Alright, everybody. Welcome to Valley Creek. We’re so glad that you are here with us today. Wherever you are, whatever is going on in your life, hope is here. Everyone is welcome. Jesus changes everything. And we are in this season as a church of fueling the fire. We are fueling the fire of God amongst us. We're trying to fuel it, tend it, steward it – the presence, the power, the purity of God. There is a divine stirring that's taking place among us right now. There's this hunger and this thirst that's building up. And so we're calling out, we're crying out, and we're not just talking about the fire of God. We're acting on it and we're fueling it. And today's a really big deal. Today is a really important day.

And so I'm gonna jump right in and I'm gonna start by simply telling you a little bit about my story because I think it's gonna help with where we're going. You see, I grew up in a great home. My parents loved Jesus. We went to church every Sunday. They were amazing people, raised us in a godly home. And even though we went to church and even though they loved Jesus, Jesus wasn't real to me. I had all the information. I had all the knowledge. I was a good kid and I could say all the right things, but I didn't know God. I knew about God, but I didn't know God. And I went off to college like so many people do. I played college lacrosse, kind of got to the end of college, did my own thing. And I had all of my plans, my life, my dreams, my visions, all set up – knew exactly what I was gonna do. And right as I graduated from college,. the girl that I thought was gonna marry broke up with me out of nowhere and broke my heart. And it kind of sent this spiral into my life. Over the next six months, it's like everything fell apart. I crashed two brand new jet skis on the Niagara River and T-boned my best friend and put him into the hospital. I watched a woman crash her car and I was the first person to get over there and held her in my arms as she died and took her last breath. I was injured so many different times that I kept ending up in the emergency room over and over and over again.

Finally, I hit rock bottom and I cried out to God and I said, “God, you're either real or you're not. And if you're real, You can have the rest of my life. But if You're not, I'm done with all of this.” Now, I don't recommend giving God ultimatums. That is not wisdom. But that is where I was, and what I love about God is He responds to brokenness and honesty and humility. And so for the next six months, I sought God. I went to work and I sought God. That's all I did. I went to every church gathering I could find. I went to every small group, every circle, every men's event. I read every book I could get my hands on. I listened to every message I could get ahold of. And in those days, it was cassette tapes. I know we don't even know what those are anymore. You have no idea how spoiled you are to digitally press play on anything you want. I mean, I was just taking in everything I could take in. And after about six months, I don't know how to explain it, but God revealed Himself to me. I heard Jesus' voice and came alive for the first time in my life. And because I told God, “If you're real, You can have the rest of my life.” I figured, well, I guess this is what I have to do. And so I didn't know how to do it. I didn't know what to do next.

And so I, I went to, I moved to Denver to go to seminary because I figured that's what I guess I have to do to figure this out. But I'm much more of a practitioner than I am a theorist. So the book studying was great, but I wanted an internship to be able to experience that which I was learning. And so I got an internship at a great church in Colorado Springs. It was about an hour drive away. And when I got to that church and I was a part of it, it was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. The people there were so full of joy. And there was life. And they were excited about God. And they had this attractiveness upon them. And they walked in this power and this authority that I had never seen before. And it was like when they walked into the room, God walked in with them. It was like they carried the actual presence of God wherever they went. And as I asked them questions about it and tried to uncover what was going on, they kept telling me about the Holy Spirit. And they kept telling me about being filled with the Holy Spirit. Now, you have to remember where I came from. I mean, I knew there was a Holy Spirit, but that's about it. Never talked to him, never experienced Him. Nobody ever taught me about Him. And so I'm like, well, man, if this is what the Holy Spirit does, I want more of this.

And so for about the next six months as I would drive that hour back and forth from Denver to Colorado Springs in my car, the prayer that I would pray is simply, “Holy Spirit, would You just fill me up? Holy Spirit, I don't even know what this means. I don't know what this looks like. I don't even know if I have the right theology here. But Holy Spirit, I want more of you. I want more of God. Would You fill me up?” And for months, I prayed that prayer, driving back and forth. And then one night after serving at an event, I was driving back home. It was late at night on Highway 25 in Colorado, from Colorado Springs to Denver. “Holy Spirit, will You fill me?” And the only way I know how to explain it to you is the presence of God came and filled my car so tangibly. It was like God was there with me. And I felt this deep joy starting to well up from deep inside of me. And it came up and it came out of me. And I just started laughing with this joy that I had never experienced before, which is profound for me because by nature, I am not a joyful person. And all of a sudden, there was this prayer language that I never had before. And I was praying in the Spirit. And I spent the hour driving home, praying and laughing in tears and joy and experiencing and encountering the presence of God. And that was the initial experience that started an ongoing lifestyle of being filled with the Holy Spirit for me.

