

[8:15] Where do you go? Or do you go to God and say, God, fill me up. I want to be filled by you. You see, a lot of times when we go through life or in particular thinking about this church plant, you look at different people.

[8:31] And you think, oh, some people, they can handle a lot. But the question is why? Those people you see who can handle a lot, you know why they can handle a lot? If it's truly handling a lot?

[8:43] Because they're filled with the Spirit. Some people get burnt out. Why? Because they've not been continually filled with the Spirit. Some people in leadership, they end up lowering the standard of leadership because they've not been continually filled with the Spirit.

[9:01] Right? They stay in leadership, but because they're not dependent and being filled continually by the Holy Spirit, rather than going to God or getting out of leadership, they stay in leadership and lower the standard to where they're at.

[9:16] Some people avoid responsibility and leadership altogether because they have no category for the filling of the Spirit. And so they have to choose a life of less responsibility and less demand.

[9:28] Now, that's my take on it. And I think it's right. You might have other takes on it, but I want you to ask the question if they're a lie.

[9:40] We can make all kinds of excuses and say, oh, no, they can handle a lot because of their personality. They can handle a lot because they're stationed in life. What if that's not true? What if it's actually that the people who can handle a lot and stay steady and stay faithful are actually broken, weak people like you and I who have just been filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit?

[10:09] What if people who are burnt out, what if the only cause isn't just that they're doing too much or the wrong things because those are possible, but actually that a lot of people who are actually trying to do the right thing are burnt out because they went to the wrong place?

[10:29] They're not filled with the Holy Spirit. They're not empowered by the Holy Spirit. Yes, they love God. Yes, they're Christians. They have the Holy Spirit because no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit, but they're not empowered by the Holy Spirit or they were empowered by the Holy Spirit.

[10:48] And since then, they have not continually been filled. Where are you at in this? Where are you at in this? Where do you stand with this topic?

[10:59] Ephesians 5, 15 to 21. Ephesians 5, 15 to 21. It says, Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time because the days are evil.

[11:16] Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Holy Spirit.

[11:30] That's a command of God right there. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit. Why would they put those two together? Essentially, getting drunk on wine is where we would go instead of going to the Holy Spirit.

[11:44] Getting a sense of escape or pleasure or getting a sense of feeling like I don't have to deal with these things. Rather, a sense of false comfort.

[11:57] Right? Rather than going to the Holy Spirit, your comforter, to be comforted, to be empowered, to be filled. Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.

[12:13] Give thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Jesus said in Matthew 22, 29, He tells the Sadducees that they're wrong.

[12:31] And He tells them they're wrong because of two reasons. One is a reason we're probably fairly familiar with. One that we've maybe even pointed out to people.

[12:43] One is maybe a wrong that we don't think about as much or don't point out as much. But let's remember, Jesus is pointing this out. He's saying that these are two ways to be wrong.

[12:57] Matthew 22, 29, Jesus answering the Sadducees says, You are wrong. He says because. What is the reason they are wrong? Because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.

[13:11] So two reasons. First one is the one we would be familiar with, right? You're wrong because you don't know the Scriptures. Well, yeah, I get that, right? I mean, I've told other people maybe they're wrong.

[13:23] Maybe bring a little bit of correction. Like, I don't think you understand the Scriptures or you know the Scriptures there. Let me inform you of what you don't know. That's the obvious one, right? But when was the last time you have thought that you or somebody else was wrong because they didn't know the power of God?

[13:41] Have you ever been convicted of not knowing the Scriptures? Probably. And when that happens, what do you do? If you think, Oh, man, I don't know the Scriptures the way I should.

[13:53] Or in this particular instance, I was off. I didn't know what God's will was. I didn't know what God's truth was. I didn't know what God wanted in this situation. And then I went to the Scriptures or someone pointed me to the Scriptures.

[14:06] And so, you know, and if you feel like you're wrong, you say, Well, I'm going to go figure out what the right thing is in the Scriptures. I'm going to study the Scriptures. What about when you're wrong because you don't know the power of God?

[14:18] What do you do then? You need to go to the Holy Spirit and receive the power of God. You need to go to God and say, Jesus baptized me with your Spirit. Fill me with your Spirit.

[14:29] Okay? There's two ways to be wrong. It's not just not knowing the Scriptures. And this is very convenient for people who are cessationists. They get rid of one of the other ways that God says you can be wrong.

