Now I want to start out my sermon basically by laying down some things
doctrinally and then I'll get into the real application and preaching. But first
I want to lay down some doctrine because I think that the subject that I'm
preaching on tonight has become very confused doctrinally and many people are
confused on this issue and many others just don't fully understand this
issue because there's so much depth in it in the Bible. But I'm preaching about
the Holy Spirit and having the Holy Spirit upon you and I want to start out
by laying down some things doctrinally from the Old Testament into the New
Testament and then get into some application with this. But the first
thing I want you to see here is Saul. Now Saul, this is before he's king, but he
goes to Samuel and Samuel anoints him as king and then Samuel begins to tell him
signs that are going to come upon him the next day and he says that when these
signs come upon him and when he hears this preaching from these other prophets
that the Spirit of the Lord will come upon him and that he will become another
man. Did you notice that statement there? Let's look at it again quickly. It says
in verse number six, and the Spirit of the Lord will come upon thee and thou
shall prophesy with them and shall be turned into another man. Now if you would
flip over to chapter 16. You're in 1 Samuel 10, go to 1 Samuel chapter 16 and
the Bible reads in verse number 13, then Samuel took a horn of oil and anointed
him, talking about David, in the midst of his brethren and the Spirit of the Lord
came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Rhema, but
watch verse 14, but the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and an evil
spirit from the Lord troubled him. Now flip over to Psalm 51 while I explain
this. You see, in the Old Testament, believers were not indwelled by the Holy
Spirit. We're gonna see that a little bit later in John chapter 7. Right now, take
my word for it, I'll show you a little later, but in the Old Testament, believers
were not indwelled by the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit did come upon them
and allow them to preach a great sermon. It did come upon them and allow them to
fight a great battle. Men like Samson defeated many enemies physically while
filled with the Spirit, while having the Holy Spirit resting upon them in mighty
power. Now look at Psalm 51, if you would, and you see many preachers will say
something like, well in the Old Testament the Holy Spirit was temporary and in
the New Testament is permanent, but hold on a second, we're talking about two
completely different things. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is
completely distinct from the Holy Spirit upon you. So it's not that it was
temporary indwelled, no, this was something different, okay, and that'll
come into play a little later in the message. But in Psalm 51, David has
committed adultery with Bathsheba, he's also had her husband Uriah killed, so
he's committed a very, very wicked sin, and he's been confronted by Nathan the
Prophet, he's sorry about it, he has a repentant heart, and in Psalm 51 he's
pouring out his heart to God about how bad he's been, and in verse 10 he says,
create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me
not away from my presence, and look at this last phrase, and take not thy Holy
Spirit from me. Now look, we're not talking about the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit, we're talking about the Holy Spirit resting upon him. Saul had it, and
he lost it. David had it, and he was afraid of losing it, and he's begging God
to not take that from him, the Holy Spirit resting upon him. Now put your
finger, you're in Psalm 51, go to Psalm 119, and we're turning to a lot of
scriptures, but this is the foundation of the message. Put your finger in Psalm 119
and then turn to Ephesians chapter number 2. Turn to Ephesians chapter number 2
with your finger in Psalm 119, then I want you to take your your left arm, no
I'm just kidding, go to Ephesians chapter number 2, because a lot of people have
gone to our church, maybe so far what I've preached so far isn't really
anything new, but pay close attention to this next point here, because this is a
critical point. In Ephesians 2 verse 1 it says, and you hath he quickened, quickened
means made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in time
past he walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of
the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience, among whom also we had all had our conversation in time past, in the
lusts of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and
were by nature the children of wrath, even as others, but God who is rich in
mercy for his great love, wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins,
hath quickened us together with Christ, by grace ye are saved. Now listen to me
now, look at Psalm 119, because in Ephesians 2 he said we were dead in sin,
he told them in the Garden of Eden that in the day that they ate of that fruit
of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, he said in the day that thou eatest
thereof, thou shalt surely die, they didn't die physically, Adam lived for
hundreds of years beyond that, but that day he died spiritually, his spirit died.
You see we have a body, a soul, and a spirit, and the unsaved man, the
unbelieving man, his spirit is dead. The moment that he believes on Jesus
Christ, that spirit is quickened within him, that spirit is resurrected just like
Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Now our bodies have not yet been resurrected, but
that spirit was resurrected the moment that you got saved, according to the Bible
it was quickened, it was brought to life. But hold on a second now, in the Old
Testament, look at the Old Testament, Psalm 119, and we'll see David's same
testimony here in Psalm 119 verse 50, where he says this, this is my comfort in
my affliction, for thy word hath quickened me, has brought me to life.
