Experiencing the Overflowing Love of the Holy Spirit

 

Summary

In today's exploration of the Holy Spirit's work, we delved into the profound and transformative experience of the love of God being "shed abroad" in our hearts. This is not merely a passive acknowledgment of God's love but an overwhelming, gushing forth of divine affection that fills and overflows within us. The Apostle Paul, under divine inspiration, chose his words carefully to convey the intensity and abundance of this love. This experience is distinct from the general knowledge of God's love that every Christian possesses. It is a direct and immediate action of the Holy Spirit, not dependent on our actions but a sovereign work of God.

We examined Romans 8:16, where the Spirit bears witness with our spirit, affirming our identity as children of God. This witness is not a result of our reasoning or reflection but a direct assurance from the Holy Spirit. Historical figures like Dr. John Owen and John Wesley have described this experience as an overwhelming joy and assurance that transcends ordinary faith. It is a foretaste of heaven, a spiritual elevation that brings us closer to God than anything else on this earth.

Furthermore, we discussed the distinction between the baptism of the Spirit and the regular work of the Spirit in sanctification. The baptism of the Spirit is primarily associated with witness, testimony, and service, as seen in the book of Acts. It is not primarily about moral qualities or character but about empowering believers for effective ministry. This empowerment is not guaranteed by our actions but is a sovereign act of God.

The baptism of the Spirit is an extraordinary experience, distinct from the gradual process of sanctification. It is a direct work of the Spirit that can lead to profound spiritual experiences, as illustrated by the testimonies of historical figures like Jonathan Edwards and D.L. Moody. These experiences remind us of the potential for deep spiritual encounters with God, urging us not to quench the Spirit but to remain open to His work in our lives.

Key Takeaways:

- The love of God "shed abroad" in our hearts is an overwhelming experience of divine affection, distinct from the general knowledge of God's love. It is a direct action of the Holy Spirit, not dependent on our actions. [19:29]

- The Spirit's witness with our spirit, as described in Romans 8:16, provides a direct assurance of our identity as God's children. This assurance is not a result of reasoning but a sovereign work of the Spirit. [23:19]

- The baptism of the Spirit is primarily associated with witness, testimony, and service, empowering believers for effective ministry. It is not primarily about moral qualities or character. [36:28]

- Historical figures like Dr. John Owen and John Wesley have described the baptism of the Spirit as an overwhelming joy and assurance that transcends ordinary faith, bringing us closer to God. [30:57]

- The baptism of the Spirit is an extraordinary experience, distinct from the gradual process of sanctification. It is a direct work of the Spirit that can lead to profound spiritual encounters with God. [49:52]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [19:29] - The Love of God Shed Abroad
- [20:14] - Filled with the Spirit
- [21:17] - Directness of the Spirit's Work
- [22:10] - Spirit of Adoption
- [23:19] - Spirit's Witness with Our Spirit
- [24:11] - Sovereign Work of the Spirit
- [25:02] - Direct and Immediate Experience
- [26:39] - Historical Perspectives
- [30:57] - Light Beyond Ordinary Faith
- [32:28] - Extraordinary Experience
- [36:28] - Witness and Testimony
- [38:08] - Moral Qualities vs. Spiritual Power
- [40:20] - Baptism vs. Fruit of the Spirit
- [49:52] - Profound Spiritual Encounters

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Romans 8:16
- Ephesians 5:18
- Acts 2:4

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Observation Questions:

1. What does Romans 8:16 say about the Spirit's role in affirming our identity as children of God? How is this different from our own reasoning? [21:34]

2. According to the sermon, how does the Apostle Paul describe the love of God being "shed abroad" in our hearts? What imagery is used to convey this experience? [19:29]

3. In the book of Acts, what is the primary purpose of the baptism of the Spirit as described in the sermon? How does this differ from the gradual process of sanctification? [36:28]

4. How does Ephesians 5:18 differentiate between the baptism of the Spirit and being filled with the Spirit? What is the believer's role in each? [41:23]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the sermon describe the difference between the general knowledge of God's love and the overwhelming experience of it? Why is this distinction important for believers? [19:29]

