Immersed In The Holy Spirit By Zac Poonen

when we seek for anything any promise of God it's very important that we don't seek for it because we hurt somebody's testimony a testimony can only confirm what is written in the Word of God and anyone who seeks any experience with God on the basis of a testimony is either gonna go astray or be confused and that is the main reason why I find a lot of people are confused concerning the baptism in the Holy Spirit they read somebody's testimony they've heard testimonies they have seen how people behave when they claim to be baptized Holy Spirit and they try to act like that and the whole thing just is confusion and it's mainly because most Christians are too lazy to study the Scriptures to see what God is promised them and they live on a diet of testimonies hearing different messages never searching the scriptures to see whether God has promised them something and then I know somebody who told me brother Zack forty years I've been seeking for the bap - Holy Spirit Arabic God anything I know he was from a Pentecostal church he was looking for something which he had heard in testimonies now if you want to avoid all that frustration I would recommend that you go to scripture and see for yourself from Scripture like the Bereans even when the Apostle Paul preached they searched the scriptures and remember they didn't have a Bible at home those days I'm often wondered you know when we read in acts 17 they search the scriptures we get the idea they went home and looked at their Bibles but they never had anybody they had to go to the synagogue and ask some rabbi to read out something from a scroll there was no concordance but they searched the scriptures to see whether this wonderful thing Paul was preaching was true or not so I'm not surprised that God met with them and called them more noble than others next 17 let me show you that verse in case you're not familiar with it it's a very important verse acts 17 it compares two groups of believers verse 11 of Acts 17 Paul and Silas went to Berea first then verse 11 these barians were more noble minded than those in Thessalonica now it's wonderfully the Holy Spirit tells me I'm more noble minded than another person another believer if the Holy Spirit can say that you are more noble minded than another believer boy that's a pretty good certificate to get why because first of all they received the word with great eagerness and secondly the examined the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so and therefore many of them believed it was not just a blind faith first of all there was a tremendous eagerness and openness to receive Scripture which means they're willing to get rid of all their traditions there are many many traditions for and against the baptism in the Holy Spirit and to receive God's Word with eagerness indicates they were willing to throw aside all their traditions in order to receive God's Word there was a hunger and a thirst and God always pours water on the dry ground on thirsty no in a land is dry it's like crying out for water and when there is a thirst remember Jesus said if anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink and out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water so they were eager and then they searched the scriptures to see is it really like that I mean Paul's a great preacher but we can't rely on Paul's word does God's Word say that so if you know that God's Word says that for you and you can claim it from God it's like a postman has got a money order you got to make sure it's in your name otherwise it's no use you get a check and it's not in your name it's not for you maybe for somebody else so there are promises that God gave Israel they're not for me I don't go trying to claim them I want to know what are the promises God made for me then I can claim them there are many things like God promised Israel I'll give you land honor the land of Canaan I don't I don't want any part of the land of Canaan it's not for me so what does the scripture say in relation to the baptism in the Holy Spirit first of all let me say that the first promise in the Bible is Matthew 1:21 if you shall call his name Jesus you need to understand the meaning of the name Jesus first why because he's this Savior and Baptizer in the Holy Spirit so the main problem with the vast majority of Christians please believe me and I've seen Christians for 50 years it's so Elementary they haven't understood the meaning of the name Jesus they pray in Jesus name without knowing what it means they gather in Jesus name thinking Jesus in their myths without even knowing what it means it's almost as though they couldn't care less what the name of Jesus means it's like a magic mantra like these Hari Krishna people keep on repeating a chant in the Buddhist keep repeating a chant for Christians many people who pray in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus it's a chant and it accomplishes as little as chanting in the name of any other God and prayers are not uncertain they say well maybe Christians have got so used to their prayers not being answered that they think it's it's like a lottery when somebody says his prayer was answered he's the lucky guy who won the lottery but I don't happen to be among that lucky crowd who gets the lottery Jesus didn't say that one in a thousand people will get their prayers answered he says if you pray in my name you'll get it but you would understand what that mean is that name is Matthew 1:21 you shall call his name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins not he will forgive their sins like it is commonly preached we call Jesus Savior but we act as though he's only forgiver have you ever heard of anybody calling Jesus the forgiver no they call him Savior but they don't even know what Savior means it's plain simple English to be saved from something is different from being forgiven something if I get angry and I ask the Lord to forgive me he forgives me it doesn't mean I'm saved from anger because tomorrow I get angry again if I lust with my eyes and I ask the Lord to forgive me he forgives me but tomorrow I do it again if I have got a bitter spirit now I say Lord to forgive me for that he forgives me but tomorrow I'll get bitter against somebody again I'm not being saved I've been forgiven what