[14:44] This is God speaking. He said you can be wrong because you don't know the power of God. Let me ask you a question. I want you to be honest with yourself. Do you know the power of God?

[14:57] Do you know it? Some of you know the Scriptures really well. Do you know the power of God as well as you know the Scriptures? Or are you in error? Are you wrong because you don't know the power of God?

[15:10] You could quote chapter and verse. You know how to maybe preach a sermon or instruct some other people, give counsel. You know how to get a new church plan up and running.

[15:24] But let me ask an extremely important question. Do you know the power of God? If you don't, you're wrong. You're dead wrong.

[15:35] Well, come on, man. I know the Scriptures. I've been a Christian for a long time. I don't care what does the Scriptures say. He said they were wrong because they didn't know the power of God. If you're wrong because you don't know the power of God, where are you going to go?

[15:49] Maybe some of us need to repent this morning. Maybe some of us need to go to God and say, God, I have been wrong for a long time. I have not known the power of God. I have done my Christian walk in every other way but in the power of God.

[16:04] And I just thought it was not the best. I never actually thought of it as sin. I never ever thought of it as not being right or being wrong. Jesus said you're wrong because you neither know the Scriptures nor the power of God.

[16:18] This is not something we can pass over. This is not just something we say, well, that's for the charismatic. So that's for, you know, those people. You know, my friend who's like, that's all they talk about.

[16:29] You know, that person. I'm more of a, you know, more holistic, nuanced kind of person. Maybe you just make an excuse for being wrong.

[16:41] You have to know the power of God. You have to know the power of God. Paul knew the power of God. 1 Corinthians 2, 4 to 5. When speaking to the Corinthians, he said, My speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom.

[16:55] You might think, oh, guys, plant a church in Corinth. Of course, what they need is plausible words of wisdom. That's what they need, right?

[17:08] And he comes to them and says, My speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom. But actually, what they were in is in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.

[17:23] Demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Why? So that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

[17:34] Do you see why this is so important? We don't want to get people through these doors and get people into our lives as a church so that they can have more rest in the wisdom of man.

[17:48] But if all you do is come with plausible words of wisdom, but you don't have a demonstration of the Spirit and power, you don't know the power of God, the end result is that people don't, their faith rests in the wisdom of men, not in the power of God.

[18:07] That's not what we want. We're aiming to have a people whose faith rests in the power of God. How do you do that? You have to have a demonstration.

[18:19] You have to have a demonstration. You need a demonstration of the Spirit and power. And this is what Paul did. And I'd say, well, that's Paul. I mean, I ain't no Paul. Right. You ain't no Paul.

[18:31] But the same Spirit that lived in Paul is the same Spirit that lives in you. Do I need to say that again? The same Spirit that lived in Paul, let's add another one, that raised Christ from the dead, lives in you.

[18:48] So why can't we have a demonstration of the Spirit and power? We most certainly can. Do you believe that this morning? Do you believe that? 1 Corinthians 4, a couple chapters later, verses 19 through 20, Paul says, I'll come to you soon if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people, but their power.

[19:10] Speaking of these people who are dogging on Paul, saying he's not really an apostle. They're like, we're the super apostles. We're the real apostles. He says, okay. When I get there, I'm going to find out not the talk of these arrogant people.

[19:24] I don't care about the talk of these arrogant people. I'm actually looking to see if there's any power. For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk, but in power. Kingdom of God doesn't consist in talk, but in power.

[19:38] You know, people like to talk more than ever before. And I'll have people, I'll give them counsel. Had someone the other day, gave them counsel in the midst of what seems extremely obvious, I think, to anyone from the outside, that this person's life is a mess.

[19:55] And whatever he's doing is not accomplishing that which would bring about the fruit of the spirit and the fruit of a life, a godly life. And so I gave him counsel, which I believe is godly counsel, in which I have seen bear fruit in a lot of people's lives with powerful results.

[20:13] And I got this verbal diarrhea pushback about pop psychology and brain stuff and all this thing.

[20:28] That's just like, listen, if you study pop psychology and that leads you to God in a way that gives you the fruit of the spirit, then praise God. But if you have a bunch of talk that has no power, I will not praise God for that.

