Let the Holy Spirit Fill You Afresh - Best of Bill Johnson Sermons | Bethel Church

1:29 Interesting. What are the two elements that you see in these two verses, the two natural elements? What are they? What are they? Wind and fire. Hmm. and of the angels he says who makes his ministers wind his angels wind and his ministers a flame of fire Yes.

2:07 Hebrews 1, quoting a passage from the Old Testament, from Psalms 104. So here in this upper room, there's 120 people there. There's a sound that comes from another world. Came and filled the house where they were, and there are tongues of fire.

2:29 And Hebrews 1 quotes Psalms 104, speaking of the angels who remember on the house of God ascend and descend, because it's a gate between worlds. This is weird, I know. I'm just trying to describe to you what to expect. a wind I've studied some of the words here in this chapter and they're fascinating and one of the words for this sound comes from heaven the word sound there's a roar roar it's this roar of heaven it's this thunderous roar that is released from one world to fill a room of 120 people in another world and they began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance verse 5 there were dwellings in Jerusalem devout men of every nation under heaven when the sound occurred a multitude came together let me read these verses for you they were confused verse 7 says they were amazed and marveled verse 12 says they were amazed and perplexed verse 13 says they were mocking so that sounds like a revival to me that sounds anybody who expects to get a revival without those manifestations You're dreaming.

4:28 You're dreaming. You want Disneyland. You don't want revival. Here's what fascinates me, and I'll try to wrap this up in the next few minutes here. it says when the sound occurred, when the sound occurred, where did it come from? Another world, heaven. When the sound occurred, a multitude came together. Now I've heard people say the multitude came because they heard people speaking in tongues. No, no, no. An international city doesn't gather around those speaking in their language. Let's be honest, Reading is not.

5:19 Actually, it has become an international city because of our school. We now have 70, 80 nations here at a time. But I can tell you, as new as this international thing is for Reading, if you take some Portuguese students down to the mall and they stand there and have conversation in Portuguese, people are not going to drop their merchandise in the store and run into the center of the mall and stare at them as they speak in Portuguese. This is not a natural phenomenon of people being wowed by foreign languages. This is different. This is different. This is the roar of another world.

6:05 And because day of Pentecost is often called the day where the church was born, birthed, created. So if this then is the house of God and a sound comes through, not just an upper room, but actually 120 people who are now born again, filled with the Holy Spirit, a sound was released that actually summoned a city to their rightful place. They didn't come hungry for God. They didn't come saying, teach us the word of the Lord. They came mocking. They came confused, but they came.

6:49 They came and as they measured the evidence, they realized something holy was happening. Something powerful was happening. And it was at that point they finally said, what must we do? But back up in the story, they were being called or summoned to this place. I like to describe this. I love a real good saxophone.

7:13 And the breath of that musician who so artfully just releases that breath across the reed and plays that sound or the breath that's released into that flute or the horns or whatever. that breath that is released the sound is so unique so distinct i remember working years ago fresh out of high school up in the mountains way up in the mountains and back in the middle of nowhere and we're on a survey crew and i remember there were people that were buying property back there but there's little cabins and stuff and then one day i heard this guy play a saxophone miles away and it just echoed through the canyons. It was like encountering God. It was just the most amazing sound as it just traveled through the canyons and the echo, just the one, the breath of one artist across that saxophone. If he would have been, you know, two, three hundred yards away where we could see him, our crew would have gone to him because of the sound was so unique. It was compelling, inviting. So here's the sound across 120 different saxophones. And it already says they were in one accord, so they weren't in conflict in their harmonies.

8:37 they were already not in tune with each other. They were in tune to him. If you take an orchestra and they tune to each other, they can be completely out of tune, but harmonious together. They're unified. They're just not right. There's a lot of people that are unified and they're wrong.

9:02 They're unified in stupidity. Don't push my buttons. That's as far as I'm going right there. Oh, yeah. No, I better stop. All right. But this is different. In an orchestra, there'll be one tuning fork, or there'll be one note. All the instruments tune to that. So here we have 120 that were in that upper room, and for 10 days, they had to sort through their stuff. We don't know how it happened. We just know they came to a place where they're one accord. You know, they just had experienced the greatest disappointment of their life. The one they've been following died. And then he rose again, and they don't know what to do with that. They were just told to go to this room and pray, and so they're there. What are we looking for? We don't know. You'll just know it when you see it.