have I being saved from well people say I've been saved from hell well Jesus doesn't say anywhere Jesus came to save us from Hell be like the Bereans and search the Scriptures and see if there's a single verse in the whole New Testament that Jesus came to save us from hell that is what the preachers have told you you believe it for so many years because you don't check the scriptures I was like that for many years and I was thoroughly defeated miserable discouraged every imaginable thing I became such a backslider just listening to our preacher said that I almost quit the ministry till I decided to go to the Word of God like the Bereans and that's what changed my life now I'll encourage all of you I mean there's no excuse from you're not milling scripture because you can read and you got a Bible in your own language and instead of reading storybooks and the newspapers and television so much spend a little time in the coming days searching God's Word and it doesn't matter if you're not baptized the Holy Spirit today the important thing is to get a genuine experience based on God's Word and his promise to you so I only want to lay a foundation first of all dear brothers and sisters please understand the name Jesus means being saved one who comes to save us from our sin so what does it mean to pray in the name of Jesus means praying in the name of one who's come to save me from my sin I want to be saved from all my sin then I can ask him for so many things and I get it but if you don't want to be saved from your sin then you're not praying in the name of Jesus you're praying in I don't know some other name could be another Jesus only forgive sins you know it says in 2nd Corinthians 11 about another Jesus that is a Jesus who forgives sins but doesn't save from sin it's not in the Bible it's some other Jesus you pray in that name I'm not surprised you don't get an answer well you say sometimes you got an answer well that's the type of hidden lock hidden you know miss and hidden sometimes you get it luck method which even you know Hindus and Muslims pray and they say they got an answer to prayer he's your prayer any more effective than the prayer of a non-christian for anything you pray for for your children for your family for anything that's an important question the second thing is when people say they gather in the name of Jesus what is that the name of one who came to save us from sin and he has a whole lot of people who call themselves a church well then no interest in being saved from sin they're not gathered in the name of Jesus so other Jesus and that's why you have fight and strife and quarreling in all types of things in those churches so the number one promise in the New Testament the number one thing which the Lord wants us to learn is that the name Jesus means being saved from sin he came to save us from our sins so make that your number 1 a.m. brothers and sisters think of the number of people crowds who go for a healing meaning to be healed from their sicknesses how many people will go for a meeting where you have told that we can help you to be saved from your sin that shows how little interest even Christians will have in being saved from sin and I would say that if you're really serious about your Christian life one of the first things you need to learn is that sin is more serious than sickness begin there Lord any sin I have in my life is worse than cancer and AIDS now you won't hear that in other churches but you hear it here I'll tell you why nobody has gone to hell because they got cancer nobody went to hell because they got AIDS a lot of people in heaven who had cancer and AIDS on earth but a lot of people have gone to hell because of sin in fact everybody because of pride and hypocrisy and anger and bitterness and internet pornography and all that that's why they go to hell not because of sickness now which is more serious physical death or hell all of us will say hell but what is it that takes people to help sin so the first desire we must have must be a passionate longing to be free from all sin in our life begin there whereas most people are seeking for a Baptist in the Holy Spirit are seeking for some experience or be able to testify to something that they've joined some clothes okay then we can move on to the second promise in the New Testament the second promise in the New Testament is Matthew 3:11 where John the Baptist said Jesus his name is Jesus he will baptize you i baptize you water but he was coming after me is mightier than I he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire it's a tremendous thing to be set on fire by God when God sets you on fire nobody can quench it if you produce a fire yourself after some time it dies out this the next thing I want you to learn also which most Christians don't know is the meaning of the word baptism baptism sounds sort of a mystical world people say about go back to some of fire whereas if I use an ordinary word like dip it doesn't sound so mystical or religious but that's the meaning of baptism baptism is not an Indian English word it's a Greek word and people have got a mystical understanding of it because they've transferred it into English and people think of it as something great it means being immersed that's all it means and if the original translators had been bold enough to translate it exactly they would have said immersed they would never have used the word baptism they used the word baptism only because they wanted to please King James who said he'd chop off their heads if they went against church traditions so immersion so think of being immersed in water when we are immersed in water in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit we go in and come out testifying that we are buried risen with Christ in the same way we are to be immersed in the Holy Spirit John says I can immerse you in water but only he can immerse you in the Holy Spirit and that's why it's useless going to any man to be immersed in the Holy Spirit because no man is the Mercer in the Holy Spirit Jesus is the only one now I would say the same thing that John the Baptist said I can immerse you in water but go to Jesus if you want to be immersed in the Holy Spirit now God may use a man to immerse me in water and God may use people to lead me into immersion the Holy Spirit but it's Jesus always