Ask
Ask, 6 July 2025
Ask
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Series: 1 John
July 6, 2025
1 John 5:13-21
Series Big Idea: One of Jesus’ best friends offers timeless teaching on following Jesus.
Big Idea: We can ask God for anything, including forgiveness.
Scripture Reading: 1 John 5:13-15
As we conclude our series on the book of 1 John written by one of Jesus’ three best friends, John, we read his closing remarks directed to early Christians. Throughout the letter, he has talked about light, love, antichrist, children of God, actions, and spirits, among other things. Our scripture reading today continues last week’s theme of life.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13)
John wants them to be secure in their salvation, that they may know they have eternal life. This is the promise for those “who believe in the name of the Son of God.”
I’ve had many conversations with people of various faiths—including Christianity—regarding the certainty of their destiny. John says his purpose in writing is to assure them of eternal life…not because of their works, of course, but because of their faith in Jesus.
Do you know you have eternal life? If you believe in Jesus, if you believe he died and rose again, if you believe he is the way, the truth, and the life, if you believe he is the ultimate example of what it means to be human, if you have surrendered your life to Jesus, then you can know that you have eternal life. This is good news. This is great news! Furthermore, the writer of Romans declares,
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-29)
John continues with more great news for followers of Jesus.
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15)
Does this mean God always hears our prayers? Yes!
Does this mean God always answers our prayers? Yes!
Does this mean God always answers our prayers the way we want? No!
We have everything we have asked of God…if we are seeking first His will, His Kingdom, His way. God’s will is not for us to be the center of the universe. He provides for our needs but doesn’t necessary honor self-centered requests for our every desire. If we are truly following Jesus, our heart will sync with his heart. Let’s ask of God now.
Prayer is a popular church topic, but one often filled with negative emotions. Do I pray enough? Am I good at prayer? What if I get bored? What if I fall asleep? What if I simply forget? What if I don’t know what to say? Do I have to bow my head? Close my eyes? Pray out loud?
I used to think prayer was talking to God. Then I thought prayer was talking with God. But now I believe prayer is doing life with God. It is far more than a wish list we tell God. It includes petitions, but also praise, thanksgiving, confession, prayers for others, and I would add questions, fears, doubts, and moments of awe and wonder.
I like the three essential prayers of Anne Lamott: help, thanks, wow!
Warren Wiersbe wrote, “Prayer is not only the utterance of the lips; it is also the desire of the heart.”
We could talk all day about prayer and we should pray all day…today and every day. What are you up to, LORD? What makes You happy? Sad? Angry? What is my next step in loving You? Loving others? What is Your will for my life? For College First? For our nation and world? For the sake of time, we must move on!
If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. (1 John 5:16-17)
Sin is anything that separates us from God. It may be something we do. It may be something we fail to do. All sin ultimately leads to death…the death of a relationship, peace, eternal life, or even natural life. Earlier John said failing to believe Jesus came and died for sinners would result in death…eternal death. We have eternal life by believing Jesus died and rose from the dead and following him.
Failing to love may not result in physical death, but we are commanded to love, to pray for others, pray that God’s love would flow through us to others.
We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. (1 John 5:18)
We all sin. We all continue to sin after encountering God. Followers of Jesus do not continue to sin without remorse and regret. We are not proud of our sin. We struggle with it, sometimes failing…and then turning to God with repentance for forgiveness. Christ followers are kept safe from the evil one.
We also need to turn to one another sometimes…to forgive or ask for forgiveness. As we journey together, we will inevitably step on one another’s toes. It’s usually accidental, but the other person may not be aware of the pain they caused. We need to take Matthew 18 seriously.
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Matt. 18:15-17)
Is this easy? No.
Does it involve conflict? Yes.
Is it biblical? Obviously!
