WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.060 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he 00:00:03.060 --> 00:00:06.719 it is who loves me. And he who loves me will 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:09.960 be loved by my Father, and I will love him and 00:00:09.960 --> 00:00:14.099 manifest myself to him. Judas, not Iscariot, 00:00:14.119 --> 00:00:17.300 said to him, Lord, how is it that you will manifest 00:00:17.300 --> 00:00:20.760 yourself to us and not to the world? Jesus answered 00:00:20.760 --> 00:00:23.320 him, If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, 00:00:23.480 --> 00:00:26.179 and my Father will love him, and we will come 00:00:26.179 --> 00:00:30.039 to him and make our home with him. Whoever does 00:00:30.039 --> 00:00:35.060 not love me does not keep my words. And the word 00:00:35.060 --> 00:00:38.259 that you hear is not mine, but the Father's who 00:00:38.259 --> 00:00:42.539 sent me. These things I have spoken to you while 00:00:42.539 --> 00:00:45.340 I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy 00:00:45.340 --> 00:00:47.659 Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, 00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:49.939 he will teach you all things and bring to your 00:00:49.939 --> 00:00:53.600 remembrance all that I have said to you. Peace 00:00:53.600 --> 00:00:57.799 I leave with you. My peace I give to you. Not 00:00:57.799 --> 00:01:00.579 as the world gives do I give to you. Let not 00:01:00.579 --> 00:01:03.759 your hearts be troubled, neither let them be 00:01:03.759 --> 00:01:10.480 afraid. Last week we talked about how following 00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:16.400 Jesus comes with a cost. Surrender, self -denial, 00:01:16.480 --> 00:01:20.120 laying down your pride, your desires, your wants. 00:01:21.079 --> 00:01:25.099 It comes with the cost of obedience. But it's 00:01:25.099 --> 00:01:27.379 also true, and I kind of hinted at this last 00:01:27.379 --> 00:01:30.560 week, that following Jesus comes with a gift. 00:01:30.719 --> 00:01:34.099 And I put the gift in the slide because it is 00:01:34.099 --> 00:01:38.819 the gift. It's the most important, the greatest 00:01:38.819 --> 00:01:42.040 benefit, the greatest reward that comes to us 00:01:42.040 --> 00:01:45.400 on this earth in this lifetime from following 00:01:45.400 --> 00:01:48.400 Jesus. It's not just a reward for later, but 00:01:48.400 --> 00:01:52.069 it's a resource for right now. See, Jesus doesn't 00:01:52.069 --> 00:01:54.590 call us to follow him and sacrifice and give 00:01:54.590 --> 00:01:57.829 up all of these things and leave us with just 00:01:57.829 --> 00:02:01.569 that. He equips us to follow him. The equipping 00:02:01.569 --> 00:02:05.810 comes in the form of this gift. And in a church 00:02:05.810 --> 00:02:07.650 of Christ, I may get in trouble for it, but we're 00:02:07.650 --> 00:02:10.030 going to talk about it anyways. The Holy Spirit. 00:02:11.050 --> 00:02:14.319 The Holy Spirit. Now here's the deal, this is 00:02:14.319 --> 00:02:17.080 not some side benefit of faith like we've kind 00:02:17.080 --> 00:02:20.120 of treated it as for a long time. It's not this 00:02:20.120 --> 00:02:25.300 thing that we can just kind of have. But it is 00:02:25.300 --> 00:02:31.680 the gift that Jesus sends for us for our time 00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:37.199 in this life. It's not just a theological idea. 00:02:38.060 --> 00:02:43.870 It's also not an emotional experience. It's God's 00:02:43.870 --> 00:02:47.330 presence given to me and given to you so that 00:02:47.330 --> 00:02:49.930 we can actually live out the calling that he 00:02:49.930 --> 00:02:53.870 has placed in our life. I've got right here a 00:02:53.870 --> 00:02:58.110 car key. These little fancy keys that have little 00:02:58.110 --> 00:03:00.789 switchblades. I love I'll play with this thing 00:03:00.789 --> 00:03:04.330 all day, but I've got a car key. And I want you 00:03:04.330 --> 00:03:07.810 to imagine that I hand you this key and I say 00:03:07.810 --> 00:03:14.430 this key unlocks power. It can open a door. It'll 00:03:14.430 --> 00:03:17.870 let you move forward in a really fast way. It'll 00:03:17.870 --> 00:03:23.330 take you places. It'll bring you to a place faster 00:03:23.330 --> 00:03:25.569 than you could ever imagine walking, running, 00:03:25.669 --> 00:03:28.629 or even riding a bike. Unless you ride bikes 00:03:28.629 --> 00:03:35.849 like Tim. This key right here gives you access 00:03:35.849 --> 00:03:40.150 to power. And it does. But it only does that 00:03:40.150 --> 00:03:42.800 if it's connected. If it's plugged in to something 00:03:42.800 --> 00:03:46.060 greater. See a car key is not power in itself. 