[20:44] Okay? That's not okay. If your talk is just talk and there's no power. Like if you have talk, but there's power with it, okay, I'm thinking, maybe this is the kingdom of God.

[20:55] But when all it is is talk, when all it is is talk but no power, well, it's this and it's this book I read and it's this study that happened and this video I watched on YouTube and this new preacher that I've been listening to.

[21:09] And you keep talking about this. You're always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. You have a form of godliness, but you deny the power. You basically, what you're doing is it's just talk.

[21:20] And I don't care about talk. And neither does Paul because Paul says, he then brings the definition of the kingdom of God, one of them. And he says, the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. So if we're talking kingdoms, that talk better have power or that's not the kind of talk we're talking about.

[21:39] But it rolls right off the tongue. And it's very easy to tell other people like these guys. They're saying, Paul, Paul, you're not so great. You're not such a big deal.

[21:50] And he said, hey, at the end of the day, I'm not going to argue with these guys. I'm looking for one thing. He goes, I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people, but their power.

[22:02] Where's the power? Where's the power? Jesus said, you're an error. You don't know the power of God. Paul says, I don't care about their talk. I want to know where there's power. Paul says in 2 Timothy 3, verses 4 through 5, he's speaking of the end times.

[22:18] He says, these people will be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Having the appearance of godliness but denying its power.

[22:29] And then he says, avoid such people. Avoid such people. Now, I hope I'm making a point here by just bringing, and it's not my point, I'm just bringing up scriptures here. But are you seeing a pattern here?

[22:40] He's saying that if there's no power in these people, they have the appearance, which I'm assuming meant that there's some talk there. They have the look of it. Maybe they're church-going folk.

[22:52] They go through the motions. They're the kind of people that somewhat blend into the church culture. But he's saying there's one thing they're lacking, and this is one that you should be looking to in such a way that if it's not there, you should go so extreme that you should actually avoid such people.

[23:11] What is it? They have the appearance of godliness, but they are denying its power. The appearance of godliness but denying the power. Are you seeing how the Bible delineates between what we most often say is, oh, yeah, that person's a Christian.

[23:30] Are they? Are they? Where's the power? Where's the power? Oh, that's just some Christians. No, no, no.

[23:42] That is Christians. That is Christianity. He's saying if you have some kind of appearance of godliness, but you're denying the power, you should avoid such people.

[23:58] These people are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. The reason they don't have any power is because they're not going to God to get their pleasure. They're going to the world to get their pleasure. And so they have a form of godliness.

[24:09] They kind of look the part, but they deny the power. In the quote-unquote, and I use that extremely intentionally, quote-unquote churches are filled with people like this.

[24:24] That's why the vast majority of Christians are not, or professing Christians, are not in fact Christians. When you just ask simple questions like, do you believe that Jesus is the only way?

[24:35] Do you believe that Jesus is God? Do you believe that the Bible is the word of God? God, all of a sudden, the numbers of people who profess to be Christians drops 90%.

[24:46] And I guarantee those people who do not believe that Jesus is the son of God, who do not believe that Jesus is the only way, and who do not believe that the Bible is the word of God, you better believe they're going to have a form of godliness that denies the power.

[25:01] This cannot be in Christ's church. Do you hear me on this? This is non-negotiable. We can't just go through the motions and have a nice Sunday service and do life together, enjoy food, enjoy different things in life without power.

[25:20] Powerless living is not an option in the church. Paul goes so far as to say, avoid such people. We must have power. And I know, because I talk to you, and I hear you, and I talk to my wife who's talking to maybe some of the ladies about going through your day and all this stuff.

[25:39] I know that every single one of us hits those times where we lack what? Power. Where do you go? Where do you go? Are you okay with it?

[25:51] Are you fine with it? Do you just chalk it up as, well, it's just a bad day, just a bad week, just a bad month, just a bad year? I don't know. Or do you say, this is unacceptable.

[26:04] I'm a Christian. I'm a follower of Jesus. Jesus came to do something. He came to baptize us with power. Colossians 1, 28-29, Paul says, Him we proclaim, speaking of Christ, Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.

[26:25] And then he says this, For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me. So he's struggling.

[26:37] He's wrestling, not with his own energy, not with his own strength, with Christ's energy. And it's not just a little drip of it.

[26:49] It's not just a little flash in the pan. No. That He powerfully works within me. Okay? Do you trust God for that? When you get up and you're thinking, Oh my gosh.