And I tell you that story because I don't know if you know this or not, but you were created to be filled by the Spirit of the Living God. This is why Paul tells us, he says, “You may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” The Apostle Paul prayed for you that you would be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now, I don't even understand that. I don't even know how to explain to you that somehow you and I can be filled to the measure of the fullness of God. The God who created, sustains, and redeems all things somehow wants to fill me to the full measure of Himself. What an invitation – what an opportunity that I can be filled with the Spirit of the Living God.

And here's a great question: how do you know when something is filled? How do you know when something is filled? See, there's a difference between being full and being filled. Why? Because when something is filled, it's overflowing. You can have a full cup, but still have this much air left in it. Well, that's not filled. It's full, but it's not filled. It's only filled when it's full to the top and overflowing the sides. So how do we know when we're filled with the Spirit of God? We are full on the inside and on the outside. We are indwelt and we are clothed. We are overflowing with His Spirit, which means when someone bumps into us, what spills out of us is the life of Christ. What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? It means that when someone bumps into you, there's so much, it's so high, it's so overflowing, that the life of Christ spills over into their life – the words of Jesus, the thoughts of Jesus, the actions of Jesus, the life of Jesus. When someone bumps into you, what spills out? The Spirit of God? Or the Spirit of the world?

You see, whether you realize it or not, as we've been talking about fueling the fire all year long, what we've really been talking about is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the consuming fire of God. And He has so many different names: the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of holiness, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of grace. In fact, Isaiah tells us, "The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him," – talking about Jesus – the Spirit of wisdom, the Spirit of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge, and the Spirit of the fear of the Lord. Like Jesus, He is multifaceted and has so many different names and dimensions and realities that He wants to release into your life. And for hundreds and thousands of years, the people of God longed for the Spirit to be poured out.

You see, you go into the Old Testament, what you will discover is that the Holy Spirit wasn't poured out on people. The Holy Spirit would come upon a person for a assignment to do something that God wanted to do in that time, in that generation, in those people. And when it was over, He would leave. So the Holy Spirit would be on a person for a season, and that was the extent of it. They didn't have it poured out. They longed for it. In fact, Moses prophesies and says, "I wish all the Lord's people were prophets and that His Spirit would be poured out on all of them." And so for hundreds of years, they waited, and they held onto this promise from God when He says, "I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days." It was a promise that one day the Holy Spirit would be poured out on all people – rich and poor, young and old, male and female, the greatest and the least. The Spirit would be poured out to anyone and everyone who wanted it.

And so they held onto this promise, and then Jesus came. And when Jesus went to the cross, what Jesus did is He took the Spirit – the fire of God that burned on the altar of the temple made by human hands – and transferred it into the heart – the new temple that had been resurrected by the hands of God. He took the fire – the Spirit – that burned in the physical building of the temple – one place, one Spirit in one place – and He took it and He transferred it so it could be poured out into your life and into my life, that now the fire of God might dwell and burn brightly in this place. The Spirit has been poured out.

We are in those days, and you can have as much of it as you want. You see, when we use the term Spirit-filled, what do we mean? What we mean is walking in the character and the power of Jesus. To be filled with the Spirit means you walk in the character and the power of Jesus. It means you're filled and overflowing with the life of Christ that when anyone bumps into you, touches you, rubs you, comes near you, the life of Christ gets on them in both character and power. The character of Jesus is what? It is the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. Those aren't just made-up good things that you should pursue in your life. It is the character of Jesus called the fruit of the Spirit. And when you're filled with the Spirit, that's what grows naturally and effortlessly in your life. That is the character of Jesus – the fruit of the Spirit.