The kingdom of this world cancels when hurt. In the kingdom of God, we confront…with love. We cry, “Ouch!” We seek reconciliation rather than retaliation. While others get bitter, we get better and restore the relationship. Family, we must speak up and say, “Help me understand.” There are exceptions, but often the conflict is based upon a misunderstanding, a mistake, or even someone simply having a bad day. We need grace and forgiveness and we need to be quick to extend it to others…as God has extended it so generously to us. Jesus said,
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35)
You might feel as though you’ve sinned beyond God’s forgiveness, and I want to declare to you such a thing is impossible. If you seek forgiveness from God, it will be granted. Listen to a portion of Psalm 103.
He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
The LORD is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust. (Psalm 103:10-14)
When Jesus died, he didn’t die for some of your sins. He died for all of them!
We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. (1 John 5:19)
This is why we feel tension in our world. It’s why we can’t keep up with the Joneses! This world is not our home. I’m baffled when Christians wonder why the world is evil. It’s under satan’s control…for now! His day will come. I can’t wait! Don’t ever expect the world to act like the Kingdom of God. It’s the world! We are called to life differently. We are called to forgive, to serve, to bless, …to love.
We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)
That is one true verse! Three sentences. Three uses of the word true!
Who is true? Jesus. He is the true God and eternal life. Last week we noted a conversation with Thomas.
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
Jesus is life. Jesus is the way. Jesus is the truth. Truth is a person. Do you know him? Do you follow him?
Now we come to the last verse of the entire letter. John doesn’t end with a “sincerely” or “best regards” or even a blessing. He closes his letter by saying,
Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. (1 John 5:21)
His closing words are, “No idols.” First, he reminds them they are dear—dear children—and then says
Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. (1 John 5:21, NLT)
Over 100 verses in the Bible speak about idols, including the second of the ten commandments.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. (Exodus 20:4)
Idols have been a part of the human condition almost from the beginning.
They worshiped idols, though the LORD had said, “You shall not do this.” (2 Kings 17:12)
We do, too. Maybe you don’t bow down to a statue, but we are all drawn to other gods, other things that receive our attention…our time, our money, our energy, our thoughts, our worship. It’s possible that John had in mind not an idol of stone or wood, but false beliefs about Jesus. The Old Testament associates idolatry with injustice. It might represent a failure to love.
I struggle sometimes with the 2nd commandment. I want to be in control, comfortable, wealthy, powerful, secure, recognized, celebrated, privileged, safe, and pampered. The problem is when I’m focused on myself, I can’t see God. When I obsess about my fears, I can’t give God my attention. When I worry or fret or lust or covet or embrace bitterness or fail to love, I’m not walking in the light of God…and I’m certainly not living according to His will so of course my prayers will not be answered the way I seek. Of course I will eventually be anxious, lonely, and/or upset.
So What?
I don’t know what idols are in your life, but I want to give you time to acknowledge them and confess them. God is ready and willing to forgive, but we need to agree with Him that we have sinned and we need to repent, turn, return to following Jesus.
Remember,
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
We can ask God for anything, including forgiveness. Hallelujah!
Amen!
Kirk Schneemann
College First Church of God
Series: 1 John
July 6, 2025
1 John 5:13-21
Series Big Idea: One of Jesus’ best friends offers timeless teaching on following Jesus.
Big Idea: We can ask God for anything, including forgiveness.
Scripture Reading: 1 John 5:13-15
As we conclude our series on the book of 1 John written by one of Jesus’ three best friends, John, we read his closing remarks directed to early Christians. Throughout the letter, he has talked about light, love, antichrist, children of God, actions, and spirits, among other things. Our scripture reading today continues last week’s theme of life.
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:13)
John wants them to be secure in their salvation, that they may know they have eternal life. This is the promise for those “who believe in the name of the Son of God.”
I’ve had many conversations with people of various faiths—including Christianity—regarding the certainty of their destiny. John says his purpose in writing is to assure them of eternal life…not because of their works, of course, but because of their faith in Jesus.
