The Baptism of the Holy Spirit Makes Us Bold — Sandeep Poonen

Psalm 12 and a Godly Testimony

Disappearing from this earth, you know that verse Psalm 12 verse 1 Help Lord for the godly man ceases to be for the faithful disappear among the sons of men help Lord. Give me health. Not so that I can make more money not so that I can see my great-grandchildren.

So so that I can be a godly testimony in this world. So heal me. I Disperse in so that this person can give all of themselves to you and can be poured out as a drink offering. There's a great need for that.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit and Victory Over Sin

I wanted to talk about one. We've been talking about the baptism in the Holy Spirit the immersion. But coming under the waterfall you get covered with water as we said in one of two ways either by going under water.

Or by having a waterfall completely covering you the baptism with the Holy Spirit. There's no different than just an immersion where you are completely consumed by the Holy Spirit and That we've talked about that and what it is and what it isn't and We've talked about a lot of things about what it isn't.

We don't need to have any feelings to know that the Holy Spirit has come to reside among us. We don't need to wait For the Lord to give us his Holy Spirit. Just like a child doesn't have to wait for evil fathers to give food when they're hungry.

If you being evil know how to give good gifts to children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit? So it's a good thing that is given so freely. So we don't have to wait for his Holy Spirit to help us overcome sin if we are struggling with any sin right now if it's the sin of Adultery as bad as that or whatever it is to plan to kill somebody literally all the way to a spirit of unforgiveness or a spirit of complaining or murmuring against God saying God.

Why did you allow this to happen to an spirit of jealousy or anger or lust or whatever it is? The Holy Spirit has been freely given to you and you have no excuse you are under no excuse. You cannot blame God at all.

Why you're still struggling with it? Zero percent of it is in God. The onus lies on us to receive his Holy Spirit to humble ourselves so that we may receive grace. Not that the problem may be solved. We know in Paul's case 2nd Corinthians 12 where we heard that the thorn of the flesh did not go away.

But he had grace to bear it. Grace so that he never had to sin. So we are beset or struggling with any sin. Let us not think it is because we asked God for the Holy Spirit and he was not given to us. And so that's why I have to keep waiting and once the Holy Spirit is given then I'll overcome sin.

No, that's not true. So let us get that far away from our thinking. But I want to talk about one thing that happens when we are immersed in the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit. I believe it's something separate from being born of the Spirit.

We've talked about this being born of the Spirit is being Given the seed within us in which we say Lord. I want to follow you. But a baptism of fresh emotions is not something that happens one should happen over and over again and it's a immersion that is primarily meant to speed up Our journey towards Christ.

We are born of the Spirit. Because God when God deposits his Holy Spirit with us. He tells us I want to make you like Christ. I want to that's your destination. I want to make you like Christ and he sets you on this journey to become like Christ but then he says you can walk on your two feet or I can baptize you in the Holy Spirit so that you get a horse.

Or as I use a motorbike in which you can go further. Not so that you can go and show off that look how fast I'm going. Like many people use the gifts of the Holy Spirit to do the Holy Spirit has been given so that we can get closer to Christ on this journey so we can speed up and.

So when a person comes to the end of themselves and say Lord, I'm walking at only two miles an hour towards you. I'm not trying to solve world hunger. I'm not trying to solve all these problems. I want to walk closer and closer to you, and I'm not.

I'm not happy at the speed at which I'm going. I'm crawling when I should be running. Then that cry is birthed out of us. Saying Lord give me the Holy Spirit that I can run faster towards you so that I can reach my goal.

Holy Spirit is given and he baptizes us afresh. With a greater love for him with the greater power with which to run after him. That should be our increasing testimony that I'm running faster towards God than I did before.

Because I'm being baptized afresh in his Holy Spirit. I used to be going five miles an hour, but now I'm going seven. I don't compare myself to somebody who's going 30, but give me time. I'm getting to 30.

I used to be five now. I'm eight. Come back in a couple of years. I'll be 12. I Won't beat myself up that I'm not going 50 or 100, but I'm increasing. That's if we start settling for 10 miles an hour.

