Be Filled By The Holy Spirit

Thanks for joining us today. Such a pleasure to have you with us. I'm Phil Pringle. This is my podcast where I'll be sharing the Word of God, which will strengthen you, inspire you, equip you, and empower you for life. Let's go. Start with this passage in Joel, an Old Testament prophet. And he said. Let me pray for you here this morning as we come around this word.

Father, I'm asking you to help me articulate that sense of flow and power superpower that the Holy Spirit wants to bring into the house of God. I'm praying that a river will flow here this morning and that people will drink from it easily. They'll be able to partake of supernatural power to enable them to rise above every circumstance they find themselves facing, to give them wisdom to know how to travel through life and to equip them with

power from on high in Jesus' mighty name. And everybody said, amen. You know, it's obvious when I read this passage that as soon as the Holy Spirit comes, and this is the day in which he was talking about the last 2,000 years of human history almost, the Holy Spirit has been on this earth and he came in place of Jesus. And he wanted to fill us with himself and to baptize us and to clothe us us with a power from another world to equip us to do all the things that God would ask us to do.

In the Old Testament, they were given a law, and by that law, if you could keep it, you'd make yourself right with God, but nobody could keep it. And so the Lord said, I'm going to bring a new covenant, and it's going to be the covenant of the Holy Spirit, where if people receive me, they're going to receive a power from on high, they're going to receive my spirit, and that will empower them to do all the things that I've asked them to do.

Now, this person who is the Holy Spirit, he's not like a blob or a cloud that floats around church on a Sunday morning. He's a person. He's like Jesus. Jesus. He came to earth as a person, but somehow he can be everywhere all at once at the same time. It's a special quality that God has called omnipotence and omnipresence. He can be everywhere, know everything, omniscience. He can have all power and do all this all at once. And he has said, I am wanting to inhabit you.

I'm wanting to make you my temple. I'm wanting to to make you my home. I'd like to live within you. You were designed for this.

All of us were designed by God to be a temple, not an entertainment center to get kicks every weekend out of, but actually a temple in which a spirit would dwell, and not an unclean spirit, but a holy spirit, and that that would empower us and all of our faculties to operate at a level that is higher higher than any ordinary natural level so that we move ourselves into a supernatural arena.

That's what I'm going to talk about here this morning, because the things that Jesus has asked us to do, they're not hard. They're impossible. There's no way that we could, he says, you'll do greater works than I'm doing. I'm thinking, Lord, you raised the dead. What are you talking about? about me doing greater works than you ever did. He says, you'll be able to forgive people. I'm going, Lord, there are people my heart just will not.

I just want to, you know, I can't even say it in church. You know, it's like, dear God, there are things that. But I find that when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you're empowered to do all those things, to actually overcome all those things that God is calling you to do. Right from the start, the Holy Spirit has been there. A creation which says, water's covered the earth and the Holy Spirit hovered on the darkness.

And He's hovering there waiting for something, and it's waiting for the Word of God. because the Word and the Spirit, they work together. When God speaks, the Holy Spirit energizes that Scripture and makes it come alive. And he has been sent to the earth to actually inhabit not just us as individuals, but the entire church. All the way through the Old Testament, Samson, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. He went a little off the rails, I know, but he got supernatural strength.

Gideon was filled with the Spirit. Moses was filled with the Spirit and split the Red Sea. You'll find time and again, all the prophets, they are filled with the Holy Spirit. Ezekiel says, I was carried away by the Spirit of God. Elijah, he had a portion of the anointing on him. His successor, Elisha, had double that portion.

Worked miracles everywhere he went. All these people were filled with the Holy Spirit, and that's Old Testament. Come into the New Testament, and Mary is told by an angel, you're going to have a baby. be. She says, well, how could that be? He said, well, the Spirit of the Lord is going to come upon you. That's how Jesus is conceived in a person's heart. He says, the power of God is going to come over you.

