Stay Filled by Faith

Stay Filled by Faith 

Pastor Cole Parleir

Focus: The same faith that enables us to ask for the baptism of the Holy Spirit enables  us to be filled again and again. 

• Don’t Be Foolish

• Be Free-er

• Expect More

Don’t Be Foolish

“You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/111/gal.3.1-7.NIV

We can be filled again and again by avoiding spiritual foolishness.

The fool says in his heart there is no God.

The “Christian fool” is so nearsighted they forget that Christ was crucified for our sins.

There is no other Gospel than the gospel of grace by faith, for we were spiritually dead in our trespasses and sins.

To be a fool is to reject or forget that we are saved by grace through faith.

This free gift of grace is so that no man may boast and that the flesh may be crucified.

“Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/111/luk.9.23.NIV

Part of this denial of self is “self effort” to deserve or purchase that which is priceless.

““For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!””

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/111/gal.2.19-21.NIV

The forgiveness of sin leading to salvation is a miracle. 

Miracles are not deserved and cannot purchased.

It is the nature of the flesh to take credit for that which God alone miraculously has done.

This is the pride of life.

It doesn’t stop there.

If we forget salvation is a miracle we will fall into the trap of endless toil trying to produce miracles by the flesh rather than by faith in our miracle working God.  

One may say “I am saved now and don’t need any miracles from God.”

This is a slippery slope.

This sounds like contentment but is actually fear, selfishness and an abdication of the command to love others as Christ has loved us.

We then being deceived ourselves, become deceivers preaching a gospel of self-help rather than Christ’s unmatched and unmerited help.

The Christian life can only begin, be lived, and finished by the filling and subsequent power of the Holy Spirit by faith in Christ alone.

Theological Questions

• Does the Christian always have the Holy Spirit with them? Yes.

• Is the Holy Spirit always working in the Christian’s life? Yes.

• Can the Christian quench the work of the Holy Spirit? Yes.

• Are miracles normal in the Christian life?

  • The Bible makes it seem so with exhortations to love people with spiritual fruit and by using spiritual gifts to reveal Christ in power to them while preaching the true gospel.

“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/59/1co.2.1-5.ESV

What do you have to serve God with that he did not provide? (A negative form of the question)

We need to daily embrace the wisdom and power of God by faith to walk in the miracles he wants us too that others may be healed and saved.

He wants to fill us with his Holy Spirit all day everyday, so let’s ask.

Be Free-er

“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/59/gal.5.1.ESV

By faith in Christ God HAS set you free from sin.

You ARE forgiven, cleansed, and free by repentance and faith in the blood of Christ. 

God wants you to remain free and experience that freedom here and now in increasing measure.

This is what it means to stay in step with the Spirit.

This increasing experience of freedom requires an increase of obedience by faith in his grace to work powerfully in you.

Faith makes room for this grace by emptying ourselves of selfish ambition and becoming servants whom look to the interests of others and not just ourselves. 

“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/59/php.2.3-8.ESV

This attitude is the opposite of quenching the Spirit of God.

Again, this is how we stay in step with the Spirit. 

It feels like we are being filled over and over again because we vacillate in our level of obedience. 

Biblically, the promise is that the Holy Spirit becomes a river inside of us. We just keep damming up the river with unbelief. (Maybe the logs in our eyes are being used to build the dam?)

“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’””

John‬ ‭7‬:‭38‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.7.38.ESV

That river can flow freely out of us bringing salvation, healing, and any miracle God wants to a despondent world as we grow in discipleship (obedience) by faith.

As we get Free-er those around us see Christ more clearly and experience him more powerfully.

Expect More

In our walk of faith by the Spirit of God we will experience highs and lows, mountain tops and valleys, prosperity and persecution.

The promise of God’s presence and help remains.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.””

‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬ ‭ESV‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/59/jhn.16.33.ESV

The ups and downs are God’s boot camp for faith.

He breaks us down to build us up like a work out.

When our faith is stretched it is permanently increased and our minds are permanently expanded regarding God’s greatness, ability, and goodness.

God fills us to the level at which we are satisfied. 

This increased faith leads to greater applications as God allows new opportunities to serve and share the gospel.

When we repeatedly apply faith to our challenges a spiritual momentum builds.

We find ourselves seeking God more and more because we now need Him more and more as engage in his mission.

Come to Jesus today to be saved from your sin and filled with His Spirit to live a new life of eternal purpose.

