God Fills Ordinary, Thirsty People - Zac Poonen - September 5, 2015

I want to begin with Luke's Gospel chapter 3 our theme for this conference is be filled with the Holy Spirit and I want you to see the type of people God chooses to fill with his holy spirit Luke chapter 3 and verse 1 look at the names of all these great men in the world in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar he was the ruler in know the ruler of the world as it were in Rome Pontius Pilate governor of Judea Herod Tetrarch of Galilee his brother Philip Tetrarch of the region of ite and friken and itis licenese tetrarch of abilene is the holy spirits mentioning all this with a purpose those are the great leaders in the world and then the great leaders in religious Jewish society Anna's and Caiaphas great Bible scholars and religious leaders the Word of God bypassed all of them and came to a man in the wilderness called John and he became the greatest prophet and man born since the time of Adam as Jesus said and that's something its characteristic throughout scripture today in Christendom the people who are admired are great famous people great Bible scholars who've got a lot of degrees after their names and I think of this passage the work of God a real work of God that will remain for eternity a lot of things that you see today in Christendom I want to tell you maybe you don't have discernment to see it it's wood hay and straw I've seen it clearly and I decided mmm I've got only one life to live and I want to make sure that I don't spend it building with wood hay and straw but with gold silver and precious stones we don't want to come to the judgement seat of Christ and discover that we spent our earthly life taken up with what was big and great in the eyes of man a lot of things that are bigger great in the eye in the eye in Christendom than the eyes of man were not what God wanted the only way to know what God wants is by reading the scriptures and if you are careless about reading God's Word if you have more time to read other things on the internet if you spend more time every day with Facebook than with God's book don't expect to be a man filled with the holy spirit mmm just forget it you'll drift along with the rest of Christendom wasting your life and wasting your time there's nothing wrong with these things there's nothing wrong with reading the news or going to Facebook it's a question of time when the devil cannot get Christians falling into sin he's he says these Christians are careful about falling into sin his next tactic is to keep them busy busy busy busy with a whole lot of things that will not bring spiritual profit in their life and a person who is eager to be filled with the Holy Spirit doesn't have time for that I was mentioning yesterday that when you build a skyscraper you first fight doubt whether you want to pay the price so I'm mentioning part of the price are you willing to give up some of those things which are not wrong to be told to give up the things that are wrong we understand things were not in the will of God mm-hmm but to give up that which is not wrong but which is lawful that's where we are tested and that's what makes the difference between an ordinary believer and a man of God or a woman of God an ordinary believer in one full of the Holy Spirit in generally in Christendom in Pentecostal charismatic circles it is an initial experience of the Holy Spirit that's emphasized and that's about all they ask you questions like are you baptized in the Holy Spirit do you know that in the Acts of the Apostles nobody asks that question nobody in that way are you baptized in the Holy Spirit Sea baptism is another religious word like I said prophesy yesterday we got to understand what it really means baptism baptism is a Greek word which means immersion and I really wish that that word had been translated immersion rather than transliterated which is import the word from the Greek into English and nobody knows what it means because when you hear baptism what's the picture you have in your mind for 90% or 80% of Christians it's the sprinkling of a baby that's baptism you see it as being put under water the word is immersion so baptism in the Holy Spirit is to be immersed in the holy spirit and that is to be filled with the Holy Spirit and let's get that here first of all let me turn you to Acts of the Apostles chapter 1 in acts 1 jesus said that three expressions here you see an x-15 John baptized with water but you will be baptized or John immersed you in water for repentance but you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit not many days from now that's one way he expressed it immersed in the Holy Spirit there are two ways to be immersed one is to be put into a river or a tank and the other is to stand under a waterfall you stand on a waterfall you're immersed - so what is the picture water baptism the other is a picture of immersion of the Holy Spirit whether Holy Spirit is pictured in Revelation like a river flowing from the throne of God and when I get under that River hmm it flows and it flows through me from from my innermost being into other people and blesses them so the second expression he used here is verse eight you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and when that actually happened in