is Jesus and if our eyes are not on Jesus and we think there's some mystical way that some man can lay hands on our head and we get something we're mistaken the Apostles the early apostles seem to have been given by the Lord a special anointing or gift to be able to lay hands on people that they receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit because you read in the Acts of the Apostles only the Apostles who did it there was a man called Philip who went to Samaria and preached and then Peter and John had to come and pray why couldn't feel up to it wasn't he a believer he immersed them in water he said that's it Peter and John came and led them into receiving the Holy Spirit and Paul but you never find anyone else in the Acts of the Apostles doing it unless God specifically led someone there's a case of Ananias going up to fill Paul God specifically told him so it's very important to understand all this because there's so much a confusion I believe a law let me tell you that a lot of people I have met in Pentecostal charismatic churches who claim to be baptized in the Holy Spirit most of it is fake I don't see a change in their life I don't see an anointing charismatic Pentecostal preachers are as boring and as dead as any other preacher and there are Baptists who don't talk about back to the Holy Spirit or sometimes more god-fearing them a lot of Pentecostal preachers so if you have watched Pentecostal Assemblies seen Pentecostal people heard a lot of charismatic stuff and you got that in the back of your mind you can have a wrong understanding of what baptism in the Holy Spirit is that's why I say you got to go to the scriptures and see in scriptures and one of the wonderful things you see in Scripture is God has not made it so plain that it's like a mathematical formula sometimes we wish it could be like that you know like you study mathematics it's also exact two plus two is always four and three plus three is always six but when it comes to the Ministry of the Holy Spirit to me John chapter three is a great verse it's one of the first times one of the first times that Jesus spoke about the Ministry of the Holy Spirit and he said in John chapter 3 in verse 8 the wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it but you don't know where it comes from and where it is going so is everyone who is born of the Spirit not so is the Holy Spirit and so some people read it which is another example of people carelessly reading the scriptures they read it as though it says the wind blows where it lists and the Holy Spirit also blows where it lays hang on just read again carefully read the Bible slowly like I always say not so is the Holy Spirit so is every one born of the Holy Spirit that means I can be like the wind blowing one way and you can be like the wind blowing another way that's what it is if you are born of the Spirit then spirit may lead me in one way and lead you another way and we can be have the same experience and it doesn't look externally as if it's the same thing what I learned from that is that God can give different experiences to different people on the day of Pentecost 120 people you know the stand teaching in many Pentecostal churches is if you want to experience a genuine experience you must have it like they had it the first time but you know how they had it the first time they not only spoke in tongues that tons were languages that seventeen nations could understand I've never heard anybody speak like and there was a tongue of fire on top of everybody's head and there was a mighty rushing wind [Music] but people have eliminated all this just get somebody to Babel and say that's how it was in the first time I tell you God says if you want to be deceived go ahead and be deceived if you prefer the testimony of some Pentecostal preacher rather than the Word of God then you deserve to be deceived I do not accept that I accept God's Word the wind blows where it lists and all those 120 people were born of this spirit and they had tongues of fire on them and they spoke in languages without any translation or interpretation 17 nations understood it in their own language and there was a mighty rushing wind another time we read in Acts chapter 4 that the place was shaken where they were filled with the Holy Spirit so it was all different there was no rushing wind there was no fire at that time and let me show you these passages Acts chapter 2 first of all Acts chapter 2 it says here verse 3 a lot of people start with verse 4 it doesn't start with verse 4 it is verse 3 verse 2 first of all rather a rushing wind tongues of fire verse 3 speaking in tongues verse 4 now if you go to any Pentecostal assembly they'll only refer to verse 4 they said what is the sign of the battle for it Holy Spirit acts 2:4 they say what about verse 2 and 3 yeah there's a dishonesty there when you're dishonest God allows you to be deceived and the interesting thing is that when they stood and spoke it says they all are heard in their own language verse 11 last part they said there were 17 nations mentioned there and they said hey we hear them speaking in our own language tongue means language the mighty deeds of God now those people hadn't learned those languages but when they spoke in those languages these people heard in their language which Peter and James and John had never learned 17 different nations and all of them were speaking like that and it was amazing and when it comes to the Acts chapter 4 you read there first of all acts 2:4 you saw they were filled with the Holy Spirit and then Acts chapter 4 and you read in verse 8 Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit again a second time this is number of days after the day of Pentecost and then we read a little later in Acts chapter 4 they were praying together in verse 31 and when they prayed the place was shaken and Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit again a third time so what we learned from that is there is no such thing as a once for all being filled with the Holy Spirit even with Peter and I'm sure he had many more experiences of being filled with the Holy Spirit subsequently this is another thing which hardly anybody talks about haven't you heard people of charismatic Pentecostal denominations ask you have you been baptized Holy Spirit when did it happen if I