Running on Empty
Pastor Erickson preaches from Mark 5, where Jesus casts a legion of unclean spirits out of a man, to show that God made people to be filled and that the Holy Ghost will not share a life with sin. He teaches that believing means obeying, calls those without the Holy Ghost to repent and be filled, and calls believers who are running on empty to be filled to overflowing.
The message in 6 points
Jesus meets the man among the tombs
He reads Mark 5, where a man with an unclean spirit runs from the tombs, worships Jesus, and Jesus sends the legion of spirits into the swine. He titles the message Running on Empty and says he will explain the title near the end.
1:01:51God designs his creation to be filled
In creation week God separates and then fills: light with sun and moon, sky with birds, sea with fish, land with creatures. He breathes his spirit into Adam, but sin brings spiritual death and leaves a hole in the soul that people try to fill with money, things, drugs and alcohol.
1:05:14Unclean spirits fill bodies
In the gospels evil spirits are always cast out of people's bodies, not homes or towns. The man of the Gadarenes could break every chain but could not get the spirits out of himself, and he says spirits need a body to work through. Sadly the town asks Jesus to leave.
1:13:39When a holy spirit fills a body
We are filled with one spirit or the other, and the Holy Ghost will not live alongside sin. He reads Acts 2, where they were all filled, and says tongues are the evidence, like a deposit receipt, but the goal is the Spirit himself, as men in the church's recovery program are finding.
1:24:47Having the Holy Ghost or being full
Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost and God wants every room, not a spare bedroom. He lists the benefits believers forget: the Spirit guides into truth, gives power and boldness, quickens our mortal bodies, gives gifts, and bears the fruit that truly makes us Apostolic.
1:33:55Believe means obey, and be refilled
He says believing in the New Testament means obeying, from Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 2 and Mark 16. Then he explains the title: as a teenager he ran his Mustang on two dollars of gas, and he calls those running on empty to come and be filled until they overflow.
1:45:46
In his words
“If you don't have the spirit of God on the inside, you're always going to have something that needs to be filled, and you're always going to look for something to fill that hole in the soul.”
“The Holy Ghost is not going to share an apartment with sin.”
“God, Lord, half is not enough. Three quarters is not enough. I'm, I'm sick and tired of running on empty. I just want more of you.”
Taken word for word from the video, with punctuation added.
Scripture
He reads
Mark 5:1-13
1And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. 2And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, 3Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: 4Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. 5And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. 6But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, 7And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. 8For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. 9And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. 10And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. 11Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. 12And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. 13And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea.
King James Version.
Genesis 1:26-27
26And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
King James Version.
Genesis 2:7
7And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
King James Version.
1 Corinthians 15:45
45And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
King James Version.
1 Corinthians 15:49
49And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
King James Version.
Luke 4:33-35
33And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, 34Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. 35And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.
King James Version.
Matthew 4:23-24
23And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. 24And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.
King James Version.
Matthew 12:22
22Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw.
King James Version.
Acts 2:1-4
1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
King James Version.
Ephesians 5:18
18And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
King James Version.
1 Corinthians 6:19
19What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
King James Version.
Acts 4:31
31And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
King James Version.
Acts 9:17
17And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.
King James Version.
Romans 15:13
13Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
King James Version.
Romans 8:11
11But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
King James Version.
1 Peter 2:6-7
6Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
King James Version.
Mark 16:15-16
15And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
King James Version.
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