Do you know you have eternal life? If you believe in Jesus, if you believe he died and rose again, if you believe he is the way, the truth, and the life, if you believe he is the ultimate example of what it means to be human, if you have surrendered your life to Jesus, then you can know that you have eternal life. This is good news. This is great news! Furthermore, the writer of Romans declares,
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-29)
John continues with more great news for followers of Jesus.
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him. (1 John 5:14-15)
Does this mean God always hears our prayers? Yes!
Does this mean God always answers our prayers? Yes!
Does this mean God always answers our prayers the way we want? No!
We have everything we have asked of God…if we are seeking first His will, His Kingdom, His way. God’s will is not for us to be the center of the universe. He provides for our needs but doesn’t necessary honor self-centered requests for our every desire. If we are truly following Jesus, our heart will sync with his heart. Let’s ask of God now.
Prayer is a popular church topic, but one often filled with negative emotions. Do I pray enough? Am I good at prayer? What if I get bored? What if I fall asleep? What if I simply forget? What if I don’t know what to say? Do I have to bow my head? Close my eyes? Pray out loud?
I used to think prayer was talking to God. Then I thought prayer was talking with God. But now I believe prayer is doing life with God. It is far more than a wish list we tell God. It includes petitions, but also praise, thanksgiving, confession, prayers for others, and I would add questions, fears, doubts, and moments of awe and wonder.
I like the three essential prayers of Anne Lamott: help, thanks, wow!
Warren Wiersbe wrote, “Prayer is not only the utterance of the lips; it is also the desire of the heart.”
We could talk all day about prayer and we should pray all day…today and every day. What are you up to, LORD? What makes You happy? Sad? Angry? What is my next step in loving You? Loving others? What is Your will for my life? For College First? For our nation and world? For the sake of time, we must move on!
If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death. (1 John 5:16-17)
Sin is anything that separates us from God. It may be something we do. It may be something we fail to do. All sin ultimately leads to death…the death of a relationship, peace, eternal life, or even natural life. Earlier John said failing to believe Jesus came and died for sinners would result in death…eternal death. We have eternal life by believing Jesus died and rose from the dead and following him.
Failing to love may not result in physical death, but we are commanded to love, to pray for others, pray that God’s love would flow through us to others.
We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. (1 John 5:18)
We all sin. We all continue to sin after encountering God. Followers of Jesus do not continue to sin without remorse and regret. We are not proud of our sin. We struggle with it, sometimes failing…and then turning to God with repentance for forgiveness. Christ followers are kept safe from the evil one.
We also need to turn to one another sometimes…to forgive or ask for forgiveness. As we journey together, we will inevitably step on one another’s toes. It’s usually accidental, but the other person may not be aware of the pain they caused. We need to take Matthew 18 seriously.
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. (Matt. 18:15-17)
Is this easy? No.
Does it involve conflict? Yes.
Is it biblical? Obviously!
The kingdom of this world cancels when hurt. In the kingdom of God, we confront…with love. We cry, “Ouch!” We seek reconciliation rather than retaliation. While others get bitter, we get better and restore the relationship. Family, we must speak up and say, “Help me understand.” There are exceptions, but often the conflict is based upon a misunderstanding, a mistake, or even someone simply having a bad day. We need grace and forgiveness and we need to be quick to extend it to others…as God has extended it so generously to us. Jesus said,
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:35)
You might feel as though you’ve sinned beyond God’s forgiveness, and I want to declare to you such a thing is impossible. If you seek forgiveness from God, it will be granted. Listen to a portion of Psalm 103.
He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
The LORD is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust. (Psalm 103:10-14)
When Jesus died, he didn’t die for some of your sins. He died for all of them!
We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. (1 John 5:19)
This is why we feel tension in our world. It’s why we can’t keep up with the Joneses! This world is not our home. I’m baffled when Christians wonder why the world is evil. It’s under satan’s control…for now! His day will come. I can’t wait! Don’t ever expect the world to act like the Kingdom of God. It’s the world! We are called to life differently. We are called to forgive, to serve, to bless, …to love.
We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)
That is one true verse! Three sentences. Three uses of the word true!