That can happen to any one of you, not the conception part, but the power of God coming over you, the power of the Holy Spirit covering you, clothing you. And all of us need that to happen in our lives. And then at the River Jordan, Jesus comes up out of the water and a dove falls on him. And it was the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove. And then he went out into the wilderness, went through his temptation. And it says he came out of that in the power of the Spirit.

He worked all the miracles. He worked by that same power. It wasn't by his natural ability. It was by a power that God put on his life. And then in the book of Acts in chapter two, where that opening scripture was read, there were 120 disciples waiting for God to come and do something. It took 10 days of waiting and waiting and waiting, but finally a huge noise, like a rushing mighty wind, filled the house, and every one of them had fire on their head.

They were filled with this power and trembling. Peter stood up, who had been backslidden just six weeks before that, stood up and preached to them. He didn't have to go to Bible college. He didn't have to go through any connect group leader training. He didn't have to go through seminary. He didn't have to do one thing except get filled with the Holy Spirit. And I'm telling you, we are living in a time where people will fast track into powerful ministry.

I mean, he preached and 3,000 people gave their hearts to Christ that day. Not just ordinary people. These were religious people, devout people who were given to another kind of religion.

There is a power that is available to every one of us that can bring salvation, that can bring deliverance, and can bring release to thousands of people all around us. We should not be relying on our natural abilities. We should not be relying on our natural mind or on seven steps to this or ten steps to that to achieve what God has given us. We should be relying on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Spirit. He is the one who will empower you to do the impossible.

There are things that are impossible to man, but with the Holy Ghost, nothing is impossible. He has been sent amongst us to touch our lives and to deliver us from so many things that have kept the church bound in the times past. 2 Timothy 1.7 says, God has not given you a spirit of fear. fear. Why would the Bible need to say that? Why would Paul need to say God has not given to you a spirit of fear?

Do you want to know why he needed to say that? Because there are so many religious representations of God that bring fear into your life. There are so many traditional expressions of Christianity even, and many other religions in the world, their only intention is to manipulate you by fear, by guilt and fear to make you feel more guilty and more fearful about hell or heaven, about purgatory, about the sins having consequences and punishments in your life.

But you need to know that that is not God, because God has not given to you a spirit of fear, but a power and of love and of a sound mind.

You need to know that you are set free from fear by the same Holy Spirit. He gives you power. He gives you love. He gives you a sound mind. When you feel like you're going crazy, you say, I have not, I'm not going crazy. I've got the spirit of love, power, and a sound mind. Fear will rob you of power, love, and a sound mind. Fear will make your mind crazy. Fear will make you feel weak, make you take all the energy out of you.

Fear will take away love from your heart. But when the Holy Spirit comes, he puts love, power, and a sound mind inside your life. He puts you together. He is called the great encourager. Oh, I love that. I'm just about dancing in church this morning. That might be just a little too crazy, but he is called the great encourager, the Holy Spirit. I know people who go to church, they feel discouraged and they feel like they've got to keep going there.

No, when Jesus came, all he did was boost you and build you up. Even if he chided you and corrected you, he had the impact on you of actually making you feel better. At the end of it, then worse. If I've ever met anybody who's filled with the Holy Spirit, they're encouraging. I've never met a person who's filled with the Holy Spirit who doesn't encourage you. The more you encourage, the more you'll get filled with the Holy Ghost.

In order to live the life that Jesus has called us to live, we need this power of the Holy Spirit. Ezekiel 36, I'm gonna take you through maybe five or six scriptures this morning. He says, I will give you a new heart. a lot. The heart is the place where you love. The heart is the place where you trust. The heart is the place where you desire. Love, trust, and desire. That's what you do with your heart. When we love things that are not good for us, we're going to invite harm into our lives.

When we trust things that are not good to lean on, we trust in things that are unstable or people that are not worthy of that trust. or when we desire things. And all of us have these desires. It's called temptation. You're built of the same flesh as I am. We all have the same kind of temptations. We itch to do some things. But God says, I'm going to put a new heart within you. So you desire different things. So you desire good things, holy things. And you love these things.

