WEBVTT 00:00:09.449 --> 00:00:14.289 Welcome to ECB's weekly sermon podcast. ECB is 00:00:14.289 --> 00:00:16.589 an international church in Bangkok, Thailand, 00:00:16.750 --> 00:00:19.809 with dozens of nationalities worshiping together. 00:00:20.129 --> 00:00:22.989 We invite you to connect with us from wherever 00:00:22.989 --> 00:00:27.210 you are through our website ecb .asia or our 00:00:27.210 --> 00:00:31.070 mobile app. And now we pray that you are blessed 00:00:31.070 --> 00:00:35.090 by this week's sermon. We're in this series called 00:00:35.090 --> 00:00:38.320 Servants. devoted to God. We're well underway 00:00:38.320 --> 00:00:41.859 in this series, and I hope it's been very helpful 00:00:41.859 --> 00:00:45.659 for your journey of loving God and serving Him 00:00:45.659 --> 00:00:50.079 with devotion. The moment Jesus saved us, not 00:00:50.079 --> 00:00:54.579 only did we become children of God, we also became 00:00:54.579 --> 00:00:59.100 servants for the purpose of building God's kingdom 00:00:59.100 --> 00:01:02.799 on earth in partnership with Him. In Jesus' life 00:01:02.799 --> 00:01:06.549 and ministry, the kingdom of God was a central 00:01:06.549 --> 00:01:10.049 theme. And you and I, as servants devoted to 00:01:10.049 --> 00:01:12.530 God, have been called now to make the kingdom 00:01:12.530 --> 00:01:17.049 of God also the central theme for our life and 00:01:17.049 --> 00:01:20.989 ministry. And as we have already learned, being 00:01:20.989 --> 00:01:24.989 part of this kingdom comes with a new culture. 00:01:25.030 --> 00:01:28.670 The culture of the kingdom of God is vastly different 00:01:28.670 --> 00:01:31.670 from the worldly culture that we used to be part 00:01:31.670 --> 00:01:35.269 of. Being and thinking and behaving in the culture 00:01:35.269 --> 00:01:38.530 of the kingdom is just completely different. 00:01:38.790 --> 00:01:43.010 So we need to adjust to that culture. We need 00:01:43.010 --> 00:01:45.590 to learn this new way of being, thinking and 00:01:45.590 --> 00:01:49.269 behaving. And one of the things that we need 00:01:49.269 --> 00:01:54.109 to learn is the power of the kingdom of God. 00:01:54.170 --> 00:01:57.430 The driving force behind the expansion of God's 00:01:57.430 --> 00:02:00.069 kingdom. And as we will learn today, the power 00:02:00.069 --> 00:02:05.829 of the kingdom of God. is the Holy Spirit. Ever 00:02:05.829 --> 00:02:08.349 since the Holy Spirit was poured out on a group 00:02:08.349 --> 00:02:11.849 of 120 believers in the upper room on the day 00:02:11.849 --> 00:02:16.210 of Pentecost, the news about Jesus starts spreading 00:02:16.210 --> 00:02:20.069 like wildfire. It happened first in Jerusalem, 00:02:20.169 --> 00:02:22.669 but soon it went out to the other parts of Israel. 00:02:22.849 --> 00:02:26.569 And soon after, the gospel was shared with countries 00:02:26.569 --> 00:02:30.129 surrounding Israel. And from there, it took a 00:02:30.129 --> 00:02:33.879 flight. And it impacted the world. And today 00:02:33.879 --> 00:02:37.280 this group of 120 believers 2 ,000 years ago 00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:40.919 has grown into a worldwide movement of billions 00:02:40.919 --> 00:02:44.020 of people who are gathering in tens of millions 00:02:44.020 --> 00:02:49.500 of local churches all around the world. That's 00:02:49.500 --> 00:02:53.860 powerful. The kingdom of God is expanding. But 00:02:53.860 --> 00:02:56.900 what has caused this movement? What is causing 00:02:56.900 --> 00:02:59.889 this movement? Well, the Holy Spirit. He is the 00:02:59.889 --> 00:03:03.330 power of the kingdom. He is the one who has caused 00:03:03.330 --> 00:03:06.909 the movement of the kingdom and is causing the 00:03:06.909 --> 00:03:11.669 movement of the kingdom. And for a proper introduction 00:03:11.669 --> 00:03:16.129 to the Holy Spirit in the larger story of God, 00:03:16.330 --> 00:03:20.050 we need to turn to page one of the Bible. It's 00:03:20.050 --> 00:03:23.639 there where we are being introduced to... The 00:03:23.639 --> 00:03:25.840 Holy Spirit. This is how the word of God begins. 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:28.819 In the beginning, God created the heavens and 00:03:28.819 --> 00:03:32.740 the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty. 00:03:32.840 --> 00:03:35.740 Darkness was over the surface of the deep. And 00:03:35.740 --> 00:03:39.819 the spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 00:03:39.879 --> 00:03:44.009 Before creation. The Holy Spirit was already 00:03:44.009 --> 00:03:46.110 there. What was he doing? Oh, he was hovering 00:03:46.110 --> 00:03:49.710 over the waters. He was hovering over that what 00:03:49.710 --> 00:03:54.909 was still dark and empty and formless. But he 00:03:54.909 --> 00:04:00.770 was ready to speak life and beauty into all of 00:04:00.770 --> 00:04:03.469 that. Psalm 33 says that the heavens and the 00:04:03.469 --> 00:04:07.490 earth were created by God's Ruach. God's breath. 00:04:07.650 --> 00:04:10.229 Ruach is the Hebrew word for breath, but exactly 00:04:10.229 --> 00:04:13.210 the same word is being used for spirit, like 00:04:13.210 --> 00:04:15.889 here in Genesis 1 and in different places. It 00:04:15.889 --> 00:04:18.990 was through God's breath that the world was created. 00:04:19.069 --> 00:04:22.009 So when God began to speak and he said, let there 00:04:22.009 --> 00:04:24.949 be light and let there be a heavens and earth 00:04:24.949 --> 00:04:28.689 and land and sea and nature and animals and seasons 00:04:28.689 --> 00:04:33.529 and people. So it came to be, as we know from 00:04:33.529 --> 00:04:38.730 the rest of the story of Genesis 1 and 2. And 00:04:38.730 --> 00:04:43.410 the Holy Spirit was deeply involved in that work 00:04:43.410 --> 00:04:47.949 of creation. The Holy Spirit was from the very 00:04:47.949 --> 00:04:51.709 start involved. He had a prominent role in creating 00:04:51.709 --> 00:04:58.089 light and life and order in places of darkness, 00:04:58.189 --> 00:05:05.300 emptiness. And chaos. And the Holy Spirit never 00:05:05.300 --> 00:05:10.220 stopped doing so. When you follow the story of 00:05:10.220 --> 00:05:13.199 redemption throughout the Old Testament, the 00:05:13.199 --> 00:05:17.199 story of God saving his people back to him because 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:20.040 sin entered the world and people were confronted 00:05:20.040 --> 00:05:23.680 with, again, darkness and emptiness and chaos. 00:05:23.720 --> 00:05:27.920 Throughout that story of redemption, the Holy 00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:31.579 Spirit continued to play a prominent role in 00:05:31.579 --> 00:05:35.939 this new creation work. The Holy Spirit empowered 00:05:35.939 --> 00:05:39.959 certain people for specific assignments in this 00:05:39.959 --> 00:05:43.120 redemptive work that God was undertaking. We 00:05:43.120 --> 00:05:47.720 read about leaders like Moses and David and Samson 00:05:47.720 --> 00:05:51.699 and prophets like Daniel and Ezekiel and Eliza 00:05:51.699 --> 00:05:55.600 who were empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak 00:05:55.600 --> 00:06:00.250 truth. to God's people, but also to perform miracles 00:06:00.250 --> 00:06:04.149 and signs all for the sake of God wanting them 00:06:04.149 --> 00:06:09.529 to return to him. He wanted to redeem them. And 00:06:09.529 --> 00:06:13.629 again, the Holy Spirit was deeply involved in 00:06:13.629 --> 00:06:19.470 creating new life, new light, new order in that 00:06:19.470 --> 00:06:24.689 what had become dark and empty and chaotic. And 00:06:24.689 --> 00:06:28.670 it was during this time of redemption where God 00:06:28.670 --> 00:06:33.189 started to enlarge the scale, where a life, a 00:06:33.189 --> 00:06:36.129 game -changing element came into play. Not only 00:06:36.129 --> 00:06:38.889 did God want his Holy Spirit on a few people 00:06:38.889 --> 00:06:42.529 for specific assignments, no, no, no, no. God 00:06:42.529 --> 00:06:45.209 wanted all people to have the Holy Spirit, which 00:06:45.209 --> 00:06:47.470 is why through the prophet Joel, this is what 00:06:47.470 --> 00:06:50.430 God promised. I will pour out my spirit on all 00:06:50.430 --> 00:06:53.310 people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. 00:06:53.310 --> 00:06:56.149 Your old men will dream dreams. Your young men 00:06:56.149 --> 00:06:59.889 will see visions. Even on my servants, both men 00:06:59.889 --> 00:07:05.889 and women, I will pour out my spirit in those 00:07:05.889 --> 00:07:09.819 days. That's a game changer. God's strategy now 00:07:09.819 --> 00:07:13.120 changed into, hold on, not a few people. No, 00:07:13.139 --> 00:07:17.439 no, no. Everyone whom I'm saving to myself, I 00:07:17.439 --> 00:07:22.279 will pour out the Spirit on them. That changes 00:07:22.279 --> 00:07:26.000 the perspective on God's kingdom building. The 00:07:26.000 --> 00:07:28.139 Holy Spirit for all. And as you probably know, 00:07:28.300 --> 00:07:32.879 this promise speaks into our era. The era after 00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:36.500 the day of Pentecost. The era after Jesus came 00:07:36.500 --> 00:07:40.540 to launch the building of God's kingdom on earth. 00:07:40.800 --> 00:07:43.279 And now I've brought Jesus into the picture. 00:07:43.339 --> 00:07:46.480 Look at what happened to Jesus right before he 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:50.480 began his ministry on earth. When all the people 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:53.939 were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. 00:07:54.569 --> 00:07:58.050 And as he was praying, heaven was opened and 00:07:58.050 --> 00:08:02.350 the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form 00:08:02.350 --> 00:08:06.649 like a dove. Apparently for Jesus to undertake 00:08:06.649 --> 00:08:11.589 his kingdom building ministry, he first needed 00:08:11.589 --> 00:08:16.540 to receive the Holy Spirit. In a chapter later, 00:08:16.720 --> 00:08:19.379 in Luke 4, when Jesus is quoting the words of 00:08:19.379 --> 00:08:22.240 the prophet Isaiah, he fills us in on what this 00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:25.199 actually means. The spirit of the Lord is on 00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:28.819 me, says Jesus, because he has anointed me to 00:08:28.819 --> 00:08:32.179 proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me 00:08:32.179 --> 00:08:35.279 to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery 00:08:35.279 --> 00:08:37.919 of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:41.620 free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. 00:08:42.990 --> 00:08:46.330 Where did Jesus get his anointing and his power 00:08:46.330 --> 00:08:48.870 from to proclaim the good news of the kingdom 00:08:48.870 --> 00:08:53.250 and to do all these signs and miracles? From 00:08:53.250 --> 00:08:56.590 the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the power 00:08:56.590 --> 00:09:00.450 of the kingdom of God. Do you see the essential 00:09:00.450 --> 00:09:03.809 role that the Holy Spirit has been playing from 00:09:03.809 --> 00:09:07.289 the beginning and is playing until this very 00:09:07.289 --> 00:09:11.149 age in God's strategy for building his kingdom? 00:09:12.970 --> 00:09:15.509 We need to understand that building the kingdom 00:09:15.509 --> 00:09:19.049 of God does not rely on our expertise, on our 00:09:19.049 --> 00:09:21.950 intellect, on our skill, no matter how gifted 00:09:21.950 --> 00:09:27.289 we are. It relies on the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:09:28.389 --> 00:09:30.950 And can I tell you, if Jesus needed the Holy 00:09:30.950 --> 00:09:35.009 Spirit to undertake his kingdom building ministry, 00:09:35.409 --> 00:09:40.029 you and I certainly need the Holy Spirit for 00:09:40.029 --> 00:09:44.879 our kingdom. building ministry. Today I want 00:09:44.879 --> 00:09:46.700 to look with you at the early church in the book 00:09:46.700 --> 00:09:50.440 of Acts to see what it means, what the power 00:09:50.440 --> 00:09:53.679 of the Holy Spirit really means also for our 00:09:53.679 --> 00:09:58.200 day and age. But before we go there, I want to 00:09:58.200 --> 00:10:00.879 give you an illustration that I believe will 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:04.179 help us understand how this works. The power 00:10:04.179 --> 00:10:09.450 of the Spirit empowering us. And I want to show 00:10:09.450 --> 00:10:11.649 you this picture. If you come from a windy country, 00:10:11.990 --> 00:10:15.070 like my country, you know what this is. You know 00:10:15.070 --> 00:10:19.929 what this is? Windmills, right? Or wind turbines. 00:10:20.610 --> 00:10:23.350 Yeah. Thailand has a few fields, so if you want 00:10:23.350 --> 00:10:26.169 to see one or many with your own eyes, it's just 00:10:26.169 --> 00:10:29.190 an hour and a half drive to visit one of those. 00:10:29.309 --> 00:10:30.850 I'm not sure why you would do that, but hey, 00:10:30.909 --> 00:10:34.649 if you want to see one. You know how a windmill 00:10:34.649 --> 00:10:40.669 works? A windmill... harnesses the wind, and 00:10:40.669 --> 00:10:43.190 the wind allows the windmill to produce power. 