Who is true? Jesus. He is the true God and eternal life. Last week we noted a conversation with Thomas.
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
Jesus is life. Jesus is the way. Jesus is the truth. Truth is a person. Do you know him? Do you follow him?
Now we come to the last verse of the entire letter. John doesn’t end with a “sincerely” or “best regards” or even a blessing. He closes his letter by saying,
Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. (1 John 5:21)
His closing words are, “No idols.” First, he reminds them they are dear—dear children—and then says
Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts. (1 John 5:21, NLT)
Over 100 verses in the Bible speak about idols, including the second of the ten commandments.
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. (Exodus 20:4)
Idols have been a part of the human condition almost from the beginning.
They worshiped idols, though the LORD had said, “You shall not do this.” (2 Kings 17:12)
We do, too. Maybe you don’t bow down to a statue, but we are all drawn to other gods, other things that receive our attention…our time, our money, our energy, our thoughts, our worship. It’s possible that John had in mind not an idol of stone or wood, but false beliefs about Jesus. The Old Testament associates idolatry with injustice. It might represent a failure to love.
I struggle sometimes with the 2nd commandment. I want to be in control, comfortable, wealthy, powerful, secure, recognized, celebrated, privileged, safe, and pampered. The problem is when I’m focused on myself, I can’t see God. When I obsess about my fears, I can’t give God my attention. When I worry or fret or lust or covet or embrace bitterness or fail to love, I’m not walking in the light of God…and I’m certainly not living according to His will so of course my prayers will not be answered the way I seek. Of course I will eventually be anxious, lonely, and/or upset.
So What?
I don’t know what idols are in your life, but I want to give you time to acknowledge them and confess them. God is ready and willing to forgive, but we need to agree with Him that we have sinned and we need to repent, turn, return to following Jesus.
Remember,
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
We can ask God for anything, including forgiveness. Hallelujah!
Amen!
How Can I Be Filled With The Holy Spirit? 12 June 2011
17 06 11 Filed in: Sermons | The Holy Spirit
Big Idea: Being filled is a vital but not automatic experience that must be done continually. In Pentecost Sunday, we will look at what happened in Acts 2 and how we can experience the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Today we celebrate Pentecost, a tremendously significant day reported in the second chapter of Acts.
Last week we began our creatively titled series “The Holy Spirit” with a look at who the Holy Spirit is. We said that He is not a ghost, but a Person, God, one third of the Trinity, one God in three Persons. We saw, too, how Jesus said it was better for Him to leave and give us the Holy Spirit than for Him to stay on earth, so He ascended into heaven and promised the Holy Spirit. The Spirit arrived in a big way in Acts 2.
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. – Acts 2:1-4
This is quite possibly the most popular passage of Scripture among charismatics and Pentecostals. These groups are often known for signs and wonders and miracles in their midst, something that should not surprise us since Jesus did them and said that we would do even greater things.
So why doesn’t the Church in USAmerica look more like the New Testament? Why are so few people doing “the stuff,” to quote John Wimber from last Sunday? Why aren’t people flocking here on Sunday mornings to get healed and set free from addictions and bondage?
Great questions!!!
Scio family, I can’t find a biblical answer to that question! How many of you want more of God? Really!
Have you ever been on a cruise? There was a man who wanted to go on a cruise in the worst way. He had heard about the wonderful experiences of others aboard ships and spent years saving up every possible penny in order to purchase a ticket. When the big day arrived, he proudly boarded the boat and waved goodbye to those less-fortunate people on the dock as the ship headed to sea.
Over the course of the cruise, he got acquainted with a man in a nearby cabin. After several days, the neighbor finally asked why his friend was never seen in the dining room during meals. The man replied, “I cannot afford the extravagant food on the ship so I eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in my room that I packed in my luggage.”
“My dear friend, all of the food is included with your cruise ticket!” the neighbor replied in disbelief. “It has been available to you all week!”
Friends, if you have surrender your life to Jesus Christ, you get the Holy Spirit, too. He is included!
