The Holy Spirit: Is there more?
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Sunday School | The Holy Spirit: Is There More?
Pastor Dean Deguara
The Holy Spirit is not a problem to solve. He is a person to know.
TENSION #1 - Why Would Believers Need More?
Luke 24:49 (NLT)
And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.
Luke 24:49 (AMP)
Listen carefully: I am sending the Promise of My Father [the Holy Spirit] upon you; but you are to remain in the city [of Jerusalem] until you are clothed (fully equipped) with power from on high.
Acts 1:8 (NLT)
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
The primary purpose of power is to be Jesus’ witnesses everywhere we go.
Matthew 28:19 - 20 (NLT)
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
TENSION #2 - Can You Be A Genuine Believer And Still Be Missing Something?
Acts 19:1-2 (NLT)
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers.2 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them. “No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
Acts 19:3-6 (NLT)
Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked. And they replied, “The baptism of John.” 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.”
Matthew 3:11 (NLT)
“I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
Acts 19:5-6 (NLT)
As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied.
Am I walking in everything He desires to do in and through my life?
TENSION #3 - Do Christians Receive The Holy Spirit At Salvation?
Ephesians 1:13 (NKVJ)
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."
Every person who places their faith in Christ receives the Holy Spirit and can be empowered by the Holy Spirit.
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If you follow us, you'll get a daily devotional to help you apply it.
But all summer long, we're actually bringing Sunday school back to real life church.
Now, if you're OG like me, you used to have to show up to church an hour early, come on, for the deeper stuff.
You guys know what I'm talking about?
If church service started at 10, you had to show up at 9 for Bible study and then go to church and then hear the word and get encouraged, right?
But we're bringing Sunday school back to Sunday morning services all summer long.
And what we're going to be doing is providing biblical clarity on some of the most talked about spiritual topics and address some of the most asked theological questions that people are bringing to us.
So each week we're going to focus on a specific topic and explore what scripture teaches.
Everybody say what scripture teaches.
Because when we bring what scriptures teach, come on, how many of you know that helps us move beyond opinions and assumptions to a deeper understanding of God's word?
And I'll just say this, next week, everybody say next week.
A little plug for next week, a friend of mine, Benjamin Wendell, is going to be here, and he is going to be teaching us on how to read and study the Bible for yourself.
And so you're not going to want to miss it.
It's going to be an incredible series, but how do we know we're going to Sunday school?
Amen?
Come on.
Elbow your neighbor and say, we're going to Sunday school.
All right.
I'd like to start with a testimony of how the Holy Spirit is moving among real life church.
In the last month, we have had 20 plus people baptized in the Holy Spirit and receive their prayer language.
Come on, we just had actually last service, we had somebody else receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and their prayer language, and I just dare to believe it's just the beginning of a greater outpouring that is coming, not only to real life, not only to Natomas, but the greater Sacramento region.
I talked to Pastor Damien, who's in Century Assembly up in Lodi.
He'll be with us in a few weeks as well as I'll be on vacation.
But since the beginning of the year, they've seen 51 people baptized in the Holy Spirit and receive their prayer language.
God is moving.
He's doing something supernatural.
He's stirring people.
He's not letting people settle.
And I just want to say, I'm here for it.
And I want you to look at your neighbor and say, it's time to lean in.
Come on, somebody.
Now the NextGen team did a phenomenal job preaching and teaching on this subject on Pentecost Sunday, the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
But I want to answer some questions.
Actually, I got a question actually while they were preaching during that service because these things come up whenever we talk about this subject.
But before we dive in, I just want to set this as a premise that
To this topic, and here it is.
The Holy Spirit is not a problem to solve.
He is a person to know.
The Holy Spirit is not a problem to solve.
He is a person to know.
We as a church should approach the Holy Spirit as a person, not as a problem.
Questions, how many of you guys love questions?
Questions bring clarity.
Come on, they bring confidence.
Come on, they help us.
And so we're not afraid of questions.
Questions are not obstacles to the Holy Spirit, but they are often the doorway to knowing him more deeply.