say today today you mean he just receded now how many years ago it again today and last time yesterday before that they avoid us today that's confusing the Pentecostals charismatic they got a date what about Peter if you asked him when were you filled with the Holy Spirit what would he say he said many times see that's very very important to understand this if you go to Scripture that's how it is then when you come to Acts chapter ten you find that Cornelius received the Holy Spirit and it says here Acts chapter 10 verse 44 before Peter finished his message while Peter was still speaking that means imagine this while Peter is preaching suddenly the Spirit fell upon those who are listening and they began speaking in tongues and verse 46 and exalting God so wasn't just some babbling they were just babbling I would Peter know it was exalting God so what I want to say is there nobody laid hands on them there was no rushing wind there was no fire and there were no other Lions to understand what they were saying it's very different then you go to another example in Acts chapter 19 [Music] here were people who Paul came to Ephesus and he met some disciples verse one and he said did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed or did you just believe he said no we haven't even heard whether there's a Holy Spirit he said how can you say you haven't heard of the Holy Spirit how do you get baptized don't you get baptized in the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit see that question itself indicates that Paul did not believe in the baptism of Jesus only he said when they said we haven't heard about the Holy Spirit then he said into what were you baptized because Paul knew that anyone who is baptized would definitely have the name of the Holy Spirit because they're baptized the name of the Father Son and Holy Spirit and he says they said the John baptism of John he said John baptized with baptism telling the one who's to believe to believe in the most coming that is Jesus and when they heard this they were baptized the Lord Jesus that means every baptized the name of the Father the Son the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit and then after their baptism now I don't believe that Paul would have baptized anybody who was unconverted no he didn't do that after they were baptized it says Paul laid hands on and the Holy Spirit came upon them and they began speaking in tongues and prophesied now another example from Acts chapter 8 where it says Philip preached the gospel in Samaria and there was a lot of miracles and healings and then many people were baptized it says in verse 12 acts 8:12 they believed Philip and they were baptized they were immersed in water and when the Apostles verse 14 heard that Peter and John they sent Peter and John now these guys were saved and baptized born-again and baptized then they might receive the Holy Spirit for he had not yet fallen on any of them they were simply baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus then they began laying their hands on them and they were receiving the Holy Spirit and we don't know what exactly happened but Simon saw something in verse 18 it says now there is I have to say there's a certain mystery about all this after studying this subject for more than 45 years I have to say it's a mystery to me how the Holy Spirit works and operates is so different in different people and when I look at the experience of many people around me you know Jesus said when the Holy Spirit's come upon you you receive power and he didn't say you receive power to overcome sin he said you see power and you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem Judea Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth acts 1:8 you'll receive power when the Holy Spirit come upon you and you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem Judea Samaria and the uttermost parts of the earth now I want to be honest here I have met a lot of Brethren people Baptist people who are tremendous evangelists go out into remote places where others don't go preach the gospel [Music] they don't preacher like a pentagon sense of baptism in the Holy Spirit I mean the most famous example is Billy Graham he's a Baptist now preaches baptism holy spirit and I find I have more respect for him than for all these tongue speaking evangelists on television for only interested in making money there's a baptism in the Holy Spirit make a man a bigger lover of money there's something wrong there there's a lot of emotionalism that confuses people concerning the power of the Holy Spirit so I must say that I don't have the full answer to it but it's possible that God sees a man's heart and not his theology and meets with him according to the need of his heart even if his theology is wrong [Music] someone like Mother Teresa whose theology of salvation is all wrong I believe the Roman Catholic teaching but I believe with all my heart I was here in heaven I had more assurance that I'll see her in heaven then some people I see in CFC we've got our theology right but she had a heart right a heart that turned from sin wanted to please Jesus and live for him and love God with all her heart and love others as herself so what I'm trying to say from all that is your heart is more important than your understanding so when you listen to me it's your understanding that's trying to analyze all this it doesn't matter if your understanding is wrong it doesn't matter if you cannot explain the Baptist in the Holy Spirit see I can show you all these verses but in the early days that was I mean Peter didn't get up with the Bible say let me show you Acts chapter 2 and Acts chapter 8 and act no there was no expert until many years later and even when it was written for 1,400 years nobody had a Bible how did people receive the Holy Spirit here and there without checking up with acts 2 verse 4 and acts 8 this I think a lot of people through the years we're a genuine anointing and fullness of the Holy Spirit without ever having a Bible in their home and today and so many people have a Bible and caught the Bible you have all these counterfeits that proves to me one thing today a lot of people have got accurate information they don't have a heart that hungers and thirsts for God Baba they don't have a heart to be saved from all sin