9:53 Well, thanks a lot. That's a lot of help. And then he comes. And the prophet, the apostle stands up, says, this is that. What is this? It's that. This is that. but what happened was this sound of God, if you will, this breath of God was released across the yielded hearts that were in tune to him and created a sound over a city that caused thousands of people to drop their tools, the kids, their toys, the dishes, all the stuff that you got going on at nine o'clock in the morning, all the activities that are going on, preparing for the day, the business deals, whatever, everybody drops stuff and they come by the thousands, thousands. Thousands don't gather to hear people speak in Spanish. Thousands, because there's something else going on. There is a sound that was from one world that came through a gate into this world. And I've got to find out why I'm being drawn to this location. I don't even know that it was a sound they could audibly hear. All I know is they became unusually aware that they shouldn't be here and they needed to go there. And they went there and they found themselves in a place of mocking, of questioning, of admiring, not knowing And what's going on?

11:31 Bewildered. Peter stands up to preach, and suddenly things become clear. And they say, what must I do to be saved? a gate with an open heaven. The big deal for us, the invitation, if you will, for us is tune our hearts with his heart and we'll find ourselves tuned with one another to be that people that would actually attract that roar of heaven.

12:08 I've seen it for years. I wish I saw it every day, but I don't. But I've seen it for years where there's no explanation for... somebody who just suddenly wants to get right with God. There's no explanation. I stood up here during worship, and somebody taps me on the shoulder and says, are you going to be doing that thing today? I go, what thing is that? We're out in the middle of worship, you know, where you have people surrender their life to Jesus to get born again. I say, yeah, we'll be doing that. I say, well, I have friends that want to do it right now.

12:46 They're just jumping in the boat. there's no explanation. I haven't even cast the line out yet. They're just jumping in the boat. Sometimes there's just no explanation. You know, where somebody that you walk up to and put your hand on their shoulder, and you're just kind of acknowledging they're there and you bless them, and then you find out a week later they're healed. Ten years of afflicting migraines, and they're gone. And they ended just with an affectionate touch. In other words, it wasn't great faith, it wasn't great anything. It was just something happens when you live conscious of him, what he's saying, what he's doing. More stuff happens by accident than ever used to happen on purpose.

13:31 Just being available for the Spirit of God to move. And that's what I want us to do right now. I want you just to put your hands before the Lord. and just in your words, I'd like for you to say it out loud actually, but I'd like for you to invite God. I want to be a part of the gate. I want to be the people upon whom angels ascend and descend. You know, it's foolish to worship angels, but it's equally foolish to ignore them. So we want to just be in the place where God can release what he wants to do into the earth, where shadows heal again. The affectionate touch restores.

14:14 Clothing is used to bring deliverance. The miracles of God are released in the earth. Jesus is exalted. Father, I just pray with what Chris prayed earlier, this courage, this boldness would come upon us. But Lord, I'm praying that you, Holy Spirit, would come crashing into this place. Thank you. even now. when the scripture says that God intends to do abundantly above beyond all that we could ask or think Ephesians 3.20 that God longs to do abundantly above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works within us he's not talking about what he plans to do in heaven it's actually a right now promise it's a right now promise it's a promise where God would draw us into his purposes and plans that are beyond our wildest dream when he says beyond all you could ask that's the depth and the reach of your prayer life beyond all you could think that's the reach of your imagination God functions outside the reach of imagination outside the reach of my prayer life but he does so according to the power that works in me.

15:47 I don't know if this is making sense to you, that he will work beyond the reach of your prayer life in the measure his power is at work in you. He will work beyond the reach of your imagination in the measure that his power is at work in you. In other words, it's the yieldedness to the Holy Spirit. Come and do as you please. my biggest problem is when I think I know what he pleases and then I invite him and try to direct his hand because I know exactly what revival looks like. that's when it doesn't work out so good because we end up with copies and clones of what God is saying, what God is doing. When in fact, he's trying to raise up a people that will trust him with something new, something that's not been done before.

