Lord we thank you that you are here with us Lord. I thank you that this day Lord those
years ago you poured yourself out by your Spirit to bless the world. Lord you poured
your Spirit out on that day of Pentecost. Lord I want to thank you by your Spirit you
are here and I thank you by your Spirit you are moving. I thank you that you're
still touching and still blessing and you're still saving lives today Lord
because you are good. You are good Lord Jesus. I thank you for Friday everything you did.
Lord I thank you for that testimony. Lord you are a healer. I thank you that you are a
healing, a merciful God. Lord we praise you here. We declare you Lord Jesus as King.
King of Kings and you are our Lord over every Lord. God we bless you here. Amen.
Amen. You may be seated I can see a few new faces so welcome. Welcome to you and
today is the day of Pentecost and I'm gonna speak about to begin with that day
but I want us to turn initially to Ephesians chapter 4. Lord as I minister
your Word Lord without your anointing Holy Spirit there is no power without
your unction or there is no healing there is no touching of the Spirit so
even now I ask that you would speak to me Spirit to Spirit and Lord you would
minister from heaven through the power of your Word to every life here. Lord we
want to leave today Lord with something Lord that you've imparted something
that you've transformed in us by the work of your Holy Spirit in Jesus name.
Pour out your grace. I'm gonna initially just read from verse 1 to 6 and
the testimony that Grace shared this morning we praise God for that
salvation testimony but we also praise God for that I believe that testimony of
grace it's really a declaration it's gonna lay a foundation for today so
reading from verse 1 and he starts this is Paul speaking he starts with the word
therefore and he's he's referring to previous it's almost like a prayer
leading up to that in chapter 3 he says for this reason I bow my knee to the
father of our Lord Jesus Christ and he goes on and he basically in a sense is
praying he's on his knees he's praying for spiritual growth that he comes here
and he says I therefore the prisoner of the Lord beseech you to walk worthy of
the calling with which you were called with all loneliness and gentleness with
long-suffering bearing with one another in love endeavoring to keep the unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace there is one body and one spirit just as you
were called in one hope of your calling one Lord one faith one baptism one God
and Father of all who is overall and through all and in you all and I'm gonna
speak on that a bit later but initially today is the day of Pentecost the day of
Pentecost was the day referred to in the book of Acts the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit in chapter 2 it was the birth of the church and it begun with the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit prior to that the the disciples had been living
with Jesus Jesus had been with them in the physical but he was only he could do
only so much in the physical he could do one thing at one time and he was
promising the promise of the Father which was the Holy Spirit the pouring
out of the Holy Spirit and he and he Jesus would often refer to this through
the scriptures and he would say when I go it's better for me that I go that I
go to heaven because then the Holy Spirit can be poured out then you know
you can be just as effective as I am all across the world and so there was these
remarks made through the scriptures that Jesus was gonna do that he was gonna
once he got to heaven that would be in a place where he's then glorified and then
the Holy Spirit would be released because he said it's better that I go
that we would receive the Holy Spirit and Jesus then died he was buried he
rose again and then he comes to the disciples and in John chapter 20 verse
22 it says that he breathed on them he said when he had said this Jesus said
peace to you as the Father sent me I also send you in verse 21 and when he
has said this he breathed on them and said to them receive the Holy Spirit if
you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven them if you retain the sins of
any they are retained so in that moment the disciples were born again they
received the Holy Spirit Jesus breathed on them his Holy Spirit they were born
again but they hadn't been baptized in the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit
hadn't been poured out so Jesus has done this they've received they've been born
again and then he says wait there's more there's more to come he said wait in
Jerusalem which they do and in Acts chapter 2 we see the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit where they were all waiting in the upper room and the result of them
waiting as Jesus told them to and commanded to was the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit they were all in one accord and the Holy Spirit came out was poured
out over all of them that was a promise and they all began to speak in other
languages with tongues and the result was power see they were born again they
had new life but they didn't have power so the pouring out of the Holy Spirit
the baptism of the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts was for power it was for
empowerment it was empowerment to witness it was power to reign victoriously over
