1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,720 I want to say hello. It has been a month since I have been here on a Sabbath with 2 00:00:05,720 --> 00:00:11,800 you all. I have missed you and it's good to be back. I don't know how much you've 3 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:16,200 missed me and that's okay. Right now I get to say I've missed you. Right now I 4 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:20,280 get to express my happiness to be back here at the Ringgold Seventh-day 5 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:24,940 Adventist Church where we as a church family, that's what I have come to call 6 00:00:24,940 --> 00:00:29,360 us regularly because I mean it and I believe it, thank you, where we as a 7 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:34,280 church family can open up the Word of God where we can encourage and love one 8 00:00:34,280 --> 00:00:39,960 another and it's good to be a part of that after a month's hiatus. My month 9 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:45,720 hiatus has been because of a whirlwind of activity between camp meeting and 10 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:52,560 family vacation and then NAD pastor meetings and other things. It's kept me 11 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:59,280 away. In that month we have had several exciting things happen. Our church has 12 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,800 had a general conference session that was delayed for two years due to COVID 13 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:07,080 and now whatever happened at that has a three-year lifespan because they're 14 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:12,640 going to get back on their normal five-year schedule. In case y'all didn't 15 00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:17,000 know most of the officers at our general conference, the incumbents got voted back 16 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:21,920 in. There were a couple of new faces. You can find it online. I encourage you 17 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:29,120 to do that. Be aware of what our world church is doing because yes our greatest 18 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:34,320 amount of impact and yes our greatest amount of attention is paid here in the 19 00:01:34,320 --> 00:01:39,640 local area. It is good to know that we are part of a worldwide movement 20 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:45,160 spreading the gospel to every corner imaginable on this green earth. I'm glad 21 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:49,360 to know that I'm a part of something bigger than me that we contribute to, 22 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:54,200 that we support, that we pray for because there are men and women in countries all 23 00:01:54,200 --> 00:02:00,280 around the world that need our prayers, that are doing in their local corner 24 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:06,320 what we are doing here in Ringgold and I praise God for that. We are not just 25 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:13,360 isolated islands when it comes to his church. Additionally, we had just this 26 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:18,560 past week I went to the North American Division pastors meetings and so that's 27 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:23,200 very enjoyable. It's a way for us to get a little extra training. It's a way for 28 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:28,640 us to meet some of our fellow colleagues in ministry and it's good for 29 00:02:28,640 --> 00:02:32,920 us to kind of be revitalized a little bit. So I had a good time with it but it 30 00:02:32,920 --> 00:02:38,040 is I am glad to be back home. I had the benefit of having it be in Lexington, 31 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:42,160 Kentucky which is where we moved from so I didn't have the hassle of finding a 32 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:45,600 hotel. I could stay with my brother and so that's always good when you can stay 33 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:49,760 with family instead of just with a with a bunch of strangers in some some big 34 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:55,600 hotel that you don't actually care for. So I want to turn to today's topic at 35 00:02:55,600 --> 00:03:02,120 hand which if you'll notice by the sermon title is the Holy Spirit forever 36 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:10,560 promised forever present. Let us pray. Heavenly Father I want to thank you for 37 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:14,640 your love. I want to thank you for your grace. I want to thank you that without 38 00:03:14,640 --> 00:03:20,120 both of those things we could not even begin our journey towards you away from 39 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:25,120 sin and into your loving arms. So thank you for being the author of our faith. 