16:40 It'll always have traces of previous moves of God, but it'll also have a new expression. It'll also have something very profound and powerful that is to be released into the earth. And he looked for a people that he can trust. You know, why does God seem to always move in places where they don't know what they're doing?

17:02 I mean, I'm serious. I'm serious. You look at the great places of the outpouring of the Spirit of God, they didn't know what they were doing. And I think that's what qualified them. Really, because they wouldn't mess it up. They wouldn't mess it up. You got this little group, you know, meeting in this church and they just pray and God shows up. They don't know enough to mess it up. Thank you. what's the one meeting that nobody knew enough to mess up? There was one meeting nobody knew enough to mess it up. It was Acts chapter two. Nobody knew enough.

17:51 Acts chapter three, they knew a little bit. But Acts chapter two, they didn't know anything. And suddenly there's a sound. Suddenly a sound came from heaven. Suddenly there was a sound. No one was expecting it. They didn't know what to expect. Suddenly there was a sound.

18:14 There appeared to them divided tongues as a fire. There's wind swirling around the room. Wind and fire. Where have we heard that before? Hebrews 1 talks about the angels as ministers of wind and ministers of fire. There's this angelic presence that seems to just fill this room. Nobody knows what they're doing.

18:39 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, began to speak with other tongues as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance. And then it goes on and says, when the sound occurred, the multitude came together and were confused. You want to know what the signs of revival are? I'm going to give it to you right now. They were confused. I'm serious. They were confused. They were confused.

19:02 People say, well, you can't speak in unknown tongues in front of unbelievers. Well, you should have told the Holy Spirit that. He didn't read that interpretation. He said they were confused because they heard him speak in their own language. Then they were all amazed and they marveled. It goes on to say they were amazed and perplexed. And finally it says others were mocking. Those are the signs of revival. Mocking, confusion, perplexity.

19:38 That's just a good move of God right there. And they didn't know enough to direct God. They didn't know you can't speak in tongues in front of unbelievers. They didn't realize that. feast so what are you here for something happened jesus set this standard for us that is really quite remarkable when he was baptized in water, he came up out of the water and the Holy Spirit came, rested upon him in the form of a dove and remained. Doves are very skittish birds.

20:46 And if you actually have one on your shoulder, you've got to move around pretty carefully so you don't frighten them, send them away. I ask people all the time if I have a dove sitting on my shoulder how am I going to walk around this room every step will be with a dove in mind every movement will be to protect that which I value most which is presence this idea of an open heaven Jesus lived in it continuously, and he was the prototype for your life and mine. the Bible says that the Father is jealous for the Spirit who lives in you. What demonic power can block the fellowship of the Holy Spirit in you and the Father in heaven?

21:43 There is none. for me to think that I live under a closed heaven when in fact the Father's jealous for the Spirit in me and there is no demonic power that can block that. For me to live thinking that I'm living under these closed heavens is to live, is to actually entertain a lie and empower the lie. When you believe a lie, you empower the liar. the Lord I believe would teach us through the presence of the Holy Spirit on our lives teach us what it is to live in this open heaven it's not there's such a thinness between this world and that one there's such a I don't know it feels like it's getting thinner there's such a merging of these worlds.

22:41 I'm sorry, it's real abstract, but there's this consciousness of the Spirit of God who was released from heaven through an open heaven. The heavens opened and the dove came upon Jesus. He came through an open heaven. And when the Spirit of God comes into your life, he comes through an open heaven. there is no war between God and the devil that wouldn't be a contest it would be no contest the infinite one against the finite one no it's always been against the powers of darkness and those made in his image Jesus became a man and defeated the powers of darkness on our behalf so we could step into his grace and his victory. All right. The Holy Spirit lives in me.

23:33 for my sake. He comes upon me for yours. The Holy Spirit lives in you for your sake, but he comes upon you for the sake of the people around you. The point is, is to be a person that he would rest upon qualifies us to live in a realm of the impossible that we could learn no other way. For our lives, there's natural and supernatural. For God, there's only natural. that was a really good point it's too late you missed your chance it's only natural there's only one realm for him it's all his natural he doesn't have to crank it up to do a miracle he doesn't have to believe extra hard he speaks things are created so learning to be a people that host him, that give place to this open heaven. My prayer for you and for me, we've titled this Open Heavens because we love the theme.