But there's also the power of Jesus, which is called the gifts of the Spirit. Gifts like leadership and administration and generosity and encouragement and prophecy and wisdom and discernment and miracles. The power of God released, set forth to see His kingdom come and His will be done to destroy the works of darkness and release the life of God wherever you go, because the Spirit is now in and upon you. So when someone bumps into you, they not only get the character, they also get the power. This is why Jesus says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor, to open the eyes of the blind, to heal up the brokenhearted and proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” He says the Spirit is on me for character and power. And everywhere I go, the kingdom of God shows up and it changes people's lives. And that is available to you and I, today – the Spirit indwelling and clothing you – in you and upon you. And when you're filled with the Spirit, you have what we've been talking about this whole year long – a radiant face, a burning heart, and a holy and powerful life. Huh. I like it. I like it.

In fact, this is why it says about Jesus, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how He went around doing good and healing all who are under the power of the devil because God was with Him.” Remember whenever it says Jesus of Nazareth it’s talking about His humanity. God anointed Jesus – the man – with the Holy Spirit and power came upon Him to do good and heal all because God was with them. Here's what we know about Jesus: that everything He did on this earth, He did as a man in right relationship with God, filled with the Holy Spirit.

So when Jesus says, “You'll do the things that I've been doing,” what is He saying? He's saying you are now in right relationship with God. Why? Because God – Jesus – who knew no sin became sin for us so that in Him, we might become the righteousness of God. So we know we're right with God. The only question is, is how filled with the Spirit are we? We can do the exact things that Jesus did. Why? Because we're in right relationship with God. The only question is, is how filled with the Holy Spirit are we? See the Holy Spirit is in me and upon me. He is in me for my sake. He's upon me for your sake. And the Holy Spirit in my life doesn't make me better than you. The Holy Spirit in my life makes me better for you. Does that make sense to you? Okay.

So track with me on this. See, in the Bible, there are four types of baptisms that are available for you and I – four different baptisms that are offered to the people of God. Now, most of us are familiar with one and I blew just about most of your mind. You're like, wait, what? Hang on. Just stay with me. There are four types of baptisms in the Bible. The word baptized literally means to dip, to immerse, to submerge. It's literally like a ship that's been sunk in the water. The water is all around it, but it is also inside of it. Four different types of baptisms.

The first thing is: we are baptized into Christ. We are baptized into salvation. The Holy Spirit, when we believe, baptizes us into Christ or into salvation. For we were all, say with me, baptized by one Spirit into one body. So the Holy Spirit takes me and immerses me into the body of Christ, into the life of Christ. When I believe in Jesus, I am immersed in the life of Jesus. This is why it says in Galatians, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who are,” say with me, “baptized, into Christ,” like, wait, I thought we only get baptized into water, “into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ.” The moment you put your faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit baptizes you into Christ. You become immersed, dipped, submerged into the life of Christ.

Everything that is true of Him is now true of you. Why? Because you're now included in Christ. As He is so you are. Consider yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ for you have been crucified through Christ. And it is no longer you who live. It's Christ who lives within you. You are baptized into Christ at the moment of salvation. You are saved. You are healed. You are set free. You are delivered. That is your moment of salvation. You are saved by grace through faith. If you never do anything else from that point, no one can snatch you from the hand of God because the Spirit has just immersed you into the life of Christ and everything that's true of Him is now true of you. Does that make sense?

This is why it says in Ephesians, “And you also were included in Christ,” baptized, immersed, dipped, submerged into the life of Christ, “when you heard the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, having,” say it with me, “believed,” not having obeyed, not having done it all right, not having performed, strived, achieved, earned, cleaned yourself up and got it all good. No, having believed. The Spirit immersed me into the life of Christ. And I become marked in Him with a seal. The promised Holy Spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing our salvation. When I get immersed into the life of Christ, the Holy Spirit comes into my life, raises me to new life. Just like the Spirit raised Jesus from the grave. He raises me from the grave and He is now a deposit guaranteeing my salvation that I no longer belong to the kingdom of darkness. I now belong to the kingdom of God and my eternal destiny is secured from that point on.With me on that? Okay. That is baptism into salvation. The Holy Spirit baptizes you into Jesus.

The second baptism is the one we're familiar with – the baptism of water. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptize,” say with me, “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Jesus tells us that we baptize each other into water. Why do we get baptized into water? Because we identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. This is now faith in action. I have been saved, I now want to obey God because he's changed my heart and changed my life. I move forward. He tells me this is important. So even if I don't get it, it becomes important to me. I have now committed to be a disciple. I've committed to living a lifestyle of repentance, learning to obey, and I want to be immersed in the reality of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. So I come forward as a public declaration of the internal change that has taken place in my life that I'm now not only baptized into Christ and I'll get baptized into water. The old is gone. The new has come and I rise to a new life and a new way that I live my life. That's what we did last weekend and got to celebrate a whole bunch of people. That's the one we're familiar with. You're still with me on this? Okay.