And many of the questions that we have around this topic, especially the baptism in the Holy Spirit, are the very questions that Scripture invites us to explore.
How many of you have questions about the Holy Spirit?
The rest of you guys are not telling the truth.
All right.
We'll ask questions like, who is the Holy Spirit?
What does he actually do?
Did I receive the Holy Spirit when I got saved, or is it something I receive later?
Why do some believers speak in tongues and others don't?
The air just went out the room right there.
Can someone be spirit-filled and never speak in tongues?
Is the Holy Spirit still working today like he did in the book of Acts?
Should I pursue the baptism of the Holy Spirit, or is there anything I should be cautious about?
All good and honest question, and here's what I love.
The Bible isn't afraid, come on, of those questions.
Right.
In fact, many of those same tensions show up in Scripture itself.
And so today, instead of avoiding the questions, we're going to let Scripture do the talking and guide us through.
And I'm going to present these tensions in the form of questions.
And tension number one is this.
Why would believers need more?
And I wanna start where Jesus starts with his own disciples.
Again, these disciples were people who already believed in him, they already followed him, and they were told to stay for something more.
We're gonna look at the book of Luke, chapter 24, verse 49.
And it says this, and now I will send the Holy Spirit as my father promised,
but stay, everybody say stay.
But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.
Now as you look at the context of chapter 24, Jesus is speaking to his disciples after he appears to them post resurrection.
So Jesus already knows that his disciples have failed him.
In the heat of his darkest day, come on, the disciples scattered.
And Jesus recognizes the mission that I have for you to accomplish, the kingdom plan that God wants to accomplish on the earth will never be completed if you do not stay and wait to receive the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The disciples, again, they follow Jesus for three plus years.
They've listened to his teaching.
How many of you know that was good teaching?
For three plus years.
They've witnessed miracles for three plus years.
And now the resurrected Christ has appeared to the disciples and Jesus is teaching the disciples things again.
they have not understood about the scriptures.
Look at verse 45.
It's not on the screen, but if you have it in your Bible app, please go there because I want you to highlight it because it's a very important verse as we go back to Sunday school.
How many ready to go back to Sunday school?
It says this in verse 46, talking about Jesus and this moment with the disciples.
Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures.
Why is that important?
I believe it's important because I think there's a lot of confusion about the Holy Spirit because we fail to seek and understand what the scripture says.
Come on, not what our favorite podcaster says.
Come on, not what TikTok theology says, but I'm talking about what the scriptures say.
All right.
Jesus tells the disciples, don't leave.
You've already failed.
You've already tried to do it in your own power.
You've already tried to do it in your own strength.
Don't leave Jerusalem.
He tells them, you need to stay.
Come on, look at your neighbor and say, you need to stay.
Other translation says you need to tarry.
You need to wait until you are clothed with the power from on high.
Stay for what?
Again, if they already believe, what do they need?
If they already follow Jesus, come on, what do they need?
If they already belong to God, what else would they need?
I believe the Amplified version gives us some insight to this verse.
Look at Luke 24, 49 in the Amplified.
It's on the screen.
Listen carefully.
I'm sending you the promise of my Father.
Well, we know Matthew 7 talks about our good Father who only knows how to give good gifts.
So if you're asking for the Holy Spirit, how many know you're not gonna get a snake?
If you're asking for the Holy Spirit, how many know you're not gonna get a rock, come on, or a scorpion?
We serve a good Father who gives good gifts.
And many people are fearful because they don't know the character of our God.
He is a good gift giver.
I'm sending you the promise of my Father, the Holy Spirit, upon you.
But you are to remain in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed.
How many are ready for some new clothes?
Come on, some new garments to put off the old man and walk in something new.
How many know new clothes will give you confidence?
Come on, you know you like these white sneakers.
Come on, I'm stepping in.
Shiny white, come on.
until you are clothed, parentheses, fully equipped with power from on high.
So according to this verse, power has a purpose.
It's not power for building big churches.
Okay, let me try this side.
It's not power for great church services.
It's not power to get the Holy Ghost goosebumps.
