THE FILLING OF THE SPIRIT: A Commanded and Repeatable Experience

Memorial Drive 1/13/19 THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT: The Filling of the Spirit Review … A Pattern: Salvation, Waiting On a Second Blessing (Receiving/Being Baptized with Spirit), Tongues As Evidence of Receiving the Spirit Unique and Not-Repeatable: Three Reasons • Acts 2 and similar experiences indicated a new way of God’s Spirit with His own • Romans 8:9 declares the “norm” that every believer has received the Spirit • I Corinthians 12:13-14 demonstrates that every believer has been “Spirit-baptized” … BIG QUESTIONS Is/are any of the Acts 2 and related events repeatable? What are we to do with “post-salvation” experiences with the Holy Spirit? … A REPEATABLE EXPERIENCE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT What do we do with the testimonies of “post-salvation” experiences with the Holy Spirit? The difficulty may be the variety of terms used to speak of Spirit experiences in Acts 2 Some were clearly completed at Pentecost or soon after! Another is repeatable! “And they were all FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.” (Acts 2:4) We don’t want to do away with what is GOOD and BIBLICAL from those who hold the first view that there IS something repeatable and to be desired and sought! … THE FILLING OF THE SPIRIT IS REPEATED … Examples of the Filling of the Spirit Repeated Peter Is Filled With the Spirit Acts 3:1-6, 7 “When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, ‘By what power, or in what name, have you done this?’ Then Peter, FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, SAID to them, “Rulers and elders of the people …” Other Believers Are Filled With the Spirit … Acts 4:23, 29, 31 “And when they had prayed, the place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were ALL FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT and began TO SPEAK the word of God with boldness.” (Acts 4:31) Saul/Paul Is Filled With the Spirit … Acts 9:17 “So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight AND BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.” (Acts 9:17) Act 13:9-10 “Saul, who was also known as Paul, FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, fixed his gaze on him, and said, ‘You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?” (Acts 13:9-10) It’s Not Just Apostles Who Are Filled With the Spirit … Acts 13:49ff, 52 “And the disciples were continually FILLED with joy and WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.” (Acts 13:52) … THE FILLING OF THE SPIRIT IS COMMANDED Apart from the original command for the disciples to remain in Jerusalem until they received the Spirit, there is never a command to “post-Pentecost” Christians to wait upon God to either “receive the Spirit” or to “be baptized in the Spirit! “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but BE FILLED WITH THE Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.” (Eph. 5:18-21) Whatever terminology we use, we ought to listen carefully to brothers and sisters who testify to experiencing further and deeper works of the Holy Spirit in their lives! Next: So what IS the filling of the Spirit? What are some of the RESULTS of “being filled with the Spirit?” And SHOULD WE SEEK and HOW DO WE SEEK this experience or these experiences?