Hi there, welcome to NECF. We're excited to share
today's message with you. Don't go anywhere,
stay with us till the end for some valuable resources
to enrich your faith. Here's today's sermon.
All right, hallelujah. So we are welcome once
again. Today we have been going through many
teachings. Starting from our lead pastor to the
associate pastor, Pastor Victor, was taking us
through silent teaching. And I'm sure we have
been blessed. I'm sure we have been blessed.
I'm sure we are growing. And I'm sure that we
desire more, right? We are not tired of receiving.
We can't be tired of receiving. We are ready
to receive more and more and more and more. Hallelujah.
Because there's abundance in God's spirit. Hallelujah.
There's abundance in God's spirit to give unto
us, to give to his children. So this morning
we would be starting, I think I would say the
third direction for this conference. And the
title is The Gift of the Spirit. Right? The Gift
of the Spirit. The Gift of the Spirit. The gift
of the spirits. And to start with, I'd like us
to open to Ephesians 1. Start with Ephesians
1 this morning. Ephesians chapter 1. I'm using
my ESV Bible media team if you want to know,
right? So I'm using my NKJVs. I didn't bring
it today. So I'm going to use this. It's quite
difficult when you're functioning with a particular
Bible to easily switch like that. So I'm using
my ears. Will you walk with me with that? Can
we just pray the Holy Ghost as we are seated
here? I just want us to pray the Holy Ghost.
The prayer is that your mind is open to receive
the word of God. My mind is open to receive the
word of God. There is no distraction. There is
no confusion within my spirits. Can you just
pray? There is no destruction in my mind. I received
the word of God that has saved me that I may
be able to grow much more in Christ. My spirit
is a lot. My spirit is a lot to receive the word
of God. As the word comes into my ears, my spirit
receives it with joy. My spirit receives it with
joy. My spirit receives it with joy. I am strengthened.
I am strengthened as I listen to the word of
God. I am strengthened. No distractions. No distractions.
Oh, thank you, Holy Spirit. Thank you, Holy Spirit.
Thank you, Holy Spirit. Thank you, Jesus. In
Jesus' name we pray. Amen. So for the next two
days, we'll be going through this teaching, which
is the gift of the spirits. Myself and Pastor
Kirsten will take us through this. And it's going
to be quite, it's going to be a great blessing
because most of some of the things that have
been taught by our lead pastor, Pastor Fred and
Pastor Victor, some of them will pop up again.
Right. And that shows us that the scripture,
right, explains itself. Right. The scripture
is not a disjoint material, but a book spiritually.
How can I put it? Put together that the topics,
right, the topics pertaining to the things of
the spirit actually so connected. So we're going
to see some of those things again and they will
help us to to grow in knowledge of Christ. So
let's start. I would like us to read this entire
chapter, actually, because this is where we are
starting from. The gift of the Spirit. We'll
start from the understanding of what is spiritual.
But we'll try to understand what is the Spirit.
Right? We'll try to understand what is the Spirit.
We'll start from spiritual. We'll try to understand
what is the Spirit or who is the Spirit. Much
better. And the promise of the Spirit. Then we
will go into how the Spirit functions. Right?
How the Spirit functions. So we start from spiritual.
We try to understand what is the Spirit. Then
we try to understand much more in detail the
promise of the Spirit. Then how the Spirit functions,
right? How the Spirit functions. So from there,
that's when we'll go to 1 Corinthians 12, which
is our main scripture that we are going to dwell
on so much. But we need to lay this foundation.
We need to lay this foundation so that we can
be able to have a clarity of what is being taught.
So we read from Ephesians chapter 1 from beginning
to the end. We're going to read everything. I'm
going to read myself. Paul, an apostle of Christ
Jesus, by the will of God to the saints who are
in Ephesus and are faithful in Christ Jesus.
Grace to you and peace from God, our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and
the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing
in the heavenly places. Of course, we know that's
in the heavenlies. Even as he chose us in him
before the foundation of the world, that we should
be holy. and blameless before him in love. He
predestined us for adoption to himself as sons,
through Jesus, according to the purpose of his
will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with
which he has blessed us in the beloved. In him
we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness
of our trespasses, according to the riches of
his grace. which he lavished upon us in all wisdom
and insight, making known to us the mystery of
his will, according to his purpose, which he
set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness
of time to unite all things in him, things in
heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained
an inheritance, having been predestined according
to the purpose of him, who works all things according
to the counsel, So that we who are the first
to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his
glory. In him you also, when you heard the word
of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed
in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.
Who is the guarantee of our inheritance until
we acquire possession of it to the praise of
his glory. For this reason, because I have heard
of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and your
love towards all the saints, I do not cease to
give thanks for remembering you in my prayers
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father
of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of him. Having the
eyes of your heart enlightened that you may know,
that you may know what is the hope to which he
has called you. What are the riches of his glorious
inheritance in the saints? And what is the immeasurable
greatness of his power towards us who believed?
According to the walking of his great might,
that he walked in Christ when he raised him from
the dead and seated him at his right hand in
the heavenly places. Far above all rule and authority
and power and dominion and above every name that
is named, not only in this age, but also. In
the one to come. And he put all things. Under
his feet. And gave him as head. Over all things
to the church. Which is the body. The fullness
of him. Who fits all in all. Hallelujah. Amen.
So we are starting to pick from here. First.
The number of things we need to start with. And
is in verse 3. Verse 3. It says he blessed us,
right? Blessed be the God of our father. Blessed
be God and father of our Lord Jesus Christ who
blessed us in Christ with every spiritual what?
Blessings, right? Every spiritual blessing in
the heavenlies, right? Every spiritual blessing
in the heavenlies. So we see spiritual blessing
there. Now, we see Paul writing a number of things
that is the believer's spiritual blessing. Right?
We see what that is. Of course, we know the summary
of all that is salvation. But Paul had to bring
it out that we might see clearly what is happening
in salvation. Do we get it? So, Paul listed those
things. Not that they are... distinct away from
themselves, but this is what happened at salvation.
So it's not like you receive forgiveness of sins,
then after that you become sons. After that you
become predestined. No, no, no. It's something
that happened once at salvation. I'm going to
show you the one that is left. If you go to verse
13, it said, When we heard the word of truth,
the gospel of his salvation, believed in him,
we are sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,
who is the guarantee of our inheritance until
we acquire the possession of it to the praise
of his glory. Verse 14 is what the believer is
waiting for. Everything from beginning up until
that time we have received. In fact, it sums
this all up as the promised Spirit. Actually,
he sums all that things all up and brings it
up and said, it is the promised spirit. So let's
see. He said, even as he chose us from foundation
of the world that we should be holy and blameless,
right? He predestined us for adoption, which
is the same thing explained using the concept
of adoption there, according to the purpose of
his will, to the praise of his glory. Verse seven,
in him we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of our sins, right? This is also
adoption. This is also adoption. Bringing it
out, using different things. Of course, these
terminologies, adoption, being predestined, being
chosen, the redemption through his blood, the
forgiveness of our trespasses, all these things
are found in salvation when a man believes. right?
It's found in salvation when a man believes.
So verse eight says, he lavished upon us in all
wisdom and might, making known to us the misery
of his will. So we know misery of his will means
that something just like pastor told us, right?
Something that is, uh, now it's not something
that I said, but something that is revelation
that needs to be explained, right? Something
that needs to be, uh, opened up, right? And given
insight. So this is what God has planned a full
time, according to the purpose, which is set
forth. in Christ. Verse 10 now says, as a plan
for the fullness of time to unite all things
in heaven and on earth. Now that's all, uniting
all things in heaven and on earth will take us
to Genesis 1, but we're going to come back to
that, right? So the emphasis here is that we
have seen up until verse 14, all that has taken
place in the believer. So all of that, the summary
of it is salvation. And the, peak of it took
place through the promised Holy Spirit. And what
we are waiting for is the redemption of the body.
So this is spiritual blessings. Now, upon this
foundation, okay, upon all that Christ has done
and that which you have received, say we have
received the promise as a guarantee of the redemption
of the body, right? So we have received the promise
as a guarantee for the redemption. Upon all of
this, Paul now began to pray for them. Right?
He began to pray. And we need to check what is
the essence of Paul's prayer. Paul is not praying
for forgiveness of sins for them. Paul is not
praying that they will be predestined. Paul is
not praying that a plan will come to pass. No,
Paul wrote about their reality from verse 10.
Three, up until 14. So he was not praying for
forgiveness of sin for them. He was not praying
about so that they may be able to come into salvation.
He wasn't praying for that, right? But he was
telling them about their reality. So what is
Paul's prayer for these people, right? After
listing their spiritual blessings. He says, verse
15, for this reason, because I have heard of
your feet in the Lord Jesus Christ. and your
love towards the saints. So they believed. I
do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering
you in my prayers. Now, this is it. That the
God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give you the wisdom of the spirits. We've
taught that in cell meetings, so you should understand
this. The wisdom of the spirit and revelation
in the knowledge of him. Right? So they will
walk in the wisdom of the Spirit. They will walk
in revelation, right? Of course, the wisdom of
the Spirit is revelation. Right? I say it again.
