Empty To Be Filled (Video) — Shane Idleman

Filled with the spirit. You see many of us want to be filled. I want to be filled with God's power. I want to have God's passion. I want to have direction but you have to be empty to be filled. It's something that goes countercultural.

In our culture we we promote pride and being lifted up and climbing climbing the corporate ladder of success and it's all about me where God's Word says to go up you must first go down. Empty to be filled.

And then tomorrow I'm talking about a different message actually the empowerment empowered by the spirit that tonight is empty to be filled tomorrow is being empowered by the Holy Spirit. How does one receive that baptism of the spirit the fire of the spirit the unction of the spirit?

I don't care what you call it. The key is do you have it? Do you have it because as we go into the times that America is going into, it will be absolutely critical for you to be filled with the spirit filled with truth filled with wisdom filled with discernment.

But the basic premise of tonight is this. I don't know if this is good English, but it's a good truth. The more emptiness you give God the more full of him you will be. So the more empty that you are of yourself, the more of God you can take in because there's less of you and more of him.

Dependence on God and Discipline

Now it's an interesting topic because there has to be a healthy tension because the Bible talks about and Paul talks about discipline right Paul says I discipline my body I bring it under subjection and there's a there's a self control there's a discipline there and but on the other hand of the the spectrum here we have dependence I am totally dependent upon God or I will fail and so are you correct but there's a tension what they call a healthy tension between dependence on God and discipline that they call this God's working in me but he also calls me to do certain things and one of those things is to empty myself to humble myself and the best verse for this is Matthew five three blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven notice that key phrase there blessed are the poor in spirit now it's a big distinction right here because many people forget the last part and they just say blessed are the poor and Roman Catholicism taught this many years ago and that's where a lot of the the poverty movement came from in the monasteries and things like that that were really not biblical because we don't see God blessing the poor we see him blessing the poor in heart because you can be poor and prideful a man been there done that have the t shirt.

So it's not poverty of financial poverty it's spiritual poverty. God I am poor in spirit. Now of course we know blessed are the poor among you and that we're supposed to help for those help those who are in need and but what he's talking about here is poor in spirit and I don't believe it's an accident that it's at the beginning of the Beatitudes many of you know what the Beatitudes is.

Jesus gave this powerful sermon on being meek and humble. And blessed are the poor in spirit. And and blessed are you. And all men persecute you and say things the evil things about you and blessed are you.

But at the at the very beginning of the Beatitudes he says blessed are the poor in spirit poverty of spirit. There's there's something in you that says God I'm dependent upon you. Because we live in a culture that is all about self right now don't we self assured self reliant self sufficient self absorbed self determined self righteous.

I looked up the word self in front of all these other words. There's hundreds of them. Can you believe it. Self. Self selfie selfie. Let's take another one. I bet that one doesn't look good. Let's take another one.

I'm not smiling. Let's take another one. My hair's messed up. Let's it's selfie self self self fulfillment self gratification self exaltation. And God says if you want to go up you better come down if you want to humble.

If you humble yourself I will exalt you. I promote you poorest spirits is a desperate need today. Now in studying this there is one word with self in front of it that I like you curious what. That is self checkout.

I love self checkout because you can get in and you can get out. But the majority of the other words are focused on exalting self and self righteousness and self absorbed and self determined. And and it's all about self.

And it is self evident in our culture today that we need God. Basically I can do nothing on my own. That is poverty of spirit. And many people sometimes youth pastors or young pastors ask me Shane how do you prepare for the messages.

What what exactly do you do. And I say well you get on your knees for about an hour and you worship and you pray and you seek God and you break before him. And you ask him to empty empty your heart of all that is in the in you that is not of him.

And often they'll say well no really what do you do. I know that that's that's the key that this this being desperate for more of God is so important that David Ravenhill in his book surviving the anointing and I would recommend that it's called surviving the anointing.

Did you know that only one out of ten pastors actually make it through to age 65 and stay in the ministry. Most Christians fall by the wayside there there there there's there's destruction and and detours to destiny everywhere we go.

And at the beginning of the book the very first chapter he says the number one need among Christians especially Christian leaders is dependency on God. Because when I am weak he is strong. It's a it's self-dependent Lord I can't do anything with you.