acts 2:4 it says they were filled with the Holy Spirit so immersed in the Holy Spirit spirit coming upon them and verse Jax - for they were filled with the Holy Spirit it's really the same thing now remember what I read yesterday in John chapter 20 and verse 22 that Jesus had already breathed on them and said receive the Holy Spirit so the question is did they receive the Holy Spirit at that time or not it was that ever a word that Jesus spoke in his life that did not take place when he said that somebody was healed or a demon was cast out it always took place what about when Jesus said received the Holy Spirit I believe they did but they were not filmed now I don't go into analysis of all these things because if you think of the early Christians you know unfortunately we think theological study is the way to know God it's not the early Christians did not have a Bible God the whole New Testament was not written till about 15 the first book was written about 15 20 years after the day of Pentecost and some of the other books 3035 years after the day of Pentecost so picture an early gathering of Christians nobody has a Bible there's no way the preacher doesn't have a Bible either and you can't say this verse this chapter this verse we have it today it's good the only place where they had a Bible which was only Old Testament those days was in the synagogue but it was in a parchment they roll the scroll and see what the scripture says that's how they would compare Scripture with Scripture but how did these people come into the fullness of the Holy Spirit without somebody explaining the theology of the baptism the Holy Spirit to them today we can do that look at this verse look at that verse look at that verse and we study it and our books written on it and the end result is is I hardly find many people really full of the Holy Spirit because we've made it a matter of the head and you know you can sit in a meeting like this and make it a head affair remember what I said yesterday it is not for you to know acts 1:7 it's not for you to know but you shall receive power in the heart the Holy Spirit does not fill the head he fills the heart it's one of the things the Lord helped me to understand from the time I was a very young Christian when I started reading the Bible I didn't know much about the Bible I'd never read it in my life when I was converted at the age of 19 and a half but in six months I decided to read through the whole Bible just to get an overview of it and then I would look take some commentaries because I didn't know anything and when I took a commentary and I found it spoke to my head I put it away I said I want to read that for example commentary on Philippians would tell me all about the history of Philip I and I was not interested in that I was interested in a letter to the Philippines so I'd put it aside and most commentaries are like that unfortunately but I found one or two that really helped me to understand scripture and that started me off on the study of Scripture I didn't read many commentaries I think only one or two that is for individual books and that started me on studying the scripture in a way that would speak to my heart you remember what the psalmist said in psalm 119 you know if you read scripture carefully you notice something some 119 verse 11 thy word have I treasured in my heart that I may not sin against you remember that word I one of the words I memorized when I was a young man the King James Version said thy word have I hid or treasured in my heart that I may not sin against you so I realized I must not treasure God's word in my mind it's in my heart and if I study God's word in my mind is just to preach to other people a lot of people even a lot of preachers they study the Bible to prepare sermons God didn't give us the Bible to prepare sermons yet most preachers they study the Bible to prepare servants it was not meant for that was from sin like someone said hmm this book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book thy word have I treasured in my heart that I might not sin against thee so what I want to share is and always emphasize the heart more than the head when you study scripture or any doctrine you understand you want to understand forgiveness understand it in your heart a lot of people who understand justification in their head were not justified a lot of people who understand being filled with the Holy Spirit in their heads they can explain it but they're not filled with the Holy Spirit God chooses the most unusual people to fill think of the way Jesus chose his apostles there was a Bible School in Jerusalem run by a great professor called Gamaliel he was the professor who taught saul of tarsus and there were great scholars there you had to be a fairly rich person's child to get to be able to pay for all that and study there but Jesus didn't go there to select one single person to be his disciple he picked up people who were ignorant of the Scriptures humanly speaking in fact in acts 4 the chief priests said about Peter and John these unlearn and men they were called unlearned because they were fishermen they were the first people filled with the Holy Spirit showing that God was not interested in a head knowledge of the fullness of the Holy Spirit you can take a Bible study