Jesus said this, I am the resurrection and the light, he that believeth in me
though he were dead, yet shall he live, though he were dead, yet shall he live,
and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. But you see David was
also quickened, you see when we get saved, God quickens our spirit, not to be
confused with the Holy Spirit, and this is the, you got to get this foundation
before I can really preach this, our spirit is quickened, that is what is the
new man, and that is not the Holy Spirit, that's the new Steven Anderson. You see
the first Steven Anderson is sinful, wants to live after the flesh, wants to
gratify the flesh, but the new man, that new spiritual man, is created in true
holiness, is a perfect man, cannot sin, will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh,
and that's why I've got to choose to walk in the Spirit, but hold on a second,
I'm still living with the flesh, I'm never going to be perfect, I'm never
going to go a day perfect, every day I've got to, I've got to crucify the flesh, I've
got to take up the cross, and deny self, but what I want you to understand is
that even in the Old Testament the same was true, Saul became another man, that's
the new man, the new Saul, David, his spirit was brought to life, the moment
that he called upon the Lord in faith, Psalm 116, but the difference in the New
Testament, look over to Ephesians 4, if you're still in Ephesians 2 where we
were, Ephesians 4 verses 22 through 24 it says this, that he put off concerning the
former conversation, the old man, he said put off the old man, which is corrupt,
your flesh did not change when you got saved, your old man is still just as
corrupt as before you got saved, it's just like the former conversation, he
says it's corrupt according to the deceitful lust and be renewed in the
spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man, which after God is created
in righteousness and true holiness, turn to John 7, still laying the foundation
here, John 7, laying the foundation doctrinally, and look you say well Pastor
Hader said people were not born again in the Old Testament, then why did Jesus
look at Nicodemus in John chapter 3 and say art thou a master in Israel and know
it's not thou these things, when he spoke of being born again, because if it didn't
exist he wouldn't rebuke him for not knowing what he was talking about when
it came to salvation, if it didn't exist, hey to him give all the prophets witness
that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive
remission of sins, don't tell me people got saved different in the Old Testament
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever, hey Seth and Enos
called upon the name of the Lord, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, he
didn't deserve to go to heaven, he was saved by grace, and by the way it was
through faith because Abraham believed God and it was imputed unto him for
righteousness, even as David also described the blessedness of the man
unto whom God imputed righteousness without works, saying blessed is he whose
iniquities are forgiven and whose sin is covered, blessed is the man unto whom the
Lord will not impute sin, but in the Old Testament my friend they were not
indwelled by the Holy Spirit, look at John 7, John chapter 7, let me get my
notes here in the light, John 7 verse number 37 says this, it says in the last
day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried, you say why do you yell
when you preach, because Jesus yelled when he preached, he said he stood and
cried and he wasn't crying like he was crying out, he was yelling, it says he
cried said if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink, he that believeth
on me as the scripture has said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water, but this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should
receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given, did you see that, the Holy Ghost
was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified, now turn to John 20,
John chapter 20, while you're turning there just so you know that the Holy
Spirit's indwelling is permanent, the Bible says this, if any man have not the
Spirit of Christ he's none of his, he said know ye not that the Spirit of
Christ dwelleth in you except you be reprobates, 2nd Corinthians 13, he said
look if you're saved the Holy Spirit is living inside of you, it's not something
you get later on after you've been saved for a while, it's not something that you
could ever lose, I mean the Holy Spirit indwells the believer permanently in the
New Testament, but in John 7 that comforter, that Spirit of truth, he said
he dwelleth with you and he shall be in you, he said in verse 14, the indwelling
came later didn't it, but look at look at John 20 and verse number 21 the Bible
reads, then said Jesus to them again peace be unto you as my father had sent
me even so send I you, and when he had said this he breathed on them and saith
unto them receive ye the Holy Ghost, so at this time he breathes on them and
they received the Holy Ghost, you look at a parallel passage in Luke he talks
about how you open their understanding of the scriptures, because the Holy
Spirit will do that for you, he'll guide you into all truth, he's the comforter
he'll guide you into truth, he'll teach you the Bible, but hold on a second now
they received the Holy Spirit in John chapter 20 didn't they after Jesus had
been glorified, but wait a minute go to Acts 1, go to Acts 1 verse 5, Acts 1 5
just right across the page, he said for John truly, I'm sorry let's go back to
verse 4 sorry about that, and being assembled together with them, commanded
them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of
the Father, which saith ye, ye have heard of me, for John truly baptized with water,
but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days hence, when they
