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 --> 00:00:21,080 questions in life? While the simplest answer is the Bible, where do we start this search 3 00:00:21,080 --> 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 --> 00:00:41,880 for the life we're searching for. Well, good morning. I'm so looking forward to unpacking 6 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:48,000 this message today. The title of our message today is, How does the Holy Spirit teach us? 7 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:52,960 How does the Holy Spirit teach us? It's found in John chapter 14, verse 21. You might want 8 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:57,600 to take your Bibles and turn to that text. I'm doing something different today and began 9 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:02,760 it last week. We'll continue to do it in the future. We're going to make Bibles available 10 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:08,920 at the three main doorways to our worship center. And those Bibles, those doorways are 11 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:14,920 the same as those under the seats that you are sitting on. Every row has a few Bibles 12 00:01:14,920 --> 00:01:18,940 under those seats. If you don't have a copy of God's Word, either pick one up when you 13 00:01:18,940 --> 00:01:24,400 come in or you may find one under one of the seats that you're sitting on or on that row. 14 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:29,560 And these Bibles are all bound in black. They're hardback versions. They all have the same 15 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:33,440 page numbers. I'm going to give you some page numbers when we go through because I want 16 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:38,640 you to have every advantage to walk through the scripture with us as we look at the very 17 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:42,480 important things that we're talking about. This is really our guide. The Word of God 18 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:46,680 is our guide and we need to know it well. Now, regarding those Bibles, if you pick one 19 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:50,760 up and you already have some at home, you can drop it back off when you leave. Or if 20 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:55,480 you need it, just take it with you and we'll just keep stocking that, all right? John chapter 21 00:01:55,480 --> 00:02:00,320 14, how does the Holy Spirit teach us today? Would you stand with me as we read God's Word? 22 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:09,920 John 14, beginning in verse 21. Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit. Last week we began 23 00:02:09,920 --> 00:02:15,160 this series by answering the question, who is the Holy Spirit? And I think one of the 24 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:21,960 greatest verses in the Bible is the verse where he introduces the Holy Spirit to them. 25 00:02:21,960 --> 00:02:27,240 He says in verse 16 and 17, I will ask the Father, he'll give you another helper, meaning 26 00:02:27,240 --> 00:02:31,600 another helper like myself, that he may be with you forever. That is the Spirit of truth 27 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:36,160 whom the world cannot receive because it does not see him or know him, but you know him 28 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:40,640 because he abides with you and will be in you. That was Jesus' introduction to the 29 00:02:40,640 --> 00:02:44,800 Holy Spirit. We spent some time looking at that last week. Now we pick it up in verse 30 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:52,200 21. He who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. And he who loves me 31 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:57,680 will be loved by my Father and I will love him and will disclose myself to him. Judas, 32 00:02:57,680 --> 00:03:02,080 not Iscariot, said to him, Lord, what has happened that you're going to disclose yourself 33 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:07,680 to us and not to the world? That word disclose is huge. God, how are you going to reveal 34 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:11,760 yourself to us? What are you going to do to show us who you are and what you're doing? 35 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:15,840 Jesus answered and said to him, if anyone loves me, he will keep my word and my Father 36 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:21,280 will love him and we will come to him and make our abode with him. In other words, I'm 37 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:25,720 going to live inside of you. I'm just going to dwell in you during your lifetime. Verse 38 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:30,600 24, he who does not love me does not keep my words and the word which you hear is not 39 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:35,880 mine but the Father who sent me. These things I've spoken to you while abiding with you. 40 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:42,840 Now, verse 26 is the key verse to this whole text. He says, but the helper, the Holy Spirit 41 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:49,560 whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance 42 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:54,920 all that I said to you. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. Not if the world 43 00:03:54,920 --> 00:04:01,360 gives do I give you. Do not let your heart be troubled. Neither let it be fearful. Father, 44 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:05,720 in Jesus' name today, we want to unpack this verse, verse 26. We want to ask you to help 45 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:12,120 us with it. Help us know how your promise of the Holy Spirit guides us every day of 46 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:17,720 our lives. Help us understand how we're never without an answer, never without direction, 47 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:22,480 never without having all the wisdom that we need to know because of this promise today 48 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:27,860 and help every one of us know that it's available for us all. Father, thank you for your promise 49 00:04:27,860 --> 00:04:34,080 and fulfilling those, keeping those. In Jesus' name I pray. All God's people said amen. Amen. 50 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:41,200 Please be seated if you would. So what an incredible verse that we're going to look 51 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,960 at today. We're going to take some time, unpack that, unpack that and spend some time on it. 52 00:04:44,960 --> 00:04:48,880 It's on page 1078 by the way. If you've got one of those black versions of the Bible, 53 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:54,680 just open it up and that cover there will help you know it's the Bible. Now, 1078 is 54 00:04:54,680 --> 00:05:00,480 not the page that this verse is on in all the Bibles in the room, okay? We do know that, 55 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:06,520 it's just that particular one that we have and made available. You know back when I was 56 00:05:06,520 --> 00:05:10,680 going to seminary, I didn't have much money. We were just out of college and my wife and 57 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:14,800 I moved to Fort Worth area. Actually we lived in Irving at the time and I was to be driving 58 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:19,200 back and forth to Fort Worth and going to seminary. We had one car, my wife needed the 59 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:24,200 car to get to work, I had to buy a car. And so not having much