The Holy Spirit - How to be Filled with the Holy Spirit, Part 1

What does it mean to be a spirit filled Christian today on Living on the Edge will embark on a two day journey to explore how filled your welcome to this Thursday. Addition of Living on the Edge Chip Ingram, Living on the Edge features the Bible teaching of Chip Ingram on this daily discipleship program really begins a two day journey to explore what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit just before we get started, but he encourage you to try using chips message these three notes contain chips outline Scripture references and much will help you remember what you hear and share what you're learning. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org click listen now and it's a quick download from their elders message how to be filled with the Holy Spirit is our teacher Chip Ingram as a Christian. Two years, I have no Bible background.

A lady walked up to me and asked very nice common question and she says excuse me as a guest speakers are you spirit filled Sublette are you a spiritual question said what's spirit filled Christian while she went on to explain what that set me on a little bit of a journey that if someone ask you that question, they may be asking about five different things depending on their background in some circles, if they say are you a spirit filled Christian, I mean are you are you a committed Christian like or are you really seeking to live a life in other circles that they say are you a spirit filled Christian they want to know do you speak in tongues in other circles that they say are you a spirit filled Christian they want to know what have you had a second blessing of some kind of the Holy Spirit in other circles of your spirit filled Christian it is.

Have you ever come to that point of yielded nests of surrender of sort of the Romans 12 wanted to lifestyle, and so people use the word spirit filled depending on theological and denominational backgrounds in a lot of different ways that use another phrase to called the baptism the Holy Spirit. That means also a lot of different things in a lot of different groups and I won't go into the whole background that I was being discipled with the group that had this unbelievable commitment to God's word. I mean super committed to God's word like if you were memorizing 3 to 5 versus a week you were just not like even close to where you need to be and then I would go home in the summer as a new Christian, and there was a another group of people that were really really committed to the experience of life in the spirit. And so I don't know anything and it's like it's light was like ping-pong you know and I was just like trying to figure out what's the Bible say what these terms mean I don't know what it means to be filled out on what the baptism is I don't know what the and I was just confused and so I went on a two year journey and I literally started from the beginning. If the word spirit or Holy Spirit showed up in the Bible. I studied. I took every verse in the Bible. It took me two years, I will. I later learned there were things called concordances is really an easier way to go about this that I did that I did.

I didn't know and I just was praying for two years. God, I want all you have for me and I'm hearing lots of voices. So what I know is you wrote this and so I went on a journey I want you to open your Bible's acts chapter 2. The church is born and the Jews are going to receive the Holy Spirit to be birthed will be baptized in the Holy Spirit and what you can find is they will be filled with power. Follow along verse one when the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place and suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting and 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 he began to speak in tongues as the Spirit enabled them know they were staying in Jerusalem, God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.

And when they heard the sound, the crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one of them heard them speaking in his own language, amazed and perplexed, skipping down to verse 12 they ask one another. What does this mean some, however, made fun of them said they had too much wine. But Peter stood up with the 11 and raised his voice and addressed the crowd. Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain to you listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose.

It's only 9 o'clock in the morning know this is what was spoken of by the prophet Joel in the last days, God says I will pour out my Spirit on all people, and so acts chapter 2. It's the Jews did they speak in tongues. Yes, when did they receive it after salvation. They were believing Old Testament followers of Jesus. They were waiting there now come to Christ they believe in him. The church is born and Peter's role. His presence once received turn to actually these are the only four passages that talk about the filling of the baptism of the Holy Spirit acts chapter 8, I want you to notice that now. Chapters 1 through seven are the growth of the church.

The first decade or more. Some believe up to almost the first 20 years. Apart from those who came to Christ and then were dispersed and went to other places. The church was primarily Jewish member of the big command going to all the world make disciples that wasn't going well member.

When Jesus ascended, you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria uttermost parts of the world that was not going well.

In other words, they didn't go very far and what you find is in the sovereignty of God.

He allows some persecution to come in chapter 8, and so in chapter 8, the church is persecuted and as they are persecuted they move out. They run for their lives apart from the apostles and as they go. Guess what they started doing it says they preach the word Samaritans if you don't know what they were. They were a halfbreed. They were people that couldn't show that they were fully Jews and they intermarried and so they were despised Jews hated Samaritans might member the story when Jesus wanted to cut through drew some Samaritan territory and they wouldn't let it they were off limits people mean this is like the Ku Klux Klan and NAACP okay. I mean that's that's the kinda attitudes ahead toward one another and you need to know that because it helps explain what happens. Acts chapter 8 is pick up the story in verse 14.

