1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:15,860 Welcome to Walk in the Truth podcast. How do we know where to find answers to the toughest 2 00:00:15,860 --> 00:00:21,060 questions in life? While the simplest answer is the Bible, where do we start this search 3 00:00:21,060 --> 00:00:27,300 and how do we discover this truth? Today, in this teaching podcast, John Meador, lead 4 00:00:27,300 --> 00:00:32,440 pastor of Cross City Church, takes a specific text of the Bible and helps us find truth 5 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:41,760 for the life we're searching for. So very glad that you're with us this morning. If 6 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:46,000 you have your Bibles, please take them and turn to the Gospel of John today. The Gospel 7 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:51,200 of John. I'm going to ask you the question, who is the Holy Spirit today as we dive into 8 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:56,240 our new series called the Holy Spirit? And I promise you it's going to be one of the 9 00:00:56,240 --> 00:01:01,320 greatest journeys that we can take as we walk through three chapters in the book of John 10 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:07,600 and learn all that Jesus said about the Holy Spirit. You know, we don't talk enough about 11 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:12,800 the Holy Spirit today and in part because we hear and have heard what others say about 12 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:18,840 the Holy Spirit and sometimes don't step back and say, well, what did Jesus say about the 13 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:24,160 Holy Spirit, about His work, about His presence, about what we are to expect, about how that 14 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:28,520 all works together in the heart of believers. And so that's the conversation we're going 15 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:34,200 to pick up today. Jesus talking to His disciples about His departure and about the sending 16 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:38,400 of the Holy Spirit. Let's stand together. We're going to read John chapter 14 beginning 17 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:43,560 in verse 10 and we're going to read through verse 20 just to get a good summary of what 18 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:50,520 He says here as He introduces the helper, another helper like Himself as He calls it. 19 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:55,400 And we're going to be talking about this over the next six weeks. So stay with us as we 20 00:01:55,400 --> 00:02:00,640 walk through three big chapters in the book of John. John chapter 14 beginning in verse 21 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:08,600 10. Now, John 14 is probably famous for the first six or seven verses where Jesus says, 22 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:12,400 it's important that I go away. He's going to go away. He's going to prepare a mansion 23 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:18,780 for the believers in heaven. And remember that we have a compelling question that Thomas 24 00:02:18,780 --> 00:02:23,280 asked and Thomas said, how do we know the way? How do we know where you're going? And 25 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:28,360 in verse six, Jesus says something that is so important that it really becomes the cornerstone 26 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:34,160 of the gospel of Jesus. It says this, it says through that question, He said, I am the way 27 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:39,360 and the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through me. I love that 28 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:43,760 passage. I love that verse. In fact, we love that verse so much we have it on the stone, 29 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:47,720 engraved on the stone at the front way of our entrance here at the commons area. We 30 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:52,640 want everyone to walk through the door to know that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth 31 00:02:52,640 --> 00:02:57,160 and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Him. So Jesus is laying down these 32 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:01,520 foundational truths for the disciples and they have questions. So He's going to answer 33 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:06,880 some of those questions and we'll start in verse 10 here. He said, do you not believe 34 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:12,040 that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not 35 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:17,000 speak on my own initiative, but the Father abiding in me does His works. Believe me that 36 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:22,920 I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 37 00:03:22,920 --> 00:03:30,320 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also 38 00:03:30,320 --> 00:03:36,760 and greater works than these he will do because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in my 39 00:03:36,760 --> 00:03:42,920 name that will I do so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything 40 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:48,520 in my name, I will do it. If you love me, you will keep my commandments. Now verse 16 41 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:55,040 is the focus verse or two that we're going to look at this morning. I will ask the Father 42 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:59,360 and he will give you another helper, that is, that he may be with you forever, that 43 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:04,440 is the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it does not see him or know 44 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:11,240 him but you know him because he abides with you and will be in you. I will not leave you 45 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:15,800 as orphans. I will come to you. After a little while the world will no longer see me but 46 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:21,200 you will see me because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am 47 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:29,400 in my Father and you in me and I in you. Man, I love this passage. We could be, we could 48 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:33,840 take all the time in the world to mine this. There's so much here today and we'll take 49 00:04:33,840 --> 00:04:38,560 a few moments and get the gist of it today for each of us. Father, in Jesus' name, speak 50 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:44,360 to us about the Holy Spirit today, helping us know exactly what Jesus is saying to his 51 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:49,400 disciples and therefore what he's saying to us and I ask you today to give us clarity 52 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:53,640 and I pray that you'll give us a sense of closeness to what you're doing in us and through 53 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:58,640 us. We ask this in Jesus' name and all God's people said amen. Please be seated if you 54 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:03,600 would. I want you to keep your Bibles open, keep your text open today as we walk through 55 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:08,280 this because so much of this is going to be just word for word and phrase for phrase. 