5-7-1995 Revival - Pastor Derek T. “Holy Spirit Filled Life” Ephesians 5;18, Galatians 5;17, Romans 7;18

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5-7-1995 Revival - Pastor Derek T. “Holy Spirit Filled Life” Ephesians 5;18, Galatians 5;17, Romans 7;18

 

 

Having the Holy Spirit is not just the gifts because we are not doing or using the gifts all the time. And this also does not make you holier than others either. Spirit filled: this is being under the control of the Spirit. We are made in God’s image and therefore we have a choice to follow Him or not. God is sovereign and does what He wants to do without consequences. We do what we want--choice, with consequences. God gives us choice because He wants us to do His will because we choose to and not by force. We do it out of love and respect for God. It is the matter of a continual process--to be filled over and over again with the Spirit. This is because being filled can be emptied too. Because what can be filled can also be emptied.

We are trying to operate on empty tanks. We have to continue with God, getting closer and closer; filled and more filled. Under the influence of the Holy Spirit, we can and will do things we normally would not do. Be filled to be under the control of the Spirit. The nature of man makes it necessary to be filled with the Spirit. Our enemy, the greatest enemy, the opposition to pleasing God is not the devil but the Self. We have a sinful nature, the flesh. Because of the flesh we need to be filled with the Spirit to please God.

Galatians 5;17: The flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh. Opposites-- everything the Holy Ghost says to do, the flesh says not to. They are fighting against each other and we are the battleground. They fight to see who we will give in to. Romans 7;18: The flesh is no good. Nothing good. The flesh is evil. People who are unsaved and do good, its our good and not God’s definition of good. If we say it is good then its our standard of good, not God’s. We would not be here if there was no Hell. Most of the things we do right is for fear of the consequences if we do wrong. Our flesh does not please God. Its no good. It does not try to please God. We must be filled with the Holy Spirit. Sing, preach, usher all the time but if you did it in the flesh it doesn’t please God. We are saved but our fleshly works will burn. Romans 8;7-13.

Being filled with the Spirit means that when a temptation comes, we can say no if we choose because we are filled with the Spirit. The devil cannot make us do it. Our flesh doesn’t know we are saved unless we tell it. We must tell it to stop. We can tell it now because we have the Spirit. We are under new authority--God and the Holy Spirit. Make sure the flesh gets the message. We are under a new boss now. When the flesh rises up say no to it. The Holy Ghost is the fuel that makes us do right thinking and right actions. The renewing of the mind. Our mind must change because “whatever a man thinkest in his heart, so is he”. We must kill our flesh everyday with the help of the Holy Spirit. We get the power to do it ONLY from the Holy Spirit. You cannot come under the authority of the Spirit without being under the authority of the Word of God.

John 16;2: The Spirit of Truth with guide us. He is going to take the Word and show it to us. We must submit to the Word and understand it. Most of us don’t want to read the Word because we will be held accountable for it. For most Christians, the Word of God is not the final authority in our lives. Until the Word of God effects every crack and crevice of our lives, we are not as deep a Christian as we think. When the Word of God is the final authority, it takes power out of our hands. This scares us. Also we don’t know enough about the Word and we fear those who know the Word more.

II Timothy 3;16: All scripture is for training, doctrine, reproof and correction. The Word is the tool that God left for us to use in everything in our lives. Exodus 19;4-5: God said if we obey His Word then we are his people. To be Spirit filled, we must be under the authority of the Word. To strengthen our Spirit, feed it the Word so it can fight the flesh.

 

AMEN