The Refreshing Power of the Spirit-Filled Life: Empowerment From the Holy Spirit

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No guide this at our website and learn more about harvest partners@harvest.org will the holy spirit, the Holy Spirit, permeating every area of your life. The Holy Spirit will you will you feeling your walk with God Pastor Greg Laurie points out how God spirit of the horses and directions to God's way. This is about slowing murder.

This is about realizing that there was power there was to live this Christian life anywhere without an engine car better not go anywhere without a steering wheel regarding motion and direction, and you don't believe today of a new beginning after Greg Laurie points out how was spirit of God go believes is in the path we should go virtual strength to make the journey. Join us for an urging series today called refresh every Christian needs to know an old farmer's wife and their son who drove in the big city for the first time in the role pickup truck so the father and son decided to go with this towering skyscraper and check out the magnificent lobby. The wife stayed in the truck as a son of the father walk in they see these massive doors suddenly open up and an elderly woman walks inside and then the door shut. A few moments passed, the doors open again and out comes a beautiful young girl, the old farmer says to his son. Go get mama that's an elevator, by the way, did you miss a joke, but would be great if we could just change that quickly. You don't watch one service online in your whole life is change in the trajectory of your life is change will.

That's not gonna happen.

Listen when you put your faith in Christ. Your eternal destination changes from hell to heaven.

Your your citizenship is now in heaven, but then becoming more Christlike will that takes a lifetime.

But let me say what better way to live one's life.

So I want to talk to you about how you can change how you can continue to see change in your life as a follower of Jesus in this message. The refreshing power of the Spirit filled life. We start with a question are you content with where you're at right now spiritually or do you find yourself taking two steps forward and three steps back. You seem like you're growing and then you have a huge setback. Maybe there's a pattern of sin in your life right now that you can't seem to break free from that sort of like a goliath. It just becomes more powerful with each passing day, you don't know what I'm talking about goliath is from a story in the Old Testament. He was a 9'6" giant of a band that faced off with young David in the Valley of Vila and you know goliath wasn't born a giant. I'm sure he was a big baby. I don't think anybody would've ever wanted to change his diaper MM when he had a temper tantrum. I can imagine the terrible twos for Goliath, but eventually the little baby became a young man and then he became a full-grown adult giant of Amanda. Maybe that's how you feel about your sin, it just gets larger and larger and you don't know how to defeat it and maybe even causes you to become very depressed. My talking to a depressed person right now.

A person who's really down right now in effect.

You are so down that you even contemplated taking your own life.

May I say to you, don't even consider that you are loved by God, your love by people more than you realize you have so much to offer, but yes we do get depressed and I think there's one of three reasons we get depressed we get depressed by something we did in our past, something we did. We wish we had not done something we said we wish we had not said so you're depressed about your past or maybe the ramifications of bad decisions continue to affect you this day. Or maybe you're anxious and depressed about your future. You worry about what if this happens, what if that happens in the ways heavily on you, or maybe your way down by something presently. You're facing a big problem. It may be internal and maybe external maybe it's involving work or your family in my pin illness financial crisis a legal problem.

The list goes on.

I read a tragic story about a young woman who was a successful dietitian living in New York City. Her Instagram page was filled with happy photos of her dining around the world and in visiting exotic locations. She was living the life some people only dream of.

But tragically she took her own life through suicide in her suicide note to her mother. She wrote these words quote despite a great life. She was feeling absolutely nothing. She wrote I've accepted hope is nothing more than delayed disappointment and I just plain tired of feeling tired." My talking to somebody right now there's just tired of feeling tired you feel that hope is nothing more than delayed disappointment. By the way that's unique to our time in the oldest book of the Bible, the book of Job Job rights in Job 8. The holds of the godless evaporates their confidence things way of thread there, leaning on a spider's web. Have you ever tried to lean on the strikers web that will jump very well if you put your hope.

If you put your trust in the things this world. This culture offers you will come up empty.

That's what happened to this woman in such a sad way it ended for her, but you could put your hope in God and everything can change for you now. Our text that were going to look at together is Romans eight Romans eight is the answer to the depression about one's past, present and future, and there is hope resonating from the verses will read in Romans eight, for starters. Romans eight tells us that there is no condemnation for our past. There is no condemnation for our past, because Romans 81 says there is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus you know when we sin, we all do's and of course the devil condemns us and that we join in the condemnation and we condemn ourselves but yet what does the Bible say in first on 19 it says that we will confess our sin, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That was God telling the truth or not what he's telling the truth and to be tells us of cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I should accept that in my life and believe that God has forgiven me. Listen to this.

I should not choose to remember what God has chosen to forget number two Romans 838 tells me there is no separation from God's love in the future. Number one no condemnation from God for my past. No separation from God in my future, because Romans 838, says Paul speaking. I'm convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death or life, nor angels or demons nor our fears for today or our worries about tomorrow.