And we'll start petering out. We'll start coasting and then we don't have the grace that we need for the Holy Spirit to keep going. God wants us to go faster and faster towards him. It's only for those who are not satisfied With the speed at which they're going right now towards God.

Boldness Through the Holy Spirit

But one thing that I want to encourage all of you here. Which comes with the power of the Holy Spirit filling us is Two things but I want to concentrate on one thing today, which is a spirit of boldness.

God's Holy Spirit must make us bold and I want to clarify what that boldness means. We've talked a little bit about coming up and speaking. I want to make sure you guys understand what the boldness I'm talking about means.

But I want to show you that Peter we talked about Peter who was a man who was running away from Jesus before he was filled with the Holy Spirit was denying Jesus even to a servant girl. But now you see him in Acts chapter 2 you can turn there if you want.

Acts chapter 2 Filled with the Holy Spirit after the Holy Spirit is coming upon him where he says he takes his stand with the 11. There's a point of unity that I want to make. I'll probably make next time.

But then he says he raised his voice and declared to him. This is a man who has been filled with the Holy Spirit and now they were locked up in a room for 10 days. Waiting for the Holy Spirit, but once the Holy Spirit filled him he came out.

Given the gifts, but he then raised his voice and you watch his sermon and it's no easy sermon to be preaching. He was indicting the people and he spoke a very powerful sermon. It didn't take hours. It took probably if you read it, it probably takes just about five to ten minutes max.

Well, there's a powerful sermon because it had the power of the Holy Spirit spoken with the boldness that the result was that. The three thousand more so came to the Lord. It is this spirit of boldness and then again if you go over to Acts chapter 4 Verse 28 now after they had been threatened now what happens is actually before.

There's 13 onwards after they heal a lame man. He get they get brought up to the Pharisees and they are threatened. And they said don't speak about this man Jesus anymore. Verse 21 it says when they had threatened them further after the disciple Peter and John said to them boldly look in verse 19.

Whether it is right in the sight, that's you be the judge, but we cannot stop speaking. What we've heard is a boldness that even to stand up against the religious leaders verse 21. They had been threatened further then they go this in verse 24 and they raise their voices to God with one accord here against that.

The point about unity, but then they pray to God and then you see what they say in verse 29 of Acts chapter 4 and now Lord take note of their threats. Lord pay attention to that and not destroy them. No, what do you do with them?

It's up to them. But for us you grant us Confidence and boldness. With which to speak your word and you'll extend our hands to heal to bring healing and for the signs of wonders to happen. But you give us that confidence in that boldness.

It is not a human boldness. It is not Extrovertedness it is not the lack of nervousness to come up and stand here on the pulpit. What is the Holy Spirit's boldness? Let me tell you what it's not. It's not Extrovertedness.

That makes people gregarious and able to talk very easily. It's not a lack of nervousness to get up and stand up and speak. I still get nervous in some settings to get up and speak even though to you it may come across as I'm speaking very naturally.

It's not that I've never felt like the Lord was saying I'll take away all of that nervousness. It's just part of human nature and some people feel it more than others. I do believe if you keep doing it, it gets a little bit less the butterflies in your stomach start.

Flying in formation you get to tell them where to go. They're all over the place. You can synchronize them a little bit. They're still there. They never run away. They go away a little bit, but it's that's not the boldness I'm talking about it may be related to it.

But that's not primarily it. I Understand the great distance it can be for some of you to come up here. And especially now that there's a platform and things like that. I don't want you to feel bad. I don't want you to feel condemned because you don't get up here and speak because you feel really nervous.

I myself struggle with it when I'm praying. I'm like I still have to say Lord. I want to pray freely as a child is praying to his father not worried about whether other people are evaluating it. But it's a struggle and it's a fight and I've been praying publicly for over 20 years so This is not a condemning word to say look if you're having that nervousness that that means you're not filled with the Holy Spirit.

No, but number one. Ask him to give you boldness. Ask him first of all you got to ask him to make you bold. The disciples were bold. The people of God are bold. Now let me define what boldness is. I'm gonna try something different Sharon.

Do you want to try and read 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse 7. 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse 7. God has given us a spirit. Thank you. God has given us a spirit the Holy Spirit. Let me ask you this what is the opposite of the Holy Spirit.