sin because this is God's power and there was power in prayer and that's not
exhaustive but they're the main reasons that we are empowered by the Holy
Spirit and so that was absolutely necessary for the disciples then as it
is for us today to be filled or baptized same language with the Holy
Spirit it comes as a second something after you're born again just as it
happened to the disciples now some people receive that all at once some
people don't now the pouring out of the Holy Spirit was all about power but
there's another element that the Holy Spirit does and accomplishes in the body
today and that's unity it's without the Holy Spirit there is no unity and it's
so important for us to understand that yes the power of God by the pouring out
the Holy Spirit in us as important as that is we had a sake that just as
important is that is the unity that's something that the Holy Spirit does
because true unity true unity is when we're all filled with the Holy Spirit
we're all baptized in the Holy Spirit and we're all led by the Spirit that's
what true unity looks like because as a body we are one we are one and it's
because of the Holy Spirit and in 1 Corinthians 12 verse 12 it says for as
the body is one and has many members so this is Paul saying you and I have one
we've got a body but it's got many members toes ears legs many members but
all the members of that one body being many are one so they make up one body
so also is Christ for by one spirit in verse 13 we were all baptized into one
body where the Jews or Greeks where the slaves are free and have all been made
to drink into one spirit so as a human body you and I have many parts that many
parts make up the whole body and so Paul's saying you and I as individuals
we also make up the body of Christ and we are all baptized in the Holy Spirit
that brings a oneness it's the baptism of the Holy Spirit that joins us and makes
us one brings us together by that one spirit it's almost like an umbilical
cord that connects us all together it's the same life source where we are all
together as one and it's not uniformity uniformity is something like in an army
you know they have marches and they're all in perfect line and they do all the
same actions but you know that's that's uniformity is where their hearts are
all thinking different things so for us to be led by the Spirit in as one is
we're all doing and we're all being led to do and think and move in the same
manner that's because we're being led by the Holy Spirit and the the Holy Spirit
creates unity so he he is the basis of unity in the church and if we're not if
we're not filled with the Holy Spirit then we can't be led by the Holy Spirit
he can't unite us so unity starts within us and it works outward again that's a
work of the Holy Spirit in us it works inwards begins inward rather then it
works outwards now why is that important Psalm 133 this is the Psalm of David he
says in verse 1 behold how good and how pleasant so be even before I begin he
says behold so in other words take notice he says how good and how pleasant it is
for brethren to dwell together in unity in in other words harmony he says it is
like the precious oil upon the head running down on the beard the beard of
Aaron running down on the edge of his garments it is like the dew of herman
descending upon the mountains of Zion for there the Lord commanded the blessing
life forevermore so that's what unity is according to David he said it's as
precious as the anointing oil the anointing oil they used in the Old
Testament that was expensive but anointing always also is symbolic for
the Holy Spirit and that's how precious unity is that's why it's so important
that we remain united as one I'm going to speak a little bit more how that
happens a bit later but not only is it precious as the anointing oil says it's
as refreshing it said it's like the dew of herman which it's in other words just
as refreshing and just as pleasant unity is as the dew on Mount
Herman the blessing there is life forevermore
that's for life forever and you know if we can't get along now
together you know we're gonna we've got to spend eternity together
in Acts 2 1 when the pouring out of the Holy Spirit took place it said
when the day of Pentecost had fully come they were all with one accord
in one place so I want to ask you we we are all in one place but I want to
ask are we in one accord are we all in unity are we all
one of the same are we all in the same mind
because there's a number of things that are going to destroy unity and it's
and unity like I said in Psalm 133 how precious unity is how precious it is to
the Holy Spirit because when there is disunity the Holy Spirit there's there
is a cut and so we so need the Holy Spirit in the
church we are a Pentecostal church which means we value
and we seek for the presence of God the manifest presence of God
yes God is omnipresent yes he's everywhere but there's a manifest
presence where God dwells with these people it comes down
that's when things happen that's where life happens
where the Spirit of God is poured out and like I said there are a number of
things that destroy unity that's that's unity in the body corporately
because remember we're one but also destroys unity in relationships
one-to-one
and the first one
and this is something that really disrupts unity it's lying
you may be surprised at that you might have thought I was going to say