And you don't just say it to say it you actually mean it. I recognize that he holds the very breath that I breathe in the palm of his hands. He owns all of my ways. He told the king that in the book of Daniel as well and he says you have not glorified me even though I own all of your ways.

Learning Dependence Through Weakness

Many of you know that we have a ministry in the hospital homes and I think it was about five years ago I met a man he's passed away since then actually at Antelope Valley Hospital I was able to baptize him there and talk to him before he passed away there he was what they would call a quadriplegic was only able to move his head and look.

And I remember the one of the first times I visited him and read the Bible to him. I got a call a few weeks later that he wanted to give his life to the Lord and I I came back to the hospital but I just I just left there and I just cried in my car because it was so it was so impactful for me to see that he was sitting there and he said can I have some water.

And I'm like sure you can have some water. I don't care. And he actually meant for me to grab the cup hold the cup position the straw so he could just drink water. And I thought of that image that is self that is not self-dependence that is dependence on God.

That picture we're just it's really that word is a beggar. Blessed are the beggars. Blessed are those who who just Lord I just it's like you ever see those people who they're really the real beggars that they just can't.

That you see these in third these people in third world countries on the side of the street they are. They can't unless somebody gives them something they will die. And that's our condition before God.

Lord I am dependent upon you to keep my marriage together. I am dependent upon you to help me finish strong. I'm dependent upon you to get me through this sermon. I'm dependent upon you Lord to get me through my workplace.

God we are dependent on you. Let me make a national proclamation that our nation is dependent upon God as we go into the next election as we go into all kinds of chaos. God we are dependent upon you. You are our only hope.

Unless you move unless you protect unless you bring revival unless you begin to awaken our nation. God we are lost. We are destitute without you. Oh God the spirit of the living God. Would you move among us.

Would you awaken your people. Would you secure. Would you bring peace and reconciliation. God we are lost without you. And even though I'm a fan of the constitution you'll see in there often or when the early writings of the founding fathers they would say self-governing.

Self-governing. That's why America has been blessed. And that's why she will continue to be blessed. I believe as long as we follow God it's not that we are self-governing. We are allowing God to govern self.

That God is the the the the foundation of our republic. That God is the foundation of our families and of our marriages. Yes our there is a terrible past and in many different areas. But overall it was a nation that wanted to honor God.

The Holy Spirit wants God's will. Myself wants my will same with yours. The Holy Spirit wants God's way. But the self inside of us wants my way. So as I'm talking about this this point of weakness I want to just bring your attention to second Corinthians 12.

Second Corinthians chapter 12. I'm going to be all over the place on this one. So I might skip around a little bit. And I just want to encourage you listen to last week's message. Did pastor abram do a great job or what.

That was an incredible message on finishing the race. I know I was encouraged to listen to that if you weren't here. But second Corinthians 12 Paul had an incredible counter encounter with God. We don't know exactly but he was taken up.

He saw things that that people have not seen before. He experienced the glory of God. And I I thought of Moses when he said God show me your glory. I think it's okay. I still pray that sometimes I don't tell my conservative friends because they might think I'm a little too charismatic.

But I but I pray Lord. Show me your glory. Show me the fire of the Holy Spirit. I want to. I want to just have your presence and your power. I want to walk in that God show me your glory. Show me who you are.

Show me what your name is. Your Bible says your name is holy. That you are holy. And God show me who you are. That's splendor. And Paul encountered God. And then it says therefore in order to keep me from becoming conceited some people say some theologians say that Paul was wanting not to look to.

Um in other words he didn't want the people to elevate him too much. But I don't see that here. I see that Paul is saying in order to keep me from being prideful being conceited. Anyone of you any of you know when God starts to move in your life sometimes you can become prideful.

Oh it's silent. We know Lord keep me humble as God begins to elevate one of the one of the hardest things you will ever find is when God begins to elevate. It's important that you stay humble. That you stay broken before him.

So Paul says in order that I would not become prideful and conceited I was given a thorn in my flesh a messenger of satan to torment me. Wow. That doesn't sound too appealing. Does it. But that word there torment could also be harass.