on the baptism the Holy Spirit and be as dry as a bone in your own life because it's not a head matter then to whom does God give this to those who have a thirst very very important see John chapter 7 John seven Jesus stood on the last day of the great day of the feast this is one of those rare instances where Jesus stood up and proclaimed the word most of the time he would sit and speak John 7:37 he said if any man is thirsty let him come to me hmm who said anybody can come to Jesus it's not true remember the word I quoted yesterday come to me not any Tom Dick and Harry those who are weary and heavy-laden Lord what if I'm not Mary in heavy-laden stay where you are you're not invited what are you are not sick and tired of your defeated Christian life stay where you are you are not invited because he did not come to call the righteous he did not come to call this self-satisfied he came to call sinners who were sick and tired of that defeated life and I tell you that is the reason why so many Christians never enter into this deeper or higher Christian life there's one single reason they get angry and they're not sick and tired of their anger they confess it but they are not sick and tired of it they lust in their mind sexually and they are not sick and tired of it and see how well Jesus forgives me some of them go further and watch pornography in secret and they have the hypocrisy to come on Sunday and sing loud that they're giving their eyes and their Lord take everything take my life and let it be consecrated a lot to thee and they don't feel anything about it because next week they're going to do the same ol thing you think Jesus is inviting such people he is not they can continue to be hypocrites and continue to sit in the best church in the world for all their life and finally end up in hell but if you're sick and tired of your defeated life you're invited brother sister young child you're invited and if you're thirsty if any man is thirsty come to me if you're not thirsty don't come if you want to get a Bible study on the fullness of the Holy Spirit don't come you're not invited go somewhere else because you only want an intellectual answer you may get it lots of books on it I know how I began to see God for the fullness of the Holy Spirit when I was 22 23 years old I was in an assembly called a Brethren assembly we studied the Bible like we study chemistry or physics you know analytically and history books with a head it was good I got to know the scriptures but I found a tremendous lack of power in my life and they never preached the fullness of the Holy Spirit in that church they're good people but you know every church has got some limitations but I found a lack of power in my life and I said Lord there's something missing in my life and I need the power of the Holy Spirit does not through analytical study of Scripture that I came to that it is because I honestly felt I'm not experienced in the power of the early Christians I read commands in Scripture that I never seemed to be able to obey have you read a verse like Philippians 4:4 rejoice in the Lord always are you disturbed when you read that verse that you're not rejoicing always you're not I'll tell you why because almost hundred percent of the Christians you meet don't rejoice always oh he say well I suppose it doesn't mean that maybe always meant something else in the first century doesn't mean 24/7 maybe six over twenty-four something like that in a day but if you're honest and say Lord I don't do it or couple verses later Philippians 4:6 be anxious for nothing you say well nothing probably meant not something else in the first century what does it mean to be anxious for nothing you take a verse like that and say Lord I'm not living there that's what I mean by being sick and tired of your defeated life I'm not talking about murder and adultery and all I'm talking about seeing the standard of God in the New Testament and saying Lord I'm not coming up to it or Philippians 2:14 do all things without murmuring and or grumbling or complaining is it true in your life mmm-hmm are you sick and tired of the fact that you're not obeying that hmm or in Philippians for further down verse 11 I'm content in whatever state I am is that true in your life see the thing is we don't see these as sins because no preacher tells us these things and so we see a Christendom that in a very pathetic state increasing in numbers people glorying in mega churches 15,000 20,000 30,000 are these 30,000 people disciples are these 30,000 people who are rejoicing always who never grumble never complain never anxious content in what they are no it's not even 5 or 10 people in that 30,000 crowd were like that what are you boasting about so I am NOT impressed by numbers you know earthly people count the number of people and say so many in a church if the angels were to ask Jesus up in heaven how many people in that church of 30,000 Jesus may say 3 that's the way I want to look at it I won't look at it everything on earth the way heaven looks at it I don't want to look at anything on earth the way human beings look at it I want to look at a church the way heaven looks at it are these really disciples so if anyone is thirsty Lord I long for this life visions 5:20 says in everything give thanks give thanks for