40 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:30,320 And now as we look into your Word I pray that we find that you are also the 41 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:36,400 finisher at which you have promised is with us forever and ever all the way to 42 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:46,920 the end of the ages. This we pray in your name amen and amen. We are we are in the 43 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:56,520 midst of preparing for a spiritual gifts Sabbath as has already been noted. We 44 00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:05,920 have now had two sermons on the Holy Spirit. One focusing on Pentecost and one 45 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:11,040 last week. Last week I believe was on the Holy Spirit and Philip and his 46 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:17,280 daughters. We have been looking at the need for the presence of the Holy 47 00:04:17,280 --> 00:04:21,360 Spirit. We have been looking at the want for the presence of the Holy Spirit and 48 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:27,280 we have been looking at some of what we can expect or see and what is really in 49 00:04:27,280 --> 00:04:34,880 your life when the Holy Spirit is there. I really want to encourage you to be here 50 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:40,320 on July 9. EW Dempsey from the conference is going to be present. He's 51 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:43,960 going to be our guest speaker. It'll be two parts a sermon and an afternoon 52 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:53,080 seminar on the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Each one of you has a gift. You just may 53 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:58,840 not know it. You may have more than one. You may not know how to identify it. You 54 00:04:58,840 --> 00:05:07,040 may not know how it could be affirmed or put to good use. That's July 9. I'm going 55 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:12,640 to have something to hand out for you in preparation for that but before then I 56 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:20,960 want to talk about the presentness of the Holy Spirit. Why do we need to talk 57 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:27,560 about the fact that the Holy Spirit was promised and is present? As I've talked 58 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:33,240 to others, as I listen, as I have these conversations not only with Adventists 59 00:05:33,240 --> 00:05:40,240 but also with other denominations in our Christian fellowship, I have 60 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:45,320 come to realize that amongst several opinions about the Holy Spirit, two kind 61 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:52,080 of come forward. One is that the gifting of the Holy Spirit, the empowering of 62 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:57,960 the Holy Spirit in his fullest sense, was realized in the apostolic era right 63 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:03,440 after Christ's ascension at Pentecost for the establishment of the Christian 64 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:08,880 Church and once the Christian Church was established and spread like wildfire, 65 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:15,760 then some aspects of the Holy Spirit were no longer needed. It seems that 66 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:19,640 those aspects of the Holy Spirit that are no longer needed tend to fall on the 67 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:27,440 more miraculous ends of it. Healings, prophecies, tongues, etc. That the 68 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:32,200 administrative aspects of the Holy Spirit are still present. So in other 69 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:40,160 words, probably well-intended Christians have said the workings of the Holy 70 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:45,840 Spirit in its fullest capacity was then but I've determined that some of 71 00:06:45,840 --> 00:06:50,320 it is not present today and to claim otherwise means that you're claiming 72 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:54,960 something not with the Holy Spirit. I think we should hesitate on that as we 73 00:06:54,960 --> 00:07:06,840 are about to see. Two, what I find is that in Adventism in particular, there is this 74 00:07:06,840 --> 00:07:12,160 idea that God's grace and Christ's atonement and the gifting of the Holy 75 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:21,240 Spirit gets us to a point and then we must stand before God without a mediator, 76 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:30,600 without the Holy Spirit, on our own and we finish the work. There is an entire 77 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:34,480 theology built around, and that's in a nutshell, it's more complicated than that, 78 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:39,840 but there is an entire theology built around the fact that the last generation 79 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:45,040 on earth, those prepared for translation, will be struggling under their own 80 00:07:45,040 --> 00:07:51,040 mightiness and then they will welcome Christ in the clouds. I would propose 81 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:57,360 that that is also unbiblical and we should shy away from those kinds of 82 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:03,360 conclusions because Christ is the author and the finisher of our faith and that's 83 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:10,920 without limitation. I want to turn our attention to the Holy Spirit. I want 84 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:20,520 to turn our attention to our verse for today and I want to look at a couple of 85 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:27,000 aspects about the foreverness and why we still not only have but need the Holy 86 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:32,000 Spirit. If you still have your finger in the gospel of John and chapter 14, that 87 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:39,400 is where we begin and this is the thesis for today. John chapter 14, this is the 88 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:47,680 beginning of Jesus' final