in their life they don't have a heart to be a witness for Christ I want to ask you something jesus said here you will receive power acts 1:8 let's just go to that verse when the Holy Spirit come upon you you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem Judea Samaria the uttermost parts of the earth that's the last statement he made after he said these things verse 9 he was lifted up and he went you know that was the last thing he said before he left the earth the last words of Jesus were the remotest parts of the earth be my witness now many of you have come here seeking for the baptism in the Holy Spirit I want to ask you an honest question how many of you have come seeking for the big saying you want the baptism the Holy Spirit because you want to be a witness for Christ even in the remotest part of the earth you don't know if all of you have come for that reason say no no no Lord I'm not particularly interested in going to the remotest part of the earth I like you know I've heard people testify something happened when they prayed and somebody laid hands on them they got excited and that's what I want well I want to say I want to say until you tell you honestly you're going to be disappointed and you'll be disappointed all your life God honors those who honor him and the more you give to the Lord the more you receive from him it's like that give and it shall be given to you in abundance overflowing the people in the Christian life who get the most whose lives are overflowing are the ones who give their life to the Lord I'm not whenever unfortunately when people talk about giving the only thing of money a lot of things in our life which are far more important than money God is not a beggar now we're about the only church that preaches that God's not a beggar he doesn't ask you for money can't imagine a king going around asking people for money God's a king of kings I'll tell you he doesn't want your money you can keep your rotten old money to yourself God's work will go on without your money it went on before you came to the earth it'll go on even after you and I are gone but there's something more important that he wants he wants your life your heart and if you love your money keep it to yourself God doesn't want it but when you give the Lord says are you willing to give all of your heart to me I sometimes use this example every example is limited but think of it like this think of your heart is having let's say a number of rooms I don't know how many in one of those rooms you have a desperate desire to have all the guilt of your past life removed how many people are not even bothered about that they've got that heart that room in the art but they're not bothered but you wanted it just so where you said Lord Jesus come into that room and remove the guilt clean up that room and put your light there in that dark room and Jesus came in and removed the guilt and the light of God as come into that room when you ask Jesus to come into your heart do you know that Jesus has got a body and he's in heaven how can he come into your heart only through his spirit when I asked Jesus to come into my heart who is coming in who is actually coming to dwell in the Spirit of Christ If any man see this verse in Romans 8:11 if anyone doesn't have the Spirit of Christ sorry Romans 8:9 if the last part if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ he doesn't even belong to him Romans 8 verse 9 if anyone doesn't have the Spirit of Christ brother you don't belong to Jesus at all one more verse further down in Romans 8 and verse 15 you receive a spirit that cries out Abba Father and the Spirit testifies that we have the children of God do you do you have a feeling in your heart that God is your father not because you heard it from the pulpit but in your heart if you like I've got a dad up in heaven well you can't have that unless the Spirit is come inside and done that but there are other rooms in your heart most Christians have just asked Jesus to come into one area of their life remove the guilt now here is another dark room in your heart all the things you watch on television you want really one Jesus to come in and clean up that room and put the light into that room and say and control you so that he's got the remote in his hand and he's determining what you watch and what you don't watch I think most Christians would say no God says okay keep the remote in your hand and watch what you like but that room will be dark it will never be filled with light till you give the remote into Jesus and say you tell me which program to watch there's another room we can say is the room of all the books we read are you willing to let Jesus throw away some of those books and say you must never read this again no you say no Lord I want to choose some of these things might say okay the Lord says that that rule remained dark and there's another room where your computer room where the things you watch and spend your time on the computer the end may not always be could be dirty stuff and it could be wasting time stuff there are two types of things in computer one is dirty stuff and the other is wasting time stuff and the Lord says will you let me control that Mouse from now on and determine when to turn off and turn on the computer you say no no no no don't interfere and all that just forgive my sins the Lord says okay that room is dark here's another room where I where's my money room where I got keep my accounts and there's so many things in the Lord says do you want me to come in there and tell you to be totally righteous with money never do anything wrong with money never sign up false statement and get money never cheat anybody pay back all your debts and don't waste your money on unnecessary things let me control how you spend your money that you don't you don't buy unnecessary things which you don't need etc etcetera as you know Lord I don't want you to come and control my life like that not she's okay I stand at the door knock you don't open the door that room my room remains dark are you born again yes are you filled or immersed in spirit no you don't want to be it's like asking somebody to come and deliver food to your house and when he comes to the food you don't open the door this is the problem with so many Christians they want to be filled with the spirit without