The wisdom of the Spirit is revelation in Christ.
So, we walk in revelation in the knowledge of
Him. Having the eyes of the heart enlightened,
that they may what? Know. Know. That they may
know what is the hope to which He has called
them. So when you see the word hope to which
he has called, it means that the believer is
called for a service. After receiving spiritual
blessings, the believer is called for a service.
You are not just called to give the things of
the spirit to you, to have the gift of the spirit,
to have all of that and do nothing. But the believer
is called for a service. So we must know, That
we have been called to service. And the things
that pertain to that service. We must know that
we have been called to service. The hope of our
calling. And the things that pertain to that
service. The things that pertain to that service.
So the first prayer here is that they may know.
the riches of his glory, and what is the immeasurable
greatness of his power towards us who believe
according to the workings of his great might.
So, we can say that a believer is called to service,
right? A believer is called to service And the
service is worked, right? Through the power of
God. He said, according to the working of his
great might. So he said, verse 19, he said, and
what is the immeasurable greatness of his power
towards us who has believed, right? Who believed
according to the workings of his great might,
which he worked in Christ and when he raised
him from the dead. So it means that there's a
power at work. Right? There's a power at work
in the believer that helps the believer to function
effectively. So God has not just called us to
know the hope of our calling, but there's a power
that is at work in the believer. Amen. So we
need to know that which is at work. And that
is why this gift of the Spirit is important for
us to function. It is for us to what? To function.
The gift of spirit is for us to function and
we need to know. Now, Romans 1, let's see other
things apart from Ephesians 1. Let's see other
things, other areas where Paul uses the word,
the word spiritual. Actually, the word spiritual,
we can write down by now, probably should have
been said in one of the teachings or we know
it before, is pneumaticus. The word spiritual
is pneumaticus. P -N -E -U, right? P -N -E -U
-M -A -T -I -K -O -S, right? P -N -E -U -M -A
-T -I -K -O -S. So pneumaticus. And the word
blessing there, of course, is eulogia, right?
So spiritual blessings. In this context, it's
eulogia that blessing is. So we want to know,
right? Things that pertain to spirituals. I'm
going to break down pneumaticus in subsequent
time when I'm going to teach. But right now,
that is just enough. So Romans 1 .11. Let's see.
So in the spirit, it means that the believer
has abundance of blessings. And we have seen
Paul writing to the Ephesians and saying... This
is all. The believer has this. And when I said
that is salvation, and he crowned it all by saying
the promised Holy Spirit, right? So let's follow
up. Let's follow gradually. Now, in Romans 1,
11, which Pastor Victor read this as well during
his teaching, he said, for I long to see that
I may impart to you some spiritual gifts to strengthen
you. Right? To strengthen you. So, other things
that we can see also, right, is spiritual gifts.
When it comes to the spiritual, the believer
has spiritual gifts. He has spiritual gifts.
So, these are things pertaining to the believer.
So, of course, we are talking about spiritual
in the context of the believer. So, the believer
has spiritual gifts. And therefore, Paul says
that I might impact on you. Some spiritual gifts,
right? Why? To function and serve. That when
they know the hope of their calling, right? They
will be able to function. So spiritual gifts
is one of the things that we see that Paul uses
the word spiritual to explain. Romans 7 verse
14. Romans 7 verse 14. For we know that the law
is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under
sin. The law is what? Spiritual, right? So it
means that the writings of the prophets, okay?
The writings of prophets, the writings of Moses,
right? Has a spiritual impact. It has something
to do with the spirit of God. That the writings
of the prophet Moses has something to do with
the spirit of God. So it's spiritual. That is
why he said the law is not evil, but the law
is spiritual. It means that the law can impact
spiritually. Right? The law can impact spiritually.
When the law is explained correctly, the law
has a spiritual impact in the life of the hearer
of the law. All right. Romans 15, 27, still in
Romans, Romans 15, 27. So we see spiritual gifts.
We see the law is spiritual. So for they were
pleased to do, they were pleased to do it. And
indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles
have come to share in their spiritual blessings,
they ought also to be of service to them in material
blessings. So here, we see spiritual blessings,
right? It means that the Gentiles, those who
are, they've not known the Lord before, unbelievers,
right? They have come to partake in the spiritual
blessings, right? And they also ought to do what?
To be of service. Of course, here talking about
in material blessings, right? Of course, he uses
material blessings there to serve. So it means
that being part of a spiritual blessing brings
us towards service again. Brings us to service
again. So we can say Gentiles are partakers of
the spiritual blessings and therefore whosoever
partake must serve, must minister to others.
Whosoever partake of spiritual blessings must
minister to others. Whosoever partake of spiritual
blessings must minister to others. 1 Corinthians
1 Corinthians 2 .15. Can you go to 15? That same
1 Corinthians 2 .15. It's that a spiritual person
judges all things, but is himself to be judged
by no one. So a spiritual person's discernment,
a spiritual person's discernment can judge. Right?
Can judge. These are things that are still spiritual.
Right? We don't find them in Ephesians 1 or we
find them in... explicitly written like this,
but we see that a spiritual person can judge.
Right? So we look forward to understanding the
things of the Spirit very well that we might
be able to discern, to judge, to decide, to perceive.
So a spiritual person can judge. 1 Corinthians
3 verse 1. 1 Corinthians 3 verse 1. Let's move
a little bit faster. It's the brothers. I could
not address you as spiritual people, but as people
of the flesh, as infants in Christ. So spiritual
is also used as a means of communication, right?
We can say a mode of communication. I do not
address you as spiritual. It means that the people
who are spiritual believers, there's a way of
communicating to them. So Paul had to address
them as babies, as those who, as if they don't
know the things of the spirits. Right? As if
they don't know the things. So, as a communication
within the spirit, there's a way we communicate
spiritual things. There's a way we communicate.
There's also a mode of communication that's spiritual,
communicating spiritual. 1 Corinthians 10, 3
and 4. 1 Corinthians 10, 3 and 4. Let's look
at 1 Corinthians 10, 3 and 4, if you can help
me. Go from verse 1, please. For I do not want
you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers
were all under the cloud and all passed through
the sea and were all baptized into Moses in the
cloud and in the sea and all ate the same spiritual
food and all drank the same spiritual drink for
they drank from the spiritual rock that followed
them and that rock was Christ. Nevertheless,
with most of them, God was not pleased for they
were overthrown in the wilderness. Now, this
is a good one to add a layer on the teaching
about baptism, right? I think it was Pastor Victor
that was teaching about baptism. Oh, Pastor Fred.
Okay, it was Pastor Fred that was teaching about
it. And talking about snow water baptism, right?
So let's look at this. If to be baptized into
Moses would mean to be dipped into water. Let's
just... Touch upon that a little bit. So, and
we're all baptized into Moses. So what would
this mean? Can anybody try? To be baptized into
Moses. Okay, what would baptism mean here, at
least? To be a mass, right? To be a mass. So
can we say to be a mass into Moses for a start?
Don't worry, we'll explain Moses, right? To be
baptized into Moses. Yes, we can say that. Now,
when the scripture uses Moses, it's talking about
what? The writings and the doctrine of Moses.
Do we get it? So he said that they were immense
in the teachings of prophet Moses. How do I know?
Look at what he said. And they all ate. That's
what? Spiritual food. They did what? They ate
the same spiritual food. Oh, glory to God. The
same spiritual food. And all drank the same spiritual
drink. You see this same, this word same. I think
we need to pay attention to it. We'll study it
very well when it comes to the same spirits.
Right? If we come to 1 Corinthians 12, you'll
see the word from the same spirits. Here we see
the same spiritual drink, the same spiritual
food. And they drank from that. And they drank
from the same spiritual drink. For they drank
from the spiritual rock that followed them. And
that rock was what? Christ. This is the explanation.
Moses is teaching that he was feeding them with.
Let me use this way so that we can understand.
What Moses was feeding the Israelites with, right?
Immensing them in his teachings. Everything he
taught was about Christ. That is why the law
is spiritual. Okay? That is why the law is spiritual.
Because everything Moses taught them and fed
them with was Christ. So if the spiritual drink
is spiritual, the spiritual food is spiritual,
the spiritual rock, then the writing that communicated
that spiritual drink and rock, which is the law,
is spiritual. Do we get it? So they were enjoying
the teachings of Moses, so to say. Now let's
see. He said that rock that followed them was
what? Christ. So we know that rock. I think pastor
dealt with that very well. Probably pre -cathartism
or inter -cathartism. That rock was clearly explained.