I was given a thorn in my flesh a messenger of satan to harass me to keep me humble. And nobody knows exactly what this was. And I'm glad we don't because we would say well that's what Paul dealt with.

I guess it doesn't affect me. But because of this we can it can relate to all of us. There is sometimes something in us that God allows. And I believe a messenger of satan could be demonic opposition.

That's often what a messenger of satan would be. But also and I'm going to talk about this more tomorrow morning. I'm really unpacked this a lot more tomorrow morning. But I want to share a little bit with you.

Because it could also be persecution when people are persecuting you. Or we don't know exactly what it is. But God allowed something. He allowed a difficult situation he allowed a bad habit. Maybe that pulls you down a lust that batters you a physical problem that depresses you.

Something sometimes is allowed by God. Remember God said have you considered my servant Job. I prayed Lord don't ever say have you considered my servant Shane. Don't. I don't want to go there. I don't want the enemy that kind of attack on my life.

But there God sometimes will allow the satan to be able to give be given some type of of of influence in your life or some type of temptation that will come in. And it's not to defeat you. It's actually to humble you.

So this messenger of satan this issue whatever it is we don't know what it is was given to Paul that would keep him humble. And it goes on to say that Paul says I pray three times three times God take this away.

How many of you can relate to that. I know there's people here for prayed a hundred times Lord take this away. God take this away. I don't want a lust like this. I don't want to struggle with this. I don't want to do.

Lord would you please take this away. And you can hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit saying son and daughter my grace is sufficient. I will give you the grace and the fortitude and the strength to say no to that temptation.

As a matter of fact no temptation has overtaken you but what is common to man. But God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able but with the temptation will provide the way of escape that you may be able to bear it to endure it so often.

God will use things that are difficult and and and things that you struggle with. He'll use that to keep you low and and and humble and not high and lift it up. And can you imagine if we got if we were able to conquer all of our struggles that'd be me like like me saying hey guys I know a lot of you struggle with things.

I I know how that feels that was me many years ago. But I don't struggle with anything anymore. I just walk on water. I just God visits me every night and I just uh just have the this the feeling of the Holy Spirit all day long.

I never get upset I never get angry anymore. I haven't been depressed since 1998. And I know you will get through it. How prideful and conceited would a person become. So some of these things are allowed into our life even physical problems things that God allows that keep us dependent and broken and humbled before him.

And in short my point is when I am weak I am strong. When you are weak you are strong now if we allow that weakness to turn into excuses and we continue in sin that's not being count that's actually being counterproductive.

The the idea here is Paul says I'm getting I'm getting attacked in this area. I'm getting tempted in this area. But Lord in my weakness. In other words I'm not strong enough to overcome this. Amen. That's what young adults and teenagers haven't found out yet that it'll happen later.

They understand that. Okay God you're on the throne. I'm not. I cannot overcome this in my own strength. God when I am weak then I am strong. Paul would say where's his strength. Come from the power of the Holy Spirit.

Humility, Repentance, and Revival

And again I'm excited to just unpack this a little bit more tomorrow. But my whole point tonight was empty to be filled. I want you leaving here remembering the way to go up is to go down. You want the power of God in your life.

Humble yourself. Apologize to your spouse apologize to your your children. Get real with God and confess that sin. Repent to that besetting sin that continues to take you down. And humble yourself under the mighty hand of God.

In due time he will exalt you. Humility is bold confidence and a faithful God. We see our weaknesses and we turn to God rather than make excuses. I can tell often when someone is prideful I've been there.

I struggle with this. So do you when we begin to make excuses. Well yeah I know. But you don't know what I'm going through. Yes I know I need to work on that. But here comes the buts. And these excuses begin to prevent us from changing.

You know a lot of Christians never change. They stay stuck in that mode of defeat. They've got something they work on. They know they need to work on it. Whether it's I mean how long is the list. How many people here tonight.

That's how long the list is. Everything from anger to lust to control to manipulating to backbiting slander gossip. Everything is outlined in scripture. People struggle with. And if you don't repent of that and say this is wrong.

I cannot continue. But you continue to make excuses. You will not change because that's pride preventing the work of the Holy Spirit from coming into your heart and into your life to work. How many of you here have heard me talk about revival.