therefore were come together, they asked of him saying, Lord wilt thou at this time restore
again the kingdom to Israel, and he said unto them, it is not for you to know the
times of the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power, but ye shall
receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be
witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and under
the outermost part of the earth, look they already received the indwelling of
the Holy Spirit in John 20, but he said in Acts 1, wait for the promise of the
Father, which saith he, you've heard of me, and he said when the Holy Ghost is
come upon you, ye shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and he lists the
places there, let me tell you something, just because you are indwelled by the
Holy Spirit, does not mean that you have the Holy Ghost upon you, and it doesn't
mean that you're filled with the Spirit, otherwise he wouldn't have commanded you
be filled with the Spirit, he didn't say you're already automatically filled, he
said be filled with the Holy Spirit, be filled, wait, let the Holy Spirit come
upon you in mighty power, so that you can preach the Word of God with boldness, you
see the Old Testament Spirit of the Lord upon Saul, Samson, Oded, David, all these
men, was not replaced with the indwelling, it's still there, he just added the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit, he didn't replace it, men in the New Testament,
women in the New Testament, you say this is just for men, okay flip over one more
page, go to Acts 2, because this isn't just for men, you say this is for preachers,
this is for men, this is for, nope, look at the scripture here in Acts chapter 2,
where he says, this is that, verse 16, sorry verse 16, this is that which was
spoken by the Prophet Joel, and it shall come to pass in the last day, sayeth God,
I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream
dreams, and on my servants and on my handmaidens will I pour out in those
days of my spirit, and they shall prophesy, so this isn't just for young,
it's for young and old, this isn't just for male, it's for male and female, let me
tell you something, we need to get, you say well Pastor Isaac, how do I know if I'm
filled with the Holy Spirit, how do I know if God's Spirit is resting upon me, let me give
you some ways to know and some ways to be filled with the Holy Spirit, number one, first
of all, the evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit is found in Acts 4 31,
let's start there, the evidence for being filled with the Spirit is found in Acts
4 31, it says this, and when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they
were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they
spake the Word of God with boldness, you see in the Old Testament, when men had
the Holy Spirit come upon them, they were filled with boldness, whether it was to
go to battle and fight courageously and valiantly for the Lord with boldness, or
whether it was to preach an unpopular message to a wicked King, when the Spirit
of the Lord came upon them, they led, and they led with boldness, they preached with
boldness, and let me tell you something, if you are not bold, you're not filled with the
Spirit of God, if a pastor is holding back when he preaches because of fear,
he's not filled with the Spirit, because God has not given us the Spirit of fear,
that fear when you're preaching of what someone's going to think about you
preaching the Word of God, that did not come from God, powerful preaching came
from God, scared preaching didn't come from God, because God didn't give us the
Spirit of fear, listen Timothy, young preacher in the ministry, God has not
given us the Spirit of fear, but a power and of love and of a sound mind, you see
boldness is the characteristic of being filled with the Spirit, boldness, I'm not
saying rudeness or harshness, but I'm saying boldness, the opposite of boldness
is fear, the opposite of boldness is being timid, the opposite of boldness is I'm
afraid to go soul winning, boldness says let's go soul winning, and when you get out
there soul winning, you don't try to trim the message and water it down, but you
look in the eye and you speak the truth with love and you tell them the truth
about heaven and hell, you tell them the truth about salvation through Jesus
Christ, boldness my friend, now in the Old Testament in 1st Samuel 10, Saul was
already saved, okay, but when he when the Spirit of Lord came upon him when he was
walking in the Spirit is when he became another man, you know when people could
see the difference, it was associated with music by the way, in the preceding
verse to the verse where it said the Spirit of Lord would come upon him, he
said you're gonna run into these prophets, he said they're gonna be singing
and playing musical instruments, and they will preach and the Spirit of Lord come
upon you, New Testament, he said be not drunk with wine, we're in his excess, but
be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in Psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, so
first of all boldness is being filled with the Spirit, but second of all you
know you're listening to the worldly rotten devil music of this world, you're
not filled with the Spirit, it's true, don't tell me you're filled with the
Spirit while you're blasting the music of the Spirit of this world, I mean if
God said being filled with the Spirit is when you're singing in Psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs and making melody in your heart to the Lord, that's when
you're filled with the Spirit, you're filled with the Spirit when you're
singing the hymns, you're filled with the Spirit when that's the music of Monday
Tuesday and Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday, that's the fullness of the
Spirit, you say where does rolling in the aisles come in, you know, where's the