The third one is baptism into the Holy Spirit. Now, some of you may have heard that term. Some of you may come from a church background where that was very important. Some of you may have had a bad experience with that. Let's try to bring us all on the same page together. There is the baptism in the Holy Spirit. What's fascinating to me is the baptism in the Holy Spirit is recorded in all four gospels and the book of Acts. There are a lot of things in the gospels that are in one gospel. There are less things that are in two of them. There are even fewer that are in three of them. There is hardly anything that is in four of them. And there is almost nothing that is in all four of them and the book of Acts. So if it's in all four of them and the book of Acts, it's probably important.

So let me show you how this is recorded in all of them. Ready? Here it is in Matthew: “I baptize you with water.” This is John the Baptist speaking for repentance, “but after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will,” say with me, “baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” So Jesus will immerse you in the Holy Spirit and fire. That's Matthew. Okay. Let's look at Mark. John the Baptist saying, “I baptize you with water, but He will,” say with me,”baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” So Mark says it, too. Let's see if Luke had anything to say about it. “I baptize you with water, but one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Man, Luke says it, too. There's no way it's in John. You think it's, you think it's in John? I don't know. Let's see. “The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain and remain is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” So in all four gospels, there's no way it's also in Acts. Let's, let's just for good, good, good measure, just see here. “Do not leave Jerusalem,” this is the resurrected Jesus now talking, “but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about, for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So Jesus Himself says it. So here's what I want you to think: all four gospels and the book of Acts. You know what we would think: what’s in all four gospels and the book of Acts? Verses like, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son.” Nope. That's only in one gospel. Verses like, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” That's gotta be in all of them, right? Nope. That's only in one gospel. How about, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost.” That's got, Nope. That's in one. Or how about when Jesus says, come on, “The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I've come that you may have life and have it to the full.” That's gotta be everywhere, right? Nope. That's only in one. So if it's in all four and in the book of Acts, I think it's pretty important. And I think God wants to make it pretty clear that this is important and it's not weird and you don't have to be afraid of it.

Never be afraid of language Jesus uses. Never be afraid of things God says. Never be afraid of something in Scripture that you don't understand and other people have made weird. Be like, no, I ain't letting you ruin what God says for me. I may not understand it. I may not get it. I may need more revelation on it, but if Jesus says it, I want it. Why? Because He is good. And He knows what is true and what is right. And he's leading me to have a good and beautiful life. So even if I don't get it, send it. Okay. So now here's what I want you to remember. Jesus says this after he's resurrected, but go to the next one for me. After Jesus is resurrected and He appears to His disciples, here's what He does: “And with that, He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” This is what the verses I showed you earlier – this is their salvation moment. In John 20, the resurrected Jesus breathes on them and says receive the Holy Spirit. This is the moment that they just got baptized into Christ. The Holy Spirit came into their life as a deposit guaranteeing their salvation. This is the disciples’ salvation moment. Does this make sense to you? “Breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” So they've received the Holy Spirit, but, Garrett, go back one for me. Why then does He say, “But wait for the gift my Father promised… for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” They'd already received the Holy Spirit.

Why do they now need to wait to be baptized with the Holy Spirit? Because they had yet to be fully immersed, dipped, submerged in the pouring out of the Spirit of the Living God. And so go two forward. “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like a blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on all of them. And all of them were filled,” baptized, immersed, submerged, “with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” The Holy Spirit is poured out. Jesus baptizes, dips, immerses them into the Spirit of the Living God. They're filled with the Holy Spirit. Fire comes upon their life. And they began, they began, they began to what? They began to live with a character and a power like they had never had before. Why? Because the Spirit of God had filled their life and is now empowering them to act and live and think and do and be like Jesus.