Revival is our only hope. And I'm not talking about weird things. I'm not talking about camp meetings. I'm not. I'm talking about when God resuscitates his church when he performs CPR on the majority of Christians in America when he revives them.

And I talk a lot about revival. But did you know that pouring spirit is going to be what ushers it in when God brings revival. Whether it's a church a community. That that that that spirit of revival that sense of awakening.

When he begins to awaken his people it's poor. It's those who are poor of spirit that usher us in those who are humble those who are praying those who are worshiping and they're seeking God. And they're that poor in spirit.

What is what God that brings revival. Because God says I hear the cries of my children. I hear that weeping. I hear that poverty of spirit. I hear that brokenness. And I must I demand it. Scripture demands that God answers that broken and contrite heart.

I've got a proof text for the naysayers. Isaiah the prophet Isaiah says for thus says the high and lofty one. I love that language in the King James. Isaiah says for thus says the high and lofty one. Basically thus saith the Lord who inhabits eternity whose name is holy.

His very name is holy. And that's why when they those angels cried out and they shook holy holy holy is the name of our God. In those enormous pillars on the temple they would shake and the foundation would shake at the name of God and holiness is his name holy holy holy is our God.

He said I dwell in a high and holy place with him who is prideful. No I dwell in a high and holy place with him who has a contrite and broken heart a humble spirit. What do I do. Thus sayeth the Lord.

I revive the spirit of the humble and I revive the heart of the contrite ones. God says I'm looking for humility. You humble yourself before me and I will exalt you. I will promote you. I will fill you with my spirit empty yourself of yourself and you will be filled.

Examples of Leaders Transformed by Surrender

There's another book I want to recommend. I've recommended it before and you can find it. I believe online. It's called they found the secret. They found the secret. Don't worry it's not a book oprah would recommend.

This is a solid book about biographies of christian leaders. Have you heard of Adoniah Judson or Hudson Taylor. John Bunyan Amy Carmichael. Oswald Chambers. D .L. Moody. Those types of of leaders. John Wesley possibly Whitfield is in there.

I'm not sure but this book this book is so important because all of these people the majority of them it talks about how they were Christians but they were basically dead to the things of God. They didn't have a passion for his word.

Oswald Chambers was on the verge of depression. If you've ever read his utmost for my highest one of the highest selling devotions of all time. You're probably wondering how did that happen. How did he almost want to quit seminary.

He was so depressed he had no desire for God. D .L. Moody. Nobody even knew of D .L. Moody. He was just this prideful man wanting to build his name in Chicago. And you hear of all that nobody knew of them until until they humbled themselves until they emptied themselves of of themselves of self.

D .L. Moody said lord I'm in the ministry because of my name not yours. I repent in the spirit of God fell upon him. Oswald Chambers said God I need all of you. I'm trying to trying to seek after education and I need you in the spirit of God fell upon him.

Adoniah Judson realized he cannot do missions in his own strength and he said God I give you all of me. I am desperate. I am poor in spirit and the spirit of God fell upon him and it's consistent throughout church history.

Poor in spirit God revives those who are spiritually cold. Are you spiritually cold tonight. I can guarantee you can leave fired up with the spirit of God deal with that issue that he's confronting convicting you on deal with that sin that he is confronting and convicting you on deal with it.

Leave it here tonight and say God I want to be emptied of myself emptied of pride and self-righteousness. God. I want to leave here filled with your spirits and it says he dwells. God dwells his presence his power his anointing dwells in the believer who is of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

Resisting or Recognizing the Holy Spirit

Now I did something I normally don't do but I'm going to do it anyway. You ready. I grabbed an excerpt from tomorrow morning and I'm going to share with you right now. I added it early this morning and I'm asking the question tomorrow.

I'm going to ask it to you as well. Are you resisting the Holy Spirit in this area. Are you resisting the Holy Spirit. And you know what I find ironic many times throughout church throughout I'm sorry throughout not church history but my history being a Christian is there's a lot of talk of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

Have you heard that before blasphemy of the Holy Spirit I mean we could get in even to how you can only blasphemy God. And that proves the try you nature of God that the Trinity is doctrinally sound that the Holy Spirit is God.