Now he said, nevertheless, verse five, with most
of them, God was not pleased for they were overthrown
in the wilderness. So although Moses was teaching,
they were walking in what? Unbelief. Although
Moses was teaching, They were walking in what?
Unbelief. They said God was not pleased with
them. Hebrews 11, right? Without what? Faith.
No man can please God. That was for salvation
for them, right? That was for salvation for them.
So Hebrews 11, we can add that, right? We can
add that because that helps us to clarify why
God was not pleased with them. So, Hebrews 11
verse 6. It says, And without faith it is impossible
to please Him. For whosoever will draw near to
Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards
those who seek Him. So, they did not believe.
They did not receive salvation because they did
not believe. And God was not pleased with them.
Right? Good. Hallelujah. Are we blessed? We are
receiving, right? Glory. So, we see that there
is belief and God was not pleased. Now, let's
now go to our key scripture, 1 Corinthians 12,
verse 1. I'll just read that. 1 Corinthians 12,
verse 1. And it says, now concerning spirituals,
brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.
Concerning spirituals, actually, right? We're
going to repeat it again. Actually, that word,
there's no spiritual gift there. There's no gifts.
We've emphasized that there's no gift. You have
to use your insalina. You have to use your materials
to check very well. Because what Moses communicated,
sorry, yes, what Paul communicated rather here
was starting from salvation to the gifts then
to several ministerial offices that are in the
church. Right? Paul started with, concerning
spiritual, I don't want you to be ignorant. It
means that everything pertaining spiritual, I
don't want you to be ignorant about it. Right?
So, if you see, that is why if you go down, you
will see that he started, verse 3, he started
saying that, therefore, I want you to understand
that no one speaking of the Spirit ever says
Jesus is a cause and no one can say Jesus is
Lord except by the Spirit. That's born again,
being born again. Right? So, Everything he wanted
to write in this chapter was about spiritual,
from being born again to the gift of the spiritual,
administrations and ministries. But I think,
right, when people read, when translators read
the entire chapter, right, they realized that
it was overemphasizing. I mean, this is my guess,
right? Overemphasizing on gift and ministries
and all of that. And they just speak because
actually there is spiritual gifts. Because we
say that this is not there, does not mean that
there's nothing called spiritual gifts. There
is spiritual gifts. which is what we are teaching.
But we are saying that within this verse, right?
That gift will be like, is like saying that I
want to talk about Orange Hall, right? I want
to tell you so many things on Orange Hall and
this podium. I want to talk about Orange Hall
and the stage. I don't need to say the stage
again. Everything about Orange Hall, the stage
includes it. Do we get it? So everything inside
spiritual, the gift is also there. Service is
also there. So that is why we always say this
is not supposed to be included in that. So concerning
spiritual, I'll have you not to be ignorant.
So we have seen that the spiritual gifts, we
have seen that spiritual encompasses all, right?
Gifts, the law is spiritual. It also includes
service, right? When we serve each other, it's
spiritual, right? It also includes service. Now,
We can say, you can write this down because some
things I put them in bold here. The reality of
the believer's blessings. The reality of the
believer's blessing is more spiritual than physical.
Okay? The reality of the believer's blessing
is more spiritual than physical. We can put 2
Corinthians 5 .16. It's more spiritual than physical,
right? So I'm not nullifying that there will
be material blessings. Don't forget, it's not
because Gentiles have become particles of spiritual
blessings. They can also what? Minister material
needs. Do we get it? But the material need in
the physical is not the primary. Okay? It's not
the primary. Right? James will also say that
if you have a brother in need and you do not
support, right? How can you say you have the
love of God in you? But what we are saying is
that the spiritual is more spiritual. There is
a limit to what you can get in the physical.
Like from a brother. How much? How well? How
big? Right? How beautiful can it be? It's nothing
compared to the spiritual. There's nothing compared
to the spiritual. So let's go. Now that we have
talked about spiritual and I said it's actually
things of things pertaining to the spirit, right?
We've seen them. The law is something that pertains
to the spirit and all of that. We need to understand
the spirit first. Okay? We need to understand.
So now we are heading towards understanding what
is the spirit or who is the spirit, right? Who
is the spirit? We are heading towards understanding
the Spirit of God, right? Spirit. Because it's
from the Spirit that we are spiritual, right?
It's from the Spirit that we have the word spiritual.
So we need to understand what the Spirit is or
who the Spirit is. Genesis chapter 1. So let's
start going. Genesis chapter 1. In the beginning.
God created the heavens and the earth. The earth
was without form and void. And darkness was over
the face of the deep. And the spirit of God was
hovering over the face of the waters. And God
said, let there be light. Let there be light,
Genesis 1. Now, what we want to do now is to
check across. All that God was doing and is doing,
how the Spirit has been functioning or how the
Spirit has been the, how can I put it? The one
executing, yes, that's the word, executing the
plans. It's the one that is executing the plan
and the Spirit itself is also the plan. Okay?
So, Is the one, the spirit of God is the one
executing the plan of God and the spirit itself
is the plan. So that is what we want to check.
That's why I started with Genesis. So what we
will see in Genesis, right? I don't know if you
have written that, that the spirit is the one
executing the plan and the spirit itself is the
plan, right? Is the plan. It's the plan of God
across all time. So in all God was doing, we're
going to see it in creation, in Christ, in what
he said, promised in the life of people. It was
the spirit that was working and the spirit was
working to impact itself on men. Right. Amen.
So Genesis 1. Now what we see there, right, is
actually, is that the Spirit of God, and I think
we have explained this before, that is Ruach
Elohim. It's actually Ruach Elohim. It's actually
the Spirit's God. Okay? It's actually the Spirit's
God. This, you know, that is why, I think it
was Pastor Fred that was teaching it as well,
that the only way, Pastor Fred was saying that,
the only way you can explain Trinity is only
in salvation. Only. That is the way you, I mean,
that thing called Trinity or the concept of Trinity.
It's only, if you go out of that, it's, it's,
it's nothing like you wouldn't get anything spiritual
in that. You won't get anything spiritual. So.
Here we see that it says the Spirit God. Of course,
for English to be able to, for people to be able
to read, sometimes they put off, they put these
words there, but it is Ruach Elohim. So we can
say the Spirit is what? Is who? God. The Spirit
is God. It's not the idea of the Spirit was there
in the beginning. God was there. Jesus was not
there. There's nothing like that. Right? If you
go back to John that says in the beginning was
the world, that same world is still the spirit
is Christ is God. So if you read the original,
it says Ruach Elohim, which is and the spirit,
God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Right? So let's see. So it definitely means that
we can say that and God said, let there be light.
Right? Can we say the spirit said, let there
be light. We can say that, right? The Spirit
said, let there be light. Let there be light.
Right? They put God there so we can have a continuation.
Right? We have a continuation. Okay, we know
this is the Spirit of God. Right? So, it's a
let there be light. So, we can say that to reorder
things and to put things in place is the function
of the Spirit of God. to the other things and
set things in place is the function of the spirit
of God. So we have seen that the spirit is God
and the function he started doing is to the other
things and put things in place. So this is the
descriptive work of the spirit from Genesis.
The descriptive work of the spirit is to the
other things. and put things in place. Now, if
you have been following our teaching, right?
And you have been attending some meetings, you
would have seen, you would have understood that
heaven and earth, right? We've talked about the
union of God and man, right? Union of God and
man. And we've seen chaos in verse two. So we
can say that from Genesis one and two, Right?
The work of the Spirit God, right? The work of
the Spirit God is to put things in place in the
life of men. We can say that. It's to order the
life of men. It's to put things in place in the
life of men. So we see that. We see that taking
place. Genesis 1, 26. Since the Spirit, God,
we identify that. Genesis 1, 26. The creation
of man in his image and likeness is by the Spirit.
The creation of man in his image and likeness
is by the Spirit. Let us make man in our image
after our likeness and let him have dominion.
over the fish of the sea, and over the birds
of the heavens, and over the livestock, and over
all the earth, and over all creeping things that
creeps on the earth. Let us make man, let's go
back, in our own image, after our likeness. Just
stay there first. You also go to 27. And we have
been taught that this is Salem, right? The image.
I was going to do that. We've seen that, Salem.
Now go to 27. And I said, so God created man
in his own image and the image of God, he what?
He created he them. So we know that the creation,
the new creation man or the man that God intends
to create will be created by the spirit of God
and in the spirit of God. The man that God will
create will be created by the spirit of God In
the spirit of God. You know this is why when
they tell you that. In salvation you have no
parts. It's after salvation you have a work to
do. This is a clear explanation of that. That
in the execution of the plan of saving man. It
was the spirit. And he was giving you the spirit.
And we'll come to that. So we see that. The plan
of. The plan and work of the Spirit, right, is
to create man in this image. And therefore, God
would definitely walk through who? Through man.
We've been seeing that from yesterday. God will
walk through man. Man is the instrument of God.