00:10:44.009 --> 00:10:46.629 Here's how it works. When the blades of a windmill 00:10:46.629 --> 00:10:50.169 are rightly positioned towards the wind, the 00:10:50.169 --> 00:10:53.450 blades will begin to turn, which will cause the 00:10:53.450 --> 00:10:57.409 rotor to turn, which will set in motion the generator 00:10:57.409 --> 00:10:59.730 that is, I'm not an engineer, but there's a generator 00:10:59.730 --> 00:11:02.669 apparently in this windmill construction, and 00:11:02.669 --> 00:11:06.450 that will generate power to give away to the 00:11:06.450 --> 00:11:10.460 grid. You know what a windmill field is capable 00:11:10.460 --> 00:11:15.179 of doing? It's capable of generating power to 00:11:15.179 --> 00:11:19.840 power up cities and nations, to set alight cities 00:11:19.840 --> 00:11:23.620 and nations and to cause life and business and 00:11:23.620 --> 00:11:27.919 all of that to happen. That's the picture that 00:11:27.919 --> 00:11:29.820 I want to give you, the illustration of thinking 00:11:29.820 --> 00:11:33.580 about the power of the Holy Spirit empowering 00:11:33.580 --> 00:11:36.460 us. And I promise I will get back to this illustration 00:11:36.460 --> 00:11:41.220 at the end of this sermon. Empowered by the Spirit. 00:11:41.500 --> 00:11:43.919 If you wonder, hey, where did I hear this phrase 00:11:43.919 --> 00:11:47.379 before? Well, you walk by it every Sunday morning. 00:11:49.070 --> 00:11:51.629 to this worship center. If you're in Jubilee 00:11:51.629 --> 00:11:53.230 Center, you won't see it. But if you're normally 00:11:53.230 --> 00:11:55.690 here, you will see it because it's one of the 00:11:55.690 --> 00:11:59.950 foundations of ECB. Everything we do here is 00:11:59.950 --> 00:12:03.429 empowered by the Spirit. Why have we put that 00:12:03.429 --> 00:12:06.070 on the wall? Because we believe it is true. Without 00:12:06.070 --> 00:12:09.669 the power of the Holy Spirit, we will not accomplish 00:12:09.669 --> 00:12:14.600 a thing. Today I want to share with you three 00:12:14.600 --> 00:12:18.139 insights from the early church in the book of 00:12:18.139 --> 00:12:21.799 Acts to help us understand and live out what 00:12:21.799 --> 00:12:25.840 it is to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Here's 00:12:25.840 --> 00:12:28.299 the first insight I want to share with you. The 00:12:28.299 --> 00:12:33.120 Holy Spirit helps us overcome our reservations. 00:12:34.860 --> 00:12:37.620 What we see happening on the day of Pentecost 00:12:37.620 --> 00:12:42.940 in Acts chapter 2, is that the 120 people who 00:12:42.940 --> 00:12:46.720 were in the upper room first had zero reservations 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:50.600 in sharing the message of Jesus with the people 00:12:50.600 --> 00:12:53.299 on the streets in Jerusalem. There were many, 00:12:53.379 --> 00:12:56.440 many nations gathered there on the day of Pentecost. 00:12:56.500 --> 00:12:59.679 They were celebrating the festival of Shavuot, 00:12:59.740 --> 00:13:02.600 which was an existing Jewish celebration. So 00:13:02.600 --> 00:13:04.799 people from all kinds of nations were there, 00:13:04.840 --> 00:13:08.460 and hey, They heard the news about Jesus in their 00:13:08.460 --> 00:13:10.720 own language because the Holy Spirit had gifted 00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:14.600 these people to speak in tongues. Boldly, they 00:13:14.600 --> 00:13:18.100 were proclaiming the news of Jesus. And at a 00:13:18.100 --> 00:13:20.220 certain point, Peter, the apostle Peter, had 00:13:20.220 --> 00:13:22.940 taken the microphone. He had preached his best 00:13:22.940 --> 00:13:28.000 sermon ever. He did an altar call, and 3 ,000 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:31.860 people responded and came to faith in Jesus on 00:13:31.860 --> 00:13:37.450 that day. What had happened to these people who 00:13:37.450 --> 00:13:42.929 just a few weeks before were so scared, were 00:13:42.929 --> 00:13:47.110 so afraid to be seen with Jesus because the Jewish 00:13:47.110 --> 00:13:49.850 leaders and the public opinion was strongly opposed 00:13:49.850 --> 00:13:54.049 against Jesus, afraid. What happened to this 00:13:54.049 --> 00:13:58.009 guy Peter who just a few weeks before had publicly 00:13:58.009 --> 00:14:04.019 renounced knowing Jesus? What had happened to 00:14:04.019 --> 00:14:07.360 these people that all of a sudden they were bold 00:14:07.360 --> 00:14:11.179 witnesses, no longer afraid? Well, the Holy Spirit. 00:14:11.620 --> 00:14:15.480 That is what had happened to these people. As 00:14:15.480 --> 00:14:18.539 Jesus had told them a few days before the day 00:14:18.539 --> 00:14:21.919 of Pentecost, Jesus had told them, you will receive 00:14:21.919 --> 00:14:25.539 power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you 00:14:25.539 --> 00:14:28.820 will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea 00:14:28.820 --> 00:14:32.580 and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Where 00:14:32.580 --> 00:14:36.679 they had felt anxious and fearful before, that 00:14:36.679 --> 00:14:40.059 was all gone after they had received the Holy 00:14:40.059 --> 00:14:43.639 Spirit. There was no way that they could not 00:14:43.639 --> 00:14:49.580 speak about Jesus and they became powerful witnesses 00:14:49.580 --> 00:14:54.620 on that day in Jerusalem not just on that day 00:14:54.620 --> 00:14:58.580 the Holy Spirit continued to empower them like 00:14:58.580 --> 00:15:01.500 we read in Acts chapter 4 after they prayed the 00:15:01.500 --> 00:15:04.039 place where they were meeting was shaken and 00:15:04.039 --> 00:15:06.759 they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and 00:15:06.759 --> 00:15:15.980 they spoke the word of God boldly Bold and impactful 00:15:15.980 --> 00:15:19.940 witnessing is a mark of the power of the Holy 00:15:19.940 --> 00:15:25.100 Spirit on the life of believers. In order to 00:15:25.100 --> 00:15:29.460 build the kingdom of God, the news about the 00:15:29.460 --> 00:15:32.279 kingdom of God needs to go out. And we are the 00:15:32.279 --> 00:15:35.840 designated ones, the called ones, to communicate 00:15:35.840 --> 00:15:40.740 that message. But if we don't have the Holy Spirit, 00:15:41.799 --> 00:15:46.480 We'll make lousy witnesses. If the 120 in the 00:15:46.480 --> 00:15:48.679 upper room would not have had the Holy Spirit, 00:15:48.840 --> 00:15:52.000 they would probably still today be in that upper 00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:54.620 room, afraid as they were for their reputation 00:15:54.620 --> 00:15:57.980 of being arrested. Without the Holy Spirit, you 00:15:57.980 --> 00:16:01.700 and I make lousy witnesses. If we will witness 00:16:01.700 --> 00:16:07.259 at all, afraid as we are of our reputation, the 00:16:07.259 --> 00:16:10.169 opinion of others. Or maybe we're just afraid 00:16:10.169 --> 00:16:14.409 because we don't know what to say. But we have 00:16:14.409 --> 00:16:18.330 been given the Spirit, who is not a spirit of 00:16:18.330 --> 00:16:24.629 timidity or fear. He is a spirit of power, helping 00:16:24.629 --> 00:16:30.309 us to be bold and impactful witnesses to build 00:16:30.309 --> 00:16:35.960 God's kingdom on earth. Here's a second insight 00:16:35.960 --> 00:16:39.139 about being empowered by the Holy Spirit that 00:16:39.139 --> 00:16:41.320 we get from the book of Acts, the early church. 