[27:02] Kids were up all night. I got to go to work today. I got to manage a home today. I'm supposed to get together with so-and-so today. I was supposed to get this done today. I got nothing left.

[27:13] What do you do? Do you struggle in your energy? Do you struggle in your energy? Or do you struggle with all His energy that He powerfully works within you?

[27:25] Do you believe that? Do you believe for Christianity like that? Do you believe that? Listen, I'm not talking about some charismatic, superficial, hallelujah Christianity. Okay?

[27:37] I'm not talking about, again, the charismatic form without the power. I've seen that. I've seen it. I've seen the charismatic form without the power and I've seen the charismatic form with demonic power.

[27:49] And they called it the power of God. Okay? I've seen it. I've experienced it. I don't want to have anything to do with that. But I most definitely want to have something to do with the charismatic power of God.

[28:02] I just don't want the phony baloney old-time religion. I want the real deal. I want the real deal. I want His power energizing me as I go about my day.

[28:14] Energizing me as I try to preach to everyone and see them become mature in Christ. That's what I need. That's what I want. Do you want that? Do you need that? Don't say you want it and don't say you need it if instead of going to God, you're going somewhere else.

[28:32] Prove it. Prove it with your actions. The Bible says that to repent and to prove your repentance by your actions. Okay? That's what the Bible teaches. Repentance and wisdom, the Bible says, is proved true by her actions.

[28:47] Okay? So we can say it all we want, but where do we go in those times? It's easy to go there when we're singing songs on a Sunday morning. We got everybody up here leading us in song. It's easy to go to Christ then.

[28:59] Right? It's easy to go to Christ. It's a prayer meeting. It's easy to go to Christ when everybody else is doing it. What about when you're not feeling it? What about when you're all alone?

[29:10] What about when your day's not going well? What about when it feels like everything is against you and the earth feels like it's subjected to futility? It is. Then where do you go? Do you take the edge off with something else, with something sinful, with something socially accepted, but a civilian affair that keeps you outside of the battle?

[29:31] Where do you go? Let's look at the plain reading of Scripture. Just the plain reading of Scripture. We don't need to get complicated here. It starts with the promise to be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

[29:43] All three synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John. All four Gospels. They all include this. John the Baptist. He's the guy. Isaiah was prophesied about him.

[29:53] He said, this is the guy who's going to make straight the pass for the Lord. He's going to prepare the way for Jesus. Right? He comes. He baptizes with water. And when they come to him and he's talking to them, he begins to tell them of the one he is pointing to.

[30:08] He begins to tell them of the one that he is preparing the way for. And he says the same thing in all these Gospels. They all documented the same thing. And it's significant.

[30:21] Matthew 3.11. I'll read all of them. Matthew 3.11. I baptize you with water for repentance, John the Baptist. But he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.

[30:31] He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. So again, baptism. We're talking like John the Baptist. People are coming out to the Jordan River and they are being immersed in water.

[30:42] Okay? And then he's saying, using the same language, they're being baptized by being immersed in this river. He's then used the same language to say, oh, but there's coming someone else who will baptize you in the Holy Spirit.

[30:55] You'll be immersed in the Holy Spirit. Mark 1.8. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. He's making the comparison. You see how I'm dunking these people in the water?

[31:07] You're going to be immersed in the Holy Spirit by Jesus. Luke 3.16. John answered them all, saying, I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming.

[31:19] The strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fired. John 1.33. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, he on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who does what?

[31:41] Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. Acts, before I get to that, one more comment. clearly this is something that's for us.

[31:53] Clearly this is something that marks what Jesus does. We have a lot of things we think of when we think of Jesus. We think he does this, he does that, all these things.

[32:03] When you think of Jesus, how often do you think of him as the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit? Who immerses people with the Holy Spirit? I'm not talking about immersing you with a feeling.

[32:14] I'm not talking about immersing you with some invisible force. I'm not talking about being immersed in an emotion, although emotions can accompany it and often do.

[32:28] I'm talking about a promise to be immersed in the person of God himself, the third person of the Trinity. We're talking about God.

[32:39] He's literally saying, I mean, the implications of this, it's kind of like, just picture him. Guys, do you understand what's going on here? I'm baptizing you with some created thing called water.