something else but in the the book of Acts in chapter 5
see lying lying really grieves the Holy Spirit
it grieves him it makes him sorrowful
the Holy Spirit is a person
it grieves grieves the Holy Spirit but also disrupts unity because it destroys
trust between one another and in Acts chapter 5 this was
just after the Spirit's been poured out and God is
beginning to save thousands and the church is growing
rapidly and people are selling things to give to
the apostles to use as resources to to spread the message of Jesus Christ to
spread the gospel and there's a couple that come
they're a married couple their names are Ananias and Sapphira
and they sold a possession it goes on to say it's a block of land and
they come and they they give the proceeds to Peter
and Peter said Ananias
after this money has been given to Peter he says Ananias why has Satan
filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price
of the land for yourself well it remained was it not your own after it
was sold was it not in your own control why have
you conceived this thing in your heart you have not lied to men but to God so
lying not only grieve the Spirit it's not only
against man but it's also against God this man Ananias
he was struck down he was he was killed on the spot in verse 5 of chapter 5 of
Acts it says then Ananias hearing these words fell down and breathed his
last so the result of him lying was him
struck down now that doesn't mean God's going to
strike down every liar but this is what you call an
exemplary judgment this is God showing us the seriousness of this of
lying the seriousness of it it's it's a judgment
and people say well they weren't really Christians
but they this was just they weren't Christians but they were Christians
because you can't lie to God you can't lie to the Holy Spirit unless you're
His unless you've been born again and saved so
they were Christians and it's it was so serious that not only
did he die Ananias but his wife later came in and
she said Peter asked her have you sold it for so much and
and she said yes and Peter said to her how is it that you've agreed to test
together to test the Spirit of the Lord and again she
died so it's very very serious the words that we speak that we're
actually truthful we all know what lying is
I don't have to explain that but what are we to do
what are we to do in that instance see Ephesians 4
verse 25 it says therefore putting away lying let each
of you speak truth with his neighbour for we are members of one another
and he says in verse 29 let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth but what
is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the hearers
and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you are sealed
for the day of redemption so like I said to lie this is in the
context of the way we use our words and it
begins with lying and it grieves the Holy Spirit it brings sorrow and distress
because he's a person that the Holy Spirit doesn't depart but
he withdraws you may feel like there's a sense
that you've just lost something but it's the
Holy Spirit that's been grieved because he is a person and he says
put away lying for we are members of one another
so if you're someone who is a liar you tell lies that's a liar if you if
that is you maybe it's in the workplace maybe it's in
it just in your family maybe it's on your taxes
you're actually not only affecting the Spirit but you're actually affecting us
because we are one body but Paul's saying put away put it away
by the power of the Holy Spirit ask him to cleanse you
that's why we have the Holy Spirit is to is to make us holy from the inside out
put it away speak truth with your neighbour
so to put that away speak truth with our neighbour
so lying is the first thing that is going to grieve the Spirit that's the
first thing that's going to affect unity in the church it's going to affect
us one to another but it's going to affect the unity in the church because
it's going to grieve the Holy Spirit it's going to
grieve the presence of God there's going to be a
cut there and how we so need the presence of God in the church like I
said we're a Pentecostal church that's what we
that's what we want we want the manifest presence because without that
we're just doing church and we're just doing religion
and so it's very serious the words that we use but they are in truth
but the second one the second thing that destroys
unity it's offence being offended
that means being hurt and I want to tell you church that
being offended with someone it's it's absolutely deadly
it's absolutely deadly it will destroy a church
and absolutely destroys relationships now that can be on offended against a
person it can be on behalf of another
particularly if you're a married couple you can be offended on behalf of the
other one you know the one once the wife's received
injustice and the husband now is offended as well
because of that action so you can be offended on behalf of someone
else you can also be offended on behalf of God
maybe God hasn't given you something or he hasn't answered a prayer the thing
the way that you thought he would or maybe you're waiting for something and
God hasn't come through and you're beginning to get frustrated
in impatient and you begin to just have a little bit of something
before God where you're starting to get a little bit offended
like you've been unnoticed
yeah