24:52 but it's pointless if we don't increase our awareness of what God has actually given us, literally, an open heaven. It may be closed over there, but it's not right here. Your neighbor may have issues. But not at your house.

25:21 Not at your house. and I just have the sense that the Lord would increase our awareness. All progress in the kingdom happens through surrender. There's no progress apart from surrender. faith doesn't grow through striving it grows through surrender It's yieldedness. many people stop short of a divine encounter because they they reach where they wanted to reach theologically and they stop short of a divine encounter power is infectious one of the most profound examples that you can find in life is the apostle Paul when he is looking for Christians to kill and Jesus shows up knocks him off his horse reveals himself asks him why he's persecuting him and calls him into an apostolic lifestyle where he will live with great power and he will suffer great opposition.

26:42 And he says, yes. Something took place in this encounter. It took several days. But a several-day encounter reacts to his blind for a period of time until hands were laid on him. Scales fell off of his eyes. But he was filled with the Spirit of God. there's no other explanation for how a person can go from an opponent of the gospel breathing threats rejoicing at the persecution and even the death the killing of believers to have within a few day period of time have him be willing to die himself for that same name that he wants persecuted. It's not because he was talked into a creed, because he was talked into a new religion, because he was talked into a new system of beliefs. There is no explanation except that one day he was completely lost, the next day he was completely full of the Holy Spirit, and suddenly nothing else mattered except representing the Lord well, demonstrating him well, illustrating what he is like, confronting realms of darkness until individuals, families, and entire cities become free. Something, he became obsessed with something. We see it in the life of the apostle Peter who denied Christ only days later to have that same experience and to have this man who denied that he knew the Lord in front of a servant girl only days later stands in front of a crowd, preaches this gospel where 3,000 people are saved. The greatest harvest of souls ever in history up to that point was in this one moment where this man who denied Jesus one day, few days later, gets touched by God, and now he's fearless. Absolutely fearless.

28:34 It's not something you can stir up. It's not something you can self-motivate. It is not something you can quote yourself into. You can't quote enough scripture to get yourself ready for that kind of opposition. The only possible answer is to be full of the Spirit of God. The only possible answer. I did a study throughout the prophets many years ago, and I tried to find, actually what I did is I tried to find every reference I could find for water, rivers, rain, pools, any kind of reference for water. And I found that the prophets would often use water to symbolize something. They would say, for example, when there was famine or there was a curse on the land, the prophets would begin to prophesy that God would cause a great outpouring of rain, that there would be pools in the desert, et cetera. And it was like famine, the answer is reign. And then there'd be another occasion where Israel would be threatened by their surrounding armies. Their morality had collapsed and fallen. They had become prey to these enemy nations, and the Lord would speak to them through the prophets that he was going to cause rivers to come down from the heights, and he was going to cause great outpourings of water on his people and on his land. There would be pools in the desert. There would be rivers in high places, just the strangest language. And I finally started to realize that when there's political crisis, when there's moral crisis, integrity issues, when there was famines, when there was war, all this stuff, he had the same answer for everything. It was water.

30:22 and I came to realize there really is a cure-all. He is the rain of outpouring. He says, and Hosea, I will come to you like rain. I will come to you like rain. And he is the personification of rain, of outpouring. And he is announcing to us that, listen, it doesn't get complicated. regardless of the issues in life. The real answer is more of him. It is a divine encounter. It is the outpouring of presence, the outpouring of power, not that which we can control for our own ministry sake, not that which we can control for our own reputation sake, but instead we become vulnerable to that presence and to that power. We become impacted by his purposes and his will. It's not so much my passion to have my dreams fulfilled as it's my passion to fulfill his dreams.

31:23 Something happens in the heart, in the burning heart of someone who starts tasting of the one who dreams impossible things, who has hopes and visions for planet earth that are beyond anything that you and I could ever think of. You and I could ever dream up on our best day. that's what he thinks about constantly and he just looks for people that he can truly possess I shared this with you before I'm going to actually end with this thought because I don't want to go long There's a great prayer in the Bible by John the Baptist.