So why do so many Christ-followers live such miserable lives? They have not been filled with the Holy Spirit!
Last week we looked at Luke 11:11-13
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
It says that our Father in heaven will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.
How are we filled with the Holy Spirit? We must ask.
Jesus’ brother James said once,
You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. - James 4:2
So all we have to do is ask and the Holy Spirit will bring us gourmet meals, heal all of our diseases, enable us to do miracles, and we all live happily ever after? Not quite
The late Bill Bright, the founder of the international group Campus Crusade for Christ, called the process of being filled with the Holy Spirit “spiritual breathing.”
It begins with exhaling—repenting of our sins and getting the junk out. This is where we confess our sins, acknowledge that we have wronged God and possibly others, and commit to a new way of righteous, holy living.
Confess your sin -- agree with God concerning your sin and thank Him for His forgiveness of it, according to 1 John 1:9 and Hebrews 10:1-25. Confession involves repentance - a change in attitude and action.
Have you ever grabbed a drinking glass from the shelf only to discover that it was filled with junk inside? What do you do? You grab another glass!
I think God is much the same way. When He wants to show His power, I think He often looks for those that are truly seeking Him and His holiness. Understand, we’re not perfect, but because Jesus is, we can be forgiven and stand righteous before a holy God. When we agree with God that we have sinned, turn away from our sin, and follow Jesus it is called repentance and it delights the heart of God and brings us back into right relationship with Him.
The next step—inhaling—is simply to ask the Holy Spirit to come. Ask to be filled. When a glass is filled with dirty water, there’s no room for the pure stuff. When we receive the cleansing of Jesus, we make room for the Holy Spirit to come and fill us.
Inhaling is when we surrender the control of our lives to Christ, and appropriate (receive) the fullness of the Holy Spirit by faith. We must trust that He now directs and empowers us; according to the command of Ephesians 5:18 and the promise of 1 John 5:14, 15.
Spiritual breathing and being filled with the Holy Spirit is not just some fun thing to please ourselves. The second part of James 4 says
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
Being filled with the Spirit is a blessing for us, but ultimately it’s about Jesus and bringing honor and glory to Him. Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus (5:18)
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
Drunkenness was the besetting sin of the ancient world, but this is not a verse about wine. A drunk man is possessed by alcohol.The Holy Spirit should possess the believer, a divine intoxication. This isn’t emotionalism but a dynamic life that looks like Jesus, the ultimate human who was filled with the Spirit continually.
The Holy Spirit is given at the time of conversion when a person makes Jesus their LORD and Savior.
I love these words from John Piper:
“What we should seek is that God pour His Spirit out upon us so completely that we are filled with joy, victorious over sin, and bold to witness. And the ways He brings us to that fullness are probably as varied as people are. It may come in a tumultuous experience of ecstasy and tongues. It may come through a tumultuous experience of ecstasy and no tongues. It may come through a crisis of suffering when you abandon yourself totally to God. Or it may come gradually through a steady diet of God's word and prayer and fellowship and worship and service. However it comes, our first experience of the fullness of the Spirit is only the beginning of a life-long battle to stay filled with the Spirit.”
This word “filled” is not something that is done once, but the Greek verb means to continually be done. It’s like breathing. You don’t say, “I don’t need to breathe today because I breathed last week!” You constantly breathe and in the same way we are to constantly be spiritually breathing and filled with the Holy Spirit.
Years ago my pastor, Roger Schweigert, demonstrated it this way: when you put Nesquik powder in milk, it needs to be stirred. If it sinks to the bottom, it doesn’t consume the milk despite its presence. The Holy Spirit is a bit like chocolate powder! When you get Jesus, you get the Holy Spirit. Having something doesn’t mean that you are filled with it, though. We need to stir it up to allow it to permeate our entire being, and we need to keep stirring—every day—repenting of our sins and asking the Spirit to fill us.
This will enable you to walk in the Spirit. It doesn’t mean you’ll be perfect. You may fall like a child as you’re learning to walk, but you are to get up and try again.
