Sermon Starters: Fill Her Up

Title: Fill Her Up
Location: Lakeview Wesleyan Church
Date: Father's Day, 2019 (June 16)
Text: Acts 4:23-31

Introduction

• Happy Father's Day
• Scripture/Prayer
• My father would never have run out of gas... [insert story on running out of gas or fuel of some kind]
• Keep your spiritual tank full!

I. We need spiritual gas.

• Ephesians 5:18 (present tense - ongoing command)
• Growing up - thought of the Holy Spirit mainly in terms of entire sanctification, of a check off moment in your spiritual life.
• Like turbo boosters in some movie - Batman, Fast and Furious...
• The Holy Spirit is part of the entire life of a believer... He's the Spirit that gives us spiritual life.
• Romans 7 was not about Christian life. It was about a person without the Spirit (a not-yet Christian).
• Sin is not like a mass removed by divine surgery. It's not something to be removed. It's a power shortage fixed by plugging in.
• Holy Spirit is what makes us a Christian - 2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Eph. 1:14. An "earnest" (downpayment and guarantee), a seal (of God's ownership).
• When? How do we know? Usually there's a moment when you invite God in. In Acts often associated with baptism. Prayer is key. Usually there is a peace, although sometimes we have to speak peace to someone (especially melancholics like me).

II. Don't run out.

• Insert story about running out of steam. Mine was a marathon story. 
• Sometimes you don't know you're on empty--why it's important to go to church, to be part of Christian fellowship, to be "under the spout where the glory comes out." Means of grace.
• The trials come unexpectedly, and there isn't always a gas station around. If you're on empty, it might tank you.
• Parable of the Soils in Mark 4 - the weeds choke out the good news.
• Parable of the Bridesmaids in Matthew 25 - they didn't have oil ready

III. Sometimes you need a boost.

• The story in Acts 4.
• Turbo-boost
• What are you facing? God is up to the challenge!
• 1 Corinthians 10:13.

IV. Conclusion with prayer