allowing the Lord to come into many many rooms in their life how can he fill their rooms at light if you don't let him in is it possible Jesus is the light of the world he's willing to come into every room and fill it with light but if you don't want him and then say Lord fill me fill me fill me because you feel that if you let him get given full control you'll mess up your life your life won't be what about your time room how do you spend your time do you want the Lord to determine how you spend your time God's given you hell what are you going to use it for you say use it for me God's given you a house what are you going to use it for whatever God had you know Jesus said you've got to give up everything you have you want everything God has let me show you John 17 the secret of Jesus life was here John 17 and verse 10 it's a wonderful word john 17 10 I believe this is how people can be filled with the Holy Spirit because his Spirit is the greatest gift God can give us he gave his son on the cross two thousand years ago he gave the Spirit on the day of Pentecost to all who will open their lives to him he never forces anyone but this is the principle Jesus says to the father all things that are mine are dying and all things that are dying are mine and therefore it says about Jesus that God gives him the holy spirit without measure I'm not surprised because he said father there's no room in my life which is all not open to you everything is yours I mean he was so completely committed to the Father that if one day he didn't have time to eat he said forget food the father won and he drew something I'll forget about my food when was the last time you felt you should do something for God you didn't have time to eat food I see some people in CFC you won't even take one day's leave without pay to come for a conference because you want to go on vacation you think such people are going to be filled with the Holy Spirit brother forget it you got your own interest in life and you want God to give you his spirit for what you do not have because you do not you ask with wrong motives there is no partiality with God you know there are many many believers even in CFC and in other churches I've been to I look at them and say boy if only they were filled with the Holy Spirit what a difference it would have made in their life I've heard preachers and I say oh god if only this guy was filled with the Holy Spirit he knows so much of the word but he's dry as a bone because he's not filled with the Holy Spirit there's something you know you know when there's a fire you can sense it this light that's warm the light speaks of purity the fire and the warrant speaks of love that's what the Holy Spirit does and there are others you meet believers who are also technically correct and everything they say is correct according to the book and according to doctrine there's no you don't feel your touch life you don't feel you've touched the you don't feel you have touched God there and I'm even in some of these churches I traveled around as hit-boy I feel sometimes I it's not written like that but I feel that you know that passage we read in acts 19 where Paul went to Ephesus and he says he met these twelve disciples I wonder where they went to one of their meetings he went to one of their meetings and he saw all this knowledge that they were sharing with one another in sahih did you guys get ever filled with the holy spirit there's something missing here that's exactly how I felt in so many meetings our being - did you guys ever see God to be filled with the holy spirit there's something missing Holy Spirit's like a touch of heaven you remember how the disciples now not we'll be preachers no no no no God calls you to preach preach but otherwise [Music] there'll be a touch of heaven about your life I've met people or not preachers but there's a radiance about their life because the Spirit of God is filled in preaching is not their gift but there's something there'll be a radiance and a power when the Spirit of God fills us so gay brothers I hope I mean all I saw to do today is creating you a hunger and a thirst if I've done that I've succeeded because that'll drive you to God it'll drive you on your knees to seek God and say Lord I want you to meet with me at any cost then I want to just say this in closing in Luke chapter 11 and verse 13 and start at verse 11 well maybe at verse 9 is the words of Jesus concerning the gift of the Holy Spirit verse 9 it is concerning the gift of the Holy Spirit because it's a paragraph from 9 to 13 and in verse 13 he tells us what we are to ask for the last part of verse 13 the Holy Spirit God gives all history to those who ask him keep that in mind when you read verse 9 so I say to you ask to be given to you seek you will find knock it'll be open to you how should you knock that he explained in the previous two three verses verse 5 a man comes midnight and says lend me three loads he goes to his neighbor and knocks and the guy doesn't open and he says I tell you he keeps on knocking and it's because of his persistence verse 8 he'll give him as much as he needs because of his persistence and that persistence is the mark of faith knock so so I say to you verse 9 asked like this and asked not like this man asked knocked seek like this man sought and you'll find because everyone who asks like this man not asked in his neighbor receives what about all those other people who casually ask they don't receive but everyone who asks like this man as you see you got to read it in the context of the story of this man who went to his neighbor's house and kept on logging now you know using I'm not gonna leave here until you give me what I want for what I come for and everyone who seeks finds and to him who knocks like this it will be open that's Jesus promise or the Bible's a lie and Jesus never existed otherwise it's true I found it to be true now he says one more thing supposing one of you fathers his son a sinful fish will he give him a snake if you ask for the Holy Spirit is God going to give you some evil spirit the snake no if he asked him for an egg will he give him a scorpion scorpions and snakes are pictures of evil spirits and that's a fear a lot of people have I don't know what's true it again well if you go to some of these meetings where they stir people up I agree