money, I bought a car for 60 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:31,200 all the money I had, $50. Yeah, it was a real hot rod. There was a Volkswagen Beetle and 61 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:40,960 the back end had been cut off. Someone was going to make a Baja bug and while they were 62 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:46,600 making the Baja bug, the engine blew out and so I had a Baja bug what it would want to 63 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:52,120 be. Right, that's what I had. It was hideous. But I had $50 and that was the cost of the 64 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:58,520 car so I bought it. And then in my father-in-law's driveway, I began to take that engine off 65 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:01,680 the back of that Volkswagen. You know first of all I had to realize that the Volkswagen 66 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:05,800 engine is at the back, it's not at the front. So once I figured that out, I started taking 67 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:11,840 the engine off the back. I bought a book, it was a spiral binder with cardboard cover 68 00:06:11,840 --> 00:06:17,160 on it and it had about 250 pages in it. It was a manual. It was called, How to Keep Your 69 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:23,920 Volkswagen Alive, a Step-by-Step Manual for the Complete Idiot. It had kind of a hippie 70 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:28,000 looking cover on it and you know honestly when you look at that book you think, you 71 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:32,040 really can't take this book serious. It doesn't really look like it's going to help me keep 72 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:37,000 my Volkswagen alive or resuscitate it as it were. But I actually overhauled that Volkswagen 73 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:44,000 in the driveway with that manual, step-by-step procedure for the complete idiot and it actually 74 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:50,840 began to run and drove and ran all the way through my seminary years. Yeah, I mean somebody 75 00:06:50,840 --> 00:06:56,440 ought to clap about that. That was a modern day miracle. I had four key parts that were 76 00:06:56,440 --> 00:07:02,840 left over but I never did know where they went so it was okay. And I sold it for $1,000 77 00:07:02,840 --> 00:07:09,080 at the end of my seminary days. Oh yeah. And that basically, you know it's going to do 78 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:11,920 something like that today. You're going to do it on YouTube today. You're going to get 79 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:15,680 on YouTube and somebody's going to walk you through it. Now my point of course is you 80 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:20,680 can't do something without someone helping you do it. You've got to have some expert 81 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:26,120 who give you insight or wisdom before you can do what they can do. That's what Jesus 82 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:33,120 is saying to these disciples who realize that Jesus is about to go away and they're worried. 83 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:39,080 How are we going to be able to do what you've been doing? You've called us to this Christian 84 00:07:39,080 --> 00:07:45,000 life to follow you even though you're leaving us. In verse 12 of John 14, Jesus said, it's 85 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,800 expedient that I go away because if I don't go away, the Father will not send the helper 86 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:54,860 on my behalf. He says, but the works that you see me do, greater works than these you 87 00:07:54,860 --> 00:07:59,600 shall do because I go to the Father. In other words, when I leave, you're going to do just 88 00:07:59,600 --> 00:08:06,600 what I've been doing and the disciples are going, how are we going to do that? As Jesus 89 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:12,680 begins to teach them about the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit, they will teach them to 90 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:19,680 do all those things. Step by step manual for the complete idiot in my life, me. I need 91 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:27,960 help. I need the Holy Spirit to show me how to live the Christian life. You and I need 92 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:33,280 the Holy Spirit to show us how to live life day in and day out. Now we knew Jesus knew 93 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:40,280 all things. The disciples knew this. The disciples always looked at Jesus when they had questions. 94 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:44,720 In fact, several places in the New Testament, you'll find these words being written in John 95 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:50,560 chapter 16 verse 30. One of the disciples looked at Jesus and said, now we know you 96 00:08:50,560 --> 00:08:57,000 can do all things. We know you know everything, Jesus. In John chapter 21, Jesus asked Peter, 97 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:04,000 Peter, do you love me? And Peter said, Jesus, you know all things. You know I love you. 98 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:08,720 And he was insinuating the fact that all the disciples realized Jesus knew everything. 99 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:14,840 He had every answer. He had all the wisdom that was necessary. I mean, through Jesus, 100 00:09:14,840 --> 00:09:20,120 God created the heavens and the earth. I mean, Jesus was the Word made flesh. He was the 101 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:25,240 infinite wisdom of God. And the disciples knew that. And now Jesus is leaving. Jesus 102 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:28,960 knew everything and they're wondering, how are we going to know everything now? How are 103 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:33,880 we going to know those kinds of things to live the Christian life? And this one verse 104 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:40,880 gives them the answer. So I want you to look at it again. And it's in John chapter 14 verse 105 00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:47,280 26. I'm going to read through it very, very slowly. But the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom 106 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:54,000 the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things. And he will bring to your 107 00:09:54,000 --> 00:10:01,000 remembrance all that I said to you. Now years ago when I began to study this text, I thought, 108 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:05,680 okay, I'm going to dig into the original language and find some incredible meaning for the word 109 00:10:05,680 --> 00:10:12,680 teach or the word remembrance. Because surely there's a whole story behind these words. 