WEBVTT 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:04.679 These are such exciting days for God's children. 00:00:05.900 --> 00:00:10.199 These are the days that the scripture refers 00:00:10.199 --> 00:00:14.880 to when the word says, when you see these things 00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:18.140 begin to come to pass, look up and rejoice, be 00:00:18.140 --> 00:00:23.620 glad. Make the most of the hours, the moments, 00:00:23.679 --> 00:00:30.539 because your redemption draweth nigh. Thrilling 00:00:30.539 --> 00:00:35.320 days for the church. This is the hour when again 00:00:35.320 --> 00:00:40.359 the fruits and the gifts of the Spirit are all 00:00:40.359 --> 00:00:46.840 being restored to the church. It's a great hour 00:00:46.840 --> 00:00:51.539 of restoration so far as the things of the Spirit 00:00:51.539 --> 00:00:55.840 are concerned. I know it's getting dark out there 00:00:55.840 --> 00:01:00.479 for the unbeliever. It's getting so dark. It's 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:03.700 getting darker with every passing hour, but oh, 00:01:03.799 --> 00:01:16.519 our future is so bright. So glorious. Our redemption 00:01:16.519 --> 00:01:23.299 draweth nigh. And remember, our redemption will 00:01:23.299 --> 00:01:28.359 not be perfected as Christians. as heirs of God 00:01:28.359 --> 00:01:31.260 and joint heirs with Christ Jesus until we see 00:01:31.260 --> 00:01:37.280 Him face to face. This is the hour when literally 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:40.680 thousands are being filled with the Holy Spirit, 00:01:40.739 --> 00:01:43.400 that wonderful experience that we call the baptism 00:01:43.400 --> 00:01:47.680 with the Holy Spirit. And because so many are 00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:52.200 being baptized with the Spirit, there are many 00:01:52.200 --> 00:01:55.560 who feel that the Holy Spirit is a new personality. 00:01:56.469 --> 00:01:59.849 just recently having come upon the scene. Oh, 00:02:00.090 --> 00:02:07.530 no, beloved. He was present when Jesus offered 00:02:07.530 --> 00:02:12.389 himself through the Holy Spirit to be given to 00:02:12.389 --> 00:02:16.129 God the Father, that the Father might give his 00:02:16.129 --> 00:02:21.069 only begotten Son, that you and I might receive 00:02:21.069 --> 00:02:24.210 life everlasting through the shed blood of the 00:02:24.210 --> 00:02:27.879 only begotten Son. The baptism of the Holy Spirit 00:02:27.879 --> 00:02:32.039 is not some new experience, even as the Holy 00:02:32.039 --> 00:02:34.599 Spirit is not a new personality just recently 00:02:34.599 --> 00:02:38.020 having come upon the scene. But I want to talk 00:02:38.020 --> 00:02:41.000 to you about something that is vitally important 00:02:41.000 --> 00:02:44.759 in relationship to the baptism of the Holy Spirit 00:02:44.759 --> 00:02:52.020 and its significance for our wills. This is something 00:02:52.020 --> 00:02:55.960 that I feel needs to be taught. It's overlooked. 00:02:56.180 --> 00:03:01.340 And we need more teaching when it comes to this 00:03:01.340 --> 00:03:03.879 experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:03:05.699 --> 00:03:14.139 It is vitally important that we realize that 00:03:14.139 --> 00:03:20.860 our wills, your will, my will, are wills which 00:03:20.860 --> 00:03:23.539 can be separate and apart from the will of God. 00:03:24.650 --> 00:03:29.729 and how it relates to this wonderful experience 00:03:29.729 --> 00:03:33.310 and to the person of the Holy Spirit and to God 00:03:33.310 --> 00:03:36.509 himself. There's a scripture found in the 10th 00:03:36.509 --> 00:03:41.870 chapter of Hebrews, the 16th verse. This is the 00:03:41.870 --> 00:03:46.949 covenant that I will make with them after those 00:03:46.949 --> 00:03:51.969 days, saith the Lord. I will put my laws into 00:03:51.969 --> 00:03:58.180 their hearts. And in their minds, will I write 00:03:58.180 --> 00:04:02.800 to them? Now, because the baptism of the Spirit 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:07.599 affects our emotional life, we must not forget 00:04:07.599 --> 00:04:10.319 that the most important part of this experience 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:15.000 affects that which is not always visible, and 00:04:15.000 --> 00:04:21.500 that's our wills. We must be very