This power that Jesus is talking about has a purpose.
Yes.
And the primary purpose of power is to be Jesus' witnesses everywhere we go.
Didn't Veronica do a great job in explaining that through communion, that God wants to use you to reach somebody else, whether it's on the high school campus, whether it's on the college campus, whether it's in the marketplace, your neighborhood, everywhere we go, God wants to give you a power to reach somebody that doesn't know him.
Amen.
You see, Jesus knew that in order for us to be witnesses everywhere, we would need everything the Holy Spirit has to offer.
You see, Jesus knew the disciples needed to be empowered so they could be equipped for the mission Jesus commanded them to accomplish.
We're all familiar with the passage, Matthew 28, 19.
Therefore, go and make disciples.
Here at Real Life, our discipleship consists of the purple book.
We had about 80 men go through it.
We had another small group led by Miguel and Irma.
They've done it perfectly.
Hundreds of people have went through the purple book.
And now this summer, we're starting another discipleship.
It's a co-ed group.
It's online.
60 people are already signed.
How many know we've got to obey the Lord's command and make disciples?
Yes.
Baptizing them in the name, we've seen people, almost 100 people baptized this year alone.
Teaching these new disciples to obey all the commands I've given you and be sure of this, I am with you always to the very end of the age.
Listen, if real life is going to be a launching pad for future pastors, leaders, and missionaries, how do we know we're going to have to fully equip them with everything that the Holy Spirit has made available to us?
Again, listen, 1900 Del Paso is not about exceeding capacity.
Yes, it's going to help us facilitate the move of God.
But listen, not at the expense of our sending capacity to see leaders and pastors and church planners and missionaries sent out from this place.
The assignment that God has for you comes with everything that you need to accomplish it.
Acts 1.8 is clear.
It says this, but you will receive what?
I think it's up on the screen, if we can go back to that.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
The message is clear.
This power is for his purpose.
This power is so that you can be fueled for his mission.
Let me just say it this way.
This power is for you to accomplish God's purposes and God's plans through your life.
I want you to know this.
Listen, God's plans and purposes for your life are bigger than your plans, come on, for your life.
And when you, listen, when you say yes to God's plans, when you say yes to God's purposes, how many of you know you need God's power to do it?
Because can I just tell you, as the disciples found out during Jesus' crucifixion, you can't do what God has called you to do in your own strength.
When I first got saved, I got saved at the very end of my high school senior year.
I was a terrible, I actually cheated my way all through high school before I got saved, by the way, before I got saved.
You guys aren't just want to make that clear.
I don't even know how I got into college, but I got into college, and my first semester was a disaster.
I was so undisciplined.
Two months in, I had dropped all my classes except one I thought I could pass, and that was speech 1A.
And when the day came, I'm making a long story short, but when the day came to give our first speech, I woke up and I was so scared, I dropped that class too.
Now, just a couple months later, I was baptized in the Holy Spirit.
God called me, and I went to Bible school to prepare for ministry, and after Bible college, I enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College, and guess what was the first course I got in?
Speech 1A.
I said, I'm going to do this.
Come on, not in my own strength.
Come on, but with the power that God's given me.
And long story short, I remember my final, my speech final, I gave it.
And I remember the teacher who wasn't a believer, he put an A, come on, hallelujah.
He put an A on top of the paper.
And right after that, he said, again, I'm not even in ministry yet.
He said, you will move masses.
How many know the Holy Spirit has a way of encouraging you?
I tell you that story.
You all have your story as well.
Because the baptism in the Holy Spirit is not just powerful.
It's personal and practical so you can accomplish his purpose in your life.
I would have never thought way back then in the early 90s at Santa Rosa Junior College that God was powerful.
clothing me and fully equipping me for listen pastoring real life church would have never thought it but way back then come on how you know god is good come on way back then god was preparing me it raises another question pastor dean if i already believe in jesus is there still more that i need
And that's exactly the kind of situation we see in Acts 19, and it leads us to tension number two.
And tension number two is this question, can you be a genuine believer and still be missing something?
Acts 19, one and two, again, this is Sunday school, amen?