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. - Matthew 10:39 

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

Be Filled: Part 5

Be Filled: Part 5

Pastor Rollan Fisher

 Happy Mother’s Day!

 

Focus: Being aware of the gifts that God wants to invest in you makes you a more useful and fruitful servant of Christ. 

• You’re so Full of It 

• Understanding Your Gift 

• Clinging to the Cross

You’re so Full of It 

God’s care for you is present even when you don’t feel it and his gifts are available even when you don’t realize it.  

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.  

What better way to enter this month, than being aware of the following:

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭49‬:‭14‬-‭22‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“But Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me." "Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. Your builders make haste; your destroyers and those who laid you waste go out from you. Lift up your eyes around and see; they all gather, they come to you. As I live, declares the Lord, you shall put them all on as an ornament; you shall bind them on as a bride does. "Surely your waste and your desolate places and your devastated land— surely now you will be too narrow for your inhabitants, and those who swallowed you up will be far away. The children of your bereavement will yet say in your ears: 'The place is too narrow for me; make room for me to dwell in.' Then you will say in your heart: 'Who has borne me these? I was bereaved and barren, exiled and put away, but who has brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; from where have these come?'" Thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I will lift up my hand to the nations, and raise my signal to the peoples; and they shall bring your sons in their arms, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.”

God wants you to be full of the Spirit so that you can be full of Holy gifts to share.  

Can anyone lay hands for the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“"I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."”

*Jesus is the one who does the baptizing - we merely do the praying. 

Therefore everyone is a candidate to pray to the Lord who is the baptizer of men and women.  

“As God's children, we are not to be observers; we're to participate actively in the Lord's work. Spectators sit and watch, but we are called to use our spiritual gifts and serve continually.”

-Charles Stanley

Understanding Your Gift 

When baptized in the Holy Spirit, everyone has a gift or mix of gifts to bring to the table.  

Description of the gifts. 

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit.”

God wants us to be informed about spiritual gifts and understand that the gifts of the Spirit point to the resurrected Jesus as Lord of all. 

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭4‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”

According to God, each part is indispensable - which means we can’t get where we are going as the body of Christ unless you contribute your invaluable part!

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭27‬-‭31‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.”

How to identify your gifts -

1. Prophetic revelation and impartation

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭4‬:‭12‬-‭16‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”

• What do you already operate in?

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers who are with me, To the churches of Galatia:”

• In what have people encouraged you?

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭6‬-‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me. On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.”

• What do you desire?

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”

“When you find your spiritual gift, God will give you an opportunity to use it.”

-John C. Maxwell

Clinging to the Cross

The point of the gifts is to lead people to encounters with Jesus that they might put their faith in his finished work at the cross. 

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭17‬-‭20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!" And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."”

Our great joy and confidence should be in the fact that we belong to the Father and that our names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.  

It is out of that security that we follow God into his Kingdom works, as the Father glorifies and draws people to Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.  

“...revivals (or any other spiritual gifts and graces) come only to those who want them badly enough. It may be said without qualification that every man is as holy and as full of the Spirit as he wants to be. He may not be as full as he wishes he were, but he is most certainly as full as he wants to be.”

-Aiden Wilson (A.W.) Tozer

Just as we do not earn salvation, but is it the gift of God as we turn away from our sin to Jesus in repentance and faith in his substationary work at the cross, so we do not earn our right to work in the power of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 3:1-6).  

“It is very possible to be proud of the spiritual gifts God has entrusted to us and to strut about ostentatiously, forgetting that we have nothing which we have not received, that grace is a gift, an undeserved favor. We can actually be filled with pride at the eloquence and brilliance of our sermon on humility.”

-J. Oswald Sanders

“God prepares leaders with a specific place and task in mind. Training methods are adapted to the mission, and natural and spiritual gifts are given with clear purpose.”

-J. Oswald Sanders

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

Be Filled: Part 4

Be Filled: Part 4

Pastor Rollan Fisher

Focus: Being filled with the Holy Spirit brings dry bones to life.  

• Dry Bones

• Overflow 

• A River from the Throne 

Dry Bones

God breathes life into our dry bones by the power of the Holy Spirit.  

‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭37‬:‭1‬-‭14‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord God, you know." Then he said to me, "Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord." So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live." So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are indeed cut off.' Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will bring you into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. And I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; I have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord."”

When God breathes life into us by his Spirit, we are filled with vitality for our everyday lives and are empowered for Kingdom mission with him. 