all things always do I say Lord I'm not living up there I'm just showing you a few verses I could show you a lot more but I don't want you to all feel condemned I'm just trying to show you why we are not really filled with the Holy Spirit because we're not thirsty for this life and Jesus doesn't invite anybody you want an intellectual answer come to me he never said that he said are you thirsty do you read my word and do you thirst Lord I want this life that's how I sought God I did not read books on being filled with the Holy Spirit I was just thirsty because I saw a standard in Scripture which I just did not have and I found all the people in my church or most of them anyway were pretty content with their substandard statement but I was not you know you go into some of the slums or ghettos where people live in a very very unhygienic state under many like that in India weather no proper toilets the drains are all filthy there are rats and mosquitoes and cockroaches and it's filth the roofs are leaking and would you like to live there I don't want to live there even if I have to spend half my income on renting out I wouldn't want to live there that's a picture of most of Christendom to me most of Christendom and many churches spiritually speaking even eyes to see from God's point of view is like a filthy slum what's it that makes us long I mean they're all the exterior is grand probably millions of dollars spent on that building in the carpets and the chairs but God sees it as a slum because their sin their sin in the family life number of those people are divorced to sit there they've disregarded marriage and now there are even more crazy things coming into a so called churches it's a slum it's filth and if you have eyes to see you will see it and say Lord I don't want to live in this filthy slum in my own life I want to live pure I want to be holy I'm not saying we walk away from there but keep yourself from that filleth you God has placed you in that church then you must be a blessing to the other people and lead them out of their filth and their Islam that's how I see it don't be impressed by greatness you know people think that if something's growing that must be of God you hear of some church oh it started out with just 2030 people has grown to ten thousand twenty thousand it doesn't impress me shall I tell you how Islam has grown shall I tell you how Islamic fundamentalists have grown far faster than any Christian Church are you going to be impressed by numbers you got to join them don't be impressed by numbers Jesus was never impressed by numbers so when I'm in the midst of all this type of Christendom if you long for the type of life that the New Testament speaks about then you will come into Jerusalem the true church you know in the end of the Bible you read about two types of churches Babylon and Jerusalem and Babylon is called the great city the mega church 11 times in today's language it is the mega church Babylon Jerusalem is called the holy city the holy church so you had two to two types of churches at the end of Revelation it's the end of time the mega church and the holy church which one do you want to be a part of which one where gets greater recognition on earth which pastor gets invited to big TV programs to be interviewed not oh not the one from the Holy Church the mega church who wants to be interviewed in those TV programs anyway we want to be accepted by God not recognized in the world we're not interested in Time magazine recognizing us but that Almighty God recognizing us and I'll tell you honestly Satan recognizing me that's more important you know once somebody tried to cast out if that demon and the demon said Jesus I know and Paul I know who are you and I tell you Jesus knows that the devil doesn't recognize great people in the world but he recognizes a Jesus and he recognizes a Paul men who were full of the Spirit humble men on the devil tremble when such people around do you want to be one like that you can be if you're willing to pay the price Jesus said sit down and count the cost if you want it and I'll tell you one thing if any of you are not continuously full of the Holy Spirit there is only one reason you are not willing to pay the price so let me read a verse in Matthew chapter 6 when Jesus taught us to pray you know we pray for the Holy Spirit to fill us but let's begin with praying like this Matthew 6 verse 9 pray then in this way our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name so what is the first request he didn't say we must repeat that every day he said pray in this way so I don't have to repeat it every day but that means the basic principle that motivates me in prayer must be the things written here in other words my number one burden you know prayer has come out of a burden if it doesn't come from a burden it's not prayer I'll tell you why a lot of prayers are not answered let me let first of all mention something about prayers like a circle the first half of the circle is from heaven God putting a burden in my heart for something the second half of that circle is me praying that prayer back to God in faith independence of God believing he will answer it because it was a burden from him I mean if it's something I myself want like I like a nice house Lord or a better car or