32:00 He prayed. I must decrease, he must increase. It's a great prayer in that it represents truly a humble heart. That what we're wanting is we're wanting all of him. but technically it's not a legal prayer for you.

32:25 when John the Baptist prayed, none of him, none of himself, but all of God, is when there was the turning of the page of a new chapter. It would be going from law to grace. It would be shifting from the prophets that warned of contamination of sin to the New Testament where Jesus prophesied the contamination of righteousness.

32:55 In the Old Testament, you touch the leper, you become unclean. In the new, you touch the leper, the leper becomes clean. Everything shifts in this moment. And there was the turning of the page. There was the turning of a chapter. There was a shift in the seasons. And because John the Baptist was the greatest of all Old Testament prophets, yet he prophesied the least in the kingdom, the least in this coming season were greater than he was. And because he prayed this kind of a prayer, he was able to say, I have to decrease and disappear from the scene. He must increase. But when Jesus came, he was not looking for you to decrease.

33:38 He came as the light of the world, and before he left, he said, you're the light of the world. It's not time for you to decrease. I'm not talking about emphasizing or exaggerating human talent or selfish ambition, any of that stuff. I hate that stuff. But what I'm saying is he's not looking for none of you in all of him. He's looking for all of you to be immersed in all of him. He's looking for people who are completely possessed with the presence and the Spirit of God so that every living breath is not hyped, it's not forced, it is the most natural offering of pleasure to God, that we seek to bring him pleasure, demonstrate his presence, his power, his kingdom, and watch nations of the world finally turn to Christ, be saved in a day, and nations transformed by the presence and power of the Lord.

34:34 It comes by a people that are truly possessed by the Spirit of God. Verse 4, rebuilding cities. That was the target God began with when he began to fill people with the Spirit. It was the target. He was saying, all right, so you've never dealt with addiction, but guess what? I'm going to put the Spirit of God upon you in such a profound way. I'm going to have you talk with somebody who's bound by addiction. You're going to bring freedom. That fullness of the Spirit on you is to bring freedom to them. And that person that becomes free, they are going to become stable. And as they become stable, they will become the rebuilders of broken sins. It all starts with somebody saying, Holy Spirit, come. Baptize me anew. Baptize me afresh.

35:27 Fill me with your Spirit. many people stop short of a divine encounter because they're satisfied with good theology they're happy with meeting whatever qualifications they may have for being filled with the spirit well I pray in tongues, well I do this, I do that listen the point is is there power coming forth from your life that sets captives free that's the issue the Holy Spirit's in you to comfort you to bring peace to you to give you insight, all that stuff. That's for you. But this Spirit of God who comes upon us, that is for us to bring about transformation in the events and stuff around us. That's the purpose. It's measurable. The fullness of the Spirit is measured by impact. in Acts chapter 2 we know that they were filled with the Holy Spirit it's an extraordinary chapter it's Pentecostal's favorite chapter it's where there's this outpouring of the Spirit, it's extraordinary but in chapter 4 it happens again and it's anywhere from some would say 2 to maybe as many as 5 years after the day of Pentecost and so we've got some of the same people that are in attitude that are rocked where thousands are added daily they're in the same experience a couple years later what's the point as you're a broken vessel you leak old timers used to put it this way they say stay under the spout where the glory comes out you know that's that's how that's the whole deal is just you just stay under in that place where the Spirit of God comes upon you continuously.

37:11 My testimony yesterday is wonderful, but it is no excuse for the absence of hunger today. Anytime yesterday's experience erases my hunger for today, I've chosen where to level off. When in fact the Lord has invited us into this relationship, we're being filled with the Holy Spirit, ongoing filling of the Holy Spirit actually becomes necessary for us to demonstrate who the Father is. I don't think it's possible. In fact, I'm confident it's not possible to adequately display the love of God without power. I love the practical stuff. I mean, I do.

38:03 I love, and I do mean I really love, I love giving the sandwich to somebody that's hungry and giving the coat and the shoes and the stuff that people need. We love to do this. I love this. but without power they're still bound their belly may be full which is important but the addiction that's that got them to that place of brokenness it's got to be broken somebody's got to come in filled with the spirit of god that breaks that thing off and knows how to end this cycle maybe it's five generations of poverty just break it off god has given the ability to make wealth to every individual anyone who will just turn your hearts to him and say yes. He gives the ability and then he reveals the purpose for wealth, for prosperity, for blessing. It's unto something. It's never about accumulation.

38:55 This kingdom that we live in is so different, so different to you. You're exalted by going low. You become filled by becoming empty. It's just a different kingdom. It's just a different kingdom. And he welcomes us into this kingdom where there's conflict and understanding that enables us to understand. It's the strangest thing where you realize abundance is measured by what you've given away, not by what you have.

39:29 Fullness. Give me those two water bottles down there. Thanks, Eric. So we've got one water bottle that's full, the one that's almost full. This is legal to sell because it's full. This one has been tampered with. this is legal cell it's full but it's not really full in fact it's not full until it overflows it's overflow that's that's what reveals its fullness the fullness of the holy spirit is never measured by what you have it's measured by what overflows you it's what is measured what overflows see this kingdom is a different kingdom it completely functions differently it's not by what I contain it's not by what I keep it's what I release it's what I give away because we've been summoned and called to do greater things in Jesus.

40:28 If it wasn't in the Bible, that would be the worst thing you could possibly say, to do greater things in Jesus. But Jesus himself announced it. Greater things than these shall you do. You can't do greater until you've done the same. there are many believers who in this day and age have a greater faith for the return of Christ than they do in the power of the gospel and what I mean by that is the return of Christ is beyond glorious so I never want to say or do anything to dumb that down but what is a frustration to me is that many people have a faith for the return of Christ because they believe that the only thing that can fix this world is not the power of the gospel we preach but the return of a military invasion of God to set things in order.

41:28 In other words, the confidence isn't in the message we've been given. can an individual life that is absolutely in utter ruin can it be saved not just forgiven can it be restored restored place of sanity addictions broken off have a healthy family have a healthy lifestyle can it happen to one then can it happen to his family can happen to his family line what about his neighborhood city you see the point the point is the power of the gospel is what is needed to re-embrace tuning our tuning fork to the one sound the original sound that said do what I taught you to do teach everyone under you to do the same have them to teach those that they raise up to do the same. Don't change the standard. Get the tape measure out again and do it the way you were instructed to do it. Lay hands on the sick. Don't worry about how good you do. Don't worry about how bad you do. Just obey what he said to do. I don't have the right. I don't have the luxury to change the assignment to what I know how to do well.

42:49 Most people's ministries are defined by what they do well. Most people, when they try to figure out what their ministry is, they just try to figure out what they're good at, not what they're called to do.

43:12 Now, I'm good with you doing what you're good at, but don't do it at the expense of what you're called to do. Well, I pray for the sick, nothing happens. Find out why. Just don't change the assignment. Well, I pray and I don't seem to get breakthrough. Pray longer.

43:35 Get up earlier. Go to bed later. Skip a meal. You won't die. I shared this concept quite a few years ago, and I've kind of had this dream of you and me coming together in this room, and we've got our teams that are so gifted and anointed to lead us, and we worship. and I love the instruments and I love the vocals. I love all that part. but in reality, I won't worship here beyond what I worship outside of here.

44:25 And there's a sound. There's a sound that we carry into our city. It's a sound of a yes. It's the sound, can I say, of a melody, of a yes to Jesus that is seen in your countenance. It's heard not because you sing over the fence to your neighbor, but it's because of your kindness. There's a sound release. It's because the way that you attend to that person that's in need, there's a sound release. There's something that happens in a city when this many people, multiplied by all the other houses of faith in our city, when that wind of God begins to blow, it blows across the reed of that saxophone, and it releases a distinct sound that causes people to stand that never would have asked the question. They stand and they say, what must I do to be saved?

45:22 How did they get there? I don't know, there was a sound. There was a sound. There was a yes with 120 that somehow became public and it changed the atmosphere of an entire city. and I believe that God is creating a sound over Reading. It's a unique sound. And over the cities that you're from, every yes and promise.