And you have a heart and a trust for them. He says, I'm going to put a new heart and a new spirit within you. That's your deep motivation, the thing that motivates you. I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep my judgments and do them. All right, so this is like, here I am trying to live this Christian life.

It's like I got this big, bright, red, shiny new car. I thought, whoa, I've just got this new Christian life. And there you see me out there pushing it along, pushing along Wakers Parkway, pushing it up, up around the bends, you know, and up Bilgola Platter, you know, up there, down. And you say, what are you doing? I said, I've got this beautiful new life. I'm just pushing it around. It's a little hard. It's kind of almost impossible.

I'm here to tell you that if you sit in the driver's seat, there's a key. You go, what's that? It's called a motor. There's a motor inside this Christian life. It's a V12. It's banging on all cylinders, baby. Right under there, lift up the bottom. There it is. powering away. Every weekend you come here, you get a bit of fuel, fuels up the motor. Once a year, you get a whole tank load down at President's Conference,

and you're, you can drive this Christian life. You can put your foot on the accelerator. You can actually get filled with a power, with a fuel from on high, and it will cause you to walk in the statutes of God. It'll give you power to live this life. So many Christians, I grieve for them, trying to do their Christian life without power, feeling guilty every day, fearful of ever meeting God, wondering if they're going to heaven. But there is a power in the New Testament.

It is not just words on a page. It's not just the memory of Jesus on a cross at Easter time. That is not not what Christianity is.

Christianity is a power from heaven that comes upon believers and causes them to live in supernatural dimensions, areas you've never lived in before. Your highest potential is realized when the Spirit fills you on the inside. Luke 3, 16, Jesus will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. A lot of people leave that bit out. He will baptize you with the the Holy Spirit, and fire. How many believers have you met who you'd wonder if they could be just a tad more enthusiastic about church?

Just a little bit more enthusiastic about the Bible. Enthusiasm. That's what fire means. Anybody who is filled with the Holy Spirit is going to be filled with enthusiasm. If you're boring, could you just stop it now? Just stop. Look, honestly, don't wait for somebody to tell you. When you think of spending an entire evening with somebody, there are some people you immediately think, no, no, I don't want that.

There are some people who are exciting, who are enthusiastic, who are colorful, who, you know, yeah, baby, I'd love to spend an evening with them. It's going to be fun. If there was one night left on earth for you, who, I mean, you're going to think, oh, what's the most boring, dull person I'm going to think of? You know, you ain't going to do that. You're going to think, well, I'm going to think of somebody who's brilliant to be around, who's exciting.

Every human being has that destiny on them. You've been created in the image of God who created this world. And you can tell what God's like by the world that surrounds you. From peacocks to bananas, from pineapples to hippopotamuses, from elephants to glorious mountains, oceans. That's what God in heaven is like. That's what you and I are meant to be like. That's creation from the Holy Spirit.

All right. So Jesus said, listen, Luke 24, 49, you got to go wait in the city of Jerusalem until you get this clothing with power from on high. You don't just get it by hearing a message about it or getting excited about it. You get it because, and it will come to you. I got baptized in the Spirit the same night I was born again. I didn't even know what it was.

Didn't have a clue. I was speaking in heavenly languages, otherwise known as tongues, within seconds of receiving this freedom that I got by meeting Jesus. I was set free, and then I found myself filled with this power. Never been taught about it, never heard about it. But then I found that I had to wait time and again on my own in a room sometimes or with a whole prayer meeting. And we'd wait there, and we'd seek God, we'd pray, and then eventually, boom, there'd be this power that would fall.

I sit in a lot of different meetings. I sit in a lot of planning meetings. Meetings, I sit in a lot of governance meetings, sit in a lot of different, all kinds of team meetings, instruction meetings, feedback meetings, all kinds. But the most powerful meeting I can ever be in is the prayer meeting, which we have here at seven o'clock on a Tuesday night and many other prayer meetings that go on all the time. The most powerful meeting I can ever be in is one where I'm meeting with God.

