Praying in the Holy Spirit or Praying in Tongues - 5

Subject:  More Benefits to Being Spirit Filled

by Rick Welborne

John 16:1-15 (NLT)
¹  “I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith.
²  For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God.
³  This is because they have never known the Father or me.
⁴  Yes, I’m telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember my warning. I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer.
⁵  “But now I am going away to the One Who sent Me, and not one of you is asking where I am going.
⁶  Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you.
⁷  But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send Him to you.
⁸  And when He comes, He will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.
⁹  The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in Me.
¹⁰  Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see Me no more.
¹¹  Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.
¹²  “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now.
¹³  When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own but will tell you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future.
¹⁴  He will bring me glory by telling you whatever He receives from Me.
¹⁵  All that belongs to the Father is Mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever He receives from Me.’ 

--We have been looking at the importance of having Holy Spirit baptism in our lives and how He helps us in so many ways.

--I hope by now you have set aside any bias you have had toward Holy Spirit and are hungering for more and more of Him.

--As we look at reference after reference to Him in the Scriptures we see how He has been sent to the Father to give us what we need to live in a godless world and the power to be His witnesses.

--Tonight we will look at John chapter 16 and see three different encouragements (there are more) that will help us walk out this relationship with Holy Spirit…help us to truly walk in the Spirit.

--Don’t abandon your faith, Don’t miss how important it is for Holy Spirit to come, and don’t miss how relevant Holy Spirit is in the conversion of the lost and repentance of the saints.

1. Don’t abandon your faith.

John 16:1-4 (NLT) 

¹  “I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith.
²  For you will be expelled from the synagogues, and the time is coming when those who kill you will think they are doing a holy service for God.
³  This is because they have never known the Father or Me. 

⁴  Yes, I’m telling you these things now, so that when they happen, you will remember my warning. I didn’t tell you earlier because I was going to be with you for a while longer. 

--We are definitely living in a time where those who claim to be Christian are under persecution. In America it seems that everyone has rights except for those who belong to Jesus. In the Middle East it is death.

--I truly believe God is giving us a window of opportunity with this new administration and I pray we will take advantage of what God has blessed us. Listen to what President Trump just put out about religious freedom:

"This Constitutional protection ensures that Americans and their religious organizations will not be coerced by the Federal Government into participating in activities that violate their consciences, and will remain free to express their viewpoints without suffering adverse treatment from the Federal Government. It shall be the policy of this Administration to protect religious freedom."  

--The Apostle Paul warns us that when we get near the coming or return of Christ there will be a great falling away. Funny how people believe you can’t fall away…not really very funny!

2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 (NKJV)
¹  Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you,
²  not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.
³  Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,
⁴  who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. 

--Evil will wax worse and worse (2 Tim.3) and those who live righteously will suffer persecution…Paul exhorts Timothy to stay in the inspired Word of God and to stir up the gift within him (Holy Spirit).

--Hear your pastor, you do not have to be one of those who fall away…it is a choice…when you keep your eyes on Jesus, when you look into the Word of God, and when you are Spirit filled you don’t have to fall…

--Listen to these verses from Jude and keep them in the context of Holy Spirit:

Jude 1:17-23 (NIV)
¹⁷  But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold.
¹⁸  They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires."
¹⁹  These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
²⁰  But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.
²¹  Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
²²  Be merciful to those who doubt;
²³  snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.

--He says things will be tough but you take personal responsibility and build yourselves up in your faith…How?

You pray in the Spirit and you keep yourselves in God’s love…stop blaming others for you falling.

--Be a soul winner…snatch others from the fire and save them…keeping seeking Jesus:

Jude 1:24-25 (NIV)
²⁴  To Him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy--
²⁵  to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. 

--The context of the first few verses in John 16 is just directing Jesus’ followers to be aware Holy Spirit is coming and He will provide all that they need.

2. Don’t miss how important it is for Holy Spirit to come.

John 16:5-7 (NLT)
⁵  “But now I am going away to the One Who sent Me, and not one of you is asking where I am going.
⁶  Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you.
⁷  But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send Him to you. 

John 16:7 (NIV)  It is for your good 

John 16:7 (NKJV) It is to your advantage

John 16:7 (NCV) It is better for you 

John 16:7 (ASV) It is expedient for you 

--Obviously it is good Holy Spirit is coming to give us the power to overcome the fear or desire to abandon our faith but there is definitely more.

John 16:13-15 (NLT)
¹³  When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own but will tell you what He has heard. He will tell you about the future.
¹⁴  He will bring me glory by telling you whatever He receives from Me.
¹⁵  All that belongs to the Father is Mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever He receives from Me.’

A. Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth…He will guide you to Jesus.

--Even Jesus told His disciples…I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life…no one comes to the Father except thru me.

--If Holy Spirit will guide us to Truth and Jesus is the Truth, who would not want Holy Spirit baptism?

B. Holy Spirit will listen to Jesus, share with us what He hears, and then, He will tell us the future.

--This again points us to the unity of the Trinity…Holy Spirit is not doing His own thing but was sent to communicate Jesus’ message to the church.

--You are exemplifying living a Spirit filled life when you have the good of your brothers and sisters in mind…

There is no room for I and me in the Kingdom…it is when we are the most like Lucifer…I will ascend!

C. Holy Spirit will bring glory to Jesus.

--Again, one who is filled with Holy Spirit will have a spirit of humility, and their goal will not be to look great themselves, but to exalt Jesus above all else.

--Humility and Holy Spirit will make you to be a servant…even if your superior sends you to check the bathrooms first.  Servant leadership is the model here…there is no room for arrogance and pride.

D. Holy Spirit will tell you what He receives from Jesus.

Romans 8:26-29 (NKJV)
²⁶  Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
²⁷  Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
²⁸  And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
²⁹  For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

3. Don’t miss how relevant Holy Spirit is in the conversion of the lost and the conviction of our sin.

John 16:7-8 (NLT)
⁷  But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send Him to you.
⁸  And when He comes, He will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 

--One of the reasons we do not see the conversions that we want to see is because there is very little conviction present in our presentation of the Gospel…it is more us and less Holy Spirit.

--What would happen in our sharing Christ with the lost if we have spent time with Holy Spirit, if we have prayed in the Holy Spirit, and if we are walking in the Spirit? Would He make a difference? Absolutely!

--If Holy Spirit comes to convict the world of its sin, to convince them of God’s righteousness or goodness, and to convince them that judgment is coming…He must be present when we share Christ.

--Again, the example of my father and mother…I prayed and prayed in the Spirit for them, and by my dad’s reaction, thought I was not getting thru…His testimony proved that wrong.

--His words…Every time you spoke to me it was like a spear thru my heart…that is called conviction.

--I am glad Holy Spirit will do this for the sinners but what about the saints…yesterday in prayer Holy Spirit convicted me of making my own plans about my future…I repented.

--As I continued to pray and even weep…He convinced me of His righteousness…the good He wanted to do for me…wow! 

--He even shared with me future judgment where thousands will stand around the throne because of what Life Church is doing thru Missions and thru growing by reaching the lost.

--Who would not want Holy Spirit in their lives?

Get Rid of the Box 4

Subject: Do We Trust God with our Finances

by Rick Welborne

Proverbs 3:1-10 (NKJV)
¹  My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;
²  For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.
³  Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
⁴  And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.
⁵  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
⁷  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
⁸  It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones.
⁹  Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
¹⁰  So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. 

--The first several weeks of this year we have been sharing the series “Get Rid of the Box” and God has been speaking to us in an incredible way.

--The week before Doug Reed we talked about how important it is to carry the Presence of God in an honorable way…we saw that it does matter how we live and how we house the Presence of God.

--I hope we are asking the question on a daily basis…Lord, how do you want me to carry your Presence and then I pray we are obedient.

--Israel, the Philistines, and King David found out the hard way that it does matter and that there are consequences to being disobedient…they saw defeat, death, Dagon fall, and Uzzah die.

--As we approach our Missions Conference next Saturday and Sunday I hope and pray you will allow God to challenge you in the area of your finances and obedience to God.

--It has always been amazing to me how a preacher can talk about pretty much anything and you have the support of the entire congregation but when you talk about money people freeze up. Why?

--It has to be because they do not understand how God works in the area of finances and how God truly wants His people to be blessed in their lives including with money.

--Please understand this is not just a one time and I am done agreement, it is a lifestyle of faithfulness based on the Word of God and here in Proverbs there we see three issues that must be understood.

--There is the issue of the heart, the issue of trust, and the issue of honor

1. The Issue of the Heart

Proverbs 3:1-4 (NKJV)
¹  My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;
²  For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you.
³  Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
⁴  And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. 

--God is saying…don’t forget my Word but let your heart keep my commands…why would He say the heart? Until you get it in your heart and not your head, giving will never make sense to you.

--I will say this, that once you decide in your heart to be faithful and you walk that out over a long period of time…your mind will finally catch up and say oh, that is what God meant.

--Many of you are really stuck in dis-belief (in your box) that the principle of tithing and giving does not work the way you hear people say that it does…it is an issue of the heart.

--Those preachers and TV evangelist are just wanting to get my money…Really? There may be a few preachers or evangelist who want your money for the wrong reason but most of us just want you blessed.

--Several years ago a man in the church was telling me that he thought I should be driving something nicer (Honda Civic) as a Lead Pastor…he also went on to tell me his tithe was paying my salary.

--Being shy like I am, I told him I would drive whatever he bought me that was nicer than my car. I thought (even though I didn’t know what his giving was) that if he is paying my salary I may need food stamps.

--Your heart should ask this question…is it in the Word of God for me to bring my tithe 10% to the church and, if it does, shouldn’t I be obedient? We do not pay our tithes, we bring them…they belong to God.

Nehemiah 13:11-12 (NKJV)
¹¹  So I contended with the rulers, and said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" And I gathered them together and set them in their place.
¹²  Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse.

Malachi 3:7-12 (NIV)
⁷  Ever since the time of your forefathers you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD Almighty. "But you ask, 'How are we to return?'
⁸  "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings.
⁹  You are under a curse--the whole nation of you--because you are robbing me.
¹⁰  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
¹¹  I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty.
¹²  "Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land," says the LORD Almighty.

--Both of the places it says they brought their tithes to the storehouse or the church. You see, I do not want you to be under a curse in your finances…bring your 10% to God’s house…God says to test Him in this..Wow!

 --The benefits…See if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 

Malachi 3:11 (NIV)

¹¹  I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit," says the LORD Almighty. Then all the nations will call you blessed…

Malachi 3:18 (NIV)
¹⁸  And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.

--Pastor, this is all OT so I don’t believe we are under these same rules or commands…nothing in the NT.

NT is tougher in its rules…Don’t commit adultery - OT…NT – Don’t even look at a woman with lust.

Matthew 23:23 (NLT)
²³  “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but you ignore the more important aspects of the law—justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect the more important things.

--I had a lady in a Covenant Members Class (not today) say that she was NT and that she was not bound by the law to tithe. I said ok…you can be NT but this is what they did in the book of Acts.

Acts 4:32, 34-35 (NKJV)
³²  Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.
³⁴  Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold,
³⁵  and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

--It is a condition of the heart, God will multiply your seed (your finances) as you give cheerfully.

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 (NIV)
⁶  Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
⁷  Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
⁸  And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 

2. The Issue of Trust

Proverbs 3:5-8 (NKJV)
⁵  Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
⁷  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil.
⁸  It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. 

--Theses verses are life verses to many people and well should be…I can’t tell you the number of times that I have counseled people and pointed them to these passages.

--Yes, Lord, I trust you with all of my heart in regard to wisdom and understanding, with salvation and with direction, with taking care of my sin, with taking care of my health and healing.

--Lord, you are everything to me and I trust you explicitly…you are my everything and you can be trusted with all of my issues of life…but, Lord, I will take the area of my finances.

Proverbs 3:9-10 (NKJV)
⁹  Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
¹⁰  So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. 

Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee. This represents total commitment. Remember that when God told Israel about the land He was giving to them, He said, "The land is Mine; I am giving it to you." Israel was to bring a tithe. At the very beginning of the harvest they brought the firstfruits. That was to acknowledge that God was the owner of it all. It was an evidence of total commitment.

Don't tell me you are totally committed to the Lord until your pocketbook is committed too. The Lord gave you everything. Some folk may say, "I have worked hard. I earned this." But who gave you the health to work? Who gave you the work to do? Who made it possible for you to make money? My friend, God did all that for you. Acknowledge Him. That is the evidence of total commitment.

--Do you trust that if you bring the tithe first from your income that God will bless you…that your barns will be filled with plenty and that if God will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. 

--If you do not believe this…you do not trust in the Lord with all your heart and you are leaning on your own understanding…you are only acknowledging Him in some of your ways. Vinney and Regina Rodriquez 

--Again, you may be thinking pastor just wants my money…the enemy is just lying to you…I am paid whether you give or not (been happening for years) I just want you blessed like Vinney and Regina.

3. The issue of honor.

Proverbs 3:9 (NCV)
⁹  Honor the LORD with your wealth and the firstfruits from all your crops. 

Honor – Noun: High respect…esteem.  Verb: Adherence to doing what is right for someone…regarding with great respect…Fulfilling an obligation.

--Look at what the Lord says about offerings that are not right and not showing Him the honor He is due.

Malachi 1:6-10 (NIV)
⁶  "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?" says the LORD Almighty. "It is you, O priests, who show contempt for my name. "But you ask, 'How have we shown contempt for your name?'
⁷  "You place defiled food on my altar. "But you ask, 'How have we defiled you?' "By saying that the LORD's table is contemptible.
⁸  When you bring blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice crippled or diseased animals, is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you?" says the LORD Almighty.
⁹  "Now implore God to be gracious to us. With such offerings from your hands, will he accept you?"--says the LORD Almighty.
¹⁰  "Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased with you," says the LORD Almighty, "and I will accept no offering from your hands. 

Illustration – Table marked church and a table marked house. Five different items and ten of each of them. Give one to the church because God is first and nine to your house. Do it again and again.

--As your house fills up to overflowing…you decide to give more…to missions…God blesses you and you give more to the church and to missions…everyone wins because of God’s blessings flowing.

Praying in the Holy Spirit or Praying in Tongues - 4

Subject:  More Benefits to Being Spirit Filled

by Rick Welborne

John 14:26 (NKJV)
²⁶  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

--Last week at the end of chapter 14 we again see Jesus telling the disciples that Holy Spirit is coming…He will teach you all things and He will bring things back to your mind He told you.

--I truly believe Holy Spirit is our answer to having the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:12-16 (NLT)
¹²  And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.
¹³  When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.
¹⁴  But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from God’s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can’t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means.
¹⁵  Those who are spiritual can evaluate all things, but they themselves cannot be evaluated by others.
¹⁶  For, “Who can know the LORD’s thoughts? Who knows enough to teach him?” But we understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ. 

--Remember again that scriptures we not written in chapters and verses, so as we get to chapter 15 this is a continuation of what Jesus was telling us…He was speaking about Holy Spirit. Hear what He says:

John 15:1-8 (NLT)
¹  “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener.
²  He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.
³  You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.
⁴  Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
⁵  “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
⁶  Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.
⁷  But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!
⁸  When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. 

1. We must abide in Jesus by Holy Spirit to produce much fruit. 

--Chapter 14 He introduces us to Holy Spirit and then in 15 tells us that because of this connection with Holy Spirit that our lives will be productive.

--I get amused when I say over and over that I want supernatural Holy Spirit growth in Life Church and people offer ideas of growth that have nothing to do with Holy Spirit.

--If you dared to take Holy Spirit out of the book of Acts you would not have the exciting book that is there.

A. Without Holy Spirit you would not have supernatural empowerment…Day of Pentecost.

B. Without Holy Spirit you would not have supernatural preaching…Peter standing before the multitude.

C. Without Holy Spirit you would not have the supernatural healings…like the man at the Gate Beautiful.

D. Without Holy Spirit you would not have the apostles with discerning spirits…Ananias and Sapphira.

E. Without Holy Spirit you would not have the Gentiles being welcomed into God’s Kingdom…as with Cornelius and his household.

--I could go on and on but you get my point…Holy Spirit was responsible for the miracles and for the supernatural growth in the early church.

--So what’s your point, Pastor Rick? Great question: Unless we abide in Christ or remain in Christ through the power of Holy Spirit we will not bear the fruit He wants us to bear.

--Without this abiding Presence of Holy Spirit we will not be able to grow to 1000 plus, at least, the way they did in the book of Acts…God was adding to the church and then, multiplying.

--Some churches are growing because of a seeker sensitive attitude which means they water down the gospel and send Holy Spirit to a back room…What about being sensitive to seeking Him!

1 John 4:13 (NKJV)
¹³  By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

--So this is key, Jesus is going away, and He wants His disciples to abide in or to remain in Him…How can they do that separate from Holy Spirit…the easy answer is that they can’t. Again keep this in context:

John 15:4-8 (NLT)
⁴  Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
⁵  “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.
⁶  Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.
⁷  But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!
⁸  When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. 

2. We must abide in Jesus by Holy Spirit to be able to love each other.

John 15:9-13 (NLT)
⁹  “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.
¹⁰  When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
¹¹  I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!
¹²  This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.
¹³  There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

--Your greatest motivation to live a pure and holy life will not come thru some incredible willpower that you can muster up when temptation comes.

--Your greatest motivation to abstain from sin will be from loving Christ and remaining or abiding in that love through Holy Spirit.

--Jesus tells us to love one another the same way He loved us…evidently Jesus had not met some of us and seen how unlovable we can be…some people are just rude and nasty…talking about Christians.

--How can we muster up this love for each other…separate from Holy Spirit I do not believe that it is possible.

Romans 5:5-6 (BBE)
⁵  And hope does not put to shame; because our hearts are full of the love of God through the Holy Spirit which is given to us.
⁶  For when we were still without strength, at the right time Christ gave his life for evil-doers. 

--Remember how we talked about bearing much fruit for Christ and how staying connected to Jesus thru Holy Spirit could help us…the same is true with love and other attributes that we need…last week I shared:

Galatians 5:22-26 (NKJV)
²²  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
²³  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
²⁴  And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
²⁵  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
²⁶  Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

--What is Paul saying here…He is saying that what comes out of being filled with Holy Spirit power and abiding in Holy Spirit are these things: is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control.

--Right before Paul speaks of the humility of Christ…he tells us how we also need to be humble toward one another thru His Spirit:

Philippians 2:1-5 (NKJV)
¹  Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,
²  fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
³  Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.
⁴  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
⁵  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…

--Wow, Pastor Rick, you make it sound like that having Holy Spirit in our lives is so important to having love for each other and being fruitful for God’s Kingdom…exactly.

Question to me: Pastor, I feel that my life has been effective and that God has used me in wonderful ways…do I really need this experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit?

Answer: I believe you are born again, I believe you have been used by God in wonderful ways, and I know Holy Spirit came in you at salvation, but if the baptism in the Holy Spirit is biblical and available, why wouldn’t you want Him? Why wouldn’t you want more of God in your life? Thank God for the fruit you have been bearing but just imagine bearing more fruit than you thought possible? I personally want more!

3. We must abide in Jesus by Holy Spirit to be living testimonies for Christ.

John 15:26-27 (NKJV)
²⁶  "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
²⁷  And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.

--I love the fact that Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of truth who proceeds from or is sent by the Father.

John 8:31-32 (NKJV)
³¹  Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
³²  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

--If it is the truth that will make people free wouldn’t it behoove us to be filled with the Spirit of truth.

--The problem with sharing Christ with lost people is the reality of them being deceived by living a lifestyle that is not good or that is destructive. They need to see and know the truth.

--We cannot in ourselves unveil what their condition is apart from the presence of Holy Spirit. What if we pray in the Holy Spirit? What if Holy Spirit gives a word of knowledge, wisdom, or discernment?

--Truth is revealed and they are set free because the Spirit of God is flowing thru us…again this verse.

Acts 1:8 (NKJV)
⁸  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." 

--Here is a beautiful scriptural example of how Holy Spirit works in leading people to Christ…to the truth!

Acts 8:26-31 (NKJV)
²⁶  Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." This is desert.
²⁷  So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship,
²⁸  was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.
²⁹  Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go near and overtake this chariot."
³⁰  So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
³¹  And he said, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.

--What if Phillip had not been sensitive to Holy Spirit…I love his response when the Spirit spoke to him…

Phillip ran to the man to share Christ.

--Oh, that we would do the same.