you know a better job okay fine I don't know whether that came as a burden from God if it's not a burden from God you can ask for it there's no guarantee you'll get it but if it is a burden that was given by God you can be absolutely sure you'll get it that's why I say read the scriptures because in the scriptures you have God's mind and you ask for the things written Lord I want to rejoice always if you trust the Lord he'll do it for you Lord I want to live a life where I'm anxious for nothing he'll do it for you Lord I want to live a life where I never complain never grumble he'll do it for you Lord when it says in Ephesians 4:31 put away all anger Lord I want a life where there's no anger zero anger in my life he'll do it for you if it's a burden from God we can have faith for it so remember circle just to begin with God all prayer begins with God through the Holy Spirit comes into my heart comes back if it stops here and I don't pray it in faith I don't get anything if it doesn't start from God it doesn't I don't get anything Jesus once said in Matthew 15 every plant which my Heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted out it can be a good plant it can be a big plant it will be rooted out because God did not plant it God is the only listened to this God is the only legitimate originator of anything that is eternal he is the only legitimate originator of anything that lasts for eternity so I want everything that I do to originate in God God gives me a burden and I express it back in to God in faith and it'll be mine does God want you to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that's where we're coming to our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name let your name be respected revered honored that should be the number one desire in the heart of every true believer my back ache can wait my cancer can wait hallowed be thy name you start praying like that you live a completely Christian life on a completely different level what that means is I look around and I say Lord your name is so dishonored in the world and worse than that your name is so dishonored in Christendom I want your name to be honored I can't remember how many hundreds of times I have prayed to God Lord Jesus your name is so dishonored in India that's why that's where my ministry is that's where I've lived all my seventy five and a half years your name is so dishonored in India I want your name to be glorified can I do something in a small way to hallow your name that has been the burden of my heart for many years it's the burden of my heart today wherever I go Lord your name is not hallowed in this church I'm not talking about this one the different churches I go to different so many churches that columns or Church of Jesus Christ Lord of your name is not hallowed it's not respected honored your name is not being glorified that's the most important thing what can I do to glorify your name what can I do Lord I somebody's asked me to speak in a church I don't know whether your name is being glorified in this church but I'm concerned it should be will you give me words to help them to hallow your name so the right I might finish speaking in that church in a series of meetings they learn to hallo and respect your name a little more that should be the burden of a hardening you not don't have to be a preacher you can be a brother or sister and you meet people if you meet people and you speak to them if you have a burden you meet people who are not glorifying God's name are you concerned about it then you need to be filled with the Holy Spirit see that's the type of person who's longing if any man thirsts let me show you another passage it's in Luke chapter 11 Luke 11 similar words he was praying in a certain place Luke 11:1 and when he finished praying the disciple said wow that's not written there but that was in their heart Lord teach us to pray we've never heard anybody pray like this we've heard all the long boring prayers that the Pharisees pray and Lord this is so different you speak to the Father in such an intimate way teach us to pray like this then he taught them father hallowed be thy name and he didn't finish their the teaching on prayer which he began in verse 2 ends in verse 13 and verse 13 he said to pray for the Holy Spirit that's why I'm getting there so it began remember he's not teaching them how to pray for the Holy Spirit okay because that's what concludes how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit verse 13 to those who ask him you don't have because you don't ask you ask and you don't receive because you ask with wrong motives for your own honor or for an own excitement then also you don't get you don't get because you don't ask you don't get because you ask you the wrong motive so let's get these things right let's ask and let's answer the right motive so Lord teach us to pray teach us to pray in the right way okay first of all learn to pray that God's name will be hallowed forget your own needs you see God's kingdom first he will add all your needs to you I've experienced that for more than 50 years God's preserved us individually as a family as a church he honors us if we honor him so hallowed be your name Lord that won't be that must be the burden of my heart your kingdom must come in your church