Amen.
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus on the coast where he found several believers.
Everybody say believers.
So he runs into several Christians, Christ-centered believers.
And he asked them in verse two, did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?
And they said, no, they replied.
We haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.
So let's observe this interaction Paul has with these believers in Ephesus.
Paul doesn't ask, are you saved?
He doesn't ask, do you believe?
He knows they're believers.
He doesn't ask, do you love God?
He doesn't ask them, are you disciples?
He asks them, did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?
Now it's important to acknowledge these believers that Paul runs across in Ephesus have no idea who the Holy Spirit is.
So Paul reminds them of what John the Baptist taught them.
Look at Acts 19, three to six.
He says, then what baptism did you experience?
And they replied, the baptism of John.
And Paul said, John's baptism called for repentance from sin, but listen to this.
John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.
Now let me take you back to this moment in scripture where John the Baptist shares this information.
Go to Matthew 3 verse 11.
This is the passage that Paul is teaching about.
He's ran into these guys who are disciples of John
And he brings them back to Matthew 3, 11.
Look at this, it says, I baptize with water, this is John the Baptist talking, those who repent for their sins and turn to God, but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am, so much greater that I'm not worthy even to be a slave and carry his sandals.
He, talking about Jesus, will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
In other words...
John the Baptist is saying, I'm going to baptize you, come on, in repentance, come on, and in water.
But there's somebody else who's coming whose sandals I'm unworthy to untie.
He's coming to baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire.
Now back to chapter 19, verses 5 and 6.
How many of you are enjoying Sunday school?
Amen.
As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied.
So Acts 19 challenges us to consider whether we're experiencing everything that God has made available through the Holy Spirit.
Now, these believers that Paul runs into in Ephesus, they weren't insincere.
They weren't pretending to be saved.
They were simply uninformed.
No one had told them, and maybe nobody has told you, that there is more.
And that's why...
The question that Paul asked is a good question for us to ask.
Can you be a genuine believer and still be missing something?
The answer is yes.
But to ask a better question, and I'm gonna give you homework.
Is homework okay for Sunday school?
I want you to just really ask this question in your quiet time this week.
Am I walking in everything the Holy Spirit desires to do in and through my life?
You see, all believers, everybody say all believers.
This is what we believe, are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire, according not to Pastor Dean's command, but to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This was the normal, how many ready for a new normal?
This was the normal experience of the early church, which we're going to discover later.
Everybody ready for tension number three?
Well, Pastor Dean, do Christians receive the Holy Spirit at salvation?
Now when we start talking about more, it's important we don't get confused about something foundational.
Do Christians receive the Holy Spirit as salvation or is he someone we get later?
Paul actually helps answer this question in a letter that he wrote back to the same city where these 12 believers were from in Ephesus.
Again, three years later, he runs into these guys that have no clue about the Holy Spirit.
Now, three years later, he writes a letter to the church.
How many know God is good to us?
He writes a letter to the church explaining the work of the Holy Spirit in their life.
Ephesians 1, 13 to 14 says, in him, in Christ, you also trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
So they were saved.
In whom also.
In other words, Paul is saying there's something else.
Having believed, you were sealed away.
with the Holy Spirit of promise.
Notice Paul's theology.
He said, you heard, you trusted, you believed, and you were sealed with the Holy Spirit.
Paul wants the Ephesian church to know.
Paul wants real life church in the Thomas to know that every person who places their faith in Christ receives the Holy Spirit.
How many are thankful for that?
If you accepted Jesus Christ...
Come on, as your personal Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit is dwelling on the inside of you.
But listen, don't stop there because every person who places their faith in Christ receives the Holy Spirit and can be empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Let's be clear, the Holy Spirit is not optional for the Christian life.
He is essential.
Every believer who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord receives the Holy Spirit.
Every believer belongs to God.
Every believer is adopted into God's family and every believer is sealed.
Everybody say sealed.
According to the scriptures, is sealed by the Holy Spirit.