Say it's the evil spirit. Say it's the devil. I want you to look at this verse the spirit he has given us is the opposite of timidity and Timidity is not as I said standing up and speaking, but it's that spirit that makes you cower.

That makes you shrivel up in a corner because You are afraid of a roaring lion. Because you're afraid of a roaring lion who has been defeated. Whose claws has been declawed? Has no teeth. Is Chained, but who roars.

The end result is many Christians. Become timid. Have you ever heard a lion roar? Some magnificent sound and it'll make you timid. Now I want to ask you this. Have you heard the devil roar can be a whisper you roars where you're timid and you cower and The Holy Spirit has been given to free you from all that fear of a roaring lion who has no power.

And the power is the roar. But you know as good as I do that how powerful even a whisper the devil can be to make me cower and be timid and My mind can listen to those thoughts. But when I want to define boldness, which is the opposite of timidity, I don't go to the dictionary.

I Don't know what the opposite of timidity is and what boldness is as defined by Jesus and by the work Bible. It's there right there of power and of love and of Self-control. This is the Holy Spirit who has been given us and this is the boldness that we have we must Pursue a boldness as described by the Bible.

Which is a spirit of power, power not standing up and speaking. It says about Jesus that he spoke with that authority with the power that all the religious people didn't have. They were speaking from the same Bible.

They were using the same verses, but Jesus had an authority. He had that power and the power for the new covenant Christian comes from an overcoming life. And an overcoming life comes from being broken and humble because that's who gets grace.

Power and Authority Through Humility

Let me say that again. The power on which I stand up and speak God is my witness Is not because I have an intellect. It is not because I have less butterflies than you in my stomach. I Genuinely go to God week after week and say Lord am I being faithful to you?

I don't have lots of messages that God gives me ahead of time. You know this it's been a transformation for me. I Say Lord, I'm seeking you, but I don't want to speak my ideas. I want to speak your word and sometimes I come here and I have nothing that he's given me.

But I say Lord you I've been faithful to you week in and week out. You've I've been faithful to you. Now you speak to me. I You honor those who honor you. I've honored you where it matters in my private life.

Now you give me a word and he's been faithful to give me a word every time again and again. It's because I really believe how I access the power of God and it's not by Thinking and spending hours and hours trying to create sermons been there done that.

But there's a much better way which is communing with God and speaking of what one experiences all week. Not against preparation, but I really believe that the power with which we can give words of comfort to other people comes from listening and communing to God and By being humble before him and receiving his grace in the circumstances of life.

God gives me grace To overcome sin and that becomes that power which is sufficient for me. You show you that verse and before we come back to that in the second Timothy 1. Isaiah chapter 50 verse 4. This is a very important Principle for us to understand how we can be useful to other people.

Isaiah chapter 50 verse 4 the Lord God has given me the tongue of Disciples we are trying to get up and speak with the tongue of a disciple so that I may know how to sustain the weary one with a word.

But there's a condition that we read that comes right afterwards if you are going to do that. So let's not claim it and say okay. I'm gonna do it as we heard I can seek him with all my heart and I won't claim that verse won't be applying because I may hate reproof and I might hate Knowledge and I might not have the fear of the Lord in the same way I can claim Lord.

Give me the tongue of a disciple that I may know how to sustain the weary one but Day after day and I don't want to put too much emphasis on the morning time versus some other time of day. That's not so important to me as he awakens me day after day.

To listen, it's the listening that makes you the speaker. It's the listening to God and that communion with God that equips you to have a tongue that has a weird. That can give a encouraging word to weary one.

So for people who plan to get up and give more roughage going forward and share more prophetic words the the pathway to that is not by Spending more time studying God's Word. That's an important part of it, but it's living with God.

Listening to him day after day and say God speak to me awaken my ear to listen as a disciple. You get confidence from that. Then it's based on the confidence in God's Word that saying God. Because I've been talking to you every day of the day and trying to listen to what you're trying to tell me.

It's that confidence with which I get up and speak here. It's the confidence that God gives me because he says my son you're walking with me in private. Based on that you can say without having this huge five-point sermon or 20-point sermon or three-point sermon you can just speak and It'll be a word of encouragement.