[32:51] You get wet with it, you get soaked with it, it's water. There's nothing magic about water. Everybody knows about water. There's nothing really even more common than water.

[33:03] Like, it's got to be one of those common things on the earth. Most of the earth is water. Most of your body is water. If you want to talk about the base level commonality, he's literally saying, I'm baptizing you with water.

[33:16] Now, as you think about that, let me take from the common to the supernatural and remind you, there is one coming, his name is Jesus, and he will baptize you with God himself.

[33:30] You will be soaked, immersed with God. Do you think of that? When you think of Jesus and you think, oh, I'm going to pray right now and there's a little, you know, crust in your eyes and you can barely read the pages of your Bible because you're not quite up yet and the coffee hasn't, you know, worked its effects yet and you're thinking, I've got to do my time with the Lord and pray this morning.

[33:54] Do you think, I'm going to the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit? Do you believe that? Do you think like that? John the Baptist is telling us, listen, you have to think like this.

[34:08] This is, this is not some side thing about Jesus. This is what the guy who was preparing the way, I mean, there's barely anything that John the Baptist says, right? He's not documented in the scriptures as saying much, right?

[34:22] There's not much in there. But this is the guy who Isaiah prophesied is the guy to make way for the guy, like for the, for the Messiah.

[34:32] So you'd think what he has to say about him is probably pretty significant. It's probably pretty important. What does John the Baptist, the forerunner, the one prophesied by Isaiah, what is the one thing he says about Jesus?

[34:47] He says, he will baptize in the Holy Spirit. Is this not important? It's important. It's important. Now, just to get our terminology right when we look at the Bible, it's important to know that baptism in the Holy Spirit and filling of the Holy Spirit are synonymous.

[35:06] The greatest example, this is Acts 1, verse 5. Jesus says, John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

[35:17] Okay? So he's getting more specific. He's quoting what John said, but then he puts a time frame on. He says, hey, this is coming and it's coming not many days from now. Well, what was not many days from now?

[35:29] Pentecost, right? So if we go to then where it talks about Pentecost, it says, when the day of Pentecost had arrived, Acts chapter 2, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven and it filled the whole house where they were staying.

[35:46] They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each of them and then it says, then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

[35:59] Now, wait a second. Acts 1 verse 5, Jesus said, you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. So you'd think then that Acts chapter 2, when that happens, they would say, and they were baptized in the Holy Spirit.

[36:13] That's not the language it uses. Acts chapter 2 verse 4 says they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Are those two different things? No, it's the same thing. They're describing the same event with two different words but it's the same thing.

[36:27] Okay? So you can use those synonymously. You don't have to seek like these separate experiences. Just know God wants to immerse you on the outside and fill you on the inside. I think he's basically just saying like, let's get everything.

[36:39] You know, like, we're going to immerse you on the outside and we're going to fill you on the inside. That's what the Holy Spirit does. Okay? And one of the biggest obstacles of this is when people think, oh, you know, there's kind of three views that either, well, that's only at conversion that you get filled with the Spirit and never again.

[37:00] Which I think is one of the biggest hindrances to this. Others say it's at conversion but there's subsequent fillings which is similar to what the view I would have and what I'm teaching right now. But the third one is what I would view and I believe is what the Bible teaches and I'm going to show you is that it's after conversion and then there's multiple subsequent fillings.

[37:19] Now, that doesn't mean you don't have the Holy Spirit when you get saved. Romans 8 verse 9 says anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him. So, let's make this totally clear. If you don't have the Spirit, you don't belong to Jesus.

[37:32] So, I'm not saying that when you get saved you don't have the Spirit. You most definitely have the Spirit because otherwise you don't belong to Him. And He said in 1 Corinthians 12, 3, no one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

[37:44] Okay? But, just because you have the Spirit doesn't mean you are filled or empowered with the Spirit. And that is a subsequent thing you will see in multiple instances.

[37:55] First one, Acts chapter 2. The disciples were Christians. They were believers. They were converted before Pentecost. This was a subsequent filling, a subsequent baptism.

[38:09] Jesus called them His before the Antioch came. There's multiple instances of Jesus describing them in ways that you'd say that's most definitely describing Christians.

[38:21] Second, Acts chapter 8 verses 4 through 18. The Samaritans were saved before they received the Holy Spirit. I'll read it. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the Word.