Would the Lord have me prophesy to my/our dry bones?

Yes!

The Scripture continually speaks about the power of our spoken words. 

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭14‬ ‭

“From the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a man's hand comes back to him.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭18‬:‭21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.”

When we share the gospel with people, calling them to repent of sin, giving them the hope of forgiveness through Christ’s substitutionary death at the cross and resurrection from the dead, we are prophesying to dead bones that they might live.  

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬-‭10‬ 

“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”

When we apply a Biblical worldview, it provides change to the environments that surround us to the glory of God. 

“Only a "dry as dust" religion prompts a minister to extol the glories of Heaven while ignoring the social conditions that cause men an Earthly hell.”

-Martin Luther King Jr.

When God fills us with his Spirit, we have vigor to function as more than simple church goers. 

Instead, we have strength to reach the lost with the gospel, make disciples by Christ’s Word; all the while seeing broken lives made whole, families redeemed and the communities in which they live developed to the glory of God.  

We can minister the gospel with great generosity as we pray for miracles, the healing of the sick, the deliverance of those oppressed by tormenting spirits and prophesy the Word of God to people that they might be strengthened, encouraged and comforted in the Lord.  

Overflow

Jesus desires you to live in the overflowing life of the Holy Spirit.  

John‬ ‭7‬:‭37‬-‭39‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'" Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

We can not give that which we do not have.  

The goal of being filled with the Holy Spirit is that living water would continually flow out of your heart.  

“When the Holy Spirit comes upon Jesus at his baptism, he hears a voice say, ‘This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased. You are my Son and I delight in you.’ In the same way, Romans 8:16 tells us that the Spirit bears witness to our hearts that we are children of God. Part of the mission of the Spirit is to tell you about God’s love for you, his delight in you, and the fact that you are his child. These things you may know in your head, but the Holy Spirit makes them a fiery reality in your life. 

Thomas Goodwin, a seventeenth-century Puritan pastor, wrote that he saw a father and son walking along the street. Suddenly the father swept the son up into his arms and hugged him and kissed him and told the boy he loved him – and then after a minute he put the boy back down. Was the little boy more a son in the father’s arms than he was down on the street? Objectively and legally there was no difference, but subjectively and experientially, there was all the difference in the world. In his father’s arms, the boy was experiencing his sonship. 

When the Holy Spirit comes down on you in fullness, you can sense your Father’s arms beneath you. It is an assurance of who you are. The Spirit enables you to say to yourself: ‘If someone as all-powerful as that loves me like this, delights in me, has gone to infinite lengths to save me, says he will never let me go, and is going to glorify me and make me perfect and take everything bad out of my life – if all of that is true – why am I worried about anything? At a minimum this means joy, and a lack of fear and self-consciousness.”

-Timothy Keller, Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God

Before God sends us to proclaim life to others, he brings life to our barren hearts.  

As we continue to live at the tap of God’s throne, in the Word, worship, Biblical fellowship (Ephesians 5) and prayer, we are healed by God so that we can all bring healing to others.  

Where are the areas that you need to ask God for the influence and glory of the Holy Spirit to increase to overflowing in your life?

The answer is wherever you lack love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control - wherever you lack trust in God’s unfailing love to supply grace to your every need as you delight yourself in him (Psalm 37:5).

Have you made room for God in your heart or are you filling it with other things?

A River From the Throne

The blood of Jesus shed at the cross paved the way for the overflow life of the Holy Spirit. 

When we are born again, we become temples of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 6:19).  

Ezekiel‬ ‭47‬:‭1‬-‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side. Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. And he said to me, "Son of man, have you seen this?" Then he led me back to the bank of the river. As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. And he said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing."”

When we meet with God, we should ask the Holy Spirit to search our hearts that God might bring his ever-increasing freedom and glory in and through our lives.  

We want to be a people who live in powerful, advancing faith in God!

So again, how do we access this ever increasing flow of the Holy Spirit in our lives?

We do so by continually and progressively submitting to the Lordship of Jesus in EVERY AREA of our lives. 

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭22‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”

The river of life that brings healing will forever flow from the throne of God.  

The throne will forever be the place that God rules and reigns.  

This means that to the degree we submit to his Lordship is the degree to which he brings faith, freedom and healing in our lives.  

Have you allowed God to establish his throne in your heart?  

What areas are you holding back from God, leaving untouched by the water of the Spirit, where God could otherwise bring healing and life?