it can also be where for instance you can take offense when someone
says something to you and you could take offense to that there's a there's a pain
or or not say something as the case may be it can easily just be as offended
just as easily or someone does something to you or not
does something that you thought they should have done that can easily bring
an offense just as much as not doing something
but this is so seriously like I said it's deadly it destroys the
church destroys relationships but also defiles
it brings it brings a defilement in and we want to so keep
unity in the church because we are one we want to keep
the presence of God we want to be pleasing to God because we are one we
are a living organism as one we're not yes we're
individuals but we make up the whole as a body
in Hebrews 12 it says in verse 14 pursue peace with all people
and holiness without which no one will see the Lord
looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God
lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble
and many and by this many become defiled see offense can turn into a
root of bitterness and this is this is a message that
needs to be addressed regularly because it's very easy for us if we're
not walking in love to be easily offended just by not
simply someone saying hello the way you thought they should have
some of you
and I know I'm speaking to a few this this wouldn't I know I'm not speaking
to anybody here I'm speaking to at least some of you
because this is something that comes up regularly
where you know as one preacher once said you're holding IOUs maybe you're a
husband and you're holding some IOUs for
respect and honor from your wife that she hasn't given you
you're holding them there then there's an offense or the wife
she's got some IOUs towards a husband because he hasn't given her the love and
the respect that she is due or the
kids the children the grandparents don't pay any
attention or they don't really care about
your children and so there's an offense come in because you think
that you know they ought to have more of your time they should be more
interested offense comes in there's IOUs of where
you know love IOU love IOU respect IOU time all these IOUs these are like
offenses that we hold and they're really dangerous if we
don't get rid of them because what happens is there is on
that it affects relationships in the Holy Spirit
but offense leads to bitterness it leads to hatred if it's not corrected
and this robs absolutely destroys relationships and the church and I
want to tell you when you hold offense you're holding
unforgiveness and I want to tell you there's two
judgments that God brings down on unforgiveness and they're found in
Matthew 18
in Matthew 18 there's a parable that Jesus speaks about and He speaks to
Peter about it because Peter comes in Matthew 18 verse
21 and says to him that's Jesus Lord how often shall my brother sin
against me and I forgive him up to seven times Jesus said to him I do
not say to you up to seven times but up to 70 times seven so ongoing
forgiveness and then he goes on and he tells
Jesus tells a parable about this master and the master represents God and how
the servant owed the master money and he begged him and the master
released him for the debt that he owed then the
servant went to his servant
and grabbed him and throttled him and said
give me the money you owe me or else and and he didn't so while
whilst the master released the servant of the debt he owed
which was vast that's the picture of us that have been
forgiven much the servant then held that man accountable for the
very little debt which is like holding a defense he held
that little debt after he'd been forgiven so much
he held it against his servant and the first judgment you see it in
verse 34 I'll read it out actually says the kingdom of heaven is like a certain
king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants
and when he had begun to settle accounts one was brought to him who owed him 10,000
talents so that's a lot but as he was not able to pay it his
master commanded that he be sold with his wife and children and all that he
had and that payment be made the servant
therefore fell down before him saying master have patience with me and I will
pay you all then the master of that servant was moved
with compassion released him which is forgiveness and
forgave him the debt but that servant went out and found one of
his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii which is nothing
and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat saying pay me what you owe
so his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him saying have patience
with me and I will pay you all and he would not but went and threw him
into prison till he should pay the debt so when his
fellow servants saw what had been done they were very grieved and came and told
their master all that had been done then his master
after he had called him said to him you wicked servant I forgave you all that
debt that's like God forgiving us the debt of sin
because you begged me should you not also have compassion on your fellow
servant just I had pity on you and his master was angry and delivered
him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him
so my heavenly father also will do to you
if you each of you from his heart does not forgive his brother his trespass
trespasser so that's a very sobering warning for us the first