dictation, his goodbye sermon if you will. He knows that 89 00:08:47,680 --> 00:08:52,440 the cross is right before him. He's been standing in its shadow for some time now. 90 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:58,280 He knows that he is soon to go back to his father and the Apostles and the 91 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:04,880 work that he has laid the foundation for is now not that he's abandoning it but 92 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:10,240 now necessarily he's going there and there the men and the women are now to 93 00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:16,200 take care of it. And they might have faced that with some trepidation which 94 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:22,300 is why Jesus begins in 14 verse 1, let not your hearts be troubled, you believe 95 00:09:22,300 --> 00:09:28,260 in God, believe also in me. I think that would be good for us to remember and 96 00:09:28,260 --> 00:09:34,800 to keep in mind when we look at all the things crashing down around us. As we 97 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:40,240 understand it, the closer we come to Christ's return, the more challenging it 98 00:09:40,240 --> 00:09:47,880 will get, not the smoother. So let not your hearts be troubled. You believe in 99 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:54,240 God, believe also in Jesus Christ. And if you believe in God and then you also 100 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:58,440 believe in Jesus Christ and your hearts are not troubled and a peace he has 101 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:06,400 given you, then you also will accept what he says beginning in verse 15. If you 102 00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:14,840 love me, you will keep my commandments. This is a building upon in addition to 103 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:21,840 earlier in John where Jesus gives that new commandment, as I have loved you, so 104 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:26,800 love one another. That's the new framework. We have Christ as our example. 105 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:34,040 But now Christ is adding on to it. If you love me, out of you will be obedience. If 106 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:39,680 you love me, you will keep the word that I have commanded you. If you love me, you 107 00:10:39,680 --> 00:10:45,440 won't shy away from proclaiming my name. If you love me, you will tell of the 108 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:49,120 works that I have done and you will open up the Word of God and you will 109 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:54,840 share with others what I have shared with you and you will do it 110 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:59,400 faithfully. You will keep my commandments. You will keep my Word and you will keep 111 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:06,920 my charges. You will do that. Verse 16, and I will ask the Father and he will 112 00:11:06,920 --> 00:11:13,600 give you another helper to be with you forever. And then we in verse 17 find 113 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:19,760 out who that helper is. Even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive 114 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:25,440 because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him for he dwells with you 115 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:36,200 and will be in you or and is in you. We start with the fact that as Jesus leaves, 116 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:40,720 he is comforting his apostles and his disciples with the fact that he is not 117 00:11:40,720 --> 00:11:48,600 abandoning them but rather giving them another person like him. And we see that 118 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:56,280 in the word another. Another helper, another counselor, another comforter, 119 00:11:56,280 --> 00:12:01,720 another advocate. That word translated helper encompasses all four of those and 120 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:07,400 even a little bit more. When he says another those words, he is saying I'm 121 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:13,040 sending you another person like me because Jesus is also our helper, our 122 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:17,240 counselor, our comforter, and our advocate. You can find that throughout 123 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:21,980 Scripture. He is not sending another person who cannot relate to the 124 00:12:21,980 --> 00:12:29,400 Godhead. He is sending that third person of the Godhead. Another one like me to be 125 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:37,760 with you forever. And that's that nail in the theology of the 126 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:44,460 limitations on the Holy Spirit. Because forever can be for eternity but it can 127 00:12:44,460 --> 00:12:48,640 also be until all things are accomplished. Much like how Samuel was 128 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:54,160 dedicated to the service of God forever. Well when he died his service ended. When 129 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:59,320 we go to heaven, we might find ourselves in a different relationship with how 130 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:04,040 the Holy Spirit works in our lives. But we're not there yet. And so the Holy 131 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:11,800 Spirit is promised to us forever without end. Carrying us through. I can imagine 132 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:17,440 that as the final