2. What does the sermon suggest about the nature of the Spirit's witness with our spirit? How does this assurance impact a believer's faith and identity? [23:19]

3. How do historical figures like Dr. John Owen and John Wesley describe their experiences of the Spirit's work? What can we learn from their testimonies about the nature of spiritual encounters? [30:57]

4. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the baptism of the Spirit empowers believers for ministry? How does this empowerment differ from moral qualities or character development? [36:28]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you felt an overwhelming sense of God's love. How did that experience impact your faith and relationship with God? [19:29]

2. How can you remain open to the direct and immediate work of the Holy Spirit in your life? Are there any barriers you need to address to be more receptive? [23:19]

3. The sermon emphasizes the importance of not quenching the Spirit. What are some practical steps you can take to ensure you are not hindering the Spirit's work in your life? [34:45]

4. Consider the distinction between the baptism of the Spirit and the gradual process of sanctification. How can you actively participate in both aspects of your spiritual growth? [40:20]

5. How can you seek empowerment from the Spirit for effective ministry in your community? Are there specific areas where you feel called to serve or witness? [36:28]

6. Reflect on the testimonies of historical figures mentioned in the sermon. How can their experiences inspire you to seek deeper spiritual encounters with God? [30:57]

7. Ephesians 5:18 encourages believers to be filled with the Spirit. What practical steps can you take this week to cultivate a Spirit-filled life? [41:23]

Devotional

Day 1: The Overflowing Love of God
The love of God is not just a concept to be understood but an overwhelming experience that fills and overflows within us. This divine affection is "shed abroad" in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, a direct action that is not dependent on our actions or worthiness. It is a sovereign work of God, distinct from the general knowledge of His love that every believer possesses. This experience is transformative, changing how we perceive ourselves and others, and it invites us to live in the fullness of God's love. [19:29]

Ephesians 3:17-19 (ESV): "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Reflection: Think of a moment when you felt overwhelmed by God's love. How can you create space in your daily life to experience this love more fully?


Day 2: Assurance of Our Identity in Christ
Romans 8:16 speaks of the Spirit bearing witness with our spirit, providing a direct assurance of our identity as children of God. This assurance is not a result of our reasoning or reflection but a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit. It is a profound experience that transcends ordinary faith, offering a foretaste of heaven and a deeper connection with God. This assurance is a gift, reminding us of our true identity and calling us to live as beloved children of God. [23:19]

1 John 3:1 (ESV): "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him."

Reflection: In what ways do you struggle to accept your identity as a child of God? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to affirm this truth in your heart today?


Day 3: Empowerment for Ministry through the Spirit
The baptism of the Spirit is primarily associated with witness, testimony, and service, empowering believers for effective ministry. It is not about moral qualities or character but about being equipped for the work God has called us to do. This empowerment is a sovereign act of God, not guaranteed by our actions, and it enables us to serve with boldness and effectiveness. It is a reminder that our strength and ability come from the Spirit, not from ourselves. [36:28]

Acts 1:8 (ESV): "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Reflection: What specific area of ministry or service do you feel God is calling you to? How can you rely on the Holy Spirit for empowerment in this area?


Day 4: Joy and Assurance Beyond Ordinary Faith
Historical figures like Dr. John Owen and John Wesley have described the baptism of the Spirit as an overwhelming joy and assurance that transcends ordinary faith. This experience brings us closer to God, offering a glimpse of the joy and peace of heaven. It is a reminder that our faith is not just about belief but about experiencing the fullness of God's presence and love. This joy and assurance are gifts of the Spirit, inviting us to live in the light of God's love and grace. [30:57]

1 Peter 1:8-9 (ESV): "Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you experienced joy and assurance in your faith. How can you cultivate a deeper sense of joy and assurance in your relationship with God?


Day 5: Profound Spiritual Encounters with God
The baptism of the Spirit is an extraordinary experience, distinct from the gradual process of sanctification. It is a direct work of the Spirit that can lead to profound spiritual encounters with God. These experiences remind us of the potential for deep spiritual encounters and urge us not to quench the Spirit but to remain open to His work in our lives. They invite us to seek a deeper relationship with God and to be open to the transformative work of the Spirit. [49:52]

Isaiah 64:1-2 (ESV): "Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence—as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence!"

