How do we receive the fullness of the Spirit?
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For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
How do we receive the fullness of the Spirit?
Lesson 6
Before speaking about “how to receive”, let us first establish the beautiful truth that God is much more willing to give than we are to receive.
Illustration: If a father wants to give his son a gift, is it likely that the son will refuse it? Surely not. But unfortunately this often happens to our heavenly Father. His children are reluctant and indifferent towards the wonderful gift of the Spirit.
Christmas tree gift illustration
A. The whole Godhead longs to give us this gift
1. The Father.
Read
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 have this fact demonstrated before our eyes all the time. How parents love to give their children food and gifts! Jesus is saying, "How much more will your Father in heaven...."
2. The Son.
Read John 16:7
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.
"It is good for you that I go," Jesus said, "I will send the Spirit."
3. The Spirit.
Read James 4:5
Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?
The Spirit longs to take control of our lives. He longs with a holy jealousy. He is against all that is not of God and all that hinders His work in us. Verse 4.
Jon Courson’s Application Commentary Chapter 4
James 4:5
The Father, the Son and the Spirit long to see us fully yielded to the Spirit's control.
B. How do we receive?
B. How do we receive?
Living the Spirit Formed Life Appendix 1: How to Receive the Fullness of the Holy Spirit
My personal feeling is that to tell someone “exactly how” to be filled is to risk substituting a man-devised formula for what Jesus wants to do Himself. He is both ready and able to satisfy your quest without help from anyone else. God is not confined to one method of fulfilling His promise there is no magic formula no two humans are the same and he treats us as individuals
But there are general principles that can help us and others to seek the fullness of the Holy Spirit, the worst thing you can do is force it as humans we love to compartmentalise and use systems to achieve what we want, but in all the that we have the Word of God to guide us in the right direction and theres guiding principles which point us in the right direction.
we see this in scripture especially on this subject God will not be boxed in to abcd
in Acts 2 37-38
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
here we see a guiding principle to receiving the Holy Spirit
1 Repent
2 Be baptised
3 And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
so reading the above scripture gives a formula a pattern but when you read Acts 10:46-47 the formula is broken is changed
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?”
God isn't bound theres no hard and fast rules on how main element is desire a thirst a willingness to desire God a hunger a passion a need and God fufills the need.
ASK (door illustration)
ASK (door illustration)
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!”
it s two way Jesus also is knocking on the door of our hearts
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.
theres conditions not rules as in we can fulfil those conditions in so many ways the holy spirit is gentle and knows us so well
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.
Guiding principles
We have to be thirsty
We have to go to Jesus
we have to drink
The first is we have to be thirsty—God does not force His blessings on people who feel they don’t need them. A lot of people never receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit because they’re not really thirsty. If you think you have all you need already, why should God bother you with more? It’s very probable you’re not making the best use of what you already have. So you’d be under greater condemnation if God gave you more. thirst is one of the strongest desires in the human body. When a person is really thirsty they don’t care about eating or anything else. All they want is a drink.
we have to approach knock on the door and answer the door we have to go ,in a different direction where we are led by our spirit to the Spirit
We have to Drink receive not sip when your thirsty you quench your thirst
Our bodies are destined by God to be the temples of the Holy Spirit.
Our bodies are destined by God to be the temples of the Holy Spirit.
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,
Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
1. Repent.
2. Be baptized.
3. Ask God.
4. Be thirsty.
5. Come to Jesus, He’s the baptizer.
6. Drink, receive within yourself.
7. Present your body as a temple for the Holy Spirit and your members as instruments of righteousness.
1. It is a free gift by God's grace.
Read Luke 11:13
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!”
Just as children do not earn their food or gifts from their parents, the gift of the Holy Spirit cannot be earned, it can only be received.
2. Remember whom you receive: The Holy Spirit.
He is absolutely holy. Don't try to let Him share your heart with any uncleanness or filthiness.
He is the third person in the Godhead.
Read Romans 8:13-14
For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
Be willing to give Him the throne of your life. Let Him be your counsellor, guide and leader in everything.
3. The five steps to receive the Holy Spirit.
Read John 7:37-39
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.
Here Jesus shows us the way to receive the fullness of the Spirit.
Notice that Jesus does not limit this experience to some "super-Christians." He says, "If anyone....". It is for anyone who fulfils the conditions. Remember Jesus shouted this out, with a loud voice while standing in a temple area with thousands of religious people around Him.
Step 1 - "If anyone is thirsty"
a) The one who will receive is the one who has a longing, a thirst for more of God - for the fullness of the Spirit.
b) Some people have been so thirsty for the fullness of the Spirit that they have drawn aside from everything. They have had this attitude, "Lord, I will stay until..." and they have returned mightily anointed by God.
Step 2 - "Let him come to me."
a) Jesus is the baptizer.
b) The laying on of hands by other Spirit-filled people, is also a biblical way of receiving this gift.
Acts 8:17 and 19:6.
Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying.
Step 3 - "He who believes."
Read Acts 2:39.
For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”
Believe that, "the promise is for you". This scripture is meant for you and me. The Apostle Peter said, "The promise is for you and your children… for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call." - referring to us today who are far off from the day of Pentecost, and who are called by the Lord.
Believe it with your heart!
Step 4 - "Drink."
Read Luke 11:13 & Psalm 81:10.
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!”
I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
a) Ask the Father for the Spirit.
b) To drink is active participation.
The Psalm says, "open your mouth wide."
- speak out your request by faith.
- praise God for His wonderful gift.
- "drink" in the mighty fullness and inspiration of the Spirit, and move straight into the next step.
Step 5 - "Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water”
Read John 7:38
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”
Let your heart overflow with praise, joy, thankfulness, love and power. A stream of living water, which should never stop, will flow out of you.
This is the abundant life Jesus promised us, which will completely transform our lives.
C. "Don't depart before..."
1. That was the word of Jesus to His followers.
Read Acts 1:4 -8
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.”
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;
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.”
They had received a great call. There was a dying world all around them. The needs were so great. What a ministry there was ahead of them! But still Jesus commanded them, "Don't depart before....". Jesus knew that they needed the Holy Spirit to help them.
2. What about us today?
a) Have you departed into your ministry before you have received the fullness of the Spirit? If so, please return and receive!
b) Or have you started right in your ministry, but discovered that the river has stopped flowing? If so, return and receive!
The promise is for you!
Memory Verse
Luke 11:13, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"
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!”
“Lord Jesus, I’m thirsty for the fullness of your Holy Spirit. I present my body to you as a temple and my members as instruments of righteousness, especially my tongue, the member I cannot tame. Fill me, I pray, and let your Holy Spirit flow through my lips in rivers of praise and worship. Amen.”