This was their initial experience that started the ongoing lifestyle of being filled with the Holy Spirit. They're filled in Acts 2, but then we watch them be filled again in Acts 4. Well, if they were already filled once, why did they need to be filled again? Why? Because we leak and we allow the flesh and the things of the world and sin to displace the Spirit. So we need to be filled and filled again and filled again. So they're filled in Acts 2. They're filled again in Acts 4. In Acts 10, the Holy Spirit fills the Gentiles. In Acts 13, they're filled again. In Acts 19, people who don't even know that there is a Holy Spirit, but walk with God, they're filled. And we watch as this becomes the pattern of this initial experience, but this ongoing lifestyle of being filled with the Holy Spirit and being filled with the Holy Spirit became such the normative way that the people of God lived that to even be on a serve team, you had to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Can you imagine? I'd like to join the Cafe Team. Great. We got one question for you. Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? Hey, I want to, I want to serve in kids. Awesome. One question for you. Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? Hey, I'd really love to give back to the next generation. Is that possible? Yes. We have one question for you. Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? Because if you're filled with the flesh or filled with the world, what good do you have to offer? What do I have to offer? That, this is how serious they took this. Why? Because it was in all four gospels and the book of Acts. So they thought that was important to Jesus – got to be important to us. They realized without being filled with the Holy Spirit, we have nothing. Nothing. We have no fruit. We have no gifts. We have no character. We have no power. We have a bunch of religion. So we need the Holy Spirit that Jesus says was a gift that would be poured out and set our lives ablaze. So we'd have radiant faces, burning hearts, and holy, powerful lives.

And it wasn't, this is not, this is, this is not a one and done. There's an initial experience, but there's an ongoing lifestyle. Holy Spirit, fill me fresh right now. Like right now, like today, I want more of you. This is why it says, “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled,” baptized, immersed, submerged, “with the Spirit.” Think about what happens when we get drunk – what you do. You drink and you have to keep drinking to stay drunk. He's using an analogy to say, being filled with the Holy Spirit is not a one-time event. There is an initial experience, but I need to keep being filled. So that He can be the primary influence in my life. Isn’t that what happens when you drink too much wine? It becomes the influencing agent that takes over your life, your thoughts, your actions, your words. It becomes the primary thing. And here's the irony: when you're drunk, no matter how hard you try, you can't override it. Isn't it interesting that we call alcohol spirits? When I'm full of spirits, I can't override them. They've actually overtaken me. When I'm full of the Spirit, I can't override Him. I've let Him take over me. But instead of acting like a fool and hurting people, I walk out the wisdom of God and bring the kingdom to people.

See, there's something really cool in Acts Chapter 19. The apostle Paul goes to Ephesus. Just see if you can catch this with me, because I believe this is literally happening to some of you right now as we talk. The apostle Paul, it says, “There he found some disciples.” What's a disciple? Student, learner, follower, one who becomes like the one they're following. Somebody who has considered their way, counted the cost, and decided that Jesus is worth following. So they believe in Jesus. And he asked these believers in Jesus, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” – when you were immersed into Christ? They answered, “‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ So Paul asked them, ‘What baptism did you receive?’... ‘John's baptism.’”John's baptism was a baptism of repentance that happened before all these other baptisms to prepare the way for Jesus to come. That one no longer applies to us. “They replied. Paul said, ‘John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance.’” I guess I should have just let the verse tell you that. “He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, their eyes were opened – revelation. They just saw something they did not know. They were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. That was water baptism. They were baptized in the name of Jesus. And, “When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them,” filled them, immersed them, dipped them, “and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.” In other words, they believed in Jesus. They were walking with God, but they didn't even know there was a Holy Spirit. The moment they were told, “Oh, there is so much more to this than what you know.” They were like, please, we want it right now. Not tomorrow, not next week. Don't make us come back five Sundays from now. I got nothing else that I need to do. I got nowhere else I need to go. If the Holy Spirit is, I want right, right. Paul, Paul, whatever you got to do, touch me, whatever. Like, come on, let's go. Because they were so hungry for the things of God. May that be our response anytime revelation is released to you and I.

And then the fourth baptism is baptism into love – baptism into the Father's love. “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 lighting upon him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven saying, ‘This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.’” The fourth baptism is almost never talked about, but it is an immersion into the love of the Father. When you hear the Father say you are His beloved son or daughter in whom you are well pleased, when He immerses you into that love, it frees and heals the orphan heart that you've been carrying around for years. It makes you free and it makes you fearless. It's like the prodigal son coming home receiving the embrace of the Father. When we're immersed in that love, it heals the deep insecurities of our lives. I don't have time to talk about that one, but it is very important.

And what's fascinating to me is these four baptisms – you see them right there out of Scripture – they're not arbitrary. You can actually see them in the patterns of the people of God. You see it in the Exodus when God sets His people free. What's the first thing they do? They take the lamb, they kill it, they take the blood, and they put it on the doorpost of their house. That was their baptism into salvation. Then He leads them through what? The Red Sea that parts and they go through the waters. That is their baptism into water. Then on the other side of the Red Sea, what do they follow by night? The pillar of fire – that is their baptism into the Spirit and into the fire. And then God takes them to the mountain and He says, “I have brought you unto myself. I have carried you on eagle’s wings,” and wanted to come down and immerse them in the love of the Father. Or how about when Jesus gets baptized? It says Jesus was there and Jesus is salvation. There's the first baptism. He gets baptized into water. There's the second baptism. The Holy Spirit comes upon Him. There's the third baptism. And the Father speaks, “This is my beloved Son.” There's the fourth baptism. Or how about in 1 John 5 when John – one of Jesus' closest friends – says, “These three testify: the Spirit, the water, and the blood.” What is the Spirit? Baptism in the Spirit. What is the water? Baptism in the water. What is the blood? Baptism into salvation. You're like, “Where's the love? Where's the love?” is that is in the setting of 1 John – which is literally the gospel of love – his entire narrative is about knowing and relying on the love of God because God is love and changes everything in your life. So it's all over the place, if we look for it. And you can have as much of God as you want. So the question then that we have to ask ourselves is: why then do so many of us receive baptism into salvation? Why then do so many of us experience baptism in water, but then stop there? Why is being filled with the Spirit not the normative Christian life anymore the way it was in the book of Acts? And the way that Jesus clearly said this is really important. I mean if you get nothing, just what is in all four gospels and also in the book of Acts? That's how profoundly important – Jesus was trying to help you understand. This matters.

So why don't we? Because a couple really easy reasons. I think the average Christian doesn't live the Spirit-filled life because of pride. I just think there's so much pride in our life – so much independence, self-sufficiency, control. I'll do it my way. I don't need anybody else. I'll take care of my character. I got enough talent. I'll do it my way. I got this whole thing. And so out of pride we don't get filled with the Spirit. “Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.” We live by the flesh. Listen, if you're going to be filled with the Spirit, you know what that means? You have to be empty of the flesh. I can't be filled with the flesh and filled with the Spirit at the same time. They occupy the same place, so if I'm going to be filled with the Spirit that means my flesh has got to go. My flesh has to be crucified. I have to deny myself. I have to pick up my cross. I have to follow. I have to literally be like I'm going to crucify my own flesh. I can't be filled with the world and the Spirit at the same time. Why? Because they occupy the same place, so my love and my desire and my devotion and my pursuit of the things of the world can't coexist with the Spirit at the same time. I can't be filled with sin and the Spirit at the same time. Why? Because the Spirit only dwells in holy places, so if I'm living a lifestyle of sin what I'm saying is, “You're not really wanted or welcomed here.” So I have to then confess my sin and repent to make space. Does that make sense? So I honestly just think for so many of us it's just pride. I got a good life. I don't need that, dude. That's great. I mean I'm good. I'm going to heaven. You can have as much of God as you want. I believe pride keeps it from so many of us.

The second reason is I think we just don't understand it. “By faith we understand. By faith we understand.” It doesn't say we understand and then have faith. It says, “By faith we understand.” It doesn't say we understand and then we obey. It basically says we obey and then we understand – like the understanding unfolds in the experience. As I move forward – so even if I don't get it and even if I can't explain it and even if I couldn’t teach it to somebody else, it really doesn't matter – what matters is am I willing to say Jesus said it so I want it. That's faith. Jesus says this is important so it's important to my life. I don't understand it. It actually doesn't make sense to me. I don't understand anything that dude on the platform today is even saying. I don't even care, but Jesus said that so I want it. Don't let, don't let your lack of understanding keep you from the good things that God offers you.

The third thing is just ignorance. We just don't know. “‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ They answered, “we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So many of us – we don't know. We haven't heard. We don't have someone in our life that has a burning face, a burning face? Ah! A radiant face – just making sure you're listening – a burning heart and a holy and powerful life so we don't have somebody to ask about. We don't have somebody to tell it to us. We don't have somebody to teach us and show us the way. And God says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Sometimes we just don't know what's available so somebody has to open our eyes and bring us revelation so that we can move forward.

The fourth reason is because we think it's weird. Okay, ready? The Holy Spirit is not weird. People are weird. And I'm going to say it that direct and that clear. And if that bothers you, that shows how weird you actually are. The Holy Spirit is not weird. We want to avoid the Holy Spirit because we don't want to be weird. Okay, but the Holy Spirit is not weird. The Holy Spirit is just like Jesus. Is Jesus weird? I really want you to think about that question for a second. Is Jesus weird? He's different. He's set apart, but He's gentle. And He's kind. And He's compassionate. He's very loving. And He is always washing the feet of other people and thinking about other people's needs. He doesn't make things about Himself. Jesus says that, “The Holy Spirit is another just like him.” So if we want to know what the Holy Spirit is like, don't look at weird people, look at Jesus – how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and He went around doing good, healing all those who are under the power of the devil.

So you want to know what a Spirit-filled life looks like? It doesn't look like that weird person's life, it looks like Jesus' life. That's why it says, “To each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common [good].” The Spirit is only in your life and my life for the good of others and the glory of God. So if it's bringing attention to me, it's not the Holy Spirit. Why? Because Jesus tells us the Holy Spirit only brings attention to Jesus. So if I'm doing weird things and now you're noticing me, it's not the Holy Spirit. Why? Because the Holy Spirit is not bringing attention to us, he's bringing attention to Jesus. And when we're a willing, open, filled and overflowing vessel, no one will notice you, they will notice him. They will see through and up to Jesus and say, “I want that.” That is not weird. That is beautiful and glorious and gracious. So if it's weird, just let it go. Don't try to, just let it go. The Spirit-filled life looks like Jesus. That's why for about 15 years, we've said, “Jesus-focused, Spirit-filled, life-giving.” Spirit-filled: walking in the character and the power of Jesus.

And then the last reason is – is honestly – I just think we resist Him. “You stubborn people, you are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That's what your ancestors did and so do you.” Honestly, I think we just resist him. Here's the deal: I think a lot of us, we want the Holy Spirit to come for a visitation, not a habitation. Come visit me. Like right now, it'd be great in church. Come on, this is perfect. We've got this hour set aside. Come visit us, Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit isn't looking for visitations. He's looking for habitation. He's looking to dwell within you, not show up for a cup of coffee. And then when it's over, you dismiss Him and go back to your life.

I could come to your house and you wouldn't have to change anything about your life. You could just shove all your junk into the rooms and close the door. But if I moved in, we'd have to have some conversations. The cat's got to go. I mean, I'm just, just to start, it's got to go. You got to do the dishes. We got to get rid of this garbage. The mold in the shower – that ain't going to work for me anymore. When the Holy Spirit moves in, He starts saying things like that. And we get offended and we say, but I like the mold. I like the mold. Makes me feel good. I'm not, I'm not sure why we're laughing at that because the things we do are worse than mold. And then we say, “I like it.” Mold's not good for your body and sin is terrible for your soul, but I like it. I know. And that's why I need a habitation for someone else to move in and see what I can't see and be like, we got to change some things.

And here's the irony: we say we want to be filled with the Spirit, but then we won't trust the Spirit's promptings of the little things that He's asking us to do in everyday life. Like it's impossible to say, “I want to be filled with the Holy Spirit,” but actively be living in disobedience right now over a little thing I know He's asked me to do. What was the last thing God asked you to do? Did you do it? Write a person a card, repent of this, break up that thing, go here, do that. I don't know. Did you do it? It's really hard to say, “I want to be filled with the Spirit and be influenced by Him,” if I'm not willing to do the last little thing He's already asked me to do. So be filled with the Spirit. It's an initial experience, but it's an ongoing lifestyle. It's not a one and done. It's a, I want more of Him today.

And I know I'm filled when somebody bumps into me and what spills out is the character and the power of Jesus. It is not a gift. It is not a feeling. It is not an experience. It is not an emotion. Those things may come. And if they do great, but that is not the evidence. The evidence is I am becoming a person of love. And when you bump into me, what spills out of me is the life of Christ. That is the evidence of being filled with the Spirit of God. And it is available to any and everyone who wants it. And you say, “Well, how do we get it?” There is no formula. There's no formula. There's a thousand. The Holy Spirit can do it however He wants, but there is a way that you see over and over again. And it is simply anointing people with oil – a little bit of oil on their forehead – and then laying hands on them and praying that they would be filled with the Holy Spirit. With faith and humility, somebody steps forward and says, “I want that.” They open themselves up. Oil is a, is a picture of the Holy Spirit – His presence and anointing on your life. And then somebody that is now the hands and feet of Jesus, somebody that is filled with the Spirit lays hands on you and releases the Spirit of God that has been poured out on them into your life. And by faith, we receive it. And there may be emotion. There may be a feeling. There may be an experience. There may be a breakthrough. There may be a gift. There may not be. What matters is not the emotion or the feeling. What matters is the faith and the humility that I am now moving towards saying, “I want more of God and less of me. He must become greater and I must become less. So I present myself for that.”

So tonight at 6pm at every campus, we're going to have a Fuel the Fire Prayer Night where we are going to pray for anyone and everyone who wants to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We will anoint you with oil and we will pray for you at every campus. We will start at 6pm. We'll have about two worship songs to bring us back into alignment from the rest of the day. And then we will stay as long as it takes. For the average person, you'll be here about an hour to 90 minutes would be my guess of the experience, but we will take time to anoint every person that says, “I want this in my life.” And we're going to pray for you to be filled with the Holy Spirit. You say, “Well, why didn't you like tell us that this week and send us emails?” Because I wanted to teach this to you. And if you so decide to respond, you know exactly how and where to go and what to do. You might say, and if you don't, it's not like I haven't. It's just what we're going to do. If you want to come, if you've got something else going on. It's your choice – your choice, your life.

Here's the question: have you ever been filled with the Holy Spirit? And maybe the better question for a lot of us is: are you currently full of the Holy Spirit? What we always want to talk about is the initial experience. What I care about is today. I don't care about my story 20 years ago. I'm helping some of you get a framework. What I care about today is how do I talk to my kids when I go home? When you bump into me in the city, what comes out of me? That's what, that's what matters. That's the kind of people we are. That's what we want to do. That's who we want to be.

And Jesus says, last verse, “Wait for the gift my Father promised.” It's a gift. How do you receive a gift? And you wait – and you may have to for months. “Holy Spirit, fill me.” I go down for prayer again next Sunday. And I ask again the Sunday after that. And every morning I wake up and I pray. In fact, that's what I would encourage you to do. Whether you come tonight or not, it's not about coming tonight. We want this. We want this life for you. So every day this week, here's what I want to invite you to do – every day this week, pray a simple prayer like this: “Holy Spirit, fill me afresh today. Jesus, would You baptize me in the Holy Spirit and fire today? Father, would You pour out the gift, the promised Holy Spirit upon my life.” Pick one – a phrase of which you like. Just pray it. Just pray it. Just pray it. Just pray it. Just pray it. Just keep praying. Just keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking. Keep banging on the door until there's less of you and more of Him – until the flesh goes and the Spirit fills – until sin is displaced and holiness is now your natural, normal, effortless way that you live. You were created to be filled to the measure of the fullness of God, the promised Holy Spirit who wants to immerse you in the character and the power of Jesus. May that be true of you and your family. And may that be true of us as a body, a people, a representative of Jesus on this earth. May we be Spirit-filled – because it costs Jesus everything to give that gift away. May we receive it by faith.

So Holy Spirit, I just trust that you're doing what You and only You can do. That you're saying what only You can say, and that you're revealing what only You can reveal. Holy Spirit, we honor You in this church. We welcome You in this church. We want You in this church. We need You in this church. So Holy Spirit, would You fall fresh on us? Would You give us faith and humility to say, “I long for more of the Spirit of God in my life that I might walk in the character and the power of Jesus both now and forevermore”? Holy Spirit, would You give us the courage, the boldness, the humility, and the faith to receive that which Jesus freely gave? And may we be open to whatever You want to do in our lives. Holy Spirit, we want a lifestyle – a lifestyle of being filled with you. May any and everything that fills us up of the things of this world be displaced by Your holiness and Your grace. Holy Spirit, You are welcome here. Holy Spirit, You are welcome here. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.