Jack Hayford, a great pastor,
of Church on the Way in Van Nuys, California, and a great, fantastic Bible teacher, he said this, he said, the saving work of the Holy Spirit is not the same as the sealing work of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
So this is what I wanna just share with you, a little illustration.
When you get saved, come on, the Holy Spirit, your comforter, come on, have you ever been uncomfortable before and the Holy Spirit comforted you?
Come on, your helper, your revealer, your advocate, your counselor, your guide, when you accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, listen, the Holy Spirit gets on the inside of you.
Some of you just like a plain old manila envelope, but anyway, listen.
And the Holy Spirit comes and lives inside of you.
And how many know when he comes and takes residence on the inside of you, he starts to rearrange the furniture.
Come on.
He starts moving things.
Come on.
He starts throwing things out.
You ain't going to need that no more.
You need to clean out that drawer.
You're a hoarder and I'm holy and we're going to separate you from this mess.
And part of the ceiling, part of the ceiling, yes, is protection and security.
Come on, you are saved.
Come on, you don't have to wonder, listen, if you're saved or not.
No, no, the Holy Spirit lives inside of you.
He's there to tell you the truth about you, not the lies about you.
But many of us, listen, we're just happy with just being saved.
because we don't understand totally what it means to be sealed.
Back in biblical times, the most common use of the seal was to authorize written documents.
And so the person sending the documents would have a signet ring with their initials on it, and they would put it in melting wax, and they would put it on the outside of the envelope so that you knew that what was on the inside, come on, was real.
Come on, it was genuine.
And that seal, come on, that seal would help deliver it and take it to the place that it needed to go.
Some of us, however, we're just good knowing that we're saved.
You see, this envelope, I know where it belongs.
It belongs to me.
Dean DeGuarra, 1921 Arena Boulevard, Sacramento, California, 95834.
God has a purpose for my life.
God has a plan for my life.
In fact, he's called me to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.
Can I just tell you, he's called you to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.
In all of Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria.
So wherever you land in that, it could be in the city, come on, or it could be in Zimbabwe.
It doesn't matter.
But I know, listen, that God's plan is to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, which is located at 2819 Matthew Way, Jerusalem, Israel, 1 million.
That's the zip code right there.
And friends, I can put this in a mailbox forever.
fully addressed with all the contents in the package.
But the mailman is going to pick this letter up and he's going to say, it's not authorized.
It doesn't have the power to get to Jerusalem.
It doesn't have the power, come on, to go where it needs to go.
Return to cinder.
Return to cinder.
And many of us, we live our lives frustrated, come on, because we're trying to fulfill God's plan and purpose, come on, without the authorization, come on, without the right, come on, without the amount, without the right postage, come on, to get us where we need to go.
How many know this needs a stamp?
And church, can I just put it plainly?
You need a stamp.
You need to be marked with power in order to get to where God wants to take you.
So we can conclude, what we conclude about Acts 19 and Ephesians 1 is that it gives us a fuller picture.
Everybody say a fuller picture.
of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
So on one hand, every believer has the Spirit, but Acts 17, or sorry, Acts 19, let me say it again.
Every believer has the Spirit, but Acts 19 and Ephesians 1 together show us something else, that the Spirit doesn't just do one thing in our lives.
How many are you thankful for that?
Come on, that everything you need, come on, the Holy Spirit can do.
Come on, the Spirit regenerates, it sanctifies, it guides, it seals, it empowers, it distributes supernatural gifts.
When we recognize that the Spirit both indwells and empowers us and that he works in many different ways, it helps us address another question that is asked.
And I have three more tensions that I'm gonna talk about on Wednesday night.
our Lead Like Heaven night.
And I want to prepare you.
Again, the space is so tight on Sundays.
I didn't want to rush and put pressure or for people to think that I was putting pressure on you to receive something that you weren't ready to receive.
Can I make you ready?
so many times when we're on this journey, we get discouraged.
We get frustrated.
We start asking questions like, is this even for me?
Is it for everybody?
And all these questions are legit.
But listen, can I just tell you, God is doing something supernatural in the lives of people.
Even in our young adults, just a couple of weeks ago, several of them got baptized in the Holy Spirit.