plagues are falling on earth and I can envision a time when 133 00:13:17,440 --> 00:13:23,780 persecution is at our doors and it's not just a little discomfort, it's legitimate 134 00:13:23,780 --> 00:13:30,160 persecution. When that is going on and the world is topsy-turvy and we can see 135 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:35,440 institutions crumbling and breaking and falling and we wonder how much longer oh 136 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:41,480 Lord, I'm gonna be grateful that the forever is literal with the presence of 137 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:48,320 the Holy Spirit. I'm gonna praise God that that comforter, that peace, that 138 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:53,000 advocate is with me in the midst of it and I'm not trying to stand on my own 139 00:13:53,000 --> 00:14:00,020 righteousness. I'm gonna praise God that when he promised forever that it is 140 00:14:00,020 --> 00:14:07,400 present forever. I'm gonna be grateful for that. When we continue we can see 141 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:15,640 that the Spirit of truth, that other helper, is promised to you and to me. 142 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:22,640 He is not promised to the world. In fact the world cannot receive him. The world 143 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:27,360 doesn't know him. The world cannot understand the workings of the Holy 144 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:34,040 Spirit and Jesus says it's because whom the world cannot receive because it 145 00:14:34,040 --> 00:14:38,600 neither sees him nor knows him. We'll see another verse in a moment for why 146 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:44,680 that is. You know him for he dwells with you and will be in you. You see as you 147 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:51,920 love Christ and as you follow Christ, as you submit your will to his will and to 148 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:56,640 his guidance and to his leading, you have come to know Jesus and you've come to 149 00:14:56,640 --> 00:15:02,480 receive him. As you receive Jesus you receive the Holy Spirit. That's the 150 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:10,880 source. That's where he comes from. That's the reality of it. The Spirit 151 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:20,520 of truth dwells with you and that is just another way of re-emphasizing abiding, 152 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:29,160 staying, living, filling, etc. It's a beautiful promise and this is a promise 153 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:34,000 that if you are taking the name Christian upon your lips, this is 154 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:40,540 for you. Now why does it say that it's not for the world? Because this is the 155 00:15:40,540 --> 00:15:45,200 role for you and for me. Why does it say it's not for the world? Well there is 156 00:15:45,200 --> 00:15:49,720 another working of the Holy Spirit if you maybe if you need to turn a page. 157 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:57,760 John chapter 16 we see that rather than as a helper, the Holy Spirit has a 158 00:15:57,760 --> 00:16:03,000 different role. Rather than as a comforter, the Holy Spirit has a 159 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:10,080 different purpose. Rather than perhaps even as an advocate, the Holy Spirit takes 160 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:20,400 on another charge. John chapter 16 beginning with verse 8 leading up to 161 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:25,000 that Jesus is simply saying I have to go and then the helper will come to you. If 162 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:29,720 I don't go the helper will not come to you, but if I go I will send him to you. 163 00:16:29,720 --> 00:16:33,600 There is some debate over whether or not Jesus and the Holy Spirit can be 164 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:38,160 present in the same place at the same time. I say yes. I think that's I think 165 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:45,440 that's certainly true. When Jesus died and then ascended that was the catalyst 166 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:50,960 for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It's not that they couldn't coexist in 167 00:16:50,960 --> 00:16:56,560 the same place, it's that when Jesus went home that was that catalyst, that 168 00:16:56,560 --> 00:17:03,240 jumping point to now fully fill all of his disciples with the Holy Spirit. But 169 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:07,360 what does the Holy Spirit do when he comes? When he comes the Spirit will 170 00:17:07,360 --> 00:17:12,960 convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. Note that 171 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:21,920 he's convicting whom? The world. That is in contrast a purposeful contrast to the 172 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:27,920 world cannot receive. John is drawing a distinction between the world and the 173 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:36,280 Christian. Between the non-believer of Christ and the believer of Christ. So when 174 00:17:36,280 --> 00:17:40,600 we read that he has come into the world and he's doing these things for the 175 00:17:40,600 --> 00:17:49,960 world, maybe that applies to you, maybe that applied to you, but this is the role 176 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:58,000 of the Holy Spirit in a different way. One, verse 9 concerning sin because they do 177 00:17:58,000 --> 00:18:05,800 not believe in me, Jesus says. You can't receive the