Let that be confident to people who may not have the gift of speaking. Let that be a word of confidence to those who feel that I don't have the same intellect some others do. It's not about intellect to speak God's Word.

Fishermen spoke God's Word. Go read Peter and John. You'll see the profound things that uneducated fishermen spoke inspired by the Holy Spirit. Don't blame yourself because you don't have intellects like some other people.

Listen to him day after day. He gives you words. Those words are meant to be given to other people as well. That's that power family of God that I have experienced myself. It's the power and the authority that comes when somebody debates with me about this or that.

I might be wrong on some doctrinal issues here and there but I'll tell you something. It doesn't shake my confidence. At the core of who I am with God because I say I know what really matters. You don't know how I live my personal life.

You don't know how my heart is towards God. You don't know how I judge myself all week but as I do God gives me that confidence and It's because Jesus said I look I'm looking at the Father. I don't Need to worry about what you say about what I'm doing.

It's that confidence that comes not because we care nothing about other people or we're just saying I don't care anything. What other people think about me to the point of being insensitive it's because I say Lord I'm looking constantly towards you.

You are my confidence and I encourage you family of God to have that Holy Spirit baptisms, immersions in the Holy Spirit so that he takes you to the Father and keeps you get your eyes open to him that nothing else matters that nobody else matters and you listen to him and that we will listen to him.

From that get words and it may be a one-minute word. It may be a one-second Phrase a ten second text message that I write, but it's an encouraging word. It comes from a life lived Morning after morning day after day of listening to him.

Power, Love, and Self-Control

We've talked a lot about love being rooted in ground or love remember we're talking about boldness. Talking about the app the opposite of timidity. It's Love it's this effusiveness of love that comes out of us because we are rooted and grounded in God's love.

As I've said, I want my eyes to reflect and I'm loved not that I love you. Honestly, that's human love. I want you to see that. I'm so deeply loved by God. Because I'm not the source. Me loving you is not gonna get you the solution to your problem.

You need to know the love of God. I want you to know how touched I am by the love of God. That you'll be inspired to go to that same God and say God give me your love. That's what godly people inspire me with how secure They are in the love of God.

They're not trying to impress anybody. They're not trying to prove themselves to anybody so secure. Yeah content plenty. Little they've learned to be content with a lot and with a little. This is The way it is with God.

Family of God, this is the love That we must have. It's after we love experience the love of God that we can love one another that we ourselves can love God. And the third thing that is associated with boldness.

The third thing that's associated boldness first is love. Sorry first is power. Second is love. How many people think of self-control as power as I said last week we think of the Holy Spirit in the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

To be such that he will come and overpower us. So that I don't even feel like getting angry anymore. I just I'm in a constant state of nirvana. That's what we subtly often think happens when the Holy Spirit baptizes us.

Well, we don't go to God's Word where God's Word says the opposite of timidity is the spirit that has power. Love and give you the ability to say no. Give you the ability to say no because it's still gonna come and hit you.

So gonna come at you. Temptations are gonna come at you, but now you're gonna have self-control. It's a fruit of the Spirit self-control. Are you growing in self-control? Are you growing in the fruit of the Spirit of self-control?

Let us not be fall over the cliff so much in. Saying I got to give God the glory for everything. He's so sovereign. He's everything. I can do nothing without him. To not recognizing that God is trying to give you work something in you.

You know when he wants to work it in you so that you can work it out. Work it out family work out that self-control. Work out that ability to say no to that sin. That's besetting you. It's part of the power and it's part of the boldness that the Holy Spirit gives you.

To walk by that roaring lion that tells you you're no longer loved. It's a roaring line that roaring line that tells you that this situation has no hope. Look that line in the eye and say I Believe God's Word.

My Lord still loves me. None of my feelings tells me that I'm loved but God's Word says that he loves me. So roaring lion, you have no power over me. I'm gonna walk right by you and you can't touch me.

No weapon formed against me will prosper. On what on the authority of God's Word? So yes that Temptation that's got a control over you so that you're overcome by it and overpowered by it. God has set you free now walk in that freedom.

Walk in that freedom with self-control with power love. Self-control there is an important need for Christians who are baptized in the Holy Spirit to embody Self-control. Self-control we and I'm the reason I'm stressing.

