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  FULLNESS BEGINS WITH THIRST
  by Theodore Epp
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Summary: To experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit, we must desire
and trust in Him, seeking to be separated from sin and the world, and to
be filled with the fruit of the Spirit.

Topics: "Trust and Obedience", "Desire for the Holy Spirit"
Scripture References: John 7:37

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DESCRIPTION
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Theodore Epp emphasizes that the fullness of the Holy Spirit begins with
a deep thirst for God, which leads to a desire for obedience and trust
in Him. He explains that to be filled with the Spirit, one must first
recognize the need to be separated from sin and the world, and actively
seek the fruit of the Spirit in their lives. Epp highlights that true
spiritual life is achieved by yielding to the Holy Spirit's control,
allowing rivers of living water to flow from within. The sermon
encourages believers to continuously trust in Christ not only for
salvation but also for the ongoing filling of the Spirit. Ultimately,
the message calls for a commitment to enthrone Christ as Lord in our
lives.

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CONTENT
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John 7:37-39

Along with obeying we must desire to be filled and then appropriate the
filling. Our Lord said in John 7:37, "If any man thirst, let him come
unto me, and drink."

Here are two prerequisites for the filling of the Holy Spirit: thirst
and trust. Thirst suggests desire, and drinking suggests obedience and
trust.

Included in this desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit must be our
wanting God to judge and put away sin in our lives.

We must desire to be separated unto the Lord from the world and its evil
system. We must reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God. This is
true positionally, but it can be made true in our spiritual life only as
we yield to the Holy Spirit's control.

We must also desire the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Do we want
love, joy, peace and these other evidences of the Spirit's life in us?
Do we long to enthrone Christ as Lord?

Thirst should cause us to drink, and desire should cause us to trust. In
the words of our Saviour, out of our innermost beings "shall flow rivers
of living water" (v. 38).

We not only trust Christ to save us from sin, but we also trust Him to
fill us with the Spirit.

This particular phase of believing, or trusting, in Christ should be a
continuous attitude of trusting, of committing ourselves to the Lord in
order to be controlled by the Holy Spirit.

"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the
Spirit" (Eph. 5:18).

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/theodore-epp/fullness-begins-with-thirst/
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