careful that 00:04:22.009 --> 00:04:28.949 We do not misinterpret or accept some great emotional 00:04:28.949 --> 00:04:31.910 experience for the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 00:04:32.810 --> 00:04:35.910 Sometimes I think that we're so human that we 00:04:35.910 --> 00:04:38.829 get carried away in our ecstasy. We get carried 00:04:38.829 --> 00:04:41.430 away with some great emotional experience and 00:04:41.430 --> 00:04:47.670 label it as the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I 00:04:47.670 --> 00:04:52.069 repeat, be Because the baptism of the Holy Spirit 00:04:52.069 --> 00:04:57.910 affects our emotional life, and it does, we must 00:04:57.910 --> 00:05:03.290 not forget that the most important part of this 00:05:03.290 --> 00:05:05.930 wonderful experience of being filled with the 00:05:05.930 --> 00:05:12.129 Holy Spirit affects that which is not always 00:05:12.129 --> 00:05:18.629 visible, and that is our wills. The root is the 00:05:18.629 --> 00:05:21.939 most important part. of the tree. No man will 00:05:21.939 --> 00:05:28.259 take issue with that statement. The root is the 00:05:28.259 --> 00:05:32.660 most important part of any tree. And the most 00:05:32.660 --> 00:05:35.540 important part of our spiritual lives is that 00:05:35.540 --> 00:05:40.600 which cannot be seen with the eyes of men. The 00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:48.589 most important part of my life is my will. The 00:05:48.589 --> 00:05:54.069 most important part of you is your will. And 00:05:54.069 --> 00:05:56.089 when it comes to your spiritual experience, when 00:05:56.089 --> 00:05:59.110 it comes to your relationship to God, to Jesus 00:05:59.110 --> 00:06:04.769 Christ, to the Holy Spirit, is still your will. 00:06:05.509 --> 00:06:08.850 And that's one thing that we'd like to talk about 00:06:08.850 --> 00:06:17.120 and discuss the least. Our wills. All... We enjoy 00:06:17.120 --> 00:06:22.199 the emotional part of it. We enjoy the ecstasy 00:06:22.199 --> 00:06:29.839 of it all. But when it comes to the place where 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:38.860 we can honestly say, nevertheless, not my will, 00:06:39.019 --> 00:06:47.790 but thine be done. We've come to the place. You 00:06:47.790 --> 00:06:51.389 know, reading the Word, carefully noting its 00:06:51.389 --> 00:06:54.709 translation to practical living, we must arrive 00:06:54.709 --> 00:06:57.370 at the conclusion that the most important part 00:06:57.370 --> 00:07:02.610 of all points in this experience is that the 00:07:02.610 --> 00:07:08.509 Holy Spirit gets full control of that will. We'd 00:07:08.509 --> 00:07:11.029 like to talk about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 00:07:11.170 --> 00:07:15.009 And there are thousands who profess to the experience 00:07:15.009 --> 00:07:18.990 of being filled with the Holy Spirit. And yet 00:07:18.990 --> 00:07:24.269 they know absolutely nothing in that experience 00:07:24.269 --> 00:07:28.750 of having the Holy Spirit get full control of 00:07:28.750 --> 00:07:34.569 their will. It's not what happens at that moment. 00:07:35.410 --> 00:07:40.470 It's not what happens to that one in 15 minutes 00:07:40.470 --> 00:07:48.360 or 30 minutes. It's what? happens following that 00:07:48.360 --> 00:07:56.279 experience. If the Holy Spirit has not gotten 00:07:56.279 --> 00:08:00.180 full control of your will, if this be not the 00:08:00.180 --> 00:08:05.139 case, the experience will be shallow and passing. 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:11.240 And it is possible for those who are not deeply 00:08:11.240 --> 00:08:14.879 spiritual to be so gripped by a powerful spiritual 00:08:14.879 --> 00:08:18.420 meeting that they're drawn into the movement 00:08:18.420 --> 00:08:23.439 of enthusiasm without having their very nature 00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:28.959 changed. When God revealed himself at Mizpah 00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:33.299 in the days of Saul, some of the men following 00:08:33.299 --> 00:08:36.769 after Saul, in their quest... to capture David 00:08:36.769 --> 00:08:39.990 were gripped by the same spirit of ecstasy that 00:08:39.990 --> 00:08:44.730 swayed the prophets. It's possible to be in attendance 00:08:44.730 --> 00:08:50.610 at a powerful spiritual prayer meeting, receive 