00:03:46.340 --> 00:03:50.099 It just gives you access to power. And you might 00:03:50.099 --> 00:03:52.500 parade the key around. You might show it off. 00:03:52.560 --> 00:03:54.620 And you could say I've got this new key. It's 00:03:54.620 --> 00:03:58.159 really nice. It's really fancy. You might put 00:03:58.159 --> 00:04:01.300 it on a nice little lanyard. You could even memorize 00:04:01.300 --> 00:04:04.240 all there is to know about the key. And what 00:04:04.240 --> 00:04:08.259 it gives you access to. But until you put that 00:04:08.259 --> 00:04:11.560 key in the ignition. and you give it a turn, 00:04:11.740 --> 00:04:16.519 it will not do anything of substance for you. 00:04:17.660 --> 00:04:21.019 In the same way, you can know your Bible, and 00:04:21.019 --> 00:04:24.220 you can attend church services, you can say the 00:04:24.220 --> 00:04:27.360 right things, read the right things, sing the 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:30.579 right things, associate with the right people, 00:04:30.720 --> 00:04:34.939 but without the Spirit living in you, you will 00:04:34.939 --> 00:04:38.000 not have the power to follow Christ when it costs 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:41.420 you something. When following Jesus costs you 00:04:41.420 --> 00:04:44.220 your wants, when it costs you your dreams, when 00:04:44.220 --> 00:04:46.439 it costs you the things that you had propped 00:04:46.439 --> 00:04:48.459 up for yourselves or that you had set out to 00:04:48.459 --> 00:04:50.860 attain in life, when it costs you your family, 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:55.660 when it costs you your reputation, when it costs 00:04:55.660 --> 00:05:03.000 you the job, the home, the friend group, when 00:05:03.000 --> 00:05:07.560 it gets tough, when it gets real, it will not. 00:05:08.510 --> 00:05:11.910 Unless you have access, unless you are using 00:05:11.910 --> 00:05:17.290 the access that you have to the spirit. I want 00:05:17.290 --> 00:05:19.829 us to look at John 14 because this is where Jesus 00:05:19.829 --> 00:05:23.170 really talks about the Holy Spirit. And at this 00:05:23.170 --> 00:05:25.949 point, Jesus has just told us that, well, he 00:05:25.949 --> 00:05:28.870 told those listening that he is the only way 00:05:28.870 --> 00:05:30.670 to eternal life. That's what he says leading 00:05:30.670 --> 00:05:33.649 up to this part that we just read. I am the way. 00:05:34.439 --> 00:05:36.920 To eternal life. And in order to be a part of 00:05:36.920 --> 00:05:38.860 the fulfillment of God's redemptive mission, 00:05:39.259 --> 00:05:44.139 you have to follow Jesus' call. Now Jesus is 00:05:44.139 --> 00:05:46.720 going to say, if you follow my call, keep my 00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:49.639 commandments. And I'll have the Father send you 00:05:49.639 --> 00:05:52.939 a gift. And that's how we get to John 14, verses 00:05:52.939 --> 00:05:55.100 15 through 16, where he says, if you love me, 00:05:55.180 --> 00:05:57.480 you will keep my commandments. And I will ask 00:05:57.480 --> 00:05:59.959 the Father, and he will give you another helper 00:05:59.959 --> 00:06:05.500 to be with you forever. Even the spirit of truth 00:06:05.500 --> 00:06:08.060 whom the world cannot receive because it neither 00:06:08.060 --> 00:06:11.660 sees him nor knows him. And Jesus doesn't say 00:06:11.660 --> 00:06:14.800 I might give you, I might send to you, but he 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:21.180 says I will send to you a helper. Someone like 00:06:21.180 --> 00:06:24.420 Jesus actually. Somebody that is sent to be with 00:06:24.420 --> 00:06:27.339 us forever to help us, to enable us, to equip 00:06:27.339 --> 00:06:30.459 us, to do what it is that he is calling us to 00:06:30.459 --> 00:06:33.329 do. In fact, the word there that reads, Helper, 00:06:33.370 --> 00:06:37.129 and you'll notice that's a capital H. Helper 00:06:37.129 --> 00:06:42.410 also translates to advocate, counselor, comforter. 