tongue speaking and barking like a dog and and all the healing lines, no my
friend, this is a biblical doctrine and maybe the Charismatics have scared us
away from it, but it's still a biblical doctrine, yes, so number one, fear tells
me you're not filled with the Spirit, tells me I'm not filled with the Spirit,
the wrong music is an evidence of not being filled with the Holy Spirit, but
I'll tell you the third, the third way to really dampen the power of the Holy
Spirit upon you is sin in your life, because if you remember what caused the
Holy Spirit's power and presence to depart from Saul, wicked sin in his life,
disobedience to God and that's when the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul,
David knew that, David understood that his sin with Bathsheba, where the
adultery, the murder, hey he knew that if he didn't turn from and forsake that sin
and confess it before God and not try to make excuses about it and cover it up,
but to come before God and to get his heart right with God, he knew that the
Spirit of the Lord would depart from him and again we're not talking about the
indwelling, we're not talking about the New Testament, but I'm gonna tell you
something New Testament believer, I don't just want to have the Holy Spirit living
inside of me, I want to have the power of the Holy Spirit upon me because God
said that's what you need to be a witness in Judea, that's what you need to
be a witness in Jerusalem and all these other parts of the earth, that's what you
need to be an effective soul winner in Phoenix, Arizona, hey you got to be filled
with the Spirit of God, you know you go out there in the flesh and I think it
was Brother Stoppabeed's message where Jesus said, without me you can do nothing,
hey if you're not abiding in this vine right here and then you're gonna go out
soul winning in the flesh, let me tell you something, you wonder why you can't
get people saved any time and look we all we all go through a dry spell don't
we, you know we all go and you know sometimes God just has us out there
warning people, just giving them the warning or get or planting the seed or
watering the seed but let me tell you something if these things abound in you
he said you'll not be unfruitful in the Lord, he said if these things abound in
you, he'll cause you to not be unfruitful and if you're filled with the Spirit of
God then if you're abiding in the true vine of Jesus Christ you will bring
forth much fruit, he said if you abide in me and my words abide in you he said you
shall ask what you will and I'll do it, I mean if you're abiding in this book
how can you be filled with the Spirit if you're not filled with God's Word is my
next question, if he said the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and
they are life, get the parallel passage Colossians 3 16 and Ephesians 5 the
famous passage 5 18 where he said be filled with the Spirit, speaking
yourselves in Psalms in the name of spiritual life, you go over to Colossians 3 16 he says let the
word of Christ dwell in you richly with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one
another in Psalms in the name of spiritual life, it's the same statement it's a parallel statement he's
saying look it's one in the same when God's word Christ's word dwells in you
richly with all wisdom that's when you're going to be filled with the Holy
Spirit, that's right, when you can have God's Word in you and then preach it
with boldness and then sing God's Word and sing hymns and psalms and songs that
exalt and lift up God's Word that my friend is the fullness of the Spirit
and you see we need this today we need a spiritual Christianity you see it's not a
math problem and this is what you know it's math well if I knock this many
doors in this many hours and this many days and here's how you start a church
and and when you start a church you get this book and this book no this book is
the book you need but anyway you know you get this book and this book's gonna
walk you through it you know you this what you do two weeks before and one
week before and these are the doors you knock and you know you want to you want
your church to grow you got to follow this program and you know you got to do
this and this and this and you know what it's not a math problem it's the
Holy Spirit it's the Holy Spirit of God how do you preach a good sermon you know
do you just put together the points you have a good book on what hermeneutic
comma let whatever that's stupid you know homiletics is that what it is
homileth homiletics how do you preach a good sermon a tear-jerking
illustration from some book that you bought online how do you preach a good
sir you preach a good sermon when you're filled with the Spirit of God
because it's God that does the work it's God that worketh in you both to will and
to do of his good pleasure he's the one that works in you he's the one doing the
work you are his best soul you present your body a living sacrifice unto God so
that he can use you to do his work but he's the one doing the work in and
through you using his word preached by a spirit-filled Christian whether they're
a man woman boy or girl knocking on that door or talking to that friend ladies
ladies go out soul and he filled with the Spirit of God and see a different
result men go out soul and fill with the Spirit of God children be filled with
the Spirit older men I know we don't have anybody here that's old or anything
but those of you those of you guys that are just a little bit older you know
this is for you too if you were done in this life you'd be gone you'd be God
would just take if you finish the work that he gave you to do you'd be gone if
you had finished your course you'd be ready to be offered up and it'd be up
but you know what you're here because God has something for you to do and
you've got to be filled with the Spirit of God amen now let's just stop and