[38:32] This is Acts chapter 8 verse 4. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the Word. Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the signs that he did.

[38:46] For unclean spirits cried out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was much joy in that city. But there was a man named Simon who had previously practiced magic in that city and amazed the people of Samaria saying that he himself was somebody great.

[39:03] They all paid attention to him from the least to the greatest saying this man is the power of God that is called great. And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.

[39:16] Verse 12. But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God in the name of Jesus Christ they were baptized both men and women. Okay? So pause there.

[39:27] These guys were converted. Right? They heard the good news. They heard the gospel of the kingdom in the name of Jesus Christ and then they got baptized. You only get baptized if you're a Christian.

[39:38] Right? So these guys are saved. Even Simon himself believed and after being baptized he continued with Philip and seeing signs and great miracles performed he was amazed.

[39:50] Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God they sent to them Peter and John. So this is clearly afterwards because they're hearing in another city with no cars you know no mass transportation that hey some people in Samaria got saved.

[40:10] So let's send Peter and John to them who came down verse 15 and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit for he had not yet fallen on any of them but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

[40:26] Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. Read the plain text of the scripture. Could it be any more obvious than that? Clearly these people were saved had not been filled with the Spirit.

[40:38] They send Peter and John they lay hands on them it says specifically the Spirit had not fallen on them but then they lay their hands on them and then they received the Holy Spirit.

[40:49] Clearly this was a post salvation experience. Clearly. Third example Acts chapter 9 the chapter after speaking of Paul verse 17 to 19 Paul was converted before he was filled with the Holy Spirit.

[41:08] He's on the road to Damascus he gets knocked off his whatever it was a horse or meal whatever he's on he gets knocked down Jesus confronts him and Paul gets converted and then in verse 17 Ananias departed and entered the house and laying his hands on him he said brother Saul the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

[41:42] He came to show him he needs to get filled with the Spirit. This is clearly after he was converted. Fourth example last one Acts chapter 19 1-7 We got 12 Ephesian men here and they believed before the Holy Spirit came on them.

[42:01] Verse 1 It happened that while Apollos was at Corinth Paul passed through the inland country and came to Ephesus There he found some disciples and he said to them Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?

[42:14] Funny question to ask if you don't get the Spirit or it's a funny question to ask if it happens at the same time then why would you ask? Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?

[42:25] If the Holy Spirit if you're filled with the Holy Spirit when you believed that's a dumb question okay Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? And they said No We have not even heard that there is the Holy Spirit and he said Into what then were you baptized?

[42:39] They said into John's baptism Paul said John baptized with the baptism of repentance telling people to believe in the one who has come after him that is Jesus On hearing this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus okay so getting a little correction there getting the full story there they get baptized again but this time in the name of the Lord Jesus then after that Paul lays his hands on them the Holy Spirit came on them and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying there are about twelve men in all so after they're saved they have hands laid on them the Holy Spirit comes on them and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying Martin Lloyd-Jones once wrote There is nothing I'm convinced that so quenches the Spirit as the teaching which identifies the baptism of the Holy Spirit with regeneration or new birth he says you got it all well if you have got it all I simply ask in the name of God why are you as you are if you've got it all why are you so unlike

[43:41] New Testament Christians you got it all got it at your conversion well where is it I ask in the same way I would ask what I was asking before where's the power where's the power we have to think biblically about this you have to think in biblical language and you're praying you're trying to get in faith about this think in the language of the Bible the Bible says the Holy Spirit was poured out think of water being poured out from above the Holy Spirit is poured out speaks of the Holy Spirit falling so the Holy Spirit is poured out the Holy Spirit falls on us those then who the Holy Spirit falls on are baptized so poured out falling and then immersed in the Holy Spirit while you're being immersed you're also being filled so it's not just that you're being soaked and immersed on the outside you're being filled on the inside or as it says in John chapter 7 and 1 Corinthians 12 you're drinking of the Spirit so you're drinking in that which is falling on you being poured out on you which you're being baptized into you're also now being filled with and drinking of the Spirit and rivers of the Spirit are flowing out of your heart and which you could say then is your mouth speaking because the mouth speaks according to Luke chapter 6 from the overflow of your heart this is why they would speak in tongues and prophesy spirits being poured out spirit is falling it's hitting them in such a way that they are immersed in it baptized in it they are drinking of the Spirit and they are filled with the Spirit and then out of their heart rivers of living water are flowing which he's speaking of as the Spirit which then come out of your mouth which is why they would worship God and why they would speak in tongues and why they would prophesy because that's what happens when you are filled with the Spirit and when you are filled with the joy of the Spirit do you think of it in that language again that's all that's not none of that's my language that's Acts 2 it's Acts 10 that's all those verses in the Gospels it's John 7 1 Corinthians 12

