WEBVTT 00:00:03.120 --> 00:00:10.280 Greatest cause of atheism are from those who acknowledge Jesus with their lips and walk out and deny them by 00:00:10.280 --> 00:00:10.660 their lifestyle. 00:00:12.840 --> 00:00:14.400 This morning we're going to study how God sends. 00:00:16.900 --> 00:00:19.360 We've been in a series together called I believe. 00:00:20.520 --> 00:00:24.140 We've been studying the core of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. 00:00:25.560 --> 00:00:27.940 What Jesus taught should mark our lives. 00:00:29.180 --> 00:00:36.730 And together, we've gone through a large part of this series, and last week we've studied just the death and resurrection of Christ. 00:00:37.880 --> 00:00:40.220 It's the centerpiece to all of our Bible. 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:45.960 It's been said that the Bible is a love letter written in God's blood. 00:00:47.340 --> 00:00:53.540 Because of Jesus's death, we have the hope of eternal life if we trust in him. 00:00:54.520 --> 00:01:00.720 The Bible tells us in Romans chapter five and verse eight, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 00:01:02.060 --> 00:01:06.020 His death was for you and for I. 00:01:06.700 --> 00:01:08.820 Jesus came to this world on a mission. 00:01:10.480 --> 00:01:14.620 Paul said in first Timothy 115, Jesus came into this world to save sinners. 00:01:16.680 --> 00:01:22.780 Jesus very plainly in Luke 19 said, For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost. 00:01:24.500 --> 00:01:29.270 In John ten he said, I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 00:01:30.480 --> 00:01:36.840 Jesus came on a mission, but Jesus didn't come to conduct this mission on his own. 00:01:36.900 --> 00:01:41.020 He also gave us the greatest command love the Lord your God with all your heart and love others. 00:01:42.120 --> 00:01:44.260 He sent his followers on mission as well. 00:01:45.780 --> 00:01:51.240 In fact, it tells us in Luke chapter ten to his disciples he said, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. 00:01:51.240 --> 00:01:54.830 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into the harvest field. 00:01:55.300 --> 00:01:55.540 Go! 00:01:55.860 --> 00:01:59.140 I am sending you out like lamb a lambs among wolves. 00:02:00.800 --> 00:02:05.890 Jesus was on a mission and Jesus sent his followers on his mission. 00:02:06.740 --> 00:02:11.160 In fact, Jesus built what we refer to today as the church for the purpose of his mission. 00:02:12.420 --> 00:02:19.600 It says in Matthew chapter 16 and verse 18, and I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades 00:02:20.060 --> 00:02:21.710 will not overcome it. 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:26.240 Jesus loved his church. 00:02:26.440 --> 00:02:33.040 In fact, it tells us in Ephesians chapter five and verse 25 that Christ loved the church and gave himself for the church. 00:02:34.480 --> 00:02:35.510 And you know what I love this morning? 00:02:36.940 --> 00:02:38.860 I love the same thing that Jesus loves. 00:02:41.080 --> 00:02:42.160 I love his church, too. 00:02:43.760 --> 00:02:50.080 You know, a lot of people have a lot of hypocritical statements to make about the church. 00:02:50.660 --> 00:02:54.720 You know, it's no secret for us if you've come to Alpine Bible Church, that we are messed up people. 00:02:55.340 --> 00:02:56.100 Amen. 00:02:56.160 --> 00:02:56.480 Yeah. 00:02:56.540 --> 00:02:56.940 There you go. 00:02:57.000 --> 00:02:57.660 Can I get a witness? 00:03:01.080 --> 00:03:02.920 But the church isn't about perfect people. 00:03:04.040 --> 00:03:05.640 It's about saved and redeemed people. 00:03:07.180 --> 00:03:13.080 People who are different because they've placed their faith and hope and trust in everything that Christ is and everything that Christ promised us. 00:03:13.460 --> 00:03:18.140 And in so doing, God promises us that he would give us His Spirit and compel us to be better people. 00:03:18.600 --> 00:03:20.730 But it starts with your faith in Christ. 00:03:22.540 --> 00:03:29.560 I love the church, and even though the church is messy and even though we're messed up today, if you're here and you think that you're normal, God bless you. 00:03:29.560 --> 00:03:30.480 You are our example today. 00:03:31.700 --> 00:03:32.020 All right. 00:03:33.500 --> 00:03:40.470 But to most of us who know that we're lacking something tremendously in our lives, our hope is to look to Jesus. 00:03:41.780 --> 00:03:48.800 And just as Jesus commanded to love him and to love others, when we come and we gather together, we get together with those who are arm in arm with us as 00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:50.700 brothers and sisters who have trusted in Christ. 00:03:50.980 --> 00:03:58.480 And we begin to love each other, to compel one another to draw closer to Christ Jesus built his 00:03:58.480 --> 00:04:05.560 church and the promise was even the most horrific things of the gates of hell will not prevail against 00:04:05.560 --> 00:04:06.010 it. 00:04:06.900 --> 00:04:08.930 There is power in his church. 