00:08:50.610 --> 00:08:54.830 a wonderful experience, so much that one might 00:08:54.830 --> 00:09:00.250 almost be beside himself, but still miss the 00:09:00.250 --> 00:09:05.840 deep and abiding blessing. And this abiding blessing 00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:10.799 comes only as the Spirit is permitted to go to 00:09:10.799 --> 00:09:14.059 the depth of our very being and change the very 00:09:14.059 --> 00:09:22.879 roots of our lives. Our mind and will must be 00:09:22.879 --> 00:09:27.340 under the absolute control of the Spirit if the 00:09:27.340 --> 00:09:31.960 blessing, if the experience is to abide. I'm 00:09:31.960 --> 00:09:33.799 talking about something that's very practical. 00:09:33.879 --> 00:09:36.639 I'm giving you a teaching that's needed today. 00:09:38.779 --> 00:09:41.820 I'm not talking about just something that was 00:09:41.820 --> 00:09:46.559 a great emotional experience. I'm talking about 00:09:46.559 --> 00:09:52.240 an experience that got hold of your mind, that 00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:55.500 changed your mind. I'm talking about a spiritual 00:09:55.500 --> 00:09:59.799 experience. When you literally surrender not 00:09:59.799 --> 00:10:05.580 only your mind, but your will to the will of 00:10:05.580 --> 00:10:13.779 God. Something that was not just temporary, but 00:10:13.779 --> 00:10:20.779 something that will be with you when the waters 00:10:20.779 --> 00:10:24.179 are deep and about to overflow and the night 00:10:24.179 --> 00:10:28.399 is so... Doc, there isn't a star in your sky. 00:10:29.299 --> 00:10:32.120 Troubles come and tribulations come and testing 00:10:32.120 --> 00:10:37.799 times come and you're still there. And you can 00:10:37.799 --> 00:10:40.320 still look up even through blinding tears. You 00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:42.379 can still look up even when you do not understand 00:10:42.379 --> 00:10:48.700 and say, nevertheless, not my will but thine 00:10:48.700 --> 00:10:56.840 be done. The real foundation to our mind and 00:10:56.840 --> 00:11:02.320 its makeup is the wheel. And my experience would 00:11:02.320 --> 00:11:05.200 have had me to understand it so. After all these 00:11:05.200 --> 00:11:08.919 years of having been in the ministry, I have 00:11:08.919 --> 00:11:15.679 observed that it is of utmost importance that 00:11:15.679 --> 00:11:20.360 our wheels be under the control of the spirit. 00:11:22.220 --> 00:11:26.580 And then and then only do we become partakers 00:11:26.580 --> 00:11:31.019 of this wonderful salvation provided for in Christ 00:11:31.019 --> 00:11:36.340 Jesus. You may boast of having been filled with 00:11:36.340 --> 00:11:39.500 the Spirit. You may boast of having received 00:11:39.500 --> 00:11:43.340 the baptism with the Holy Spirit. But let me 00:11:43.340 --> 00:11:54.809 ask you something. Holy Spirit, if it is not, 00:11:54.929 --> 00:11:59.350 then I would not give you much for whatever experience 00:11:59.350 --> 00:12:03.769 that you had. It was only something that was 00:12:03.769 --> 00:12:11.450 temporary. If God be given our wills to rule, 00:12:11.730 --> 00:12:17.570 then he will have our entire life under his control. 00:12:19.090 --> 00:12:21.370 Now, there are many engaged in spiritual work. 00:12:22.480 --> 00:12:25.299 Who do not understand what I'm talking about. 00:12:26.019 --> 00:12:28.460 There are many who professing to be filled with 00:12:28.460 --> 00:12:32.320 the Holy Spirit. Who do not understand what I 00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:36.240 am saying. And they have erred on this point. 00:12:38.419 --> 00:12:41.879 They never arrive at the right destination. Simply 00:12:41.879 --> 00:12:44.919 because they do not understand this. They seem 00:12:44.919 --> 00:12:50.399 to have accepted. The fact that they had some 00:12:50.399 --> 00:12:56.070 great emotional. and because there was great 00:12:56.070 --> 00:13:09.049 ecstasy that that was it. Remember. Sure. It 00:13:09.049 --> 00:13:14.210 is necessary that the realm of feelings be stirred 00:13:14.210 --> 00:13:20.690 and enthused. But we must... come to the place 00:13:20.690 --> 00:13:24.889 in our experience where we become independent 00:13:24.889 --> 00:13:33.049 of emotions. We must become independent of our 00:13:33.049 --> 00:13:36.309 feelings if we're to