The one that would function for God. So you see
here that the Spirit created man. So we've seen
the Spirit. In Genesis 1, putting things in place.
We've seen the same in Genesis 1, 26. Now, the
next one is that what was being communicated
across generation. Okay? So, we've seen creation
of man. Now, this one is what was being communicated
across generation was actually also the message
of the Spirit. Right? So, We can say that the
spirit was what was communicated from Genesis
until Christ. Until Christ. So what we call God's
plan, what we call what God wants to do, that
he made known to Abraham and Abraham communicated
to Jacob, sorry, communicated to Isaac and Jacob
and Joseph is actually pertaining to the spirits.
It's actually pertaining to, I know someone is
saying, what of Jesus? The problem, wait, wait,
relax. We'll get there, right? Like, is it not
Jesus that was being communicated? We'll get
there, right? The man Jesus, right? Don't rush.
But take it this way, that it is the Spirit that
was being communicated. We're going to see the
function of the Spirit even in Christ's function.
Even in the coming of Christ and in the death
and resurrection of him. So we see that what
was communicated across generation was about
the giving of his spirit to generations. Let's
start. Hebrews 11, 9 to 10. The person who received
the promise himself. Hebrews 11, 9 to 10. of
the same promise. What is this promise? For he
was looking forward to a city that has foundations,
whose designer and builder is the spirit. Right?
It's God himself. So, which city, right, that
the designer and the builder is God? We go to
Genesis. What was God building in Genesis? Man.
Right? God was building man. We can now see God
is building men in Genesis. So from Genesis,
we can see that God's let us create man. Don't
forget that man is not talking about one man.
Right? We want to create a people in our spirit.
Right? And by our spirit. Right? So we want to
create. So from Genesis, it was God wanted to
create that city, a people, men. Right? Men that
will carry his spirit. So what was Abraham looking
up for? Abraham was looking forward to a people
that will carry God's spirit. He was looking
forward to the church, right? He was looking
forward to a people that will carry God's spirit.
So the city is a people filled with the spirit.
City set upon a hill cannot be hidden. Yes. Now,
Ezekiel 36, Ezekiel, okay, let's go to Numbers.
You know, when you're teaching, right, it's always
good to touch upon Moses. It's very good, right?
Because there's a lot, right? There's a lot that
every doctrine begins from Moses, right? The
writings of Moses. So it's always good, you know,
to go to that, right? It's the foundation of
where most scriptures, every other scripture
built upon. So we have to go. So we're taking
just numbers. Numbers 11 verse 29. That was just
clear. Right? Numbers 11 verse 29. I like the
explicit, you know, the way it's just so explicit.
But Moses said to him, are you jealous for my
sake? Would that all the Lord's what? People.
Would that all the Lord's people what? We are
prophets. That the Lord will put what? His spirit
on them. Did you see that? So God's desire across
time is that his people will be filled with his
spirit and they will prophesy. They will have
utterance. That is God's plan at all time, for
all time. That all his people will have a spirit
and they will speak. They will speak. Ezekiel
36, 24 to 27. Ezekiel 36, 24 to 27. We have seen
Abraham. We have seen Moses. I will take you
from the nations and gather you from all the
countries and bring you into your own land. I
will sprinkle clean water on you and you shall
be clean from all uncleanness. And from all your
idols, I will cleanse you. Then I will give you
a new heart and a new spirit. I will what? I
will put within you. Stop there. Don't move,
right? He said, I will remove the heart of stone
from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh,
right? I will remove the heart of stone from
your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. So,
what was communicated before about cleansing
them from their idols is made clear here by saying,
I will give my spirit. Right? I will give my
spirit. So we see here that it's about giving
the spirit, right? And this will cause them to
have a new heart. 27. Let's see. And I'll put
my spirit more clearly. I'll put my spirit within
you and cause you to walk in my status and be
careful to obey my words, my rules, my status,
right? Good. So we have seen that you can put
Joel 2, 28 to 29. Joel 2, 28, 29. So we can see
across, it has been about the spirit of God.
draw to 28, and it shall come to pass that I
will pour out my Spirit again, the giving of
Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters
shall prophesy. Your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see what visions, spirits,
for prophesying, right? They will prophesy, similar
to Numbers 11, 29. Similar to Numbers 11, 29.
Now, I've been saying the Spirit, the Spirit,
the Spirit. Where does Christ come in? Right?
Where does Christ come in? Because you begin
to ask, is the Spirit not Christ? Yes, it is.
Now, let's check. Can we write this down? We
can write this down. I'm going to a little bit
dictate. The work of the Spirit in man. The work
of the Spirit in man. became the promise. Okay.
Became the promise. The walk of the spirit in
man became the promise. Then we can open brackets.
I'm going to put that. The promised spirits.
Okay. The promised spirits would be given by
the promised Messiah. So there are two things
here. There's a promised Messiah, there's a promised
spirit. The Bible across scripture has seen promised
spirit and promised Messiah, right? So that Messiah
is talking about God's incarnation, like God
in human form. So there's something God will
come and do in the body that would make his spirit
be able to dwell in men. So the promised spirit
would be, right, from the promised Messiah. The
promised Messiah is also the Spirit. The promised
Messiah is also the Spirit and God in the man
Jesus. The promised Messiah is also the Spirit
and God in the man Jesus. So what this simply
means, we're going to try to put some scriptures
across it, is that God promised the Spirit. But
the coming up, I think the scripture I should
just put there is John 14. Just put John 14 there.
Because everything explained in John 14, which
we are going to see, is actually pertaining,
right? It's actually in relations to God giving
his promised spirit. And who was communicating?
The promised Messiah, right? The promised Messiah,
which is Christ himself, was communicating. And
he himself is God. So John 14, we see that. We
can put John 1, 1 as well. John 1, 1. We can
put John 1, 1 there as well. Which communicates
Jesus as God and the spirits. It said in the
beginning was the word and the word was with
God and the word was God. It was in the beginning.
And all things were made through him. Without
him was not anything made that was made, right?
So he was in the beginning. The word was God.
So in body, we identify God as who? As Jesus,
right? We identify him as Christ. So we have
that. Now let's see that even in the coming of
Christ, the spirit functioned. Right? Even the
coming of Christ, the spirit function. Matthew
1, verse 18. In the coming of Messiah, the spirit
function. Matthew 1, verse 18. Of course, we
have seen that the spirit was prophesied. Of
course, prophesied through his prophet. Matthew
1, verse 18. Let's touch upon a little bit of
some things here. Matthew 1, verse 18. It said,
now the bed of Jesus took place in the way. In
this way, when his mother Mary had been betrothed
to Joseph, before they came together, she was
found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
She was found to be. And her husband Joseph,
being a just man and unwilling to put her to
shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. Are we
together? So what was Joseph trying to do? To
let her go what? Quietly. Not to put her in an
open shame. Therefore, it means that that word
found is not that they catch Mary like people
caught her with a baby. It's not like, oh, they
have now caught. No. It shows you that nobody
knew, but Joseph was aware. Right? So it's not
catching somebody in the act of something. That
word found is to come upon. And I'll tell us
the word, right? That word found, she was found
with a child by the Spirit, is to come upon.
So let's see. So the word is Eurisko. H -E -U
-R -I -S -K -O. The word found is Eurisko. H
-E -U -R -I -S -K -O. Found. Which means the
first divination tells you to come upon. To do
what? To come upon. Now, a word was used, right?
So you are a student of English. You know, there
can be a word and there can be a phrase that
explains the word, right? There's a word and
there can be a phrase that explains the word.
So you see that you use a word for something
or you use a phrase, right? Some of us in our
writings, we summarize all the statements we
are making into one word. So here, a word is
used to explain to come upon, Eurisco. How do
I know it's come upon? The scriptures will explain
itself. Luke 1, 25. Luke 1, 26 to 35. Luke 1,
verse 26. And her husband being a just man. No,
that's not it. Luke 1, 26. In the sixth month,
the angel Gabriel was sent from God to the city
of Galilee, named Nazareth. So a virgin betrothed
to a man whose name was Joseph. Of the house
of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. And
he came to her and said. Greetings all favored
one. The Lord is with you. And she was greatly.
The Lord. Sorry. My scriptures. The Lord. Which
verse are you reading? Can you go back to 26?
Let's start from 26 again. Luke 1 26. I'm going
to switch to my scriptures. All right. Let me
use hard copy. Technology can be challenging.
All right, 26. In the sixth month, the sixth
month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to
a city, right, of Galilee and named Nazareth
to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was
Joseph and of the house of David and the virgin's
name was Mary. And he came to her and said, greetings,
O favored one. The Lord is with you. But she
was greatly troubled at the same. and tried to
discern what sort of greeting this might be.
And the angel said to her, do not be afraid,
Mary, for you have found favor with God and behold,
you will conceive. Look at the communication.
Of course, in Matthew, they also said conceive.