00:16:41.419 --> 00:16:45.519 The Holy Spirit enables kingdom impact beyond 00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:50.039 our limitations. You know, we are capable people. 00:16:50.179 --> 00:16:55.000 You know that, right? Do you know that? We're 00:16:55.000 --> 00:17:00.379 very capable people. Psalm 8 says that God created 00:17:00.379 --> 00:17:03.220 us. He made us just a little bit lower than... 00:17:03.720 --> 00:17:08.279 The angels. So apparently God wants us to be 00:17:08.279 --> 00:17:14.559 able and he wants us to accomplish things. But 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:17.819 God also wants us to know that we have our limitations, 00:17:18.099 --> 00:17:22.200 especially when it involves the expansion of 00:17:22.200 --> 00:17:25.589 his kingdom. Listen to these words that God spoke 00:17:25.589 --> 00:17:28.109 through the prophet Zechariah. It's where God 00:17:28.109 --> 00:17:32.029 said, not by might nor by power, but by my spirit, 00:17:32.049 --> 00:17:35.750 says the Lord Almighty. God spoke these words 00:17:35.750 --> 00:17:39.109 to a man called Zerubbabel. Zerubbabel was the 00:17:39.109 --> 00:17:42.609 governor of Judah around the time when the people 00:17:42.609 --> 00:17:45.750 of Israel came back from their exile in Babylon. 00:17:46.569 --> 00:17:49.849 And Zerubbabel had to lead a massive building 00:17:49.849 --> 00:17:54.009 project. He led the rebuilding project of the 00:17:54.009 --> 00:17:58.630 temple in Jerusalem. But before beginning his 00:17:58.630 --> 00:18:02.650 project management task, this huge, immense assignment, 00:18:02.930 --> 00:18:08.309 God wanted him to know, Zerubbabel, this project 00:18:08.309 --> 00:18:11.049 will not succeed because of your smarts, your 00:18:11.049 --> 00:18:13.650 capabilities, your skills, your expertise, the 00:18:13.650 --> 00:18:16.890 fact that you're a really good leader. No, no, 00:18:16.910 --> 00:18:20.079 no, no. Your role is very important, Zerubbabel, 00:18:20.220 --> 00:18:23.500 don't get me wrong. But it will only succeed 00:18:23.500 --> 00:18:30.180 by my spirit. And these words God is speaking 00:18:30.180 --> 00:18:35.099 to you and me. He's saying, guys, you have a 00:18:35.099 --> 00:18:38.119 very important role in building my kingdom on 00:18:38.119 --> 00:18:41.200 earth. But it's not your smart, your skill, your 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:45.460 intellect, your expertise. It is by my spirit. 00:18:47.240 --> 00:18:52.559 If it's not, the mission will fail. If it is, 00:18:52.740 --> 00:18:58.059 the mission will succeed. Here's an important 00:18:58.059 --> 00:19:02.039 lesson to take away from these words. Do not 00:19:02.039 --> 00:19:05.740 push for things that only the Holy Spirit is 00:19:05.740 --> 00:19:09.799 capable of. And one of the areas that we have 00:19:09.799 --> 00:19:14.500 to apply this to is in wanting to see our loved 00:19:14.500 --> 00:19:18.059 ones coming to faith in Jesus. Of course, salvation 00:19:18.059 --> 00:19:21.359 is important. Salvation is where it all begins. 00:19:21.500 --> 00:19:23.980 I mean, if you're not saved, you will not be 00:19:23.980 --> 00:19:29.200 able to enter the kingdom of God. But can we 00:19:29.200 --> 00:19:32.779 be honest here? As we so badly want to see our 00:19:32.779 --> 00:19:35.200 loved ones coming to know Jesus the way we know 00:19:35.200 --> 00:19:38.779 Jesus, every once in a while at least we throw 00:19:38.779 --> 00:19:42.240 in some of our tactics, don't we? A little bit 00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:45.460 of massaging here, maybe some manipulation, some 00:19:45.460 --> 00:19:48.880 pressure here and there. Try to talk them into 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:54.200 a relationship with Jesus. It's what I tried 00:19:54.200 --> 00:19:56.400 with a friend of mine who I met in college 30 00:19:56.400 --> 00:20:01.279 years ago. He was and is not a believer, and 00:20:01.279 --> 00:20:04.759 I was and I am. And he was very open to the conversation 00:20:04.759 --> 00:20:07.000 about God and about faith and about Jesus, so 00:20:07.000 --> 00:20:09.390 we talked a lot. during the first years of our 00:20:09.390 --> 00:20:13.569 friendship, about Jesus. But he was not making 00:20:13.569 --> 00:20:16.190 a lot of progress, at least not fast enough to 00:20:16.190 --> 00:20:21.089 my liking. And I got annoyed. So I upped my game. 00:20:21.549 --> 00:20:24.829 I threw in some more powerful arguments. I challenged 00:20:24.829 --> 00:20:27.890 him on his lifestyle. I tried the harsh way. 00:20:27.950 --> 00:20:32.250 I tried the nice way. Nothing worked, okay? It's 00:20:32.250 --> 00:20:34.250 because I tried to push for things that only 00:20:34.250 --> 00:20:39.200 the Holy Spirit is capable of. You cannot talk 00:20:39.200 --> 00:20:41.359 your child, your parent, your friend, your colleague, 00:20:41.500 --> 00:20:47.000 your spouse into faith in Jesus. It doesn't work 00:20:47.000 --> 00:20:50.019 like that. What your child, your parent, your 00:20:50.019 --> 00:20:52.779 spouse, your friend, whomever you're doing life 00:20:52.779 --> 00:20:57.359 with needs is conviction. And conviction is something 00:20:57.359 --> 00:21:01.019 that only the Holy Spirit is able to give and 00:21:01.019 --> 00:21:07.980 should be giving. Not you, not me. As Jesus was 00:21:07.980 --> 00:21:10.539 explaining to his disciples that the Holy Spirit 00:21:10.539 --> 00:21:12.700 would come, this is one of the things that he 00:21:12.700 --> 00:21:15.599 said about the Spirit in John 16. When the Holy 00:21:15.599 --> 00:21:19.460 Spirit comes, he will convict the world of its 00:21:19.460 --> 00:21:23.059 sin and of God's righteousness and of the coming 00:21:23.059 --> 00:21:28.519 judgment. Salvation involves conviction of hearts 00:21:28.519 --> 00:21:32.859 about sin. As I mentioned, this is something 00:21:32.859 --> 00:21:36.400 that only the Holy Spirit can do. The more you 00:21:36.400 --> 00:21:40.660 and I will try to convict our loved one, the 00:21:40.660 --> 00:21:44.000 more condemned they feel. Let me say that again. 00:21:44.180 --> 00:21:47.319 The more you and I will try to convict our loved 00:21:47.319 --> 00:21:53.299 ones, the more they will feel condemned. Don't 00:21:53.299 --> 00:21:58.240 confuse your bold and impactful witnessing for 00:21:58.240 --> 00:22:00.420 talking your friend into a relationship with 00:22:00.420 --> 00:22:04.119 Jesus. Do the following. Use your story. Share 00:22:04.119 --> 00:22:07.000 your life. Give the Holy Spirit something to 00:22:07.000 --> 00:22:10.240 work with. But then, hands off. You get on your 00:22:10.240 --> 00:22:12.859 knees, you cover it in prayer, and you wait on 00:22:12.859 --> 00:22:14.880 the Holy Spirit while you are doing life and 00:22:14.880 --> 00:22:18.740 giving your story and testimony. Salvation. And 00:22:18.740 --> 00:22:20.440 conviction, the other way around, conviction 00:22:20.440 --> 00:22:23.880 and salvation is not your work, not my work, 00:22:23.960 --> 00:22:27.299 it is the Holy Spirit's work. Where we have the 00:22:27.299 --> 00:22:30.140 joy of ministering to those we love, sharing 00:22:30.140 --> 00:22:34.859 Jesus with them, the results are totally His, 00:22:35.180 --> 00:22:41.079 okay? By the way, this is not the only area where 00:22:41.079 --> 00:22:46.039 the Holy Spirit enables impact beyond our limitations. 00:22:48.200 --> 00:22:51.759 The Holy Spirit also gives us abilities that 00:22:51.759 --> 00:22:55.220 are beyond our natural skills and knowledge and 00:22:55.220 --> 00:22:58.619 expertise. We read this from the early onset 00:22:58.619 --> 00:23:01.779 in Acts chapter 2. Early church, everyone was 00:23:01.779 --> 00:23:05.160 filled with awe at the many wonders and signs 00:23:05.160 --> 00:23:08.380 performed by the apostles. And a couple of chapters 00:23:08.380 --> 00:23:11.720 later in Acts chapter 5, we get more detail of 00:23:11.720 --> 00:23:14.789 what this looked like. More and more men and 00:23:14.789 --> 00:23:17.569 women believed in the Lord and were added to 00:23:17.569 --> 00:23:20.150 their number. And as a result, people brought 00:23:20.150 --> 00:23:22.970 the sick into the streets and they laid them 00:23:22.970 --> 00:23:26.150 on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow 00:23:26.150 --> 00:23:31.549 might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds 00:23:31.549 --> 00:23:33.769 gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, 00:23:33.829 --> 00:23:37.250 bringing their sick and those tormented by impure 00:23:37.250 --> 00:23:44.420 spirits, and all of them were healed. Wow, this 00:23:44.420 --> 00:23:46.519 sounds a lot like the ministry that Jesus did, 00:23:46.660 --> 00:23:50.119 right? He preached the message of the kingdom 00:23:50.119 --> 00:23:53.420 of God, but he also performed miracles and signs, 00:23:53.519 --> 00:23:56.480 healing the sick and casting out demons and whatnot. 00:23:57.140 --> 00:24:01.400 And now all of this is happening with Jesus not 00:24:01.400 --> 00:24:06.140 being around? Yeah, happening indeed. You know 00:24:06.140 --> 00:24:10.539 why? Because Jesus delegated the authority to 00:24:10.539 --> 00:24:14.190 use the power of the kingdom to his disciples, 00:24:14.309 --> 00:24:19.809 to his followers. Read about it in Matthew 10, 00:24:19.950 --> 00:24:23.029 right before Jesus was sending his disciples 00:24:23.029 --> 00:24:25.750 on a mission trip. These are the instructions 00:24:25.750 --> 00:24:30.589 that he gave them. As you go, proclaim this message. 00:24:30.630 --> 00:24:34.369 Preach the gospel. The kingdom of heaven has 00:24:34.369 --> 00:24:38.250 come near. But also heal the sick, raise the 00:24:38.250 --> 00:24:42.049 dead. Cleanse those who have leprosy. Drive out 00:24:42.049 --> 00:24:47.549 demons. Freely you have received. Freely give. 00:24:48.849 --> 00:24:53.250 Jesus delegated the authority to use his power 00:24:53.250 --> 00:24:57.829 to his disciples. And the book of Acts is a witness 00:24:57.829 --> 00:25:00.869 to that. While preaching the message of the kingdom 00:25:00.869 --> 00:25:04.190 of God that has come, the apostles were healing 00:25:04.190 --> 00:25:07.619 the sick. casting out demons. And there are even 00:25:07.619 --> 00:25:10.039 two occasions, Peter and Paul, both of them had 00:25:10.039 --> 00:25:16.000 the privilege of raising the dead to life. And 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:18.539 friends, this is not just for the early church 00:25:18.539 --> 00:25:24.519 in the book of Acts. Jesus has delegated to us 00:25:24.519 --> 00:25:30.500 the authority to use his power to build God's 00:25:30.500 --> 00:25:33.440 kingdom on earth. This is why here at ECB, we 00:25:33.440 --> 00:25:36.470 do see people get healed. This is why here at 00:25:36.470 --> 00:25:39.289 ECB we offer deliverance, helping people to be 00:25:39.289 --> 00:25:42.529 set free from the demonic oppression of evil 00:25:42.529 --> 00:25:46.829 spirits. It's because we believe that Jesus has 00:25:46.829 --> 00:25:50.589 delegated his authority to us and we intend on 00:25:50.589 --> 00:25:53.829 using it. Let me say there is a lot that we do 00:25:53.829 --> 00:25:56.630 not understand about Jesus' authority. We need 00:25:56.630 --> 00:26:00.099 to remember. that it's delegated authority, and 00:26:00.099 --> 00:26:02.880 God always operates on his terms. So we don't 00:26:02.880 --> 00:26:06.920 understand why one time God heals, and other 00:26:06.920 --> 00:26:10.579 times he allows someone to pass away. But we 00:26:10.579 --> 00:26:14.480 do understand a couple of things. God always 00:26:14.480 --> 00:26:17.640 knows perfectly well what he is doing, whether 00:26:17.640 --> 00:26:20.339 it's through healing or through allowing someone 00:26:20.339 --> 00:26:25.279 to pass and be with him. We do believe and know 00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:29.000 and see that God works with miracles and signs 00:26:29.000 --> 00:26:32.980 in our day and age. And we have been given the 00:26:32.980 --> 00:26:36.980 authority to use the power of the kingdom for 00:26:36.980 --> 00:26:41.400 our ministry of building God's kingdom here and 00:26:41.400 --> 00:26:48.920 now. Let me make a quick sidestep here. Have 00:26:48.920 --> 00:26:54.230 you ever wondered why God does miracles? I mean, 00:26:54.230 --> 00:26:57.829 it's cool that he does, right? We all enjoy hearing 00:26:57.829 --> 00:27:00.890 and seeing stories of people getting healed and 00:27:00.890 --> 00:27:03.190 people delivered from demons and all of that. 00:27:03.289 --> 00:27:06.029 But our entertainment is not the purpose for 00:27:06.029 --> 00:27:08.809 God to actually do those miracles and signs. 00:27:10.210 --> 00:27:14.529 Hear me, please. Whenever God does a miracle, 00:27:14.829 --> 00:27:20.829 he is reversing the impact of sin on creation. 00:27:21.529 --> 00:27:24.950 Before sin entered the world, there were no demons 00:27:24.950 --> 00:27:27.089 that harassed us, there was no sickness, there 00:27:27.089 --> 00:27:30.769 was no death. But now, because sin has entered 00:27:30.769 --> 00:27:34.369 the world, the system is broken and we are confronted 00:27:34.369 --> 00:27:36.910 with all those things that we don't like, right? 00:27:37.450 --> 00:27:42.589 So whenever God does a miracle, he is reversing 00:27:42.589 --> 00:27:46.970 the impact of sin and effectively he is allowing 00:27:46.970 --> 00:27:53.279 his kingdom to break in. So whether it is a sinner 00:27:53.279 --> 00:27:57.119 repenting from his sin, coming to faith in Jesus, 00:27:57.220 --> 00:28:01.019 or someone healing from cancer, or someone being 00:28:01.019 --> 00:28:03.740 set free from the demonic oppression of evil 00:28:03.740 --> 00:28:08.740 spirits, God does that to reverse the impact. 00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:12.400 And effectively, we can say, hey, the kingdom 00:28:12.400 --> 00:28:16.960 has come in that place, in that person, in that 00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:22.000 situation. So what is the role of the Holy Spirit 00:28:22.000 --> 00:28:25.059 in all of this? Well, as I already shared, the 00:28:25.059 --> 00:28:28.480 Holy Spirit gives us abilities that often we 00:28:28.480 --> 00:28:30.759 don't even understand because they go beyond 00:28:30.759 --> 00:28:34.339 our limitations. And the Apostle Paul speaks 00:28:34.339 --> 00:28:36.779 about these abilities in a couple of places in 00:28:36.779 --> 00:28:38.980 the New Testament, like here in 1 Corinthians 00:28:38.980 --> 00:28:42.440 12. Now to each one the manifestation of the 00:28:42.440 --> 00:28:46.720 Spirit is given for the common good. To one there 00:28:46.720 --> 00:28:49.220 is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom. 00:28:50.029 --> 00:28:52.410 To another, a message of knowledge by means of 00:28:52.410 --> 00:28:55.829 the same spirit. To another, faith by the same 00:28:55.829 --> 00:28:58.569 spirit. To another, gifts of healing by that 00:28:58.569 --> 00:29:01.710 one spirit. To another, miraculous powers. To 00:29:01.710 --> 00:29:04.309 another, prophecy. To another, distinguishing 00:29:04.309 --> 00:29:07.130 between spirits. To another, speaking in different 00:29:07.130 --> 00:29:10.990 kinds of tongues. And to still another, the interpretation 00:29:10.990 --> 00:29:14.509 of tongues. All these are the work of the one 00:29:14.509 --> 00:29:18.220 and the same spirit. and he distributes them 00:29:18.220 --> 00:29:24.319 to each one just as he determines. So when you're 00:29:24.319 --> 00:29:29.000 a follower of Jesus, you have received at least 00:29:29.000 --> 00:29:32.339 one, but probably more, spiritual gifts, gifts 00:29:32.339 --> 00:29:36.759 that the Holy Spirit has given you. Not for yourself, 00:29:37.000 --> 00:29:40.369 as we read, it's for the common good. It's to 00:29:40.369 --> 00:29:42.730 build up the church. It's to edify others. It's 00:29:42.730 --> 00:29:45.990 to build God's kingdom here on earth. And there 00:29:45.990 --> 00:29:48.490 are different gifts. We all have the same gifts. 00:29:48.730 --> 00:29:51.349 Apparently the Holy Spirit wants us to work together 00:29:51.349 --> 00:29:54.930 so that all the gifts that Paul speaks about 00:29:54.930 --> 00:29:58.710 are represented in our building of the kingdom 00:29:58.710 --> 00:30:04.109 of God. So what is our role in getting these 00:30:04.109 --> 00:30:07.549 gifts? Well, I know that in many cultures it's 00:30:07.549 --> 00:30:11.490 not really appropriate. to ask for gifts, right? 00:30:11.829 --> 00:30:14.710 In my culture, you just wait what you get for 00:30:14.710 --> 00:30:16.730 your birthday and you say thank you even when 00:30:16.730 --> 00:30:20.170 you don't like the gift. That's how we do things. 00:30:21.190 --> 00:30:24.309 But in kingdom culture, it's different. This 00:30:24.309 --> 00:30:28.109 is what Paul says two chapters later. Follow 00:30:28.109 --> 00:30:31.750 the way of love, yes, it's most important, and 00:30:31.750 --> 00:30:35.769 eagerly desire the gifts of the Spirit, especially 00:30:35.769 --> 00:30:42.450 the gift of prophecy. What's our role in getting 00:30:42.450 --> 00:30:49.970 these gifts? Desire them. Pursue them. Boldly 00:30:49.970 --> 00:30:56.269 ask for them. Open yourself up to them. Asking 00:30:56.269 --> 00:31:00.750 Holy Spirit, tell me more. Explain me more. How 00:31:00.750 --> 00:31:03.529 do I use this? The Holy Spirit wants you and 00:31:03.529 --> 00:31:06.289 me to discover the gifts that he has given us, 00:31:06.309 --> 00:31:11.250 to understand them and to use them in his power, 00:31:11.349 --> 00:31:15.730 but for the sake of building his kingdom. If 00:31:15.730 --> 00:31:17.390 you're wondering about your spiritual gifts, 00:31:17.490 --> 00:31:19.849 maybe you've never wondered this. I've included 00:31:19.849 --> 00:31:23.769 a few links to online spiritual gifts tests. 00:31:23.950 --> 00:31:26.769 You can take one of those or all of them. It's 00:31:26.769 --> 00:31:30.009 not perfect, I know. But at least it gives you 00:31:30.009 --> 00:31:33.109 some insights in the spiritual gifts that the 00:31:33.109 --> 00:31:37.829 Holy Spirit has given you. Please take away this 00:31:37.829 --> 00:31:41.470 from this insight. We have been authorized and 00:31:41.470 --> 00:31:46.910 gifted to use the power of God's kingdom. And 00:31:46.910 --> 00:31:50.730 like with all other areas of discipleship, this 00:31:50.730 --> 00:31:54.369 area is developmental. It goes from hearing about 00:31:54.369 --> 00:31:58.779 it to learning and then to doing. So if this 00:31:58.779 --> 00:32:03.680 is a new aspect of discipleship for you, and 00:32:03.680 --> 00:32:06.720 maybe you even feel taken aback a little bit 00:32:06.720 --> 00:32:08.759 by it, can I encourage you, don't walk away from 00:32:08.759 --> 00:32:14.000 it. Don't dismiss it, but open yourself. Open 00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:16.819 yourself to growing, hearing about it, learning 00:32:16.819 --> 00:32:18.940 about it, doing it. We're doing this together 00:32:18.940 --> 00:32:22.359 as a church, seeking what the Holy Spirit has 00:32:22.359 --> 00:32:27.549 for us, empowering us to build God's kingdom 00:32:27.549 --> 00:32:33.869 on earth. One more insight that we get about 00:32:33.869 --> 00:32:36.990 being empowered by the Holy Spirit from the book 00:32:36.990 --> 00:32:41.990 of Acts. The Holy Spirit reshapes our inclinations. 00:32:43.470 --> 00:32:47.589 A good idea may be a good idea, but it may not 00:32:47.589 --> 00:32:54.230 be the Holy Spirit's idea. So we are journeying 00:32:54.230 --> 00:32:58.180 with Jesus. There may be lots of things that 00:32:58.180 --> 00:33:02.619 we think is fitting really well in that journey 00:33:02.619 --> 00:33:06.460 and in our ministry. But we need to discern this. 00:33:06.599 --> 00:33:08.740 There may be times where the Holy Spirit says, 00:33:08.839 --> 00:33:12.400 hold on, you're going off track. I'm going to 00:33:12.400 --> 00:33:16.039 intervene now and I'm going to change and reshape 00:33:16.039 --> 00:33:19.759 your inclinations. This is what Paul and his 00:33:19.759 --> 00:33:22.460 ministry team experienced as they were traveling 00:33:22.460 --> 00:33:25.529 through minor Asia. This is the story that we 00:33:25.529 --> 00:33:29.490 read in Acts chapter 16. Paul and his companions 00:33:29.490 --> 00:33:33.029 traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and 00:33:33.029 --> 00:33:35.950 Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit 00:33:35.950 --> 00:33:38.930 from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 00:33:39.490 --> 00:33:42.470 When they came to the border of Mysia, a lot 00:33:42.470 --> 00:33:47.670 of ia, right? They tried to enter Bithynia, but 00:33:47.670 --> 00:33:49.970 the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 00:33:50.759 --> 00:33:55.339 So they passed by Mycenae and went down to Troas. 00:33:56.180 --> 00:33:58.619 And during the night, Paul had a vision of a 00:33:58.619 --> 00:34:01.900 man of Macedonia standing and begging him, come 00:34:01.900 --> 00:34:06.160 over to Macedonia and help us. After Paul had 00:34:06.160 --> 00:34:09.320 seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave 00:34:09.320 --> 00:34:12.619 for Macedonia, concluding that God had called 00:34:12.619 --> 00:34:18.269 us to preach the gospel to them. So Paul and 00:34:18.269 --> 00:34:20.829 his team had made a plan to go and preach in 00:34:20.829 --> 00:34:24.690 an area called Bithynia, which is in modern -day 00:34:24.690 --> 00:34:29.150 Turkey. We don't know what strategy they used 00:34:29.150 --> 00:34:31.610 or how they came up with the plan of going there, 00:34:31.789 --> 00:34:35.349 but hey, it's Paul, okay? So he probably had 00:34:35.349 --> 00:34:37.969 thought about it for a long time. They had some 00:34:37.969 --> 00:34:41.010 prayer gatherings, and they really thought it 00:34:41.010 --> 00:34:44.190 was a good idea to go to Bithynia. It made sense 00:34:44.190 --> 00:34:48.030 to them. Well, it didn't make sense to the Holy 00:34:48.030 --> 00:34:50.969 Spirit. The Holy Spirit had a different idea. 00:34:51.070 --> 00:34:54.369 He wanted them to go to Macedonia, a completely 00:34:54.369 --> 00:34:57.949 different place. Today, even a completely different 00:34:57.949 --> 00:35:02.389 country. It's in Greece. So the Holy Spirit had 00:35:02.389 --> 00:35:06.030 to intervene. The Holy Spirit had to change the 00:35:06.030 --> 00:35:09.869 plan and the inclinations. So literally, on the 00:35:09.869 --> 00:35:13.980 border of Bithynia, he stopped them. He gave 00:35:13.980 --> 00:35:17.760 Paul a vision about his new destination and that's 00:35:17.760 --> 00:35:20.440 where they had to go. Obediently they followed 00:35:20.440 --> 00:35:24.059 that inclination that the Holy Spirit had given. 00:35:25.480 --> 00:35:30.260 Loved ones, not everything that seems right or 00:35:30.260 --> 00:35:37.360 feels right is of the Holy Spirit. We do well 00:35:37.360 --> 00:35:41.119 to carefully discern if that what is in front 00:35:41.119 --> 00:35:46.880 of us is really a God idea or just an idea that 00:35:46.880 --> 00:35:51.340 we came up with ourselves. I shared with you 00:35:51.340 --> 00:35:55.039 at the beginning that after knowing that the 00:35:55.039 --> 00:35:59.340 Lord is transitioning us out of Bangkok, we really 00:35:59.340 --> 00:36:01.039 thought he would bring us back to the Netherlands. 00:36:01.880 --> 00:36:06.019 It made a lot of sense to us. I mean, my mother's 00:36:06.019 --> 00:36:10.269 health situation, Honoka's aging parents, a country 00:36:10.269 --> 00:36:12.750 that is in need of Jesus and probably could use 00:36:12.750 --> 00:36:15.650 four or five other people to help with that. 00:36:15.690 --> 00:36:18.030 Friends who had been asking us for a longer time, 00:36:18.150 --> 00:36:20.050 could you please come back and do what you do 00:36:20.050 --> 00:36:22.769 in Bangkok and now do it here? And even doors 00:36:22.769 --> 00:36:25.710 were opening to some exciting ministry opportunities 00:36:25.710 --> 00:36:28.710 in the Netherlands in September, October. It 00:36:28.710 --> 00:36:33.380 made a lot of sense to us to go back home. And 00:36:33.380 --> 00:36:35.860 I was even in well -advanced conversations with 00:36:35.860 --> 00:36:39.280 a ministry organization in the Netherlands. So 00:36:39.280 --> 00:36:42.539 mid -October, I flew there thinking this is the 00:36:42.539 --> 00:36:44.820 final round of conversations. After that, we 00:36:44.820 --> 00:36:47.239 signed a contract. And before I jumped on a plane 00:36:47.239 --> 00:36:49.880 to Amsterdam, we were basically praising God 00:36:49.880 --> 00:36:52.480 for his timing. Say, wow, Lord, thank you. You 00:36:52.480 --> 00:36:54.900 make us aware in August of this, and it's only 00:36:54.900 --> 00:36:56.920 October, and you're already telling us where 00:36:56.920 --> 00:37:00.349 to go next summer. Praise you, Lord. We're kind 00:37:00.349 --> 00:37:02.710 of looking for houses and schools for our girls. 00:37:03.530 --> 00:37:06.829 So I got on the airplane, landed in Amsterdam, 00:37:06.969 --> 00:37:11.030 and literally the moment of touching down, my 00:37:11.030 --> 00:37:14.210 soul was deeply unsettled, and I had no idea 00:37:14.210 --> 00:37:17.170 what that was. And it didn't go away that whole 00:37:17.170 --> 00:37:21.130 week of being there. And when I entered the conversation 00:37:21.130 --> 00:37:23.090 with the board of this ministry organization, 00:37:23.570 --> 00:37:27.730 we were 15 minutes in, and we both knew this 00:37:27.730 --> 00:37:32.539 is not going to work. This is not it. Unsettling. 00:37:33.840 --> 00:37:35.800 Wondering, Lord. And I came back and I said to 00:37:35.800 --> 00:37:38.900 Chanukah, I don't get it. I'm confused. Aren't 00:37:38.900 --> 00:37:41.920 you? The Lord has made us aware. It made so much 00:37:41.920 --> 00:37:47.320 sense to us. So why? Why not? Knowing now what 00:37:47.320 --> 00:37:49.420 God has done over the past two, three months. 00:37:50.980 --> 00:37:53.440 Making our paths cross with global disciples. 00:37:54.320 --> 00:37:57.820 Moving us to the U .S. Now I know. that it was 00:37:57.820 --> 00:38:01.559 the Holy Spirit who caused my soul to be deeply 00:38:01.559 --> 00:38:04.420 unsettled because he wanted me to be aware, Rene, 00:38:04.500 --> 00:38:07.900 it's not the Netherlands. It's something else. 00:38:08.139 --> 00:38:11.239 Keep looking for me. I'm doing something else. 00:38:11.760 --> 00:38:14.619 It's what the Holy Spirit does. Friends, can 00:38:14.619 --> 00:38:17.719 I suggest this? If you truly believe that God's 00:38:17.719 --> 00:38:20.460 ways and his thoughts are higher than your ways 00:38:20.460 --> 00:38:23.340 and thoughts, if you truly believe that God in 00:38:23.340 --> 00:38:26.760 all things is working for your good and for his 00:38:26.760 --> 00:38:29.980 glory, can I then suggest that as servants devoted 00:38:29.980 --> 00:38:34.139 to God, we hold our agendas loosely and we allow 00:38:34.139 --> 00:38:37.280 the Holy Spirit to make a course correction whenever 00:38:37.280 --> 00:38:43.030 he desires to do so. That is the attitude of 00:38:43.030 --> 00:38:46.309 adjustability, the attitude of flexibility that 00:38:46.309 --> 00:38:49.030 we need as servants devoted to God, trusting 00:38:49.030 --> 00:38:52.090 that the Holy Spirit knows better than you do 00:38:52.090 --> 00:38:56.829 and I do where to effectively use us for the 00:38:56.829 --> 00:38:59.409 advancement of his kingdom, even if it's just 00:38:59.409 --> 00:39:05.469 for a season. Hold your agenda loosely and allow 00:39:05.469 --> 00:39:09.269 the Holy Spirit to intervene, to course correct. 