00:06:42.470 --> 00:06:45.050 Maybe you've sang that song, counselor, comforter, 00:06:45.069 --> 00:06:51.000 keeper, spirit we long to embrace. This is not 00:06:51.000 --> 00:06:53.560 temporary either. And it's also not something 00:06:53.560 --> 00:06:57.100 that we earn. The Spirit is a gift of promise 00:06:57.100 --> 00:07:00.259 from our faithful God. It was promised before 00:07:00.259 --> 00:07:05.980 and He makes good on His promises always. See, 00:07:06.019 --> 00:07:09.160 when you're exhausted from following Jesus, when 00:07:09.160 --> 00:07:11.620 you maybe are a little discouraged because... 00:07:12.029 --> 00:07:15.209 following Jesus isn't exactly easy. When you're 00:07:15.209 --> 00:07:17.750 overwhelmed because life is hitting you hard 00:07:17.750 --> 00:07:21.550 and you want to revert back to pre -Jesus ways, 00:07:21.730 --> 00:07:23.610 but you know that you have something greater 00:07:23.610 --> 00:07:26.269 to do. When you're tempted to lash out in anger, 00:07:26.370 --> 00:07:30.110 the Spirit can check your heart. When your parenting 00:07:30.110 --> 00:07:34.069 feels hopeless, the Spirit gives wisdom and peace. 00:07:34.949 --> 00:07:38.589 When hit after hit... keeps coming and you just 00:07:38.589 --> 00:07:41.089 don't know how you'll keep going, the Spirit 00:07:41.089 --> 00:07:45.009 can hold you up and push you on. See, God knew 00:07:45.009 --> 00:07:48.230 that following Jesus, that walking this journey 00:07:48.230 --> 00:07:51.329 would not be possible in our own strength. And 00:07:51.329 --> 00:07:53.189 I even want you to think about the Israelites 00:07:53.189 --> 00:07:56.829 back in Exodus. You notice in their story, they 00:07:56.829 --> 00:08:00.370 can't walk to the promised land on their own. 00:08:00.430 --> 00:08:03.170 God has to give them light. He has to give them 00:08:03.170 --> 00:08:04.910 guidance. He has to give them food. He has to 00:08:04.910 --> 00:08:09.529 give them water. God knows that for us to get 00:08:09.529 --> 00:08:12.930 to where he needs us to be, we need some strength 00:08:12.930 --> 00:08:19.050 that is not our own. And so he gave us himself 00:08:19.050 --> 00:08:23.910 as he always does. This time in the form of the 00:08:23.910 --> 00:08:26.870 spirit, we read on to verse 17. You know him. 00:08:27.829 --> 00:08:31.009 And Jesus didn't say you will know him. He didn't 00:08:31.009 --> 00:08:34.629 say you'll recognize him. He says, you know. 00:08:35.440 --> 00:08:40.240 Him. For He dwells with you. Not only does He 00:08:40.240 --> 00:08:43.539 dwell with you, He will be in you. And this isn't 00:08:43.539 --> 00:08:47.220 a symbolic presence. This isn't a metaphor. This 00:08:47.220 --> 00:08:52.440 is a real, tangible indwelling. God lives in 00:08:52.440 --> 00:08:55.759 His people. Not just beside you. Not above you. 00:08:55.879 --> 00:09:00.529 He lives in you. And the Christian life isn't 00:09:00.529 --> 00:09:03.110 behavior modification. It's not just about being 00:09:03.110 --> 00:09:05.649 a better person. It's not about just saying the 00:09:05.649 --> 00:09:07.990 right things, doing the right things, going the 00:09:07.990 --> 00:09:11.190 right places. This is about spiritual transformation 00:09:11.190 --> 00:09:17.139 from the inside out. I want to tell you a story 00:09:17.139 --> 00:09:19.940 about a guy named Brian Welch. Maybe you've heard 00:09:19.940 --> 00:09:22.340 of the heavy metal band Korn. I've never actually 00:09:22.340 --> 00:09:24.419 listened to them. I just came across the story 00:09:24.419 --> 00:09:26.559 and I thought it was interesting. But Brian Welch 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:29.100 was the lead guitarist for this heavy metal band. 00:09:29.379 --> 00:09:31.559 And I don't know about y 'all, but I was told 00:09:31.559 --> 00:09:35.399 growing up that heavy metal was from Satan. And 00:09:35.399 --> 00:09:37.320 sometimes you listen to it and you think, yeah, 00:09:37.340 --> 00:09:40.820 maybe there's a point there. But anyway, so Brian 00:09:40.820 --> 00:09:44.019 Welch, he's got fame. He's got money. But he's 00:09:44.019 --> 00:09:46.750 also got a lot of women. He's got a lot of drugs. 