I'm going to come to conceive, right? He said,
behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear
a son and you shall call his name Jesus and it
will be great and will be called the son of the
most high. and the Lord God will give him the
throne of his father David, and it will reign
over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom
there shall be no end. Verse 35, 34 rather. Mary
said to the angel, how will this be? Saying that
words, since I am a virgin, means since I knew
no man. Do you know why she asked that question?
Do you know why she asked that question? She
asked the question. Because of the way the angel
communicated it. Right? So if you go to Matthew
18, just hold on to Luke. Go to Matthew 18. Sorry,
Matthew 1. Matthew 1. I just want to show us
that it's the spirit actually that came upon
Mary and Jesus appeared in her womb. That is
what happened. So look at verse 22. Before verse
22, go to verse... Verse 20, but as he considered
these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared
to him in a dream saying, Joseph, son of David,
do not fear to take Mary as your wife. For that
which is conceived in our home is from the Holy
Spirit. You know why the angel communicated conceived
to him? Because that is what he could understand.
Did you get it? That is what Joseph could understand.
He could not understand. Spirit come upon her
and she has a child. He couldn't. So in dreams,
and we've said it, in dreams and visions, right?
They communicate what you know, what you can
relate to. Then you have to understand the spiritual
implication of it. Of course, Peter was in a
vision, right? And in that vision, something
was opened. And Peter could only relate them
as unclean things. So the communication of that
angel was for understanding of Joseph. Do we
get it? Now, when you now come to Luke, the part
that Matthew did not record, Luke now opened
up. And I said, even Mary was told that she will
conceive. And she asked, because conception means
you need a man to be involved in that. And this
is the way you can communicate to man. So they
used the physical to try to explain something
supernatural to them. But Mary, not that she
believed, but she was wondering how it would
take place. Now look at what the angel now said.
The angel used the phrase of Eurisco. He said,
the Holy Spirit, verse 35, will do what? Will
come upon you. So since I've explained this and,
you know, it's physical and you want to really
know how it will take place, the Holy Spirit
will come upon you. Right? And the power of the
most that will do what? Will overshadow you.
Therefore, as a result, the child, therefore
the child to be born will be called the Holy.
One, right? We call the holy, the son of God.
Now, this is, okay? Let me say something. This
is the same way the Holy Spirit comes upon the
prophets and they prophesy. When the Holy Spirit
comes upon the prophet, then they prophesy, right?
They reveal God's mind, right? So people can
understand it in the physical, right? They can
understand what God is doing. The same way he
came upon her and Christ appeared. The incarnation
took place by the Spirit coming upon. So the
revelation of God those days takes place when
the Spirit comes upon a person. The revelation
of God in those days takes place when the Spirit
comes upon a person. Christ was revealed. Christ
appeared by the coming upon of the Holy Spirit
on Mary. So it is come upon. So a phrase was
used in Luke and the word Jerusalem was used
in Matthew. I think we'll just keep that. Let's
move to the next one. So we can see that in the
incarnation, the Spirit was at work, right? The
Spirit was at work. Now, in the offering of Christ,
the Spirit was also at work. In the resurrection
of Christ, the Spirit was at work. In the offering
of Christ, The Spirit was at work. And in the
resurrection of Christ, the Spirit was also at
work. So there was nothing God did on earth without
the Spirit in men functioning. Alright, so Hebrews
9 verse 14. Hebrews 9 verse 14. How much more
will the blood of Christ who through the eternal
Spirit Offered himself without blemish to God.
Purify our conscience from dead works to do what?
To serve the living God. How much more? With
the blood of Christ. Who through the eternal
spirit offered him. So it means that Christ gave
up the life by the spirit. John 10 verse 18.
No one can take my life. I lay down, right? So
he laid his heart, he laid his life down. He
said, no one can take it from me, but I lay it
down of my own accord. I have the authority to
take it. I have authority to lay it down. I have
authority to take it up. This charge I have received
from my father, right? I have authority to lay
it down and I have authority to take it up. So
we see that in the death and resurrection of
Christ, the spirit was at work. The spirit was
at work. Romans 8 verse 11. This is to tell you
how important it is that we must understand the
spirits and spirituals. That in the death and
resurrection of Christ, the spirit was also at
work. Romans 8 verse 11. You can add that to
it. Romans 8 verse 11. If the spirit of him who
raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He
who raised Christ from the dead will also give
life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit
who dwells in you. So it's like saying the Spirit
who raised Christ from the dead, right, will
also strengthen you, right? The same Spirit who
raised Christ from the dead, he who raised Christ
from the dead will also give life to your mortal
bodies through his Spirit. So the same Spirit
will give life to you. So the Spirit was at work
at resurrection. Amen. Okay. So we can write
down. Therefore, the believer, therefore, the
believer being spiritual lives and function continually
by the spirits. We can say, therefore, the believer
being spiritual must live and function continually
by the Spirit. Must live and function continually
by the Spirit of God. Live and function continually
by the Spirit of God to continue God's purpose
on earth. So he didn't stop at resurrection.
Being spiritual lives and functions continually
by the Spirit of God to continue God's purpose
on earth. From the beginning until now, God's
spirit has been functioning, right? So that it
is also to replicate what he has done in us,
in others. 2 Corinthians 1 verse 19 to 20. 2
Corinthians 1 verse 19 to 20. 2 Corinthians 1
verse 19. For the son of God, Jesus. whom we
proclaim among you, Silvanus and Timothy and
I, was not yes and no, but in him it is always
yes. For all the promises of God find their yes
in him. That is why through him, I just want
me to, I like to read from my Bible because I
put something somewhere. So it says, for all
the promises of God, right? Go to verse 20 again.
All promises of God find their yes in him. That
is why it is through him that we utter our amen
and for the glory of God. And it is God who establishes
us with you in Christ and has anointed us and
has also put the seal on us and given us the
spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. From verse
19, you will see it says, for the son of God,
right here, they say Jesus Christ, whom we proclaim
among you. Right? So follow the thoughts. For
the son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaim
among you. Silvanus, Paul, and I, right? Then
he now says, verse 20, for all the promises of
God find their yes in Christ. Right? All the
promises of God find their yes in him. He said,
that is why It is through Christ that we utter
our amen to the glory of God. And it is God who
established us with you in Christ and has anointed
us. And what has he done? He has given us his
earnest spirit. So all God's promises, yes and
amen, is giving you his earnest of a spirit.
Of course, we have said that he doesn't stop
that you will function, but it is that you would
have God's spirit within you. So this is God's
plan. Amen. All right now, so let's go to John
14 because John 14 is where we will find a little
more details and it will lead us into 1 Corinthians
actually 12. So John 14, John 14, since it's
God's promise for us, just go to John 14 and
I'll touch upon a few things there. John 14,
because in John 14, it is where Christ himself,
right? The promised Messiah communicated the
promised spirits. Okay. This is where the promised
Messiah communicated the promised spirit, communicated
the giving of the promised spirit. So first,
we need to understand John's writing, which I
want to believe here now we are used to, we understand
John's writing, but we still have to explain
it. Now, John wrote, right? He wrote in a manner
that reflects, right? He wrote in a manner that
reflects an understanding of what God did for
the believer, not what God will do for the believer.
Okay? So John wrote in a manner, as one who understood
what God did for the believer, what God, you
know, did for us, right? Not just what God would
do, as the Matthew, Mark Luke communicated, right?
So Matthew, Mark Luke communicated these things
as things to come. John communicated it as a
present reality, although he was writing certain
things as if they were ongoing. Are you following?
John was writing certain things as if they were
ongoing, but the way he wrote it, let's go to
John. Let's go to John chapter two. Let's go
to John chapter two. Just read something there.
John chapter two, verse 22. So John started writing
from, chapter two. And when you read it, you
would think he's writing something that is ongoing,
but it's actually something that has taken place
and he's speaking revelation from it, right?
It would tell explanation and it would give you
the revelation. Now verse 22 says, when therefore
it was raised from the dead, his disciples remember
that he said this and they believe what? The
scriptures. The word of Jesus, the word that
Jesus had spoken. Now this is not the only part
where John did this. John actually wrote, when
he writes, after he would say, okay, he would
write an explanation. As if in the present tense
of while he's writing. So it's like saying that
I'm telling you a story, right? I'm telling you
a story that has not ended. Okay. But before
the story gets to the place where it ended, I
started including. The way the people understood
the story at every scene and every episode. Do
you get it? So John is writing a story. But after
each episode, it tells you the revelation of
that episode. It tells you what people got from
that episode. It tells you the moral lesson before
it gets to the end of the story. Right? That
is the way it was coming. Because it was communicating
revelation. So John was writing what Jesus did
for us. rather than more of a historical account.