110 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:17,480 And I was a little disappointed that there is no deeper meaning to the word teach and 111 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:23,080 there is no deeper meaning to the phrase bring to your remembrance. They mean just what they 112 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:30,080 say in simple fashion. The Holy Spirit will instruct or teach you and he will remind you, 113 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:37,880 bring to your remembrance everything Jesus did. The emphasis is not on some secret way 114 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:43,240 that we're going to find out the wisdom that we need, but the secret and the power is in 115 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:49,560 the person of Christ that the Holy Spirit will remind us of and teach us about the words 116 00:10:49,560 --> 00:10:54,160 he gave us. In other words, the focus is going to be on Christ. And the only way to live 117 00:10:54,160 --> 00:10:59,720 the Christian life is if Christ is in you the whole of glory. He's got to get inside 118 00:10:59,720 --> 00:11:04,240 of you and the Holy Spirit inside of every one of us gives us the power and the wisdom 119 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:10,120 to live life like we need to live it. So this promise is going to be powerful for you. Jesus 120 00:11:10,120 --> 00:11:15,880 is basically saying, I will teach you everything you need to know through the Holy Spirit's 121 00:11:15,880 --> 00:11:21,320 teaching ministry in your life. What Jesus did for the disciples, don't miss this, what 122 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:27,400 Jesus did for the disciples the Holy Spirit will do for us. Amen? I mean how many times 123 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:30,400 have you said this in your life? How many times have you said, you know if only Jesus 124 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:35,620 were walking on the earth with me side by side I'd be a much better believer, a much 125 00:11:35,620 --> 00:11:40,440 better follower of Christ if he was physically here. I'd do better than Peter, surely. I'd 126 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:45,960 do better than John. And some of those other guys, surely better than Judas. I mean if 127 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:52,040 Jesus were here I would be a far more devoted believer in Jesus Christ. But that's actually 128 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:57,860 not true. Because you have something better than that. Better than Jesus standing side 129 00:11:57,860 --> 00:12:03,960 by side with you is the Holy Spirit living inside of you. Now we need to be excited about 130 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:10,960 that. We need to be excited about the fact that Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit. Amen. 131 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:16,640 Now we've got some incredible promises to unpack here. I want to give you four ways 132 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:22,320 the Holy Spirit fulfills the promise to teach you everything. Now today we're going to begin 133 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:28,840 with this verse. But because this verse only says he will teach you and bring to your remembrance, 134 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:34,640 I went and found the other examples where he actually did that in scripture. Number 135 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:41,320 one, I want you to see the Holy Spirit gives us the scriptures. The Holy Spirit gives us 136 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:46,580 the Bible. Now remember at this moment when Jesus made the promise the New Testament scriptures 137 00:12:46,580 --> 00:12:52,040 had not been written. In fact Luke that was listening to Jesus in this conversation, Matthew 138 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:57,280 that was listening to Jesus, John and Mark that were listening to Jesus, these disciples 139 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:03,600 eventually went on to pen the New Testament gospels and later on others with the epistles. 140 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:08,240 So the Holy Spirit is going to give us the scriptures. Let me just tell you that one 141 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:12,040 of the teaching ministries of the Holy Spirit and the one that is based on the foundation 142 00:13:12,040 --> 00:13:16,600 of his teaching ministry to us is this book that you have in your hand, the Bible. The 143 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:24,400 Bible is the essence of that. It's what God gives us in the way of wisdom. Now Luke was 144 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:30,400 the author of the Gospel of Luke but also the book of Acts. And the Gospel of Luke as 145 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:36,080 he opens up with those first few verses he talks about how he was giving the account 146 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:41,800 of the words and life of Jesus in a logical chronological order. Then when he opens up 147 00:13:41,800 --> 00:13:46,560 in the book of Acts he says something interesting in Acts chapter one verse one and two. He 148 00:13:46,560 --> 00:13:51,960 said the first account I can pose Theopolis, he's talking about the Gospel of Luke, about 149 00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:58,280 all that Jesus began to do and teach. That phrase is interesting because Jesus said the 150 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:03,320 Holy Spirit will teach you all things that I told you and bring to your remembrance all 151 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:08,080 that I said to you. Now Luke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is saying that same thing. 152 00:14:08,080 --> 00:14:13,200 He said the first account about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was 153 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:18,520 taken up to heaven after he had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the disciples whom 154 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:24,160 he had chosen. What Luke says in Acts he also says in the Gospel of Luke he knew he was 155 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:30,760 a vessel of God, a vessel empowered by the Holy Spirit to write the words for us. Not 156 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:37,080 only him but also Matthew and Mark and John and a number of the other disciples including 157 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:43,320 Peter wrote by the Holy Spirit and gives us the teaching of the Holy Spirit in our lives 158 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:48,240 today. This is part of Jesus fulfillment to give us all the truth. Now I want you to hold 159 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:51,680 your book up for just a moment. If you've got it in hand I want you to hold it up. Just 160 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:54,920 hold it high enough for it to be seen around the room. Look at all the people around the 161 00:14:54,920 --> 00:15:02,040 room holding this book up. Some of you have phones. Phones are allowed. But man I like 162 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:11,240 to hold a book in my hand. That is the result of the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit 163 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:19,800 right there. That is part of the fulfillment of what Jesus said in John chapter 14. Now 164 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:27,160 let me go further. Later on in 2 Peter chapter 1 verse 20 by the way that's on page 1216 165 00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:34,000 of that Bible we refer to. He says this. But know this first of all that no prophecy of 166 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:38,560 scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation. Now Peter's talking about where scripture 167 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:44,600 comes from. Where it originates. He says for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human 168 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:50,520 will but men and what does that next line say? Men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from 169 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:57,440 God. Again