Happy Mother's Day. John, chapter seven, if anybody
is able to help Mark Daniels unload in the morning, you can
meet him at the Space Center behind Richmond Road Plaza. From
Richmond Plaza Drive or Passion Drive, go to the end of Gribben
Drive. It's the Richmond Road Space
Center. That's where they're going to
unload their trucks and store their stuff until they get a
place. Tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock. John, chapter 7. Let's begin
reading. In verse 38, I'd like to read
verses 38 and 39 of John, chapter 7. He that believeth on me, as the
scripture hath 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, because that Jesus was not yet glorified." I have entitled this message,
The Holy Ghost. Now, our Lord says in no uncertain
terms in verse 38, he that believeth on me, as the scripture has said,
out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. In believing on Christ out of our bellies, shall flow
rivers of living water. We need not look outside. We
have something on the inside to quench our thirst. Look back
in John chapter four. Verse 13. Jesus answered and said unto
her, that woman at the well, whosoever drinketh of this water
shall thirst again. And there's so much in that statement.
Any water of this world that you drink of, you're going to
thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the
water that I shall give him shall never thirst, but the water that
I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing
up. into everlasting life. Now, what this is about is satisfaction. Believing on the Lord Jesus Christ,
I'm not looking for anything else. I am satisfied. Now, what is
this thing of satisfaction? I want to ask you a question.
I want you to think about this. Because if you can understand
this, you can understand what this thing of satisfaction really
is all about, actually being satisfied. When Christ was raised from the
dead, was God completely satisfied
with what He did? Was He looking for anything else? Did God find complete satisfaction
in what Christ did so that you do not need anything else but
Christ? Now, was God satisfied? Yes,
he was. God was satisfied with what Christ
did. He proved that by raising him
from the dead. His law was satisfied. The law said, I can ask for nothing
more. God's justice was satisfied. God's justice said, I can ask
for nothing more. All, all that God requires of
me, every last shred of whatever it is that God requires of me,
I have in Jesus Christ the Lord. God is satisfied. And you know
what? I find complete satisfaction
in what God is satisfied with. I really do. You know, I'm satisfied. I'm telling you the truth. I'm
satisfied that his blood actually washed away sin. And before God,
I have no sin. And that's the only thing that
satisfies my conscience. My conscience is not satisfied until I straighten
this out. I started doing better. No, my conscience doesn't find
any satisfaction in that stuff. My conscience finds satisfaction
in really believing that the blood of Christ makes me perfect
before God. I find complete satisfaction
in being saved by His righteousness. Turn with me to Philippians chapter
3. We just heard about it. Philippians chapter 3. Paul said in verse eight, yea,
doubtless. No doubt about this. I count
all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus,
my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things and do
count them but done that I may win Christ and be found in him. Not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the Faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. Now, I find
complete satisfaction not in being a preacher. Now, I'm a
preacher of the gospel. And I count that a high honor.
I'm thankful that the Lord has graced me and enabled me. But,
you know, I don't find any satisfaction in my preaching. I don't find
any satisfaction in my understanding. I don't find any satisfaction
in my faith. I don't find any satisfaction
in anything that is connected with me. I really don't. I don't. I find complete satisfaction,
though, in simply being found in the Lord Jesus Christ. When
God comes looking for me, He's going to find me in Christ. Nothing
else needs to be said. Nothing else needs to be brought
up. Not going to talk about me being what I've done or what
I haven't done. I find complete satisfaction, soul satisfaction
in simply being found in Christ, not having my own righteousness.
I don't want to have anything to do with that, but that which
is through the faithfulness of Christ, the righteousness which
is of God by faith. Now, can you just let go of everything
else and find satisfaction simply in being found in Him? That's
the satisfaction he's speaking of. That's believing the gospel.
That satisfaction doesn't come from outward sources of the world,
but it's in him a well of water, completely inside, springing
up, the scripture says, springing up onto everlasting life. Now, this is the satisfaction
that the believer experiences, a satisfaction with the Lord
Jesus Christ. And I am totally satisfied simply
to be saved by Him. Now, look what our Lord says
about this, back to our text in John, chapter seven. He that believeth on me, isn't
that where our satisfaction is? He that believeth on me, as the
scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water. Now, look at our Lord's comment
on this. But. This spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him
should receive, for the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because
Jesus was not yet glorified. Now, this satisfaction I've been
speaking of, this is a summary of the work of the Holy Spirit
within a man. This is not the product of the
flesh. This is a summary of the work
of God, the Holy Spirit in a man up to this point. He was not
working in the same manner he would work after the death, the
burial and the resurrection of Christ. Hold your finger there
and turn over to John chapter 16. Verse seven. The Lord says, nevertheless,
I tell you the truth, it's expedient for you, it's necessary for you
that I go away. He's talking about being. Crucified
and raised from the dead and going back to the father, he
says, for if I go not away, the comforter will not come to you,
but if I depart, I will send him. To you. Now, Old Testament and New Testament
saints alike have all been born of the spirit. It's not like
in the Old Testament, people were not born again, but they
are after the resurrection of Christ. No, all believers have
been born of the Spirit. Nobody's ever been saved without
being born of the Spirit. But after the death of Christ,
there was a new dispensation of the Spirit of God. The day
of Pentecost was the beginning of that new dispensation, which
we're now in. It's called in the scriptures,
the ministration of the spirit. Turn with me to Second Corinthians,
chapter three. I'm going to ask you to look at a lot of scriptures
this morning. Verse six. Second Corinthians, chapter three,
verse six, who have made us able ministers of the New Testament,
not of the letter. But of the spirit. For the letter
killeth, but the Spirit giveth life. But if the ministration
of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that
the children of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face
of Moses for the glory of his countenance, which glory was
to be done away, how shall not the ministration of the Spirit
be rather glorious? Now that's speaking of the ministry
of God the Holy Spirit. The ministration of the Spirit. The Holy Ghost. Mysterious, isn't it? Who is
the Holy Ghost? Well, he is the third person
of the Trinity. God is one God revealed in three
separate, distinct persons. God the Father, God the Son,
And God, the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. God, the
Holy Spirit is God. He's not an influence. He's not
a force. He is a person who is God. Turn to Acts chapter five for
just a moment. He is just as much God as God the Father is. And we believe God the Father
is God, don't we? He's just as much God as God the Son is. We
believe that Jesus Christ is God. That's my favorite. I love
saying that. Jesus Christ is God. I believe that. The Bible
teaches it. And we believe that God the Holy
Spirit is God. Look here at Acts chapter 5,
beginning in verse 3. But Peter said unto Ananias,
Why has Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost? and
to keep back part of the price of the land, while it remained,
was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it
not in thy own power? Why hast thou conceived this
thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men,
but unto God." When you lied to the Holy Spirit, he says you
lied unto God Himself. God the Holy Spirit is God. Now he's introduced to us in
Genesis chapter 1 verse 2. That's how quick he's introduced
us. When we read the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the
waters. What was without form and void
was given order and structure by the Spirit of God. It was the Holy Ghost, the Spirit
of God, the Holy Spirit who wrote the Bible. Listen to this, 2
Peter 1 verse 21 says, Holy men of God spake as they were moved
by the Holy Ghost. It was the Holy Ghost who came
upon the Virgin Mary to bring about the incarnation, the physical
birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 1.18 says, She was found
with child of the Holy ghost and Matthew 120 says that which
is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. It is the Holy Ghost
that is the author of regeneration. When we're born again, as John
3, 6 and 8 says, we're born of the Spirit. It's his work born
of the Spirit. Now listen to these names given
to the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit. Each one is very instructive. He's called in the Bible, the
Spirit of God. The Spirit of Christ. The Holy Spirit. The Comforter. The Spirit of Life. The Spirit
of Wisdom. The Spirit of Grace. The Spirit
of Truth. The Spirit of Glory. And He's
called the Eternal Spirit. The Spirit who never began to
be and who will never end. And all that God does, He does
by His Spirit. Even when Christ walked upon
this earth as a man, he did so by the Spirit of God. Now, these things that I'm talking
about, I don't pretend to understand them. I just believe. I believe the Bible is the Word
of God. I don't understand this, but I certainly believe it. When
our Lord walked upon this earth, He did so in complete dependence
upon the Spirit of God. John chapter 3 verse 34 says,
For the Father giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. He speaks the words of God. Now,
I have a measure of the Spirit. You have a measure of the Spirit
if you're a believer. We have a measure. But when I speak,
you know it. When I'm speaking, you don't
look at it, well, that's infallible speech. You don't think of it
because you don't have a measure of the Spirit. When Christ spoke,
He spoke the very words of God. Everything he did as a man, he
did God-like, because of his complete dependence upon God
the Holy Spirit. The Father gave not the Spirit
by measure unto him. He lived in complete dependence
upon God the Holy Spirit. Not by might, nor by power, but
by my Spirit, saith the Lord. All that God does, he does by
his Spirit, and that's including the incarnation of Christ. When
Christ became a man, it was because the shadow of the highest, the
Holy Spirit, overshadowed her. We just believe that, don't we?
We don't understand it in any way. We just believe you. The
Bible is a mysterious book. We believe. Do we understand?
No, but we sure believe. What I'm saying, I believe as
much as I believe I'm talking to you. What Christ did, He did
by the Holy Spirit. And listen to this. Everything we experience in salvation,
we experience by the Holy Spirit. This is what is known as regeneration.
Turn back to John chapter 3. All that we experience in salvation,
we experience by the Holy Spirit. John, chapter three, verse five.
Jesus answered, Verily I say unto you, except a man be born
of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom
of God, that which is born of the flesh. It never rises above
that. It's only flesh. And that which
is born of the spirit is spirit. And marvel not that I say of
you, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wills.
You hear the sound thereof. You can't not tell whence it
comes and where it goes. Even so is everyone that is born
of the Spirit. Now in the, I don't know what
word to use, but I'll just use this word. In the economy of
salvation, if that's a good word. The theologians use it. I don't
know if it's a good word or not, but I'll use it anyway. In the economy
of salvation, God the Father elects. If you're saved, it's because
God chose you before the foundation of the world to be saved. Isn't
that a humbling thought? God chose me. God the Son, in
the economy of salvation, redeems. That's His work in salvation.
Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people
from their sins. He accomplished redemption on the cross for all
of God's elect. God the Father elects. God the
Son redeems, and in God's great economy of salvation, God the
Holy Spirit regenerates. The word regenerate means rebirth. It's where we get born again
from. Now, this goes by different names
in the Scriptures, this thing of being born of the Spirit.
It's called being born again, being born from above, the new
birth, a new creation, partakers of the divine nature, Christ
being formed in you, Christ in you, the hope of glory, the rivers
of living water is the Spirit of God in a man. He said, you
believe on me. Out of your bellies there are
flowing rivers of living water, but understand this, this spake
he of the Spirit. This is the work of the Spirit
of God. Turn with me to Romans chapter 8. Romans chapter 8. Verse 9. And this is speaking to every
believer. And it says, But you are not in the flesh, but in
the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. You know, doesn't the Bible say
we're temples of the Holy Ghost? That's an awesome thing to think
about, God the Spirit actually dwelling in me. He says, You
are in the Spirit, as so be the Spirit of God dwelling in you.
Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none
of his. Now, understand this. Understand
this. I want you to get this. You're
not in the flesh one day and in the Spirit the next. You're
not in the flesh one moment and in the Spirit the next. If God
the Holy Spirit dwells in you, you're always in the Spirit,
whether you feel it or not. You're always in the It's not
like you're, well, I'm walking in the flesh and then all of
a sudden I get over into the Spirit and then I kind of go backwards and get
back. No, if you're in, if God the Holy Spirit dwells in you,
you are always in the Spirit of God. Now, what I would like
to do with the remainder of our time is to mention some things
the Scriptures say that the Spirit of God does for us and in us. Now, the blessed Spirit of God,
He's God. He's not some ethereal force. He's not an influence. He's a
person. God the Holy Spirit. Just as
much God as God the Father and God the Son. And everything you
experience as a believer, you experience by Him. It's not your flesh. What you
experience, you experience by Him. He's so near. He's so close. He's so real. And I almost feel
ashamed to even say He's so real. He's a whole lot more real than
I am. He is God. Now, I want to give you some
Scriptures that speak of what He has done for us and in us. I'm going to begin with this.
Galatians chapter 3, verse 3, having begun in the Spirit. Are you now made perfect by the
flesh? But let's just consider this statement, having begun. in the Spirit. Your spiritual
life commenced with the Spirit of God. You don't have spiritual
life because of some work you performed. You didn't do something
in order to get spiritual life. You didn't will something. You don't have spiritual life
because you believed. You don't have spiritual life because,
as an act of your will, you allowed God to do something. That's so
offensive for people to talk like that. Preachers talk that
way all the time, and that's offensive. What did you have
to do with your physical life? Did you allow it to take place?
Knowing the conception of your physical life, you were passive,
weren't you? It was the miracle of God. It's the same thing in
the spiritual life. Having begun in the Spirit, by
the Spirit of God. As many as received Him, to them
gave He the power to become the sons of God, even to them which
believe on His name, which were born not of the will of the flesh. Not of the will of man, but of
God. You've been birthed by God. I've
been birthed by God. My spiritual life began in God
the Holy Spirit. You're there in Romans 8. Turn
to verse 1. There is therefore now No condemnation
to them who are in Christ Jesus. And look how they're described.
Who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. Now what
does it mean to walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit? Let's go on reading and he'll
tell us. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath
made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law
could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, my flesh
can't keep the law. So what the law couldn't do,
it couldn't save me, it couldn't do anything for me. God, sending
His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned
sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled
in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Now, what is this thing of walking not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit? Does that mean if I'm filled with the Spirit enough,
I can keep them all in my flesh? Is that what that's talking about?
Well, if it is talking about that, I'm in big trouble. I've
never walked in the Spirit, if that's what it's talking about.
But I know that's not what it's talking about. You know what walking
in the Spirit is? Trusting Jesus Christ the Lord
is your righteousness before God. That is walking in the Spirit. Only God, the Holy Spirit, can
enable somebody to do that. And if you're somebody who right
now, truly in your heart, when God looks in your heart, He sees
someone who actually relies upon Jesus Christ only. You're somebody
who's walking in the Spirit. That's above the strength and
energy of His flesh. Romans 8.14. You're there in
Romans. Look at this verse. 8.14. For as many as are led
by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. You know, if
you're led by the Spirit of God, you're led somewhere, aren't
you? Where are you led? You can answer that question,
can't you? If you're led by the Spirit of God, you're led to
the Lord Jesus Christ. Galatians 5.18 says, As many
as are led of the Spirit are not under law. They're under
grace, you see. And they don't serve by law. They don't serve out of fear
or punishment. They're not under law. They're
under grace. Isn't it wonderful to be under grace? As many as
are led of the Spirit, they're not under law. If you're Spirit-led,
I know this. You're not under the law. And
if somebody's under the law, all they've proved by that is
they don't have the Holy Spirit. That's it. Turn to John, chapter
16, I want you to see this couple of scriptures here. John, chapter 16. I've already read verse seven, let
me read it again, nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It's expedient
for you that I go away, for if I go not away, the comforter
will not come unto you. But if I depart, I'll send him
unto you. And when he has come, He will reprove. That means overwhelmingly
convict and convinced to where you don't have any doubt about
it. He will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and
of judgment. Now, here's the work of the Holy
Spirit. He reproves the world. He convinces the world of these
three subjects, sin, righteousness and judgment. Now, what's that
mean? Well, we don't have to guess. Look what he says in verse
9. Of sin, Because they believe not on me. Now, let me tell you,
when you're convinced of sin, it's not just when you feel real
guilty because of something you did. No doubt you ought to feel
guilty about it. I'm not. That's we got something
called a conscience that makes you feel guilty. But the true
conviction of sin is not just feeling real guilty because of
something you've done. You've been convinced of sin
when you see that what your problem is, is you can't even believe
on Christ. You don't even know what it means.
It's something that you can't get hold of. Of sin, because
they believe not on me. You're convinced of sin, truly,
when you find out, I'm not a believer. And I don't even know how to
be one. I don't even know what it means. At that point, that's
when you're convinced of sin. I can't even believe. That's
how helpless I am. That's how much I need. God's
grace. I don't know what it means to
believe. Then you're convinced of righteousness by the Holy
Spirit. Look what he means by that. He says in verse 10 of
righteousness, because I go to my father and you see me no more.
Now, here's what conviction of righteousness is. You're convinced
of righteousness when you really believe that the only righteousness
there is, is the righteousness of Jesus Christ that he presents
to his father. You believe that? Is that the
righteousness, his righteousness that you're relying on? That's
your righteousness? I mean, that really is... His
righteousness is my righteousness. That's where my boldness comes
from. I can come boldly to the very presence of God because
of my righteousness. My righteousness is his. Yes,
it's his. It's mine, too. I'm convinced of that. And then
he says, and of judgment. And he gives his comment on this
in verse 11 of judgment because of the prince of this world.
And that reads literally has already been judged. You are
convinced that judgment has already taken place. It already took
place on the cross and all my salvation is in what he did.
The prince of this world, the devil, has already been judged,
defeated and condemned by what he did. Now, when God, the Holy
Spirit, convicts somebody, This is what he convicts him of. Turn
to, or stay there, look in verse 12 of John chapter 16. I have
yet many things to say unto you, but you cannot bear them now,
howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide
you into all truth. Now, God, the Holy Spirit, never
guides anybody into error, does he? Why would he? He doesn't
need to. He guides you into all truth,
the truth concerning who God is, the truth concerning who
you are, the truth concerning who Christ is and what He did.
He guides you into all truth. Let's go on reading. For he shall
not speak of himself. I love that. He shall not speak
of himself. You know, I hear all kinds of preachers talking
about the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit this, Holy Spirit that. The man
who has the Spirit of God is the man who speaks of Christ.
That's his subject. When I'm talking about God the
Holy Spirit right now, what is God the Holy Spirit's purpose?
It's to bring you to Christ. It's to cause you to trust Christ.
It's to cause you to see the beauty and the glory of Christ,
to rest in Him. That's His work. He shall guide
you into all truth. He shall not speak of Himself,
but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak. He'll show
you things to come. And you know, I know the future.
I know I'm going to stand before God perfect in God's sight. How
do you know? He's shown me things to come.
I know that He's going to return and He's going to destroy things
as we see it and make a new heaven wherein dwells righteousness.
I know things to come. I do. I know the future. I've
read the last chapter. I already know what's going to
happen. Every believer does. He'll show you things to come.
What's it say He'll do in verse 14? He shall glorify me. That's His purpose. shall receive
of mine, and shall show it unto you." Turn to Galatians 4. Verse 4. But when the fullness of time
was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under
the law to redeem them that were under the law, that we might
receive the adoption of sons. And because you are sons. Sons
don't work for a living. Sons get the inheritance not
because they've earned it, but because they're children. Because
of who they are in Christ Jesus. Now, he says, and because you
are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your
hearts, crying, Abba, Father, the Spirit of Adoption. 2 Corinthians 3, 17 says, Now the
Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there
is liberty. I love liberty. Not owing anything. That's what liberty is. You have
no debts. You get to do what you want to
do. This is what I want to do. The
Lord is that spirit where the Spirit of the Lord there is liberty. And then we read in Philippians
3, 3, We are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit. Worship, true worship, where
someone actually worships God. It is only in the Spirit of God. You can't worship in the flesh.
It's impossible. You know what, I'm speaking to
an assembly. We come here to worship God,
don't we? That's our purpose. We want to worship God. But you
know, an unbeliever can't worship God. I want them to hear the
gospel. But I don't say come worship
with us. I just don't say that. Don't come worship with us because
you can't worship unless you have God in the Holy Spirit.
It's impossible. I say, come and hear the gospel, and I pray
God will do something for you. But as far as worship, this is
something utterly beyond the strength and energy of the flesh.
We worship in the Spirit. And then we read in Philippians
2, 1 of the fellowship of the Spirit. The fellowship of the
Spirit. Paul said in another place, in
2 Corinthians, he talked about the communion of the Holy Ghost.
What is the communion of the Spirit? It's exactly what Brother
Daniel read out of 1 John. We have fellowship with the Father
and with His Son. And we have fellowship with one
another. That's the communion of God the Holy Spirit. And we
read of abounding, we read of abounding in hope through the
power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15, 13. You can look that
up. We abound in hope through the
power of the Holy Spirit. Now what's hope? Hope is a confident expectation
with regard to the future. Confident. I have a hope, a well-grounded
hope from the Word of God. I have a hope that when I stand
before God, He will see nothing but Christ. I have that hope. And I have a hope that everything
that happens between now and then is working together for
my good and His glory. And that is by the power of God,
the Holy Spirit. You know, all of these things
I've mentioned are a part of what Paul calls in 2 Thessalonians
2, 13, the sanctification of the spirit. The sanctification
of the spirit, the being made holy by the spirit of God, the
work of the Holy Spirit. Now, listen to this real carefully.
The work of the Holy Spirit is just as essential in the salvation
of the sinner. as the work of the Father and
the work of the Son. Now let me tell you three things
that are absolutely essential for you or me to be saved. For
you to be saved, first, God's going to have to choose you.
It begins with Him. For you to be saved, Christ must
have redeemed you. You won't be saved without His
precious blood. For you to be saved, Christ is
going to have to redeem you. And for you to be saved, God
the Holy Spirit is going to have to give you life. He's going to have to birth you
into the kingdom of heaven or you will not be saved. The work of the Father, the Son,
and the Spirit are all essential in salvation. He is that well
of water springing up unto everlasting life. You know, when we hear
the gospel in power, isn't it wonderful when God gives you
the grace to hear the gospel in power, and you're enabled
to worship, and you know you're hearing from the Lord? I know
there's nothing like In this, in our experience on
earth, there's nothing like being able to hear the gospel when
God gives you the grace to truly hear. But listen to this scripture
in 2 Peter 1 12. It says we it's because the gospel
was preached with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. That's
1 Peter 1 12. I'm sorry. The gospel preached with the
Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. When we're comforted by the gospel,
it's the comforter who comforts us in it. If I want you to look
at this, Ephesians chapter one. I know I'm flooding you with
scriptures, but I think this is so important. I shouldn't apologize
for flooding you with scripture, should I? That's a good thing. Look in
verse 13. In whom you also trusted, Ephesians
1, 13, in whom you also trusted after that you heard the word
of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also after
that you believed or having believed, you were sealed with the Holy
Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance into
the redemption of the purchased possession. Now, God, the Holy
Spirit here is called a seal and an earnest. What's an earnest?
Well, when you're going to buy something, it's your down payment.
I put it down. God the Holy Spirit is my down
payment. A seal is a preservative. The reason I'm going to persevere
all the way to the end is because I have God the Holy Spirit preserving
me. He's my seal. He's my earnest.
He's the earnest of my inheritance. And He's the seal that's going
to cause me to persevere all the way to the end. Now, I want
to close with these four things. What should I do? Ask for the
Holy Spirit. When's the last time you asked
for the Holy Spirit? And let me back that up with
the Scripture. Turn to Luke 11. I'm asking for the Holy Spirit
right now. You know, when I preach, I ask for the Holy Spirit to
enable me to preach. When I believe, I ask for the
Holy Spirit to enable me to believe. I ask for the Holy Spirit to
enable me to see Christ. Look here in verse 11. Luke chapter 11, these are the
words of the Lord Jesus. If a son shall ask bread of any
of you that's a father, will he give him a stone? If he asks
a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he asks
for an egg, will he give him a scorpion? Of course not. Well,
if you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your
children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the
Holy Spirit to them that ask Him? Ask Him. for the Holy Spirit. He won't
say no. He will not say no. Be filled
with the Spirit. Be ye not drunk with wine wherein
is excess, but be ye filled with the Holy Spirit of God. Don't
grieve the Holy Spirit. Grieve not the Holy Spirit, whereby
you're sealed unto the day of redemption, Ephesians 4.30. You
can only grieve somebody who loves you. Then we read to quench
not the Holy Spirit, dampening his influences. The songwriter
said, Pass me not, O mighty spirit, thou canst make the blind to
see. Witnesser of Jesus' merit, speak
thy word of power to me. May God give us grace right now. to ask for the Holy Spirit that
we might be enabled to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and
out of our belly shall flow rivers of living water. Let's pray.