BLESSING: REPLENISH & FILL THE EARTH WITH THE GLORY OF GOD- Part 1

FILL THE EARTH WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD

Genesis 1:28
Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”(NKJV)

BLESSING:  FILL THE EARTH

Part of the blessing God spoke over man was to fill the earth. We have seen how we fill the earth with all manner of fruitfulness, whether spiritual or natural fruit.  Did you know that when God blessed us he ordained that we be blessed, spirit soul and body.  He spoke a blessing of increase over us in every area.  This blessing was spoken to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and on and on through the generations down David and then through the generations to Jesus who has passed that blessing to us!  Through Christ, we have inherited all the fullness of God and blessings both natural and spiritual.

SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS

When we were filled with the Spirit, God blessed us in filling us with a treasure that we carry in earthen vessels.  We were blessed with spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 1:3-13 tells us we are blessed with all spiritual blessings, we are made us holy and without blame, we are adopted us as sons, we are accepted, redeemed, forgiven and given us an inheritance.  It goes on to say we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, the guarantee of our inheritance.  The Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we are sons of God!(NKJV)

The Holy Spirit is a treasure.  He's a treasure carried inside of us that although our lives are poured out as an offering to him, his life is manifested in and through us.  That manifestation of the life of God reaches out to a needy world and brings life and glory to those upon whom he is poured out!

2 Corinthians 4:7-12  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. 8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.(NKJV)

SEALED AND FILLED

The bible says in Acts 2:1-4 that on the day of Pentecost, those followers of Jesus who had obeyed him in waiting in the upper room for the promised outpouring of the Spirit were filled.  This is when the Holy Spirit was poured out.  It was these believers that received this outpouring that went beyond the seal.  Every believer receives the seal of the Holy Spirit but not every believer received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  It was these believers that received the infilling and a baptism of the Holy Spirit that empowered them to be witnesses.

Acts 2:1-4  When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (NKJV)

It was at this event that the life of Jesus was poured out upon and into the 120 when the Holy Spirit came upon them! Five hundred had received instruction to attend this event but only 120 had obeyed in waiting.  Is that an indication of a church that doesn't rely on the power of the Holy Spirit today? In another scripture there is a verse that talks about a form of godliness that lacks power.  I hope it isn't the case but there's a reason the bible says only 120 received this infilling.

Every believer has a well of salvation but not every believer is filled with a river of life that flows out of them.  Jesus in John Chapter 4 spoke of a well (a fountain) for every individual but in John 7 he spoke of a river that would flow out of individuals.  It's one thing to drink for yourself and be refreshed with your own salvation but it's another thing to be a vessel poured out!   Upon believing you receive a well of salvation in your innermost being but only upon drinking of his Spirit through a mighty baptism in his Spirit that fills to fullness do you receive a mighty river that flows out of your innermost being!

John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (NKJV)

The well above speaks of a fountain springing up to everlasting life but the passage below speaks of a river of living water flowing from an individual!

John 7:37-39 on the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (NKJV)

It's the infilling of the Holy Spirit that causes you to speak the Word with boldness.  From out of the mouth of the speaker comes the very living Word of God to bring conviction and life to the listeners.

Acts 4:31
And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

When's the last time you saw a place visibly shaken by the power of God after believers assembled together and prayed.  This was the model of the early church and there's no "Amen" to the book of Acts.  In the same way the first believers had to rely on the Holy Spirit for boldness and power, we should be relying on him today!  If our meeting places are not visibly shaken by the power of God then maybe we need to re-think whether we're relying on that power!

FILLED TO BE POURED OUT

In the same way the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost filling those that were waiting with power and boldness, he poured out from them to bring the good news of the gospel and the power of God to a world in need of salvation. This power not only gave them the boldness to speak but it was the equipping for signs, wonders and miracles that would bring deliverance from all manner of evil!   In the same way the life of Jesus was poured out in his earthly ministry,  the life of Jesus Christ would continue to be poured out only now it would be through those upon whom the Holy Spirit was poured out.  Be blessed and better yet be a blessing by filling the earth with the glory of God! Amen!


(This was a really long post so I've divided it into two parts: Be on the lookout for Part 2- the demonstration at the Wedding of Cana!)