00:09:47.789 --> 00:09:50.090 Brian Welch has everything that you can imagine 00:09:50.090 --> 00:09:53.970 that a heavy metal band member might have, but 00:09:53.970 --> 00:09:58.450 he was empty. He felt like his life just wasn't 00:09:58.450 --> 00:10:01.470 fulfilled. He's strung out on meth. He's losing 00:10:01.470 --> 00:10:04.789 himself. He's failing his family. And one day, 00:10:04.830 --> 00:10:10.330 Brian Welch walks into a church because, believe 00:10:10.330 --> 00:10:12.350 it or not, a real estate agent, looking at you, 00:10:12.409 --> 00:10:15.620 Chad and Noah, a real estate agent, that was 00:10:15.620 --> 00:10:18.259 helping him buy land, invited him to church. 00:10:20.059 --> 00:10:23.480 And Brian Welch says he didn't understand everything 00:10:23.480 --> 00:10:27.240 that the pastor was saying that morning. He didn't 00:10:27.240 --> 00:10:28.940 understand all the language in the songs, but 00:10:28.940 --> 00:10:34.080 he felt something. He felt a presence. He felt 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:37.299 a heaviness. Something that he really couldn't 00:10:37.299 --> 00:10:40.159 explain, that he couldn't put his hands on. And 00:10:40.159 --> 00:10:43.500 that week, he's alone in his house, and he's 00:10:43.500 --> 00:10:49.190 high. And he decides to open his Bible. And what 00:10:49.190 --> 00:10:52.690 Brian Welch prayed is something maybe you've 00:10:52.690 --> 00:10:55.210 prayed before in a way, probably not these exact 00:10:55.210 --> 00:10:59.529 words, but maybe you have. He says, Jesus, if 00:10:59.529 --> 00:11:04.649 you're real, take these drugs from me. Come into 00:11:04.649 --> 00:11:09.350 my life and help me be a good person. Help me 00:11:09.350 --> 00:11:13.720 be a good father. That was it. That's all he 00:11:13.720 --> 00:11:15.960 knew to say. He didn't have this fancy prayer 00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:20.940 with all these really nice big words. But in 00:11:20.940 --> 00:11:24.460 his own words, he says after he prayed that prayer, 00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:28.279 the high stopped. And then after that, the craving 00:11:28.279 --> 00:11:31.980 stopped. It was like something came into the 00:11:31.980 --> 00:11:34.340 room and cleaned him out. It changed the way 00:11:34.340 --> 00:11:36.320 that he felt, the way that he thought, the things 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:38.860 that he wanted. And not too long after that, 00:11:38.940 --> 00:11:42.009 Brian Welch gets baptized. And gives his life 00:11:42.009 --> 00:11:44.289 to Christ. And over the years, the Holy Spirit 00:11:44.289 --> 00:11:47.210 continues to work in him. Not just freeing him 00:11:47.210 --> 00:11:50.850 from his addiction. But changing his heart. Changing 00:11:50.850 --> 00:11:54.870 his purpose. And even restoring broken relationships. 00:11:55.309 --> 00:11:57.929 And today he's still playing music. But now he's 00:11:57.929 --> 00:12:01.730 doing it as a bold, unashamed follower of Christ. 00:12:02.450 --> 00:12:04.950 Using his platform to reach people who never 00:12:04.950 --> 00:12:10.759 imagined that Jesus wanted them. That's the power 00:12:10.759 --> 00:12:16.009 of the Holy Spirit. That's the power. of this 00:12:16.009 --> 00:12:18.669 presence of God that's not just comforting, that 00:12:18.669 --> 00:12:20.750 doesn't just excite you when you're worshiping 00:12:20.750 --> 00:12:23.250 and causes you to raise a hand. It's more than 00:12:23.250 --> 00:12:26.049 that. It's a transformational presence that when 00:12:26.049 --> 00:12:28.549 God steps in and He starts working and when you 00:12:28.549 --> 00:12:31.970 allow Him to work, He will wreck shop and fix 00:12:31.970 --> 00:12:34.629 it up better than you could have ever imagined. 00:12:34.909 --> 00:12:37.049 And here's something that we often overlook or 00:12:37.049 --> 00:12:40.389 maybe even neglect and sometimes we ignore. The 00:12:40.389 --> 00:12:43.750 Spirit doesn't just dwell in us individually. 00:12:44.750 --> 00:12:48.529 dwells in us communally. We read what Paul says 00:12:48.529 --> 00:12:52.309 in 1 Corinthians 3, verse 16. Do you not know 00:12:52.309 --> 00:12:57.289 that you are God's temple and that God's spirit 00:12:57.289 --> 00:13:00.090 dwells in you? See, in the Greek, and I'm not 00:13:00.090 --> 00:13:02.149 a Greek scholar, I read this online, I won't 00:13:02.149 --> 00:13:06.750 lie. The you in this verse is plural. So when 00:13:06.750 --> 00:13:10.929 Paul says, do you not know that you are God's 00:13:10.929 --> 00:13:14.559 temple and that God's spirit dwells in you? He's 00:13:14.559 --> 00:13:16.960 not talking about me. He's not talking about 00:13:16.960 --> 00:13:19.899 one person. He's talking about the church there 00:13:19.899 --> 00:13:24.120 in Corinth. God's spirit dwells in all y 'all. 00:13:26.419 --> 00:13:31.440 God did not call you to follow him in isolation. 