So we can write a few things that he communicated
before we move to John 14. We can write a few
things that John communicated before we move
to John 14. First, John 1, verse 3. John 1, verse
3. 1 Corinthians 8, verse 6. We just write John
1, verse 3. 1 Corinthians 8, verse 6. puts an
hyphen, creation by Christ, right? Creation by
Christ, creation by him. So he's talking about
how God created. So from that verse three, he
already said, all things were made through him
and without him was not anything made that was
made, right? So without him was not anything
made that was made. Go to 1 Corinthians 8 verse
six. 1 Corinthians 8 verse 6. So creation. Yet
for us, there is only one God, the Father, from
whom all things and for whom we exist. And one
Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things
and through whom we exist. Just stay there. Just
write it. You see, it's a from whom are all things
and from whom we exist. One Lord, right? So it's
talking about creation of us. We exist from him.
So this corroborates John, right? Explaining
all things came to be through him. If you continue
to read John chapter one, verse 12 to 14. Verse
one, 12 to 14. But to her who did receive him,
who believed in him, he did what? He gave. So
creation, we see that. We also see that he gave
the authority to become the children. Of God.
Right? Matthew was not writing this. Matthew
was writing. How Jesus by the flesh. Right? Came
from the line of Abraham. Right? Because. Of
course. Because of his audience. Right? To convince
them. But. John was writing straight up. He gave
them to become. The children. Of God. Right?
Go to verse. The next verse. Who were born not
of blood. Of. Of the will of the flesh. Nor of
the will of man. but of God, which has been born
again. And the word became flesh and blood among
us. And we have seen his glory, the glory of
the only son from the father, full of grace and
truth. Next. John bore witness about him and
cried out. This is the one whom I said, he comes
after me, he who comes after me, rams before
me because he was before me. From, for from his
fullness, we have all received what? Grace upon
grace. We have received grace upon grace. Next.
The next verse, please. For the Lord was given
through Moses grace and truth came through Jesus.
No one has ever seen God. The only God who is
at the father's side, he has made him known.
So we have, we're created by him. We have authority
to become children. We have, what do we see here?
Knowledge, revelation of God. Revelation of God.
Revelation of God. So we see creation. We see
authority to become children. We see grace and
we see revelation of God. Right? If we proceed,
John 3 verse 3, right? John chapter 3. Just put
John chapter 3. We don't need to read it. We
see that he gave eternal life. John started talking
about eternal life from chapter 3. Right? Started
talking about eternal life. John chapter 3. Eternal
life through his son. Right? Eternal life through
his son. John chapter seven, John chapter seven,
verse 37 to 39. Again, John communicated. On
the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus
stood up and cried out. If anyone says, let him
come to me and drink. Whosoever believes in me,
as the scripture has said, out of his heart,
out of his belly, will flow rivers of living
water. Right? Out of his belly will flow rivers
of living water. Now we see, next verse, please
just read the next verse. I'll use the next verse
to explain. Now this is said, do you see another
way that John is writing? He's already, he's
explaining. Now he said about the spirit in whom
those who believe in him were to receive. For
as yet the Spirit had not yet been what? Given,
because Jesus was not yet what? Glorified. Giving
another moral lesson before the end of, because
he was not actually writing a story. The reality,
he wasn't writing a story. He was actually explaining
events and showing the revelation of Christ.
That's why he keeps using this pattern of writing.
So what we see is that John already expressed
everything that we have in Christ. Explain everything
that we have in Christ. Therefore, can we read
Ephesians? John 12, just one more scripture in
John. John 12, 35 to 36. How John tied it. How
is John well tied to the epistles? John 12, 35.
And Jesus said to them, the light is among you
for a little while. For a little while longer.
Walk while you have what? The light. Let darkness
overtake you. The one who walks in darkness does
not know where he is going. The next verse. While
you have the light, believe what's in the light
and you may become what's sons of light. Do you
know the scripture that parallels this? Ephesians
5 verse 8. Ephesians. This is almost like directly
from Ephesians 5 verse 8. You know, sometimes
I feel. John actually read some epistles, probably
had some access to it because he was actually
writing so much of those things. Yeah, because
his writing was late, almost the last that was
written. So Ephesians, where's Ephesians 5 verse
8? For at one time you were what? Darkness. And
now you are what? Light in the Lord. Walk as
what? Children of light. Right? Using the concept
of light. So we see that John had actually written
to explain all that we have in Christ. Now let's
see. Let's move a little bit faster. So John
14 now. Now we can now settle in John 14. We
can now settle in John 14. John 14. John 14.
From verse one, right? Let's pick up from verse
one. He said, let not your heart be troubled.
Believe in God. Believe also in me. In my father's
house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would
have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go to prepare a place for you, I'll
come again and take you to myself. And where
I am, you may also be, right? And you know the
way to where I am going. Now, we've explained
this over and over and over and I don't want
you to get tired of it, okay? You don't get tired
of it because it must sink very well, right?
It must sink very well in us. So, just to do
a quick test, what is the word father's house?
What does the father's house refer to? I don't
want Greek word. I want English word. What does
the father's house refer to? Household, right?
God's family, right? So yes, God's family. Then,
what does rooms refer to? Rooms. What does rooms
refer to? Dwelling place, right? Dwelling place.
A place where people dwell, right? Room. Places
where people... Places that need to be occupied,
positions that need to be occupied, right, in
Christ. So, if you pay attention consistently
to how it's being written, many rooms, if it
were not so, I would not have, if it were not
so, would I have told you that I go to prepare
a place for you? So, another word for that room
is place, okay? It's a place in Christ, a room
in Christ, right? a place in Christ, a room in
Christ. All he was doing was explaining for that,
right? Explaining for that what he would do.
And as I go to prepare a place for you, verse
three, and I will come again and take you to
myself. And that's where I am. You may also be.
So Jesus is saying that I'm preparing a place
through me and in me. That's what Jesus is saying.
I'm preparing a place through me because I go
and in me. I'm preparing this place through me
and in me. I will prepare the place and that
place is in me. That place is in me. Now, after
Jesus has said he's going to prepare a place,
right? And it says that place is in him. Why
did he not begin to communicate something as
if he's different in verse 15? Because if you
tell me that you will create a place for us to,
you know, to lodge, right? We'll have an outing.
We are lodging there. Jinnah said, you will leave
me, right? You will leave me. Then you will send
some, Okay, let me not say someone, but you sent,
you communicated something to me that you will
send something or someone to be with me, right?
It looks like two different communication. It
looks like two different communication. So I
said it will be with them here, right? And we'll
be together. Of course, he communicated, we will
be together with the father. But in verse 15,
he now said, if you love me, you will keep my
commandment and I'll ask the father and he will
give you another helper. And I think Pastor Yifan
dealt with this as well. Another helper, we know
that another helper is not another being. Let
me show you something to tell you that the helper,
the Father, the Spirit is God. John 10. Let me
show you something. In John 10 verse 30, the
Father, the Spirit, the communication, Christ
was talking about God. I was talking about himself,
right? So I was asking, I said, why did Jesus
speak like a second person communication? Right?
Is we that is even reading it a second person
communication? Let me show you what the Jews
understood when Jesus was talking. John 10 verse
30. Before you go to John 10 verse 30, let's
start with verse 25. Verse 25. And Jesus answered
them. I told you and you do not believe. Right?
And you do not believe. The works I do, the works
that I do in my father's name, bear witness about
me. But you do not believe because you are not
among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice and I
know them and they follow me. I give them eternal
life and they will never perish. And no one will
snatch them from my hand. My father who has given
them to me is greater than all, and no one will
be able to snatch them out of my hand. I and
the father are what? I and the father are one.
So he's talking about himself and talking about
what he will do for us. Now, what did the Jews
did? The Jews picked up stones again to stone
him. Jesus answered, I have shown you many works
from the Father. For which of them are you going
to stone me? Now listen to their response. They
just answered, it is not for a good work that
we are stoning you. They want to justify why
they want to stone him. It is not for a good
work. So why? That we are going to stone you.
But for what? Blasphemy. Look at their definition
of blasphemy, right? Because you being a man,
you make yourself what? God. You being man, make
yourself what? God, right? So it means that when
Jesus was communicating, I and the father are
one, right? He was communicating that it was
God. He was communicating that it was God. But
why were they not on this? Why is he using such
kind of a form of communication? Because the
Jews understand father as Yahweh as well. They
understand this source called father as John.
So if you say you are father and the father and
you are one, then you have said that you are
God. And therefore it's blasphemy. They would
raise a stone to that. So when Jesus was communicating
back to 14 now, so he's talking about him creating
a place in himself, right? And true himself.
So in 15, he now said he's going to send another
comforter, right? Another helper. which my scripture
use helper, to be with you forever. It therefore
means, right? Let me read one more. Let me read
one more in this verse 14. To corroborate John
10 verse 30 about the concept of the father.
John 14 verse 8. It said, Philip said to him,
Lord, show us who? The father. And it is what?