you don't know what means spirit you'll get but you feel down in your own room and me seeking the Lord on your own and God fill me the Holy Spirit in my room God fills my wife with all these four just in a room and no people like that and if you being evil you evil father's no not many of you our fathers think of how you will give good gifts to your children the word gift means what gift means it is free if I give you your Bible and you pay me one rupee for it is not a gift how much more will your heavenly Father give it's a gift this man when he went to his neighbor's house the neighbor did not ask him to pay up for the forty game no it's free it's free the gift of the Holy Spirit three four growing in the Christian life that may be a price for the gift of the Holy Spirit is three say Lord I believe that you're better than any earthly father I want to surrender every area of my life to you and I want you to come and occupy every room in my heart to the best I know how and if there is some room Lord which I have not yielded to you please show it to me I'll open it up immediately I will not hold back have you asked forgiveness from all those you have hurt or you locked up that room and say no no I'm not going to do that because that person has got to come and ask me first but you'll be waiting another 100 years to be filled of the Holy Spirit I'll tell you that have you forgiven everybody have you asked forgiveness from people you have heard if you humble yourself humbling ourselves is like going to the lowest place water always flows to the lowest place first the Holy Spirit flows down to the humblest person always the pride proud people remain high and dry humble yourself brother sister God gives us grace to the humble the spirit of grace is poured on the humble and those who are willing to humble themselves I don't mean artificially humble themselves about to say lord I don't ever think I'm better than anybody else I'm willing to ask forgiveness from anybody forgive everyone I don't want a single area of my life not yield it to you I want every area of my life to be completely yielded to you and show me anything it is not yielded I can tell you something if the Lord says that he will give you the Holy Spirit we ask him he'll give he's not a liar you must believe that and don't say God I have asked you so many times like many people say why haven't you given me ask yourself if there's some room where Jesus has been knocking for a long time and you haven't opened it instead of blaming God like Adam don't blame God get rid of that I'll tell you something there's a definition of faith I have come to faith is to believe that God is more eager to give you what he has promised then you are to receive you got it faith is to believe that God is more eager to give you all that he's promised then you are to receive and if you get the idea that I am very eager and God is not eager then you're full of unbelief many of you are eager can you believe today that God is more eager to give you if only you will but he's a gentleman if you don't open the door you won't break the door and come in no I remember a man who was seeking God for the fire the Holy Spirit over 100 years ago he was a great preacher and he heard of people like deal moody and all over Philly the Holy Spirit the preaching was transformed and he wanted it and he surrendered he knelt down and he surrendered everything everything everything everything to God [Music] and said Lord why would you fill me he felt a voice telling him there's one thing you him you have not surrendered your desire to be a famous preacher give it up and he realized that he was seeking God for the power of the Holy Spirit to become a powerful person so that everybody in the church would admire you know that can be with you too that you want the power of the Holy Spirit because you can testify about it or other people and see you something or you become a great preacher and he surrendered it God filled him with the Holy Spirit and God told him leave his job quit that church and go and join William Booth in the Salvation Army in England so he left America and came to England this great famous preacher from a pulpit in America William Booth treats everybody the same you see you join the Salvation Army okay the next one year you're going to go down to the basement and clean everybody's boots and polish them that's your job that's what he did after his Philly the Holy Spirit but he went on from there to be one of the greatest preachers in this always norm and it's some things sometimes we think that God's delaying he's not delaying there's a door you're kept locked ask God to show it to you he is more eager to fill you something will happen in your life I'll tell you that one last verse 1 Samuel chapter 10 claim this say Lord make it true in my life you're standing at the door and knocking I'm opening every door to you 1 Samuel chapter 10 and verse 6 then the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily and you shall prophesy and you will be changed into another man I'll tell you honestly from my experience when God fills you with the Holy Spirit you will be changed into another person you will not be the same old person but you have to live in that if you don't live in that you can go back and become worse Bible says if you know the way of righteousness and afterwards you turn from it didn't be like a dog who turns back to its own vomit it's better that such a person never knew the way of righteousness at all second Peter 2 so think of a commitment you're going to make to Christ now which is like getting married you know how we tell people who want to get married don't be in a hurry to marry this person are you sure you'll want to give up your name and take this person's name you want to leave your job and home and everything and go and live with this person and everything you want to completely give up your all your ambitions in life and go with this person think about don't be in a hurry and see that's how I say when it comes to total commitment to Christ's lordship don't play the fool with God don't say I want to get married today and tomorrow back out and said I change my mind it's much more serious than getting married to a man to get married to Christ say Lord many of you we have I believe many of you sincerely gave yourself