00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:35.740 There's this lie that goes on and people say, 00:13:35.799 --> 00:13:39.100 well, I can be a follower of Jesus by myself. 00:13:39.159 --> 00:13:42.460 I don't need the church. And I want to challenge 00:13:42.460 --> 00:13:45.100 anybody that says that, tell me how well that 00:13:45.100 --> 00:13:48.299 works out for you. We talked about the need for 00:13:48.299 --> 00:13:50.460 community a few weeks ago, and I will tell you, 00:13:50.519 --> 00:13:52.940 every time I've ever tried to do it on my own, 00:13:52.980 --> 00:13:56.480 I have wound up on my face. But when I've got 00:13:56.480 --> 00:14:02.000 the body working alongside the spirit, scratch 00:14:02.000 --> 00:14:04.480 that, the body with the spirit working in it, 00:14:04.580 --> 00:14:08.120 I'm a lot more successful in this following Jesus 00:14:08.120 --> 00:14:13.809 thing. He calls us to family, to community. You 00:14:13.809 --> 00:14:17.090 may feel lonely, but you're not, or at least 00:14:17.090 --> 00:14:20.029 you don't have to be. You don't have to be alone. 00:14:20.309 --> 00:14:23.309 When you're a part of this body, you're a part 00:14:23.309 --> 00:14:26.330 of a gift from God. God gave you His Spirit and 00:14:26.330 --> 00:14:29.269 He gave you His people. He gave you something 00:14:29.269 --> 00:14:31.409 more than just a place to go. When it comes to 00:14:31.409 --> 00:14:34.389 the church, the church is a people that God uses 00:14:34.389 --> 00:14:39.389 to walk with you, to pray with you. To bear your 00:14:39.389 --> 00:14:42.990 burdens. To sit with you. To cry with you. To 00:14:42.990 --> 00:14:45.649 sharpen you. To lift you up when you can't stand 00:14:45.649 --> 00:14:49.049 on your own. To help you keep going. And sometimes 00:14:49.049 --> 00:14:52.509 the church just flat out has to carry you. And 00:14:52.509 --> 00:14:56.190 maybe you've been there. The church is here. 00:14:56.309 --> 00:14:59.929 The body is here to remind you of a truth that 00:14:59.929 --> 00:15:03.679 we all so often forget. Another passage that 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:06.600 communicates this idea is Ephesians 2, verse 00:15:06.600 --> 00:15:10.340 22. You are being built together into a dwelling 00:15:10.340 --> 00:15:16.460 place for God by the Spirit. The church can be 00:15:16.460 --> 00:15:18.500 messy sometimes. We all know that's true. We 00:15:18.500 --> 00:15:21.779 all know that sometimes people say things and 00:15:21.779 --> 00:15:24.230 do things that are kind of hurtful. They make 00:15:24.230 --> 00:15:27.450 us feel bad. Sometimes people isolate us. Sometimes 00:15:27.450 --> 00:15:30.389 we do things that cause these divisions. And 00:15:30.389 --> 00:15:32.549 it doesn't really feel like the church is a good 00:15:32.549 --> 00:15:36.090 place. But here's the truth. We also know that 00:15:36.090 --> 00:15:42.009 we're all a bunch of imperfect people. But the 00:15:42.009 --> 00:15:48.269 church, the church is a spirit -filled, God -ordained 00:15:48.269 --> 00:15:52.350 tool for our growth. And our mission. And when 00:15:52.350 --> 00:15:55.230 I say the church. I'm not talking about any other 00:15:55.230 --> 00:15:57.509 building that just slaps church on it. I'm not 00:15:57.509 --> 00:15:58.990 even talking about a group of people that just 00:15:58.990 --> 00:16:02.389 say we're a church. I'm talking about the church 00:16:02.389 --> 00:16:06.370 that is consumed. That is only focused on glorifying 00:16:06.370 --> 00:16:09.309 God. Following his word. And bringing Jesus to 00:16:09.309 --> 00:16:11.750 the world. That's what I mean when I say the 00:16:11.750 --> 00:16:15.049 church. I mean the body of believers. The family 00:16:15.049 --> 00:16:21.799 of God. And that is a gift. It's a tool. And 00:16:21.799 --> 00:16:23.919 if we're going to be successful in this redemptive 00:16:23.919 --> 00:16:26.159 mission that God has asked us to join Him in, 00:16:26.340 --> 00:16:30.320 we've got to be a part of that body. We have 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:34.960 got to be filled with the Spirit. And there's 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:37.500 another gift that God gives you to walk faithfully. 