But I'm not going there with that. You could also say the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is rejecting the conviction of the Holy Spirit and then as a result rejecting Jesus Christ. Amen. That's applicable.

But do you know something interesting. I found this out about 10 years ago as I'm reading about the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Do you know what the context is. The context of that phrase is Jesus was healing people and they said you're not.

They said the Pharisee said to Jesus you're not doing the works of God. You're doing the works of Satan. So they were attributing the works of God to the works of Satan. Jesus said you are blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

So the context really I think is relevant to a lot of people. We have to be careful in this area. Are we attributing a mighty move of God's Spirit to the work of Satan. Are we not open to the work of the Holy Spirit.

Because we've seen someone act weird on YouTube. Are we not open to the Holy Spirit. Because we've seen some weird churches do weird things and we say oh that's not of God. That's blasphemy. That's weird.

Be careful. Be very careful. I want to share with you three things happening when the Holy Spirit is really moving. Are you ready for this. Sit down buckle up and hold on one of my favorite topics the power of the Holy Spirit apart from salvation.

This is my favorite topic. Do you want to know why. Because when he ignites you with the power of the Spirit when he fills you with the Spirit when you have boldness and unction and the Word of God comes alive when you begin to fall on your face at home and begin to pray.

And you begin to worship and pour out your heart to God. And the Holy Spirit is moving. Holy Spirit you are welcome in this place. Holy Spirit come now and move among your people. That is the Spirit of God moving and convicting and drawing.

That is a power of God evident in the life of someone filled with his Spirit. It's the dire need today. That's the difference between a living vibrant church and a church that looks like a cemetery. You know the church that looks like a cemetery.

Right. Come on in let's get seated. Brother Bill has a few announcements this morning. Then we're going to do a few songs of worship. I got my sermon down to 20 minutes and the the ladies boutique has a potluck afterwards.

And we're just going to eat as much as we can and just just get through the day and get home because we said we went to church. Isn't that sad. Three things happening when the Holy Spirit is really moving.

Three Signs of the Spirit’s Movement: Worship

Number one there is powerful worship now. I'm not talking about volume or music per se but there's a desire to worship when the Holy Spirit is moving in your heart moving in your life moving in the church there is a desire for worship.

I want to be at worship mornings. I want to be at worship evenings. I want to be at prayer meetings. I want to why. Because the Holy Spirit is drawing me to these things. If there's no desire for these things you have to wonder is the Holy Spirit really moving in your heart and in your life.

Because there's always a desire for prayer and worship. And number two people act differently now. I don't mean weird because I think the Holy Spirit has been given a bad name in many churches because of weirdness.

Three Signs of the Spirit’s Movement: Repentance and Brokenness

You don't act weird. Often when the Holy Spirit is moving you are broken before him. You're at the altar. I remember I preached at church services where you could hear cries throughout the congregation and one service would flow into the next and you felt the tangible presence of the atmosphere of the living God.

There's a there's a difference. There's your position differently. You're you're in deep repentance. You're not bored. There's a there's God working in your heart. And then number three this always happens.

Three Signs of the Spirit’s Movement: Discomfort and Obedience

Comfortable. Christians become uncomfortable when the Holy Spirit is moving. You know those people I don't like I don't like to get out my comfort zone. But the Holy Spirit draws us out of our comfort zone.

And the modern-day pharisee in us will say this. That is satan chain. All of that weirdness that is satan. That worship is too emotional. They sang that song for 15 minutes. My goodness don't you know they're only about four minutes long.

Why do they just sing that song over going. That's brainwashing. No sir that's worship. That's worship. When you're worshiping you think the angels get bored after four minutes. But see that's the pharisee in us.

That's not of God. That's a that's demonic. That's demonic. That worship is oh it's to this. It's to that. It's it's demonic. No it's not. You're blaspheming the work of the Holy Spirit because of an arrogant prideful heart.

The pharisee must repent before Almighty God. Be careful. Be careful. Just because you're not engaged and filled with the Spirit doesn't mean that others aren't. I've noticed I've noticed that this doctrine of the fire of the Spirit the baptism of the Spirit the filling of the Spirit the whatever you want to call it you better have it.

