A Spirit Filled Church
If there is one desire in God’s heart then it is that His church must be filled again with the Spirit of the Lord.
Must understand what we and God means by church.
1 Corinthians 3:16
AMP) Do you not discern and understand that you [the whole church at Corinth] are God’s temple (His sanctuary), and that God’s Spirit has His permanent dwelling in you [to be at home in you, collectively as a church and also individually]?
BBE) Do you not see that you are God’s holy house, and that the Spirit of God has his place in you?
1 Corinthians 6:19
AMP) Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own,
BBE) Or are you not conscious that your body is a house for the Holy Spirit which is in you, and which has been given to you by God? and you are not the owners of yourselves;
It is very clear we are the church. Wherever we are we must be church of God. So God has a desire for you and me to be filled with the Spirit of God.
Now the question arose where did the church start?
Matthew 3:11
AMP) I indeed baptize you in (with) water because of repentance [that is, because of your changing your minds for the better, heartily amending your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins]. But He Who is coming after me is mightier than I, Whose sandals I am not worthy or fit to take off or carry; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
MSG) "I’m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama--compared to him I’m a mere stagehand--will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out.
Matthew 3:16
AMP) And when Jesus was baptized, He went up at once out of the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he [John] saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Him.
So Jesus, who was the first real church, was filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was a Spirit filled church.
Now the next question is who is this Spirit?
Revelation 5:1
Revelation 5:6
AMP) And there between the throne and the four living creatures (beings) and among the elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God [the sevenfold Holy Spirit] Who have been sent [on duty far and wide] into all the earth.
The seven horns and eyes were on Jesus and is the sevenfold Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 11:1 – 2
So a Spirit filled church is a church filled with all of this. Just like Jesus.
John 7:37 – 39
Ezekiel 47:8 – 12
This is a Spirit filled house.
Matthew 21:12 – 17
Happened just after Jesus entered Jerusalem triumphally. People were shouting, singing, dancing, praising God. Threw their clothes on the ground; others cut branches from trees and spread them on the road. The church of the day tried to stop it, but people were praising the King of kings. Jesus entered Jerusalem as a King but never went to a palace but straight to His Father’s house.
Jesus knew there was something wrong in His Father’s house. Even today – something wrong in church – not filled with the Spirit of God anymore.
Saw rituals, ceremonies and traditions which people brought in temple. At first seemed like a good idea. It was to help the nation of Israel in their service to God. Was not a bad idea at all. Once every month they must come to Jerusalem to bring an offering. Lived sometimes far from Jerusalem. Was difficult to travel long distance with their offering. It helped to buy an offering at temple.
But in spite of good intentions Jesus overturned the tables of the money changers. Made a whip of cords and drove oxen, sheep and doves out of temple. All the rituals were there; all the offerings were there, but no Spirit filled church.
Time for Jesus to overturn our tables.
Three things happened which is also a characteristic of a Spirit filled church.
ONE: For the first time there was a manifestation of the glory and power of Jesus Christ. For the first time there was revival in the church and it was in direct conflict with the traditions and rituals of the church.
Our idea of being church is totally wrong. Church is where the power and glory of God is manifested. Not only on Sundays but every day of the week; every hour of the day; every minute of the hour. Wherever I am there must be church; there must be a manifestation of the glory and power of God.
Since the day that Jesus started His ministry until today, the traditional church always has and always will criticize the manifestation of the power and glory of Jesus Christ.
The traditions were for the comfort of men and not for the comfort of God. The manifestation of the glory and power of God is for the comfort of God and not for the comfort of men.
Church is not about men. Church is not a denomination. Church is not a form or a way to conduct religion. Church is the manifestation of the power and glory of God.
TWO: The temple became the healing centre of God.
Matthew 21:14
Church must be the place where people can receive healing for their spirit, soul and body. Before a Spirit filled Jesus entered the temple, the temple was never a healing centre.
In fact the blind and the lame were not allowed in the temple.
2 Samuel 5:8
People misunderstood David. Talking about the blind and lame was his way of showing his disgust against the Jebusites and not against the blind and lame. But since this time no blind or lame person were permitted in the temple. That is why the lame man was sitting just outside the temple when Peter and John met him. That’s why the first thing he did was to run into the temple.
But when Jesus entered into the temple the blind and lame also entered in and were healed.
Be a Spirit filled church.
THREE: The temple became the praise and worship centre of Jesus Christ.
Children (they were not allowed to be in the temple) came running and dancing and singing praises to God.
2 Samuel 6
David bring covenant ark of God back. Dance before ark with all his might. His wife saw it and despised him. He said that it is for the Lord.
Matthew 21:15 – 16
Two things happen with a Spirit filled church praise and worship:
1) The form or way of our praise changes.
2) The context of our praise changes.
We are no longer singing about God but for God.
Time to shout out – God come fill me with your sevenfold Holy Spirit.