What happens when you’re filled with the Holy Spirit? The next verse says
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 5:19-20
The fundamental meaning of being filled with the Spirit is being filled with joy that comes from God and overflows in song. Luke wrote in Acts 13:52,
The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
One of the core values of our denomination, the Christian & Missionary Alliance, says
Without The Holy Spirit’s Empowerment, We Can Accomplish Nothing
The Apostle Paul said, My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power (1 Corinthians 2:4–5).
This is the fiber of our being as believers and the sixth of our Alliance core values.
In addition to joy and empowerment, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you will receive gifts and fruit, two things that we will look at the next two weeks.
Until then, I invite you to get out of your cruise ship cabin and get down to the dining room. Repent and be filled with the Holy Spirit. He is in your life waiting to be activated. If we all commit ourselves to spiritual breathing as much as physical breathing, I believe our church will begin to look a lot more like the New Testament and we’ll begin to see God show up in unexpected and wonderful ways to bring His Kingdom from heaven to earth.
You can listen to the podcast here.
Today we celebrate Pentecost, a tremendously significant day reported in the second chapter of Acts.
Last week we began our creatively titled series “The Holy Spirit” with a look at who the Holy Spirit is. We said that He is not a ghost, but a Person, God, one third of the Trinity, one God in three Persons. We saw, too, how Jesus said it was better for Him to leave and give us the Holy Spirit than for Him to stay on earth, so He ascended into heaven and promised the Holy Spirit. The Spirit arrived in a big way in Acts 2.
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. – Acts 2:1-4
This is quite possibly the most popular passage of Scripture among charismatics and Pentecostals. These groups are often known for signs and wonders and miracles in their midst, something that should not surprise us since Jesus did them and said that we would do even greater things.
So why doesn’t the Church in USAmerica look more like the New Testament? Why are so few people doing “the stuff,” to quote John Wimber from last Sunday? Why aren’t people flocking here on Sunday mornings to get healed and set free from addictions and bondage?
Great questions!!!
Scio family, I can’t find a biblical answer to that question! How many of you want more of God? Really!
Have you ever been on a cruise? There was a man who wanted to go on a cruise in the worst way. He had heard about the wonderful experiences of others aboard ships and spent years saving up every possible penny in order to purchase a ticket. When the big day arrived, he proudly boarded the boat and waved goodbye to those less-fortunate people on the dock as the ship headed to sea.
Over the course of the cruise, he got acquainted with a man in a nearby cabin. After several days, the neighbor finally asked why his friend was never seen in the dining room during meals. The man replied, “I cannot afford the extravagant food on the ship so I eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in my room that I packed in my luggage.”
“My dear friend, all of the food is included with your cruise ticket!” the neighbor replied in disbelief. “It has been available to you all week!”
Friends, if you have surrender your life to Jesus Christ, you get the Holy Spirit, too. He is included!
So why do so many Christ-followers live such miserable lives? They have not been filled with the Holy Spirit!
Last week we looked at Luke 11:11-13
“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
It says that our Father in heaven will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.
How are we filled with the Holy Spirit? We must ask.
Jesus’ brother James said once,
You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. - James 4:2
So all we have to do is ask and the Holy Spirit will bring us gourmet meals, heal all of our diseases, enable us to do miracles, and we all live happily ever after? Not quite
The late Bill Bright, the founder of the international group Campus Crusade for Christ, called the process of being filled with the Holy Spirit “spiritual breathing.”
It begins with exhaling—repenting of our sins and getting the junk out. This is where we confess our sins, acknowledge that we have wronged God and possibly others, and commit to a new way of righteous, holy living.
Confess your sin -- agree with God concerning your sin and thank Him for His forgiveness of it, according to 1 John 1:9 and Hebrews 10:1-25. Confession involves repentance - a change in attitude and action.
Have you ever grabbed a drinking glass from the shelf only to discover that it was filled with junk inside? What do you do? You grab another glass!
