Garwood Presbyterian Church

How to Get More of God

I Samuel 10:6, Acts 2:1-4, Ephesians 5:18

1. Pentecost Sunday and the Coming of the Holy Spirit and the Beginning of the Church
   1. Did the Holy Spirit first come to the first Christians at Pentecost?
      1. No!
      2. John 20:19-22 says that the first Christians received the Holy Spirit on the day of Jesus' resurrection.
   2. Then what happened on the day of Pentecost?
      1. Acts 1:4-5 records Jesus' prophecy that the first Christians would soon be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
      2. Acts 2:1-4 says that they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
      3. Acts 2:33 says that God poured out the Holy Spirit on them.
   3. There is a difference between receiving the Holy Spirit versus having the Holy Spirit poured out on us and being baptized and filled with Him.
2. All Christians Have Received the Holy Spirit in Their Lives
   1. See John 7:37-39
3. But Christians Can Experience More of the Holy Spirit = God's Spirit Can Get More of Us
   1. Ephesians 5:18
   2. Different Christians experience this in different ways.
      1. Some experience a special one time event - the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
      2. Some experience a number of special events - mountain top experiences.
      3. Some have a gradual process of experiencing more of the Holy Spirit.
4. How Much Does the Holy Spirit Have of You?
   1. The Galatians 5:22-23 Test.

      1.	Loving	Selfish
      2.	Joyful	Depressed
      3.	Peaceful	Anxious
      4.	Patient	Impatient
      5.	Kind = Helpful	Not Helpful
      5.	Good = Generous	Greedy
      7.	Faithful = Reliable	Unreliable
      8.	Gentle & Humble	Angry & Prideful
      9.	Self-Controlled	Out of Control

5. How the Holy Spirit Can Get More of You
   1. Ask God for more of the Holy Spirit - Acts 1:14, Luke 11:13.
   2. It is up to God to give us the Holy Spirit - I Thes. 4:8, Titus 3:4-6, I John 3:24.
   3. Hear the Word of God - Acts 11:13-15.
   4. Believe in Jesus - John 7:37-39, Gal. 3:2-3, 14.
   5. Repent and be baptized - Acts 2:38, 41.
   6. Obey God - Acts 5:32.
   7. Worship God in Spirit and truth - John 4:23-24.
   8. Have Christians lay hands on you and pray for you to experience more - Acts 8:14-17.

Conclusion - How much do you want the Holy Spirit, versus how much do you want to control your own life? You will experience more of the Holy Spirit the more you surrender your life to God.