Reflection: Are there areas in your life where you have been resistant to the work of the Holy Spirit? How can you open yourself to the possibility of a profound spiritual encounter with God today?

Quotes


now if you believe at all in the inspiration of the scriptures you must believe that these men were guided to use the particular terms that they used and the Apostle Paul was not content with saying that the love of God is sent into our hearts he says the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts and he means what he says it's a kind of gushing forth it's a very strong term and it is the term that the Apostle and the divine inspiration was led to use and we mustn't minimize these terms we agree that no man can be a Christian without knowing something about the love of God of course as we've emphasized that a man can't be a Christian at all without having the spirit in him that verse Romans 8:9 this morning reminded us of it if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none obvious but there's a difference between knowing the love of God in that General sense and being overwhelmed by the knowledge of the love of God shed abroad in abundance in profusion [00:19:17]

now let me anticipate to this sense that word cry again is a very strong word it means something Elemental the term originally meant the croaking of a certain kind of bird and you know the noise that birds can sometimes produce and the intensity with which they can do this that's the ter we cry father we not merely believe that God is our father we all believe that as Christians but we it Wells up within us but listen he says in addition to that the spirit itself the spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit the first you see verse 15 is our spirit but he says on top of that the spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit our spirit is crying AB father but the spirit now confirms this beareth witness with it together with it that we are the children of God and if children then HS of God and Joint HS with Christ now the point I'm making is this is most important because this is entirely the action of the Holy Spirit not our action that is the peculiar differentiating thing about it [00:23:00]

now there are many examples of this let me just take the one that came in our reading this morning in Romans 8:16 where the Apostle says the spirit itself or better himself the spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God now I wish I'd got the time to expound these two verses 15 and 16 to you I did on a number of Friday nights 2 or 3 years ago and we found that it's a very rich teaching but listen for you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear says the Apostle but you have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry ABA father now I'll come back to this God willing in the new year and because there we'll be dealing with some of the results of the baptism with the spirit but what I'm concerned about this morning is to bring out this point verse 15 says that we have received the spirit of adoption and as the result of that we cry ABA father [00:21:17]

now he does this without means occasionally he may use means but speaking generally he does this without means now let me put it you like this some people have tried to expound this by saying oh yes that's what happens of course when we read the New Testament and especially the Epistles and their teaching but you see the people to whom the Apostle Paul wrote hadn't got that teaching they had got a new testament this is something that happened to the first Christians at once before they had any of the books of the New Testament at all which shows that it was direct and immediate I'm not going to the extent of saying that he never uses any means at all because there are many testimonies to the effect that sometimes he may take a verse not when a man is reading even he may bring a verse to a man's mind and through that he may do this but generally speaking it is something which happens directly [00:24:43]

now let me give you some clear statements concerning this operation of the Holy Spirit I want to try to show you that this is something which has been taught and recognized in the Christian church throughout the centuries and by men belonging to various and varied theological schools that's what's to me is so interesting and glorious about all this that it cuts right across the various distinctions theological distinctions such as arminian and calvinist and so on let me now therefore read you first of all a statement from Dr John Owen one of the great if not some would say the greatest intellect amongst the Puritans of 300 years ago Listen to O this is in his treaties on communion with the Holy Ghost he says that is referring to Romans 5:2 that rejoicing in Hope of the glory of God mentioned in Romans 52 which carries the soul through any tribulation even with glorying has its rise in the spirits shedding abroad the love of God in our hearts [00:26:39]

there is a light that sometimes there's a light that cometh and overpow a man's soul and assure him that God is his and he is God's and that God loveth him from Everlasting you notice how he puts it there is a light that cometh and overpower a man's soul and ass sureth him it is a light beyond the light of ordinary Faith that's the point I'm making this is not the ordinary this is the usual now a man can't have what he calls ordinary faith without the work and the operation of the Holy Spirit if any men have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his can't be a Christian at all without that but good wind calls it ordinary face and he's absolutely right because it's so different from this which he's describing he puts it like this this he says the next thing to Heaven you have no more you can have no more till you come there according to Thomas Goodwill this is an experience well which brings you nearer to Heaven than anything else can possibly do [00:30:57]