judgment of unforgiveness is in verse 34 he says
I was he was angry the master that represents God who was angry
the second judgment he was delivered to the tormentors
who's the tormentors they're the demons so the unforgiveness opened a door
that was God's judgment for the tormentors for the demons
to come in so it's absolutely deadly and when we don't forgive those who have
offended us
we don't receive forgiveness ourselves
you know we we all know the Lord's prayer
it's all about praying supplication onto God Lord do this do this
but the but it finishes with this in verse 14 of chapter 6 of Matthew he
says you know this is the one request that
Jesus picks out for us he says you know after the Lord's prayer
he says for if you forgive men their trespasses your heavenly father
will also forgive you but if you do not forgive men their
trespasses neither will your father forgive your trespasses
just let that sink in for if you forgive men their trespasses your
heavenly father will also forgive you but if you do not forgive men their
trespasses neither will your father forgive your
trespasses
so what's our response you know where someone has offended us
where we've been offended what are we to do in light of that in light of what
the parable of Jesus told Peter in light of what Matthew what Jesus says
after the Lord's prayer what's our response to be
it's forgive that's pretty straightforward isn't it forgive
see the master released him and forgave him his death
and forgave him his debt that talks about forgiveness
you might say well you don't know what i've received from this person you
don't know the way they've treated me you've got no idea what they've done to
me
forgiveness is not about the other person it's not condoning it's not
accepting it it's releasing them for you it's for
your benefit and it's not an emotion it's an act of your will those I
are used that you're holding so tightly onto
they're only affecting you they're not affecting the other person
who you're holding unforgiveness towards because of offense
they've got to be ripped up and you've got to release them
you release them you release yourself and you come back under God's blessing
you're not doing it for your sake for their sake you're doing it for your sake
see the Bible says love keeps no records
no records not 10 years ago they did this and five years ago
I remember this day and they did this just it's not worth it
it's not it's it is completely not worth it
after what Jesus has done for us the debt that we owed that we could mind you
never pay
has dealt with and we are holding someone else's debt against them
that's that's not okay God says if you don't forgive I don't
forgive you so I want to ask are you holding is there
someone you're holding you know when you you know if you are
because you come into church maybe or someone outside the church and you
see the person and the little wall goes and you sort of this way
this way and then that person got a fence or you sort of
there's something in your gut that just turns does a little turn
a little side you know you've got something against them you need to get
it right you need to make that right you know when you're free because you see
that person sweet you see them see them with love
how do we walk into place where we are quick to forgive
Ephesians 4
I read it at the beginning it talks about unity but our first
response if we are in a place where you may be tempted to be offended but our
first response always has to be mercy you're not perfect yourself I'm not
perfect so our first response is is to be mercy you've got to make
allowance for people's faults verse 2 it says with all loneliness and gentleness
with longsuffering it says bearing with one another in love
so putting up with one another make allowance for people's
you know issues and their faults they're not perfect you're not perfect
it says endeavor in verse 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the
spirit in the bond of peace in other words the
the endeavoring make every effort make every effort to keep the unity of a
spirit in the bond of peace that's why it's so important that we show mercy
first response when you're about to be offended is mercy no lord
I'm gonna love them Paul speaks here about love he speaks about
he speaks about bearing with one another in love
knowing that you know you're not perfect they're not perfect
endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit
in the bond of peace now that bond of peace it's like a glue
it bonds us why is that important why is that important to know because
in Romans 12 18 it says if it is possible as much
as depends on you live peaceably with all men
so if there's something that you know you have between someone there's two
parties involved and there's animosity there's division
as far as it is possible you are to go to that person and reconcile
you as far as possible you are to make peace with that person
now if they say I don't want anything to do with you or
you know go away you've done all you can do you've done your part as far as
possible you've gone to that person to try and reconcile and make peace
so you are you can walk before God with a clear conscience that person
the other person however that's that's not on you
because you've done what Paul commands in Romans
12 18 as far as possible as much as depends on you
live peaceably with all men
