Text : John 6 :63

« It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh provides no benefit : the words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and are life. »

Jesus made it very clear that religion doesn't give life. Traditions don't give life. Ceremonies don’t give life. Theology doesn't give life. Programmes don't give life. Only the Holy Spirit gives life.

It is obvious then that to enjoy the life of God, it is vital that a person be able to receive from the Holy Spirit.

THE FIRST PRIORITY TO RECEIVING FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT :

REMOVE THE BARRIERS !

Certain attitudes will create a barrier that will make it impossible for a person to receive from God’s Spirit.

They need to be identified and removed.

The New Testament warns us against

resisting the Holy Spirit (Acts 7 :51 - being stiff-necked and uncircumcised of heart and ears) 

insulting the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 10 :29 - backsliding and returning to the law))

quenching Holy Spirit (1Thessalonians 5 :19 – preventing the operations of the spiritual gifts)

grieving Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4 :30 - evil speaking)

My experience allows me to add other attitudes that will work against receiving friom the Holy Spirit.

Negativity. Complaining and being critical act as a screen preventing the Holy Spirit from penetrating.

Lack of expectation We won’t receive anything from the Holy Spirit when we are resigned to our difficult circumstances and we are not expecting God to do anything.

Self-sufficiency. We will not be able to receive from the Holy Spirit if we don’t feel our need of God.

Strong self-will. Yieldedness is required to receive from the Spirit.

Many people believe in the Holy Spirit but do not receive the life He gives.

The reason isn’t because they don’t want it.

It is more the fact they they don’t know that it’s available to them to receive and don’t know how to receive it.

So how do you receive from the Holy Spirit ?

THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

On the day of Pentecost, to the question shouted out by the crowd : « Brothers, what are we to do ? » Peter replied, « Repent and each of you be baptised for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the GIFT of the Holy Spirit. »

So essentially, the Holy Spirit is a gift from God to people.

But if you have trouble receiving gifts you will deprive yourself of God’s Spirit.

When we first arrived in Paris a lady took us in and looked after us. We were very grateful. When we left we gave her a bouquet of flowers. She reacted with surprise « What’s this ? But you shoudn’t have. You didn’t need to do that. That wasn’t necessary. » It sounded like we were giving her our car. She didn’t say :  « Thank you, they’re beautiful flowers ». 

She was able to give to others but could not receive from others.

One of the keys to receiving from the Holy Spirit is to learn to let go and let the Holy Spirit minister to you.

If you’re stressed, uptight, or striving, you’re creating a barrier.

Rest and let God give you a gift

There are two beautiful pictures in the Bible of letting God move on you.

THE ANOINTING OIL

Acts 10 :38 « You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power… »

When the Holy Spirit came down on Jesus at His baptism He came down as oil.

Anointing speaks of oil.

Psalm 133 is a well-known passage about unity but also about the movement of God over a person.

David describes the blessing of God in this way

« It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, as on Aaron’s beard, the oil which ran down upon the edge of his robes » v2

Oil moves downwards from the head down to the beard then down to the edge of the robes

It’s not like water. Oil moves slowly penetrating every little crack, hole and hollow.

Water dries quickly and it’s gone but oil lingers.

Water-based paints are touch dry in 1 hour but oil-based paints need 8 hours to be touch-dry.

With oil-based paintings it can take weeks, sometimes months for the paint to fully dry.

When you receive prayer or experience God’s Spirit come on you privately stay in it, let it linger on you. Linger in His presence.

Receiving from the Holy Spirit is not like getting cash from an ATM machine. You’re in a hurry, you need cash, you go to the ATM but someone beats you to it and seems to take forever. Finally it’s your turn, you put the card in, punch in your pin, you pull out the notes and you’re off.

With the Holy Spirit, it’s not like that at all !

Receiving from God is not someone waving a magic wand over you and saying « Abracadrabra ».

You come allowing the oil of the Holy Spirit to be poured out upon you penetrating into your mind, your emotions, your body, your personality, ministering to every part of you.

THE BREATH OF GOD

The second picture the Bible gives us about receiving from the Holy Spirit is the breath of God.

Job 33 :4 « The Spirit of God has made me and the breath of the Almighty gives me life. »

So we are encouraged to receive the Holy Spirit as God’s breath.

In the creation account, to create a living soul God breathed into Adam’s nostrils.

When Jesus found His disciples in the upper room after His resurrection He breathed on them and said « Receive the Holy Spirit ». John 20 :22

This is not a new ministry technique like the laying on of hands.

Some preachers blow on people but it’s not how hard or how often the preacher blows that’s important. It’s how much the person receives.

I once met a well-known speaker who was also a health enthusiast. He ate a lot of garlic ! I don’t remember much about our conversation but I sure remember when he breathed a « hallelujah » on me. I nearly passed out. I’m glad he wasn’t the kind of preacher that blows on people when he prayed for them.

The title « Holy Spirit » literally means « The breath of God »

To receive from the Holy Spirit we will need to receive Him as a breath.

Someone about to die has a shallow breath.

Someone physically struggling is short of breath.

When there’s fresh dog poo around you hold your breath.

But someone wanting to enjoy the beautiful fresh country air takes in a deep breath.

When you pass by a biscuit factory you wind the window down and breathe it.

It’s a gift they make to passers-by. It’s free and it’s better than a biscuit because it doesn’t make you put on weight.

When you’re in the presence of the Holy Spirit fill your lungs deeply with His presence.

Receiving is receiving. It’s not the time to be praying or praising.

How often I have to say to people when I’m praying for them, « Stop praying, just receive. Take it in » Stop saying « Thank you Jesus, I love you Lord »

Prayer & praise is giving out. Receiving is taking it in.

THE WOMAN WITH THE ISSUE OF BLOOD

We have a beautiful example of receiving from the Holy Spirit in Mark 5 :27-30

She reached out to touch Jesus with faith in her heart.

The power of the Holy Spirit flowed out of Jesus. It was so real that He felt it go.

It flowed through her hand, up her arm, down her body and into her internal organs.

Jesus felt it go, the woman felt it arrive. And she was healed.

The power of the Holy Spirit is available for each person.

Sometimes it manifests like heat, or an electric current, sometimes its an overwhelming sense of peace, sometimes you feel nothing at all but it happens anyway.

Later in the series we will talk about how you pray with people for the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, deliverance and healing to help them receive from the Holy Spirit.

So when you come into God’s presence alone or in a meeting, come expecting to receive, open up, respond to the Holy Spirit working on you.

Let yourself go completely in His hands…and receive.