your will must be done on earth this is the first three requests he taught us to pray and then we can pray for our needs but then he goes on in verse five remember keep in mind always we are praying for the Holy Spirit supposing one of you has a have a friend and you go to him at midnight in sea that's your neighbor why do you go to him at midnight because we're six another friend of mine came to my house someone comes to your house at midnight and you don't have any food in your home the fridge is empty there's no food because you didn't expect him to come you don't want to ask him have you eaten because if he says no you're stuck you don't have anything but this guy was so concerned I mean if that was your son or daughter you would ask him have you eaten and he was concerned for a stranger and he says no I haven't eaten well I'm going to get something I don't have anything in the house but I'll go and ask my neighbor so he goes to his neighbor's house and it says here he knocks at his door at midnight and listen to this first of all how many of you would go to your neighbor's house and just think of it practically even if he's a good friend of yours to wake him up at midnight say hey I want some bread for my friend who's come I think most of us would tell this friend hey let's just pray drink a glass of water man we live in the morning we need something but the he was so concerned remember remember this what are we driving at how to pray for the Holy Spirit okay you see a friend of yours in needs spiritual needs and you don't ignore it that's where it begins you see people around you in spiritual need this is where prayer for the Holy Spirit begins and you know him is a friend of yours and you see his need but you can't help him you don't have anything to help him the words that you give don't satisfy him you give him a glass of water that's not enough he's hungry such a person will begin to seek God and how will he see God he goes to his friend his friend is God now now God doesn't answer like this man but there's a lesson here the friend verse 7 says rooms I don't bother me now the door is shut my children are in bed with me and I cannot get up and give you anything how many FS will continue to knock unashamedly keeping on knocking and somebody who says get away man don't disturb me I don't think you'd knock even if he's a good friend of yours but this man continued II and I tell you even though if he doesn't get up because he is friend he'll get up because it was persistence he says I can't sleep man this guy's banging away at the door so he gets up and gives him how much does he give listen to this this is a beautiful expression of seeking for the fullness of the Spirit he will give him verse 8 as much as he needs Wow Lord here are some people who needy I don't have what it takes how much will you give me as much as you need I want to tell you my honest testimony I prove this in 50 years of preaching to people very often I don't know most of them I say Lord what is their need you know give me what they need as much as they need and he's always given it if I'm persistent and if I have a love that's important a love for the people I'm speaking to I always tell preachers my fellow elders you must love the people you are preaching to you must see them as slaves who should be Kings in God's eyes you must see them as bound we should be conquering have a burden then you see God he'll fill you with His Holy Spirit that's the point here and if you don't get an answer immediately from God what do you do persistence Lord I'm not going to give up I didn't get it yet I'm not going to give up verse nine and I say to you ask in this way and it'll be given you that's the meaning seek in this way and you will find knock in this way and it will be open to you do you see why we don't get why we don't find and why the door is not opened because we're not asking seeking knocking in this way then he uses another example one is persistence we've understood the parable of persistence now here is another parable which speaking about faith you need persistence and you need faith they go together if you ask your father for fish will he give you a snake you know there are people like that who say oh I better not pray for the Holy Spirit I mean get some other spirit no God will not give you a snake we ask for fish if you ask you for an egg will you give you a scorpion if you being evil now from that I get and give good gifts to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him like this what I get from that verse is that the best earthly father think of the best earthly father in the world he is evil compared to God it's like saying the light of the star his darkness compared to the light of the Sun that's why you can't see the stars right now they're there but you can't see it because it's almost like darkness compared to the light of the Sun in other words the best earthly father is light and love is like the light of a star compared to the love of God which is like the Sun if I can believe that that's faith if my earthly father will not deny me the best earthly father will not deny his child what he needs he's not asking for an elephant or a railway train or something he's asking for bread he's asking for that which he needs and if he will not deny