00:39:09.840 --> 00:39:16.940 whenever he desires to do so. I promise to get 00:39:16.940 --> 00:39:20.280 back to the illustration of the windmills. I 00:39:20.280 --> 00:39:21.940 hope you had not forgotten about the windmills. 00:39:26.179 --> 00:39:30.739 When the blades of a windmill are rightly positioned 00:39:30.739 --> 00:39:35.039 towards the wind, some really powerful things 00:39:35.039 --> 00:39:38.840 happen. The blades start to turn. The rotor turns 00:39:38.840 --> 00:39:42.760 with it. The generator is activated. And this 00:39:42.760 --> 00:39:46.760 field of windmills powers up cities and nations 00:39:46.760 --> 00:39:51.860 to bring light and power to those places. But 00:39:51.860 --> 00:39:55.280 when a windmill is not rightly positioned towards 00:39:55.280 --> 00:40:00.019 the wind, nothing happens. It will just be a 00:40:00.019 --> 00:40:03.239 long stick in the ground, okay? Not so pretty. 00:40:03.320 --> 00:40:06.170 Windmills are not so pretty. But windmills have 00:40:06.170 --> 00:40:09.429 an inbuilt mechanism. So whenever the wind is 00:40:09.429 --> 00:40:13.130 picking up, that mechanism causes the rotor to 00:40:13.130 --> 00:40:16.550 turn towards the wind until the moment where 00:40:16.550 --> 00:40:20.110 the blades really catch it and start to turn. 00:40:20.230 --> 00:40:23.250 And the rotor begins to turn. The generator starts 00:40:23.250 --> 00:40:27.369 to generate power. And the impact starts to happen. 00:40:28.949 --> 00:40:35.230 That's us, friends. Empowered by the Spirit means 00:40:35.230 --> 00:40:40.409 that the Holy Spirit is ready. He is ready to 00:40:40.409 --> 00:40:45.030 empower you and me. But we need to be rightly 00:40:45.030 --> 00:40:48.610 positioned towards Him. We need to catch wind, 00:40:48.889 --> 00:40:53.230 okay? And the only way to do that is to position 00:40:53.230 --> 00:40:58.210 ourselves, to attune ourselves to the Holy Spirit. 00:40:58.889 --> 00:41:01.650 for our mind and our heart and our soul, for 00:41:01.650 --> 00:41:04.969 our blades to begin to turn and then our rotor 00:41:04.969 --> 00:41:07.050 and then the generator. And from that place, 00:41:07.250 --> 00:41:12.869 we collectively, we can light up a city. We can 00:41:12.869 --> 00:41:16.329 light up a country. We can light up the world. 00:41:16.389 --> 00:41:20.010 We can bring light and life and order in places 00:41:20.010 --> 00:41:22.949 where currently there is still darkness and emptiness 00:41:22.949 --> 00:41:27.619 and chaos. How about that? You want to be involved 00:41:27.619 --> 00:41:31.980 in that movement? Then attune yourself to the 00:41:31.980 --> 00:41:35.019 Holy Spirit. Seek the Holy Spirit the way you 00:41:35.019 --> 00:41:38.360 seek God the Father. Engage in intimacy with 00:41:38.360 --> 00:41:42.119 the Holy Spirit the way you do with Jesus. Build 00:41:42.119 --> 00:41:45.860 in those moments of careful listening in your 00:41:45.860 --> 00:41:48.639 times with God so that you can hear from the 00:41:48.639 --> 00:41:53.090 Holy Spirit. Ask the Holy Spirit boldly, Lord, 00:41:53.210 --> 00:41:55.510 what is it? What kind of gifts do you have for 00:41:55.510 --> 00:41:58.610 me? And how do you want me to use them for the 00:41:58.610 --> 00:42:05.090 building of your kingdom? Position yourself towards 00:42:05.090 --> 00:42:09.969 the Holy Spirit. Attune yourself to the Holy 00:42:09.969 --> 00:42:13.630 Spirit. If the Holy Spirit makes you feel uncomfortable 00:42:13.630 --> 00:42:16.949 because you do not have a theological category 00:42:16.949 --> 00:42:20.019 for him yet, can I encourage you, open yourself. 00:42:21.320 --> 00:42:24.880 Ask in your life group, ask your pastors and 00:42:24.880 --> 00:42:27.300 your leaders about the Holy Spirit. The Holy 00:42:27.300 --> 00:42:31.800 Spirit is indispensable for a holy life and he 00:42:31.800 --> 00:42:35.119 is indispensable for leading a life of power 00:42:35.119 --> 00:42:39.219 as servants devoted to God, changing cities, 00:42:39.579 --> 00:42:45.599 nations, the nations of the world. Can I ask 00:42:45.599 --> 00:42:48.119 you to be, Quiet yourself for a couple of moments. 00:42:49.340 --> 00:42:56.940 And then I will pray. Holy Spirit, you are here. 00:43:01.380 --> 00:43:12.500 With us. In us. And it seems that we're only 00:43:12.500 --> 00:43:15.949 scratching the surface in our... Knowing and 00:43:15.949 --> 00:43:20.489 understanding of you, Holy Spirit. But we want 00:43:20.489 --> 00:43:28.889 more. More of you. More of your power. We acknowledge, 00:43:28.989 --> 00:43:35.530 Holy Spirit, that without you, we will not accomplish 00:43:35.530 --> 00:43:44.719 much. But with you, with you, Literally, the 00:43:44.719 --> 00:43:49.800 sky is the limit. Not for our sake, but for the 00:43:49.800 --> 00:43:56.219 sake of the kingdom of God. So Holy Spirit, as 00:43:56.219 --> 00:44:05.239 we will sing a song of invitation to you, I pray 00:44:05.239 --> 00:44:10.099 that you will encounter us in new and fresh ways. 00:44:10.860 --> 00:44:13.400 And I especially ask this for those among us 00:44:13.400 --> 00:44:17.139 here, brothers and sisters, who sense reluctance 00:44:17.139 --> 00:44:22.059 in engaging with you. Whatever has caused that, 00:44:22.139 --> 00:44:27.940 I ask you, would you gently break in, remove 00:44:27.940 --> 00:44:32.780 any resistance there may be, and show yourself, 00:44:33.000 --> 00:44:38.800 Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, would you empower your 00:44:38.800 --> 00:44:42.579 church, ECB, Lord, it's not just a statement 00:44:42.579 --> 00:44:46.900 on the wall that we are empowered by you. No. 00:44:47.880 --> 00:44:51.340 We have seen you move in powerful ways in us 00:44:51.340 --> 00:44:56.440 and through us. And we will see more of that. 00:44:57.900 --> 00:45:03.500 But we cling to you. We need you. So Holy Spirit, 00:45:03.619 --> 00:45:08.869 more of you for your church ECB. For the churches 00:45:08.869 --> 00:45:12.269 here in Bangkok and in Thailand, Lord. For ministries 00:45:12.269 --> 00:45:14.449 that are taking place to win this nation back 00:45:14.449 --> 00:45:19.250 to you, Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, rain, rain 00:45:19.250 --> 00:45:25.869 down. We love you, Holy Spirit. We need you, 00:45:25.949 --> 00:45:30.809 Holy Spirit. It's in Jesus' name that we pray. 00:45:31.730 --> 00:45:41.199 Amen. Thank you for tuning in to the ECB sermon 00:45:41.199 --> 00:45:45.239 podcast. Whether near or far, if you are looking 00:45:45.239 --> 00:45:49.000 for community or are in need of prayer, we welcome 00:45:49.000 --> 00:45:52.440 you to engage by sending us an email to office 00:45:52.440 --> 00:45:57.400 at ecb .asia. If God is calling you to support 00:45:57.400 --> 00:45:59.980 our ministries, you will find giving options 00:45:59.980 --> 00:46:03.820 on our website. And remember to join us next 00:46:03.820 --> 00:46:05.500 week. God bless you.