[45:42] Luke 6 this is all Bible language it's all Bible language build your faith with it what is the evidence of it how do you know this is an important point Acts 2 33 being therefore exalted at the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing okay this whole thing of not knowing whether you've been filled with the Spirit it doesn't make any sense biblically when people got filled with the Spirit it was definitive it wasn't a question it wasn't I don't know don't know if I've been filled you don't hear any of that in the Bible that language about the Holy Spirit and infilling does not exist in the Bible if you don't know you probably haven't been filled or you don't understand what it looks like to be filled okay because there's something demonstrable you see a difference you hear a difference something is there to confirm it now sometimes it's tongues doesn't always have to be tongues it was at Pentecost was in multiple other times okay but not everybody has to speak in tongues sometimes it's prophecy

[47:00] Joel 2 says when I will pour out my spirit and when I pour out my spirit one of the things that will show is that people will prophesy I was telling someone the other day when I was a younger man I went to kind of a missions trip to Juarez in El Paso Texas and we had an all night prayer meeting one night there and God poured out his spirit on us so that a group of us who were only supposed to take one shift ended up staying up the whole night and prophesying over every group that came in I've never experienced anything like that since all I can say and I have no explanation for it because I'm not prophetically gifted even but I prophesied over people all night that night and so did all the other people in that group what was it it was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit it was it was awesome it was so fun what was that that was there was evidence we were crying out for God to pour to the spirit he did and then we prophesied all night okay the evidence is also power gifts

[48:03] Luke 24 49 Jesus said stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high he said I'm sending you the promise of my father upon you stay there until you are clothed with power okay Acts 1 verse 8 you will receive this power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you you will receive power stay there until you are clothed with power you might say well yeah I have been filled with the spirit do you have power no you have not been baptized with the spirit filled with the spirit you will notice power power to do things you couldn't do before you will notice and that can manifest in multiple ways okay one of the very specific ways that it manifests is in boldness Peter denied Christ gets filled with the spirit and then what does he do gets very bold like wait like night and day like is this the same guy isn't it the guy who was denying at the fire now this guy's preaching that we killed the author of life that's the same guy same guy one was filled with the spirit one was not okay

[49:06] Acts uh Acts 1 it says when he confronted the people that day in Acts 4 it says Peter filled with the Holy Spirit how they know he's filled with the spirit because of how bold he was speaking in fact everyone noticed in verse 13 chapter 4 it says when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated common men they were astonished and they recognized that they had been with Jesus Acts 4 31 when they had prayed the place in which they were gathered together was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness another evidence that you become his witnesses Acts 1 verse 8 when the Holy Spirit comes on you you will be my witnesses you will witness on behalf of Jesus you will have boldness to preach the gospel you will testify of the greatness of Jesus and you won't be afraid another example

[50:07] Acts 13 52 the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit accompanying the filling of the Holy Spirit is joy talked to a couple people this week they said a few people this last week they said I have to confess my Christianity has been one that has not had joy said you need to be filled with the Spirit when you are filled with the Spirit you are filled with joy Romans 15 13 says may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope one of the ways this power manifests in your life is that you abound in hope so much so that you have joy that's what abounding in hope is abounding in hope is when God's power overcomes all the power of your negativity and your bad experiences and all your hurts and all your life that's gone wrong the power of the Holy Spirit gives you abounding hope which manifests itself in joy and that joy is power because Nehemiah 8.10 says the joy of the Lord is your strength lastly one of the evidences of being filled with the Spirit is your countenance changes when Stephen got filled with the Spirit they said his face looks like the face of an angel sometimes you can actually see a difference in people you don't look the same you don't look the same what happened to you