it how will my heavenly father deny the fullness of the Holy Spirit to those who ask him so it's persistence and faith thirst which leads to persistence and faith so if he come to God like that we make ordinary people let me encourage you the type of people whom God chose here's another example turn with me to 1 Kings because sometimes we see oh I'm just ordering person 1 Kings chapter 19 God wanted a prophet to replace Elijah the great man of God where Elijah's came from we don't know because he suddenly appears the Prophet but we're his successor came from we know Elijah Elijah went and we're 1 Kings 19 19 he found Elijah Elisha was not in a Bible school either you know God doesn't go to Bible schools I tell you how we should understand that I never went to a Bible School I'm thankful for that the men of God who blessed me the most in my life from my earliest Christian life are men who never went to a Bible School Elisha he was plowing he was an ordinary farmer and Elisha threw his mantle over in which everybody understood was a signified that you're going to be the next prophet Elisha immediately understood that oh really let me say goodbye to my father and mother and I'll follow you he says in verse 20 and he took the pair of oxen and sacrificed some of them and boiled their flesh verse 20 and he followed Elisha immediately whom did God pick who got a double portion of villager spirit an ordinary farmer one movers Book of Amos Amos was one of the prophets in Israel and you read some fantastic things he says in his prophecy if you read Amos Amos chapter 7 I hope you know your Bibles where Amos comes you're gonna meet him in heaven he'll ask you whether you read his book Amos chapter 7 Amos said to Amaziah I am NOT a prophet he was but he didn't think of himself as some great prophet that's a mark of genuine prophets and apostles they don't think of themselves ordinary people I'm not the son of a prophet it means my dad was not a prophet either I'm a herdsman I look after herds and I gathered Sycamore Freight growing Sycamore figs I'm a farmer but the Lord took me from following the flock and said go prophesy I'm just showing you the type of people whom God chooses John the Baptist out in the wilderness Peter James and John fishermen and Elijah was a farmer Camus was just gathered suddenly God lays Haldeman says go and be my prophet do you think God could be laying hold of you if you don't have high thoughts about yourself if you say I'm just an ordinary person God chooses ordinary people to be his servants you can seek Him if you have a concern lord I want your name to be honored I want the name of Jesus to be honored around me first of all in my life I want the name of Jesus to be honored in my family life the way I live with my wife force husband I want the name of Jesus to be honored the way my children grow up do you have a burden about these things or do you have a desire to be a great preacher or you'll completely miss God's will if your desire is to be someone great in the world or someone great in the church get rid of it that may be the thing that's hindering you from being filled with the Holy Spirit I remember hearing a bum posture in a church in Boston at the end of the 19th century he was a very famous speaker but he heard deal Moody and I'll speak about the baptism the Holy Spirit and he felt there's something missing in his ministry and he began to seek for the baptism of the Holy Spirit and he prayed and prayed and he surrendered everything laid everything on the altar as far as he knew and he's still nothing happened and as he sought the Lord the Lord said why do you want to be baptized in the Holy Spirit so that you couldn't become a famous preacher and he suddenly saw his motive was all wrong and he said lord I give it up I place that also on the altar I don't want to be a great preacher in this church he can take it away I just want to be filled with the Holy Spirit be your child and God filled him and God led him to leave that church and he joined William Booth in England The Salvation Army and William Booth was a wonderful godly man he knew how to train people this great preacher come from Merrigan he said if you come here to be trained to be a servant he got to first go down to the basement and polish everybody's shoes that's your job for the next six months polish the shoes of all these Salvation Army people man this great preacher he went down there and he developed from there to be one of the greatest men of God in the Salvation Army so often when we think we have laid everything on the altar we haven't there's something on earth or in the church we're seeking that blocks the pipe the river doesn't flow so let's examine ourselves let's bow before God hmm Heavenly Father as we bow before you we want to walk in your light and let the light of God shine into every nook and corner of our heart we really want to be filled with the Holy Spirit thank you jesus name amen

Channel: River of Life Christian Fellowship

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Keywords: god, fills, ordinary, thirsty, people, be, filled, with, holy, spirit, zac, poonen, sermon, rlcf, family, conference, 2015, river, life, christian, fellowship

Id: 3-EYFexyeuQ

Length: 49min 14sec (2954 seconds)

Published: Sat Sep 05 2015