enjoy the deeper things, 00:13:36.450 --> 00:13:41.269 if we're to be used of the Holy Spirit. Such 00:13:41.269 --> 00:13:45.129 deep blessings will come only if God is given 00:13:45.129 --> 00:13:50.200 control of the will. Then our lives will be in 00:13:50.200 --> 00:13:55.600 fellowship with him no matter where we are. And 00:13:55.600 --> 00:14:00.700 it will be a life in continual harmony with his. 00:14:00.860 --> 00:14:05.779 Oh, that glorious place. Do you know what I'm 00:14:05.779 --> 00:14:12.279 talking about? That wonderful place in him where 00:14:12.279 --> 00:14:20.750 our life is in continual. harmony with God. And 00:14:20.750 --> 00:14:23.669 you awake in the morning and you say, now, what 00:14:23.669 --> 00:14:27.950 would you have me to do today? When you face 00:14:27.950 --> 00:14:30.830 the difficulty and you look up and say, what 00:14:30.830 --> 00:14:37.909 is your will in the matter? It's a constant abiding 00:14:37.909 --> 00:14:46.830 in Him. It's glorious. Then we're weaned away 00:14:46.830 --> 00:14:51.509 from the sad experience of one moment being caught 00:14:51.509 --> 00:14:57.950 up in feelings of ecstasy and emotion, and the 00:14:57.950 --> 00:15:04.669 next in the lowlands of gloom and despair. Up 00:15:04.669 --> 00:15:12.129 one day, down the next, being controlled by the 00:15:12.129 --> 00:15:17.179 weather. by the feelings, personal feelings, 00:15:17.559 --> 00:15:22.600 by circumstances. You know, when the Holy Spirit 00:15:22.600 --> 00:15:26.440 comes upon an individual, it's a tremendous experience. 00:15:28.279 --> 00:15:34.419 Then God conquers the will, and He becomes the 00:15:34.419 --> 00:15:38.059 supreme power in the life. Everything, absolutely 00:15:38.059 --> 00:15:42.899 everything, is dependent on this. The whole life 00:15:42.899 --> 00:15:46.919 for all time is affected by this experience. 00:15:48.440 --> 00:15:55.159 From this time on, he no longer has the final 00:15:55.159 --> 00:16:02.279 word in life, but this always comes from him, 00:16:02.379 --> 00:16:08.740 the one who controls our life. This is marvelous. 00:16:09.930 --> 00:16:15.009 Scripture calls this crucifixion. The will of 00:16:15.009 --> 00:16:18.149 man is set aside and gives place to the will 00:16:18.149 --> 00:16:24.929 of God. This act is as if an inventory of life 00:16:24.929 --> 00:16:28.809 were taken and all its possessions turned over 00:16:28.809 --> 00:16:32.570 to God, turned completely over to the Holy Spirit. 00:16:36.330 --> 00:16:41.500 I had an experience the other day. You know, 00:16:41.580 --> 00:16:46.399 there's a scripture, the words of Jesus, that 00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:51.720 has always meant so much to me. He that loseth 00:16:51.720 --> 00:17:00.740 his life for my sake shall find it. I had preached 00:17:00.740 --> 00:17:05.599 many sermons on the first part. He that loseth 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:13.279 his life for my sake. but I'd never put any emphasis 00:17:13.279 --> 00:17:22.140 on the last spot. I remember well the end of 00:17:22.140 --> 00:17:26.660 McChesney Road in Portland, Oregon, at that time's 00:17:26.660 --> 00:17:29.859 the Dead End Street, four o 'clock one Saturday 00:17:29.859 --> 00:17:35.660 afternoon, when literally I felt I had lost my 00:17:35.660 --> 00:17:41.390 life to him, because that was the hour. was the 00:17:41.390 --> 00:17:46.089 day years ago when I literally for all time surrendered 00:17:46.089 --> 00:17:54.089 my will to his will. Very recently in the Civic 00:17:54.089 --> 00:17:57.349 Auditorium in Portland, Oregon, the same city 00:17:57.349 --> 00:18:03.269 where I lost my will to his will. I lost my will 00:18:03.269 --> 00:18:12.930 to him. When I stood recently on that stage and 00:18:12.930 --> 00:18:17.849 saw a man who'd been in wheelchair for nine years 00:18:17.849 --> 00:18:23.210 with multiple sclerosis, stand to his feet, saw 00:18:23.210 --> 00:18:26.509 the healing power of the Lord Jesus Christ flowing 00:18:26.509 --> 00:18:32.029 to his body. Those who witnessed that great miracle 00:18:32.029 --> 00:18:36.049 never dreamed what the Spirit was saying to me. 00:18:40.430 --> 00:18:48.910 You lost your life for my sake, but you found 00:18:48.910 --> 00:18:57.890 it in me. Beloved, I have found my life, for 00:18:57.890 --> 00:19:02.809 I lost my will to his will.