• Is it a relationship?

• Is it your identity?

• Is it your fear of the future and death grip on finances?

• Is it your pursuit of pleasures that you think will fill the vacuous hole in your soul?

Just as Jesus went to the cross to pay the price in substitute for the forgiveness of our sins, so we too must die to being master of our own lives before we can truly live.  

Let’s repent of self-sufficiency, self-righteousness and sin today that we might be filled to overflowing with the life giving waters of the Spirit of God!

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

Be Filled: Part 3

Be Filled: Part 3

Pastor Rollan Fisher

Focus: You are filled with the Holy Spirit to live an abundant life in Jesus. 

• Time Well Spent 

• Asking For a Friend

• Abundant Life 

Time Well Spent 

Time spent seeking the face of Jesus leads to the filling of the Holy Spirit and abundant life.  

Abundant life is what Jesus came to bring.   

Yet contrary to our modern ideas and social media postings, abundant life is not solely about me getting what I want, when I want, doing what I want with who I want and finding happiness as a result.  

‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Jesus purchased abundant life for us by laying down his life in sacrifice for us.  

The pattern of Scripture is that we would learn to do the same for him and find the eternal life that he won for us. 

Let’s dive a bit into what this looks like when we are looking to follow Christ, filled with both his Word and Spirit.  

To seek the face of God is to interact with him in prayer, the reading of God’s word, worship through song, music and dance. 

It is to have Christ-centered fellowship with God and the rest of his body - with other believers serving him together as the church.  

https://churchleaders.com/outreach-missions/outreach-missions-articles/347177-why-i-attend-church.html

There is an exchange that takes place when you choose to relate with God.  

The things not of God are brought to the surface and exposed - things that the devil literally uses to steal from you, kill you and destroy your life.  

This includes attacks on your feelings of self worth, significance, belonging, well being and purpose.  

Worldly thoughts are replaced with godly thinking when you seek God.  

You have an ability to heal from sins that have been committed against you and through repentance, the consequences of sins that you have committed on your own.  

God’s grace washes over you and you are literally delivered from unclean things.   

When you spend time with God, he cleans you like a vessel and makes room for the fruit of his Spirit to displace the the fruit of the flesh.  

Why do I seem stopped up?

You can’t outwork a bad diet.  

II Corinth 6:14-7:1

Eating at the table of demons is what people do without even realizing it - in their entertainment, in what they indulge in with their time (1 Corinthians 8 + 10).  

Clean eating is a key to health. 

Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. 

“Christ can be trusted to keep His Word that He will exchange our drab existence for joyous living, abundant life! And while true love, total acceptance, and complete security are rare in our frantic world, the biblical evidence that our desires in these areas will be fulfilled in Christ is abundant.”

-Josh McDowell

Asking For a Friend 

God’s Spirit and gifts are released when we ask him for them.  

That’s who we were talking about?

As we continue to walk with God, we all have our “guess who’s coming to dinner” moments where he lovingly, graciously and powerfully surprises us with who he is.  

If you grew up in church, think about how over the course of time, the depth of the hymns that you sung or the symbols that you saw became more powerful realities to you (i.e. - Methodist symbols and liturgy from childhood). 

The Old and New Testaments show us very clearly that to walk with God is to be called into a life of faithful service and pure adventure.  

Once we put our trust in Jesus, we must understand that to follow him in his call and mission is not to simply resign to a passive, mental ascent, but to instead have a proactive, lifelong pursuit.  

Jesus is the author and the finisher of our faith, meaning that God both introduces us to faith and has means by which he causes it to grow (Hebrews 12:2).  

God has us exercise our faith through interaction - instructing us to proactively ask him for that which he has promised.   

Why would Jesus say to ask for what we already have if we had all that we need?

‭‭Luke‬ ‭11‬:‭5‬-‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And he said to them, "Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; and he will answer from within, 'Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything'? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him 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 him!"”

We can ask for the filling of the Holy Spirit individually.   

Yet there is also a corporate aspect to being filled with the Spirit that our filling might strengthen us and encourage others.  

How were believers filled with and directed by the Holy Spirit in the Bible?

1. Through the laying on of hands 

‭‭Acts‬ ‭8‬:9-‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. 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. But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed. Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down 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. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.”

2. In corporate gatherings under the preaching of the Word. 

‭‭Acts‬ ‭10‬:‭34‬-‭48‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“So Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name." While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, "Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to remain for some days.”