analyze what does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit what does it mean
to be filled I mean if I have a cup that's filled is there really room for
anything else right you know and that's why self is what has to die in order to
be filled with the Holy Spirit your desires your ideas your plans what you
want has to die and this is why so few are filled with the Spirit because
you've got to die and it's not easy to die and it's something that you have to
do every day to be filled with the Holy Spirit Paul said I die daily now you say
wait a minute are you saying I can't I can't have any fun in life you know just
it's just all spiritual all day long hold on a second you know there's a time
and a place for a lot of activities in your life but didn't he say that even if
you're just eating a meal that should be the glory of God right can't you eat
your sandwich filled with the Holy Spirit can't you spend quality time
with your wife filled with the Holy Spirit can't you love and spend time
with your children fill with those but can't you be filled with the Spirit in
your dating life and let it made it might affect your dating too by the way
you know I mean we need to be filled with the Spirit in order to be the right
husband in order to be the right parent it's not just for soul winning but in
order to have the kind of parenting that's not a fearful parenting and
today parents are scared they're scared of the government yeah they're scared of
what their friends and family are gonna think and they won't parent right
because of fear but if you get filled with the Holy Spirit you'll just do what
God said and just you know what let the chips fall where they may I believe God
you know I mean you could apply this to every area there's more to life than
just soul winning yes that's our main thrust that's our focus I kind of like
how that's been the theme of this camping trip a little bit talking about
soul winning but you know what be filled with the Holy Spirit is something that's
supposed to be all day long it should affect how you do your job when you go
to work it's when you're working as unto the Lord and not in the man it should
affect your marriage it should affect your childbirth it should affect
everything when you come to church and when you sing the hymns you know sing it
down from the heart to God be filled with the Spirit when you're listening to
preaching if you're filled with the Holy Spirit you're getting this preaching
right now and it's sinking into your ears and you're getting it you're
applying it you're digesting it you're gonna use it you're gonna put it in
action spirit the spirit filled listener the spirit filled preacher the spirit
filled soul winner the spirit filled song leader the spirit filled singer in
the congregation the spirit filled parent the spirit filled husband the
spirit filled wife the spirit filled child that's what we need today a
spiritual Christianity man I don't serve some kind of a dead religion where I'm
just going through the motions 2 plus 2 equals 4 no it's 0 plus 0 equals 4
because God does it all you know I mean we're not we're a bunch of zeros and God
uses us to do great things for him because without him we are a zero we do
nothing we'll get nothing done Paul said I know that in my flat in me said that
is in my flesh dwell with no good thing so if we're ever gonna do anything good
for God self's gonna have to die the flesh is gonna have to die look there
were time when I gave up a lot of things that were really important to me in my
life you know sinful things you know my music all the worldly music all the all
the movies and all the all the worldly friends and all the all the wrong things
that I was involved in and you know what it almost felt like part of me had to
die you know a certain part of I mean those say and you may not understand
this but you probably have other things in your life I mean the music that I
listened to was such an intrinsic part of who I was it was my identity you know
that you know in school and and when I was in school was like this it's
probably not different you know how your music was kind of your identity there
was kind of the country crowd you know the rap crowd the rock you know I mean
but you know what that Stephen Anderson just had to die because he wasn't gonna
win a bunch of souls to Christ he wasn't ever gonna pastor a church and preach a
sermon and win souls to Christ and live a godly life and memorize the Bible he
had to die and I and every day I have to kill him if the mortify him put him to
death right so that the new Stephen Anderson can rise up and walk in newness
of life be filled with the spirit let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer
father we thank you so much for bringing us here tonight dear God and one of the
things I love about this camping trip is just getting away from the hustle and
bustle of the city getting out in your nature and your creation God I pray that
this time a fellowship among godly friends and brethren and sisters in
Christ will be of benefit to us dear God coming up here I pray that the gas money
and the time and the days off from work would be would be beneficial to our
spiritual lives through applying of the preaching of your word through getting
away from the worldly friends and the and the cares of this world that we all
we all live with and we and we we you intended for us to live in this world so
that we could so that we could win the world but God help us in these few days
of refreshing to learn what it means to be filled with the spirit all day long
and God you know I'm not perfect no one here is perfect but father help us every
day to work harder to put on that new man to be the new Steven Anderson to be
the new fill in the blank and father we love you and thank you for your word and
for the comfort of your spirit dear God and Jesus names we pray amen