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:42.000 Actually, some people believe that this is what 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:45.179 it means when Jesus says He's going to send us 00:16:45.179 --> 00:16:47.899 the Spirit. And I don't disagree. I think it's 00:16:47.899 --> 00:16:49.820 a part of it. I just don't think it's all of 00:16:49.820 --> 00:16:54.860 it. It's his word. There is a part to that gift 00:16:54.860 --> 00:17:00.120 that we need. Jesus told his disciples back there 00:17:00.120 --> 00:17:03.980 in John 14, 26, that the spirit would teach all 00:17:03.980 --> 00:17:07.200 things and bring to remembrance all that I have 00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:09.480 said to you. See, we don't have to guess how 00:17:09.480 --> 00:17:11.519 to follow Jesus. We don't have to try to figure 00:17:11.519 --> 00:17:13.400 it out on our own. Sometimes we get a little 00:17:13.400 --> 00:17:17.869 too creative. And man's creativity. And our pride 00:17:17.869 --> 00:17:20.529 and our brain has been our downfall from the 00:17:20.529 --> 00:17:24.609 beginning. We don't have to guess. We don't have 00:17:24.609 --> 00:17:28.109 to try to figure out what God means. He tells 00:17:28.109 --> 00:17:31.240 us. He gave us his written word. Here's what 00:17:31.240 --> 00:17:35.400 Paul says in 2 Timothy 3, verses 16 -17. All 00:17:35.400 --> 00:17:38.720 scripture is breathed out by God and profitable 00:17:38.720 --> 00:17:42.359 for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and 00:17:42.359 --> 00:17:44.759 for training in righteousness, that the man of 00:17:44.759 --> 00:17:49.180 God may be complete, equipped for every good 00:17:49.180 --> 00:17:52.559 work. Did you catch that? Paul said equipped. 00:17:54.279 --> 00:17:58.740 See, if you feel stuck, if you feel unsure, If 00:17:58.740 --> 00:18:01.900 you're not quite clear on what God wants from 00:18:01.900 --> 00:18:04.359 you, if your faith maybe feels cold or it feels 00:18:04.359 --> 00:18:09.259 distant, don't neglect this gift. Open it up. 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:15.799 Read it. Meditate on it. Let it shape you. Let 00:18:15.799 --> 00:18:20.680 it correct you. Let it comfort you. Something 00:18:20.680 --> 00:18:25.640 I've been doing over the last couple weeks. One 00:18:25.640 --> 00:18:28.039 of my friends, Buddy Bell, some of you know him. 00:18:28.160 --> 00:18:31.680 He did this challenge at the church we were attending 00:18:31.680 --> 00:18:35.799 a few years ago. And it was 40 days. And it was 00:18:35.799 --> 00:18:40.039 Bible before phone, knees before feet. So before 00:18:40.039 --> 00:18:43.160 you get out of bed, read your Bible. Well, really, 00:18:43.220 --> 00:18:45.420 before you get on Facebook and see what all the 00:18:45.420 --> 00:18:47.400 people are saying. Or for some of you, check 00:18:47.400 --> 00:18:51.740 your emails like weirdos. Read your Bible. Read 00:18:51.740 --> 00:18:56.160 your Bible first. And then. Pray before you stand 00:18:56.160 --> 00:18:57.819 up and go do whatever it is you were going to 00:18:57.819 --> 00:19:01.380 do. And I've been trying to do that because starting 00:19:01.380 --> 00:19:05.299 my day with the word, it helps me set the tone 00:19:05.299 --> 00:19:07.099 for the way the rest of it's going to go, right? 00:19:07.700 --> 00:19:10.859 And then asking God, take the words I just read 00:19:10.859 --> 00:19:13.640 and take the things that I just thought about. 00:19:14.250 --> 00:19:17.210 And apply them and help me to use them to transform 00:19:17.210 --> 00:19:20.650 my day. And here's some good news. Good news, 00:19:20.750 --> 00:19:23.950 beauty in these words from Christ. We go to verse 00:19:23.950 --> 00:19:27.730 27 there in John 14. Peace I leave with you. 00:19:28.549 --> 00:19:32.690 My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives 00:19:32.690 --> 00:19:36.309 do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, 00:19:36.369 --> 00:19:40.230 neither let them be afraid. Jesus knows trouble 00:19:40.230 --> 00:19:44.339 is coming. He knows trouble will be a part of 00:19:44.339 --> 00:19:47.319 our daily lives. He knows how steep the cost 00:19:47.319 --> 00:19:49.839 to follow Him can be. He knows what you may have 00:19:49.839 --> 00:19:52.759 to give up, where you may have to go, what you 00:19:52.759 --> 00:19:54.799 might have to sacrifice. He knows how uncomfortable, 00:19:55.240 --> 00:19:58.619 how painful, how terrifying, how sorrowful it 00:19:58.619 --> 00:20:03.140 can be to follow Him in this world. And that's 00:20:03.140 --> 00:20:06.420 why He promises peace. But don't be mistaken. 