Why the continual mention of praying in tongues?

If we are fighting a spiritual battle, we need spiritual weapons.  

The gifts of the Spirit help us engage that battle with the arsenal of God and not just our own. 

According to I Corinthians 14, as with any other gift of the Holy Spirit, when you are enabled to speak in tongues by the Spirit, you are:

1. Uttering mysteries to God by the Holy Spirit, and thus 

2. Praying things on the mind and heart of God (Romans 8:26,27)

3. Fellowshipping purely with God in a language which you have more than likely never cursed or profaned the name of Jesus 

4. Being built up with encouragement and strength to fulfill the works of God (Think about this - the apostle Paul, who was whipped, beaten, stoned and shipwrecked in his proclamation of the gospel, said “I thank God that I pray in tongues more than all of you” <1 Corinthians 14:18> because he knew he needed the gift in his fight to fulfill the will of God.)

5. In times of corporate worship, fasting and prayer 

‭‭Acts‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.”

It was significant that in these moments of corporate worship and prayer, Paul and Barnabas were not just turned inward to further reflect on their personal struggles or angst, but were turned outward to the mission of God to make disciples of Jesus in the nations. 

So often, we find the blessed life for which we are looking we embrace Christ’s words that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).  

*The filling of the Holy Spirit continually sanctifies our hearts, freeing us of self-centeredness, myopia and pride so that as John the Baptist spoke, Jesus might become greater, and we might become less (John 3:30). 

“Do not imagine that if you meet a really humble man he will be what most people call ‘humble’ nowadays: he will not be a sort of greasy, smarmy person, who is always telling you that, of course, he is nobody. Probably all you will think about him is that he seemed a cheerful, intelligent chap who took a real interest in what you said to him. If you do dislike him it will be because you feel a little envious of anyone who seems to enjoy life so easily. He will not be thinking about humility: he will not be thinking about himself at all.

If anyone would like to acquire humility, I can, I think, tell him the first step. The first step is to realise that one is proud. And a biggish step, too. At least, nothing whatever can be done before it. If you think you are not conceited, it means you are very conceited indeed.”

-C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

3. Through ongoing instruction in the Word and ways of God. 

Acts‬ ‭19‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And 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?" And they said, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" They said, "Into John's baptism." And Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus." On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. There were about twelve men in all.”

It was significant to note that these men on whom Paul placed his hands to receive the Holy Spirit were already called disciples and it was indicated that they had already come to believe.  

Yet God had more for them.  

*When we pursue God wholeheartedly, it is safe to say that our expectations of God needn’t be any less than what the believers experienced in these Scriptural examples (Romans 15:4). 

May we never stop in our pursuit of the whole counsel and the full life that Jesus purchased for us at the cross.  

Abundant Life 

When we spend time with and are filled with the Spirit of God, we are ushered into abundant life as our momentary trials are swallowed up in that which is lasting, pursuits which are eternal.  

“Our dreams, like the disciples’, are always too small. We are here to fulfill God’s dream—that we will bring Him glory through a remarkably abundant life. That’s how we find our greatest personal fulfillment, now and for eternity.”

-Bruce Wilkinson

You should experience abundant life in your psyche, in your emotions, in your family, in your relationships and in your calling. 

The more full of Jesus and the Holy Spirit you become, the less room there is for the empty calories of this world.  

I continually hear that, with exercise, you eat greater amounts of protein to build muscle and shed fat. 

It’s not that we can not be a Christian without the things that we are discussing today, but it does seem like it is part of God’s Biblical directives to live an abundant life in him.   

“It is a fatal mistake to assume that God’s goal for your life is material prosperity or popular success, as the world defines it. The abundant life has nothing to do with material abundance, and faithfulness to God does not guarantee success in a career or even ministry. Never focus on temporary crowns.”

-Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for?

Let’s repent of our sin today, be forgiven because of Christ’s atoning work at the cross and be filled with the Holy Spirit of God that we might live for the reward of heaven.  

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

Be Filled: Part 2

Be Filled: Part 2

Pastor Rollan Fisher

In this series, we want to discuss things concerning the who, the what, the when, the where, the why and how of the Holy Spirit.  Last week we spoke about the who, the what and the when.  We were reminded that God gives the gift of the Holy Spirit when we turn to the resurrected Jesus in repentance and faith. We were exhorted to be in a daily pursuit of being filled.  Today we’ll speak a bit more about where and why.  

As we live increasingly in a post-Christendom society, many believe that what the church today is in desperate need of revival.  

Focus: When we wait upon the Lord, he renews our strength by the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish his will.   

• Why (be filled?)

• Wait (for the Lord?) 

• (The) Wonder(s of God)

Why 

God instructs us to wait on him that he might fill us with his strength to run with him, walking in his will.    

Isaiah 40:27-31

“Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God"? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

To walk with God is to cultivate not just knowledge about, but relationship with the Holy Spirit.  

Think about any good marriage. 

Cultivating relationships takes time, focus and a humble curiosity to learn about the one you love.  

What were the believers doing in between Jesus’ ascension and the day of Pentecost (Acts 2)?  

They were waiting and praying as Jesus commanded (Acts 1). 

This is why we wait on God. 

“Be curious, not judgmental.”

-Walt Whitman

You will know God by His word.  

You will recognize God by the fruit of His Spirit. 

Never will God contradict his Word or the fruit of his Spirit.  

Never will God encourage us to settle for less than what his Word describes or that which he makes available by the power of his Holy Spirit.  

Wait 

As we wait on God, he fills us with the Holy Spirit that we might be built and so build his church. 

It is the Bible, not local church tradition, that must inform our understanding of why our interaction with the Holy Spirit is so important.  

We must have sound exegetical practice to cultivate our relationship with the Holy Spirit. 

In the New Testament, there is no mention of dispensations regarding the post resurrection work of the Holy Spirit which would otherwise indicate that God would desire to move differently in our times than in Biblical times.  

To the contrary, the prophet Joel introduces quite an expectation of how God will move amongst and through his people in the last days:

‭‭Joel‬ ‭2‬:‭28‬-‭32‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. "And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls.”

When God pours out his Spirit and fills his people with power, the result is that the gospel will be on display and people will call upon the Lord Jesus to be saved.

Calling upon the Lord always entails a turning from rebellion and clinging to Jesus’ atoning work at the cross for the forgiveness of our sins.  

Before we dive into our New Testament connection to Joel, let’s look at some of the things the Apostle Paul made clear in the New Testament.  

Let’s attempt to employ sound Biblical hermeneutics to understand the outplay of the promise God made through Joel. 

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:8-‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

It would seem that the perfect which is to come would be not when we have the canonized Scripture (as many have concluded with eisegesis), but when we see our risen king Jesus face to face upon his return and have the opportunity to know him fully.   

Demystifying the Holy Spirit for you:

According to Scripture, there is both a private and a corporate aspect to being filled with the Holy Spirit, leading to manifestations, or displays, of the Holy Spirit’s power.  

The standard for Christ-honoring worship is orderly worship.  

Private worship vs. public worship

• Private worship builds up the individual (I Corinthians 14:1-5)

• Public worship involves building others up, the church 

*Privately, the goal is to develop a God awareness wherever you find yourself - whether in the workplace, with family or friends, knowing that you are filled with his Spirit. 

*In doing so, you have not only God’s involvement in all that you put your hands to, but his blessing as you follow his leadership.  

Publiclly, being filled with the Spirit is useful in glorifying God and advancing his Kingdom as you participate in edifying his church.  

*May we never diminish that which God has spoken about or that which HE has placed value upon.  

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭14‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“So with yourselves, since you are eager for manifestations of the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭14‬:‭23‬-‭25‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.”

I repeat, when God pours out his Spirit and fills his people with power, the result is that the gospel will be on display and people will call upon the Lord Jesus to be saved.

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭14‬:‭26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.”

You will know a tree by its fruit. 

Whatever is done in the name of Jesus must agree with the word and character of Christ. 

Anyone who has been around for any period of time - you know how we conduct ourselves in God. 

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭14‬:‭36‬-‭40‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Or was it from you that the word of God came? Or are you the only ones it has reached? If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord. If anyone does not recognize this, he is not recognized. So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. But all things should be done decently and in order.”

I also repeat that the standard for Christ-honoring worship is orderly worship.  

Wonder

It is through the filling of the Holy Spirit that God manifests wonders for both the believing and unbelieving world as we look to fulfill his mission.  

What does God say about the times in which we are living?

The Book of Acts was also known as the Acts of the Apostles or the Acts of the Holy Spirit by whom believers did their work. 

“The people of God are not merely to mark time, waiting for God to step in and set right all that is wrong. Rather, they are to model the new heaven and new earth, and by so doing awaken longings for what God will someday bring to pass.”

-Philip Yancey

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭14‬-‭24‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: "Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: "'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.' "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.”

It has definitively been the last days since the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.   

“Most of us use ‘I’m waiting for God to reveal His calling on my life’ as a means of avoiding action. Did you hear God calling you to sit in front of the television yesterday? Or to go on your last vacation? Or exercise this morning? Probably not, but you still did it. The point isn’t that vacations or exercise are wrong, but that we are quick to rationalize our entertainment and priorities yet are slow to commit to serving God.”

-Francis Chan

I repeat one more time, when God pours out his Spirit and fills his people with power, the result is that the gospel will be on display and people will call upon the Lord Jesus to be saved.

Let’s be filled with the Spirit and join the Lord in his eternal work proclaiming the resurrected Jesus today!

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher

Be Filled

Be Filled : Part 1

Pastor Rollan Fisher

The series title will be called “Be Filled”.  It will focus on us cultivating our relationship with the Holy Spirit in light of the resurrection, the abundant life Jesus has called us to and the work he has commissioned us to do.  

Focus: Being filled with the Holy Spirit is a daily goal, not a one time event.  

• Power 

• Purity 

• Proclamation 

Power 

Being filled with the Holy Spirit provides power to be a witness for the resurrected Jesus. 

‭‭Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."”

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. 

Power can come in the form of:

1. Boldness

2. Gifts of the Spirit

3. Strength to minister

‭‭Acts‬ ‭4‬:‭23‬-‭31‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, "'Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed'— for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." And 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.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed. You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says "Jesus is accursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except in the Holy Spirit.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭27‬-‭31‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

When was the last time you operated in the power of God?

The purpose of being filled with the Holy Spirit is that we might be power filled witnesses of the resurrected Christ, both in word and in deed.  

Purity

Being filled with the Holy Spirit enables us to grow in life-giving fellowship with God and the rest of his body. 

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭15‬-‭21‬ ‭ESV

“Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 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 Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving 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.”‬‬

The point of the Scriptural examples is not only to marvel at what has happened, but to hunger and thirst for that which we need.  

One commentator put it this way: 

The Amplified Version does a decent job with the imperative, present, passive verb for “filled”

1. being imperative, God commands us to be filled;

2. being present tense, it is to be repeated, it is an ongoing responsibility; and

3. being passive, we are to yield to the influence of the Holy Spirit.

The sanctifying work of God in a believer’s life is the result of continually  feeding on the Word, doing what it says and having prayerful/worshipful fellowship with God that we might be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.  

‭‭

Matthew‬ ‭3‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“"I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."”

“D L Moody was once asked why he urged Christians to be filled constantly with the Holy Spirit. “Well,” he said, “I need a continual infilling because I leak!” He pointed to a water tank which had sprung a leak. “I’m like that!” he said. It’s a fact that living in this sinful world we do need to be replenished by the Spirit.”

-Owen Bourgaize 

Proclamation 

Being filled with the Spirit enables us to love and motivates us to consistently proclaim Jesus. 

‭‭Acts‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬-‭13‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Now 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.”

Many people do not want to be a witness for Christ because they believe it is not their right to tell someone else what to believe or think.

“The problem is that tolerant has changed its meaning. It used to mean 'I may disagree with you completely, but I will treat you with respect. Today, tolerant means - 'you must approve of everything I do.' There's a difference between tolerance and approval. Jesus accepted everyone no matter who they were. He doesn't approve of everything I do, or you do, or anybody else does either. You can be accepting without being approving.”

-Rick Warren

That is why Jesus said to be a witness, of what you’ve seen of him, heard and come to know.  

It is the Holy Spirit’s job as we pray and proclaim Jesus to draw people to himself and give them revelation of the truth (Matthew 16:13-20 ; John 6:44; 16:8).

There is no way around it - people come to saving relationship with Jesus as we share the good news of his life, identity, miracles, death, burial and resurrection (Romans 10:8-17). 

Bold love, not obnoxious behavior, is what is necessary to be a witness of Christ's resurrection in a world that stands opposed to his message and life.  

“Our culture has accepted two huge lies. The first is that if you disagree with someone’s lifestyle, you must fear or hate them. The second is that to love someone means you agree with everything they believe or do. Both are nonsense. You don’t have to compromise convictions to be compassionate.”

-Rick Warren

Second City Church - Pastor Rollan Fisher