All the power, all the wisdom, everything I need is going to be in in that meeting. But for some reason, there is a thing within me and it's within every one of us that tries to avoid that, that thinks there are the more important things to do, that just veers away from it. And even though you might have gone and been a prayerful, waiting on God person 10 years ago, how's it going now?

I wrote the book Hope because I keep coming across people who who seem to be despairing about their future. Lacking a sense of purpose, not energized by a vision. And hope is something that God infuses into us the minute we meet him. We have a positive anticipation about the days to come, rather than a sense of foreboding.

In fact, he is known as the God of hope. So once you're connected with God, you definitely connect with hope, discovering the reason that you are here, discovering your purpose in life. And so I wrote this book with that in mind to help people find their pathway in this life. You can pick it up at philpringle.com or at amazon.com. You can download the ebook or order a physical copy.

Let me tell you this. Before I get into a description of the Holy Spirit, Jude 1.20 says, But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, faith, praying in the Holy Spirit. There are so many references in the New Testament about praying in the Spirit, and that's the key to the power for your life. I know you might think you need to go and get some counsel, and that can be very good at times, but let me tell you, going to the prayer room is probably going to be a better answer.

Is there any among you suffering? The Bible says, is let him pray. It doesn't say let him try and get it sorted out by human and natural means. Because in one encounter with God and with the Holy Spirit, you'll find answers that are undiscoverable any other way. Galatians 3 verse 3 says, are you so foolish? Having begun in the spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?

Churches and movements and personal Christian lives that have been birthed in the Holy Spirit, after a while, we tend to drift towards doing things naturally. And we find ourselves burning out. We find ourselves feeling weak and inadequate. We find ourselves struggling and being anxious, trying to do what God's asked us to do, trying to live the Christian life. But the answer isn't in seven steps to victory or in five steps to holiness holiness or in 10 steps to financial security.

It's in actually getting filled with the Holy Spirit. But that's not tidy. You see, it's not, it's never going to be, it's going to be messy every time. This is tidy. We get the information, one, two, three, four, five. We know it, but whether we do it, that doesn't matter. We just got a tidy information. Over here, it's a mess. It's water, it's rivers, it's fire, it's oil. It's a wind that blows. It's a rush. You can't tie him down.

You can't get him into five points. You can't get him into even 21 points or a thousand and one points. This is the mighty Holy Spirit. This is the mighty breath of God. This is the mighty power of God from heaven. This is the Holy Spirit who has been sent from God to this earth to fill our lives with a power. And you may be used to, you know, you may be a guest here today and we're so happy you're here. You may be used to a preacher who's just going to give you a talk or something.

Ain't no luck this morning. I'm sorry. I want you to realize that there is a fire. There's a fire. I know we can look to the outside for that something to put the fire in us. I would think if I go to that movie, that'll get me going again. Or if I get those new glasses or those new clothes, or if I get that new car, fish boat, or if I get that, I'm going to be excited, it, but it'll last for this long.

Fire is such an attractive thing. When we lived up at Eleanora, there were fires all through Terry Hills at one point, and everybody was being told, evacuate. But everybody didn't evacuate. They drove up to see the fire. There was traffic, log jam up there.

Everybody goes to see a fire. It may even feel a little dangerous, and they are dangerous, I've got no doubt about that, but there's something compelling about enthusiasm, about somebody who's on fire, who's got passion for something, because so often we feel like we're a little dead on the inside. But I know when the Holy Spirit comes, He lights a fire. He's a holy pyromaniac. He loves setting people on fire. And so living in the Spirit is so important.

I want to talk to you about the mighty Holy Spirit. And just, this would be a massive Bible study if I was to give you all the Scriptures. But every one of these comes from a Scripture. Every one of these statements about the Holy Spirit. Number one, the Holy Spirit regenerates us. We are born again by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit transforms us from one level of radiance to the next. He places a deep confidence in our soul that we have eternal life after we receive Jesus.