No, not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love isn't that a great promise no demonic power can separate you from the love of God, no matter what you do.

God will never stop loving you listen to this God is not mad at you for God is mad about you.

He can take his eyes off of you. And third, and lastly Romans 828 assures me that all things in the present are working together for good to know this. First, probably Romans 828 says, for we know that all things work together for good to those that love God and the called according to his purpose. So no condemnation in the past. No separation in the future and whatever you're going through.

God can ultimately work together for good or great glory will have the second half of this message in just a moment. Sometimes, we can always make it pictured here is his church is coming to you is coming due on your TV screen or on your tablet or your computer or even your phone. We do it every weekend and it's called Harvest at Home. We worship we have a message of the word of God. If you want to find out more, just go to harvest.org enjoy this this weekend for harvest at all. Romans chapter 8 today for pasturage message called the refreshing power of the Spirit filled life.

Let's continue. I love Romans a because it's a one stop shopping destination for hope we discover how to live. This spirit filled life and that start. Of course the Holy Spirit himself.

Let's read Romans eight verses 1 to 4.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit.

For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is may be free from the law of sin and death for what the law could not that it was weak to the flesh, God did by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh on account of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit so who is the holy spirit. Let me say first of all that he has a distinct personality.

The Holy Spirit is God the Holy Spirit is a member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, as will the Holy Spirit has purpose and he has a specific work that he wants to do in your life or forward Christians until Holy Spirit that convicts us of our sin. It's a Holy Spirit that draws us to Christ.

It's a Holy Spirit that seals us. Once we have believed in Christ and then after that, as a believer. It's a Holy Spirit who will lead you will empower you and will fill you each and every day affect over in Ephesians 5 it says be filled with the holy spirit speaking to yourself in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord be filled of the spirit and by the way, that has nothing to do with your emotion.

I think unfortunately people have taken the work of the spirit in me that up here.

Very strange.

There wild. I and they speak strangely when they talk about how the Holy Spirit filled them you know him and he will want to know if I watch that that scares me. Those are just weird people and has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit being filled with the spirit just simply means being controlled by the spirit. When you ask God to fill you. You're asking him to control your life event.

The word that is use their describing the filling of the spirit.

Ephesians 5 the word filled can be translated to permeate so you have to think of salt in the first century. How was use. They would have me obviously didn't refrigerated that check didn't exist yet so they would take meet and they would rub salt into it. It would permeate into the meat and preserve it are closest comparison would be beef jerky. You know those little strips of beef you buy for $20 in small little bags while they would preserve their meat. So here's what you think the Holy Spirit wants to permeate your life. The Holy Spirit wants to be a part of every aspect of your life. The Holy Spirit wants to be a part of your marriage. The Holy Spirit wants to be a part of your singleness, the Holy Spirit wants to permeate your career. He wants to permeate your ministry. He wants to be a part of everything. Let the Holy Spirit permeate your life and in another way. This word is translated is the word that is used to describe when filling the sale.

So I've never been out of a sailboat. There's no wind and are just waiting for that gust of wind to carry you along. Let the Holy Spirit fill your sales.

Let the Holy Spirit permeate every area of your life. Let the Holy Spirit fill you in control you. This isn't about trying harder. This is about realizing that there is power there to help us to live this Christian life. So when Paul says be filled with the spirit. It's also in the original language. A command. Here's a policy I command you to go to God and say that I need your Holy Spirit to permeate my life and to fill my sales and to guide me each and every day. So what we learn here about living the spirit filled life.

The refreshing power of the Spirit filled life.

If you're taking notes here is point number one already touched on this money come back to it. A spirit led believer lives. A condemnation free life. Let me say that again as spirit filled believer of spirit led believer lives. A condemnation free life. Romans eight starts with no condemnation and then ends with no separation. It does not say W no failures. It does not see the been no inconsistencies in our life. What it does say is there's no condemnation because there's no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, you're a new person Bible says of any men be in Christ is altogether different kind of person the old things have passed away. Behold, everything becomes fresh and new to God sees you for what you will become not just what you are. You remember that he saw Simon and he gave him a new name rock you are rock.

He said to Simon, Simon the vasodilator Simon the impetuous Simon the hotheaded one who always focus point you Jesus says are rock. I think the other disciples want to been in the background snickering a little bit thinking. Does Jesus know who this guy is all he knew, but he knew that Simon would grow into his name and God sees what you will become not just what you are. We see failure God sees potential we see assignment God sees the Peter we see the past God sees the future. We see the end God sees a new beginning point number two. The best way to not go backwards is to go forward in the spirit again. The best way to not go backwards is to go forward in the spirit verse for the righteous requirements of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit now before Romans eight is Romans seven.

Is that not an amazing insight, but in Romans seven we find Paul struggling with sin. Not sure how we can overcome sin in Romans seven we read Paul writing I want to do what is right, but I can't.

I want to do what is good, but I don't. I don't want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don't want to do I not really the one doing it. It's sin living in me that does it.

Paint is that some familiar to ever find yourself doing the thing you don't want to do, thinking the thoughts you don't want to think in the thinking.

Why is this happening effect in Romans chapter 7 Paul uses the word I 30 times and there's not a single mention of the Holy Spirit.

But in contrast, in Romans eight there are at least 20 references to the holy spirit. So the idea is in Romans 70 trying to do it in his own strength in Romans eight, he realizes there's help there's power there's one here who will enable me to live the life God has called me to live in so Holy Spirit again. The best way to not go backwards is to go forward. See if you are a spiritual person, you will want to do spiritual things take as an example of fit person. Now I was in New York City some time ago with my friend Skip hides it is a pastor in Albuquerque New Mexico so we went to this place called the meatball shop is pretty well known, and I have to tell you if you're ever in New York will check it out. They have the best meatball sandwiches on earth. And I've been there a few times and I've sort of figured out the best way to order. I order the spicy meatballs with a spicy sauce on the white bread. The reason the white bread is good is it it sort of absorbs the sauce and he put some red pepper flakes on it. It's fantastic. And so I meeting my very good spicy meatball sandwich on white bread but skip I think I'm not making this up orders chicken meatball sub port meatballs, not spicy pork meatballs chicken meatballs wait for on keel solid. I think there should be a law against that accident. But then again, look at Skippy's incredibly thin and I am not so maybe there's a method to the madness. So when you look at it fit person. There's probably a reason there for person. It involves with the eat with.

They don't eat their exercise regimen and other things that they do. Now let's apply this to the spiritual life. One person gets up in the morning and the first thing they do is they open up the Bible and they pray and they asked God to fill them with the Holy Spirit. Then again, their vehicle and maybe they're driving the work in the listening to a Christian, a radio station, worship music, or maybe a podcast of a Bible study, and they're getting stronger spiritually while another person. In contrast, sleep sin, no Bible study. No prayer. They listen to talk radio on the way to work. So one is in church involved involved in the small group the other is not in church are there only there occasionally not involved in the small group and then we wonder why is one person doing better than another person.

It could be compared to two dogs fighting fighting all the time or the story of a man with two dogs that were constantly fighting someone asked him how do you determine which dog wins.

He said the one I feed the most to you of two natures, you have a new nature given to you when he became a Christian and you have an old nature.

And that's what you always default back to automatically your sinful inclinations.

So if you want to do better. Spiritually, you are to feed the one dog if you will feed the new nature listen, I'm not trying to put you under legalism here that's we been freed from this is not works righteousness. This is in fact a working righteousness and the way to do it is with the help of the holy spirit practical insight today from Pastor Greg Laurie on today's addition of a new beginning. He's bringing us a message called the refreshing power of the Spirit filled life part of his new series titled refresh Pastor Greg I know you really like contemporary Christian music. I know you listen to it quite a bit and that you were there back when contemporary Christian music was first born gal that the Jesus music you were you are a tuba player what you never know.

I guys I thought. I remember seeing you trying to fit that into your Corvair.

Oh, that was another guy with long hair and a beard back in the days yeah I don't think there was a lot of tubas in the in the music back then. Maybe in the brass section but yet so I did see it happen before my eyes. And you know I've always been a lover of music. I grew up in music of the late 60s and 70s and so you know I listen to the same bands you listen to and after became a Christian I thought well I guess that's over with and I can listen to those bands anymore. I guess I'll just listen to choirs. I'm not really sure. And so I went to Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa and a whole movement was happening.

Call the Jesus movement and along with that movement was a whole new form of music, later to be called contemporary Christian music back then. We just called it Jesus music and what I love was these were guys like me that played the candy music I like to listen to, but it had lyrics that honored and glorified God and proclaim the gospel now fast forward to today and the music is change in the stalls of change, but the message is essentially still the same and this music is so important. It's become a whole industry. It touches thousands of people around the world. But here's a book that tells you how it all got started I got started in his spiritual awakening the title of this book that we want to offer to you for your gift of any size is simply the Jesus music. By the way, there's a documentary film by the same title is come out to my friends the Irwin brothers at kingdom production so we wanted take this beautiful hardbound brand-new book and offer it to you for your gift of any size whatever you send will use it to continue our ministry and then you'll have your own copy of the Jesus music to enjoy yet such a great book. Such a rich history and fascinating stories get a copy for yourself or for someone else. Maybe a Christmas gift when you send your donation today. Be sure to ask for the Jesus music.

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