It is enough. It therefore means that these people
have the mind of someone called father. God is
a revelation of the father. So he's also a Jew,
right? And you have the Jewish people stoning
Jesus because he said he is the father, more
or less. Right? That is the communication he
passed to them. So Philip now said, show us the
father. And Jesus was amazed. Like, ah. Have
you been with me for this long? And you don't
know that me and the father are one. I should
communicate what I communicated to the Pharisees
to you also. So it definitely reflect that Jesus
was talking about himself. Now, how will he,
right? How will he dwell in us? He's going to
dwell in us through his own spirits, right? And
that is why verse 15 came. He said, if you love
me, keep my commandment and I will ask the Father
to give you another helper that will be with
you forever, right? Because Jesus will not be
on earth forever in body, right? He's not going
to be on earth forever. So he communicated to
them that another helper, not another helper
as an alternative, right? I think we saw that,
that he's actually talking about the same spirits,
the same spirits. The same spirit, he's talking
about the same spirit, which is the word allos
paracletos, right? We heard that many times,
allos paracletos, which is the same spirit. And
what is this same spirit? That same spirit that
we have been talking about from what? From Genesis
is that same spirit. That same spirit that we
trace to the resurrection of Christ is the same
spirit that what? That will abide with them forever.
Do we get it? So it's not another spirit from
somewhere. But that same spirit that we have
consistently traced, seen functioning, is the
same spirit that will dwell in us. That same
spirit will dwell in us. And that spirit is called
the spirit of Christ. Do you know why it's called
the spirit of Christ? Right? It's called the
spirit of Christ because it is a spirit that
is given for first, forever. You see it here.
He said that spirit will be with you forever.
Then it is a spirit that is given after resurrection.
Right? So it's the spirit of Christ. It means
that after what Christ has done, this spirit
now abides with men forever. So anywhere you
see the spirit of Christ, it means that after
Christ has done, right? Because he said, I have
to go and I'll come again. And I'll take it to
her. So it means that the spirit of Christ referred
to, right? The giving of the spirit after all
that the Messiah has done to be with men forever.
Don't forget, we've been talking about the spirit
upon, right? We talked about upon, I mean, upon
Mary and upon the prophets, right? We talk about
upon Mary and upon the prophet. So here is now
a spirit that will stay with them forever. So
can we say that this believer is always spiritual
because we have the spirit of God? Yes. The believer
is always spiritual. There's no time you say,
oh, I'm not spiritual today. I'm not feeling
spiritual. Tomorrow, I don't feel it. Or they'll
tell you, come and do certain spiritual activities
like praying in tongues. You say, no. So there,
I don't feel it. There's nothing like that. You
cannot say you are not feeling it. You are always
spiritual. Because they said, the Allos Paracletos
will stay with you forever. Forever. So can we
say that the things of the Spirit can always
be exercised by the believer? Yes. Yes. The things
of the Spirit can always be exercised by The
believer. So there are no seasons and time that
the believer is not spiritual. There are no seasons
and time that the believer cannot function in
the gift of the spirit. Amen. There are no seasons
and time that a believer cannot judge. You cannot
be confused because you are spiritual. You can
judge. You can perceive. You can understand by
the spirit because you are always spiritual.
You have the spirit ever with you. This spirit
that Jesus promised to be ever with us, right?
We can put it, it's called the indwelling. It's
called the indwelling. Right? Not upon, but the
indwelling of the spirits. It's called the indwelling
of the spirits. The indwelling of the spirits.
The indwelling of the spirits. John chapter 3.
Let's just touch upon John chapter 3 a little
bit. John chapter 3. John chapter 3. John chapter
3. Verse 5. Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say
to you, unless a man is born of water and the
Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. that
which is born of the flesh is flesh, that which
is born of the spirit is spirit. Do you marvel
that I said to you, you must be born again? The
wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound,
but you do not know where it comes from or where
it goes. So it sees with everyone who is born
of the spirits. Nicodemus said to him, how can
these things be? So Jesus answered, are you a
teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand
these things? Now, just wait there. So the communication
was that you have to be born of the Spirit. And
this is what Jesus was saying, that you must
have the indwelling, the Spirit in you. Okay?
So this is what Jesus was communicating, that
the Spirit of God would be in you, means you
will have the Spirit of God in you. And he was
saying that, are you a teacher of the law and
you do not understand these things, means that,
read the next one. Verse 11, let's go to verse
11. So truthfully, I say to you, we speak what
we know, we bear witness to what we have seen,
but you do not receive our testimony. The next,
I have told you earthly things and you do not
believe. How can you believe if I tell you heavenly
things? No one has ascended to heaven except
the one who descended, the son of man. And as
Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness,
so the son of man must be lifted up. that whosoever
believes in him may have eternal life. Now stop
here. Jesus' communication was to him, right?
Jesus' communication to him was that, are you
not understanding what I'm communicating? That
you have to be born of the spirit. Of course,
we addressed that already to be born of the spirit,
right? It's not water. Water is actually explaining
cleansing by the spirit, right? What the work
of the spirit is actually the cleansing. So Jesus
was expecting actually Nicodemus to understand.
Maybe by that, you could perceive what the Spirit
would do. Right? Maybe by that, you could perceive
what the Spirit would do. So, he's talking about
the indwelling, that the Spirit must indwell
in man. So, indwelling is being born again. Can
we say that? Having the Spirit of God is being
born again. Can we say that? That is also salvation.
Can we say that? Yes. Yes, we can say that that
is salvation, that is having the Spirit of God.
Now, it is also, we can put it down, it is also
called the manifestation of the Spirit. It is
also called the manifestation of the Spirit.
We are going to treat this in, when we go to
1 Corinthians 12. Right? 1 Corinthians 12. Because
the word manifestation of the Spirit was used
in 1 Corinthians 12. And most of the time, we
always interpret it as demonstration. Yes, we
always take it as demonstration. Right? There's
a difference between the manifestation that was
used there and demonstration that was used in
1 Corinthians 2. So as I come to you, not in
eloquence of words, but in demonstration of power
and of spirit. There are two things. So this
indwelling is the manifestation of spirit. It
means the presence of God in a man. The presence
of God in a man. The presence of God in a man.
The presence of the spirit in a man. It means
to allow something to have access to you, right?
To manifest, allow something to have access to
you. If you see John, John chapter 22, of course,
the words are different. This one is ephaneso.
Phaneros is the manifestation. I think Pastor
Kostin dealt with that. So, the manifestation
is actually, I think we can just say it. The
manifestation is actually the spirit of God in
the believer, the appearance of God in the believer,
the presence of the spirit. The presence of the
Spirit. Now that we understand being born again
and being believed. Now, what is the work of
the Holy Spirit in the apostles? Right? We need
to check the work of the Holy Spirit in the apostles,
which will also relate to us. And we will teach
the work of the Holy Spirit in the world to have
an understanding that we might be able to know
how the Holy Spirit functions. Across that manifestation,
you can also put the Ezekiel 36. Again, you can
put Joel 2 because it's the same thing that is
being communicated. Ezekiel 36, Joel 2, 28. We
can put those scriptures. Now that Jesus promised
them the Spirit, right? What is the work of the
Spirit in the apostles? What is the work of the
Spirit in the apostles? Don't forget, the work
of the Spirit started from Genesis. We saw what
God did. We see how Abraham communicated it,
right? We see how it's passed on to Mary, right?
Also in the incarnation of Christ, the Spirit
was at work. Also in the death and resurrection
of Christ, the Spirit is at work. Now, he now
said, I will give these same spirits. To who?
The apostles. So what will be the function of
the Spirit in the apostles? What will be the
function of the Spirit in the apostles? Acts
chapter 1 verse 7. Before that, I think we should
read John 15 verse 26 to 27. John 15 verse 26
to 27. Since Jesus promised them the Spirit in
John 14 verse 15, John 15, 26 and 27 tells us
what will happen. But when the helper comes,
whom I sent to you from the father, the spirit
of truth will proceed from the father. He will
bear witness about me. So of all that Jesus has
been teaching the disciples, the apostles, the
spirit will reveal those things to them. So how
did they know that he was talking about his spirit
in John chapter two by the spirit? How did they
understand that the temple? That he said he would
destroy and raise was his body. By the Spirit.
After resurrection. So everything John was saying,
they later understood was by the Spirit. This
is for them. Right? This is for them. We'll come
to the ones that are patented to us. The next
verse. And you also will now do what? Be a witness.
So when the Spirit witnessed to the apostles,
they would witness to us. Right? So in their
writings, we see that. So you also be a witness
because you have been with me from the beginning.
They have been with Jesus. So it means that all
that Jesus has been explaining and has been doing
and has been teaching them, they will now explain
to us in the epistles, right? They will explain
to us in the, that's why, I mean, beginning is
there, right? It shows that they've been with
Christ, right? So all the things that people
were seeing and they could not understand. The
miracles, the gift, the teaching, the words of
Jesus, everything the apostles took and explained
it to us. And that is why we have the epistles,
the letters of Paul, the Peter, John, and all
of that. So this is what they will do. Now Acts
chapter 1, Acts chapter 1 now proceeds and tells
us much more what the Spirit will do. Acts chapter
one, verse seven. And he said to them, it is
not for you to know the time of seasons that
the father has fixed by his own authority, but
you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you and you will be my witness in Jerusalem,
in all Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth.