Holy Spirit without 178 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:11,280 receiving Christ. If you are still wrapped up in sin then you are not 179 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:19,480 obedient to the will of God which means that you do not love God. If you don't 180 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:23,440 believe in Christ, if you don't, this is all building on something, if you 181 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:27,480 love me you will keep my commandments. Well if you are committing a sin, if you 182 00:18:27,480 --> 00:18:35,040 are living in sin then you have violated the commandments. But the Spirit's job is 183 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:43,600 to convict the world concerning sin. I believe that the foreverness of the Holy 184 00:18:43,600 --> 00:18:48,680 Spirit is because there is still a sin problem in this world and until that sin 185 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:55,080 problem is fully taken care of then the Spirit's got a job to do. I happen to 186 00:18:55,080 --> 00:19:03,760 think that we are at a point now when people have, they have become so 187 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:13,000 comfortable with sin, either in wholly accepting it or in finding a work around 188 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:20,080 so they can still have it and yet feel justified, that the Holy Spirit's job 189 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:27,800 needs to continue. People are no longer sensitive to the working of the Holy 190 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:34,160 Spirit because they want their sin and they don't fully accept Jesus. Because 191 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:38,800 yes Jesus does love you while you are yet his enemy, that's true, he died for 192 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:43,960 you while you were an enemy of God, that is true. He does not intend to leave you 193 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:50,920 as an enemy. He doesn't intend to leave you in sin. He might love you while you're 194 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:57,200 sinning but he does not want you to remain sinning. And so that convicting of 195 00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:04,360 sin is to turn you around into that loving relationship with Jesus. You need 196 00:20:04,360 --> 00:20:09,800 to know what's going wrong in your life and you need to turn from it. Let the 197 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:13,360 Holy Spirit work on you and when your heart is pricked about a certain 198 00:20:13,360 --> 00:20:19,800 something, don't scour Genesis to Revelation to figure out the half of a 199 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:27,160 verse that allows you an out. Be convicted and submit to the charge of the 200 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:34,640 Holy Spirit because concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father 201 00:20:34,640 --> 00:20:43,680 and you will see me no longer, the standard for righteousness is Christ not 202 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:51,400 you. You are convicted of sin because we actually have an example. The more you 203 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:55,240 read the Word of God, the more you come into a relationship with Jesus, the more 204 00:20:55,240 --> 00:21:01,160 you look to the cross and what it cost heaven to redeem you from sin, that's the 205 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:07,720 standard for righteousness. Don't look to your favorite preacher, don't look to the 206 00:21:07,720 --> 00:21:14,800 holiest elder, don't look to the greatest humanitarian or fill in the blank, they 207 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:21,520 are not your standards. Jesus Christ and His righteousness is that standard and 208 00:21:21,520 --> 00:21:27,120 that's the standard that the Holy Spirit is going to bring before you. Please 209 00:21:27,120 --> 00:21:33,320 allow Him to do so. Remember that this is the working in the world and if this is 210 00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:38,720 still going on in your life, praise God that He's not done with you yet and He's 211 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:44,680 bringing you from the world and into His saving grace. But Christ is the standard. 212 00:21:44,680 --> 00:21:50,640 See we don't have the benefit of the second person of the Godhead, the the 213 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:58,600 Son of God, the Logos made flesh walking among us for an example. We don't have 214 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:03,240 that benefit. What we have are the recordings of scripture and we have the 215 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:09,840 Holy Spirit's presence and so between those two we can clearly see the example 216 00:22:09,840 --> 00:22:16,160 in Christ. That's the righteousness standard that we are called to but the 217 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:22,560 Spirit is not done there because we needed to overcome sin. We have Christ's 218 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:29,200 righteousness to look at as our example because there is a judgment. Concerning 219 00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:37,720 judgment because the ruler of this world is judged. I like that distinction that 220 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:41,600 John writes in there because when even when we look at that lake of fire it was 221 00:22:41,600 --> 00:22:46,760 prepared for the devil and his angels. The people that find themselves outside 222 00:22:46,760 --> 