00:20:06.579 --> 00:20:10.420 Peace does not mean your life gets easier. In 00:20:10.420 --> 00:20:15.190 fact, What I think peace means is that you're 00:20:15.190 --> 00:20:19.589 anchored when the waves of life start tossing 00:20:19.589 --> 00:20:23.730 your ship in a stormy sea. When it gets rough. 00:20:24.710 --> 00:20:26.650 When you don't know how you're going to keep 00:20:26.650 --> 00:20:32.960 going. When tragedy strikes. Peace. It's what 00:20:32.960 --> 00:20:36.240 sustains you. It holds you firm in God's hands. 00:20:36.579 --> 00:20:39.220 It helps you to know that no matter what's going 00:20:39.220 --> 00:20:41.759 on around you, the waves, the winds, the rain, 00:20:41.900 --> 00:20:46.579 it is not powerful enough to remove you from 00:20:46.579 --> 00:20:50.279 God. One of my favorite people that I've been 00:20:50.279 --> 00:20:53.700 blessed to know is a mom of one of my former 00:20:53.700 --> 00:20:57.740 students from one of my youth groups. And she's 00:20:57.740 --> 00:21:01.029 been battling cancer for a while now. It's gone 00:21:01.029 --> 00:21:05.250 away and it's come back several times. She has 00:21:05.250 --> 00:21:08.930 three children. They're amazing kids. And she's 00:21:08.930 --> 00:21:12.670 got a husband. And thinking about them and what 00:21:12.670 --> 00:21:16.410 this constant fight with cancer means, it's hard 00:21:16.410 --> 00:21:19.269 on her. I mean, you can imagine maybe you've 00:21:19.269 --> 00:21:20.730 suffered with it. Maybe you're going through 00:21:20.730 --> 00:21:22.950 it right now. Or maybe you've had a loved one. 00:21:22.990 --> 00:21:27.490 It's a hard thing to deal with. And we were on 00:21:27.490 --> 00:21:31.289 our way to a youth trip. and she's sitting shotgun 00:21:31.289 --> 00:21:34.950 with me, and we're talking, and she's talking 00:21:34.950 --> 00:21:36.869 about how she had just got back from a trip to 00:21:36.869 --> 00:21:38.970 MD Anderson, and she's talking about how difficult 00:21:38.970 --> 00:21:42.230 it's been. And I just asked her, I said, how 00:21:42.230 --> 00:21:44.910 do you, she's always so positive, and she's always 00:21:44.910 --> 00:21:47.150 just a smiling face, very encouraging. I said, 00:21:47.170 --> 00:21:51.329 how do you deal with that? And she said this, 00:21:51.589 --> 00:21:56.349 if I'm going to suffer from this, if my family 00:21:56.349 --> 00:21:59.930 is going to hurt over this, I at least want to 00:21:59.930 --> 00:22:03.569 make sure God is glorified through it. And if 00:22:03.569 --> 00:22:09.369 I do that, I'm at peace with it. Can you imagine 00:22:09.369 --> 00:22:14.130 having the strength to know that your kids, all 00:22:14.130 --> 00:22:19.450 under the age of 15, may lose their mom? To know 00:22:19.450 --> 00:22:21.549 that this life that you've built and all these... 00:22:21.849 --> 00:22:24.369 These connections you've made. And this wonderful 00:22:24.369 --> 00:22:27.609 family that you have. That it could all just 00:22:27.609 --> 00:22:29.809 kind of be broken. Because of this thing that 00:22:29.809 --> 00:22:31.450 you're struggling with. That you're suffering 00:22:31.450 --> 00:22:33.890 from. And in it you're going to say. All you 00:22:33.890 --> 00:22:39.490 want to do is make sure God is glorified. That 00:22:39.490 --> 00:22:43.390 has to be the most pure example of peace. That 00:22:43.390 --> 00:22:48.630 only the spirit can bring. If your life is lacking 00:22:48.630 --> 00:22:52.910 peace. As you try to follow this calling that 00:22:52.910 --> 00:23:00.089 God has called you on, the solution isn't more 00:23:00.089 --> 00:23:04.650 control. It's not more treatments. It's not more 00:23:04.650 --> 00:23:07.329 counseling. It's not more medication. It's not 00:23:07.329 --> 00:23:10.630 more you figuring things out. Those things are 00:23:10.630 --> 00:23:15.289 helpful. But it can't be you calling the shots. 