WEBVTT 00:00:13.130 --> 00:00:15.970 Welcome to Hub City Vineyard. To get connected 00:00:15.970 --> 00:00:19.949 or to give online, please go to hcv .church .connect 00:00:19.949 --> 00:00:24.269 or hcv .church .give. If at any point during 00:00:24.269 --> 00:00:26.750 this message you feel called to make a change 00:00:26.750 --> 00:00:31.989 in your life, text CHANGEME to 97000. Now enjoy 00:00:31.989 --> 00:00:35.590 the message. We're kicking off a five -week journey 00:00:35.590 --> 00:00:38.990 of exploring, learning, and experiencing the 00:00:38.990 --> 00:00:41.689 Holy Spirit in our June series that we've entitled 00:00:41.689 --> 00:00:45.020 Come. Holy Spirit. Now, if we're really honest 00:00:45.020 --> 00:00:47.679 about that topic, there's a lot of confusion 00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:51.039 around the Holy Spirit. Who is he? What does 00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:55.820 he do? Can he really be experienced today? It's 00:00:55.820 --> 00:00:58.100 pretty obvious that he's probably the most misunderstood 00:00:58.100 --> 00:01:02.179 member of the Trinity. So who is the Holy Spirit? 00:01:02.500 --> 00:01:06.659 A simple question, but if it was posed to many 00:01:06.659 --> 00:01:09.980 in the church, All outside of the church, they 00:01:09.980 --> 00:01:13.019 would struggle to find an answer. This is what 00:01:13.019 --> 00:01:16.280 happened when the crew from Alpha, Alpha is a 00:01:16.280 --> 00:01:18.319 course designed to help people understand who 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:21.400 God is. We actually host Alpha here at our community 00:01:21.400 --> 00:01:24.019 of faith. You can see Kelsey if you're interested 00:01:24.019 --> 00:01:26.099 in learning more about it. But the crew from 00:01:26.099 --> 00:01:28.400 Alpha went around asking different people from 00:01:28.400 --> 00:01:30.299 different backgrounds with different beliefs, 00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:33.760 who is the Holy Spirit? And let's watch some 00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:43.680 of their answers. Who is the Holy Spirit? I don't 00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:51.219 know who I'm sorry. I don't know That's a tough 00:01:51.219 --> 00:02:01.719 one God Jesus and the Holy Spirit all like a 00:02:01.719 --> 00:02:08.020 trendy angel. I don't know It's it's God I think 00:02:08.020 --> 00:02:11.580 the Holy Spirit is different for everyone. Wouldn't 00:02:11.580 --> 00:02:14.939 that be your conscience? I don't really have 00:02:14.939 --> 00:02:17.159 a lot of, I don't know. I don't know who the 00:02:17.159 --> 00:02:22.599 Holy Spirit is. I mean, I don't know. Third person 00:02:22.599 --> 00:02:27.599 of the Trinity? The Holy Spirit? I've never even 00:02:27.599 --> 00:02:33.960 really much thought of that. See, I believe if 00:02:33.960 --> 00:02:36.520 we went out into our community right now, and 00:02:36.520 --> 00:02:38.520 begin to ask people the same question, we would 00:02:38.520 --> 00:02:41.659 receive a lot of similar responses. There's a 00:02:41.659 --> 00:02:44.099 lot of confusion around the Holy Spirit. And 00:02:44.099 --> 00:02:46.120 this confusion, unfortunately, is not limited 00:02:46.120 --> 00:02:49.699 to people who are just not in a relationship 00:02:49.699 --> 00:02:52.340 with Jesus. There's many Jesus followers in the 00:02:52.340 --> 00:02:54.819 church today who are confused about the Holy 00:02:54.819 --> 00:02:58.680 Spirit. According to a recent study by the Barna 00:02:58.680 --> 00:03:01.460 Group, the Barna Group is a firm specializing 00:03:01.460 --> 00:03:03.560 in studying of religious beliefs and behaviors 00:03:03.560 --> 00:03:10.340 in Americans. 62%. Let me say that again. 62 00:03:10.340 --> 00:03:13.080 % of Christians in the United States no longer 00:03:13.080 --> 00:03:15.680 believe that the Holy Spirit is a real being. 00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:21.159 They see him only as a symbol, a symbol of God's 00:03:21.159 --> 00:03:27.419 power and presence. 62 % of the people in churches 00:03:27.419 --> 00:03:30.379 in the United States, that's two -thirds of the 00:03:30.379 --> 00:03:32.460 Christians in the United States, don't believe 00:03:32.460 --> 00:03:35.939 in the Holy Spirit. Don't believe they can be 00:03:35.939 --> 00:03:40.020 empowered today. Why? You know, why is that there? 00:03:40.120 --> 00:03:43.900 Because there's misunderstanding in the complexity 00:03:43.900 --> 00:03:46.560 of doctrine. There's diverse interpretations 00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:49.520 of the scriptures. There's a lack of clear and 00:03:49.520 --> 00:03:52.780 consistent teaching across different denominations. 00:03:52.780 --> 00:03:55.180 For example, some denominations and churches 00:03:55.180 --> 00:03:58.020 believe that God's power and presence in the 00:03:58.020 --> 00:04:01.139 form of the Holy Spirit was only for those people 00:04:01.139 --> 00:04:03.620 that we read about in the Bible. That the signs, 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:05.539 wonders, and miracles that were recorded in the 00:04:05.539 --> 00:04:09.139 book of Acts ended with the early church and 00:04:09.139 --> 00:04:12.139 no longer in operation today. See, with these 00:04:12.139 --> 00:04:14.560 different interpretations and beliefs, churches 00:04:14.560 --> 00:04:17.259 today, they avoid teaching about the Holy Spirit. 00:04:17.379 --> 00:04:21.139 They focus on God. They focus on Jesus. And the 00:04:21.139 --> 00:04:23.639 Holy Spirit is more of an afterthought. It's 00:04:23.639 --> 00:04:26.300 kind of quickly brushed over. And it leaves people 00:04:26.300 --> 00:04:30.639 wondering, questioning, who is the Holy Spirit? 00:04:32.240 --> 00:04:34.899 When you add in the confusion of translators, 00:04:34.939 --> 00:04:38.819 they took the Bible, right, and they changed 00:04:38.819 --> 00:04:42.660 the word spirit to ghost when they translated 00:04:42.660 --> 00:04:45.240 the New King James Version. And people began 00:04:45.240 --> 00:04:47.319 to wonder, well, is the Holy Spirit a ghost? 00:04:47.560 --> 00:04:49.839 Is he a person? Is he a spirit? Is he a being? 00:04:50.040 --> 00:04:53.779 What is he? Unfortunately, some of you here today, 00:04:53.860 --> 00:04:57.959 you've had negative experiences with the Holy 00:04:57.959 --> 00:05:00.639 Spirit. Maybe you or someone you know was told 00:05:00.639 --> 00:05:02.319 unless you speak in tongues, you're not really 00:05:02.319 --> 00:05:05.879 saved. Maybe you've seen pastors or leaders in 00:05:05.879 --> 00:05:08.959 churches pushing people over in the name of the 00:05:08.959 --> 00:05:12.459 Spirit. Maybe you have seen too much emotionalism, 00:05:12.459 --> 00:05:15.259 flopping around, running around, screaming, yelling, 00:05:15.480 --> 00:05:18.860 laughing, and you're turned off by this idea 00:05:18.860 --> 00:05:22.220 of the Holy Spirit. Well, let me explain to you 00:05:22.220 --> 00:05:25.680 what we believe. Here at the Vineyard, we are 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:28.139 a church that is a part of movement of churches 00:05:28.139 --> 00:05:30.639 across the U .S. and around the world that believes 00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:33.980 the Holy Spirit is a person. He is the third 00:05:33.980 --> 00:05:36.079 person of the Trinity that includes the Father, 00:05:36.279 --> 00:05:39.439 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Those three are 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:42.360 co -equal. They're co -eternal. We believe in 00:05:42.360 --> 00:05:44.959 a triune faith, which means we believe there 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:49.129 is one God. in three persons. And each of those 00:05:49.129 --> 00:05:51.430 persons have unique roles and responsibilities, 00:05:51.670 --> 00:05:55.189 all working together in harmony and unity, which 00:05:55.189 --> 00:05:57.490 is an example of what the church is supposed 00:05:57.490 --> 00:06:00.750 to look like. Here at HTV, we believe in the 00:06:00.750 --> 00:06:05.329 person, the power, and the presence of the Holy 00:06:05.329 --> 00:06:08.910 Spirit. So each of us are on a journey with Jesus. 00:06:09.680 --> 00:06:12.860 We all have different misunderstandings. We all 00:06:12.860 --> 00:06:15.899 have different comfortability when it comes to 00:06:15.899 --> 00:06:18.459 the Holy Spirit. My encouragement to you is this. 00:06:18.920 --> 00:06:21.920 I want to invite you to participate on this journey 00:06:21.920 --> 00:06:26.040 with me over the next five weeks. I want to encourage 00:06:26.040 --> 00:06:29.800 you. Be open to a new understanding of who the 00:06:29.800 --> 00:06:33.339 Holy Spirit is in your life as we study and explore 00:06:33.339 --> 00:06:38.230 who he really is. Because I believe. All of us 00:06:38.230 --> 00:06:41.829 are going to learn something much more than we 00:06:41.829 --> 00:06:45.149 previously knew. I'm going to open in prayer. 00:06:45.370 --> 00:06:46.970 And you may have noticed, if you've been here 00:06:46.970 --> 00:06:50.269 for any time, every week at HTV, before worship, 00:06:50.470 --> 00:06:53.029 before I share, we always what? We always invite 00:06:53.029 --> 00:06:55.870 the Holy Spirit to come. Because we want the 00:06:55.870 --> 00:06:58.829 Holy Spirit to empower us in our teaching, in 00:06:58.829 --> 00:07:01.550 our leading of worship. Because he's the one 00:07:01.550 --> 00:07:04.550 that draws us closer to God. Let's open in prayer. 00:07:05.209 --> 00:07:09.300 Holy Spirit, come. God, I just pray that you 00:07:09.300 --> 00:07:12.759 would silence the distractions in Jesus' name. 00:07:13.560 --> 00:07:17.540 Open our minds, open our ears. More importantly, 00:07:17.699 --> 00:07:22.800 unlock our guarded hearts to receive so much 00:07:22.800 --> 00:07:28.300 more from you. Help us, God, to grow closer to 00:07:28.300 --> 00:07:30.759 you through learning about your Holy Spirit. 00:07:30.860 --> 00:07:35.350 In Jesus' name, amen. So our first thought this 00:07:35.350 --> 00:07:37.310 morning, who is the Holy Spirit? Well, the Holy 00:07:37.310 --> 00:07:41.329 Spirit is the breath of God. In the Bible, the 00:07:41.329 --> 00:07:44.009 Hebrew word for Holy Spirit that we read about 00:07:44.009 --> 00:07:48.110 in the Old Testament is the word ruach. And this 00:07:48.110 --> 00:07:52.290 word means breath or wind. Many of us know that 00:07:52.290 --> 00:07:54.449 in the very beginning of the Bible, Genesis chapter 00:07:54.449 --> 00:07:57.230 1, the first words that were written, it says, 00:07:57.269 --> 00:08:00.430 God created the heavens and the earth. The earth 00:08:00.430 --> 00:08:05.759 was empty, covered in dark. And the spirit, the 00:08:05.759 --> 00:08:09.839 ruach of God was hovering over the surface of 00:08:09.839 --> 00:08:13.120 the waters. This would be the wind or the breath 00:08:13.120 --> 00:08:17.000 of God. Then we read in Genesis 2, 7. The Lord 00:08:17.000 --> 00:08:19.019 God formed the man from the dust of the ground. 00:08:19.180 --> 00:08:23.779 He breathed the breath, the ruach of life into 00:08:23.779 --> 00:08:26.480 the man's nostrils. And the man became a living 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:29.339 person. Fast forward to the New Testament, which 00:08:29.339 --> 00:08:32.379 is mostly written in Greek. We find the word 00:08:32.379 --> 00:08:37.059 pneuma, which again is defined as breath or wind 00:08:37.059 --> 00:08:40.700 of God. We read this in John 20, verse 22. Again, 00:08:40.759 --> 00:08:43.240 he said, this is Jesus speaking to the disciples. 00:08:43.779 --> 00:08:47.200 After he had risen from the dead, peace be with 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:49.840 you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending 00:08:49.840 --> 00:08:54.419 you. Then he breathed on them and said, receive. 00:08:55.320 --> 00:08:59.580 The Holy Spirit, receive the pneuma. Now, all 00:08:59.580 --> 00:09:02.899 of us know that breathing is essential for life. 00:09:03.179 --> 00:09:06.559 I mean, we can't survive without the breath of 00:09:06.559 --> 00:09:09.679 life. And the word that is used to describe the 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:13.440 Holy Spirit reveals to us how vital the Holy 00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:16.519 Spirit is in our lives. Interestingly, throughout 00:09:16.519 --> 00:09:19.580 the Bible, we'll discover many other vivid descriptions 00:09:19.580 --> 00:09:22.899 of the Holy Spirit. He is described as wind. 00:09:23.610 --> 00:09:27.870 Water, a dove, fire. So you can see where some 00:09:27.870 --> 00:09:30.629 of the confusion comes from, but we must remember 00:09:30.629 --> 00:09:35.990 the Holy Spirit is a person. The Holy Spirit 00:09:35.990 --> 00:09:38.769 is found in the entirety of the Bible. From the 00:09:38.769 --> 00:09:40.970 very beginning, Genesis chapter 1 that I just 00:09:40.970 --> 00:09:43.669 read to you, all the way to Revelation chapter 00:09:43.669 --> 00:09:47.750 22, we read about the work of the Holy Spirit. 00:09:48.279 --> 00:09:50.960 Which is interesting because many people in the 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:53.600 church, when discussing the Holy Spirit, they 00:09:53.600 --> 00:09:56.620 zero in on Acts chapter 2, the day of Pentecost, 00:09:56.799 --> 00:10:00.120 when the Holy Spirit fell on the early church 00:10:00.120 --> 00:10:03.440 and was poured out on all people. But he's so 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:06.659 much more than just Acts chapter 2. Take a look 00:10:06.659 --> 00:10:09.259 at this slide. I found this online. I found it 00:10:09.259 --> 00:10:11.740 very interesting. The Holy Spirit in the Old 00:10:11.740 --> 00:10:13.480 Testament and New Testament. Now, this is not 00:10:13.480 --> 00:10:17.850 every... but I found it interesting that both 00:10:17.850 --> 00:10:20.669 in the Old and the New, the Holy Spirit is everywhere. 00:10:20.970 --> 00:10:24.970 Like I said, he created humanity, right? He fell 00:10:24.970 --> 00:10:28.289 on and empowered Deborah, Saul, Zerubbabel in 00:10:28.289 --> 00:10:31.509 the Old Testament. He anticipated the anointed 00:10:31.509 --> 00:10:34.649 one, the Messiah, right? The prophecies predicted 00:10:34.649 --> 00:10:38.370 that the Holy Spirit would come. In the New Testament, 00:10:38.549 --> 00:10:42.110 Jesus was born of the Spirit. Jesus lived a sinless 00:10:42.110 --> 00:10:45.120 life in the... Power of the Spirit. And any time 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:47.799 that that's referenced, who is it referencing? 00:10:48.120 --> 00:10:53.639 The Holy Spirit. He created. He empowered. Throughout 00:10:53.639 --> 00:10:56.779 the prophecies, Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit 00:10:56.779 --> 00:11:01.960 in his ministry. Now, the best definition of 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:04.100 the Holy Spirit that I have found was written 00:11:04.100 --> 00:11:07.059 by Diane Lehman. Diane Lehman is one of the founding 00:11:07.059 --> 00:11:09.879 pastors of the Vineyard Church in central Illinois. 00:11:10.200 --> 00:11:13.820 And in her book entitled, Hello, Holy Spirit, 00:11:13.940 --> 00:11:17.259 she writes these words. Who is the Holy Spirit? 00:11:17.620 --> 00:11:20.779 He's not a ghost. He's not an impersonal force. 00:11:21.039 --> 00:11:23.879 He's not an elusive power somewhere out there. 00:11:24.039 --> 00:11:26.759 He is neither a doctrine to be studied nor a 00:11:26.759 --> 00:11:30.059 distant deity to be feared. He is a person to 00:11:30.059 --> 00:11:33.679 be known and loved. He is God himself. He is 00:11:33.679 --> 00:11:35.879 one of three persons of the Trinity, the Father, 00:11:35.879 --> 00:11:38.940 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. One God, three 00:11:38.940 --> 00:11:42.259 persons. He is God's gift of himself to each 00:11:42.259 --> 00:11:45.539 of us. He makes the Christian life indescribably 00:11:45.539 --> 00:11:50.340 beautiful and a fun -filled delight. What a powerful 00:11:50.340 --> 00:11:54.440 description telling us of who the Holy Spirit 00:11:54.440 --> 00:11:58.049 is. He's a gift. To each of us. And he's going 00:11:58.049 --> 00:12:02.450 to make our life abundant, overflowing, full 00:12:02.450 --> 00:12:07.509 of joy. This is who the Holy Spirit is. What 00:12:07.509 --> 00:12:10.490 does he do? Well, our second thought, the Holy 00:12:10.490 --> 00:12:14.429 Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. See, when 00:12:14.429 --> 00:12:17.750 we begin a relationship with Jesus, we experience 00:12:17.750 --> 00:12:22.149 what the Bible calls a new birth. Or to be born 00:12:22.149 --> 00:12:25.460 again. Now this can be, again, very confusing 00:12:25.460 --> 00:12:28.659 language for humanity because we understand birth 00:12:28.659 --> 00:12:31.620 as what happens when a baby is born from their 00:12:31.620 --> 00:12:34.519 mother. So the idea of experiencing this new 00:12:34.519 --> 00:12:37.960 birth or this rebirth, which points to a person 00:12:37.960 --> 00:12:41.039 going back up inside their mother to be born 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:44.019 again, can be confusing because, let's be honest, 00:12:44.220 --> 00:12:47.120 it's impossible. Right, moms? It's impossible. 00:12:49.130 --> 00:12:52.049 Jesus tells us though that the Holy Spirit is 00:12:52.049 --> 00:12:54.950 going to be a key component to this miraculous 00:12:54.950 --> 00:12:57.090 experience which a lot of people don't understand. 00:12:57.289 --> 00:13:01.149 He is actually going to be the agent of this 00:13:01.149 --> 00:13:04.590 new birth. Let's read John chapter 3 verses 5 00:13:04.590 --> 00:13:08.750 through 8. Jesus replied, I assure you no one 00:13:08.750 --> 00:13:11.029 can enter the kingdom of God without being born 00:13:11.029 --> 00:13:14.529 of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce 00:13:14.529 --> 00:13:17.929 only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth 00:13:17.929 --> 00:13:22.230 to spiritual life. So don't be surprised when 00:13:22.230 --> 00:13:25.870 I say you must be born again. The wind blows 00:13:25.870 --> 00:13:28.669 wherever it wants, just as you can hear the wind 00:13:28.669 --> 00:13:30.769 but can't tell where it comes from or where it 00:13:30.769 --> 00:13:33.809 is going, so you can't explain how people are 00:13:33.809 --> 00:13:37.870 born of the Spirit. So Jesus, he makes this bold 00:13:37.870 --> 00:13:42.370 statement saying, We can't, you and I can't experience 00:13:42.370 --> 00:13:45.110 the kingdom of God without being born again. 00:13:45.330 --> 00:13:49.610 And the Holy Spirit is the agent of this rebirth. 00:13:49.769 --> 00:13:52.129 What does this mean? Well, it means that the 00:13:52.129 --> 00:13:55.250 Holy Spirit is the one who draws you to Jesus. 00:13:55.450 --> 00:13:58.529 The Holy Spirit is the one who makes what was 00:13:58.529 --> 00:14:02.919 once unknown, known. Like we understand this 00:14:02.919 --> 00:14:05.220 new life. When we come into a relationship with 00:14:05.220 --> 00:14:08.240 Jesus, it's actually the Holy Spirit in us empowering 00:14:08.240 --> 00:14:12.379 us to understand that truth. We don't do anything 00:14:12.379 --> 00:14:15.460 on our own. It's not possible in human strength. 00:14:15.519 --> 00:14:17.940 The Holy Spirit is the one who gives birth to 00:14:17.940 --> 00:14:20.360 our spiritual life. And friends, this is good 00:14:20.360 --> 00:14:24.220 news. Because it means if we said yes to Jesus, 00:14:24.299 --> 00:14:27.519 the Holy Spirit is living inside of you. The 00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:29.740 same Spirit that rose Jesus from the grave lives 00:14:29.740 --> 00:14:35.389 where? in a person who believes. But please understand, 00:14:35.669 --> 00:14:39.110 this does not mean that we're gonna understand 00:14:39.110 --> 00:14:41.909 everything about the Holy Spirit. This does not 00:14:41.909 --> 00:14:44.889 mean we won't have questions about God or faith. 00:14:45.190 --> 00:14:48.549 This does not mean we are living in the abundance 00:14:48.549 --> 00:14:51.470 that Jesus promised through a relationship with 00:14:51.470 --> 00:14:54.669 him. Why? Because quite often we ignore the Holy 00:14:54.669 --> 00:14:57.889 Spirit. There's times in our life that we grieve 00:14:57.889 --> 00:15:00.929 the Holy Spirit. And let's be honest, in our 00:15:00.929 --> 00:15:03.350 everyday lives, we have a tendency to forget 00:15:03.350 --> 00:15:07.049 that we have that power living inside of us. 00:15:07.269 --> 00:15:12.570 The point, if you've said yes to Jesus and you're 00:15:12.570 --> 00:15:14.669 in a relationship with him, you have the Holy 00:15:14.669 --> 00:15:17.769 Spirit living inside of you. Jesus has been revealed 00:15:17.769 --> 00:15:20.830 to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. But 00:15:20.830 --> 00:15:25.450 our enemy, the enemy of this world, is working 00:15:25.450 --> 00:15:29.129 overtime on us. To make us confused about this 00:15:29.129 --> 00:15:31.629 truth. Right? He wants us scattered. He wants 00:15:31.629 --> 00:15:34.629 us divided. Because he doesn't want the church 00:15:34.629 --> 00:15:37.070 living in the abundance that Jesus promises. 00:15:37.190 --> 00:15:40.129 And that happens when we're connected to the 00:15:40.129 --> 00:15:41.830 Holy Spirit. Which leads us to our next thought. 00:15:41.990 --> 00:15:46.830 The Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us. He speaks 00:15:46.830 --> 00:15:50.710 to us. He releases truth into us. Now the church 00:15:50.710 --> 00:15:53.809 is obviously confused about the Holy Spirit. 00:15:54.970 --> 00:15:57.450 62%. Of people who don't believe in the Holy 00:15:57.450 --> 00:16:00.490 Spirit. While the world is just confused about 00:16:00.490 --> 00:16:02.750 God in general. Right? If we're to go out into 00:16:02.750 --> 00:16:05.450 our community and ask not who is the Holy Spirit, 00:16:05.509 --> 00:16:08.009 who is God, we're going to get a lot of answers 00:16:08.009 --> 00:16:11.769 that are very diverse. The world is filled with 00:16:11.769 --> 00:16:15.190 confusion over who God is, who Jesus is, and 00:16:15.190 --> 00:16:18.470 why do we even need them? Well, the Holy Spirit. 00:16:19.080 --> 00:16:22.080 is active in revealing the truth about why we 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:25.200 need them to us. We have to be open to receiving 00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:28.000 that truth. See, the Holy Spirit desires that 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:32.120 our minds, right, that wander and go everywhere 00:16:32.120 --> 00:16:34.879 are being transformed by his power. That we begin 00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:39.220 to think, act, and live like Jesus each and every 00:16:39.220 --> 00:16:42.799 day. Now, in John chapter 16, Jesus, he begins 00:16:42.799 --> 00:16:45.340 to tell the disciples that he's about to go. 00:16:45.500 --> 00:16:48.659 He's about to leave this place. And of course, 00:16:48.659 --> 00:16:50.320 what did the disciples do? They argued with him. 00:16:50.340 --> 00:16:53.580 No! No, no, no, you can't go. Remember, they 00:16:53.580 --> 00:16:56.539 believed that Jesus was the king that was going 00:16:56.539 --> 00:17:00.559 to usher in a new kingdom and overthrow the Roman 00:17:00.559 --> 00:17:03.240 authorities that were oppressing God's chosen 00:17:03.240 --> 00:17:06.759 people. But Jesus responds to them. And he says, 00:17:06.859 --> 00:17:11.460 no, I have to go so that I can leave you a helper, 00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:15.910 a gift. That will change your life forever. We 00:17:15.910 --> 00:17:19.630 read this in John 16, 13 through 15. When the 00:17:19.630 --> 00:17:23.130 spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into 00:17:23.130 --> 00:17:26.210 all truth. He will not speak on his own, but 00:17:26.210 --> 00:17:28.549 will tell you what he has heard. He will tell 00:17:28.549 --> 00:17:30.890 you about the future. He will bring me glory 00:17:30.890 --> 00:17:33.210 by telling you whatever he receives from me. 00:17:33.509 --> 00:17:37.730 All that belongs to the father is mine. This 00:17:37.730 --> 00:17:40.369 is why I said, the spirit will tell you whatever 00:17:40.369 --> 00:17:43.759 he receives from me. See, this is a beautiful 00:17:43.759 --> 00:17:46.900 picture of the Trinity, three in one, working 00:17:46.900 --> 00:17:49.359 together, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, 00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:53.059 revealing truth that was previously unknown. 00:17:53.440 --> 00:17:57.019 In a world that is full of confusion about who 00:17:57.019 --> 00:18:00.200 God is, who we are, what is our purpose, the 00:18:00.200 --> 00:18:03.740 Holy Spirit is the key to reveal those truths 00:18:03.740 --> 00:18:06.519 to us. We have to be open to receive it. Remember, 00:18:06.619 --> 00:18:10.910 Jesus said this in John 14, 9. Have I been with 00:18:10.910 --> 00:18:12.750 you all this time, Philip, and yet you still 00:18:12.750 --> 00:18:16.710 don't know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has 00:18:16.710 --> 00:18:21.089 seen the Father. See, the Holy Spirit is now 00:18:21.089 --> 00:18:24.690 revealing the Father and the Son to us. And this 00:18:24.690 --> 00:18:27.549 is important as we walk through a life full of 00:18:27.549 --> 00:18:31.210 ups and downs. How many of you had a bad day 00:18:31.210 --> 00:18:33.170 this week? Show of hands. Come on, let me see 00:18:33.170 --> 00:18:37.200 it. Oh, give me a break. So you're telling me 00:18:37.200 --> 00:18:40.140 that there's 400 people in here. You're telling 00:18:40.140 --> 00:18:42.519 me that 30 people had a bad day this past week. 00:18:42.880 --> 00:18:45.339 How many of you had a bad day this past week? 00:18:46.099 --> 00:18:50.240 Man, some of you are lying. I know you are. You're 00:18:50.240 --> 00:18:53.980 just lying. I'm just, like if you didn't put 00:18:53.980 --> 00:18:55.980 your hand up, you're lying. It's just that simple. 00:18:57.539 --> 00:18:59.400 Right, Steve? If they didn't put their hand up, 00:18:59.420 --> 00:19:04.230 they're lying. Lying. I know that because someone 00:19:04.230 --> 00:19:06.650 asked me how I was doing last week. You know 00:19:06.650 --> 00:19:09.009 what I said to them? I said, I feel like I'm 00:19:09.009 --> 00:19:11.410 on the Rebel Yell. Has anybody ever been on the 00:19:11.410 --> 00:19:13.569 Rebel Yell? Now, some of you are younger. You 00:19:13.569 --> 00:19:15.829 have no idea what the Rebel Yell is. The Rebel 00:19:15.829 --> 00:19:18.210 Yell is a death -defying roller coaster made 00:19:18.210 --> 00:19:21.230 of wood. You're not strapped into a cart. I don't 00:19:21.230 --> 00:19:22.930 even know if it's still at Kingston Minion. It's 00:19:22.930 --> 00:19:25.170 probably been torn down. But it may still be 00:19:25.170 --> 00:19:26.410 there. I have no idea. I haven't been there in 00:19:26.410 --> 00:19:29.130 20 years. But it's this death -defying roller 00:19:29.130 --> 00:19:31.470 coaster made of wood. And you go down this giant 00:19:31.470 --> 00:19:33.349 hill and make the sharpest turn ever in your 00:19:33.349 --> 00:19:35.410 life. And you think you're going to fly out on 00:19:35.410 --> 00:19:40.430 the other side. Right? Whew. It's scary. Anyway, 00:19:40.549 --> 00:19:42.670 last week I was like, yeah, I feel like I'm on 00:19:42.670 --> 00:19:46.490 the Rebel Yell. I have highs and I have lows. 00:19:46.930 --> 00:19:51.970 And I have highs and I have lows. See, here's 00:19:51.970 --> 00:19:53.650 the reality when it comes to the Holy Spirit. 00:19:54.049 --> 00:19:57.680 When we're having a bad day. All we have to do 00:19:57.680 --> 00:20:02.319 is simply pause, step back, and ask the Holy 00:20:02.319 --> 00:20:08.359 Spirit to come. And say, God, what is happening 00:20:08.359 --> 00:20:11.980 right now that I'm having a bad day? Is it my 00:20:11.980 --> 00:20:17.059 attitude? Am I ungrateful? Am I angry? Am I unforgiving? 00:20:17.960 --> 00:20:20.519 Am I just having a bad day because I didn't get 00:20:20.519 --> 00:20:23.480 enough sleep? And if you pause and invite the 00:20:23.480 --> 00:20:26.339 Holy Spirit to reveal that truth to you, he will 00:20:26.339 --> 00:20:31.299 if we listen. See, the Holy Spirit wants to free 00:20:31.299 --> 00:20:34.700 us from a destructive mindset that pulls us away 00:20:34.700 --> 00:20:38.160 from God. He wants to free us from a confusion 00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:41.059 of who he is so that we can embrace all that 00:20:41.059 --> 00:20:43.740 God has for us. Church, the Holy Spirit is not 00:20:43.740 --> 00:20:47.380 a ghost. He's not a non -important member of 00:20:47.380 --> 00:20:50.259 the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is a revealer who 00:20:50.259 --> 00:20:53.140 is always revealing God to us. He's revealing 00:20:53.140 --> 00:20:57.819 Jesus to humanity and speaking about life change. 00:20:57.940 --> 00:21:00.380 Now, in John chapter 9, we read about Saul's 00:21:00.380 --> 00:21:02.579 conversion experience. Listen to how the Holy 00:21:02.579 --> 00:21:07.440 Spirit revealed Jesus to Saul, Acts 9, 3 -6. 00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:11.079 As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, 00:21:12.060 --> 00:21:15.019 On a mission to kill Christians, a light from 00:21:15.019 --> 00:21:17.279 heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell 00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:18.940 to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, 00:21:19.019 --> 00:21:23.519 Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Who are 00:21:23.519 --> 00:21:26.240 you, Lord? Saul asked. And the voice replied, 00:21:26.480 --> 00:21:29.000 I am Jesus, the one who you are persecuting. 00:21:29.339 --> 00:21:31.380 Now get up and go into the city and you will 00:21:31.380 --> 00:21:34.460 be told what you must do. See, when this interaction 00:21:34.460 --> 00:21:36.259 took place, some of you are thinking, well, Chris, 00:21:36.299 --> 00:21:40.700 that's Jesus speaking to Saul. When this interaction 00:21:40.700 --> 00:21:43.240 took place, Jesus had already returned or ascended 00:21:43.240 --> 00:21:47.279 where? Into heaven. He had left the earth. This 00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:50.740 conversation between Jesus and Saul was the Holy 00:21:50.740 --> 00:21:55.200 Spirit revealing truth about who Jesus was and 00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:58.559 is to Saul. And see, that initial revelation 00:21:58.559 --> 00:22:02.059 of Jesus is so important to us because it draws 00:22:02.059 --> 00:22:05.059 us into a relationship with God and launches 00:22:05.059 --> 00:22:09.250 us onto a journey of life change. Now, I'm going 00:22:09.250 --> 00:22:12.549 to be sharing my story about life change and 00:22:12.549 --> 00:22:14.470 start with why today, right after this gathering. 00:22:14.529 --> 00:22:16.650 If you want to know about our church, how we 00:22:16.650 --> 00:22:19.049 began, what God is doing right now, and where 00:22:19.049 --> 00:22:21.069 we're headed, you can join me right after this. 00:22:21.089 --> 00:22:23.009 Just go out to the Welcome Hub. I'll tell you 00:22:23.009 --> 00:22:24.630 the story about our community of faith, and you 00:22:24.630 --> 00:22:27.029 will learn that in my conversion experience, 00:22:27.609 --> 00:22:31.930 I was 22 years old, and I woke up in my bed at 00:22:31.930 --> 00:22:34.109 5 a .m. in the morning to a voice that was telling 00:22:34.109 --> 00:22:37.140 me to go to church. And for about an hour, I 00:22:37.140 --> 00:22:39.740 laid in my bed, rolling back and forth from side 00:22:39.740 --> 00:22:42.779 to side, sweating, trying to figure out if I'm 00:22:42.779 --> 00:22:46.680 going crazy or if this is a real voice. I didn't 00:22:46.680 --> 00:22:48.660 know what was happening. Go to church. Go to 00:22:48.660 --> 00:22:51.519 church. Go to church. I got up, got a shower, 00:22:51.640 --> 00:22:54.740 and started heading to Smithsburg to my old church. 00:22:54.960 --> 00:22:57.519 And as I was driving to Smithsburg, about halfway 00:22:57.519 --> 00:23:00.460 there, I heard that same voice, same tone, same 00:23:00.460 --> 00:23:02.759 audible come back and say, you're going to the 00:23:02.759 --> 00:23:05.950 wrong church. Turn around. And as I continued 00:23:05.950 --> 00:23:07.930 to drive towards Smithsburg, trying to ignore 00:23:07.930 --> 00:23:10.930 the voice, it got louder and louder and louder. 00:23:11.069 --> 00:23:12.750 And eventually I pulled over on the side of the 00:23:12.750 --> 00:23:15.289 road and said, either I'm going crazy or I need 00:23:15.289 --> 00:23:19.049 to turn around. I turned around and headed back 00:23:19.049 --> 00:23:22.069 to another church I had been invited to and sat 00:23:22.069 --> 00:23:24.509 across the street for 20 minutes because I wanted 00:23:24.509 --> 00:23:26.829 to go in and sneak in late, just sit in the back, 00:23:27.029 --> 00:23:30.140 check things out. Right? What all of you would 00:23:30.140 --> 00:23:32.460 do. Some of you come in late because you want 00:23:32.460 --> 00:23:34.539 to sit in the back and you want to check this 00:23:34.539 --> 00:23:37.059 out. I don't know if I trust that Chris guy yet. 00:23:37.420 --> 00:23:39.880 There's some Holy Spirit activity going on there. 00:23:39.960 --> 00:23:42.680 I'm not quite sure if this Jesus thing's real. 00:23:42.779 --> 00:23:44.680 I know how you think. Don't worry. I know how 00:23:44.680 --> 00:23:48.400 you think. So as I sat across the street, it 00:23:48.400 --> 00:23:51.380 was about 11 .20, I decided to walk in. And as 00:23:51.380 --> 00:23:53.619 I was about to sit down in the back seat of the 00:23:53.619 --> 00:23:56.119 very back row of the church, I heard another 00:23:56.119 --> 00:23:59.359 voice that was not the voice of God say, Oh, 00:23:59.359 --> 00:24:01.279 Chris, we're so glad you're here. Let's go up 00:24:01.279 --> 00:24:06.460 to the second row. To which, at that time, I 00:24:06.460 --> 00:24:09.180 said a swear word in my head, not out loud, and 00:24:09.180 --> 00:24:12.299 sure enough, ended up in the second row. And 00:24:12.299 --> 00:24:14.440 it was on that very day that I heard that same 00:24:14.440 --> 00:24:16.779 voice come back to me, speak into my heart. I 00:24:16.779 --> 00:24:18.720 gave my life to Jesus, and I've been radically 00:24:18.720 --> 00:24:24.619 changed ever since. The point, the Holy Spirit, 00:24:24.660 --> 00:24:31.380 the Holy Spirit is the revealer of Jesus to us. 00:24:31.579 --> 00:24:34.259 But he's not just the revealer of Jesus to us. 00:24:34.279 --> 00:24:36.519 Number four, the Holy Spirit guides us through 00:24:36.519 --> 00:24:38.880 life. Now, we're going to read about a man named 00:24:38.880 --> 00:24:41.519 Philip. And Philip was this ordinary guy in the 00:24:41.519 --> 00:24:44.359 early church that was selected to oversee a food 00:24:44.359 --> 00:24:46.359 program in the early church because there were 00:24:46.359 --> 00:24:49.319 so many needs that were not being met. Philip 00:24:49.319 --> 00:24:52.279 was selected because he was wise, he was a leader, 00:24:52.440 --> 00:24:55.079 and because he was full of the Spirit. He was 00:24:55.079 --> 00:24:58.819 faithful in serving those in need. Philip was 00:24:58.819 --> 00:25:01.700 committed. To serving the church in this capacity 00:25:01.700 --> 00:25:04.539 while he was in Jerusalem. Unfortunately though 00:25:04.539 --> 00:25:07.000 the early believers were forced to leave Jerusalem. 00:25:07.200 --> 00:25:09.599 Because of all the persecution they headed to 00:25:09.599 --> 00:25:11.880 Samaria. And it's interesting when they arrived 00:25:11.880 --> 00:25:15.200 in Samaria. Philip he wasn't serving food anymore. 00:25:15.279 --> 00:25:17.619 He began to preach and pray for people. And the 00:25:17.619 --> 00:25:20.640 power of God showed up. And the Holy Spirit came 00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:23.279 upon people. And they were healed and set free. 00:25:23.339 --> 00:25:27.619 Actually Acts 8 verse 8 says that the city was 00:25:27.619 --> 00:25:31.019 full of joy. For all the miraculous wonders that 00:25:31.019 --> 00:25:33.279 Philip and the disciples were performing. Now, 00:25:33.299 --> 00:25:35.660 an angel comes and tells Philip, you know that 00:25:35.660 --> 00:25:39.059 voice, that he's supposed to go to 60 miles south 00:25:39.059 --> 00:25:42.240 on the road to Gaza. Philip listens and begins 00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:44.799 to walk. And while he's walking, he notices a 00:25:44.799 --> 00:25:46.940 distinguished -looking man sitting in a chariot 00:25:46.940 --> 00:25:50.500 reading a scroll. Philip learns that this man 00:25:50.500 --> 00:25:53.119 is an Ethiopian eunuch who is the chief financial 00:25:53.119 --> 00:25:56.019 officer of Queen Candace. In other words, he's 00:25:56.019 --> 00:25:58.779 a very big deal. And he had come to Jerusalem 00:25:58.779 --> 00:26:02.019 searching for truth. He was reading a passage. 00:26:02.160 --> 00:26:04.640 of the scriptures that he couldn't figure out. 00:26:04.759 --> 00:26:07.839 And I want you to listen to what happens when 00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:11.660 the Holy Spirit partners with Philip. Acts chapter 00:26:11.660 --> 00:26:15.279 8, verses 30 to 38. Philip ran over and heard 00:26:15.279 --> 00:26:17.839 the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip 00:26:17.839 --> 00:26:20.200 asked, do you understand what you are reading? 00:26:20.400 --> 00:26:23.799 The man replied, how can I unless someone instructs 00:26:23.799 --> 00:26:26.220 me? And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage 00:26:26.220 --> 00:26:28.660 and sit with him. The passage of scripture he 00:26:28.660 --> 00:26:31.140 had been reading was this. He was led like a 00:26:31.140 --> 00:26:33.539 sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb is silent 00:26:33.539 --> 00:26:36.180 before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. 00:26:36.359 --> 00:26:39.339 He was humiliated and received no justice. Who 00:26:39.339 --> 00:26:42.119 can speak of his descendants? For his life was 00:26:42.119 --> 00:26:44.420 taken from the earth. The eunuch asked Philip, 00:26:44.519 --> 00:26:46.900 tell me, was the prophet talking about himself 00:26:46.900 --> 00:26:50.339 or someone else? So beginning with the same scripture, 00:26:50.539 --> 00:26:53.980 Philip told him the good news about Jesus. As 00:26:53.980 --> 00:26:55.960 they rode along, they came to some water and 00:26:55.960 --> 00:26:58.380 the eunuch said, look, there's some water. Why 00:26:58.380 --> 00:27:02.019 can't I be baptized? He ordered the carriage 00:27:02.019 --> 00:27:04.420 to stop and they went down into the water and 00:27:04.420 --> 00:27:08.400 Philip baptized him there. This, friends, is 00:27:08.400 --> 00:27:11.140 a story of how the Holy Spirit uses a person 00:27:11.140 --> 00:27:15.220 to reveal the truth about Jesus to someone else. 00:27:15.740 --> 00:27:17.420 The Holy Spirit tells Philip, what's he say? 00:27:17.519 --> 00:27:21.000 He says, go down 60 miles, go over to the man. 00:27:21.240 --> 00:27:23.799 And as Philip was listening to the man, he discovered 00:27:23.799 --> 00:27:26.920 he was confused. And in that moment, Philip was 00:27:26.920 --> 00:27:29.220 able to share the good news about Jesus with 00:27:29.220 --> 00:27:33.500 him. This man chose to receive that truth. And 00:27:33.500 --> 00:27:37.240 then Philip baptizes him right away. What an 00:27:37.240 --> 00:27:39.779 incredible story of life change. But here's the 00:27:39.779 --> 00:27:42.279 reality, church. God wants to do the same in 00:27:42.279 --> 00:27:46.019 you. That's what he wants our lives to look like. 00:27:46.519 --> 00:27:49.640 God wants us to be open to the leading of the 00:27:49.640 --> 00:27:53.259 Holy Spirit. And I personally believe the Holy 00:27:53.259 --> 00:27:55.799 Spirit gives us opportunities just like that 00:27:55.799 --> 00:28:00.660 each and every day. But we, you and me, we have 00:28:00.660 --> 00:28:03.400 to be open to his leading. Which means we have 00:28:03.400 --> 00:28:07.720 to prioritize listening to the Holy Spirit. Every 00:28:07.720 --> 00:28:10.799 day, we are bombarded with voices. True or false? 00:28:11.879 --> 00:28:14.119 You're not right, it's true. Every day we're 00:28:14.119 --> 00:28:16.900 bombarded with voices. The loudest voice in our 00:28:16.900 --> 00:28:19.960 ear is our own, typically. But we also have the 00:28:19.960 --> 00:28:23.539 enemy's voice. We also have friends' voices. 00:28:24.140 --> 00:28:28.599 We have culture's voices. Do we really know the 00:28:28.599 --> 00:28:32.400 voice of the Holy Spirit? How do we distinguish 00:28:32.400 --> 00:28:36.299 between the two? How do we recognize which one 00:28:36.299 --> 00:28:38.339 is God, which one is the Holy Spirit, and which 00:28:38.339 --> 00:28:41.259 one isn't? See, it's so important that we prioritize 00:28:41.259 --> 00:28:44.880 hearing that voice because that voice leads us 00:28:44.880 --> 00:28:48.400 to living what? A life of abundance. So many 00:28:48.400 --> 00:28:52.180 people, 62%, two -thirds of the church in the 00:28:52.180 --> 00:28:54.339 United States aren't living in abundance because 00:28:54.339 --> 00:28:57.140 they don't believe in the Holy Spirit. But this 00:28:57.140 --> 00:29:00.759 church, our community of faith, was founded on 00:29:00.759 --> 00:29:04.000 the Holy Spirit. The whole reason we came to 00:29:04.000 --> 00:29:06.359 this community to plant this church is because 00:29:06.359 --> 00:29:09.059 God told me to. I was going to Charleston, South 00:29:09.059 --> 00:29:12.819 Carolina. Chris was going to the beach. I already 00:29:12.819 --> 00:29:16.039 had a plan. I had nearly 40. Let me say this 00:29:16.039 --> 00:29:19.200 again. I had nearly 40 people going with me to 00:29:19.200 --> 00:29:21.359 Charleston, South Carolina. They were ready to 00:29:21.359 --> 00:29:23.900 go to the beach and change the beach for Jesus. 00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:34.400 And then, after a vacation, walking on the C 00:29:34.400 --> 00:29:37.150 &O Canal, God told me I'm going to the wrong 00:29:37.150 --> 00:29:41.470 place, that I had to come home. And I said, I 00:29:41.470 --> 00:29:48.230 don't want to come home, God. I want to go to 00:29:48.230 --> 00:29:55.309 the beach. But I listened. And I went back to 00:29:55.309 --> 00:29:57.730 Syracuse and told the team that I changed my 00:29:57.730 --> 00:30:00.210 mind, that we're going to Hagerstown. And I lost 00:30:00.210 --> 00:30:05.299 all of them. And we started this church with 00:30:05.299 --> 00:30:10.500 12 people. The point, to live in abundance, we 00:30:10.500 --> 00:30:12.500 have to experience the Holy Spirit. And notice 00:30:12.500 --> 00:30:14.799 these two steps in experiencing the Holy Spirit, 00:30:14.900 --> 00:30:24.559 they're really hard. Be expectant and wait. Be 00:30:24.559 --> 00:30:30.869 expectant. Acts chapter 1, verses 4 through 5. 00:30:31.009 --> 00:30:32.589 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded 00:30:32.589 --> 00:30:35.029 them, do not leave Jerusalem until the Father 00:30:35.029 --> 00:30:37.289 sends you the gift he promised. And as I told 00:30:37.289 --> 00:30:39.349 you before, John baptized with water, but just 00:30:39.349 --> 00:30:41.410 a few days you would be baptized with the Holy 00:30:41.410 --> 00:30:44.450 Spirit. Now think about it. This is in Acts. 00:30:45.009 --> 00:30:47.089 Jesus had already given the church its marching 00:30:47.089 --> 00:30:49.049 orders. Therefore, go and make disciples of all 00:30:49.049 --> 00:30:53.609 nations in Matthew 28, 19 through 20. Why don't 00:30:53.609 --> 00:30:55.450 you suppose someone like Peter, for example, 00:30:55.450 --> 00:30:57.450 wasn't already out there living the Great Commission, 00:30:57.650 --> 00:31:01.309 sharing the good news about Jesus? Because after 00:31:01.309 --> 00:31:03.650 all, during Jesus' earthly ministry, Peter was 00:31:03.650 --> 00:31:06.329 the one that what? He was bold, outspoken, ambitious. 00:31:06.529 --> 00:31:10.009 He was the one that walked on the water. When 00:31:10.009 --> 00:31:11.950 all the other disciples were afraid and trembling, 00:31:12.150 --> 00:31:15.069 Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water. 00:31:15.130 --> 00:31:17.109 Why isn't he living the Great Commission? Well, 00:31:17.230 --> 00:31:19.490 we know he's not living the Great Commission. 00:31:20.329 --> 00:31:22.069 Because of the difficult and painful experience 00:31:22.069 --> 00:31:27.109 he had in denying Jesus three times. See, Peter 00:31:27.109 --> 00:31:30.490 has not yet been empowered. When he tried to 00:31:30.490 --> 00:31:33.549 do it in his own strength, he what? Failed. And 00:31:33.549 --> 00:31:36.049 that's why Jesus told the disciples to be expectant 00:31:36.049 --> 00:31:38.549 and to wait to be baptized with the Holy Spirit. 00:31:38.589 --> 00:31:41.349 Fast forward to Acts chapter 2, verses 1 through 00:31:41.349 --> 00:31:43.549 4. On the day of Pentecost, all the believers 00:31:43.549 --> 00:31:46.400 were meeting together in one place. Suddenly 00:31:46.400 --> 00:31:47.920 there was a sound from heaven like the roaring 00:31:47.920 --> 00:31:50.119 of a mighty windstorm. It filled the house where 00:31:50.119 --> 00:31:52.259 they were sitting. Then what looked like flames 00:31:52.259 --> 00:31:53.980 and tongues of fire appeared and settled on each 00:31:53.980 --> 00:31:55.779 of them. And everyone was present and filled 00:31:55.779 --> 00:31:57.839 with the Holy Spirit. Began speaking in other 00:31:57.839 --> 00:32:00.000 languages as the Holy Spirit gave them the ability. 00:32:00.650 --> 00:32:02.730 This group was gathering in the upper room. Many 00:32:02.730 --> 00:32:05.210 scholars believe it was the same upper room that 00:32:05.210 --> 00:32:07.670 the 12 had celebrated the Last Supper, except 00:32:07.670 --> 00:32:10.529 this time there was 120. We're also told that 00:32:10.529 --> 00:32:13.009 it's Pentecost. That's one of the three major 00:32:13.009 --> 00:32:16.069 Jewish festivals that's celebrated in the temple 00:32:16.069 --> 00:32:19.190 each year. It takes place 50 days after the Sunday 00:32:19.190 --> 00:32:22.029 following Passover, which is Easter Sunday. So 00:32:22.029 --> 00:32:24.730 this is 50 days after Easter. The resurrected 00:32:24.730 --> 00:32:27.650 Jesus was with the disciples for 40 days after 00:32:27.650 --> 00:32:30.190 Easter. After he had died and risen, then he 00:32:30.190 --> 00:32:34.549 ascended back to heaven. So that means that Pentecost 00:32:34.549 --> 00:32:37.430 was just 10 days after that. So the disciples, 00:32:37.509 --> 00:32:40.309 remember, they had been waiting in expectation 00:32:40.309 --> 00:32:43.890 for 10 days in the upper room. And they're waiting 00:32:43.890 --> 00:32:46.210 and praying. And I can imagine many of them, 00:32:46.309 --> 00:32:48.170 they're thinking, it's going to happen on the 00:32:48.170 --> 00:32:51.069 third day. Jesus rose on the third day. Holy 00:32:51.069 --> 00:32:52.809 Spirit's going to fall on the third day. And 00:32:52.809 --> 00:32:56.269 the third day came and nothing happened. And 00:32:56.269 --> 00:32:58.500 the fourth day came and went. And the fifth day 00:32:58.500 --> 00:33:00.839 came and went. And the sixth and the seventh 00:33:00.839 --> 00:33:05.140 day came and went and nothing. And still they 00:33:05.140 --> 00:33:10.000 were expectant. Their expectation grew and they 00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:12.799 waited. And on the 10th day, the Holy Spirit 00:33:12.799 --> 00:33:17.059 fell. See, we live in an impatient culture. And 00:33:17.059 --> 00:33:19.559 if we're not careful, our lack of patience will 00:33:19.559 --> 00:33:21.259 find its way into our relationship with Jesus. 00:33:21.939 --> 00:33:24.539 Is the church supposed to wait to be empowered 00:33:24.539 --> 00:33:27.559 by the Holy Spirit today as it was in the book 00:33:27.559 --> 00:33:35.460 of Acts? Yes or no? Yes or no? Yes or no? Yes. 00:33:38.480 --> 00:33:41.460 And for some of you, you're too impatient to 00:33:41.460 --> 00:33:43.859 wait on the Holy Spirit to change your life. 00:33:44.779 --> 00:33:47.920 So here's what we're going to do. I'm going to 00:33:47.920 --> 00:33:52.289 give God space. I'm going to invite you right 00:33:52.289 --> 00:33:54.750 now with me to just put your hands like this. 00:33:54.990 --> 00:33:57.329 That's what I want you to do. If you want to, 00:33:57.349 --> 00:33:58.490 you don't have to. I'm not going to tell you 00:33:58.490 --> 00:34:00.849 what to do. I'm not a manipulator. I'm not going 00:34:00.849 --> 00:34:03.109 to say this is going to radically change your 00:34:03.109 --> 00:34:04.690 life. I'm going to invite you. This is a posture 00:34:04.690 --> 00:34:07.869 of saying I want to receive. Now, as Rhett and 00:34:07.869 --> 00:34:13.170 Carl lead us in worship, some of you, some of 00:34:13.170 --> 00:34:16.230 you may begin to weep. Don't pretend like you're 00:34:16.230 --> 00:34:19.710 not weep. Some of you may want to stand and raise 00:34:19.710 --> 00:34:22.719 your arms. Do it. Some of you feel like you need 00:34:22.719 --> 00:34:25.300 to come up and kneel down and repent and get 00:34:25.300 --> 00:34:28.780 rid of the sin that's in your life. Do it. Whatever 00:34:28.780 --> 00:34:34.940 God tells you to do, be obedient. Because that's 00:34:34.940 --> 00:34:37.780 how you learn who the voice of the Spirit is. 00:34:38.380 --> 00:34:44.599 Amen? Are you ready? Are you ready? Are you ready? 00:34:55.949 --> 00:35:02.030 There's no impossible I believe that you are 00:35:02.030 --> 00:35:09.489 working now So pour it out Oh, pour it out