And there was another young lady who didn't get it.
She was discouraged and frustrated.
And so for the last couple weeks, she's just gotten desperate.
And how many know sometimes preparation is desperation?
Let me say that again.
How many know preparation is desperation?
Church, how hungry are you for more?
How thirsty are you for more?
You might have been filled, come on, for years.
You might have your prayer language, but how many know, come on, that doesn't mean you're not dry.
God wants you tapped in, come on, to a well that never runs dry.
And so wherever you're at, listen, don't get discouraged.
But listen, I want you to hear Marie's growth story of how God just touched her life last Sunday at an altar here.
Hi guys, my name is Marie and I'm the toddler director here.
I grew up in a Christian home.
I grew up going to church every Sunday, but I didn't grow up hearing about the gifts of the Holy Spirit or hearing about anybody speaking in tongues.
And I think it was about a year and a half ago when I was worshiping at a glory night and Pastor James came up to me and said that he felt like the Lord put on his heart that
being baptized in the Holy Spirit was something that he had for me.
And I didn't know what that was at the time.
He had asked me if I've ever been baptized in the Holy Spirit.
And I said, yeah, I got dunked in water when I was like eight years old.
And he was like, no, no, no, no.
That's not what I'm talking about.
And he explained to me what it was.
And he encouraged me to go home and to read Acts and to start asking the Lord for this gift.
And so that's what I did.
I went home.
I read Acts.
And again, this was like a year and a half ago.
So there was a long time where I was asking the Lord for this gift and me thinking a pastor coming up to me and telling me that this is something the Lord has for me.
I was assuming it would be the next week that I received this.
But it was a long time.
It was a lot of praying.
It was a lot of me going up to altar calls, me staying late at young adults, having people pray over me.
And I began to get really discouraged.
I began to be flooded with a lot of thoughts like, am I doing something wrong?
Is there something in my life that is prohibiting the Lord from moving in this area?
And yeah, I just began to be flooded with a lot of thoughts of discouragement.
I would go up to these altars and I would be expecting it to happen.
I would be waiting for it to happen.
I would have people praying over me and I would end up leaving feeling like I'm doing something wrong.
This past Pentecost Sunday, I was really hopeful and I was really expectant.
And I went up to the altar thinking that because it's Pentecost Sunday, it is for sure gonna happen today.
Somebody on our prayer team came to pray for me.
And I'm sitting there, I'm praying for about five to 10 minutes.
and i leave and nothing happens and again i leave feeling really discouraged i end up going home and just being completely honest with the lord telling him that i feel like he forgot about me that i'm seeing all of these people in our young adult community be given this gift
um and i haven't received it yet but i've been praying i've been begging i've been in a place of desperation for a year and a half now the next sunday as i'm showing up to church i'm praying on my drive here asking the lord that it would just happen that day as i'm showing up to church that same
prayer leader that had prayed for me the Sunday before said that the Lord put on her heart to pray for me again this Sunday.
So I come up at the end of service and I'm praying with her.
And again, I'm praying for about five to 10 minutes and I start to feel discouraged again.
And as I'm thinking about just stopping and walking away, I feel more people start to lay their hands on me.
And as this happens, I just feel this lump in my throat and I just began to start speaking in tongues.
I began weeping and I fell to my knees and just continued praying in a language that I had never heard before.
I felt so overjoyed and I can say, even though this was just last week, my faith has increased so much.
I've never seen the Lord work in such a miraculous way in my life.
I just want to encourage anyone who may be feeling discouraged or maybe a little unsure or even a little skeptical like I was, to keep praying, to keep asking the Lord for this gift.
And I can testify that
It may not be in the timing that you want, but whenever the Lord decides to give you this gift is the perfect timing.
Will you stand with me?
And I'm going to ask our prayer ministers to come forward.
Listen, I want to give you space.
I want to get you time to pray this prayer that I'm about to give to you.
We're going to post it on social media so you can pray it every day between now, Sunday, and Wednesday night at 630.
These Lead Like Heaven nights are going to be equipping nights and encounter nights.