00:23:16.610 --> 00:23:18.990 It's not you doing what you want. It's not you 00:23:18.990 --> 00:23:22.049 chasing your desires. It's not you pursuing what 00:23:22.049 --> 00:23:25.690 makes you happy. It's total dependence on God. 00:23:27.029 --> 00:23:33.529 By way of his spirit. Jesus told the disciples 00:23:33.529 --> 00:23:37.769 in Acts chapter 1 verse 8. You will receive power 00:23:37.769 --> 00:23:41.869 when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And you 00:23:41.869 --> 00:23:45.079 will be my witnesses. You'll be the ones that 00:23:45.079 --> 00:23:49.400 make me glorified in this world. Jesus didn't 00:23:49.400 --> 00:23:51.779 say you might receive power if you try hard enough. 00:23:52.640 --> 00:23:55.400 He said you will receive power when you receive 00:23:55.400 --> 00:24:01.980 the gift. The gift. All the things this life 00:24:01.980 --> 00:24:05.079 throws at you. All the schemes that Satan has 00:24:05.079 --> 00:24:07.619 to keep you distracted from your calling. All 00:24:07.619 --> 00:24:11.380 the ways that we convince ourselves. To go our 00:24:11.380 --> 00:24:13.880 own way and do our own thing. All of these things 00:24:13.880 --> 00:24:17.559 are weak compared to the power that the Spirit 00:24:17.559 --> 00:24:21.039 gives us to pursue God's call. And I want you 00:24:21.039 --> 00:24:26.119 to notice this. That power isn't just for personal 00:24:26.119 --> 00:24:29.460 peace. It's not just for inner strength. It's 00:24:29.460 --> 00:24:34.259 for our purpose. So that we can be His witnesses. 00:24:34.920 --> 00:24:37.980 So that we can go out as the church, as the body, 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:42.180 as the family into this world. And reach people 00:24:42.180 --> 00:24:45.200 for Jesus. The spirit gives peace for your heart. 00:24:45.359 --> 00:24:50.099 It gives peace for our power. For our purpose. 00:24:52.019 --> 00:24:55.599 So I want to ask you this morning. Are you trying 00:24:55.599 --> 00:24:57.920 to live the Christian life on your own strength? 00:24:58.859 --> 00:25:01.859 Or are you trying to do this thing on your own? 00:25:01.880 --> 00:25:05.299 Maybe you've been holding the key. You know the 00:25:05.299 --> 00:25:08.740 language. You attend the worship services. You 00:25:08.740 --> 00:25:11.640 go to all the events. You read your Bible. You 00:25:11.640 --> 00:25:14.220 try to do the good things. But you've never really 00:25:14.220 --> 00:25:18.759 put the key in the ignition. Maybe you've never 00:25:18.759 --> 00:25:21.480 even received the engine. The indwelling of the 00:25:21.480 --> 00:25:24.240 Holy Spirit. See in Acts chapter 2 verses 38 00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:27.279 -39. Some of you may know this very well. Repent 00:25:27.279 --> 00:25:30.319 and be baptized. And you will receive the gift. 00:25:30.720 --> 00:25:35.480 The gift. The gift. Of the Holy Spirit. He doesn't 00:25:35.480 --> 00:25:37.700 just offer forgiveness. He doesn't just offer 00:25:37.700 --> 00:25:40.900 salvation. He doesn't just offer some place that 00:25:40.900 --> 00:25:44.460 we'll go to one day. And be for forever. He offers 00:25:44.460 --> 00:25:49.200 the presence of God within us. Wherever we go. 00:25:50.279 --> 00:25:55.859 Whatever we do. Whatever we go through. The gift 00:25:55.859 --> 00:25:57.980 is more than just a church service. It's more 00:25:57.980 --> 00:26:00.859 than just a religious activity. It is an offer 00:26:00.859 --> 00:26:04.319 of new and abundant life. filled with power, 00:26:04.440 --> 00:26:09.619 peace, and purpose. So if you've never been baptized 00:26:09.619 --> 00:26:11.900 into Christ, we would love to talk with you and 00:26:11.900 --> 00:26:14.960 pray with you about that. Maybe you have been 00:26:14.960 --> 00:26:17.059 baptized and you've just been holding on to this 00:26:17.059 --> 00:26:19.819 key and you really need the prayers of the church 00:26:19.819 --> 00:26:22.579 to help you, to encourage you, to strengthen 00:26:22.579 --> 00:26:25.279 you, to support you, and putting that key in 00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:27.740 the ignition, turning it over, and getting on 00:26:27.740 --> 00:26:31.660 down the road to tell people about Jesus. Whatever 00:26:31.660 --> 00:26:34.769 you need this morning, if it's prayer, if it's 00:26:34.769 --> 00:26:38.049 comfort and support, if it's salvation, we would 00:26:38.049 --> 00:26:39.670 love to help you in that this morning. Please 00:26:39.670 --> 00:26:41.750 come as we stand and as we sing.