So they will do what? They will be his witness.
Witnessing. Witnessing. Of all Christ has done.
So the disciples will witness. The power to witness.
Comes by the spirit. Okay. The power to witness.
Comes by the spirit. The power to witness. Comes
by the spirit. So the way that for this power,
right, which Jesus said they should wait until
the Holy Spirit gives them this power, the boldness,
right, to begin to function. But for the believer
today, we don't need to wait, right? Are we aware?
Yes. The believer does not need to wait. It's
an instruction for the apostles, right? That
they will together begin to function. collectively
in the power of the Holy Ghost. What is happening
there is what? Is the power of the Holy Ghost
at work. Right? The power of the Holy Ghost.
So he said, wait until this power begins to function.
So as believers, we don't need to wait in Jerusalem.
We don't need to wait anywhere. And we know,
we know this. Now, Acts chapter 3, verse 38.
We see Peter witnessing. Peter witnessed. He
said, Then Peter said to them, Repent and be
baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus
Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye would
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. So, first
person began to witness Peter. Began to teach.
Explain. Right? Explain so much more. Acts chapter
5 verse 12. We see signs and wonders. We can
put it down. What the Spirit does through the
apostles. Preaching of the gospel. Witnessing.
Acts chapter 5 verse 12, signs and wonders. It
says, now many signs and wonders were regularly
done among the people by the hands of what? The
apostles. And they were together in Solomon's
particle. So we see signs and wonders walking
through them. You will see regularly, you see
the Spirit walking through them. The Spirit walking
through them across the book of Acts. The Spirit
walking through them. Now let's see. The impact
of the work of the spirits in the apostles, right?
How that impact affected others. Acts chapter
10, verse 44 to 46. So now that the apostles
are the indwelling, they are witnessing all around,
right? They are doing signs and wonders. What
happened? It's a Peter while he was still saying
these things, while Peter was witnessing, that's
it. While Peter was yet witnessing, The Holy
Spirit did what fell on those who heard and all
who heard the word. And believers from among
the circumcised who had come with Peter were
amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit was
poured out even on the Gentiles. Stop there.
So those who were the circumcised, right, were
amazed that now these gifts can be received by
every man. Every man. The next verse 46. Let's
see what happens to the believer. For they were
hearing them speaking words in tongues and extolling
God. Then Peter declared. So just stop there.
That is fine. For they were hearing them speaking
in tongues. So one of the things the Spirit does,
right, is to help the believer witness, which
is help the apostles to witness, and then help
other people to believe and... Witness that by
praying in tongues. So tongues is actually a
sign, of course, the teaching will come subsequently,
is actually a sign that someone has received
the indwelling. Okay? Speaking in tongues is
a sign that someone has received the indwelling
after they have been witnessed to. Tongues is
a sign that someone has received, a believer
has received the indwelling after being witnessed
to. After being witnessed to. So this is what
God is doing through men on earth today. This
is what God is doing. So men are the ones functioning
by the spirits. Right? Men are the ones doing
what? Functioning by the spirits. All right.
So the next question before we round up the session
is what is the work of the Holy Spirit in the
world today? Right? What is the function of the
Holy Spirit to the world? So we now have to talk
about the function of the Holy Spirit in the
apostles and how the apostles witnessed to people
and how through the Spirit they began to speak
in tongues as evidence of the indwelling. Right?
Peter was amazed. The Gentiles were not uncircumcised,
not they received. Means the Spirit is for all.
The Spirit is for all men. We'll come to that
in 1 Corinthians when we get it. So, the Spirit
is for all men. Now, John 15. Let's go back to
John 15. What the Holy Spirit does not do. Actually,
that's another way to put this. What the Holy
Spirit does in the world or what the Holy Spirit
does not do. What the Holy Spirit does in the
world or to the world and what the Holy Spirit
does not do. So you will notice that after John
chapter 15, verse 26 to 27, saying that the Spirit
will witness to the apostles and the apostles
will witness to others, right? The next thing
that followed is, in fact, prior to that and
after that, what followed is that they will be
persecuted. they would suffer for the sake of
the gospel. So let's start with John 15, verse
18. He said, if the world hates you, know that
it has hated what me, before he did what, it
hated you. Right? So if you read this and you
continue to read until chapter 16, verse one,
go to chapter 16, verse one, I'll just be taking
it one, one. I have said all these things to
you. To keep you from what? Falling away, right?
Falling away means running away from what I've
called them to do. The previous verse tells you
what Jesus told them to do. Okay? Jesus told
them, you will be a witness because, chapter
15, verse 27. Chapter 15, verse 27. You would
also be a witness because you have been with
me from what? From the beginning. In other words,
I am telling you that you will suffer so that
you will not stop witnessing. You will not fall
away. You will not lose faith. They will put
you out of the synagogues while you are witnessing.
Is that when that takes place? Yes. Indeed, the
hour is coming when whoever kills you will think
he's offering a service to me. Right? Why is
Jesus saying this? So that they will not stop
witnessing. They will not be discouraged. Right?
So, don't use it as end time teaching. Like,
fall away. Oh, you lose your salvation. No, that's
not what he's saying. Right? Don't try to use
it that. As a that. So, Jesus is saying, you
will not fall away from witnessing me. Verse
4. But I have told you. I have said these things
that when the hour comes, you may remember that
I was, I told you. I told you. Now, proceed.
I did not say these things to you from the beginning
because I was with you. But now I'm going to
the one who sent me and none of you asked me
where I go. Verse 6. But because I have said
these things to you, your sorrows have filled
your hearts. Nevertheless, I tell you, it is
to your advantage that I go. And if I do not
go away, the helper will not come, right? Emphasizing
he has to die and resurrect. But when I go, I
will send him. And when he comes, good. Now,
this is the scripture now. When he comes, what
will you do? He will convict the world concerning
what? Sin, right? And righteousness and what?
And judgments. Concerning sin, because they do
not believe in me. Concerning righteousness,
because I go to the Father and you will see me
no longer. Concerning judgment, because the ruler
of the world is judged. Now the emphasis here,
most of the time when we teach it before those
days. right? Not now that we have clarity, which
we are going to have this clarity. I think in
the next second session, we will pay attention
to this. I'm not going to rush and finish it
now, right? I'm just going to tell us the wrong
perception of the wrong interpretation of this,
which is, we always say that the Holy Spirit
will, will, will convince, will convict you means
that you have done something wrong, right? So
conviction means you have done something wrong.
Then a judgment is passed on to you. That's conviction,
right? So you have done something wrong. So what
people interpret this as is that when you do
something wrong, the Holy Spirit will now come
and tell you, make you feel remorse and you now
feel bad. You're now like, oh no. So when you're
feeling those things, right? Because of wrong
teaching, you see, it's the Holy Spirit that
is convicting me. It's telling me you did a bad
thing. You did the wrong thing. And this is the
scripture they bring to explain that. But that's
not correct, right? The word convict, right?
The word convict. Let's just write it down before
we finish. The word convict directly here is
the word. It's actually the word to reflect shame,
to find faults and to make someone feel sorry.
That is the way. it appears, the word convict,
is to find fault, to make someone feel sorry,
and to shame. To shame. So is this what the Holy
Spirit do to the world? So it means that it will
tell the disciples, go and witness. So while
they are witnessing, The Holy Spirit will now,
one day they are witnessing Jesus, right? The
Holy Spirit will now say, you see, he's preaching
to you now. The other day you lied. The other
day you stole. You now bring all your sins. That's
the way we think, that the Holy Spirit will reveal
all your sins to you. And then, no, it's not
what it is. After the break, we would actually
go into that. I just want us to take time out
to pray, right? For this few five minutes that
we have, just want to take time out to pray.
And just... Speak in tongues as an evidence that
you have the indwelling. So if you have the indwelling
here this morning, can you begin to pray in tongues?
Can you give expression to that indwelling that
is in you? Right? Give expression to the spirit
of God that is in you by praying in tongues.
The same spirit that was from Genesis. The same
spirit that was from the father. The same spirit
that raised Christ from the dead. The same spirit
that brought Christ to earth. The same spirit.
The same spirit that the prophet prophesied.
The same spirit that was upon the prophet. The
same spirit that raised Christ from the dead.
The same spirit dwells in us. Can we give expression
this morning? You don't need to have a prayer
point. It's an expression of the fact that you
have the spirit of God in you. It's an expression
that you carry God in you. Can you just give
expression to the Holy Ghost? If today's message
was a blessing, share it with a friend. Until
next time, be blessed.