This Wednesday is going to be an encounter night.
We're going to believe for people to get filled, come on, with the baptism of the Holy Spirit and get their spiritual language.
This is what we're believing for, yes?
And so we're going to, and then before, before we do that on Wednesday, I'm going to give you the other three tensions.
All right.
Cause I know you've got more questions.
So I got some answers for those questions before we get into it, but I want us to pray and get our hearts ready.
It's a longer prayer, but how many know the Holy spirit wants to move some furniture.
So let's pray this prayer on the count of three together.
And again, it's a prayer of preparation and desperation until Wednesday night on the count of three.
One, two, three.
Father, thank you for saving me through Jesus Christ.
Thank you that your spirit lives within me.
Thank you that I belong to you and have been sealed by your Holy Spirit.
Today, I simply come to you with an open heart.
I don't want to settle for less than what you have for me.
I don't want fear, tradition, disappointment, or misunderstanding to keep me from experiencing everything you desire to do in my life.
Search my heart, remove pride, remove doubt, remove anything that would keep me from fully surrendering to you.
You said, if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.
Today I come thirsty.
I ask you to deepen my hunger for your presence.
Teach me to hear your voice.
Teach me to walk and step with your spirit.
Prepare my heart to receive everything you have for me so I can know you more deeply and represent you more faithfully.
Holy Spirit, I welcome your work in my life.
Lead me, shape me, fill me, empower me, baptize me with fire, and use me to bring the life and love of Jesus to the people everywhere I go.
I trust you, I surrender to you, and I believe that every good gift you have for me flows from the heart of a good father.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Can we just give God praise right now?
Come on, just give him praise.
Give him.
Church, this is what I know.
God's been tugging on somebody's heart.
On my way in, someone's going out.
That message was for me.
This message might have been for you right now.
You don't have to wait till Wednesday.
And our prayer minutes, this isn't about fanfare.
Come on.
This is about you getting prayed for and receiving all that God has for you.
So if that's you, I want you to come forward.
We're going to just pray and believe.
If you want to get more ready, you want to get more prepared, you want to search the scriptures, come ready Wednesday night.
Come on, to lead like heaven and encounter God.
Amen.
Church, I love you.
God bless you.
But will you respond?
Again, we had people baptized in the Holy Spirit last service.
And listen, that same invitation, listen, is being extended to us.
I love you.
God bless you.
Please come forward.
If you need prayer, come forward.
Don't delay.
Come forward.
The Holy Spirit wants to touch your life in Jesus' name.
Come on.
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Is There More? Discovering the Fullness of the Holy Spirit
Have you ever felt like something was missing in your spiritual life? Like you believed in Jesus, followed His teachings, and loved God, but sensed there was another dimension of faith you hadn't quite accessed? You're not alone. Many sincere believers find themselves asking the same question: "Is there more?"
The answer, according to Scripture, is a resounding yes.
The Holy Spirit: Person, Not Problem
Before diving into the depths of this topic, we need to establish a foundational truth: the Holy Spirit is not a problem to solve but a person to know. Too often, conversations about the Holy Spirit become debates about doctrine or experiences rather than invitations into relationship. Questions aren't obstacles to knowing Him—they're often the doorway to knowing Him more deeply.
Scripture itself invites us to explore honest questions: Who is the Holy Spirit? What does He actually do? Did I receive Him when I got saved, or is there more to receive? Why do some believers speak in tongues and others don't? Is the Holy Spirit still working today like He did in the book of Acts?
These aren't questions to fear. They're questions the Bible addresses head-on.
Why Would Believers Need More?
After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples—people who had followed Him for over three years, witnessed His miracles, and heard His teaching. Yet Jesus told them something surprising: "Stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven" (Luke 24:49).
Wait. Stay? These were believers. They had faith. They belonged to God. What else could they possibly need?
Jesus knew what they didn't: the mission He was giving them could never be accomplished in their own strength. During His darkest hour, these same disciples had scattered in fear. They had already tried to follow Jesus in their own power, and they had failed. The kingdom work God wanted to accomplish through them required something more—divine empowerment.
