The Comfort for Christ’s Kids     The focus today will be on John 14

John 14:1-5: Jesus told the disciples that He will be leaving them, but not to fear for He is preparing a place for them in His Father’s house, which has many rooms.

John 14:5-14: Jesus assured Thomas that, whilst he wants and needs to know where Jesus is going, he needs to trust Him for “I am the way.” If Jesus’ provision is trusted, then those who trust in Him will do even greater works than Jesus.

John 14:15-31: Jesus told them that their love for him and obedience to His commands will ensure them experiencing the manifest presence and empowering of God through the presence of His Holy Spirit – the comforter, the advocate, even though He will have physically departed. He exhorts them not to fear or be troubled, but to trust. Those who do this will experience His peace, His provision and His power. This chapter and later passages in John’s gospel give insight into the filling of the Holy Spirit: our topic for today.

 

HOW TO BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

The most important message for any person to hear and understand is that of “The Gospel of Salvation,” which is about Jesus taking upon himself, on the cross, the burden of our sin and its consequent penalty of death. If the message is believed and Jesus Christ acknowledged as both Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ through His Spirit enters the new believer’s life and begins the real provision of the promised full and overflowing life, and hope and confidence in eternal life with God. This message is absolutely life-changing, both in the present and future.

The most important message for any Christian to hear is that of “How to be filled by the Holy Spirit.” This message is all about how to live the abundant life, filled (controlled and empowered) by the Holy Spirit. It is the key to change – putting off ungodly thinking, feelings and behaviour and the key to becoming and living the Christ-like life.  In fact, it is the foundational power of the Christian life.

Satan is constantly trying to sever the Christian’s connection with the Holy Spirit’s power through placing thoughts in the mind that we can successfully negotiate life and ministry without God’s power, or by confusing the reality and process of ongoing connection, or present us with thinking that sees God’s controlling influence as a restriction of our freedom.

Tim La Haye (pg 57 of his book “The Spirit-controlled temperament: says this…  The Most important thing in the life of any Christian is to be filled with the Holy Spirit…It is impossible to exaggerate how dependent we are on Him for everything….

The foundational concept of the “Filling of the spirit.”

INTRODUCTION

In our own energy, we cannot live the Christian life.  The secret lies in the power of the Holy Spirit within us.

John 16:7     Acts 1:8     John 14:12-13

1.       WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity (Father, Son and Holy Spirit),

He is co-equal with God the Father

He is co-eternal

He is of the same essence (the Spirit of love with 8 other characteristics – fruit of the Spirit)

He is the Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of Jesus

However, He has a different function. The Father the author, Jesus Christ the overseer and the Holy Spirit the agent.

2.       WHY DID THE HOLY SPIRIT COME?

a.   To glorify Christ                                                - John 16:14

b.  To lead us into all truth                                   - John 16:13

c.   To give us the abundant life                           - John 7:37-39

d.  To empower us to witness                             - Acts 1:8

   e.  To convict us of sin, righteousness and judgment - John 16:7-11

3. WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT?

“Filled” means to be “….controlled and empowered by….”

a.       Filled with Christ                                            - John 15:1-8 (infused)

b.       Exhibit the Fruit of the Spirit                       - Galatians 5:22-23 (changed)

c.       Effective witness                                            - Acts 1:8 (outpoured)

d.       Maturing in Christ                                         - Colossians 3:16 (transformed)

Being filled with the Holy Spirit, therefore equips us for useful, continuous service for God. The moment we receive Christ, when He is received into a person’s life and is placed in a position of Lordship (controlling and empowering), a person is filled with the Spirit. The filling is not a second blessing, even though a person may experience a supernatural manifestation of God’s presence.

At any point, we can take control of our lives again and thereby limit the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The command “to be filled” is in the continuous present tense. “Be filled” with the Spirit literally means “keep on being filled” with the Spirit. It is an ongoing process for life. Each time we are made aware of taking control again of our lives, and operating in our human strength, we need to again to seek the filling of the Spirit, which will be explained. So, the filling of the Spirit is an ongoing experience which may, or may not, result in a supernatural experience, but rather will result in supernatural progress of the Christian life.

The issue of the filling is not about how much of the Spirit of God we have (needing therefore to be topped up, or to receive more), but rather how much of us the Holy Spirit has (which releases the presence and power of God already within and available to us).

4. WHY ISN’T THE AVERAGE CHRISTIAN FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT?

a)       Lack of knowledge  

b)      Lack of faith

c)       Lack of obedience and self-denial

5. HOW CAN ONE BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT?

(1) By faith - trusting God.                                    

         Colossians 2:6            Hebrews 11:6

       (2) Heart - preparation required:

DESIRE Matthew 5:6

CONFESSION 1 John 1:9

SURRENDER Romans 12: 1-2

(3) Claim the filling of the Holy Spirit by

           FAITH

           GOD’S COMMAND      - Ephesians 5:18

           GOD’S PROMISE          - 1 John 5: 14-15

ACTION POINT

Right now would be a good time for you to thank God for His Spirit, and His presence in your life.  If there are sins that you have not confessed, confess them as you pray now, and ask God to fill you with His Spirit.  Then, by faith, begin to live your life as a Spirit-filled believer, as one who remains sensitive to God.  And you can watch and see how God’s strength will enable you to live victoriously.

Dear Father,

I need You. I acknowledge that I have been in control of my life; and that, as a result, I have sinned against You. I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take control of the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as you commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I now thank You for taking control of my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit.