Beloved radio friends, we greet you in the ever-precious and the worthy name of our beloved Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We heartily welcome you to the continued study of God's precious Word. And the particular doctrine of our meditation, the doctrine concerning the person as well as the work of the Holy Spirit of God. Our present theme of meditation is one particular doctrine concerning his work called the filling of the Spirit. We have already noted that on the day of Pentecost, when the formation of the Church began, the birthday of the Church was inaugurated, as those believers, all believers of that day, were baptized by the Spirit to form the one body of Christ, which is the Church. and into which every believer, when coming to the Savior, converted by God's grace, convicted and converted by the Holy Spirit to receive Christ, they immediately share in that baptism and are placed by the South Saint Spirit into the body of Christ. May I remind my listeners that according to the premise, of First Corinthians chapter twelve and verse thirteen, it is definitely stated that all believers have received the baptism of the Spirit. May I repeat that? For there are many today who believe that there must be a later experience after conversion for the receiving of the baptism of the Spirit. Nothing could be more unscriptural. Read First Corinthians twelve and verse thirteen carefully, clearly, and underscore, emphasize very definitely the all-inclusiveness of that word we have all been baptized into the one body by the Spirit. And every believer has received the baptism of the Spirit. If they have not, they are not even in the body of Christ. So that the baptism of the Holy Spirit, in its clear scriptural definition, relates not to the speaking in tongues, but to the believer being brought into the body of Christ. But in our present theme on the filling of the Holy Spirit, We noted it upon the day of Pentecost in Acts two and verse four. The filling of the Holy Spirit also was a separate work that began in that day. And it was upon being filled, the disciples spoke in other languages, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now may I state, and I commend this to your examination, As to the day of Pentecost, you have no historical record in the Book of the Acts that those same disciples spake again in other tongues. Can I repeat it? I did not say that they did not ever do it, but you have no record in the Scripture that those early disciples of the early church Speak again with other tongues. There are only two other occasions recorded in the book of the Acts regarding others speaking in tongues. One is chapter eleven, and the other is in chapter nineteen. And you will note that on those two occasions, twas not the disciples, neither the apostles, but rather the converts whom they brought to the Lord, and upon whom the Holy Spirit came to give expression as well as evidence that these Gentiles, as well as the leaders of John's Gospel, as in chapter nineteen, were really saved. Please may I state, you will never read through the book of the Acts, nor even in the epistles, the emphasis by the apostles of the speaking in tongues. May I state that one of the greatest apostles depreciated that, as you may read in First Corinthians chapter fourteen, as being one of the least of all privileges in serving the Lord. May I ask my beloved believer, do not overemphasize for the Word of God does not. This gift of speaking in tongues. There are other gifts that are more important. Now as we continue on the filling of the Holy Spirit, we reply and state again that we have noted four occasions, chapter two, twice in chapter four, once in chapter six of the Book of the Acts, there was a repetition of the filling of the Holy Spirit. every occasion was to empower them for some particular service. In chapter four, which was the second occasion, they were empowered to speak boldly for the Lord. In chapter four also, we learned that Peter, as well as all the disciples, were enabled to speak boldly for the Lord. In chapter six, we found that the early deacons of the church were to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to serve the Lord. We go now to chapter seven of the book of the Acts, and in verse fifty-five we have the testimony of the first Christian martyr by the name of Stephen, as he faced death, following his magnificent defense before the Sanhedrin of elders of Jerusalem. What enabled Stephen to give such a strong and a fearless testimony? and give him the courage to speak as he did in the face of death. It was this. He was filled with the Holy Ghost. And we read in Acts seven, verse fifty-five, Stephen, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. I'm sure you cannot gainsay the fact. The filling of the Spirit was here. not that he should speak in other languages, but that he should face death calmly and bravely as he witnessed for his Lord and was ultimately put to death. We go to chapter eleven of the book of Acts for a sixth occasion when the filling of the Spirit was known. And we read the testimony of a servant of God by the name of Barnabas. And it is written of him in Acts eleven, verse twenty-four. He was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost, and also of faith, and much people were added unto the Lord. This spirit-filled man was greatly used in the service of the Lord when he came from Jerusalem and visited the young church in Antioch. For the filling of the spirit was for him, and it's today for us the necessity for Christian experience and power in service. We have one more reference in the book of the Acts to the filling of the Holy Spirit. It is found in chapter thirteen in verse nine. And may I point out very carefully, there are seven, all told, there are seven occasions where the record of the filling of the Spirit is recorded in the book of the Acts. And this last one is in relation to Paul the apostle. When he exposes an enemy of the gospel, a man who was a sorcerer, one who deliberately endeavored to turn men away from the faith. And as this man was endeavoring to turn men away from the message Paul was preaching, we read, Then Paul filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes upon him, and said, And then as you may read on, followed the drastic judgment of God upon the man. For he was made blind, Pharisees then, and others had to lead him about. For it was the filling of the Spirit once again associated with power for service that Paul was able thus to meet the opposition and enmity of those who were antagonistic to the Lord. Now, all of these scriptures have clearly indicated to us that the filling of the Spirit is not a once and for all experience, for there can be many fillings. Yet we cannot, and we must not, neglect the exhortation of the Apostle Paul, given in Ephesians five and verse eighteen to all believers. When he wrote, Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit. Literally, the words mean, be getting filled with the Spirit. Now, what should the filling of the Spirit mean to a Christian today in experience and service? May we define it simply in this way. To be filled with the Spirit of God is to have the Spirit of God fulfilling in the heart and in the life all that he came into that life to do. Every believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, as we have learned. Therefore, it is not more of the Holy Spirit that we need, rather that the Spirit of God should have more of the believer. The Christian's whole life, his whole being and her whole being, should be surrendered to the Spirit of God. Well, did Paul say, I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that she presents your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed, that she may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Romans twelve, one and two. The word of God will show the believer what is the will of God for him or for her. For thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path, wrote the psalmist in Psalm one hundred and nineteen verse one hundred and five. Now my fellow Christian, listen, you and I should be spirit-filled. And a spirit-filled Christian, may I also state, will be a Bible-filled Christian. For only by knowing your Bible and I, knowing my Bible, can you and I learn what is the will of God for our lives. but the ministry of the filling of the Holy Spirit is directly. Thank God for the empowering of the believer in service and whatever special work the Lord may have before us for his honor and glory and the blessing upon others. May God help us to see this distinction. The filling of the Holy Spirit may it be the privilege and joy of the believers to experience it. Father, sanctify this truth to all thy people in the Saviour's name. Amen.