The Holy Spirit guides us in our minds like a GPS system on the side, on the inside. The Holy Spirit counsels us about our lives like an inbuilt therapist. The Holy Spirit teaches us how to live like a life coach. He makes us clean by washing us in times of worship and prayer. Prayer. He sanctifies us, meaning He makes us holy. He separates us from the spirit of this world. That's why you cringe when you hear people being crude or when you hear people blaspheming or do in evil things.

Your joy is in purity, not in evil. The Holy Spirit gives wisdom, insight, grace, and power like a prophet living within us. The Holy Spirit strengthens us when we are weak, like an energizer battery inside of us. The Holy Spirit helps us pray prayers that get answered. He helps us understand the Bible like an author explaining the book he wrote. The Holy Spirit empowers us with boldness to face fearful situations like an injection of courage.

The Holy Spirit draws us to God. He makes us come boldly before God. He intercedes for us like a lawyer arguing our case to God. The Holy Spirit unites us together like a glue bonds things together. The Holy Spirit joins us as the family of God, like brothers and sisters. He gives us confidence that we are the children of God. He is the spirit of adoption, causing us to cry out, Dad, Father, to God in heaven.

The Holy Spirit comforts us when we are anxious or fearful. He gives you the knowing that everything will be all right. The Holy Spirit brings back to our memory the things Jesus has already taught us. The Holy Spirit convicts us of things we need to get right. Like a person who loves us enough to point out those things, we need to get right. He sets us free from things that enslave us. He is a habit breaker. The Holy Spirit is a liberating force. He does not bind us. He sets us free.

The Holy Spirit creates a song of praise inside us. He makes us worship, rise within us, exalting Jesus. The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us. His whole mission is to draw people to Christ. People who are empowered in the Spirit connect people to Jesus. The Holy Spirit brings revelation about the future, like someone who's already been there. The Bible says He seals us. This means He brands us so we are known in earth, heaven, and hell as belonging to God.

He reveals things hidden from view to us. He draws back the curtains so you can see out the window clearly. The Holy Spirit brings gifts of power into our lives so we can heal the sick, cast out demons, have faith for miracles, have wisdom, knowledge and insight. We can prophesy and interpret mysteries. We can pray in tongues, building up our spirit and speak in mysteries to God, bring renewal to our emotions, mind and body.

The Holy Spirit forms the characteristics of His own nature in the believer. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faith, self-control, these are called the fruits of the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is constantly at work in us, making us like Jesus. He empowers us to be effective witnesses for Christ. When we simply reach out to people, we will find there is a power within us, enabling us to touch them with the Spirit. We will find ourselves effective. Far beyond what we thought we could be. The King James Version says He quickens our mortal bodies. This means the Holy Spirit energises our physical bodies.

He is the secret to energy, to live life to the full. He is the one who brings the message of Jesus Christ to the church around the world.

He, the church, is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit sends people out to build the church and to preach the Gospel. He tells us where to go, when to go, and what to say. He is the essential key to prayer and preaching. He is the river of life, bringing fresh new life wherever He flows. No preacher should ever enter a pulpit without knowing that the Spirit of the Lord is upon them. He anoints us to preach freedom to the captives, healing to the sick, opening eyes to the blind.

He is the promise from the Father, meaning He is sent to empower us with everything we need to make it through this life. The Holy Spirit is the power that resurrected Jesus from the dead. He is the power that will raise us up at the second coming of Jesus Christ. The church cannot exist without the Spirit.

You must be filled with the Spirit to live the life He's called us to. We need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, in Jesus' mighty name. Amen. Music. Yes, Lord. We need your power. We need your grace. We need your life falling on us here. Holy Spirit, fall. Holy Spirit, fall.

Breathe upon us Let your light fall on us Amen Hey, thanks for jumping on this podcast today It's been a pleasure sharing with you Check out more content on Instagram Or on my YouTube channel Just search Phil Pringle Or else you can go to my website philpringle.com And check out my latest books, artwork And my blog Look forward to talking again soon See you then, Thank you.