The Amplified Bible beautifully captures this moment: "I am sending you the promise of my Father, the Holy Spirit, upon you. But you are to remain in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed, fully equipped with power from on high."
Notice the imagery: clothed and fully equipped. This wasn't about getting saved; they were already saved. This was about receiving the supernatural power necessary to be Jesus' witnesses everywhere—in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
Can You Be a Genuine Believer and Still Be Missing Something?
Acts 19 presents a fascinating encounter. Paul arrives in Ephesus and finds several believers. He doesn't ask them, "Are you saved?" He doesn't question their faith or love for God. Instead, he asks a different question: "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?"
Their response is telling: "No, we haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
These weren't fake Christians or pretenders. They were simply uninformed. No one had told them there was more available. Paul reminded them of John the Baptist's teaching: "I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God, but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am... He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matthew 3:11).
When Paul laid hands on these believers, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. They had been genuine believers, but they had been missing something powerful that God wanted them to experience.
This raises an important question for each of us: Am I walking in everything the Holy Spirit desires to do in and through my life?
Receiving the Spirit vs. Being Empowered by the Spirit
Here's where clarity matters. Every person who places their faith in Christ receives the Holy Spirit. Paul made this clear in his letter to the Ephesians: "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" (Ephesians 1:13-14).
The Holy Spirit is not optional for Christian life—He's essential. When you accept Jesus as Lord, the Holy Spirit comes to live inside you. He's your comforter, helper, revealer, advocate, counselor, and guide. He begins rearranging the furniture of your life, cleaning out what doesn't belong, and transforming you from the inside out.
But here's the key insight: the saving work of the Holy Spirit is not the same as the sealing work of the Holy Spirit.
Think of it this way: imagine a letter fully addressed with all the right contents inside. You know where it belongs, and it has everything necessary for the journey. But without proper postage—without the authorization stamp—that letter will never reach its destination. The mailman will pick it up and return it to sender: "Insufficient postage."
Many believers live frustrated lives trying to fulfill God's plan and purpose without the full authorization and empowerment needed to get where God wants to take them. The Spirit doesn't just do one thing in our lives. He regenerates, sanctifies, guides, seals, empowers, and distributes supernatural gifts. We need it all.
The Power Has a Purpose
This empowerment isn't about building big churches or having emotional experiences. The power Jesus promised has a specific purpose: to make us His witnesses. It's power to reach people who don't know Him—whether on high school campuses, college campuses, in the marketplace, in neighborhoods, or across the globe.
God's plans and purposes for your life are bigger than your own plans. When you say yes to God's purposes, you need God's power to accomplish them. You simply cannot do in your own strength what God has called you to do.
Don't Settle for Less
One testimony stands out: a young woman who desperately sought the baptism of the Holy Spirit for a year and a half. She went to altar calls, had people pray over her, and left service after service feeling discouraged, wondering if she was doing something wrong or if God had forgotten about her.
But she didn't give up. She kept praying, kept asking, kept staying desperate. And one Sunday, as multiple people laid hands on her and prayed, she felt a lump in her throat and began speaking in tongues. She fell to her knees, weeping with joy, praying in a language she had never heard before. Her faith increased dramatically, and she witnessed God working in a miraculous way she had never experienced.
Her encouragement? Keep praying. Keep asking. Don't let discouragement, tradition, disappointment, or misunderstanding keep you from experiencing everything God desires to do in your life.
A Prayer of Preparation
If you're sensing a hunger for more, start here:
Thank God for saving you through Jesus Christ. Acknowledge that His Spirit lives within you and that you belong to Him. Come with an open heart, refusing to settle for less than what He has for you. Ask Him to remove fear, tradition, doubt, or anything that would keep you from fully surrendering.
Come thirsty. Ask Him to deepen your hunger for His presence. Welcome His work in your life. Trust that every good gift flows from the heart of a good Father who only knows how to give good gifts.
The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to you. The same Spirit that empowered the early church wants to empower you. Don't delay. Don't settle. There is more—and it's yours for the asking.