the fulfillment of John 14 26 is right here. Peter says we didn't write these 170 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:01,520 words on our own. We didn't make these words up. We weren't giving you fairy tales and 171 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:05,600 legends and things like that. We didn't even come up with the words ourselves. We knew 172 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:10,480 that we were moved by the Holy Spirit to pen these on the scrolls that you read them off 173 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:18,240 of. Later on Paul in 2 Timothy says these words. That's page 1192. You'll be able to 174 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:24,040 see that on the upper right of your screen. All scripture is inspired by God. That means 175 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:28,880 God breathed in profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness 176 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:34,720 so that the man of God may be adequate or mature or perfect equipped for every good 177 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:40,720 work. This is what I want you to know about the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit today. 178 00:16:40,720 --> 00:16:46,720 The Holy Spirit helped the disciples remember and record Jesus' words in the gospels and 179 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:53,240 he inspired the writers of the epistles to explain and teach those words. Let that sink 180 00:16:53,240 --> 00:16:57,760 in for just a few moments. That's the book you have in your hands. It's not the only 181 00:16:57,760 --> 00:17:04,020 way God speaks but it's the foundation for every way God speaks. To ignore your Bible 182 00:17:04,020 --> 00:17:10,400 is to ignore the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit given by Jesus to remind you of 183 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:17,480 everything he taught and said and did. What a powerful reminder that we need this word. 184 00:17:17,480 --> 00:17:23,040 Open the book and read it and meditate on it and dwell on it and make sure you go to 185 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:27,500 it time and time again because the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit is unfolding in 186 00:17:27,500 --> 00:17:33,120 your life as you open this book. Are you glad that you have the word of God today? Somebody 187 00:17:33,120 --> 00:17:41,280 say amen. Somebody give a hand. To God for giving us this word. What an important thing. 188 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:48,080 Not only is this God's word to us, it's God's word to the world. I remember years ago flying 189 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:54,160 on a plane back from Dubai, from India to Dubai and then on back I think we had another 190 00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:59,820 link before we got home. And I sat next to an airline attendant who was off shift but 191 00:17:59,820 --> 00:18:04,520 flying to another city and she saw me typing on my computer and I was writing something 192 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:09,400 about the book of John and I was talking about Jesus and how Jesus is revealed in the book 193 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:14,800 of John and she asked me what I was writing so I began a conversation with her. She was 194 00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:20,120 Hindu by upbringing. She believed in many, many gods, many thousands of gods. She had 195 00:18:20,120 --> 00:18:25,080 never heard the gospel of Jesus Christ but she was interested in what I was writing. 196 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:29,800 I asked her, I said, have you ever read the Bible? She said, you know I read the Bible 197 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:35,120 every day. I said, really? She said, yes. When I check into a hotel at night I open 198 00:18:35,120 --> 00:18:39,640 that little drawer and I find the Bible, I copy the Bible everywhere I go and so I just 199 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:42,920 read a page of the Bible every night before I go to bed. I said, what do you read? She 200 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:49,840 goes, wherever the book opens. I read wherever page that is. And I go to bed. And I said, 201 00:18:49,840 --> 00:18:53,920 have you learned much about Jesus? She said, I haven't yet. And I said, would you like 202 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:58,200 me to help you? And she said, I would. And I said, oh boy, I've got four hours to tell 203 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:04,800 you about Jesus. And so I walked through the book of John with her and I asked her to promise 204 00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:11,640 me that she would read a chapter of John every day. When she opened up that drawer and got 205 00:19:11,640 --> 00:19:16,720 that Bible out, just read John one, the next day read John two. And I was confident of 206 00:19:16,720 --> 00:19:21,600 this. I told her this. I said, I promise you if you read the Bible 30 days in a row and 207 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:26,600 you read the book of John, Jesus will reveal himself personally to you. And I believe that 208 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:32,520 with all my heart. He revealed himself to you because the teaching ministry of the Holy 209 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:37,080 Spirit is not just for us who are believers, but to those that are far from God, but who 210 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:43,120 may want to know him. The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to them and brings all the words to 211 00:19:43,120 --> 00:19:48,480 them that they need to hear. I can say that with confidence when I tell someone, read 212 00:19:48,480 --> 00:19:53,560 this verse of the scripture because I believe these words are supernatural. They are supernatural 213 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:58,520 and it's the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit. And you and I need to have that kind 214 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:02,960 of confidence in them. Now, if you have confidence in the word of God, if you have confidence 215 00:20:02,960 --> 00:20:11,960 in the Bible, say amen. If you have confidence in the word of God, then from another angle, 216 00:20:11,960 --> 00:20:19,680 never consider any teaching of the Holy Spirit, quote unquote, that is not closely connected 217 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:25,640 with the scripture. If you believe the Bible is something you can have confidence in, then 218 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:30,440 everything else we know about the Holy Spirit is going to be revealed to us in part through 219 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:35,200 the scripture. In other words, let the scripture be the boundaries for what we understand about 220 00:20:35,200 --> 00:20:40,120 life and ministry and about God and the Holy Spirit and Jesus. Because when you don't let 221 00:20:40,120 --> 00:20:46,920 them be the foundation, you move into uncharted territory and you want God to have gone before 222 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:53,080 you wherever you go. So number one, the Holy Spirit gives us the scriptures. Number two, 223 00:20:53,080 --> 00:21:01,200 the Holy Spirit will give us specific and divine direction. Turn over to page 1080 or 224 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:07,960 John 16 13. Jesus is still in this discourse where he's having the conversation in John 225 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:13,200 14, 15 and 16. And in verse 16, he explains this further. He says, but when he, the spirit 226 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:18,920 of truth comes, he will guide you. You see that phrase? He will guide you into all the 227 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:23,600 truth for he will not speak on his own initiative, but whatever he hears, he will speak and he 228 00:21:23,600 --> 00:21:29,840 will disclose to you what is to come. This is a fascinating word picture. The word guide, 229 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:34,760 it's a word that means to tutor, but it has a more direct application. And that is, it's 230 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:39,640 the kind of guide that would take a blind person by the hand and leave them where they 231 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:48,640 needed to go. And the illustration is really, really strong because behind that word, that 232 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:54,240 word picture is the realization that the person who is blind will be lost and unable to see 233 00:21:54,240 --> 00:22:01,480 the next step without that guide. And it says to us that we need the guide of the Holy Spirit 234 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:06,640 in our lives, leading us and guiding us and directing us for all the specifics of how 235 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:12,080 to live life. Basically, the promise is that the Holy Spirit will be a clear, perfect and 236 00:22:12,080 --> 00:22:18,760 unwavering direction for the next steps in life. And I love how he says this. He says 237 00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:23,840 he won't speak on his own initiative, but what he hears, he will disclose to you. Now 238 00:22:23,840 --> 00:22:28,640 Jesus said this himself in John 14 and John 15 about himself. Jesus said, I don't speak 239 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:32,880 to you words of my own initiative. I speak from the Father. What I hear from the Father, 240 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:37,720 I tell you. And now he's saying about the Holy Spirit, what he says are not going to 241 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:41,520 be his words alone. They're going to be from the Father and from me. In other words, we're 242 00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:47,400 all going to be on the same page and leading you the way you need to go. Now wouldn't you 243 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:51,560 and I talk about the Trinity, about God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit? 244 00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:57,920 It's really important for us to know three persons, one God. They are never inconsistent 245 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:03,000 with each other. They're always perfectly aligned. What God the Father will say, God 246 00:23:03,000 --> 00:23:07,840 the Son will also say that, and God the Spirit will also say that. It's very important for 247 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:11,800 us to know that they are never inconsistent with each other. They're in perfect harmony, 248 00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:18,560 they're in perfect unison, and in perfect alignment. One won't guide you where the other 249 00:23:18,560 --> 00:23:24,040 one wouldn't guide you either. So you say, okay, how does he do that with specific ways? 250 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:28,280 Well, I've written seven or eight ways down. If you're taking notes, you can write them 251 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23:35,120 real fast. How does he do this? First of all, by commands. In the Bible, there are a large 252 00:23:35,120 --> 00:23:42,120 number of commands. For the believer in Jesus, those commands in the New Testament are commands 253 00:23:42,120 --> 00:23:48,200 about how we live the Christian life. Whenever you see a command in the scripture, then acknowledge 254 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:53,360 that that's not only what the apostolic writer said or what Jesus said, depending on who 255 00:23:53,360 --> 00:23:59,760 the immediate author of that was, but it's also the Holy Spirit is saying this to you. 256 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:07,160 What he tells you to flee, flee. What he tells you to pursue, pursue. Don't pursue the things 257 00:24:07,160 --> 00:24:12,400 he says to flee. Don't flee the things he says to pursue. Do the commands of what the 258 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:16,440 scripture says, because it's the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit that's showing 259 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:21,520 you, this is how you walk the Christian life out. So there are commands. Secondly, there 260 00:24:21,520 --> 00:24:29,120 are warnings. Whenever you see a warning in scripture, that's a moment to pay attention. 261 00:24:29,120 --> 00:24:33,320 It's like a red flag, red light. It's like a blinking light. It's for you to look at 262 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:39,760 this and zero in and say, wow, what is the Holy Spirit warning me about in this verse? 263 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:45,720 When you see a warning, pay attention. Third, principles. Principles. Sometimes the Bible 264 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:51,480 speaks by way of principles, not just commands or warnings, but also principles. Things God 265 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:55,840 blesses. For instance, I go back to the book of Proverbs, and when I read Proverbs, I see 266 00:24:55,840 --> 00:25:01,920 incredible numbers of principles about how to live the life we're called to. And I can 267 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:09,400 think of dozens of examples from the book of Proverbs about principles by which we live 268 00:25:09,400 --> 00:25:13,280 the Christian life. And many of us are very, very familiar with them. What does it say 269 00:25:13,280 --> 00:25:19,160 in Proverbs 3, verse 5 and 6? Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your 270 00:25:19,160 --> 00:25:23,600 own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways, and He will make your pathway straight. 271 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:28,120 That's a biblical principle. It's a general principle that when you apply that to a specific 272 00:25:28,120 --> 00:25:32,440 extent in your life, God will honor that. He's directing you in that. That's number 273 00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:38,480 three. Principle. Fourth is examples. When you see an example in the scripture, either 274 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:45,200 for positive or negative, pay attention to that example and paint it onto your life. 275 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:53,200 Number five, there are reminders in the scripture. Reminders. Have you ever read something, learned 276 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:57,480 a lesson of some kind, and later on you were in a scenario and you'd kind of forgotten 277 00:25:57,480 --> 00:26:00,920 what you had read, forgotten what you learned, and all of a sudden in the middle of that 278 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:05,760 scenario the Holy Spirit will remind you in that moment, remember what I taught you five 279 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:09,560 years ago? Remember what I taught you ten years ago? It's a good time to practice that 280 00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:15,120 again. That ever happen to you? It happens to me all the time. He reminds us of what 281 00:26:15,120 --> 00:26:19,160 Jesus said. We might not be thinking about it at the moment. We might have all kinds 282 00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:23,520 of challenges in front of us. People may be clamoring for our attention, whatever it might 283 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:28,560 be, and all of a sudden we will have a reminder of a biblical principle or example or command 284 00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:33,800 or a warning or something we've read before and it's the Holy Spirit highlighting that 285 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:40,560 and calling your attention to that, reminding you. The next one, the next word I use is 286 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:45,080 the word highlighting. And by highlighting I don't mean taking a yellow marker or a pink 287 00:26:45,080 --> 00:26:48,160 marker or a green marker and marking your Bible up even though that's a healthy thing 288 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:55,320 to do. But have you ever read a clean version of God's Word and while you're reading a certain 289 00:26:55,320 --> 00:27:02,880 verse it looks like one of those verses is in bold print and you blink and then you blink 290 00:27:02,880 --> 00:27:07,600 again and realize it's not in bold print, it just seems like it is. And sometimes the 291 00:27:07,600 --> 00:27:13,240 Holy Spirit calls your attention to that phrase, that verse. If that's never happened to you 292 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:18,800 then it's okay, but someday it may. And if it does, it's a moment for you to stop and 293 00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:24,720 say why is my attention being directed to this verse? It's really not in bold print 294 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:28,440 but it seems like it is at this moment. I'm reading, I'm asking questions of God, I'm 295 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:34,040 asking for wisdom. He will highlight some aspect of God's Word for me to be able to 296 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:38,560 put into my life. Sometimes that happens in a message, it happens when someone is preaching 297 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:43,640 or teaching and all of a sudden some principle, some truth, some warning is highlighted, it 298 00:27:43,640 --> 00:27:51,120 comes out loud and clear to us that's God working on that principle in your life. There 299 00:27:51,120 --> 00:27:56,280 are times people have come up to me over the years and just have said, you know I felt 300 00:27:56,280 --> 00:28:01,200 like you were just preaching to me today, just to me. And you know that's always true 301 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:07,000 and it's never true. You know what I mean? I have no idea what's going on in your life, 302 00:28:07,000 --> 00:28:15,040 I cannot read your mail or your mind. God has a way of highlighting truth in our lives 303 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:19,280 when we need it the most. You think that's not the Holy Spirit, that is the Holy Spirit 304 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:24,880 at work in your life. Thank God for the Holy Spirit that He does that. He's always doing 305 00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:29,520 that in our life, He cares for us, He uses that. There are also promptings where we are 306 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:34,840 prompted to do something that we normally would not do if it's consistent with scripture 307 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:39,920 or scriptural example, that would be an important thing. A leading is very similar to that, 308 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:46,680 where we're led to do something. God had led me to do this or to say this or do that. Finally 309 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:51,840 is discernment, discernment where you're facing a circumstance or a situation, all of a sudden 310 00:28:51,840 --> 00:28:56,720 you have a sense of foreboding in the Spirit, in the spiritual realm where the Holy Spirit 311 00:28:56,720 --> 00:29:01,200 is teaching you this may be something you want to back off of or it may be something 312 00:29:01,200 --> 00:29:05,960 that you need to be warned about. Watch that step, remember He's leading us like someone 313 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:12,120 would lead a blind person to avoid the catastrophes in life. I want to tell you something about 314 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:17,880 your Christian life, it pays to listen to the Holy Spirit. I don't mean in a financial 315 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:22,640 way, although it can also include that, it's just smart, it's just wise for you to trust 316 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:28,160 someone that's far wiser than you are to get through life. It's smart, it pays to listen 317 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:35,160 to the Holy Spirit in your life. So He will give you specific divine direction. Number 318 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:42,600 three, the Holy Spirit will teach us what to say in troubling times, in troubling times. 319 00:29:42,600 --> 00:29:49,600 Before John 14, 15, 16, before that discourse that Jesus had, Jesus used the word the Holy 320 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:54,960 Spirit in another way with His disciples. It was in Luke chapter 12 where He warned 321 00:29:54,960 --> 00:30:00,960 them about something that they were just becoming acquainted with. Now let's go to page 1038, 322 00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:07,960 just turning in your Bible to that, Luke 12, verse 11 and 12, here's what it says. Jesus 323 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:11,440 said to the disciples, when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the 324 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:16,280 authorities do not worry about how or what you are to speak in your defense or what you 325 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:23,280 are to say, and notice this next line, the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour 326 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:30,600 what you are to say. In other words, it won't be based on prior preparation. You may not 327 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:36,960 have a time to prepare what you're gonna say and it's during, according to the contact, 328 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:43,040 very stressful to most of the times where you may be out of your normal presence of 329 00:30:43,040 --> 00:30:50,040 mind, the Holy Spirit in troubling times will give you the words to say. The Holy Spirit 330 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:57,400 will come and help you, He says. He will rescue you. He will enable you to know what you should 331 00:30:57,400 --> 00:31:02,680 say or do. It's really interesting when you read the book of Acts, you'll see this come 332 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:07,200 up over and over. There are two things that are consistent in the book of Acts. One is 333 00:31:07,200 --> 00:31:11,060 that the disciples were walking under the power of the Holy Spirit, that's number one, 334 00:31:11,060 --> 00:31:15,520 and number two, they were always in trouble with the culture around them. They were full 335 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:21,040 of the Holy Spirit and the world wanted to put them to death. It was just what Jesus 336 00:31:21,040 --> 00:31:25,840 was prophesying to them about regarding the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit in chapter 337 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:32,840 12 or chapter 11. So I was reading through the book of Acts recently and I saw Acts chapter 338 00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:38,960 3. Most of us know the story where James, or rather Peter and John are going up to the 339 00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:43,720 temple to pray. It was during the hour of prayer so they go up that way and there is 340 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:47,040 a gate there called Beautiful. The name of the gate is Beautiful and there was a man 341 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:53,280 that had been lame from birth there at the gate and he's imploring these two disciples 342 00:31:53,280 --> 00:32:00,280 to do something for him. So Peter says, gold and silver I have none but what I do have 343 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:07,040 I give you in the name of the Lord Jesus rise up and walk. This amazing miracle takes place. 344 00:32:07,040 --> 00:32:11,680 This guy gets up and starts walking and running around and celebrating and everybody in that 345 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:16,760 area is angry because these disciples do that on that particular day and they don't understand 346 00:32:16,760 --> 00:32:23,760 what's going on and they put these two guys in prison. In prison. But before they get 347 00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:29,180 them in jail, Peter stands up and says, business what's going on? And he preaches a powerful 348 00:32:29,180 --> 00:32:33,200 message without preparation, without knowing that the crab is going to be there, without 349 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:40,200 knowing he's about to be put to jail and 5,000 men are saved on the spot. Now I'm a preacher, 350 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:46,160 that doesn't happen unless the Holy Spirit makes that happen. Can you imagine Peter standing 351 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:50,520 up and Peter always kind of said the wrong thing but all of a sudden Peter is kind of 352 00:32:50,520 --> 00:32:55,600 saying the right thing under the power of the Holy Spirit, right? Because in that moment 353 00:32:55,600 --> 00:33:02,120 of trouble the Holy Spirit will teach you what you need to say. And over those next 354 00:33:02,120 --> 00:33:07,880 few hours Peter had the chance to articulate the gospel over and over and over again in 355 00:33:07,880 --> 00:33:13,040 a time of great trouble. I don't know how exactly that applies to your life other than 356 00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:17,240 at some point you will be in trouble and at some point you will need the Holy Spirit's 357 00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:21,760 words in your life. And what you can count on is that he will be with you because he's 358 00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:28,320 in you and he will teach you what you are to say in the most difficult of times. I am 359 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:35,000 so grateful for that. The Holy Spirit will teach you what to say. Listen for him. Watch 360 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:41,480 for him to show up when troubling times unfold and when you need help the most he promises, 361 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:48,320 I won't desert you. I'll be there with you. Number four, the Holy Spirit will teach us 362 00:33:48,320 --> 00:33:59,160 to align our thoughts with his. In 1 Corinthians chapter 12 verse 16, you need to turn over 363 00:33:59,160 --> 00:34:07,840 a few pages to page 1142. It's in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, excuse me, verse 16, chapter 2 364 00:34:07,840 --> 00:34:14,680 verse 16. There's a statement that Paul gives us at the end of a long chapter in which he 365 00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:19,680 says don't trust the wisdom of the world. We have something much better that we can 366 00:34:19,680 --> 00:34:27,240 trust. And he sums that whole statement up by saying that we have the mind of Christ. 367 00:34:27,240 --> 00:34:33,640 I want you to say that with me. But we have the mind of Christ. It's really important 368 00:34:33,640 --> 00:34:39,300 that we understand what that means. Paul's statement regarding the source of wisdom from 369 00:34:39,300 --> 00:34:44,360 God that is made available to us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is that you 370 00:34:44,360 --> 00:34:48,720 will know everything you need to know at that moment. When you come to Christ, you have 371 00:34:48,720 --> 00:34:54,400 the capacity to have the mind of Christ. Here's what that doesn't mean. That doesn't mean 372 00:34:54,400 --> 00:35:00,480 that just because you're a believer, everything you think is correct. Surely you know that, 373 00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:04,880 right? You know. How many of you since you came to Jesus have been wrong at least once 374 00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:09,600 in your life? Would you raise your hand? Okay. Some of you didn't raise your hand. You must 375 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:14,440 be asleep or something. I don't know. I'll ask your spouse and get the real answer. I'll 376 00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:19,680 ask your friends and find another answer. It doesn't mean that everything we think is 377 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:30,560 correct, but it means that we have the capacity to realign our thoughts with his thoughts. 378 00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:37,200 You have, we have as believers the mind of Christ. Now this is not, this principle is 379 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:47,400 not for our opinion to rule, but for his wisdom to overrule and for us to come into alignment. 380 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:52,880 Now if you read a few verses before that particular verse, look at 1 Corinthians 2 verse 12 and 381 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:57,400 13, and we could take a long time to talk about this. So we'll just summarize this today. 382 00:35:57,400 --> 00:36:04,320 Paul said, now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from God. 383 00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:08,960 What would that be? The Holy Spirit. This is not a hard answer. It's not a hard question. 384 00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:14,360 The Holy Spirit. We've received the spirit who is from God. Why? So that we may know 385 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:20,000 the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak not in words taught by 386 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:24,920 human wisdom, but in those taught by the spirit. Now this last line is important. Combining 387 00:36:24,920 --> 00:36:30,360 spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. All that's highlighted there. Combining spiritual 388 00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:34,600 thoughts with spiritual words. Now if you look at that at the screen, please note in the original 389 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:39,800 language the word thoughts and words are not present on the manuscript, but rather combining 390 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:46,400 spiritual with spiritual. The translators have added the word thoughts and word words 391 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:52,600 to give and convey the sense of what's going on there. What's going on there is that we 392 00:36:52,600 --> 00:36:58,240 are challenged to align our thoughts with his words. Now the word that you need to see 393 00:36:58,240 --> 00:37:04,520 is the word combine. The word combine. Combining spiritual with spiritual. The word means to 394 00:37:04,520 --> 00:37:10,360 compare. We compare spiritual thoughts that we may have that are less tangible and less 395 00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:15,360 clear with the spiritual words we've already been given, which is in the Bible that we 396 00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:21,800 have right here, that are very clear and very tangible, put thought by thought with the 397 00:37:21,800 --> 00:37:26,120 words of scripture and the thoughts of our own mind and then bring them to alignment 398 00:37:26,120 --> 00:37:30,160 to know what the mind of Christ is for our life day in and day out. So here's how we 399 00:37:30,160 --> 00:37:36,480 do that. You've got the word of God and you lay your thoughts alongside thoughts that 400 00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:41,240 you may believe are spiritual thoughts. You lay them alongside the word of God and reconcile 401 00:37:41,240 --> 00:37:47,240 them without removing any of the word of God. Reconcile your thoughts or adjust your thoughts 402 00:37:47,240 --> 00:37:54,080 to become in alignment with the word of God and think that way. Please, please hear me 403 00:37:54,080 --> 00:38:00,520 out. Please hear me out. We live in a world where you are encouraged to find your own 404 00:38:00,520 --> 00:38:06,920 truth and you must reject that as quickly as you hear it because your truth is sinful 405 00:38:06,920 --> 00:38:11,840 just like mine is. I have the mind of Christ because I have the spirit of Christ and he's 406 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:16,520 given me words to compare my thoughts with and when I do that then I can have the mind 407 00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:21,960 of Christ and move forward in confidence that I'm in his will. But not until I compare 408 00:38:21,960 --> 00:38:28,360 my thoughts with his words. And here's why. I can't always determine where my thoughts 409 00:38:28,360 --> 00:38:34,160 come from but I can always determine where God's word comes from. My thoughts come from 410 00:38:34,160 --> 00:38:40,120 me but God's word comes from God. So I combine spiritual thoughts with spiritual words and 411 00:38:40,120 --> 00:38:46,880 align those thoughts so that I can be in alignment with God's Holy Spirit himself. That's why 412 00:38:46,880 --> 00:38:52,720 Paul said in Romans chapter 12, don't be conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewing 413 00:38:52,720 --> 00:38:58,280 of your what? Your mind. When you're outside the will of God in some area of your life 414 00:38:58,280 --> 00:39:03,640 you don't change the circumstance, you change your mind and you begin to think the way he 415 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:08,880 says you're to think. You begin to walk the way he says you're to walk. I'm going to 416 00:39:08,880 --> 00:39:13,040 give you a warning before I end this message and this is a big warning. Today it's a thing 417 00:39:13,040 --> 00:39:18,920 in churches across America, sometimes across the world that when a church begins to unhitch 418 00:39:18,920 --> 00:39:24,560 the Old Testament from the New Testament they're doing it to remove a large portion of God's 419 00:39:24,560 --> 00:39:30,160 revelation so that they can interpret the New Testament how everything want to interpret 420 00:39:30,160 --> 00:39:36,800 it. The idea is if I can remove certain words and ideas of scripture I can think like I 421 00:39:36,800 --> 00:39:44,040 want to think. You know who tells you to do that? Cults tell you to do that. The devil 422 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:52,600 tells you to do that. God does not tell you to do that. Combine spiritual thoughts with 423 00:39:52,600 --> 00:40:00,120 the Word of God with spiritual words to determine the future. You know I could have when I rebuilt 424 00:40:00,120 --> 00:40:04,920 that Volkswagen all those years ago I could have sat down without a manual and tried to 425 00:40:04,920 --> 00:40:13,320 do it. But at the end of many hours I promise you that that thing just wouldn't run. But 426 00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:20,560 I knew that I didn't know anything and I needed the help of an expert. I went and got the 427 00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:29,680 book. I am so glad that I know I can't live the Christian life by myself. I'm so glad 428 00:40:29,680 --> 00:40:37,000 that Jesus gave me His Holy Spirit and I've got the book and I can live the life He called 429 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:44,560 me to live and I'm so glad you can too. You know the very first step to the ministry of 430 00:40:44,560 --> 00:40:49,320 the Holy Spirit in your life and that is putting your faith and trust in the person of Jesus 431 00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:53,720 Christ. You know what happens when you put your faith and trust in Christ? He forgives 432 00:40:53,720 --> 00:40:58,400 you of sin, He gives you eternal life, and He gives you the gift of the who? The gift 433 00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:06,080 of the Holy Spirit. Wow. If you don't have Him today then you need Him today. In just 434 00:41:06,080 --> 00:41:09,320 a few moments I'm going to close and we're going to have these decision stations open 435 00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:14,160 as you walk by them stop and talk to someone and say you know I need to put Jesus Christ 436 00:41:14,160 --> 00:41:19,200 as Lord and Savior of my life. I need the gift of the Holy Spirit in my life. I need 437 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:23,840 that direction and wisdom day in and day out and those that are standing behind those tables 438 00:41:23,840 --> 00:41:28,520 would love to talk to you about that. They would love to. That's my first invitation 439 00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:33,760 to you today. In addition to that first invitation I would also say you go home and you look 440 00:41:33,760 --> 00:41:38,720 at your Bible in a different way. Don't look at it like it's just an ancient book that's 441 00:41:38,720 --> 00:41:42,400 sitting on the coffee table. Look at it as a teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit that 442 00:41:42,400 --> 00:41:48,760 Jesus has given you for your life and open it up and spend some time in it. Second invite 443 00:41:48,760 --> 00:41:52,360 is I'd love if you were a guest today for you to come to our Guest Reception Center 444 00:41:52,360 --> 00:41:57,040 just outside the center exit door. I would love to meet you and tell you about our church. 445 00:41:57,040 --> 00:42:01,760 The third invite is come back next week when we're digging even deeper into the Holy Spirit 446 00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:08,760 series. I promise you it's going to rejuvenate your personal walk with Christ. Let's stand 447 00:42:08,760 --> 00:42:15,360 together for a closing word of prayer. Father I want to thank you today that we have this 448 00:42:15,360 --> 00:42:20,360 extreme privilege of looking at you word and worshiping and I thank you for all those in 449 00:42:20,360 --> 00:42:24,960 the room. Father I pray today for those that have never given their lives to you as Lord 450 00:42:24,960 --> 00:42:30,800 and Savior today that they would stop and not take another step until they make the 451 00:42:30,800 --> 00:42:37,000 decision to ask you to be Lord and Savior and give them the forgiveness of sin, give 452 00:42:37,000 --> 00:42:42,120 them the gift of eternal life and the Holy Spirit Father. Thank you. Father for those 453 00:42:42,120 --> 00:42:46,880 of us that have already accepted Christ I pray that the minister of your Holy Spirit 454 00:42:46,880 --> 00:42:51,680 in our lives will be alive for us, that he will be real to us and we pray that you'll 455 00:42:51,680 --> 00:42:58,680 guide us Holy Spirit. Teach us Lord today use this time that we've had together to 456 00:42:59,200 --> 00:43:04,200 help us follow you more closely in Jesus name. Amen. God bless you. Have a wonderful Lord's 457 00:43:04,200 --> 00:43:19,200 Day.