[51:25] I think I got filled with the Spirit you get filled with the Spirit so many different ways I've gotten filled with the Spirit worshipping the Lord many often times I've worshipped the Lord and I get filled up I feel the Spirit reading a biography of D.L. Moody I got filled with the Spirit at an all night prayer meeting and started prophesying like I said I've gotten filled with the Spirit in my car driving alone and started speaking in tongues for the first time on a trip to Walmart right like that's the first time I spoke in tongues there's no place this is for everybody he said this is for it's for you it's for your children for all who are far off and everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself Acts chapter 2 this is for everyone this can happen anywhere so what do you do last thing I'm wrapping this up here hang with me what do you do if you're saying Josh you're right I lack power Josh you're right I need to be filled Josh I'm hearing you I hear what you're saying I'm convicted I go everywhere else but I don't go for the I don't go to the Holy Spirit but I want to

[52:27] I want to show you what you do the Bible's very clear on this okay four things number one you thirst you gotta thirst okay God wants to fill up the thirsty people this is John chapter 7 Jesus stood up and cried out if anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink and he says this as he was speaking of the spirit from rivers of living water would flow out of them you gotta thirst you gotta you gotta say God I need you I need you like this other stuff isn't enough I need you God I'm thirsty it ain't doing it it ain't cutting it I can't keep going like this God I'm thirsty I need you number two if you're thirsty then you do what you do when you're thirsty you ask for drink you ask okay when he speaks in Luke chapter 11 he says I tell you ask and it'll be given to you seek and you will find knock and it'll be open to you for everyone who asks receives the one who seeks finds the one who knocks will be open what father on father's day listen what father among you if his son asks for a fish will instead of a fish give him a servant a serpent or if he asks for an egg will give him a scorpion 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 why did he throw that in there he wasn't talking about the holy spirit

[53:55] I love that he did because do you ever go to God thinking oh he's not going to give me a spirit I don't deserve a spirit I did too many things wrong this that or the other I'm not good enough I'm not like so and so I'm not a charismatic personality you come up with all the excuses why he's not going to give you the spirit and then Luke 11 13 says if you know how to give good gifts to your children how much you know if you read your father's day card from someone and they thanked you and you think oh yeah I give good gifts to my kids if you give good gifts to your kids how much more will the heavenly father give the holy spirit to those who ask him you gotta ask you gotta ask when you're in that place do you ask number three you gotta believe when you ask Galatians 3 2-6 says let me ask you this did you receive the spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith are you so foolish having begun by the spirit are you now being perfected by the flesh did you suffer so many things in vain if indeed it was in vain does he who supplies the spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law or by hearing with faith by hearing with faith you gotta combine your asking with faith otherwise you're a double man and you shouldn't think you receive anything from the Lord says in James 1 gotta ask and believe that God wants to fill you and that he will

[55:21] Galatians 3 13-14 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us for it is written cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles so that we might receive the promised spirit through faith yes and lastly last point of how we can receive the spirit Acts 5-32 he gave the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him okay now you're saying well that contradicts what you said before I thought you said I don't have to be perfect you don't because then nobody would get the Holy Spirit but he's saying he gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey him who are not someone who are hiding in sin and trying to make excuses for their sin there's someone who's legitimately not making a habit of sin they're not continuing in sin when they're knowledgeable of their sin they repent there are people marked by obedience there's no such thing as a Christian who's perfect but there is Christians who are marked by obedience and Christians who are playing games and listen it's not just the spirit he's called the Holy Spirit and he gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey because he is holy and he will not share his glory with another lastly laying hands on one another is another

[56:38] I forgot about that one laying hands is another real practical one you see in the Bible can you stand with me for a second here in closing I'd like to pray I know this was long I apologize but we need the Holy Spirit we need the Holy Spirit okay we have tasks that are too large for us one of them is this church plant let me just give you a really encouraging word you and I cannot do this can't do it we can't pull it off we can start off thinking like we can making sure all the tasks are taken care of the communion table's ready and someone leads us in worship and make sure someone's you know leading in the Lord's table and preaching every week and that we have a building to meet in and maybe we get a better building and we can make sure all that stuff but listen you can't pull this off and I can't pull it off either there's only one person who builds this church ultimately that's Jesus and he's the one who baptizes with the Spirit and so I would like to close this in prayer and I believe

[57:42]  God wants to fill us on this Father's Day why not go to the Father who gives the Holy Spirit how much more will he give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and let's ask for him to pour out his Spirit upon us can we do that right now in closing through the Holy Spirit