now in in Philippians this is something this is something that Paul actually
prays for those in Philippi the Christians he says in chapter one of
Philippians he says in verse 9 this I pray that your love
may abound see see love is going to guard us as well
walking in peace showing mercy these things are going to keep us
in love these are the things that are going to keep us unified
but also this love that the love may abound still more and more
in knowledge and all discernment that you may approve the things that are
excellent so it's not a blind love that you may
approve the things that are excellent that you may be sincere and without
offense till the day of Christ do you think
if Paul prayed that for the Christians that
we also also take heed to what he's saying
that your love may abound still more and more in
knowledge and all discernment that you may approve the things that are
excellent that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ
being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are
by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise to God so our love
we ought to pray Lord give me more love for people Lord
remove anything that hinders my love for another
because love is the greatest remaining in love is
going to be a guard for us we want to pray that it abounds like Paul
he said I pray that your love abounds more and more so we grow
see that love is a fruit of the Spirit that you ask for more love
God will give you more love you start giving more that love will be produced
in you by the power of the Holy Spirit that's why
we have the empowerment of the Holy Spirit that was the day of Pentecost the
outpouring there's an empowerment there to do what
man can't do it's only the Holy Spirit can do it
in us that's what the whole point of Pentecost was is for empowerment to do
to make us holy to be all that Christ wants us
to be and he says be without offense I've already spoken about that be
without offense to the day of Christ so these there's going to be things that
come up from this day until the Lord returns
where if we're not walking in love
where we're not pursuing mercy when we where we don't have that
ongoing commitment to forgive where we will be offended and I shared
with you where you stand before God with unforgiveness so just
take a moment just to think about your heart
ask the Holy Spirit this is serious show me
show me where I have unforgiveness where I've offence towards someone
because this is so vital for us today
I want to just take a moment I'm going to ask the worship team to come up but I
just want to take a moment because
this message we want to know the power of God but
it's through that power that we can remain unified
but we've got to allow the work of the Spirit we've got to remain
in love
it's all by the power of the Holy Spirit Lord I
I lift up every heart
and right now Lord as we wait on you I'm just asking right now
Holy Spirit
you would show us
show us where we have carried that offense
where we are holding unforgiveness towards someone it might be someone
that's even already passed away but we are still holding that maybe we've
moved into that place of resentment bitterness even hatred
Lord it's only by your Spirit that you can reveal that to us
and it's only by your Spirit that you give us the grace to let it go
I'm asking Holy Spirit right now you would move
over our hearts that you would show us
Lord all those things that people are suffering with
they may be treated unfairly and unjustly but Lord
before you we are forgiven so we all also must forgive
we're gonna um we're gonna begin to praise
but it's really important if you have something if God's shown you something
if the Holy Spirit's revealed something in
your heart you are holding someone in jail
figuratively you've got an offense and unforgiveness towards them
if you're holding that I'm going to invite you to just to come down the
altar as we praise as we worship and let
the power of the Holy Spirit work to release them to actually
confess that as sin before God just before God it's just you
and God no one needs to pray with you to release
that person all those persons even if they've passed away
it's your wife husband someone at work someone in the church
God you just come before God you just
confess it as sin ask for God's mercy ask for his
forgiveness and release them as I said before
Grace shared a testimony she held that what she was with suffering with
bitterness but God came and it was released
that's the power of God that's the power of the Holy Spirit so
if that is you come forward and just have a time and let God
do a work in you let him renew your heart let him break down those walls
because we so
need the Holy Spirit in this place and it's not only for him but it's for us
because we are one that we remain unified that we remain
completely in unity so Lord as well those that you Lord have put your
finger on I'm asking Lord that Lord it's by your
spirit that you can move and it's by your spirit Lord that you
can uproot all bitterness all fancy unforgiveness all the wrong
doings Lord Holy Spirit I'm asking right now that
you would do something you would move in your power
you would move in your love Lord give us as we go that
the ongoing commitment to forgiveness let mercy be our first response Lord and
may we walk continually in that love Lord it's all by
his spirit in Jesus name amen