Please note: A conversation about the Spirit-filled life using the Satisfied booklet is not a fast conversation. It’s more of a whole discipleship or follow-up appointment, rather than a 10-minute presentation.
The following is how I generally present the Satisfied booklet.
Begin the conversation like this: “Tell me about a time when you felt like things were really going well in your walk with God. What was that time like? What contributed to it going so well?” (Most people will talk about an experience that involved fellowship and community, Bible study, and being a part of a group that spurred them on.)
Then ask, “Tell me about a time when things were not going well in your relationship with God. What was that like? What made it not go so well?” (Here most people talk about a time when they indulged their sinful nature; drinking, sexual involvement...just saying “yes” to the flesh. You’ll also hear about a lack of Christian community.)
Next, say something like “Of course, God wants you to enjoy your relationship with Him, doesn’t He? He wants you to consistently walk with Him. The question is, How? How do we do that on a daily basis no matter what the circumstances? That’s what this booklet tries to explain...How the Holy Spirit enables us to live a life pleasing to God.”
Sometimes I also point out that the bottom line in their stories is dependence. Odds are, in the first scenario, they were depending on God in significant ways, and in the second they were depending on themselves.
You could also use the words on page 2 and ask them what words would they use to describe their life in scenario #1 as well as in scenario #2. The idea being that God wants us to experience a Christian life characterized by words like Growing, Forgiven, Intimate, Fulfilled, Joyful, Exciting, Dynamic and Vital.
Read the first paragraph on page 3. After you read it ask, “What do you think Jesus was talking about here in this passage?” (Hint: This is one of a couple times when you will ask a question that is answered in the next paragraph. Shhh. That will be our little secret.)
After they give an answer say, “The next two paragraphs actually answer that question.” Then ask them to read them out loud.
Before moving on to page 4 ask, “What has been your exposure to the person and work of the Holy Spirit in the past?” This helps you to know what they understand about Him. Listen for clues. You will likely hear things like: “It’s the Holy Ghost.” “He’s like a power.” And “I’ve heard that he makes people speak in tongues.”
As you transition to page 4, read the words on the bottom of the page 4.
Note: As you begin to get into the 5 points of the booklet, it might be helpful for you to know that the Satisfied booklet is laid out the same way as the knowing God Personally booklet. Point 1 has to do with God and His provision, point 2 is about our problem, point 3 is about God’s solution and points 4,5 are about our response. Nifty, huh? It’s almost as though someone planned it that way. Let’s move on...
The next 2 pages are a little survey on the doctrine of the person and work of the Holy Spirit.
After reading John 14:16-17, ask, “According to this verse, how long will the Spirit be with you?” (Answer: forever)
After reading 1 Corinthians 2:12, ask, “What are some of the things that you now understand that God has freely given you? In other words what are some of those things that you had no clue about as a non-believer, but now you are obvious as a believer?” (You are beginning to help them see the role of the Spirit, as well as helping them see that the Spirit does live in them as they experienced this change in understanding when they received Christ.)
This is another one of those points where the booklet answers your question. Read the next part where it talks about what the Holy Spirit enables us to experience.
As you transition to page 5, say something like “A remarkable transformation happened the moment you trusted Christ and the Spirit came to live inside you. Let’s see the contrast.” Then, have them read the next three verses on page 5.
After they read the passages, ask, “How is the contrast described?” (Answer: It is a contrast of understanding. In the first you see words like “foolish” and “cannot understand.” In the second you see “mind of Christ” and “think about things that please the Spirit.” What a remarkable change!)
At this point, emphasize the big word Faith in the diagram. The point is that this happened the moment we put our faith in Christ. Because of that one-time faith decision, the Holy Spirit came to live inside us.
Transition to the next page by reading the words at the bottom of page 5.
Read the heading.
Before you read the paragraph that starts with “People who trust...” say something like this: “Failing to depend on the Spirit can take on two different forms. This sentence describes those.” Then, read the sentence.
Here, you want to point out that failing to depend on the Spirit can either look like trying to live the Christian life on your own power, or it can look like simply following your flesh and living just like a non- believer.
Then say, “The next two verses talk about these problems.”
Read Galatians 3:3.
Ask, “What does Paul mean by ‘beginning with the Spirit?’ What do we begin with the Spirit?” (Hopefully they will say our new birth, our initial salvation.)
Then ask, “What does Paul mean by ‘your goal’? What do you think the goal is?” (Hopefully they say something like “Growth” or “Sanctification” and not heaven. Paul is not talking about heaven in the passage.)
