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Zechariah 4:6 KJV

Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, Saith the Lord of hosts.

Ephesians 5:18 KJV

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Hurricane Isaias has caused quite a bit of trouble here in the North East. Tuesday over 700,000 people were without power. Cell towers did not have power so cell function was limited. Internet providers did not have power, so even if one did have power, you could not have contact with the outside world.

It was ironic… many of us own nice equipment. We have big screen TVs, smart phones, cooking appliances, lights, and all kinds of gadgets… yet without power, or without enough power, these things are useless.

Today many believers are like our gadgets have been this week. We have everything in place, but we are not empowered by a fresh flow of energy that comes from the filling of the Holy Spirit.

There is a lot of confusion as to what the Bible teaches about the Baptism of Filling of the Holy Spirit. Too often the filling ministry and the indwelling ministry are blended together, causing doctrinal error. Let us address that first before we continue.

Every Born Again Believer This Side of Calvary is Indwelt by the Holy Spirit.

John 20:20–22 KJV

And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord. Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:

1 Corinthians 3:17 KJV

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 KJV

What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Romans 8:9 KJV

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Therefore the Indwelling Ministry is Constant.

Ephesians 4:30 KJV

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Philippians 1:6 KJV

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

The Filling of the Spirit is the Bestowing of Power with a Purpose

Luke 24:49 KJV

And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Now that we have the basic academic theology down, we must ask the question: "If we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit, how do we obey this command?" This morning we will see the biblical guidelines for Christians to experience this supernatural enduement with Holy Spirit soul winning power.

Complete obedience is a prerequisite to Holy Ghost filling

Acts 5:30–32 KJV

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Obey the Great Commission

Matthew 28:19–20 KJV

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Baptism: the believer's first step of obedience

Mark 16:15–16 KJV

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Keep your heart clean

Ephesians 4:30 KJV

And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

We are to pray for Holy Spirit filling

God promises to answer this specific prayer

Luke 11:11–13 KJV

If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Christians were filled after prayer

1. The disciples from the upper room

Acts 1:14 KJV

These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

Acts 2:4 KJV

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

2. The apostle Paul

Acts 9:11 KJV

And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,

Acts 9:17 KJV

And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

3. The first missionaries sent from Antioch

Acts 13:3 KJV

And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

Acts 13:9 KJV

Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

We Are To Need The Power for a Purpose.

Acts 1:8 KJV

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Conclusion:

Ephesians 5:18 - And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

God has commanded us as born-again believers to be filled with the Spirit. Obviously, this cannot mean indwelling, because that is His department. Peter tells us in Acts 5 that the Holy Ghost endues those who obey God. The purpose for the enduement according to Acts 1:8 is to win souls. Therefore, in order to be filled with the Spirit, we must be obedient to Jesus' command that we preach the Gospel to every creature.

God has also told us that He will pour out His Spirit power to anyone who pleads for a fresh enduement. Let us, by the grace of God, seek to be endued with power from the