00:22:52,160 of the walls of the New Jerusalem, the men and the women that find themselves 223 00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:57,440 in that lake of fire are not there because one God is arbitrary, that's not 224 00:22:57,440 --> 00:23:02,200 the case, and two they're not even there because they themselves are the ones 225 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:08,360 that it was prepared for. The people that find themselves outside of the holy 226 00:23:08,360 --> 00:23:11,560 city's walls are there because they have aligned themselves with the ruler of the 227 00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:20,400 world, with the Prince of Darkness. Now you and I do not come to worship because 228 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:26,440 we're looking for something self aggrandizing. You and I do not read the 229 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:33,480 Word of God just so we can be good humans in society. You and I read the 230 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:38,520 Word of God so we can be saved from sin and we can turn our back on the enemy of 231 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:44,920 souls. You and I read the Word of God and we are sensitive to the to the pricking 232 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:50,560 of the soul by the Holy Spirit because we are wrestling against principalities and 233 00:23:50,560 --> 00:23:55,160 powers. Because God wants us to choose light and we are warring against 234 00:23:55,160 --> 00:24:02,440 darkness and we forget that sometimes I think. You see if you find yourself in 235 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:11,960 this scenario where the Holy Spirit is driving a point home, I would encourage 236 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:15,680 you to fall on your knees and say Lord I don't want to be counted among the world 237 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:22,960 but rather among those who receive the Holy Spirit because I have received you. 238 00:24:22,960 --> 00:24:28,160 As what you will regularly find and consistently see as you read through 239 00:24:28,160 --> 00:24:32,440 what does the Holy Spirit do? Well the Holy Spirit's job doesn't even point to 240 00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:38,200 himself and it certainly doesn't point to you because as we see that the Holy 241 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:46,800 Spirit is the spirit of truth, when Jesus says I am the way the truth and the life 242 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:52,840 the Holy Spirit's job is to direct our minds to Jesus because he saves. The Holy 243 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:56,720 Spirit's job and this is this is going to get around to something, the Holy 244 00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:02,840 Spirit's job as our as our helper is not so we can go to him thinking that it's 245 00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:09,040 his job to serve us. That's an incorrect way of looking at helper. The Holy 246 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:13,180 Spirit is not that vending machine that you put your dollar in and say now give 247 00:25:13,180 --> 00:25:21,720 me a gift. That's not what the Holy Spirit's job is. The Holy Spirit's role 248 00:25:21,720 --> 00:25:27,560 its purpose in our life, its purpose in your life is to bring us out of the 249 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:39,840 world and towards Jesus Christ and that's a work forever. Forever. When we 250 00:25:39,840 --> 00:25:43,840 look at this word helper and that's why I added and shared with you those 251 00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:50,160 additional translations counselor and comforter and advocate and so on is 252 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:55,080 because if all we do is focus on the word helper at least in the English to 253 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:59,760 the American way of looking at English helper is is well you're here to serve 254 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:06,760 me are you not. We refer to quote-unquote the help. They're the servants right 255 00:26:06,760 --> 00:26:10,680 they're the they're the blue-collar they're the ones that maybe will leave 256 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:15,880 a tip for them if they've done it the way that I want them to do it. Just just 257 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:23,160 as a side note most servers and waiters at like restaurants they don't get paid 258 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:28,720 minimum wage. They actually rely on I was a server once at that time it was three 259 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:33,800 dollars and thirteen cents an hour that is not minimum wage. The tips make up the 260 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:40,120 difference but if we look at the Holy Spirit in that manner as if he were 261 00:26:40,120 --> 00:26:48,320 quote-unquote the help we have it wrong because you see that we do not earn the 262 00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:57,600 we do not the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit one is not given to us because 263 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:02,640 we've kept the commandments as if it were a quid pro quo kind of arrangement. 264 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:08,880 It's not you keep the commandments therefore God owes you the Holy Spirit. 