to Christ many years ago but you're like a wife who will not allow her husband into certain areas of her life sorry that's private well in earthly marriages it may be necessary to keep something private but not in a heavenly marriage there can be no privacy between Jesus and you death he has to invade every area of your life and that's how he fills us with His Holy Spirit let's bow our heads before God I think what we need is a little time of silence to believe first of all that when you were a sinner when you were an enemy of God God sent his son to die for you and if he gave his son when you were an enemy and a sinner how much more he will give everything else he will not withhold any good thing believe that he will not withhold any good thing why does he ask us to seek he wants to see whether we're really serious he wants to see whether it's when we seek Him earnestly we discover a whole lot of rooms in our life that are locked up so do we have to wait for the Holy Spirit yes but the waiting is not on God's part the waiting is God is waiting for us to open the rooms that's why a lot of people the way some people maybe wait one day some people might await 10 years it depends on how long they take to open up the rooms in their heart you can't ask God to come and fill something in your life if you don't open the door because he's not like an evil spirit who just possesses you whether you like it or not he says I stand at the door and knock I believe what is it's one of the most important verses in relation to the fullness the Holy Spirit I stand at the door of another room in your life and I knock you open the door I'll come in and you alone know the areas of your life where which you've not yielded areas of your life at Pride reigns maybe some of you had a genuine experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit but it's all leaked out you got nothing left now you know what you need to ask a God now is the Lord help lead me to a consistent life where I'm always filled with the Holy Spirit not just some experience but a continuous walk with God if you got a longing for that Jesus if any man thirst let him come to me don't come to a man Jesus is the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit he can immerse you again and again and again like he did Peter and many people ask how will I know how did you know your sins were forgiven the Holy Spirit gave me a witness how did you know God was your father the Holy Spirit gave your witness ask this Holy Spirit to give you a witness that he's filled your heart with himself that Jesus has fulfilled that second promise immersed you in the Holy Spirit and in the days to come you will see habits changing desires coming and the freshness which you never knew before all brothers sisters seek him for that yield everything and say Lord I'm sick and tired of a dry defeated depressed life I've sought after many things on earth but I had enough of that none of those things are brought satisfaction maybe some of you have to say Lord I remember once upon a time I sought you with a lot of earnestness but that seems to have gone God please bring me back to that bring me back to that or I can seek you Lord bring me back to that loner God is a good God remember that he will not withhold any good thing those who walk uprightly if you walk honestly before him you never withhold anything from me lord I believe you're more eager to fill me with the Holy Spirit than I am to be filled now there's any area in my life which is not yielded Lord show me you can have the key right now it's yours all things that our mind will be yours and all things that are yours can be mine you know brothers and sisters without any feeling if you can just take a step of faith and say Lord to the best of my knowledge I have yielded everything to you I have opened every area of my life to you and if there is something not yielded I'll you open it up as soon as you show it to me but Lord all that I have is yours I mean it now I want to open my heart to you Lord Jesus you're the same yesterday today and forever I believe you are here Lord I want to be saved for my sin I want to be saved for myself I want you to come and fill every area of my heart every room with your Holy Spirit [Music] I open myself to you I believe as I pray that you hear me thank you when you pray believe that you receive and you shall have a wonderful to believe I believe the Holy Spirit's moving right now thank you thank you lord thank you Lord Jesus thank you Lord you are so good and I know there are people who are open to you lord I know that their hearts are open to you you're filling them right now thank you change them into another man another woman the lives will never be the same anymore thank you Lord trust you we want to thank you for all that you did we believe that you'll never with all any good thing from us we are your children god you're our heavenly dad you'll never withhold anything good from us thank you thank you give us the gifts we need to serve you in the days to come we want to open ourselves to you Lord to have the gifts to serve the body to build the body not to exalt ourselves but to pour ourselves out for the building of your church for which you gave your life yes Lord that's why we need the gifts we can't serve you with human abilities give us supernatural gifts Lord each according to our need and the place that you have given us in the body Lord we long for that we long for the gift of being able to encourage and challenge one another the gift of prophecy to encourage and challenge one another give us that gift Lord that as we speak words be encouragement and challenging and building up of others thank you we cannot explain the moving of the Holy Spirit it's different in every one but I have a deep sense in my heart that Jesus our Lord has heard our prayer our Heavenly Father has opened the windows of heaven I certainly feel like that about my own life I thought I want to thank God myself and I pray that all of you will have that spirit of thankfulness to God he's able to do more than you can ask or think thank you Lord Jesus come in

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Keywords: Zac, Poonen, Revival, Repent, God, Sermons, Jesus, SermonIndex

Id: gj7aZaLlg8Q

Length: 65min 22sec (3922 seconds)

Published: Thu May 27 2010