This is because those of us who believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Tend to minimize the importance of self-control. We don't put the two together. Just think about it. Think about how you use the think about this word baptism of the Holy Spirit and this powerful God himself.

Coming in living with us and we're saying wait part of that spirit includes My ability to say no. Yes. It's your ability to say no not his ability to just make you avoid temptation. And it is that boldness that God wants us to have not standing up in here.

Necessarily. But first in your private life having power love and self-control. This is how you know, you're filled with the Holy Spirit. Day in day out now like with everything else as I said. Discard feelings and go with God's Word if God's Word says it is so it is so there are days that I might not feel.

Particularly that I'm born again or that I am Seated in the heavenlies, but God's Word says that my place is there. My hand my my name is written on his palms. I don't feel like that most days. But I believe it based on God's Word.

Same with the filling of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. We are filled with the Holy Spirit when we have overcome sin love love growing of God's love and Two areas in which this boldness happens the way we see Peter having this boldness.

Boldness Against the Religious System

It's very important that we have a boldness in the right area. First of all, first of all before we have boldness against non-christian. Very important. This is a difference between the old covenant who fought against the Philistines and the Assyrians and all those people out there.

To the new covenant where judgment is that it starts in the house of God on Peter 4 17 judgment belongs begins in the house of God. New covenant new agreement this new Church is a church where we judge ourselves First before we judge other people.

So important that we remember this Fundamental principle of the new covenant that God's first word of indictment is against the Christian religion that tends to make our life about rules and Regulations and laws he put to death all of those rules and regulations for a life and It's close within all of us that our Christian life begins and ends with a set of rules.

I Didn't do this. I did do this. I didn't do this. I did do this and that's my Christian life and it's going well. Or it's not going so well. It's not a growing knowing of God. It's not a growing pursuit of Lord, I want to get to know you more.

Track record or no good track record or bad track record. I want to get to know you more. My my goal is wrong and God wants What Peter spoke out against the Pharisees in Acts chapter 3 and 4 when he spoke out against it we need to speak out against that religious system that dwells in us and That is among us that old covenant that old wine that brings comfort to people.

But God says I ain't got to throw out this old wine and you got get used to this new life this new wine. That may seem different at first that may not taste quite the same as the old the comfort of the old wine did.

But God's throwing out the old wine and giving you a new it's a boldness against the religious system that opposes a life with God. Just ask yourself this coming week. Am I living with God? I heard a man who just recently passed away Dallas Willard.

He just passed away earlier this year. Something he said really blessed me. He said how he tried to live his Daily life was he said I tried to set the Lord. I Tried to set the Lord at my right hand. It was a beautiful picture for me.

Through all the situations like he's like sometimes I am able to study the Bible in the morning. Sometimes I can't but I always try to set the Lord before me. You say that you set the Lord before you he was close by.

That's what I'm talking about rules and regulations. You don't need to set the Lord Rabbi because you got it all here. You know, I didn't commit adultery. I didn't look at that woman in lust. I didn't get angry.

So it's a good day. Did you set the Lord before you? Did you check in with him often? Did you talk to him? You open your ears saying Lord. What are you trying to tell me? That's simple, but it's a life.

You'll start to dis be disgusted by the old wine of rules and regulations and regimen and this and that and say I want to Talk to you. I just want you to be my friend. I want us to be friends. I want to be close and close of friends.

Setting the Lord before you then we go to be with our friend when we die. It's not a bad thing. It's a beautiful thing. Me for me to live as Christ dies even better. It'll be with him fully and to be known.

Boldness Against the World System

All this family all this power love self-control against a religious life. Second one boldness against those world system. There's a world system that is against us too. That's on the outside and we have to Be bold against it.

So we're not afraid if we face persecution. We're not afraid if we face ridicule and all of that. God speaks a lot about that. Jesus speaks a lot about that. But I want to give you one picture about being bold against the world system.

2nd Peter chapter 2 verse 5. I was thinking who was the first bold man ever to live on this earth first bold man. And I thought of Noah. He was bold and you know, we have a boldness because in verse 4 God did not spare the angels when they sin.