I think God is much the same way. When He wants to show His power, I think He often looks for those that are truly seeking Him and His holiness. Understand, we’re not perfect, but because Jesus is, we can be forgiven and stand righteous before a holy God. When we agree with God that we have sinned, turn away from our sin, and follow Jesus it is called repentance and it delights the heart of God and brings us back into right relationship with Him.
The next step—inhaling—is simply to ask the Holy Spirit to come. Ask to be filled. When a glass is filled with dirty water, there’s no room for the pure stuff. When we receive the cleansing of Jesus, we make room for the Holy Spirit to come and fill us.
Inhaling is when we surrender the control of our lives to Christ, and appropriate (receive) the fullness of the Holy Spirit by faith. We must trust that He now directs and empowers us; according to the command of Ephesians 5:18 and the promise of 1 John 5:14, 15.
Spiritual breathing and being filled with the Holy Spirit is not just some fun thing to please ourselves. The second part of James 4 says
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
Being filled with the Spirit is a blessing for us, but ultimately it’s about Jesus and bringing honor and glory to Him. Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus (5:18)
Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
Drunkenness was the besetting sin of the ancient world, but this is not a verse about wine. A drunk man is possessed by alcohol.The Holy Spirit should possess the believer, a divine intoxication. This isn’t emotionalism but a dynamic life that looks like Jesus, the ultimate human who was filled with the Spirit continually.
The Holy Spirit is given at the time of conversion when a person makes Jesus their LORD and Savior.
I love these words from John Piper:
“What we should seek is that God pour His Spirit out upon us so completely that we are filled with joy, victorious over sin, and bold to witness. And the ways He brings us to that fullness are probably as varied as people are. It may come in a tumultuous experience of ecstasy and tongues. It may come through a tumultuous experience of ecstasy and no tongues. It may come through a crisis of suffering when you abandon yourself totally to God. Or it may come gradually through a steady diet of God's word and prayer and fellowship and worship and service. However it comes, our first experience of the fullness of the Spirit is only the beginning of a life-long battle to stay filled with the Spirit.”
This word “filled” is not something that is done once, but the Greek verb means to continually be done. It’s like breathing. You don’t say, “I don’t need to breathe today because I breathed last week!” You constantly breathe and in the same way we are to constantly be spiritually breathing and filled with the Holy Spirit.
Years ago my pastor, Roger Schweigert, demonstrated it this way: when you put Nesquik powder in milk, it needs to be stirred. If it sinks to the bottom, it doesn’t consume the milk despite its presence. The Holy Spirit is a bit like chocolate powder! When you get Jesus, you get the Holy Spirit. Having something doesn’t mean that you are filled with it, though. We need to stir it up to allow it to permeate our entire being, and we need to keep stirring—every day—repenting of our sins and asking the Spirit to fill us.
This will enable you to walk in the Spirit. It doesn’t mean you’ll be perfect. You may fall like a child as you’re learning to walk, but you are to get up and try again.
What happens when you’re filled with the Holy Spirit? The next verse says
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Ephesians 5:19-20
The fundamental meaning of being filled with the Spirit is being filled with joy that comes from God and overflows in song. Luke wrote in Acts 13:52,
The disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
One of the core values of our denomination, the Christian & Missionary Alliance, says
Without The Holy Spirit’s Empowerment, We Can Accomplish Nothing
The Apostle Paul said, My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power (1 Corinthians 2:4–5).
This is the fiber of our being as believers and the sixth of our Alliance core values.
In addition to joy and empowerment, when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you will receive gifts and fruit, two things that we will look at the next two weeks.
Until then, I invite you to get out of your cruise ship cabin and get down to the dining room. Repent and be filled with the Holy Spirit. He is in your life waiting to be activated. If we all commit ourselves to spiritual breathing as much as physical breathing, I believe our church will begin to look a lot more like the New Testament and we’ll begin to see God show up in unexpected and wonderful ways to bring His Kingdom from heaven to earth.
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