They been spread the running for their lives there persecuted when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them so they went to Samaria. They started preaching these Samaritans trust in Christ, one having a problem these people that we hate since we been little boys and little girls believe in Jesus the way we do. So were you sent Peter and John from headquarters to find out what in the world happened. I mean, what could God be up to. He certainly doesn't love them when they arrived they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, they'd simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus than Peter and John placed their hands on them and the receive the Holy Spirit.

Now there's a magician there named Simon when he saw that the spirit was given by the laying on of hands of the apostles. He offered them money and said give me also this ability that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit. Peter said to him, may your money perish with you because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money you have no part or share in this ministry because your heart is not right with God.

All I want to do is just get the facts down acts chapter 8 Samaritans so there this a mixed group split speaking in tongues is not mentioned in may be alluded to. There was some manifestation because this magician saw some manifestation of power that he thought he could Bible the laying on of hands. It occurs after salvation. And it's up Peter again is present in which what you need to understand is what can happen is if the Samaritans come to Christ and is a and isn't authenticated by headquarters and by Peter, we would've had two churches, both business people would have never stayed under the same umbrella and so they respond to the word and Peter and the apostles, and they say basically this is legit. These people believe like we believe they don't need to go through Judaism. Salvation is by grace through faith. The free gift of God through Jesus they received the same way we did and so he says this is for real.

And when he prays for them than God manifest in some manner doesn't say exactly how that they are now part of the body of Christ skip to acts chapter 10 the movement of the book of acts.

The outline is in verse eight of chapter 1 where you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem okay Judea that's happened Samaria right will now working to get to the Gentiles. Chapter 10 Peter who is the epitome he's upon this rock your words, your faithfulness, your team, I'm going to build my church is the point person they look to him and the other key elders. There and so Peter is in the book of acts.

The primary leader in the expansion of the gospel to the Jews later will find Paul will be the primary personality and expansion to the Gentiles, Peter, little by little, is beginning to break the cultural rules and the cultural laws he's gone down to a Tanner you don't. A Tanner is a person. It smelled there was raw skins and hides that they used and so a good Orthodox Jew would not only not go to a Tanner but would never stay in his home, but Peter's beginning to see some things differently is beginning to realize that this gospel is beyond Judaism and he seen it with the Samaritans and some of the things that were kosher.

He realizes God's changing the rules this gospel to go beyond and so little by little. He's sort of breaking some of the cultural rules and some of the traditions and then something happens to them. Chapter 10 he goes down to meet with his Tanner and lunch is being prepared and so he goes up on the roof. Most of the homes and that they are flat on top goes up on the roof, waiting and he goes into trance and God speaks to them and you cry maybe many of you remember the story in a she comes down with all the kind of animals that are unclean. Phrygia comes down once key. The spirit of God speaks and says kill and eat. He says never Lord comes down a second time.

Same thing 1/3 time and then the sheet goes away, and he has this vision and end at the end of the vision. The spirit of God says to him, don't you call anything unclean, but I call clean and this is going to set Peter up for what's can happen because something is happening elsewhere. So let's pick up the story. Cornelius is a centurion and he has a household of all Gentiles and he was one day praying and God hears his prayer and Angel says I want you to send for this man. He's down by the Seaside staying with us.

Tanner named Simon his name is Peter, go get him and bring them here.

He has a message for me from you so couple of his cohorts go down.

They now knock on the door shortly after Peter has the vision and the Lord says to Peter invite these men in, so now he's going to eat with Gentiles God sorta given him. Baby steps training wheels to do some things it never done before. He invites him in the house can't do that he eats with Gentiles many travels back with them and he takes a few Jews with him what you can find out that's can be very important to authenticate what happens is if you think Jews and Samaritans hate one another. Jews hate Gentiles at a whole different level. A Gentile was called a dog they thought to a Jew, a Gentile was subhuman.

You wouldn't eat with a Gentile, you would walk into the house of a Gentile. They were unclean.

So now Peter is sorta scratching his head and he goes back he takes this walk and he goes to Cornelius's house and in verse 30 of chapter 10 working to pick up the story where Peter says to Cornelius bottling. Peter doesn't know what's going on. I mean, he's thinking what's the message. What am I supposed to say I don't get it. So he becomes. Then when he comes in. The guy bows down and Peter says look I'm just a man to answer.

Cornelius explains being in verse 30 Cornelius answered four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour.

At three in the afternoon.

Suddenly a man in shining close to before me and said, Cornelius God is heard your prayers and remembered your gifts to the poor sent to Joppa for Simon is called Peter he's a guest in the home of Simon the Tanner lives by the sea, so I sent for you immediately.

It was good of you to come.

Now we are all here he fills his house with his relatives and his friends take an angel came sent for a guy there's a big message. You gotta come over so Peter walks in.

Now were all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us. Then Peter began to speak. The lights are coming on. I now realize how true it is that God shows no favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ who is Lord of all and skip down to verse 44 verse 44 while Peter was still speaking these words, he starts preaching the gospel, the Holy Spirit came on all those who heard the message the circumcised believers who would come with Peter were astonished at the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. Brief for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water, they received the Holy Spirit just as we have asked to the church is born. Baptism filled Peter authentication acts chapter 8 mixed group they hear they don't have the Holy Spirit, yet they check it out.

It's legit. Now there under the umbrella of the mother church.

They pray for them.

There's a manifestation.

Now they get the Holy Spirit acts chapter 10 Cornelius they don't get to pray they don't get to talk. They don't get to explain while he's preaching only happens in the Jews are going but a second.

This is just like asked to. They got what we got the same way we got it.

I guess I guess God loves Gentiles. Now notice there's one other passage acts chapter 19 this is sort of one of those wonder what's going on passages were now an apostle Paul's ministry and there was a group of people. Apparently, who were zealous and John the Baptist said, behold, I am the forerunner of the Messiah and one is coming greater than me some of his disciples got so fired up about telling people about the Messiah, they went on a mission strip and why they were gone on their mission strip to tell everyone about how the Messiah's gonna come the Messiah came and errantly came but he died and he rose again and I don't. He died and rose again, but the church has been born and they must've gone on a long mission strip so Paul meets them. And when Paul meets them. He has this dialogue, hate, where you guys farm and will let's pick up the story.

Chapter 19 verse one when Apollo's was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked him did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed know we've not even heard there is a Holy Spirit. Now that's a good one is in it. So Paul, ask then what baptism did you receive. They said John's baptism, they replied.

Paul said John's baptism was a baptism of repentance, he told the people to believe in the one coming after him. That is in Jesus, on hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus when Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues and he prophesied. There were about 12 men in all. Now here's what I want you to see in the confusion about the baptism of the Holy Spirit the filling of the Holy Spirit what it means. Does it involve tongues is it at salvation is after salvation.

Most of the theology will take one of these passages inside look this is how it happened in acts two. So this is how should happen with us.

In other words, I remember being on a basketball team were playing basketball throughout South America and we had guys from all over the country and one guy named him super guy little point guard to just you tremendously and he came from a certain theological position that was just he was.

I mean, he was like this is the way it is and you know I was on my journey in learning a lot of the time and and so he said look we have to do it like the New Testament church.

We need to do it. Just like the book of acts and it's interesting. And then II did notice that I stayed later because then he gave me one of these different parallels and said this is how the spiritual life works and this is what it means. And this is why, because of acts two or acts eight were asked 10 or acts 19.

My question be which one of the churches in asked you want to be like so do you pray and get the spirit later does it happen at the same time. Do you believe, and then get it to what all you know I put that there. You can't build a theology out of acts. That's prescriptive.

It's descriptive it's describing how the church was birthed and what I want you to see is the baptism of the Holy Spirit always includes the inclusion of a new people group. The only common ever happens, it happens when the Jews are brought into the body of Christ and its created happens when the Samaritans are brought into the body of Christ.

It happens when the Gentiles about of the body of Christ and then you can have a group that never heard there was one and so there's no consistent like when did they receive after salvation after salvation at conversion at conversion. My only point is I want you here is there isn't a consistent pattern in the New Testament in the book of acts that says the baptism filling. This is what it means. The epistles are written letters to give us instruction to say this is how the theology of God's church is to be directed and to be followed.

The book of acts is a history of how it happened and how it laid out so those are great experiences but the consistency is the authentication of people groups in the body of Christ. The book of acts is descriptive, not prescriptive. I mean if it was prescriptive and we want to be like the church in book of acts than we should all go and worship at synagogues and only me from house to house and churches. We should all have very important some dietary laws that they were still keeping for period of time means a lump number of things in the book of acts that we might keep doing. Maybe we should all pull our resources and live out of.

One part of the community which they did for a season of time. In the early part of the book of acts because of the pressure that they were under God is describing the book of acts.

The birth development, growth and maturity of his church and the work of the Spirit in that. And so, in summary, here's what I'd say. Baptism is not the same as filling baptism doesn't always occur after salvation. The baptism doesn't necessarily require us to speak in tongues because in acts eight doesn't say. And then the early church experience is not normative but the New Testament epistles tell us exactly how the filling of the spear works ship will be back in a minute.

Some additional thoughts about his message today.

If you're just joining us, you're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram the message you just heard is from chip series called the Holy Spirit experiencing is power and presence 24 seven. This four-part series takes the mystery out of who the Holy Spirit is and how he works in our lives. Chip explains that the same power that raised Christ in the dead is the same power within every believer to the life of the Holy Spirit. Chip brings a fresh balanced perspective to the sometimes controversial subject and reminds us of the comforting peace. The Holy Spirit can provide. Regardless of our circumstances, the Holy Spirit, experiencing his power and presence 24 seven is available for a limited time or special on-air discount price for complete details call us at 1-888-333-6003 or check it out online at http://livingontheedge.org now here's chip I want to take a minute today to talk to those of you that have been listening to Living on the Edge for quite a while. You've been ministered to by Living on the Edge unmasking it very seriously, pray about something specific, would you consider prayerfully partnering with us on a monthly basis. Monthly partners make a huge difference in the life of the ministry.

Not only does it tell us that you're with us. Your heart is with this because your money is is being given and helping us each and every day, but it tells us that you're really a part of the family that you are one of those people that and whether it's a big amount small amount.

Really that's immaterial but it's about saying, rather than just now and then it lets us know. Here is a group of people there on mission with us to help Christians live like Christians and like any organization. The predictability of knowing that people are behind you that you can count on what ever it is each month. It makes a huge difference. And so if you been listening in, and I'm sure you've many of you've already given once here or there or maybe you have listened and just never thought about a while that's right.

These people have to pay for all of this, would you consider just prayerfully God would you like me to partner with Living on the Edge it can be whatever amount God shows you but it would mean the world to us and I think you would find your heart resonating as you partner with the ministry is not just a financial provision it's becoming a part of the ministry that helps other people. So here's my request. Pray specifically and then do just whatever God shows you like strip will as you prayerfully consider your role with this ministry I would remind you that when you partner with Living on the Edge. No gift is insignificant ministering together, our efforts and our resources are multiplied in ways that only God can do to send a gift call us at 1-888-333-6003, or if you prefer to give online just go to LivingontheEdge.org your partnership is a great encouragement now with some final thoughts. Here's chip as we closed today's program I want to remind you that sometimes when we teach God's word. It's not necessarily filled with lots of amazing and inspirational studies. It's called theology and what theology is, is the study of God. What we been doing today is very carefully walking through specific passages of Scripture that tell us exactly who the Holy Spirit is, and we've traced his work to the book of acts now doing this by way of audio is very frustrating for me. I'm going to tell you because as I type this live I had a chart that people could follow along where they could see. I literally developed a grid where you could see acts two, acts eight, acts 10, acts 19 and what I want in a nose I want to give those to you. I want you to study what you think with me and and and quite honestly I get kinda discouraged sometimes when people talk about the Holy Spirit and and then people start arguing. I don't think we should argue, I think we should look at the text and learn together and we may even agree to disagree on a few things, but what does the Bible say so. Your assignment is to co-to LivingontheEdge.org and click on the message notes and download them so that you can see exactly what I was teaching and then you may want to listen to this and then do not miss our next broadcast work or even if you do than listen to it online and you'll see some blanks in those notes and follow along. Fill those in study God's word with me and see if God doesn't really speak to you at Living on the Edge were happy to let you know about a new way to listen to our extended teaching podcast here chip any time on Amazon's Alexa echo and echo.simply say Alexa enabled the chip Ingram podcast once Alexis enabled with that skill. All you need to say is Alexa by the chip Ingram podcast bill here that there is extended teaching anytime you want will be sure to join us again tomorrow as Chip continues his current series. Until then, this is Dave Drury saying thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge