WEBVTT 00:00:07.900 --> 00:00:11.099 Hey guys, this is Tracy. If at any time you'd 00:00:11.099 --> 00:00:15.019 like to connect with HCV, go to hcv .church forward 00:00:15.019 --> 00:00:18.100 slash connect. If you feel called to give, go 00:00:18.100 --> 00:00:21.980 to hcv .church forward slash give. And if at 00:00:21.980 --> 00:00:23.920 any time you feel called to make a change in 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:29.399 your life, text change me to 970 -00. Enjoy the 00:00:29.399 --> 00:00:32.820 message. Hey, good morning, everyone. How's everybody 00:00:32.820 --> 00:00:34.899 doing today? I don't know what it is about today, 00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:37.280 but everybody is ruckus, man. You're just loud, 00:00:37.600 --> 00:00:42.000 extra coffee, feeling good. Welcome to HCV. If 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:43.740 you're joining us from home, thank you for welcoming 00:00:43.740 --> 00:00:46.799 us into your space. So I'm excited. We're in 00:00:46.799 --> 00:00:49.840 week three of our series, Text to Talk, where 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:53.240 we are learning a daily routine. of connecting 00:00:53.240 --> 00:00:55.880 to God through the Bible and being led by Him 00:00:55.880 --> 00:00:59.079 in every area of our life. Week one, Rudy kicked 00:00:59.079 --> 00:01:02.420 off our series focusing on how to read the Bible. 00:01:02.579 --> 00:01:05.700 Last week, we discussed how Jesus desires that 00:01:05.700 --> 00:01:10.040 we abide in Him or why we read the Bible. And 00:01:10.040 --> 00:01:13.260 today, we're going to be focusing on being led 00:01:13.260 --> 00:01:17.159 by the Holy Spirit. See, one of the hardest things 00:01:17.159 --> 00:01:20.939 to do in life is learning who or what is leading 00:01:20.939 --> 00:01:25.049 you. Some people are led by emotion, other people 00:01:25.049 --> 00:01:28.409 are led by fear, still others are led by culture, 00:01:28.750 --> 00:01:32.230 while some are led by success, comfort, addiction, 00:01:32.430 --> 00:01:35.269 relationships, or unfortunately the opinions 00:01:35.269 --> 00:01:39.650 of others. Truth is, whatever leads you eventually 00:01:39.650 --> 00:01:42.849 shapes everything you do in life. And this is 00:01:42.849 --> 00:01:45.269 why it's so important for us to be guided by 00:01:45.269 --> 00:01:48.810 God rather than just our impulses, desires, or 00:01:48.810 --> 00:01:52.209 fears. Unfortunately, so many followers of Jesus 00:01:52.209 --> 00:01:56.390 have no idea what it means to be led by the Spirit. 00:01:56.629 --> 00:01:59.950 Because the church has made it this mystical, 00:02:00.030 --> 00:02:04.209 abstract idea that is over -confusing rather 00:02:04.209 --> 00:02:08.650 than simple and practical. Let me start out by 00:02:08.650 --> 00:02:12.569 saying it this way. God is directing your life. 00:02:12.969 --> 00:02:16.490 You are led by the Spirit more than you can even 00:02:16.490 --> 00:02:19.539 imagine. God has been guiding and leading you, 00:02:19.580 --> 00:02:22.620 whether you know it or not. The very fact that 00:02:22.620 --> 00:02:25.659 you are gathering here at HCV this morning is 00:02:25.659 --> 00:02:29.199 because you were led by the Spirit of God. See, 00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:32.740 God has not left us out on our own to figure 00:02:32.740 --> 00:02:35.919 out this thing called life. And aren't we grateful 00:02:35.919 --> 00:02:39.599 that God has led us and is guiding us? See, I 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:43.639 believe that God... gave me my spouse. Like that 00:02:43.639 --> 00:02:46.240 he brought us together. That God established 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:49.699 in me the opportunity to plant this church. After 00:02:49.699 --> 00:02:51.979 all, the Bible does tell us whatever is good 00:02:51.979 --> 00:02:56.259 and perfect is a gift coming down to us, given 00:02:56.259 --> 00:02:59.780 to us from God our Father. And it's not because 00:02:59.780 --> 00:03:02.879 we work hard for it. It's not because we made 00:03:02.879 --> 00:03:07.219 it happen. It's because we have God who created 00:03:07.219 --> 00:03:09.699 all the lights in the heavens coming alongside 00:03:09.699 --> 00:03:13.699 of us to make his plans and his purpose happen 00:03:13.699 --> 00:03:17.639 in our lives. Even the very salvation that we 00:03:17.639 --> 00:03:20.599 experienced through Jesus was not because we 00:03:20.599 --> 00:03:23.719 earned it, worked for it. It was because the 00:03:23.719 --> 00:03:27.139 Spirit of God led us and drew us into a relationship 00:03:27.139 --> 00:03:30.460 with him. And see, if we learn how to recognize 00:03:30.460 --> 00:03:33.800 the Spirit's leading in our life, then we will 00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:37.300 daily be able to leverage it to walk in God's 00:03:37.300 --> 00:03:40.520 plans, His purposes, His power for our very life. 00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:45.080 Church, He wants to lead us. Unfortunately, though, 00:03:45.219 --> 00:03:48.800 we also must recognize it's possible to be very 00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:53.379 busy but not Spirit -led. We also have to guard 00:03:53.379 --> 00:03:56.379 against being religious but not led by the Spirit. 00:03:56.639 --> 00:03:59.199 We can be talented but not Spirit -led. We can 00:03:59.199 --> 00:04:02.210 even be passionate about God. yet still make 00:04:02.210 --> 00:04:06.229 decisions in our own strength. So maybe the greatest 00:04:06.229 --> 00:04:09.710 question today is not, do I believe in the Holy 00:04:09.710 --> 00:04:13.449 Spirit? But rather, am I actually being led by 00:04:13.449 --> 00:04:17.689 him? Because being led by the Spirit can change 00:04:17.689 --> 00:04:21.490 everything in your life. Our decisions, our relationships, 00:04:21.870 --> 00:04:25.829 our very outlook on life, our purpose, and our 00:04:25.829 --> 00:04:28.870 future. And that intro leads us to our first 00:04:28.870 --> 00:04:32.009 thought. See, the Holy Spirit is not just a power 00:04:32.009 --> 00:04:36.350 to experience, but a person to follow. The Holy 00:04:36.350 --> 00:04:40.149 Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He 00:04:40.149 --> 00:04:42.629 is not some abstract spirit that's just kind 00:04:42.629 --> 00:04:46.569 of floating out there somewhere, waiting for 00:04:46.569 --> 00:04:49.509 us to connect with him. He is the Spirit of God 00:04:49.509 --> 00:04:53.319 that has been given to us, lives within us. to 00:04:53.319 --> 00:04:56.600 guide and direct us. Now, when you hear the subject 00:04:56.600 --> 00:05:00.000 of the Holy Spirit spoken about in church, suddenly 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:04.379 there are two camps or positions taken. The first 00:05:04.379 --> 00:05:07.819 is the Holy Spirit camp. It's that person that 00:05:07.819 --> 00:05:11.199 immediately becomes excited because you just 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:13.259 learned that we're talking about the Holy Spirit 00:05:13.259 --> 00:05:16.560 today. You've been waiting, wanting, and desiring 00:05:16.560 --> 00:05:19.500 with excitement and anticipation for this talk 00:05:19.500 --> 00:05:23.399 to happen. See, you or they enjoy the chaos and 00:05:23.399 --> 00:05:26.120 the craziness of the charismatic movement. That 00:05:26.120 --> 00:05:28.060 is actually, just being honest, the movement 00:05:28.060 --> 00:05:31.680 where I met Jesus. So I know and love the Holy 00:05:31.680 --> 00:05:35.139 Spirit personally. I experienced a lot of amazing 00:05:35.139 --> 00:05:38.819 God encounters in that church. Healings, deliverance, 00:05:38.819 --> 00:05:41.680 the prophetic. Let's put it this way. Church 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:44.139 was never boring. There was always something 00:05:44.139 --> 00:05:47.620 new. While at the same time, it can get a little 00:05:47.620 --> 00:05:50.180 weird. I mean, just being honest, I still remember 00:05:50.180 --> 00:05:52.399 some Sunday night gatherings where the whole 00:05:52.399 --> 00:05:55.360 goal of the evening was to receive prayer so 00:05:55.360 --> 00:05:57.819 that you would fall down in the Spirit. And if 00:05:57.819 --> 00:06:00.160 you didn't fall down, you felt like you weren't 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:02.300 as spiritual as the other people that were falling 00:06:02.300 --> 00:06:06.540 down. So, there were nights that I think, maybe 00:06:06.540 --> 00:06:09.160 a few times, where I kind of had a courtesy fall 00:06:09.160 --> 00:06:11.259 just because I felt bad for the person who was 00:06:11.259 --> 00:06:13.519 praying for me. You know, just a courtesy fall. 00:06:13.600 --> 00:06:16.379 Just like, oh, you know. Some of you are thinking, 00:06:16.439 --> 00:06:19.220 courtesy fall? Like, what is that all about? 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:23.319 Well, chances are you're in the other camp, right? 00:06:23.480 --> 00:06:26.839 The people that avoid anything dealing with the 00:06:26.839 --> 00:06:30.339 Holy Spirit because of the craziness that maybe 00:06:30.339 --> 00:06:33.339 you've read or seen online, right? The misuse, 00:06:33.339 --> 00:06:36.600 the confusion, the flesh that seems to be involved 00:06:36.600 --> 00:06:39.259 in those different gatherings. Let me first say, 00:06:39.420 --> 00:06:43.360 the Holy Spirit is not weird. People are weird. 00:06:43.949 --> 00:06:46.129 Right? Let me just get that out of the way. It's 00:06:46.129 --> 00:06:49.509 not the Holy Spirit. It's the people. The Holy 00:06:49.509 --> 00:06:52.569 Spirit is the third person of the Trinity given 00:06:52.569 --> 00:06:56.250 to us to lead God and empower our lives so that 00:06:56.250 --> 00:06:58.129 we can accomplish the mission of God on earth 00:06:58.129 --> 00:07:01.410 today. I want to say this to you and I want you 00:07:01.410 --> 00:07:04.170 to receive it. We cannot fulfill the purposes 00:07:04.170 --> 00:07:05.949 of God without the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:07:06.889 --> 00:07:09.269 We need the power of the Holy Spirit evident 00:07:09.269 --> 00:07:12.069 and working in our lives. If we want to live 00:07:12.069 --> 00:07:14.850 a fruitful life, then we need to live a filled 00:07:14.850 --> 00:07:18.089 up life. So don't avoid the Spirit of God. I 00:07:18.089 --> 00:07:19.550 want to encourage you this morning. Lean into 00:07:19.550 --> 00:07:23.649 it and open up your life and your heart to Him 00:07:23.649 --> 00:07:25.670 to speak to you today. Because I believe He will. 00:07:25.930 --> 00:07:28.029 He will speak to you. He will guide you. He will 00:07:28.029 --> 00:07:31.689 give you ideas that are outside of the box. He 00:07:31.689 --> 00:07:34.329 will create fruit in your life and you will never 00:07:34.329 --> 00:07:37.509 be the same as you impact and change the world 00:07:37.509 --> 00:07:39.870 that you can never do on your own strength. See, 00:07:39.910 --> 00:07:42.589 this power is not something that was given to 00:07:42.589 --> 00:07:45.269 the church 2 ,000 years ago. It's available to 00:07:45.269 --> 00:07:48.490 us this morning so that we can become the people 00:07:48.490 --> 00:07:51.189 of God that he's called us to be in the tri -state 00:07:51.189 --> 00:07:53.949 area. See, I believe that we need the Holy Spirit 00:07:53.949 --> 00:07:58.230 every single day in our life. And if you remember 00:07:58.230 --> 00:08:01.129 last week, we discussed what it meant to abide 00:08:01.129 --> 00:08:04.769 in God, that when we remain connected to the 00:08:04.769 --> 00:08:07.430 root, to the source, Jesus, that we will produce 00:08:07.430 --> 00:08:10.149 much fruit. Now, one chapter before that, in 00:08:10.149 --> 00:08:13.649 John chapter 14, we read these words. I am telling 00:08:13.649 --> 00:08:16.029 you these things now while I am still with you. 00:08:16.129 --> 00:08:18.649 But when the Father sends the advocate as my 00:08:18.649 --> 00:08:21.149 representative, that is the Holy Spirit, he will 00:08:21.149 --> 00:08:23.730 teach you everything and will remind you of everything 00:08:23.730 --> 00:08:27.170 I have told you. See, Jesus knew his disciples 00:08:27.170 --> 00:08:31.629 would face confusion, pressure, fear, spiritual 00:08:31.629 --> 00:08:35.299 battles. After he ascended to go back to be with 00:08:35.299 --> 00:08:37.519 the Father, he's now ascended to be in heaven. 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:40.519 But he didn't leave them abandoned or orphaned. 00:08:40.659 --> 00:08:45.100 He sent them the promised Holy Spirit. That tells 00:08:45.100 --> 00:08:47.340 us that we don't have to figure out life on our 00:08:47.340 --> 00:08:50.779 own. We don't need to rely solely on our emotions 00:08:50.779 --> 00:08:55.500 or the culture or human wisdom to guide us. God 00:08:55.500 --> 00:08:58.919 literally has placed his Spirit inside of Jesus' 00:08:59.100 --> 00:09:03.080 followers to instruct, convict, remind, and guide. 00:09:03.299 --> 00:09:07.039 Think of it this way. A student can sit in a 00:09:07.039 --> 00:09:10.320 classroom full of information, full of technology, 00:09:10.539 --> 00:09:13.340 and still remain confused without a teacher to 00:09:13.340 --> 00:09:17.480 explain it. In the same way, many people in the 00:09:17.480 --> 00:09:19.940 church own a Bible, but struggle to understand 00:09:19.940 --> 00:09:22.440 how to apply it to their life. The Holy Spirit 00:09:22.440 --> 00:09:25.779 takes the truth of God written in the Bible, 00:09:25.919 --> 00:09:29.419 makes it real, understandable, and personal. 00:09:29.899 --> 00:09:32.100 See, Paul writes it this way in 2 Corinthians 00:09:32.100 --> 00:09:36.080 13. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the 00:09:36.080 --> 00:09:39.519 love of God, and notice, the fellowship of the 00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:43.559 Holy Spirit be with you all, meaning every single 00:09:43.559 --> 00:09:46.879 one of you. And notice how Paul described our 00:09:46.879 --> 00:09:49.440 relationship with the Holy Spirit. It's close. 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:53.899 It's personal. It's an ongoing relationship with 00:09:53.899 --> 00:09:56.620 God's Spirit. It's not just believing in him. 00:09:57.100 --> 00:10:00.740 but it's living in communion with him. Now that 00:10:00.740 --> 00:10:04.500 word fellowship brings with it the idea of partnership, 00:10:04.679 --> 00:10:09.320 participation, sharing life together, close companionship, 00:10:09.320 --> 00:10:13.460 and intimate connection. And Paul is teaching 00:10:13.460 --> 00:10:16.320 that the Holy Spirit is not merely a force or 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:20.720 a feeling, it is God's presence actively involved 00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:24.129 in our everyday life. Now, these are some of 00:10:24.129 --> 00:10:26.769 the final words that Jesus would share with his 00:10:26.769 --> 00:10:29.250 disciples before going to the cross. Let's jump 00:10:29.250 --> 00:10:32.429 two chapters ahead to John 16, verse 7 and 13 00:10:32.429 --> 00:10:36.409 to the 15. But in fact, it is best for you that 00:10:36.409 --> 00:10:39.570 I go away. Now, just pause there for a second. 00:10:39.590 --> 00:10:42.350 Imagine the disciples. They hear Jesus speak 00:10:42.350 --> 00:10:44.230 those words. They're thinking, you're leaving 00:10:44.230 --> 00:10:46.830 us? Like, dude, you've only been with us for 00:10:46.830 --> 00:10:50.570 three years. How is this good news? Like, what 00:10:50.570 --> 00:10:53.409 is happening here? Then Jesus tells them why, 00:10:53.490 --> 00:10:57.330 continuing on. Because if I don't, the advocate, 00:10:57.629 --> 00:11:00.710 there it is again, won't come. If I do go away, 00:11:00.850 --> 00:11:03.509 then I will send him to you. Verse 13. When the 00:11:03.509 --> 00:11:05.450 spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into 00:11:05.450 --> 00:11:08.090 all truth. He will not speak on his own, but 00:11:08.090 --> 00:11:10.429 will tell you what he has heard. He will tell 00:11:10.429 --> 00:11:12.690 you about the future. He will bring me glory 00:11:12.690 --> 00:11:14.690 by telling you whatever he receives from me. 00:11:14.950 --> 00:11:17.809 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That 00:11:17.809 --> 00:11:20.230 is why I said, the Spirit will tell you whatever 00:11:20.230 --> 00:11:23.289 he receives from me. So look at this progression 00:11:23.289 --> 00:11:27.269 of these truths. The Father sends the Son. The 00:11:27.269 --> 00:11:31.309 Son dwells with the disciples, tells the disciples 00:11:31.309 --> 00:11:34.370 that what we experienced in the last three years, 00:11:34.529 --> 00:11:38.269 yes, it was amazing, miraculous, but it's better. 00:11:38.909 --> 00:11:41.889 That I go away because now I'm going to send 00:11:41.889 --> 00:11:45.409 the Holy Spirit to come and fill you and anyone 00:11:45.409 --> 00:11:49.169 else who believes in the entire world what I 00:11:49.169 --> 00:11:52.649 did for you. It's amazing, right? What Jesus 00:11:52.649 --> 00:11:56.350 did with the 12, the Spirit of God can do with 00:11:56.350 --> 00:12:00.529 all of us. He can walk with us. He can guide 00:12:00.529 --> 00:12:04.190 us. He can fill us. He can empower us. Now notice, 00:12:04.250 --> 00:12:08.120 Jesus called the Holy Spirit the advocate. Not 00:12:08.120 --> 00:12:11.220 just in chapter 6, I mean in chapter 14 as well. 00:12:11.399 --> 00:12:14.480 Now the word advocate here means one who is called 00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:18.100 alongside of you. He is called to come alongside 00:12:18.100 --> 00:12:21.940 of us. It's the Greek word parakletos. And then 00:12:21.940 --> 00:12:24.940 ancient Israel, this term was used for a defense 00:12:24.940 --> 00:12:28.620 attorney in the courtroom. In other words, with 00:12:28.620 --> 00:12:31.500 this definition, the Holy Spirit empowers us. 00:12:31.639 --> 00:12:34.600 He comes alongside of us so that we can win at 00:12:34.600 --> 00:12:37.450 life. Like, he's not going to let us lose. He 00:12:37.450 --> 00:12:41.330 is behind us, supporting us. We need the Spirit 00:12:41.330 --> 00:12:45.070 of God in this life, right? Relationships and 00:12:45.070 --> 00:12:48.590 marriage, right? They're a struggle without the 00:12:48.590 --> 00:12:51.970 Spirit of God. Raising children, right? You're 00:12:51.970 --> 00:12:56.269 pulling your hair out without the Spirit of God. 00:12:56.850 --> 00:12:59.929 Building a business, making wise financial choices, 00:13:00.049 --> 00:13:03.210 right? It can be stressful, overwhelming without 00:13:03.210 --> 00:13:06.269 the Spirit of God. the Spirit of God. See, the 00:13:06.269 --> 00:13:09.250 Spirit of God is not this audible voice that 00:13:09.250 --> 00:13:11.289 we hear every single day. Now, He can speak to 00:13:11.289 --> 00:13:13.309 us audibly, but it doesn't mean it happens all 00:13:13.309 --> 00:13:16.750 the time. It's literally the Spirit of God with 00:13:16.750 --> 00:13:21.049 us, in us, leading us, guiding us, convicting 00:13:21.049 --> 00:13:24.990 us. Forgive that person. Like, we may have this 00:13:24.990 --> 00:13:28.570 thought within us. We need to forgive them. We 00:13:28.570 --> 00:13:31.509 need to release them. And in your mind, you're 00:13:31.509 --> 00:13:33.190 wrestling with it, but I can't forgive them. 00:13:33.370 --> 00:13:35.289 They've done this to me. They did that to me. 00:13:35.350 --> 00:13:38.330 No, when you forgive that person, right, then 00:13:38.330 --> 00:13:40.970 you are free. So that's the Holy Spirit trying 00:13:40.970 --> 00:13:44.850 to speak to us. The Holy Spirit nudges us, give 00:13:44.850 --> 00:13:47.230 that money, but I don't have that money. It must 00:13:47.230 --> 00:13:50.649 be in my mind. No, the Holy Spirit is nudging 00:13:50.649 --> 00:13:53.899 us to give that money, so he stretches us. Right? 00:13:54.179 --> 00:13:58.340 Start that business. Launch that class. Whatever 00:13:58.340 --> 00:14:01.960 it may be, are you responding to God's direction? 00:14:02.460 --> 00:14:05.399 See, the Holy Spirit has literally shaped my 00:14:05.399 --> 00:14:08.700 entire life. And he desires to do the same with 00:14:08.700 --> 00:14:11.440 you. And the best example I could find for the 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:14.220 Holy Spirit was something we use almost every 00:14:14.220 --> 00:14:18.330 day, and it's called the GPS. Right? Now, years 00:14:18.330 --> 00:14:21.029 ago, if we got lost while driving somewhere, 00:14:21.289 --> 00:14:24.190 you had to pull over on the side of a road, unwrap 00:14:24.190 --> 00:14:26.549 a map that was bigger than the windshield, and 00:14:26.549 --> 00:14:31.090 try to figure out where you were. Now, we can 00:14:31.090 --> 00:14:34.049 open our phones, open up a map, and it's literally 00:14:34.049 --> 00:14:37.850 going to give us turn -by -turn directions to 00:14:37.850 --> 00:14:42.330 our destination. Now, please understand, a GPS 00:14:42.330 --> 00:14:47.129 is only helpful when we actually follow its directions. 00:14:47.490 --> 00:14:49.789 Did everyone hear that? Because if you're anything 00:14:49.789 --> 00:14:53.850 like me, we hear the GPS and we think directions. 00:14:53.909 --> 00:14:55.149 And we think, wait a minute, there's a quicker 00:14:55.149 --> 00:14:58.029 way. And I'm going to go my way because my way 00:14:58.029 --> 00:14:59.629 is quicker. I know it's quicker. I've been that 00:14:59.629 --> 00:15:02.110 way before. But we didn't know that 30 minutes 00:15:02.110 --> 00:15:05.009 down the road, there was a 10 -car pileup and 00:15:05.009 --> 00:15:08.049 it was a two -hour wait. And the second you turn 00:15:08.049 --> 00:15:11.649 left away from the GPS, what happens? That phone 00:15:11.649 --> 00:15:15.470 starts going crazy. You know, recalculate, recalculate, 00:15:15.470 --> 00:15:17.889 recalculate. And it does everything in its power 00:15:17.889 --> 00:15:21.809 to get us to go the other way. But notice, it's 00:15:21.809 --> 00:15:26.470 our choice. It's our choice of which way to go. 00:15:26.970 --> 00:15:31.110 Many of us want God's destination while resisting 00:15:31.110 --> 00:15:37.340 God's direction. See, many of us, we want all 00:15:37.340 --> 00:15:39.919 that God has for us, but we're going to resist 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:42.960 his direction. And we must remember the Holy 00:15:42.960 --> 00:15:46.379 Spirit speaks, convicts, nudges, but we ultimately 00:15:46.379 --> 00:15:50.179 get to choose whether we will obey. And another 00:15:50.179 --> 00:15:52.059 thing that's great about the GPS, at least it's 00:15:52.059 --> 00:15:54.220 never happened to me, maybe for you, I've never 00:15:54.220 --> 00:15:57.500 had my GPS yell at me. Right? It's never screamed, 00:15:57.559 --> 00:16:00.860 you're going the wrong way, moron. Right? It's 00:16:00.860 --> 00:16:03.700 never done that. It's just this kind British 00:16:03.700 --> 00:16:09.220 voice, please turn the other way. I am recalculating 00:16:09.220 --> 00:16:12.000 for you. And see, that's how the Holy Spirit 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:14.720 works. Right? The Holy Spirit doesn't scream 00:16:14.720 --> 00:16:19.340 at us. The Holy Spirit simply convicts us quietly. 00:16:19.820 --> 00:16:23.700 See, when we drift away from God, God keeps calling 00:16:23.700 --> 00:16:28.039 us back. Right? The same voice that can guide 00:16:28.039 --> 00:16:30.799 us to a restaurant, a city, or an address. Right? 00:16:31.120 --> 00:16:34.919 That same voice we can use as an example of the 00:16:34.919 --> 00:16:37.399 Holy Spirit guiding us into truth, purpose, wisdom, 00:16:37.480 --> 00:16:40.179 and eternal life. The question is not whether 00:16:40.179 --> 00:16:42.779 God is speaking. The question is whether we are 00:16:42.779 --> 00:16:46.639 listening and willing to follow. See, the Holy 00:16:46.639 --> 00:16:49.879 Spirit's job is not to control our life. It's 00:16:49.879 --> 00:16:53.120 to advise us. Right? And I've often heard people 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:56.100 say, well, I want the Holy Spirit to fix my spouse. 00:16:59.259 --> 00:17:00.940 To which I say, you know what the Holy Spirit's 00:17:00.940 --> 00:17:03.600 going to say? You better fix your attitude and 00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:06.180 start practicing humility because it all starts 00:17:06.180 --> 00:17:10.059 with us. God, get me out of debt. He isn't going 00:17:10.059 --> 00:17:12.140 to get you out of debt, but the Holy Spirit will 00:17:12.140 --> 00:17:13.779 give you wisdom on how to handle your finances. 00:17:14.890 --> 00:17:18.829 See, the Holy Spirit is all about us walking 00:17:18.829 --> 00:17:22.529 into abundance, which leads us to discuss how 00:17:22.529 --> 00:17:25.930 the Holy Spirit leads our lives. Four simple 00:17:25.930 --> 00:17:28.089 practical ways on how the Holy Spirit leads our 00:17:28.089 --> 00:17:30.710 lives. And the first is this. He leads us to 00:17:30.710 --> 00:17:35.029 know the truth. Now, there is a lot of disinformation 00:17:35.029 --> 00:17:38.069 in our world today. There's a lot of lies and 00:17:38.069 --> 00:17:42.329 confusion. A lot of fake news. Can I get an amen? 00:17:43.180 --> 00:17:45.980 And I am not just talking about the media or 00:17:45.980 --> 00:17:48.519 the government. I'm talking about the lies that 00:17:48.519 --> 00:17:50.839 we believe from the enemy that are spoken over 00:17:50.839 --> 00:17:54.019 our lives. The lies about our identity, the lies 00:17:54.019 --> 00:17:57.240 about our future, the lies about our past mistakes. 00:17:57.700 --> 00:18:02.160 See, those lies bombard Jesus followers and keep 00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:04.539 us from walking in the victory that God has already 00:18:04.539 --> 00:18:07.460 done for us. How do we get free? Well, Jesus 00:18:07.460 --> 00:18:10.359 tells us in John 8. Jesus said to the people 00:18:10.359 --> 00:18:13.319 who believed in him, you are truly my disciples 00:18:13.319 --> 00:18:16.140 if you remain faithful to my teachings and you 00:18:16.140 --> 00:18:20.519 know the truth and the truth will set you free. 00:18:20.740 --> 00:18:23.180 And how do we know the truth? Well, we have the 00:18:23.180 --> 00:18:26.660 Holy Spirit. Again, John 16, 13. When the spirit 00:18:26.660 --> 00:18:30.460 of truth comes, he's going to guide us into all. 00:18:30.920 --> 00:18:35.000 Truth. See, as we are led by the Spirit, he guides 00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:37.740 and empowers us to combat the lies of the enemy 00:18:37.740 --> 00:18:40.779 and embrace the truth of the Bible. Because our 00:18:40.779 --> 00:18:42.599 enemy, if you're in a relationship with God, 00:18:42.700 --> 00:18:46.440 is working overtime on lying to you. It's been 00:18:46.440 --> 00:18:50.000 his job since the very beginning. I mean, John 00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:52.759 10 .10 reminds us that these purposes to steal, 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:56.309 kill, and destroy. The way we overcome these 00:18:56.309 --> 00:18:59.609 lies is by embracing the truth from the Bible 00:18:59.609 --> 00:19:02.730 revealed to us through the Holy Spirit. And as 00:19:02.730 --> 00:19:06.289 we live a life that is Spirit -led, we simply 00:19:06.289 --> 00:19:09.890 ask Jesus to reveal His truth to us so that we 00:19:09.890 --> 00:19:12.490 can walk in freedom and the plans He has for 00:19:12.490 --> 00:19:16.150 us. That is why I read the Bible every single 00:19:16.150 --> 00:19:20.109 day. I am in my fourth or fifth year. I don't 00:19:20.109 --> 00:19:22.609 remember where I'm reading the Bible cover to 00:19:22.609 --> 00:19:25.529 cover. And before I listen to the Bible every 00:19:25.529 --> 00:19:28.069 single morning, the first thing I do is, Holy 00:19:28.069 --> 00:19:31.809 Spirit, come. I say, Holy Spirit, come. Reveal 00:19:31.809 --> 00:19:35.109 your truth to me. Let it come alive inside of 00:19:35.109 --> 00:19:39.009 me. And let me say, if you're reading your daily 00:19:39.009 --> 00:19:42.289 Bible plan and you're receiving nothing from 00:19:42.289 --> 00:19:44.970 it, then you need some help from the advocate. 00:19:45.579 --> 00:19:47.680 It's just that simple because we can never read 00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:51.180 the Bible and not have truth spoken to us. There 00:19:51.180 --> 00:19:53.740 are times when going through the Old Testament 00:19:53.740 --> 00:19:56.400 that we think in our minds, whoa, these words 00:19:56.400 --> 00:19:58.539 are hard. I don't understand all these rules 00:19:58.539 --> 00:20:00.900 and these regulations and these rituals. What 00:20:00.900 --> 00:20:03.960 is happening? Well, chances are we're reading 00:20:03.960 --> 00:20:06.279 them too fast. We're reading them out of context 00:20:06.279 --> 00:20:10.460 or we're not really connected spirit to spirit 00:20:10.460 --> 00:20:13.039 with the Bible. We're just doing it out of obligation 00:20:13.039 --> 00:20:16.019 and duty. And if that happens where we don't 00:20:16.019 --> 00:20:18.279 get truth when we read the Bible, you need to 00:20:18.279 --> 00:20:20.559 pause it. You need to close the book, shut off 00:20:20.559 --> 00:20:24.740 your phone, and say, Holy Spirit, come. Activate 00:20:24.740 --> 00:20:27.599 these words to reveal your truth to me today 00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:31.200 and then read it again. Because when we read 00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:34.140 it again, chances are that truth will come forth. 00:20:34.920 --> 00:20:37.740 Theologian John Stott says it this way. The Holy 00:20:37.740 --> 00:20:40.579 Spirit is the author of the scriptures, meaning 00:20:40.579 --> 00:20:44.559 he wrote them, and the interpreter. of the scriptures. 00:20:44.900 --> 00:20:47.880 Meaning he speaks and reveals that truth to us 00:20:47.880 --> 00:20:51.380 because why? He's living inside of us. We cannot 00:20:51.380 --> 00:20:55.259 read the Bible through our flesh. It's just pointless 00:20:55.259 --> 00:20:57.640 because it's just words. We have to activate 00:20:57.640 --> 00:20:59.819 the Holy Spirit because the words written in 00:20:59.819 --> 00:21:03.400 the Bible are truth and life for us. So whatever 00:21:03.400 --> 00:21:06.440 area of your life you're desiring truth in today, 00:21:06.579 --> 00:21:10.259 I want to encourage you, pause and ask the Holy 00:21:10.259 --> 00:21:13.630 Spirit to reveal it. For example, If you're dating 00:21:13.630 --> 00:21:16.630 someone currently and you're wondering if they 00:21:16.630 --> 00:21:19.990 are your future spouse, simply ask the Holy Spirit 00:21:19.990 --> 00:21:23.130 to get involved, especially if it's early on 00:21:23.130 --> 00:21:26.529 in the process. Remember, the Bible tells us 00:21:26.529 --> 00:21:31.690 that God looks at the heart while humans or humanity 00:21:31.690 --> 00:21:35.910 looks at... Oh, you don't know that? You don't 00:21:35.910 --> 00:21:39.410 know that scripture? The Bible tells us that 00:21:39.410 --> 00:21:41.950 God looks at the heart while humanity looks at 00:21:41.950 --> 00:21:46.759 the... Outward. Hmm. So if he or she looks real 00:21:46.759 --> 00:21:51.119 good and it's real pleasant to your eyes, but 00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:54.160 has questionable character, maybe you should 00:21:54.160 --> 00:21:59.420 pump the brakes a little. Just saying. God wants 00:21:59.420 --> 00:22:03.720 to empower us to live a truthful, fruitful life. 00:22:03.880 --> 00:22:07.660 Truth is found in the Bible. which leads us to 00:22:07.660 --> 00:22:10.619 live in God's way, which then allows us to walk 00:22:10.619 --> 00:22:14.380 in God's will for our life. Now, the next way 00:22:14.380 --> 00:22:17.460 the Holy Spirit leads us is he leads us to walk 00:22:17.460 --> 00:22:21.660 in God's will. See, people, we have to understand 00:22:21.660 --> 00:22:26.220 the God of the universe who guides our lives 00:22:26.220 --> 00:22:29.420 into his ultimate will for our lives is available 00:22:29.420 --> 00:22:33.559 to us if we surrender our will to him and we 00:22:33.559 --> 00:22:35.940 connect to him daily. Because he will guide us 00:22:35.940 --> 00:22:38.599 into abundance. Jesus says it this way in John 00:22:38.599 --> 00:22:42.759 16, 13. When the spirit of truth comes, he will 00:22:42.759 --> 00:22:45.160 not speak on his own, but will tell you what 00:22:45.160 --> 00:22:48.339 he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 00:22:48.579 --> 00:22:52.140 See, God knows our future. And he guides our 00:22:52.140 --> 00:22:55.819 steps into knowing what is coming next for us. 00:22:56.079 --> 00:22:59.480 Isaiah 30, verse 21 says it this way. Your own 00:22:59.480 --> 00:23:03.250 ears will hear him. Right behind you, a voice 00:23:03.250 --> 00:23:06.109 will say, this is the way you should go, whether 00:23:06.109 --> 00:23:09.369 to the right or to the left. And this is a beautiful 00:23:09.369 --> 00:23:11.950 picture of what the Holy Spirit does. Notice, 00:23:12.130 --> 00:23:15.809 he comes behind us. He encourages us to walk 00:23:15.809 --> 00:23:20.009 this way, not that way. And that gentle nudge 00:23:20.009 --> 00:23:23.089 allows us to walk in abundance. And please understand, 00:23:23.170 --> 00:23:26.410 church, this is not necessarily an audible voice. 00:23:26.509 --> 00:23:29.650 Though it can be sometimes, it's like this gentle 00:23:29.650 --> 00:23:32.950 nudge on the inside of us. It's what the world 00:23:32.950 --> 00:23:36.920 calls a hunch. Right? It's this great idea that 00:23:36.920 --> 00:23:40.819 suddenly pops into our minds. Listen, that great 00:23:40.819 --> 00:23:44.039 idea isn't you. It's not us. It's the Spirit 00:23:44.039 --> 00:23:47.420 of God. And He put it inside of us to guide us 00:23:47.420 --> 00:23:50.519 and lead us. And as we learn to listen to that 00:23:50.519 --> 00:23:54.319 voice, then we will walk in God's will. The Holy 00:23:54.319 --> 00:23:56.720 Spirit may not reveal all the details to you. 00:23:56.759 --> 00:23:58.779 You know why? Because He wants us to live by 00:23:58.779 --> 00:24:01.650 faith. If our entire life was planned out for 00:24:01.650 --> 00:24:04.309 us, what's the point? That would be boring. No, 00:24:04.349 --> 00:24:07.450 he wants us to live by faith. But he will always 00:24:07.450 --> 00:24:11.369 show us the next clear step to take. Psalm 119 00:24:11.369 --> 00:24:15.670 verse 105 says it this way. Your word is a lamp 00:24:15.670 --> 00:24:19.750 to guide my feet, a light for my path. So you 00:24:19.750 --> 00:24:24.869 think about your iPhone or your smartphone flashlight. 00:24:25.960 --> 00:24:28.900 Right? All of us have smartphones now, or most 00:24:28.900 --> 00:24:31.420 of us, and those smartphones have flashlights. 00:24:31.480 --> 00:24:34.579 And when you turn it on, if this room was completely 00:24:34.579 --> 00:24:37.779 dark, you wouldn't be able to see much. But that 00:24:37.779 --> 00:24:40.500 light gives you enough light to see what? Your 00:24:40.500 --> 00:24:43.859 next step. It gives you the next step. Now, if 00:24:43.859 --> 00:24:46.000 all of our lights were shining bright, we would 00:24:46.000 --> 00:24:49.220 be able to see. But on our everyday lives, Monday 00:24:49.220 --> 00:24:51.440 through Saturday, when we're disconnected from 00:24:51.440 --> 00:24:53.680 other believers, when we're working the job, 00:24:53.720 --> 00:24:55.660 when we're at school, we need that light in front 00:24:55.660 --> 00:25:00.660 of us. So I want to encourage you. Be obedient 00:25:00.660 --> 00:25:03.779 to what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you. The 00:25:03.779 --> 00:25:06.339 Holy Spirit gives us the next clear step from 00:25:06.339 --> 00:25:10.319 God. However, we need to learn what this road 00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:14.599 sign actually means. Has anyone ever seen this 00:25:14.599 --> 00:25:17.240 sign before? Now, some of you have never seen 00:25:17.240 --> 00:25:18.740 this sign before because you don't even know 00:25:18.740 --> 00:25:21.279 what it means, right? You immediately in your 00:25:21.279 --> 00:25:24.460 head think, oh, it's red. It's a stop sign, right? 00:25:24.579 --> 00:25:29.680 This sign does not mean stop, okay? So when you're 00:25:29.680 --> 00:25:32.119 getting on the interstate, can I get an amen? 00:25:32.799 --> 00:25:37.700 Yeah. When you're getting on the interstate. 00:25:38.440 --> 00:25:41.099 And you're pulling up in your merge lane. Notice 00:25:41.099 --> 00:25:44.380 I said merge. And there's a tractor trailer bailing 00:25:44.380 --> 00:25:47.599 down 81 at 85 miles an hour. And then you look 00:25:47.599 --> 00:25:49.420 up and there's a car stop. Do you immediately 00:25:49.420 --> 00:25:51.980 think, oh, dear God, I'm going to die, right? 00:25:52.640 --> 00:25:55.640 Because this sign doesn't mean stop. It means 00:25:55.640 --> 00:26:00.359 yield, slow down to oncoming traffic. This is 00:26:00.359 --> 00:26:03.220 how the Holy Spirit works in our lives, right? 00:26:03.339 --> 00:26:08.170 And this is not a suggestion. Right? This sign 00:26:08.170 --> 00:26:12.390 means yield. It means slow down, look around, 00:26:12.730 --> 00:26:16.869 pause, and figure out what the Holy Spirit wants 00:26:16.869 --> 00:26:20.529 for your life. It may have felt good, right, 00:26:20.670 --> 00:26:23.730 to say or respond with negativity, I got them 00:26:23.730 --> 00:26:27.289 back. But then the next day you're like, oh my 00:26:27.289 --> 00:26:30.450 gosh, I totally messed up. You know why? It's 00:26:30.450 --> 00:26:32.869 because we didn't yield. It's because we didn't 00:26:32.869 --> 00:26:36.400 yield in that situation. See, confrontations 00:26:36.400 --> 00:26:39.319 may end up the best for both parties if we actually 00:26:39.319 --> 00:26:42.779 slow down and yielded to the Holy Spirit. Your 00:26:42.779 --> 00:26:46.400 finances may improve if you actually slow down, 00:26:46.539 --> 00:26:50.559 yield, and ask God's help in leading you through 00:26:50.559 --> 00:26:53.339 how you should spend and budget your money. Listen, 00:26:53.519 --> 00:26:56.539 maybe you should delete your Amazon app. Just 00:26:56.539 --> 00:27:00.319 saying. Because chances are that app is leading 00:27:00.319 --> 00:27:02.720 you to purchase things you don't need because 00:27:02.720 --> 00:27:05.640 you're not yielding to the Holy Spirit. Now listen, 00:27:05.799 --> 00:27:09.380 I want to go into four simple ways of how to 00:27:09.380 --> 00:27:12.079 confirm we are hearing God's voice and they all 00:27:12.079 --> 00:27:15.759 center around this sign, yield. Right? And the 00:27:15.759 --> 00:27:18.940 four ways we start is this. You always start 00:27:18.940 --> 00:27:23.359 with Scripture. Right? God's leading never, everyone 00:27:23.359 --> 00:27:27.029 say never. God's leading never contradicts the 00:27:27.029 --> 00:27:30.589 Bible, right? If you have an idea that goes against 00:27:30.589 --> 00:27:32.910 what is written in the Bible, then you immediately 00:27:32.910 --> 00:27:36.769 know that idea is not from God, right? You start 00:27:36.769 --> 00:27:39.250 with the Bible. Let's go back to our dating scenario. 00:27:39.869 --> 00:27:42.089 Right? We're back to the dating scenario. You're 00:27:42.089 --> 00:27:44.789 dating this individual. Man, they are fine on 00:27:44.789 --> 00:27:47.690 the eyes. You are excited. This could be the 00:27:47.690 --> 00:27:50.549 one. You're passionate. But then you quickly 00:27:50.549 --> 00:27:53.809 learn that they don't believe in Jesus. And not 00:27:53.809 --> 00:27:55.809 only do they not believe in Jesus, but they have 00:27:55.809 --> 00:27:58.369 a questionable character. Dare I say to you, 00:27:58.430 --> 00:28:01.750 it ends right there. Find someone else. Right? 00:28:02.400 --> 00:28:05.180 Oh, but I'm dating evangelists. No, you're not. 00:28:05.279 --> 00:28:09.140 You're lusting. Let's be truthful. They're fine 00:28:09.140 --> 00:28:13.250 to your eyes. Right? If the Bible contradicts 00:28:13.250 --> 00:28:16.529 what we believe, then it's not God's will for 00:28:16.529 --> 00:28:20.089 your life. You always start with the Bible. Next, 00:28:20.230 --> 00:28:23.529 you bring it to the church. Again, you're yielding. 00:28:23.529 --> 00:28:25.630 You're bringing it to the church. You're asking 00:28:25.630 --> 00:28:29.289 for confirmation from godly community and spiritual 00:28:29.289 --> 00:28:32.650 authorities of your life. Pastors, we all need 00:28:32.650 --> 00:28:34.890 some godly friends to speak into our lives. Do 00:28:34.890 --> 00:28:37.410 you agree with that? That's why we encourage 00:28:37.410 --> 00:28:39.549 you. Get in a growth group. Connect with other 00:28:39.549 --> 00:28:43.210 people. Serve on a team so that you have godly 00:28:43.210 --> 00:28:46.130 voices. That when you need to make a decision, 00:28:46.410 --> 00:28:49.049 it's not just you and God. It's not just you 00:28:49.049 --> 00:28:51.450 and the Holy Spirit. But you have other people 00:28:51.450 --> 00:28:53.289 speaking your life. You say, well, do I need 00:28:53.289 --> 00:28:55.730 that? Well, the Bible does tell us there is wisdom 00:28:55.730 --> 00:29:00.089 in a multitude of counselors. Therefore, we yield 00:29:00.089 --> 00:29:02.650 to what other people may speak to in our life. 00:29:02.690 --> 00:29:05.130 For example, you're going to take a new job or 00:29:05.130 --> 00:29:06.640 you're thinking. about taking a new job that 00:29:06.640 --> 00:29:09.779 requires you to relocate. It requires you to 00:29:09.779 --> 00:29:12.619 spend a lot of money on a new apartment or a 00:29:12.619 --> 00:29:15.220 house. Before you make that decision, you sit 00:29:15.220 --> 00:29:17.700 down with a few friends and a pastor and you 00:29:17.700 --> 00:29:19.859 listen to them and you talk with them. One friend 00:29:19.859 --> 00:29:23.220 says, will the move help you walk with God or 00:29:23.220 --> 00:29:26.240 will it pull you away from him? The next friend 00:29:26.240 --> 00:29:30.819 says, have you prayed about this or are you just 00:29:30.819 --> 00:29:33.609 excited about the opportunity? Another friend 00:29:33.609 --> 00:29:36.529 says, is there a healthy church there? Because 00:29:36.529 --> 00:29:39.730 if you're moving and relocating, you desire your 00:29:39.730 --> 00:29:42.829 spiritual environment to grow and flourish. And 00:29:42.829 --> 00:29:45.630 your family needs a place to plug in. And see, 00:29:45.690 --> 00:29:48.950 suddenly that decision becomes bigger than money. 00:29:49.009 --> 00:29:52.589 It becomes bigger than success. Godly voices 00:29:52.589 --> 00:29:56.329 help you to see that it's not just your emotions 00:29:56.329 --> 00:29:59.369 driven, it's God driven. All right, I think about 00:29:59.369 --> 00:30:01.369 planting this church here in Hagerstown, Maryland. 00:30:01.650 --> 00:30:03.730 Many of you know that I wanted to plant the church 00:30:03.730 --> 00:30:05.890 at the beach. I had a bunch of people that wanted 00:30:05.890 --> 00:30:08.170 to go with me. I thought that was the destination. 00:30:08.329 --> 00:30:11.069 I made up every excuse why we should be there, 00:30:11.210 --> 00:30:14.170 but then finally had to pay attention to what 00:30:14.170 --> 00:30:17.990 other people, like my wife, was saying, and then 00:30:17.990 --> 00:30:20.509 I planted the church here. And if I wouldn't 00:30:20.509 --> 00:30:22.650 have listened to that outside source and those 00:30:22.650 --> 00:30:25.490 outside voices, dare I say thousands of people 00:30:25.490 --> 00:30:28.880 wouldn't have been changed by Jesus. You see, 00:30:28.980 --> 00:30:32.779 a lot of times our decisions have bigger consequences 00:30:32.779 --> 00:30:36.099 than what we could ever imagine. Next, we look 00:30:36.099 --> 00:30:38.079 at our circumstances. And you're like, Chris, 00:30:38.200 --> 00:30:41.259 really? Yeah, God provides open doors and closed 00:30:41.259 --> 00:30:44.279 doors for us to yield to. We have to realize 00:30:44.279 --> 00:30:47.559 that God is leading. We have to stop trying to 00:30:47.559 --> 00:30:50.480 push doors open when God's already closed them. 00:30:50.700 --> 00:30:53.900 Right? We wonder why we're missing it, and God 00:30:53.900 --> 00:30:56.579 is simply trying to lead us. Right? He's just 00:30:56.579 --> 00:30:59.259 trying to lead us. We have to allow ourselves 00:30:59.259 --> 00:31:02.579 to understand that the circumstances involved 00:31:02.579 --> 00:31:06.000 here, like, for example, back to our dating scenario. 00:31:06.380 --> 00:31:08.920 Right? You met someone. You're excited about 00:31:08.920 --> 00:31:11.720 it. You're desiring to be in relationship with 00:31:11.720 --> 00:31:13.819 them. They're a believer. They're passionate 00:31:13.819 --> 00:31:16.480 about Jesus. You talk to friends. They're all 00:31:16.480 --> 00:31:18.220 like, oh, wow, this could be the one. You should 00:31:18.220 --> 00:31:21.000 continue to pray about it. And then after your 00:31:21.000 --> 00:31:24.740 next date, suddenly they ghost you. And then 00:31:24.740 --> 00:31:26.619 you get worried and upset and they don't respond 00:31:26.619 --> 00:31:28.799 to your calls. And then you hear them say, I'm 00:31:28.799 --> 00:31:30.400 not interested anymore. I'm going to date someone 00:31:30.400 --> 00:31:34.299 else. Okay. Does that mean that it's not God's 00:31:34.299 --> 00:31:35.960 best that you marry that person? Well, chances 00:31:35.960 --> 00:31:37.440 are you need to pump the brakes. You need to 00:31:37.440 --> 00:31:39.460 yield because they don't want to be with you. 00:31:39.720 --> 00:31:41.440 So I'm not saying it's never going to happen. 00:31:41.480 --> 00:31:43.880 But because of the circumstances of them ghosting 00:31:43.880 --> 00:31:46.460 you, you might want to consider moving on. Just 00:31:46.460 --> 00:31:50.000 saying. And the last one is this. Peace. The 00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:53.940 Holy Spirit's leading requires faith. but will 00:31:53.940 --> 00:31:56.640 be accompanied by peace, right? There is peace 00:31:56.640 --> 00:31:59.500 involved. So if you are making a decision and 00:31:59.500 --> 00:32:01.859 you're full of anxiety and stress, wondering 00:32:01.859 --> 00:32:04.720 why this is so frustrating in making this decision, 00:32:04.880 --> 00:32:08.019 chances are you haven't yielded to God because 00:32:08.019 --> 00:32:09.920 you are trying to push it through in your own 00:32:09.920 --> 00:32:12.400 strength, right? There's a lot of things that 00:32:12.400 --> 00:32:15.250 require great faith. But if I don't have the 00:32:15.250 --> 00:32:18.329 peace of God, then I'm not doing it, right? When 00:32:18.329 --> 00:32:20.609 Jess and I planted this church 20 years ago, 00:32:20.670 --> 00:32:23.329 we had the peace of God as we sold our house, 00:32:23.369 --> 00:32:25.309 sold everything, just about everything we owned, 00:32:25.410 --> 00:32:29.029 right? And relocated here to start this church. 00:32:29.430 --> 00:32:34.250 I am so over followers of Jesus making terrible 00:32:34.250 --> 00:32:38.059 decisions based on bad emotions. Led by what 00:32:38.059 --> 00:32:41.380 the world wants and our flesh wants rather than 00:32:41.380 --> 00:32:43.859 what the Holy Spirit wants. And if you put those 00:32:43.859 --> 00:32:46.640 four points into action in your life, church, 00:32:46.740 --> 00:32:49.940 you will be led by the Spirit. And the third 00:32:49.940 --> 00:32:52.519 way the Holy Spirit leads us is this. He leads 00:32:52.519 --> 00:32:56.960 us to glorify Jesus. John 16, 14, he will bring 00:32:56.960 --> 00:32:59.759 me glory by telling you whatever he receives 00:32:59.759 --> 00:33:03.200 from me. The Holy Spirit's role in our life is 00:33:03.200 --> 00:33:05.940 to bring glory to Jesus, right? He makes Jesus 00:33:05.940 --> 00:33:08.559 known to the world, to the known world through 00:33:08.559 --> 00:33:12.319 us. The Holy Spirit's goal is to not make much 00:33:12.319 --> 00:33:15.420 of us, but to make a whole lot of Jesus. There's 00:33:15.420 --> 00:33:18.039 already too much of us in the world, right? Let's 00:33:18.039 --> 00:33:21.599 be honest. We can't change the world, but Jesus 00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:25.049 in us can impact and change the world. And the 00:33:25.049 --> 00:33:28.029 Holy Spirit in us is not to make our platforms 00:33:28.029 --> 00:33:31.150 bigger. Let me say that. It's not for us to gain 00:33:31.150 --> 00:33:33.250 more followers. It's not to make our bank accounts 00:33:33.250 --> 00:33:38.029 bigger. It's not for us to receive praise. The 00:33:38.029 --> 00:33:41.910 Holy Spirit exists and moves through us so that 00:33:41.910 --> 00:33:44.470 Jesus gets all the glory, so that Jesus gets 00:33:44.470 --> 00:33:48.349 all the praise. Living a Spirit -led life means 00:33:48.349 --> 00:33:51.819 that we yield. And we ask the Holy Spirit in 00:33:51.819 --> 00:33:54.420 this situation to bring glory to Jesus. I'm about 00:33:54.420 --> 00:33:58.140 to go in this tense meeting at my business. Holy 00:33:58.140 --> 00:34:01.859 Spirit, help me, allow me to be the light. I'm 00:34:01.859 --> 00:34:04.180 about to attend a family reunion that I'm not 00:34:04.180 --> 00:34:05.920 looking forward to and haven't been looking forward 00:34:05.920 --> 00:34:10.320 to it for two years. Holy Spirit, help me be 00:34:10.320 --> 00:34:13.380 a light and to bring you glory. I'm walking into 00:34:13.380 --> 00:34:15.039 this school. I don't want to be in this school, 00:34:15.199 --> 00:34:17.380 but I know God's led me to this school, and I'm 00:34:17.380 --> 00:34:19.340 going to go into this school. Holy Spirit, fill 00:34:19.340 --> 00:34:22.159 me and allow me to be a light. You see where 00:34:22.159 --> 00:34:24.659 the Holy Spirit desires to bring glory to Jesus. 00:34:24.719 --> 00:34:27.679 Matthew 5, you are the light of the world, like 00:34:27.679 --> 00:34:30.320 a city on a hill that cannot be hidden. No one 00:34:30.320 --> 00:34:32.480 lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. 00:34:32.519 --> 00:34:35.619 Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand where it 00:34:35.619 --> 00:34:37.659 gives light to everyone in the house. In the 00:34:37.659 --> 00:34:39.739 same way, let your good deeds shine out for all 00:34:39.739 --> 00:34:42.159 to see so that everyone will praise your heavenly 00:34:42.159 --> 00:34:45.500 Father. Why do we serve the community? Why does 00:34:45.500 --> 00:34:48.320 HTV serve the community, right? Why are we going 00:34:48.320 --> 00:34:49.940 to build beds? In a few weeks, we're going to 00:34:49.940 --> 00:34:52.039 build beds. All of you can build beds. We desire 00:34:52.039 --> 00:34:54.880 to build 60 beds for kids that don't have them. 00:34:54.940 --> 00:34:56.980 Isn't that a good thing to do? Well, we're going 00:34:56.980 --> 00:34:59.280 to have a bed build, right? You can sign up. 00:34:59.320 --> 00:35:01.760 You can register. You can be a part of that. 00:35:01.820 --> 00:35:04.139 Why do we do it? Is it to bring glory to HTV? 00:35:04.559 --> 00:35:09.000 No. It's to bring glory to Jesus. That's why 00:35:09.000 --> 00:35:12.360 we do it. You just saw our top banana. Our top 00:35:12.360 --> 00:35:15.280 banana is the tech team. Hey, Donnie, can you 00:35:15.280 --> 00:35:19.059 stand up? Stand up back there. That's Donnie. 00:35:22.179 --> 00:35:26.860 He's been back there for years. And I'm not making 00:35:26.860 --> 00:35:31.000 that up. Years. serving our community of faith, 00:35:31.059 --> 00:35:34.599 him and John and the entire team, years. And 00:35:34.599 --> 00:35:37.179 it sounds good, doesn't it? And it looks good. 00:35:37.219 --> 00:35:40.599 And we got a broadcast team and cameras and all 00:35:40.599 --> 00:35:42.800 that kind of stuff. It's because of their faithful 00:35:42.800 --> 00:35:45.699 service and commitment because they want to make 00:35:45.699 --> 00:35:50.820 Jesus known to the entire world. Amen? And listen, 00:35:50.940 --> 00:35:55.199 they need your help. Get on their team, okay? 00:35:55.300 --> 00:35:57.719 If you can mix sound, if you can... If you can 00:35:57.719 --> 00:36:00.460 shoot a camera with your phone, you can be on 00:36:00.460 --> 00:36:02.340 the camera team. We need some help back there, 00:36:02.400 --> 00:36:04.900 man. So if you can see them, hug them, and tell 00:36:04.900 --> 00:36:06.920 them you want to get involved, please do it. 00:36:06.960 --> 00:36:10.400 The point, we desire for other people to come 00:36:10.400 --> 00:36:13.739 and know Jesus. We want to make him known to 00:36:13.739 --> 00:36:16.280 the entire world. And that happens the way we 00:36:16.280 --> 00:36:18.599 live our lives. We need to be filled by the Spirit, 00:36:18.739 --> 00:36:21.199 which leads to our last example of how the Holy 00:36:21.199 --> 00:36:23.599 Spirit leads us. He leads us to live a fruitful 00:36:23.599 --> 00:36:26.719 life. John 16, 15, all that belongs to the Father 00:36:26.719 --> 00:36:29.400 is mine. This is why I said the Spirit will tell 00:36:29.400 --> 00:36:32.340 you whatever he receives from me. He leads us, 00:36:32.360 --> 00:36:35.099 church, to know the truth, to know his will, 00:36:35.239 --> 00:36:38.000 to glorify Jesus, and to live a fruitful life. 00:36:38.099 --> 00:36:40.760 Meaning, we're making a difference. Are you making 00:36:40.760 --> 00:36:43.400 a difference? Are you living a life of overflow? 00:36:43.639 --> 00:36:46.739 John 15, 5 says, yes, I am the vine, you are 00:36:46.739 --> 00:36:48.699 the branches. Those who remain in me and I in 00:36:48.699 --> 00:36:51.659 them will produce much fruit. For apart from 00:36:51.659 --> 00:36:54.260 me, you could do nothing. Living a Spirit -filled 00:36:54.260 --> 00:36:57.380 life means that we look more and more like Jesus. 00:36:57.639 --> 00:37:01.860 And that is why Galatians 5 .22 tells us the 00:37:01.860 --> 00:37:06.380 result of living a Spirit -led life. And notice 00:37:06.380 --> 00:37:09.320 the things you won't see. When we read this verse, 00:37:09.519 --> 00:37:12.320 you will not see the outcome of living a Spirit 00:37:12.320 --> 00:37:15.159 -led life is speaking in tongues more. You're 00:37:15.159 --> 00:37:17.340 not going to see that. The outcome of living 00:37:17.340 --> 00:37:19.980 a Spirit -filled life is falling out in the Spirit 00:37:19.980 --> 00:37:22.920 more. You're not going to see that. The outcome 00:37:22.920 --> 00:37:25.340 of a Spirit -led life is being moved to tears 00:37:25.340 --> 00:37:27.619 by His presence. You're not going to see that. 00:37:28.480 --> 00:37:31.099 And I'm not against those things. Hear me out. 00:37:31.440 --> 00:37:35.360 I believe in the Holy Spirit. I believe in the 00:37:35.360 --> 00:37:38.300 charismatic world and the Bible world, and I 00:37:38.300 --> 00:37:40.199 want to bring them together. And I want to live 00:37:40.199 --> 00:37:43.360 what the Bible tells us to live. But this is 00:37:43.360 --> 00:37:46.800 the fruit of the Spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, 00:37:46.880 --> 00:37:48.840 kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, 00:37:48.880 --> 00:37:51.610 and self -control. There is no law against these 00:37:51.610 --> 00:37:54.690 things. Those who belong to Jesus have nailed 00:37:54.690 --> 00:37:57.090 the passions and desires of their sinful nature 00:37:57.090 --> 00:37:59.829 to the cross and crucified them there. Since 00:37:59.829 --> 00:38:01.710 we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the 00:38:01.710 --> 00:38:04.030 Spirit's leading in every part of our life. See, 00:38:04.090 --> 00:38:06.989 as we let the Spirit work in our life, we look 00:38:06.989 --> 00:38:09.510 more and more like Jesus because the primary 00:38:09.510 --> 00:38:13.429 evidence of the Spirit's involvement is not the 00:38:13.429 --> 00:38:16.010 gifts of the Spirit, but the fruit of the Spirit. 00:38:16.429 --> 00:38:19.210 And if we recognize, if you and I recognize that 00:38:19.210 --> 00:38:22.849 the fruit in our lives doesn't look like Jesus, 00:38:22.969 --> 00:38:26.730 don't be frustrated with the fruit. Look at the 00:38:26.730 --> 00:38:29.369 root. Because it's not about the fruit. It's 00:38:29.369 --> 00:38:31.789 about the connection. It's kind of like our car 00:38:31.789 --> 00:38:34.170 indicator lights. When the check engine light 00:38:34.170 --> 00:38:36.110 comes on, if you're anything like me, you're 00:38:36.110 --> 00:38:37.590 like, where's that fuse? I want to unplug it. 00:38:37.889 --> 00:38:40.530 It's the most frustrating thing in the world. 00:38:41.710 --> 00:38:45.289 But the Holy Spirit desires to reveal to us when 00:38:45.289 --> 00:38:48.730 we aren't loving, when we aren't patient, when 00:38:48.730 --> 00:38:50.630 we have no self -control. You know that self 00:38:50.630 --> 00:38:52.809 -control? I'm never going back to that habit. 00:38:52.869 --> 00:38:54.869 I'm never going back there. And now you're stuck 00:38:54.869 --> 00:38:57.869 in it again. Right? Don't get frustrated with 00:38:57.869 --> 00:39:01.329 the fruit. Focus on the root and allow the Holy 00:39:01.329 --> 00:39:03.869 Spirit to change your heart. It doesn't mean 00:39:03.869 --> 00:39:07.250 we try harder. It means we act. Activate His 00:39:07.250 --> 00:39:10.809 presence to come alive in us and recognize it 00:39:10.809 --> 00:39:14.809 every single day. See, friends, we have to learn 00:39:14.809 --> 00:39:17.969 to be grateful for God's Spirit. Will you stand 00:39:17.969 --> 00:39:21.730 with me? And I think that's where a lot of us 00:39:21.730 --> 00:39:24.449 are missing that connection with the Holy Spirit 00:39:24.449 --> 00:39:28.309 today. We're not grateful that the very presence 00:39:28.309 --> 00:39:31.610 and power of God lives within us. It's not some 00:39:31.610 --> 00:39:35.110 abstract idea. It's a person living inside of 00:39:35.110 --> 00:39:38.320 you. And today I want to challenge you. Will 00:39:38.320 --> 00:39:42.800 you activate it? Will you activate it? So this 00:39:42.800 --> 00:39:44.219 is how we're going to close. I asked the worship 00:39:44.219 --> 00:39:47.079 team to join us, and I want them to sing a song 00:39:47.079 --> 00:39:50.420 over us as we invite the Holy Spirit to come. 00:39:50.539 --> 00:39:52.340 Now, if you're comfortable with this, I want 00:39:52.340 --> 00:39:53.980 to invite all of you, and I know some of you 00:39:53.980 --> 00:39:56.260 aren't, but do it anyway, to put your hands this 00:39:56.260 --> 00:39:58.840 way. And all this means, church, all this means 00:39:58.840 --> 00:40:01.019 is I'm going to receive from the Holy Spirit. 00:40:01.139 --> 00:40:04.159 That's all it means. Okay? And I'm going to pray 00:40:04.159 --> 00:40:05.699 for the Holy Spirit to come. I'm going to invite 00:40:05.699 --> 00:40:08.300 them to sing. And then we're going to close in 00:40:08.300 --> 00:40:11.980 prayer. Can we do that? Alright. And as we sing, 00:40:12.079 --> 00:40:14.880 as they're singing over you, all I want you to 00:40:14.880 --> 00:40:19.619 say is this. Is my fruit, how I live my life, 00:40:19.760 --> 00:40:23.320 a product of the Holy Spirit? Or is it a product 00:40:23.320 --> 00:40:27.199 of me? And whatever the Spirit reveals to you 00:40:27.199 --> 00:40:29.940 that's your own strength, that's what you've 00:40:29.940 --> 00:40:32.570 got to deal with. Amen? All right, let's go to 00:40:32.570 --> 00:42:57.989 God. Holy Spirit, come. I want you to take your 00:42:57.989 --> 00:43:01.929 hand. I want you to put it over your heart. I 00:43:01.929 --> 00:43:07.309 want you to pray these words. Holy Spirit, you 00:43:07.309 --> 00:43:14.909 have control. Not me, but you. Activate your 00:43:14.909 --> 00:43:20.510 presence, your power, your authority, your leading 00:43:20.510 --> 00:43:27.230 in my life. In Jesus' name. And you can do that 00:43:27.230 --> 00:43:31.690 at any time. You can do that on your own tomorrow 00:43:31.690 --> 00:43:33.309 when you're struggling, when you're getting ready 00:43:33.309 --> 00:43:34.869 to go into that meeting and you're stressed and 00:43:34.869 --> 00:43:38.530 you're overwhelmed. Boom. Activate the power 00:43:38.530 --> 00:43:40.769 and the presence. It's in you if you believe. 00:43:41.230 --> 00:43:44.230 But if you're here and you don't believe and 00:43:44.230 --> 00:43:45.969 you're distant and you're far from God, we pray 00:43:45.969 --> 00:43:48.449 this prayer every Sunday because we want to welcome 00:43:48.449 --> 00:43:52.710 people home into God's kingdom. Amen? So let's 00:43:52.710 --> 00:43:56.219 pray this prayer together. Jesus. I'm broken. 00:43:56.539 --> 00:44:02.380 I'm full of doubt, shame, regret, sin. Change 00:44:02.380 --> 00:44:07.719 me. Forgive me. I believe you're God's son. I 00:44:07.719 --> 00:44:12.079 believe you died for me. I believe you're alive 00:44:12.079 --> 00:44:17.500 today. Make me new. Set me free. Fill me with 00:44:17.500 --> 00:44:22.280 your spirit. In Jesus' name, amen. So you prayed 00:44:22.280 --> 00:44:25.159 that prayer, see me, see Rudy, text me, do something 00:44:25.159 --> 00:44:27.539 so we can give you some next steps. There was 00:44:27.539 --> 00:44:29.159 a couple words of knowledge I need to share. 00:44:29.860 --> 00:44:33.219 You have right leg sciatica pain that shoots 00:44:33.219 --> 00:44:36.739 down the back of your leg. You have pain in your 00:44:36.739 --> 00:44:39.800 inner left thigh. You have a left thumb that 00:44:39.800 --> 00:44:42.500 is going numb and is causing you discomfort. 00:44:42.900 --> 00:44:44.940 If any of those are you or you need prayer for 00:44:44.940 --> 00:44:47.280 anything else, prayer team will be on my right 00:44:47.280 --> 00:44:50.099 and my left. Next week, I'm going to be focusing 00:44:50.099 --> 00:44:52.739 on prayer. It's going to be a next Sunday of 00:44:52.739 --> 00:44:55.599 transformation. God bless you guys. Have a great 00:44:55.599 --> 00:44:55.900 week.