56 00:05:08,280 --> 00:05:14,160 I did verse 16 and verse 17 and I want you to kind of get the scenario that's happening, 57 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:19,160 that's unfolding as Jesus speaks these incredible words. Now Jesus is preparing to go away. 58 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:23,280 He's already said that. We've talked about that for a moment and I want you to see the 59 00:05:23,280 --> 00:05:29,160 scene if you would of Jesus with his disciples there, speaking with James and John, with 60 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:34,240 Peter and all the disciples. It's possible that there were a few others around him in 61 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:38,520 that area but it's a small group of people of men and women who have been following Jesus 62 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:44,360 for the previous two and a half or three years. He's just weeks before Jesus is crucified. 63 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:49,360 He knows where he's going. They're just now learning that it's in some parity that he 64 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:54,400 goes away and he's explaining all this to them. Now he's already told them I go to prepare 65 00:05:54,400 --> 00:06:00,160 a place for you and then he says in verse 12 something that's got them all talking, 66 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:04,920 something that has them all asking questions. It's in verse 12. In verse 12 he says truly, 67 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:10,680 truly I say to you he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will do also in greater 68 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:15,440 works than these he will do because I go to the Father. Now you're standing there that 69 00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:21,320 day with Jesus as a disciple and you're remembering everything Jesus did and everything he said 70 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:25,640 and you're remembering okay Jesus raised the dead, raised Lazarus from the dead. Jesus 71 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:31,360 walked on water. Jesus made the blind to see, the deaf to hear. Jesus did amazing things, 72 00:06:31,360 --> 00:06:36,680 multiplied the bread and the fish and fed thousands and thousands of people. We're going 73 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:42,800 to do greater things than those because he goes to the Father. How does that work? And 74 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:46,520 the natural question comes with an explanation. It's not going to be greater in magnitude. 75 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:52,760 We're going to do something more than raise the dead but greater in scope. For three years 76 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:59,440 Jesus' public ministry was defined by where he was at that moment in time. He confined 77 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:05,680 himself, the infinite God, in the form of a man. And so where he was and where the crowds 78 00:07:05,680 --> 00:07:11,160 were, that's where miracles took place. He spoke eternal words but he did works that 79 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:16,360 were supernaturally in the moment. And with his departure he's leaving the church with 80 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:22,920 that mission to carry on the work that God gave Jesus through the church and we would 81 00:07:22,920 --> 00:07:28,520 be greater in scope as we go throughout the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. As 82 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:33,480 part of the impossible mindset that the disciples had when the great commission was given to 83 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:37,880 them, we're to go into all the world with this great news, with this gospel, we're to 84 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:42,480 go into all the world and do the works of Jesus. That's the greater that Jesus was talking 85 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:47,440 about in verse 12. Greater in scope, you'll go everywhere, you'll do all the things that 86 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:52,120 I've called you to do but I'm going to give you some power with which to do that and that 87 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:58,600 brings us to the subject of the Holy Spirit. If you read verse 12 and 13 and 14, then verse 88 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:04,240 15 and verse 16 and 17 and go with you as we move towards the introduction of the Holy 89 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:08,800 Spirit, you'll see that Jesus is saying to the disciples, do the same things you've been 90 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:15,480 doing when I've been with you except I'm going to give you a gift that allows you to do it 91 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:21,760 further. For example, as we read verse 13, he says, go ahead and ask, keep asking me 92 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:25,680 for the things that you've been asking me for. We know that today is prayer. So Jesus 93 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:29,840 is saying to the disciples, keep carrying on the conversation with me, ask and I'll 94 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:33,960 provide that for you. Ask in my name and I'll give it to you. He says, if you love me, keep 95 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:39,240 my commandments, keep obeying me, keep doing the things that I've told you to do. So keep 96 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:44,720 asking, keep obeying but for you to have the power to do all this, I'm going to give you 97 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:49,720 a gift. I'm going to ask the Father and he's going to give you this gift and this gift 98 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:55,560 is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Now I'm going to ask you to look with me on John chapter 99 00:08:55,560 --> 00:08:59,400 14, verse 16 and 17. We're going to put it on the screen and we're going to look at the 100 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:03,240 whole of these two verses together. I want to just walk through this just a bit at a 101 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:09,560 time before we explain each of them. Jesus said to the disciples, I will ask the Father 102 00:09:09,560 --> 00:09:15,480 and he will give you another helper. Focus in on that for just a few moments. We'll explain 103 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:19,360 more in a second but I want you to notice that Jesus is saying, I'm going to give you 104 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:24,600 a helper but not just any helper, I'm going to give you another helper and he's going 105 00:09:24,600 --> 00:09:29,560 to refer back to himself so that he may be with you forever. In other words, this one 106 00:09:29,560 --> 00:09:35,600 will never leave you. That is the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because 107 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:39,280 it does not see him or know him. In other words, I'm going to give you another helper 108 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:45,560 but he is spiritual in form. The world doesn't see him but then he goes on and says, but 109 00:09:45,560 --> 00:09:53,560 you know him because he abides with you, that's present tense, and will be in you, that's 110 00:09:53,560 --> 00:09:59,480 future tense. A profound statement that when we break it down, it makes complete sense 111 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:04,160 to the disciples at that moment, it will make complete sense to us as we walk through this 112 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:08,000 text. I'm going to clarify, I'm going to explain, I'm going to walk through it because 113 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:12,560 this is such an important thing as we bring clarity to what Jesus said. We're going to 114 00:10:12,560 --> 00:10:16,080 get to the end of all this and I'm going to give you some practical applications of what 115 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:20,840 the Holy Spirit actually does in your life right here, right now, whether you see it 116 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:28,120 or not, he's actively working in you. First of all, in these four things that Jesus highlights 117 00:10:28,120 --> 00:10:34,440 in these two verses, he says that the Holy Spirit is another like me. I will ask the 118 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:41,000 Father, the verse says, and he will give you another helper that he may be with you forever. 119 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:45,800 Now, these are probably two of my favorite verses in all the Bible. I've already said 120 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:50,280 that one of them is John 14, 6. I'm racking up all my favorite verses right now, aren't 121 00:10:50,280 --> 00:10:54,600 I? I'm already in the top 10 here. Someone said one time, I think your favorite verse 122 00:10:54,600 --> 00:10:59,600 is whatever verse you're preaching on that week and I guess that'd probably be true, 123 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:02,840 but these are the ones I'm preaching on this week, so these are my favorite ones this week. 124 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:09,800 So look at what he says, another helper. Now by that phrase, Jesus is indicating that the 125 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:16,800 Holy Spirit is not a helper of a different kind, but another of the same kind. When you 126 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:20,800 dig into the original languages, there's two different words for another. One is another 127 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:26,800 of a different kind, but this one here is used as another of the same kind. Jesus wants 128 00:11:26,800 --> 00:11:31,840 the disciples to know, I'm going to leave you with someone like myself. I'm going to 129 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:37,760 leave you with someone that is of another helper, but of the same kind. He's not referring 130 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:42,320 to the same kind of appearance because we find in the next phrase that he is the spirit 131 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:47,200 of truth. He doesn't have a physical body, but he has the same kind of heart, the same 132 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:55,040 kind of mission, the same kind of words, the same kind of focus, the same kind of character. 133 00:11:55,040 --> 00:12:01,480 I'm going to give you another helper of the same kind. It is someone just like me. If 134 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:05,800 I were to phrase Jesus' words in a casual conversational way, I would say it like this, 135 00:12:05,800 --> 00:12:11,740 the Holy Spirit is going to be to you what I am to you. The Holy Spirit is going to be 136 00:12:11,740 --> 00:12:18,320 to you what I am to you. For those of us hundreds of years later looking back at this text, 137 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:25,280 the Holy Spirit will be to you what Jesus is to you. He's another helper of the same 138 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:31,440 kind. He is going to be the presence in your life that you desperately want and desperately 139 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:38,540 need. I'm sure the greatest fear the disciples had was Jesus going away. I mean, everything 140 00:12:38,540 --> 00:12:42,600 great that happened around those disciples happened because of Jesus, right? All the 141 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:47,320 miracles happened because of Jesus. All the truth speaking happened because of Jesus. 142 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:52,520 I mean, these disciples were invigorated for living life because they were with the living 143 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:57,920 one, right? They couldn't imagine Jesus going away. They couldn't imagine living life without 144 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:03,000 Jesus. So he's reassuring them of that, but in the same way, you and I can't imagine living 145 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:07,760 life without Jesus. And thank God for the Holy Spirit. We don't have to live life without 146 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:15,240 Jesus. Here we have Jesus saying the Holy Spirit is going to be another one just like 147 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:23,040 me. What I am to you, he will be to you. Same mission, same agenda, same love relationship 148 00:13:23,040 --> 00:13:27,600 with us and with the Father. You know, in this day and time when people talk about the 149 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:31,960 Holy Spirit, sometimes they attribute to the Holy Spirit things that are nothing at all 150 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:36,700 like what Jesus would have said or done. And that's why it's so important for us to break 151 00:13:36,700 --> 00:13:42,280 down these verses to see, okay, this is another like Jesus. It is the Spirit of Jesus that 152 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:46,760 we're going to receive. These disciples are getting the message of. So first of all, he's 153 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:53,040 another like me. Secondly, he is the Spirit of truth. That's in the next phrase. That 154 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:59,800 is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it does not see him or know 155 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:05,640 him. So now we have more definition. Another helper like Jesus, but instead of physical 156 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:12,240 Jesus, this is spiritual being that is going to be with us. The world can't see him the 157 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:17,200 way they see Jesus with their eyes, but he's the helper of the same kind, but he's not 158 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:24,700 physical. He's spiritual. He is Spirit. Now, the third thing that we find in this verse 159 00:14:24,700 --> 00:14:30,760 in verse 17, he is with you now, Jesus says to the disciples. It's not someone you haven't 160 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:35,880 met before. He is with you now. And here's how Jesus says it. He says, but you know him 161 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:40,840 because he abides with you. That's present tense. And Jesus is basically connecting the 162 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:46,280 dots for them. The way someone would connect the dots for an immature or young person, 163 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:51,380 not being able to figure out exactly what he's saying. Jesus is saying, you, my disciples 164 00:14:51,380 --> 00:14:58,200 know him already because he's currently with you. Now if I'm James, John, Peter, and all 165 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:04,120 those that are standing around Jesus, I'm looking around me and I'm going, okay, who 166 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:10,960 is it that's going to be another like Jesus? And we basically, we're playing the game of 167 00:15:10,960 --> 00:15:16,080 which one of us is not like the other, right? I mean, you've got James and John who aspired 168 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:19,160 to greatness. He wanted to sit on the right hand, on the left hand of Jesus. You've got 169 00:15:19,160 --> 00:15:23,440 Peter who's always blurting with his mouth, saying the wrong things, doing the wrong things. 170 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:27,840 You've got Thomas who's always doubting. We've got all kinds of personalities and characters 171 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:31,120 and those disciples right then and there. And they're looking around and they're thinking, 172 00:15:31,120 --> 00:15:37,720 well, it can't be one of us. This another like himself, another helper like himself 173 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:43,480 who is Spirit informed, it won't be any of us. It's got to be Jesus who is with us right 174 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:50,200 now. He is with you now. It would be obvious to the disciples on that day he's referring 175 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:57,000 to himself. And then finally, that fourth phrase says, he will be with you forever. 176 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:03,080 You know him because he abides with you. That's present tense. And we'll be in you. That's 177 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:08,440 future tense. Now, the significance of this would be maybe illustrated if I were to bring 178 00:16:08,440 --> 00:16:14,080 one of you on the stage and stand you right here in front of me and to say that Jesus 179 00:16:14,080 --> 00:16:19,800 was saying to his disciples right now, I'm side by side with you, but in the future I 180 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:25,880 will be not side by side, but in you. For them to be able to somehow get that mental 181 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:32,160 picture side by side is one thing. Walking with Jesus was amazing for those disciples. 182 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:37,080 Walking with him was mind blowing. Everybody wanted to be around Jesus, but those 12 were 183 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:42,040 constantly around him and now fearful because he's saying, I'm going away. And Jesus says, 184 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:46,840 well, you know this other helper, he's the Spirit of truth because he has been with you, 185 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:51,960 but now in the future he's going to be in you, inside of you. I love the word in in 186 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:56,240 the Greek language is in and remaining in. He's going to be with you forever, it says 187 00:16:56,240 --> 00:17:01,280 in another part of that passage. In other words, to the disciples, they knew that Jesus 188 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:07,200 would be with us as the Spirit of truth inside of us and he would never ever leave us that 189 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:12,520 wherever we go, whatever we do, whatever we ask him for, however we obey, he will be with 190 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:19,600 us day in and day out. Everything we do will be done with his power and with his presence. 191 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:26,040 Just an incredible, incredible promise. You know what, living the Christian life is impossible 192 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:30,720 without that promise. You cannot live the Christian life without the presence of the 193 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:36,080 Holy Spirit. You never have been able to, you never will be able to. When I was growing 194 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:42,640 up I loved basketball and I played a lot of basketball and I aspired to be an NBA basketball 195 00:17:42,640 --> 00:17:48,040 player when I was a little kid and ended up playing college basketball, but I always had 196 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:52,200 these models in front of me and I think my favorite basketball player when I was growing 197 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:56,560 up was Dr. Julius Irving. He wasn't really a doctor but we called him Dr. J with his 198 00:17:56,560 --> 00:18:01,360 nickname, Dr. Julius Irving. I don't know how many of you know who Julius Irving is 199 00:18:01,360 --> 00:18:06,120 but he was, raise your hand. I'm impressed with the basketball fans in the house. I figured 200 00:18:06,120 --> 00:18:11,640 in this crowd we'd have to talk about Michael Jordan or some other lesser basketball player. 201 00:18:11,640 --> 00:18:17,600 LeBron James. There was only one Dr. J and I remember watching him play basketball and 202 00:18:17,600 --> 00:18:22,080 then going out immediately from watching on the television set out into my driveway and 203 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:28,200 practicing the moves that he made. He had some amazing moves. I remember I did that 204 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:32,480 all the way through high school. I even did that into college. He was in his later years 205 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:37,400 of playing and we would try these moves out on the basketball court while I was in college 206 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:42,760 and I had this friend of mine that was kind of a plain speaking guy and one day he said 207 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:46,280 I know you've been practicing your Dr. J move, right? And I said yeah that's my Dr. J move. 208 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:49,840 He said I can tell you've been practicing that and he said I've just got to tell you 209 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:53,880 the truth today. He said the only way you could be like Dr. J is if he actually got 210 00:18:53,880 --> 00:19:00,880 in your body and played through you. So thank you for that truth. I appreciate that. But 211 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:06,400 in reality that's what Jesus is saying in a very holy spiritual sense. The only way 212 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:12,880 you're going to live this life is if I get inside of you and live through you. The only 213 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:17,200 way you're going to handle the challenges, the temptations, the calling. The only way 214 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:21,960 you're going to be able to obey me in your life is for you to allow me in my presence 215 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:28,000 the spirit of truth, the spirit of the living God to be inside of your life living through 216 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:31,440 you, giving power, giving discernment, giving wisdom, giving everything you need. That's 217 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:37,760 the only way you're going to do this. The reason that's so important for us is because 218 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:42,840 most of the time we live the Christian life in our own power and it would have been traffic 219 00:19:42,840 --> 00:19:47,800 magic if the disciples tried to do that. There would probably be no gospel today had they 220 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:52,640 tried to do that in their own power. But with the introduction of the Holy Spirit Jesus 221 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:57,320 is saying no, I've got plans for you and I'm going to work supernaturally through your 222 00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:03,000 life in these ways. And in that fourth principle basically he said the one who has been with 223 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:10,000 you all along will soon be in you. And that was incredibly reassuring for these disciples 224 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:15,000 who understood the magnitude of the call of verse 12, greater works than these you shall 225 00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:20,000 do because I go to the Father. Can you imagine how desperate they must have been once they 226 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:25,000 heard that incredible call that Jesus put on their lives in verse 12? They were already 227 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:30,000 aware of how tough life is going to be without Jesus but now Jesus reassures them in every 228 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:38,000 way and says I will be with you. I will be with you. So I want to ask the question today 229 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:43,000 in a very practical and applied way, what does it mean today that the Holy Spirit has 230 00:20:43,000 --> 00:20:48,000 been given to His followers? By the way there's a sense of time that we have to keep in mind. 231 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:53,000 Every time you read the scriptures, for example the gospels, you realize that everything that 232 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:59,000 is being said there is said in the time and in the tense of those speaking and those who 233 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:04,000 were hearing. In other words all this was said in the presence of Jesus and His disciples 234 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:10,000 at that time and time is past tense. So we said in the future sense I will be in you 235 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:15,000 which was present tense to those disciples and was going to unfold at Pentecost. Now 236 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:20,000 that's past tense for us today. We're on this side of Pentecost. So now we know the 237 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:25,000 disciples promise, the promise of the disciples that Jesus was with them and will be in them 238 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:30,000 in the future happened at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came down. And today when a person 239 00:21:30,000 --> 00:21:35,000 comes to faith in Jesus and is born again, you're born of the Spirit of God, the Spirit 240 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:41,000 comes inside of you to cleanse you and to fill you and to dwell within you. And now 241 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:46,000 when we hear the promise of the Holy Spirit, it's present tense to us, not future tense 242 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:51,000 if you're a believer in Jesus Christ. If you have Christ, you have the Spirit of Christ 243 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:56,000 living inside of you. Physical Jesus did not come into your life. Physical Jesus died on 244 00:21:56,000 --> 00:22:01,000 the cross. The Spirit of God came into your life and you have the Holy Spirit in you. 245 00:22:01,000 --> 00:22:06,000 Amen. Are you with me? You have the Holy Spirit inside of your life. So what does that mean? 246 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:12,000 How does that apply to me right now with just the things that Jesus said? Let me give you 247 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:18,000 two words that are in this text that help us understand how he presently ministers to 248 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:25,000 us and in us. First of all I want you to note the Holy Spirit is our comforter. He's our 249 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:30,000 comforter. The word is translated helper in the New American Standard Version. The word 250 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:36,000 paraclete or paracletos is a word that's translated often comforter or helper or encourager 251 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:42,000 or exorderer. So I'm going to use the word comforter here because it has the sense of 252 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:49,000 presence with you. You are always being comforted by him because he is present in you. Now if 253 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:55,000 you have your Bibles open turn to John 14 verse 16 I'm going to read again. Verse 16 254 00:22:55,000 --> 00:23:00,000 says I will ask the Father and he will give you another helper that he may be with you 255 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:06,000 forever. So the emphasis at the very beginning is someone who is with us forever. Alright 256 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:13,000 so he's with us. Now I want you to look next at the next part where he says that word in 257 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:20,000 verse 26 of chapter 14. He says you have heard that I said to you I go away. Oh excuse me 258 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:26,000 back in verse 26. But the helper the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name 259 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:32,000 he will teach you all things and bring to you remembrance all that I said to you. So 260 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:37,000 there is an instructional part that the Holy Spirit plays in our life. Look in chapter 261 00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:44,000 15 now in verse 26. Chapter 15 verse 26. When the helper comes whom I will send to you from 262 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:50,000 the Father that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father he will testify about 263 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:57,000 me and you will testify also because you have been with me from the beginning. So Jesus 264 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:03,000 is unfolding this helper ministry of the Holy Spirit in our life. Now look at one more. 265 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:09,000 Chapter 16 verse 7 where he says I tell you the truth it is to your advantage that I go 266 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:16,000 away for if I do not go away the helper will not come to you but if I go I will send him 267 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:21,000 to you. So as he says all these things to the disciples we are now looking at this on 268 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:27,000 the other side of Pentecost and saying okay Jesus literally did that for those disciples 269 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:35,000 and it performed an amazing ministry and that ministry is at work in us today as well. So 270 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:43,000 the word comforter emphasizing the fact that he is with us. Do you remember what phrase 271 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:48,000 was used when the promise of the Old Testament of a Messiah had to come and we talk about 272 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:53,000 it all the time at Christmas of course that his name shall be called Emmanuel which means 273 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:59,000 what God with us. And we say great hope in that the Messiah is coming he is going to 274 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:05,000 be physically on the earth. So there was that promise fulfilled in Jesus Emmanuel God with 275 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:10,000 us. That is a pretty powerful promise. The Messiah was going to come down to earth and 276 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:14,000 was going to walk beside us and we were going to see him and we were going to know that 277 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:21,000 he was God's Messiah Jesus. Well this promise that Jesus makes is even more intimate not 278 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:28,000 God with us but God in us. Not only is he side by side with us the way Jesus was with 279 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:33,000 the disciples but now that spirit of truth is going to come inside of our lives and actually 280 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:39,000 comfort us in all the things that we need. Practically speaking that says he is going 281 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:47,000 to help you when you need comfort the most. You know when I need comfort the most I usually 282 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:53,000 feel like I am all alone and I don't have anybody helping me. But the Bible says that 283 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:59,000 as a believer in Jesus indwelt by the Holy Spirit I am never ever without someone inside 284 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:04,000 of me. I have the comforter I have the Holy Spirit inside of my life and when days get 285 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:09,000 hard and dark and difficult and challenging and overwhelming I have to take a step back 286 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:15,000 and remember I am not going through this alone. People may desert me friends may desert me 287 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:19,000 people may not understand what is going on but there is a Holy Spirit that lives inside 288 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:25,000 of each one of us who comforts us in every problem we go through in life. I am so encouraged 289 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:33,000 by the comforting aspect of the Holy Spirit in my life. Amen. So let's look at another 290 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:39,000 verse. Second Corinthians chapter one for just a moment. Second Corinthians chapter 291 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:45,000 one the word for Holy Spirit is actually used in another form here in verse three and four 292 00:26:45,000 --> 00:26:50,000 of second Corinthians one this time Paul is talking about this. Second Corinthians chapter 293 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:53,000 one verse three and four I won't put it on your screen but I will have it in your Bible 294 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:58,000 there if you turn it in your Bible. Blessed be the God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ 295 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:05,000 the father of mercies and God of all comfort who comforts us in all of our affliction so 296 00:27:05,000 --> 00:27:09,000 that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with 297 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:17,000 which we are ourselves comforted by God. Now use that word to show you that this word in 298 00:27:17,000 --> 00:27:23,000 a personal form is the Holy Spirit in our life when you use it in a verbal form in second 299 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:29,000 Corinthians chapter one it's translated comfort is actually the presence of the Holy Spirit 300 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:35,000 that's bringing us comfort. Our God has given us a comforter to help us through all of life 301 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:40,000 and yes it is mentioned five times in those two verses you will be comforted by the God 302 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:44,000 of all comfort so that you can bring comfort to others because you've been comforted with 303 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:48,000 the comfort of God. That's basically what it says. That's a lot of comfort in those 304 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:53,000 verses for uncomfortable people. God has promised that when you're going through the worst times 305 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:59,000 in your life you have the comfort of the Holy Spirit in your life. I am so grateful for 306 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:06,000 that. I think it was about ten years ago that my wife and I went through some real low points 307 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:11,000 and in life in general. Our relationship was strong but everything around us seemed to 308 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:17,000 be really really challenging. There was a really difficult time in our church life here 309 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:23,000 in Ulysses and it was a big battle in our church life in many ways. You may or may not 310 00:28:23,000 --> 00:28:28,000 know about that and if you don't that's awesome because God won that battle but bottom line 311 00:28:28,000 --> 00:28:34,000 on it is it was tough. We had some family challenges and we were dealing with that. 312 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:41,000 I remember being at probably the lowest point in my life. I mean so low that I just couldn't 313 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:45,000 see the future. I just couldn't see what was ahead. In fact I was at the place where I 314 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:51,000 was saying, Kim I think I ought to just stop what I'm doing. Maybe stop pastoring. Stop 315 00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:56,000 preaching and do something different because right now it's just so low, so dark. I don't 316 00:28:56,000 --> 00:29:01,000 know what the future holds and I'm very very down about it. Of course we prayed and we 317 00:29:01,000 --> 00:29:07,000 asked God to help us with that. At no point in that season of life did I ever think that 318 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:14,000 I was all alone. I just didn't see many indicators that God was really working the way I thought 319 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:20,000 He might be working. And in time it was very evident. God gave me strength. He gave us 320 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:25,000 the encouragement we needed. A phone call took place. A door opened up that we didn't 321 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:30,000 know about. All kinds of things happened and in the end I didn't quit. I didn't stop. 322 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:34,000 I didn't cease doing what I was called to do and God began to give incredible victories 323 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:39,000 one after the other. But I can promise you today without the indwelling presence of the 324 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:44,000 Comforter I wouldn't have made it through that time. I wouldn't have made it through 325 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:49,000 that time. I say that to you to say when you're going through hard times you can count on 326 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:55,000 the presence of the Holy Spirit helping you in those times. He comforts us. He is our 327 00:29:55,000 --> 00:30:01,000 Comforter. He's also going to help you when you need confidence the most. Not just comfort 328 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:06,000 but confidence. It wasn't long after this conversation that Jesus had with His disciples 329 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:10,000 that Jesus literally did go to the cross. He did die. He did rise again the third day. 330 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:15,000 He had post resurrection appearances with His disciples and in one of those He gave 331 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:20,000 the Great Commission. Now you remember the Great Commission, Matthew 28, 19, and 20 where 332 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:25,000 He gives the disciples what we know as the Great Commission to go into all the world 333 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:30,000 and make disciples of all the world. Now think about how big of a deal that was. Just 12 334 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:35,000 disciples, one of whom had betrayed the Lord and later committed suicide. So 11 disciples 335 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:40,000 and not really sure about what the future held. Jesus says I want you to go into all 336 00:30:40,000 --> 00:30:46,000 the world and make disciples of every nation. Baptizing them He said in the name of the 337 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:50,000 Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. Do you remember what He said next? He said teaching them to 338 00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:54,000 observe all things that I command you and lo, do you know what's next? Do you know what 339 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:59,000 He says next? And lo, I want you to say it with me. You act like you don't know it. You 340 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:06,000 need to know this, all right? And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. 341 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:11,000 In other words, forever. Same promise He made in John 16. He's now making to the disciples 342 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:17,000 who are on the brink, they're on the brink of stepping off into ministry without Jesus 343 00:31:17,000 --> 00:31:22,000 physically. I need to say, you remember the comforter I told you about, another helper 344 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:27,000 like myself I told you about, He's going to be with you forever? I'm reminding you now 345 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:31,000 of Him. As you go on your mission, as you meet that challenge, and as you need that 346 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:36,000 confidence, I'm going to tell you, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. And 347 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:41,000 I say all that to say this to us today, no matter what challenge you have tomorrow, Jesus 348 00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:46,000 will be there in your life helping you meet that challenge with His wisdom to give you 349 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:54,000 confidence you're not alone. You're not alone. You're not alone. You know in a moment we're 350 00:31:54,000 --> 00:32:01,000 all going to have to clap at the same time. You know that, don't you? I mean, if He comforts 351 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:06,000 us in all of our afflictions, if He brings encouragement, then we need to all give Him 352 00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:13,000 a round of applause. Give Him a moment just to give applause to the Lord who's present. 353 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:19,000 I'm so thankful for the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life, as you ought to be as well. 354 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:25,000 But one more thing I would say, and that is the Holy Spirit is our encourager. He's our 355 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:30,000 encourager. You remember the third or fourth part of that explanation a few moments ago, 356 00:32:30,000 --> 00:32:37,000 verse 16 and 17, that is the Spirit of truth. The Spirit of truth. He's going to help you 357 00:32:37,000 --> 00:32:43,000 when you need wisdom the most. When you need wisdom the most. He's going to help you when 358 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:48,000 you need comfort. He's going to help you when you need confidence. He's going to help you 359 00:32:48,000 --> 00:32:54,000 when you need wisdom the most. In fact, chapter 14, verse 26 elaborates on that. He will teach 360 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:58,000 you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. Do you realize how 361 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:03,000 powerful that was for the disciples? I mean, every time they had a question, Jesus had 362 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:09,000 an answer, and now He was leaving. But He says this about the Holy Spirit, the Comforter. 363 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:13,000 He said, He's going to bring to your remembrance everything I said to you. He'll teach you 364 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:18,000 all things, every answer you need. He's going to give you when you need wisdom, you have 365 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:27,000 that wisdom from Him. He's going to run with you through life. Now, the great thing about 366 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:33,000 the word that we've been talking about, which is translated Comforter or Helper, is that 367 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:39,000 this word actually is two different Greek words put together. And the English translation 368 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:47,000 of them would be to call out to from alongside, to call out to from alongside. So I mean, 369 00:33:47,000 --> 00:33:52,000 that's a perfect illustration of what I need day to day when I don't know what to do that 370 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:57,000 Jesus, the Spirit of Jesus Christ inside of me will call out to me from alongside me as 371 00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:01,000 I go through life. When you need wisdom, you need someone to call out to you from alongside 372 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:07,000 you as you go through life, to give you wisdom and insight, discernment, to know what not 373 00:34:07,000 --> 00:34:13,000 to do, to know what to do, to make decisions that are based on and built on His truth and 374 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:20,000 not just your feelings. How desperately we need that kind of wisdom today. And in a day 375 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:24,000 when everybody's looking for some kind of wisdom and they're all basing it on the wrong 376 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:32,000 things, we have the Spirit of truth living inside of us. He will not let you stray if 377 00:34:32,000 --> 00:34:43,000 you do not shut Him out. He will not let you wander if you will not ignore Him. He will 378 00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:51,000 run the whole race alongside you as long as you don't run in the opposite direction. The 379 00:34:51,000 --> 00:34:57,000 other day I was watching some YouTube videos of the blind track stars, the blind track 380 00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:03,000 stars. It appeared they were running 100 meter dashes and there were some phenomenal athletes 381 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:09,000 at the Paralympics and they were blind sprinters. And I don't know if you've ever seen this 382 00:35:09,000 --> 00:35:14,000 before, but blind sprinters are able to run the path that they run on because they are 383 00:35:14,000 --> 00:35:20,000 tethered to other sprinters who have eyesight who run alongside them to help them stay in 384 00:35:20,000 --> 00:35:26,000 their lane so they can be focused to the end of the race. Now when I first saw this phenomena, 385 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:30,000 I didn't realize that they were tethered together. They're tethered together wrist to 386 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:35,000 wrist. So if I'm running like this next to someone, that my left wrist is tethered to 387 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:42,000 their right wrist and we run that race together. So the blind athletes, whenever the starter 388 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:47,000 gun goes off, come out of the blocks and they begin sprinting full speed, fully confident 389 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:53,000 that they won't run into anybody else or veer from their lane because they're running side 390 00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:59,000 by side with a runner that can keep up with them and actually surpass them who sees what's 391 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:05,000 ahead of them and runs stride for stride with them throughout the entire race. It's really 392 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:11,000 powerful. Do you realize that that's what the Holy Spirit is to us? You have no idea 393 00:36:11,000 --> 00:36:16,000 what tomorrow holds. You have no idea what is around the next curve. You have no idea 394 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:21,000 what kind of challenges you're going to face, but He does and He is tethered to you as the 395 00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:26,000 Holy Spirit in your life and you have every confidence to run forward as long as you feel 396 00:36:26,000 --> 00:36:32,000 Him at your side, stroke by stroke, stride by stride. One commentator said about this 397 00:36:32,000 --> 00:36:37,000 particular YouTube video, it looks as though they are running as one and that perfectly 398 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:42,000 describes what the believer indwelt by the Holy Spirit should be like. Like we are walking 399 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:49,000 as one with the Lord as we live through our lives. That's the calling Jesus gives us. 400 00:36:49,000 --> 00:36:57,000 Yes, what a powerful picture of what He does for us. You don't have to live life by yourself. 401 00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:02,000 You don't have to live life on your own. When you come and put your faith and trust in Jesus 402 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:06,000 Christ, He's going to give you all that you need, all the comfort, all the confidence, 403 00:37:06,000 --> 00:37:14,000 all the wisdom that you can possibly need. Invite Him to be active in your life. Invite 404 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:21,000 Him to do that. At the very end of the text, Jesus sums it up by saying this and it makes 405 00:37:21,000 --> 00:37:25,000 more sense when you read it after walking through what we have. He said, after a little 406 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:31,000 while the world will no longer see me but you will see me because I live, you will live 407 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:41,000 also. In that day you will know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you. That 408 00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:48,000 is a good description of the Christian life right now. Jesus in you, Christ in you, Paul 409 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:55,000 said, the hope of glory, the confidence that we can live this life is Christ in us. In 410 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:59,000 just a few moments I'm going to give you some invitations as I always do. First of all, 411 00:37:59,000 --> 00:38:03,000 I'm going to ask you to stop by the decision station on the way out today. Look, if you 412 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:07,000 don't have the presence of Jesus in your life today, it's a very important decision that 413 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:13,000 you would make to trust Him as your Lord and Savior. He gives you the presence of the Holy 414 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:18,000 Spirit. He will not leave you alone. He will not leave you by yourself. When you invite 415 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:23,000 Christ into your life to ask Him to forgive you of your sins, the price He paid was His 416 00:38:23,000 --> 00:38:28,000 blood to pay for our sins and for us to allow Him to come into our lives, forgive us of 417 00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:32,000 sin and give us eternal life is beginning that relationship. I want to encourage you 418 00:38:32,000 --> 00:38:36,000 to put your trust in Christ and we're here at the decision station to talk to you about 419 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:40,000 that. That's number one. Number two, I would love to invite you to our guest reception 420 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:45,000 center at the end of the service after I pray. I'll be there in just a few moments. Love 421 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:50,000 to tell you some more about Cross City Church and meet you personally. Number three, I invite 422 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:54,000 you to invite others to come with you next week as we continue our series on the Holy 423 00:38:54,000 --> 00:39:00,000 Spirit. So many questions will be answered. So much encouragement is coming from what 424 00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:04,000 Jesus said about the Holy Spirit. You do not want to miss these next few weeks. Let's 425 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:10,000 stand up together and I want to close this in a word of prayer. Father, we are so grateful 426 00:39:10,000 --> 00:39:16,000 today for your presence in this room. Lord, not just a sense of your presence but the 427 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:22,000 reality that you indwell each of us as believers in Jesus Christ. Thank you Father for that 428 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:28,000 promise that you have fulfilled. I ask you today to allow us to walk by the power of 429 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:34,000 the Spirit, being very aware that you are in us. Lord, I pray for those today that have 430 00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:39,000 never made the decision that is so critical that they place their trust and faith in you 431 00:39:39,000 --> 00:39:46,000 as Lord and Savior today. I urge you Lord, convict them, draw them Father to the place 432 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:50,000 of that decision. And then Lord, I thank you so much for the indwelling presence that you 433 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:55,000 give us. Show us how you work in our lives day in and day out in the days ahead. We ask 434 00:39:55,000 --> 00:39:58,000 for all this in Jesus name, Amen. God bless.