God’s desire for you is much greater than ritual and religion. God is actively saving and redeeming the world. You are a major player in this great story of God. You have been given great power. Will you lay hold of it?

It seems that most people are like the believers in Ephesus recorded in Acts 19. “We haven’t heard whether there is such a thing as the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit is not a feeling or an emotion. He is certainly not OUR will and strength. He hasn’t been fired either. The New Testament writers and Jesus all strongly state that the ministry and work of the Holy Spirit are vital to the existence of Jesus’ Church.

The Holy Spirit is… The comforter that helps us endure the continual assaults of life. He is our advocate who represents us in the courts of heaven and within our own hearts. He is THE Teacher of Truth. We could never hope to understand the meaning of the Bible without His instruction and revelation. And, He is power. He is the creative power that gave birth to our universe and the redemptive power that gave rise to Jesus’ Church.

How Long Will We Survive if We Deny Our Strength? We are living the days that Paul prophesied. These are the days in which people do not want God. We don’t want God’s righteousness and holiness. We only want things from God. This is what causes the great falling away that Paul predicted.

Is Jesus a Man of His Word? It seems clear from John 16 that Jesus believed we desperately needed the Holy Spirit. He believed we would need help. He believed we would need the Holy Spirit to do things that we could not. Do you believe that He sent the Holy Spirit as He said?

Acts 2 records this outpouring. The book of Acts records a clear account of it happening, and a clear expectation that it would continue. There is no biblical evidence that the Holy Spirit would cease. We have a lot of evidence that the HOLY SPIRIT would make the church of Jesus unique from all other faiths. So what’s true, Jesus’ promise or your experience?

Can we Let God be God? Why did Jesus come and work miracles? How did the religious leaders respond? Did they believe it? NO. Did Jesus work miracles so that people would believe? Or, did he use them to establish a new kind of relationship with God? John the Baptist said that Jesus would baptize people in the spirit and in fire. Jesus gave the church authority, power, and even keys.

And have you ever read the longer ending to the Gospel of Mark? (Mark 16:9-19)

The question is, do you Trust God? Maybe this is why Jesus made it so clear that we must deny ourselves and take up our cross. We must learn to trust God’s work in our lives. He is Good. What He has for you is good for you. Even if (especially if) it is scary at first. You can trust your Father.

That is the largest hindrance to Holy Spirit’s work in your life. You may have been burned. Likely, no one has earned your trust. So you wonder, “Can I trust God?” You can, but you won’t know that until you start trusting God.The Holy Spirit is Part of the Gospel. There is no Good News without the Holy Spirit. There is no salvation without Him. The very first Gospel Message stated:

The Holy Spirit is part of and inseparable from the package. The life you’re looking for and the joy you haven’t found are only discovered through the Holy Spirit.

Learn to Desire God, not His Gifts… This isn’t rocket science. Do you want God? He is life. He is power. He is fire. He is everything. When you get God, you get everything. He is what satisfies. He is the desire of your starving heart.

Or, do you want something from God? Often, it is not God we desire, but something from God so that we can serve the thing we actually desire - ourselves. The only thing holding you back is that you want something else more than Him.

Could you accept that God’s desire for you is that you be filled with His Spirit? If that is tough to believe, I understand but it’s not likely because of God. He is gracious, kind, and overwhelming. Maybe we don’t think that we deserve it, so we have to earn it. Or maybe, we believe that there is something wrong with us.

I say, ask and celebrate. Or, have someone else pray for you and celebrate. Unless you are a new believer, you are likely waiting in unbelief to experience something that God has already done. Fix your faith and you will change your experience.

- Do you struggle with the idea of being filled with the Holy Spirit? Why or Why Not?

- Review John 16:5-16. Why did Jesus send the Holy Spirit? What did Jesus expect the Holy Spirit to do?

- Are you okay with God doing unexpected things in your life? Why or Why not?

- What do you think about the longer ending of Mark? Mark 16:9-19

- Review Acts 2:38-39. Who is promised to receive the Holy Spirit? How far does that promise go?

- What are some ways that we desire God’s gifts rather than God himself? How could we fix that?

- What does Luke 11:13 teach us about receiving God’s Holy Spirit? What does it mean to ask and celebrate? Discuss the phrase, “Fix your faith and you will change your experience.”