this is not primarily concerned with moral qualities or character this is primarily concerned with witness testimony efficiency in operation now there's a very simple way of proving this look at the case of the church at Corinth the Apostle has to say very serious and solemn things to them about their moral character and qualities they were very deficient in that respect but he says that they are deficient in no respect in this matter of the gifts of the Spirit and the power of the spirit amongst them this is a most important point the fact that a man is filled with the spirit baptized with the spirit in this sense does not mean of necessity that you can guarantee the moral qualities of his life it should do but it doesn't that is why you always need the further exhortations this is primarily a matter of witness and of testimony [00:36:28]

the first result of the baptism of the spirit therefore is not the fruit of the spirit it's not a matter of moral quality or character it is as I was emphasizing last Sunday experimental evidence of the direct work of the spirit upon us that's the baptism of the spirit this thing that happens to us that comes upon us this direct work of the spirit the believer taken up even into a state of ecstasy and Witnesses and manifests that this has happened to him now the fruit of the spirit on the other hand is a process this is the result of the indirect constant regular work of the spirit within us as he uses the word and the teaching and the example of others and fellowship with others thus the fruit of the spirit is produced in us not suddenly that's a whole gradual process of sanctification [00:40:20]

the baptism with the spirit is the action of the spirit Spirit within us given by the Lord Jesus Christ he baptizes with the spirit and the spirit immediately acts directly Upon Us producing the results which we've already begin begun to glance at the other is something essentially different we are to go on being filled with the spirit we are commanded to do so this is within our power and Direction and we are given Specific Instructions as to how we are to do so well now then as I say we have to leave it at this for the time being but hope to return to it on Sunday morning January the 10th shall I just stir up to use a scriptural expression again your spiritual Minds by giving you just an instance or two of what happens when a is baptized with the spirit [00:49:52]

Moody I began to cry as never before that was for a greater blessing from God the hunger increased I really felt that I did not want to live any longer Mar we'd been a Christian and not only a Christian but a minister and in charge of a mission for some time was getting conversions but still he wanted more I kept on crying all the time that God would fill me with his Spirit well one day in the city of New York oh what a day I cannot describe it I seldom refer to it it is almost too sacred an experience to name Paul had an experience of which he never spoke for 14 years I can only say God revealed himself to me and I had such an experience of his love that I had to ask him to stay his hand it was so overwhelming he felt as if he was going to be physically crushed the love of God that's what's meant by the love of God sheded abroad in your hearts that is the baptism of the spirit [00:49:52]

as I wrote out into the woods for my health in 17 37 having Al lighted from my horse in a retired place as my manner commonly has been to walk for divine contemplation and prayer I had a view that was for me ex extraordinary of the glory of the Son of God as mediator between God and men and his wonderful great full pure and sweet Grace and love and meek and gentle condescension the grace that appeared so calm and sweet appeared also so great above the heavens the person of Christ appeared ineffably excellent with an Excellency great enough to swallow up all thoughts and conceptions which continued as near as I can judge about an hour such as to keep me a greater part of the time in a flood of tears and weeping aloud I felt an areny of soul to be what I know not otherwise how to express emptied and annihilated to lie in the dust and to be full of Christ Alone to love him with a holy and pure love to trust in him to live upon him to serve him and to be perfectly Sanctified and made pure with a Divine and Heavenly Purity [00:48:44]

the Apostle says I pray with my understanding I pray in the spirit I sing with my understanding I sing in the spirit it's a a type of of singing that the vast majority of us know nothing about at all so be careful lest you reduce even what was the normal regular life of the early Christian Church down to the level of what has become customary in our churches however we can't deal with that now but I'm simply trying to put before you this big vital radical distinction that the baptism with the spirit is the action of the spirit Spirit within us given by the Lord Jesus Christ he baptizes with the spirit and the spirit immediately acts directly Upon Us producing the results which we've already begin begun to glance at the other is something essentially different we are to go on being filled with the spirit we are commanded to do so this is within our power and Direction and we are given Specific Instructions as to how we are to do so [00:49:52]

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Transcript
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