- Home
- Speakers
- Zac Poonen
- How The Spirit Leads Us Part 6
How the Spirit Leads Us - Part 6
Zac Poonen

Zac Poonen (1939 - ). Christian preacher, Bible teacher, and author based in Bangalore, India. A former Indian Naval officer, he resigned in 1966 after converting to Christianity, later founding the Christian Fellowship Centre (CFC) in 1975, which grew into a network of churches. He has written over 30 books, including "The Pursuit of Godliness," and shares thousands of free sermons, emphasizing holiness and New Testament teachings. Married to Annie since 1968, they have four sons in ministry. Poonen supports himself through "tent-making," accepting no salary or royalties. After stepping down as CFC elder in 1999, he focused on global preaching and mentoring. His teachings prioritize spiritual maturity, humility, and living free from materialism. He remains active, with his work widely accessible online in multiple languages. Poonen’s ministry avoids institutional structures, advocating for simple, Spirit-led fellowships. His influence spans decades, inspiring Christians to pursue a deeper relationship with God.
Download
Topic
Sermon Summary
This sermon emphasizes the process of spiritual cleansing and growth in a believer's life. It distinguishes between the initial cleansing of past sins through Christ's blood at salvation and the ongoing daily cleansing through the Word of God, symbolized by water representing the Holy Spirit. The message highlights the concept of being born again as a new birth through the Holy Spirit, akin to the supernatural birth of Jesus in Mary's womb, and the subsequent growth and satisfaction that the Holy Spirit brings, leading to a life free from worldly addictions and a deep thirst for God's presence.
Sermon Transcription
from everything that's evil and sinful and wicked in this world and having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word now this is different from the cleansing of our past sins by his blood see the difference one is when we are born again and our sins are cleansed in the blood of Christ here it speaks about the daily washing that means you come through you've walked through the world and God's Word speaks to you saying you got a little polluted there let me cleanse you and he cleanses us with water and water a picture of the Holy Spirit in his life so John chapter 3 is the first step where we are born again bathed and cleansed it's called in Titus chapter 3 in Paul's letter to Titus you see that born again is called by another expression being born again is called in Titus chapter 3 verse 5 middle of verse 5 the washing of the new birth generation is birth regeneration is another birth it's called the washing of the new birth and that's what Jesus told Nicodemus the first thing you need is to be washed in a new birth with water the Holy Spirit makes us a child of God you know just like the Holy Spirit came upon Mary and produced supernaturally a body inside her womb exactly the same way the Holy Spirit comes and supernaturally produces a little bit of the life of Jesus just like Jesus and body of Jesus started as a small little speck and mother in Mary's womb life of Jesus starts like a small little speck in my heart the Holy Spirit you know like Mary I say how can this be it's the same question Nicodemus asked how can this be how can I be born again Mary asked how can this be you see the Holy Spirit come upon me how can you be born again you can't be born again by your own efforts you can open your being you can be but you can't be born again the Holy Spirit is to come in and give you a new birth you know what new birth is it's Jesus coming in through the Holy Spirit right inside your being and producing something as supernatural as a virgin having a little baby born in her womb you can't do it there's no way by which a virgin can have a womb a body in her womb to the Holy Spirit came that's what happened to Mary something similar happens to us the Holy Spirit comes and produces this little speck of the life of Jesus it has to grow just like that body had to grow in Mary's womb just to grow the answers to the Holy Spirit that's the new birth the Holy Spirit coming in it's called here a washing of the water but then doesn't stop there John chapter 4 Jesus spoke about this this growing you know that means just like the baby grows or to use another picture this water which is just like a water enough to have a bath now it says in John 4 verse 14 becomes a well of water whoever drinks of the water that I give him will never thirst but the water that I give him will now become a well now well is more than just to have a bath I don't need a well to have a bath with a well I can do so many things with water I can cook I can do so many things all I can drink all my thirst need is satisfied I can keep on having all my needs satisfied that's the meaning so first step is being born again and the second step is where the Holy Spirit satisfies me completely have you experienced that that's the meaning of a well of water you know complete satisfaction that's what he said if you drink this water you'll thirst again but if you drink the water that I give he will never thirst again whoever will never thirst verse 14 and don't you find in your life a thirst for something a thirst to see certain types of movies and you see that movie and you thirst again because you want to see another one it's true whoever drinks with this water will thirst again it's like the fellow who takes a drug you think one drug will satisfy no he thirsts again anything in the world is like that that's how people become drunkards they drink a little bit they thirst again you've got to be very careful addiction to drink addiction to cigarettes addiction to movies addiction to the internet anything that you know there are good things in all this I mean there are good things on the internet too but you can have an addiction addiction to read romantic novels you think one romantic novel will satisfy you no you want to read again whoever drinks of any of these things in the world the whole purpose of the devil let me explain this you the whole purpose of the devil is to make you an addict an addict maybe not to drugs and alcohol but to something which doesn't look so bad but an addiction that prevents the life of Jesus from springing up in you but Jesus said if you drink of the water I give you you will never thirst again think of the greatest thing that thing that gives you the greatest pleasure on earth the pleasure the Holy Spirit can give you fellowship of Jesus is a million times more than that you think sexual pleasure is the greatest thing if you're a worldly person you think that multiply that by a million and you'll understand the real pleasure of the Holy Spirit gives through knowing Jesus most Christians have not experienced it you ask most Christians even married people have you experienced Jesus in a way are greater than you have experienced sexual pleasure no you haven't there's something you're missing it's a million times greater you will not thirst for other things a lot of things we use on the earth but we'll never thirst for them it's a well you never thirst again so stage 1 stage 2 then stage 3 John 7 and stage 3 we read in John 7 verse 37 and 38 39 many man thirst let him come to me and drink again thirst thirst is so important that means I'm not thirsting for the things of the world I'm thirsting for God he who believes in me if you trust him Lord believe means I trust you to do it in me that's why the word faith was not found in the Old Testament you don't need faith in the Old Testament because I got to do it thou shalt thou shalt not thou shalt thou shalt not life becomes such a headache but here the Lord says I will I will I will but let me do it for you will you believe me will you believe that it's like as I said submitting yourself to the surgeon will you trust me when I put you under anesthesia you don't know what I'm doing to you yes I trust you completely shame on us that we can trust an earthly doctor we don't trust God to give ourselves completely didn't say I trust you Lord you do it all in me that's belief if you believe in me out of your inmost being it'll be more than a well now it'll be a river and more than one river many rivers see the difference between a well and a river is this
How the Spirit Leads Us - Part 6
- Bio
- Summary
- Transcript
- Download

Zac Poonen (1939 - ). Christian preacher, Bible teacher, and author based in Bangalore, India. A former Indian Naval officer, he resigned in 1966 after converting to Christianity, later founding the Christian Fellowship Centre (CFC) in 1975, which grew into a network of churches. He has written over 30 books, including "The Pursuit of Godliness," and shares thousands of free sermons, emphasizing holiness and New Testament teachings. Married to Annie since 1968, they have four sons in ministry. Poonen supports himself through "tent-making," accepting no salary or royalties. After stepping down as CFC elder in 1999, he focused on global preaching and mentoring. His teachings prioritize spiritual maturity, humility, and living free from materialism. He remains active, with his work widely accessible online in multiple languages. Poonen’s ministry avoids institutional structures, advocating for simple, Spirit-led fellowships. His influence spans decades, inspiring Christians to pursue a deeper relationship with God.