Then you can say something like this: “So, basically Paul is saying: ‘What makes you think that Salvation is God’s deal but growth and sanctification is yours?’ He calls that way of thinking ‘foolish.’” I want them to begin to see that growth is as much about God’s work in us as our salvation is. Both are by grace through faith.
Next, read Galatians 5:17 which talks about the problem of simply living to please yourself rather than God.
After that, I usually ask, “Which of these tends to be your default? Trying to life the Christian life in your own effort or simply living to please yourself ?”
Say, “Now we add a third circle to our diagram -- the self-centered Christian. The next verse is addressed to a church that was living a self-centered life.” Ask them to read 1 Cor. 3:1-3.
After they read the verse, ask a couple questions:
“What evidence does Paul give in this verse that they are self-centered?” (Answer: jealousy and quarreling. They are immature.) “What evidence is there in the passage that they are still in the family? That they are still believers?” (Answer: Paul calls them ‘Brothers,’ he says they are ‘in Christ,’ and he does not call them to receive Christ at all.)
You want to help them see that this is not desirable, even though they still have salvation. You could also ask, “Which of these three people can know for sure that when they die they will go to heaven?” (Answer: Circle #2 and #3 where Christ is still in the life. You cannot “lose” your salvation.)
Then ask, “What do you think the big question mark represents in the diagram?” (The answer is “Unbelief,” which is the opposite of Faith. Or, you could also say it is “Failing to depend on the Spirit moment by moment.”)
Transition to the next page by reading the phrase on the bottom of page 7.
Read page 8, emphasizing the fact that walking in the Spirit is a lifestyle. Coming to know Jesus and having the Spirit live in you was about a one-time faith decision, while continuing to walk with the Spirit is a moment-by-moment thing. You could also emphasize that the Spirit has abundant resources. Yours are limited.
Read the two verses on page 8.
Transition to the diagrams on page 9 by asking, “So, what does that look like to depend on the Spirit moment by moment?” Explain that, when you came to Christ, it was a one-time decision to depend on Jesus for salvation, but now it’s about a lifestyle of depending on the Spirit for His resources for growth and ministry. You came to Christ by faith, you are controlled by the Spirit by faith. (Note the word “Faith” in the diagram.)
Read: “Faith (trust in God and His promises) is the only way a Christian can live by the Spirit.”
Then, read through and explain the concept of Spiritual Breathing. You might want to explain that this is not in the Bible, but many have found it a helpful way to practice keeping short accounts with God when it comes to our sin. Remind them that sin does not make you un-filled with the Spirit, but not dealing with it does.
Transition to page 10 by saying, “When you ‘inhale’ you are relying on the Spirit to fill you with His presence and power by faith. Let’s take a closer look at what that means.”
Read the heading and the short paragraph. Emphasize that being filled simply means to be directed and empowered by the Spirit. This might be a good place to make the distinction between “indwelling” and “filling.” As Charles Stanley said, “It’s not that you get more of the Spirit, but the Spirit gets more of you.”
Read Ephesians 3:16-17.
Ask, “Where does the power come from?” (Answer: Inside you, from the Spirit. You want to help them see that this is about what God does In them and Through them. It’s not about trying to get power in them from the outside. They have God’s resurrection power in them in the Person of the Holy Spirit!)
Go over the three questions.
Then say, “If the answer to the questions is Yes, then (like it says in the booklet) ‘by faith, claim the fullness of the Spirit according to His command and promise.’”
The point is that you are not only filled by faith: it is by faith that you know you are filled. You don’t need to beg and plead for it just like you did not need to beg and plead for Christ to come into your life initially. It was by faith and it still is by faith. So, if you answer yes to these questions, I say ASSUME you ARE filled with the Spirit! Trust that you are by faith.
You can also express that desire to God through prayer, and that’s what page 12 is all about.
Turn to page 12 and read through it.
Ask the questions at the bottom of the page. Invite them to pray that if they are wanting to.
Assure them that we should not seek certain experiences to know if we are filled. Page 13 talks about how to know. Go over that with them.
Read through page 13.
Read through page 14.
Emphasize on page 15 the idea of the Spirit enabling us to be Christ’s witnesses. (Personally, I wish that verse were on page 8, because I think it has more to do with the Intimate Journey of being a fruitful Christian, but no one asked my opinion.)
Congratulations! You did it!
Please know that this is really just the first step in understanding and applying the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Encourage the person you are leading to read over the booklet again on their own to keep letting the truths sink in, as well as reading more on the subject. A great next step for them would be to work through the devotional “Thirsty,” which is available through Cru Press.
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