THE PORTRAIT OF A SPIRIT FILLED BELIEVER

I.                   WE CAN HAVE VARYING DEGREES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

            Ephesians 5:18

            And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit

II.MANIFESTATIONS OF SPIRIT FILLED LIFE

1.     Spiritual Utterance

Acts 2:4

And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

2.      Boldness

Acts 4:8-13

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.

Acts 4:31

31 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 spoke the word of God with boldness.

3.      Your Eyes Are Opened

Acts 9:17-18

17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

4.     You See things in Heaven other Can’t see

Acts 7:54-56

⁵⁴ When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. ⁵⁵ But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, ⁵⁶ and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

5.     You see People for who they really Are

Acts 13:6-12

6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus: 7 Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. 9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, 10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord,

6.     Full of Faith

Acts 11:22-2

⁵⁴ When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. ⁵⁵ But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, ⁵⁶ and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

7.     Full of Hope

Romans 15:13

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit

8.     Full of Gratitude

Ephesians 5:18-20

18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

             9, Stress-Free Living

               Matthew 11:28

               28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

                                  

10.Shame free living

Ephesians 1:4

Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,

Genesis 2:25

25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

                                   

HOLY SPRIT

I.                   THE HOLY SPIRIT IS:

1.     Eternal

“how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”  Hebrews 9:14

2.     Omnipresent.

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. 13 For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. Psalms 139:7-13

3.     Omniscient

“But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10

4.     Omnipotent

35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Luke 1:35

5.     The Spirit of Glory

If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. 1 Peter 4:14

6.     The Source of Wisdom. 1 Corinthians 12:8; Isaiah 11:2; John 16:13; 14:26.

The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might,

The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.Isaiah 11:2.

7.     The Comforter of the Church.

Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. Acts 9:31

II. EMBLEMS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

1.     Water

 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39

a. Cleansing. Ezekiel 16:9; 36:25; Ephesians 5:26; Hebrews 10:22.

b. Fertilising. Psalms 1:3; Isaiah 27:3, 6; 44:3, 4; 58:11.

c. Refreshing. Psalms 46:4; Isaiah 41:17, 18.

d. Abundant. John 7:37, 38.

e. Freely given. Isaiah 55:1; John 4:14; Revelation 22:17.o

2. Fire

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Matthew 3:11

a. Purifying. Isa 4:4; Malachi 3:2, 3.

b. Illuminating. Exodus 13:21; Psalms 78:14.

c. Searching. Zephaniah 1:12; 1 Corinthians 2:10.

3. Wind

            John 3:7

            The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

a. Independent. John 3:8; 1 Corinthians 12:11.

b. Powerful. 1 Kings 19:11; Acts 2:2

c. Sensible in its effects. John 3:8.

d. Reviving. Ezekiel 37:9, 10, 14.

4. Oil.

            Isaiah 61:3

To console those who mourn in Zion,To give them beauty for ashes,The oil of joy for mourning,The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

a. Healing. Luke 10:34; Revelation 3:18.

b. Comforting. Isaiah 61:3; Hebrews 1:9.

c. Illuminating. Matthew 25:3, 4; 1 John 2:20, 27.

d. Consecrating. Exodus 29:7; 30:30; Isaiah 61:1.

5. Rain and dew.

Psalms 72:6.

He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing,

Like showers that water the earth.

a. Fertilising. Ezekiel 34:26, 27; Hosea 6:3; 10:12; 14:5.

b. Refreshing. Psalms 68:9; Isaiah 18:5.

c. Abundant. Psalms 133:3.

d. Imperceptible. 2 Samuel 17:12; Mark 4:26–28.

6.  A Dove

 Matthew 3:16.

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him

a.      Gentle. Matthew 10:16; Galatians 5:22.

7.     A Voice

Isaiah 6:8.

Also, I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

a. Speaking. Matthew 10:20.

b. Guiding. Isaiah 30:21; John 16:13.

c. Warning. Hebrew 3:7–11.

8.     A Seal

Ephesians 1:13, 14

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

III. WHAT DOES HE DO?

1.     HE dwells with, and in Saints.

John 14:7

the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

           

2.     He Testifies of Jesus.

John 15:26

But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.

3.     He Teaches the Saints.

John 14:26

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

4.     He Imparts the love of God.

 Romans 5:3–5.

And not only that but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

5.     He Imparts Hope.

Rom 15:13

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

6.     He strives with sinners.

Ge 6:3.

And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”

7.      He corrects believers.

 Joh 16:8.

And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

                       

8.     He helps our infirmities.

 Ro 8:26.

Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

           

9.     He Guides

John 16:13

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

           

10.           He Sanctifies

Rom 15:16

that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

11.           He can be grieved

Eph. 4:30

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

12.           He can be resisted.

Acts 7:51.

You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.

13.           He can be tempted.

Acts 5:9.

Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”

MAXIMIZE YOUR MOMENT

How to Get the Most Use Out of Your Life

Ephesians 5: 6-20NLT ¹⁰ Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. ¹¹ Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. ¹² It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. ¹³ But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, ¹⁴ for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” ¹⁵ So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. ¹⁶ Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days [ethically wicked]. ¹⁷ Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

James 4: 13-17, ¹³ Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” ¹⁴ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. ¹⁵ What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ Otherwise, you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

Ecc. 9: 10, Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

Romans 12: 6-8, In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. ⁷If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. ⁸ If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

Maximize – 1). to increase to the greatest possible amount or degree; 2). to represent at the highest possible estimate; magnify

Moment - a definite period or stage, as in a course of events; juncture:

5 Spiritual Strategies that can help you maximize your moments

1.     Learn to work with the Holy Spirit

1Co 3:9NIV -  ⁹ For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.  ¹⁰ By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. ¹¹ For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

2.      Remain in Christ and allow fruit to produce

John 15:16 ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

3.     Delight and have pleasure in the Lord

Psalms 1:1-3, Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.

4.      Know your season and time

2Eccl 3:1 To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. Preach the word of God. 2 Tim 4:2, Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.

5.     Remain Salty!

Mat. 5: 13 NLT, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

Characteristics Of A Person Who Maximizes Their Moments

·         Committed – 2Chron. 19:9, These were his instructions to them [Levites, priest & leaders]: “You must always act in the fear of the LORD, with faithfulness and an undivided heart.

·         Communicates – Psa. 37:30, The godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong.

·         Right Priority – Mat. 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

·         Good Understanding – 1Kings 3: 9, [Solomon prayed], Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?”

·         Wise – Eccl. 7: 2, Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it.

·         Excellent – Dan. 6: 3, Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.