265 00:27:08,880 --> 00:27:14,000 It's not even you keep the commandments and so then you can claim something from 266 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:20,800 God because we can claim nothing from God that's grace. You can't claim it. We 267 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:28,480 do not earn the Holy Spirit any more than we can earn salvation but in the 268 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:34,240 process of responding to the Son of God because we understand that obedience is 269 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:38,800 even in that same way. The obedience is in response to God's grace working in 270 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:44,600 our lives not to earn the grace. It's response in the process of 271 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:51,200 responding to the Son of God we discover that Jesus has already provided the 272 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:57,000 divine agent for us that are still living in this world. The Holy Spirit is 273 00:27:57,000 --> 00:28:02,600 already there in the process of responding to God's grace we discover 274 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:09,960 that divine agent is there ready for us ready to come beside us ready to gift us 275 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:14,920 and fill us and fruit us we have the fruits of the Spirit that we can look 276 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:20,240 forward to but that is a part of the process of responding to the grace of 277 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:29,280 God. It's not that's not just putting in putting in what we want and then 278 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:36,920 thinking we'll get it just get it back. And then when the Spirit of truth comes 279 00:28:36,920 --> 00:28:40,560 he will guide you into all truthful he will for he will not speak on his own 280 00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:43,640 authority but whatever he hears he will speak and he will declare to you the 281 00:28:43,640 --> 00:28:49,520 things that are to come. Jesus says that he the Spirit will glorify me for he 282 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:55,600 will take what is mine and declare it to you. The Holy Spirit is still necessary 283 00:28:55,600 --> 00:29:02,960 in God's church. The Holy Spirit was promised by Christ right before his 284 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:09,240 ascension with that word forever. We need the Holy Spirit. We need that 285 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:15,320 convicting of sin when we find ourselves out of line. We need the drawing into 286 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:23,720 Christ's righteousness and then we need to be saved from our sins. I want to 287 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:27,920 encourage you the next step is to look at the gifting of the Holy Spirit 288 00:29:27,920 --> 00:29:34,880 because if we again think that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are limited to an 289 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:42,320 era bygone days past then we have imposed a limit on Christ you don't 290 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:48,920 find in the Word of God. And then two there is a purpose to those gifts the 291 00:29:48,920 --> 00:29:54,080 building up of God's kingdom the spreading of the gospel. We participate 292 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:58,400 with the Holy Spirit through the various gifts in directing others to the cross 293 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:05,400 into Jesus Christ. That's beautiful. That is a wonderful engagement and I would 294 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:10,240 encourage you to come and learn more about the gifts of the Spirit what they 295 00:30:10,240 --> 00:30:15,520 are maybe they're in your life maybe some don't make the list in canon but 296 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:21,640 they are still a gift. For example singing. Singing is not listed as a gift 297 00:30:21,640 --> 00:30:26,440 of the Spirit in the Word of God but I know that there are people especially 298 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:34,040 gifted with song in order to lead others to Jesus Christ. I am not that and I'm 299 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:40,240 grateful for those that are. I believe that there is more to the gifts than 300 00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:44,520 what is recorded here but we start with what is recorded in the Word of God. 301 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:49,880 Don't limit what God wants to do in your life. Don't limit what God wants to do 302 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:55,800 around the world. Don't limit what God can do if we would only allow him 303 00:30:55,800 --> 00:31:05,080 because God has forever promised and God is forever present. Let us pray. Heavenly 304 00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:07,680 Father I want to thank you again for your word. I want to thank you for the 305 00:31:07,680 --> 00:31:12,720 assurances that we find written in it and I pray that we would never forget no 306 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:18,040 matter what we go through no matter what challenges we we have to overcome you 307 00:31:18,040 --> 00:31:22,960 have promised the presence of the Holy Spirit through it all. We are never 308 00:31:22,960 --> 00:31:28,080 abandoned. We are not alone. You have not made us orphans when you went back home 309 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:35,320 but rather you have sent another to be with us forever. We praise your name for 310 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:43,680 that and we thank you for we pray in Jesus name amen.