There's a pretty serious Judgment for sin and cast them into hell. If anybody says hey look, I mean, why do you preach so much against sin? Maybe just kind of look at verse 4 see what happened to people who sin.

Made of them to the pits of darkness reserved for judgment and did not spare the ancient world but preserved Noah verse 5. 2nd Peter chapter 2 verse 5 but preserved Noah and here's a phrase I want to underline a Preacher of Righteousness.

He was the first as far as I know man in the Bible who was bold against sin and against the world system and he's called by the Holy Spirit working through Peter a preacher of righteousness so Those of us who want to preach God's Word.

It is good for us to study Noah's Sermon and who want to preach against this world system. Let me repeat what I just said you want to preach against this world system. You should look at Noah. He was the first person who stood up against a pretty bad world system so bad that God said I'm done with this whole earth.

But it says that Noah found favor with God and it said that Noah was a preacher of righteousness. Have you ever read Noah's Sermon? Who knows where it is? Anybody know where Noah's Sermon is? Where is it?

Bible scholars. You know what his sermon was right. Built an ark. How many words. Zero built an ark. All the preacher. Holy Spirit speaking Through Peter. 2nd Peter chapter 2 called him a preacher. What did he do?

Built foolishness on dry land. Building a ship. It's foolishness to this world, but he built an ark in Genesis chapter 6 or 7. He said God said build an ark. Not many people in this ark. Only eat a big church.

All church. Built an ark. Two of every animal. I Look at is maybe two of every culture. One culture, but just a few that's it. He built the ark and he never cared to have to go and stand on street corners and doing all that.

I'm not against it not against it, but I'm talking about boldness here. Talking about the Holy Spirit makes you bold. And this preacher of righteousness Asks you to build an ark. Don't curse the darkness.

Light a candle and The candle that God is setting on this earth is a lampstand. You know that Revelation chapter 1 God says speak and he saw. The seven gold lampstands the revelation chapter 1 verse 20 the seven golden lampstands of the seven churches.

That is the light. That comes that's basically your local church. That is what is your message you got to preach. That is that lampstand that is that ark that we ought to build and We leave the flood the time of the flood we leave.

How people receive the light or whatever it is up to God? But our directions are clear. The ark boldness against this world system. I'm not Activating against Congress. I'm not agitating in the public square.

I'm not against people who do that. Let God Give some people the desire to do that let them don't do that as far as I'm concerned when I look at God's Word primarily I see That the primary work of Jesus and the Apostles especially the Apostles who lived after the Jesus to build the church.

Build the ark that's a safe place family of God. Talked about hearing God's Word for what is the right church? Be a part of a local church. That's a safe haven. Which is a preacher of righteousness that is preaching it by the way we live and we hate sin.

Love righteousness that we are growing in the gifts of the Holy Spirit growing in the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We're able to be a Brighter and brighter light because we're walking in greater purity in our personal lives and the ark family of God.

You're a preacher every one of you are called to be preachers of righteousness like Noah. You're part of that ark that God is trying to build. I Really believe that's the local church that the Holy Spirit is trying to give you that boldness to do.

So when we asked you to come up and speak I'm not trying to evaluate you to impress how impressive are you? Or so that you can get an amen or so that you can get an email from the other thing that really touched me or anything like that.

It's not the reason why you should get up and speak if you you get up and do whatever you feel. You need to do to build the ark. You build the ark. Because of what God has done for you. What's God's calling you to say?

Hey, look, this ark is gonna be your way out. It's gonna be this place of safety. Build it if you believe what I'm saying. I have one question for you. Where's your hammer? Is the nail? Got you got something in your hand.

So I'm gonna help. Those are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. God gives you gifts of the Holy Spirit to help you build this ark. You can't do it on your own. Let's not have a committee now and say not let's figure out how to build this ark.

No using NCCF. It's not the solution. We need to go to the Holy Spirit and say give me gifts. Give me something. I need a hammer and a nail. I'm here with nothing. He wants to give you gifts of the Holy Spirit to build the ark.

We can talk more about that about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. But it starts with recognizing that the preacher of righteousness. You need to be preachers of righteousness that we are like Noah's. We want to be bold.