July 20, 2008

What We Believe
About the Holy Spirit's Work in the World, the Church and the Believer, pt. 4
Steve Lane

A. Introduction/Review

A central work of the Holy Spirit is to manifest the active presence of God in the world. Impossible, unless the individuals of the body are truly Spirit-controlled -- Spirit-filled.

John 7: 38 - 39
"Streams of living water will flow from within."

Baptism in or by the Spirit, and being filled with the Spirit.

B. The One Thing Needed
"The one thing needed for the church in its search for spiritual excellence is to be filled with the Spirit of God."
-Andrew Murray

Matthew 13: 44
Be willing to sacrifice everything to get it. (The pearl of great price)

Acts 4: 31 - 37
Acts 5: 1 - 11
This was the attitude of the early church.

Andrew Murray makes six main points to emphasize the "one thing needed".

1. The will of God for every one of His children is that they live entirely and unceasingly under the control of the Holy Spirit.

Made for a purpose. (Don't waste your life.) John 1: 33
Revelation 2: 4
John 12: 24 - 25
Psalm 139: 13 - 16
Psalm 139: 23 - 24
2. Without being filled with the Spirit, it is impossible for an individual Christian or a church to ever live or work as God desires.

The example of the Apostles: even with all they had seen and been taught. Acts 2: 42
Acts 4: 31 - 33
John 15: 5
3. In the life and experience of Christians, this blessing is little-used and little searched for.

"We must let our hearts be filled with deep conviction."

It seems as though God hides Himself -- desiring His people to really desire Him.

Illustrate their desire to be filled. Acts 1: 14
Acts 4: 31
Acts 13: 2
4. God wants to give us this blessing, and in our faith we may expect it with confidence.

But being Spirit-filled is a revolution. Things will be different!

He will do it. John 14: 18 - 20
Acts 1: 8
5. The self-life and the world hinder and usurp the place Christ ought to occupy.

Self-focus is the bane of being Spirit-filled.

Worldliness: Not being satisfied with the pleasures of Christ.

Once your heart is hard, the teaching of the Word just rolls off your back.

Growth should be obvious in the Spirit-filled believer.

But, a problem: we are a little uncomfortable with Romans 12: 1 - 2 Hebrews 3: 7 - 8
Hebrews 3: 12 - 15

Titus 2: 15
Titus 3: 8
6. We cannot be filled with the Spirit until we are prepared to yield ourselves to be led by the Lord Jesus -- to forsake and sacrifice everything for this pearl of great price. Galatians 2: 20