The Baptism and Filling of the Holy Spirit

I've noticed this this doctrine upsets people when they don't have it when they like lack the fire and they lack the passion of God. And maybe I should clarify for the theologians out there when I talk about the baptism of the Holy Spirit you'll hear that word a lot in charismatic circles and and sometimes in conservative churches if they're brave enough to step on those on in the in that area.

But all it is in the Bible at least is being baptized into the body of Christ. You're you're all baptized into the body of Christ. But there are subsequent subsequent feelings of the Holy Spirit. And Paul being filled with the Holy Spirit and Peter being filled with the Holy Spirit.

And Jesus came out of the wilderness filled with the Holy Spirit empowered by the Holy Spirit. The unction of the Holy Spirit the authority of the Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit is the dire need in the churches today.

That's why I love what R .A. Torrey said. I don't care if you get the theological term just right and have the power. But I don't want to have. I'm sorry. I want to have the power and not have the theological term just right.

I want that power. I don't know exactly what the wording is when you experience the power of God. But there is unction there is boldness there is authority. So I want to ask you tonight have you been rejecting this mighty filling of the Holy Spirit because it doesn't fit in your box of comfortable Christianity.

You know comfortable Christianity is right neat and tidy and in order. This is not that tidy up show on HGTV whatever her name is Marie Kondo or whatever it is. This is not. This is a church of the living God.

Things sometimes get messy. Sometimes they get loud because things are happening. Think about the early church. Think about the early church. Blind people will cry out. Son of David son of David have mercy on me.

They said be quiet be quiet. No son of David have mercy on me. And Jesus will begin to heal. There was a demonic man who thrashed about and 2 ,000 demons came out and went into pigs and they ran down the hill.

Thousands thousands shouted to Peter on that day. What must we do to be saved. That's the church of the living God. It's alive. Blind beggars leopards prostitutes. All of them were in an uproar because they were being set free from sin and death.

And then what happened when the day of Pentecost had fully come. They were all of one accord in an upper room and the Holy Spirit of God fell in that place. And I often wonder how many of you would be embarrassed to be there on the day of Pentecost.

I know there are many Christians who would be embarrassed to be there on the day of Pentecost. Oh no all these guys speaking in tongues being excited and in a prayer meeting for 10 days. No no no that's not my cup of tea.

We'd be embarrassed to experience the power of God. When the day of Pentecost had fully came they experienced the power of God. And I believe you can have a personal Pentecost. Does your does your life resemble a cemetery.

Or does it resemble a life that is expecting God to move. So God will revive those who are spiritually cold. If that is you tonight you can change that. And I do believe that baptism baptism helps in this area because it's a it's a step of obedience to be baptized and to make that public profession of faith.

If you've never done that I want to encourage you to do that. We're also having them tomorrow after the 11 a .m. service. But they've got the the baptismal here the water is heated. It can ask God Lord do you want me to take that step and make this commitment genuine.

The Holy Spirit’s Work in the Spiritually Dead

And then the closing point here is the Holy Spirit revives those who are spiritually dead. That's the work of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said nobody comes to the Father except through the Son. There's a conviction.

There's a drawing of the Holy Spirit. So I don't know who's listening to this. I don't know who's listening to this later. I don't know who's here tonight. But I are you resisting the the Holy Spirit the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

Shane. How do I know. Because you don't like what I'm saying. How many times you've heard me say that. If you don't like what I'm saying it's because you need to hear what I'm saying. The Holy Spirit is convicting and drawing.

You come to God all your weak and heavy laden and cry out to him. And the self says no. I am self-sustaining. I am self-sufficient. I am self-righteous. And I don't need God. But the Holy Spirit calls and convicts.

And you know the famous verse pride cometh before a fall. Pride cometh before a fall. Do you know what the the probably the right word on. That is actually in the Hebrew language that word fall is pride cometh before destruction.

Pride comes before destruction. Before a man is judged on that day of judgment before he stands before God. His prideful arrogant heart hard stood there and he shaked his little fist at God and said I will not.

I am the captain of my own ship. I am the master of my own destiny. I am self-righteous. I am self-absorbed. I know what I'm doing. I am the God of my own life. How dare you call me to repentance. How dare you call me to bow my knee to Jesus Christ.