00:04:10.120 --> 00:04:15.300 You know, I think when Jesus began to build his church, what he meant here was the universal church that meets all over the world. 00:04:15.300 --> 00:04:19.120 It's any redeemed person who have who has taken the opportunity to place their faith in Jesus. 00:04:19.160 --> 00:04:20.430 That is the universal church. 00:04:21.660 --> 00:04:25.020 But what's important about the universal church is that it also becomes a local church. 00:04:26.080 --> 00:04:33.220 Somewhere throughout the world, especially today, people are congregating all over this world in local places to reach out to Christ 00:04:33.220 --> 00:04:35.080 in their lives and to minister to one another. 00:04:36.400 --> 00:04:42.320 Local churches are important because local churches reach local people. 00:04:43.300 --> 00:04:48.980 I'm so thankful that when we started this church just three years ago, we had like, I don't know, six people, it seemed like in a living room. 00:04:49.820 --> 00:04:53.400 And today we're so full that we couldn't even find seats when people came in. 00:04:53.760 --> 00:04:57.820 To those who are new, just know in the next few weeks we'll be knocking down this wall and expanding our facility. 00:04:58.080 --> 00:05:00.900 We've purchased or rented the building next to us, so. 00:05:00.980 --> 00:05:06.590 So we're going to be squished for a little while longer, but the local church reaches local people. 00:05:07.620 --> 00:05:11.220 You know, I'm I'm one of those that believe you can't do church on your own. 00:05:12.900 --> 00:05:16.920 In fact, when God built his church and promised that the gates of hell will not prevail. 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:22.420 He also promised us that he would give each and every one of us specific gifts abilities to serve. 00:05:23.560 --> 00:05:24.100 You want gifts? 00:05:24.500 --> 00:05:28.760 The word gifts is meant to suggest to us they're intended to be given away. 00:05:30.200 --> 00:05:35.880 God gives you gifts to give away, and you can't do that in your own home at your own time. 00:05:35.880 --> 00:05:40.380 It requires you to get with a body of believers, each having different gifts and serving one another. 00:05:41.660 --> 00:05:43.660 Christ has given his life for this. 00:05:43.700 --> 00:05:45.960 Christ believes in the local church. 00:05:45.960 --> 00:05:50.040 Christ desires for us to go into this world and share the love that he has for other people. 00:05:50.040 --> 00:05:57.280 And it tells us in Matthew chapter 28 and verse 19, he looks at all of his disciples and says, after his resurrection, therefore go 00:05:57.280 --> 00:05:59.580 and make disciples of all nations. 00:06:00.400 --> 00:06:02.520 You know very simply what the purpose of the church is. 00:06:02.660 --> 00:06:07.100 It's to make disciples, committed followers of Jesus. 00:06:08.180 --> 00:06:09.420 We're not a church of legalism. 00:06:11.020 --> 00:06:11.910 In fact, I hate legalism. 00:06:12.340 --> 00:06:13.120 I'm wearing jeans today. 00:06:13.200 --> 00:06:14.650 Support your jeans when you come, right? 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:17.350 Or whatever if it makes you feel comfortable. 00:06:19.820 --> 00:06:20.380 But it's about Jesus. 00:06:21.880 --> 00:06:23.780 It's not an invitation to religion. 00:06:24.360 --> 00:06:25.150 It's about Jesus. 00:06:26.660 --> 00:06:29.760 Jesus gave his most simple, simplistic command at the end of his life. 00:06:29.780 --> 00:06:32.380 He said, go into this world and make disciples. 00:06:33.740 --> 00:06:37.240 Do whatever it takes to encourage one another to follow me more deeply. 00:06:38.360 --> 00:06:43.980 And notice when Jesus says, I will build my church in Matthew 16 that it's a future statement. 00:06:44.760 --> 00:06:49.850 It's something that hasn't taken place yet in all the history and throughout all the Old Testament. 00:06:49.920 --> 00:06:55.540 What we see is people who are gathering together as an assembly following after the future hope of a messiah. 00:06:56.640 --> 00:06:57.260 A congregation. 00:06:58.880 --> 00:07:03.620 But yet Jesus comes in Matthew 16 and he promises this people, I'm going to build my church. 00:07:04.580 --> 00:07:05.460 I will build it. 00:07:05.480 --> 00:07:07.080 It's something that hasn't been done yet. 00:07:07.100 --> 00:07:12.320 There's something significant that will mark it differently than any other people who longed for the Messiah in the past. 00:07:13.640 --> 00:07:15.940 The question is, what was it? 00:07:17.400 --> 00:07:24.840 Jesus tells us in John seven and verse 38, in order to begin to reveal this difference that he's going to make in the church, he said, whoever believes 00:07:24.840 --> 00:07:29.460 in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. 00:07:30.120 --> 00:07:32.440 He's not talking about using the restroom here, right? 00:07:33.400 --> 00:07:37.660 Jesus is saying there's something so special that he's about to do with his church. 00:07:37.880 --> 00:07:45.140 It's going to be it can't be captured just by a human being that when God works this miracle in your life, it's just going to flow out 00:07:45.140 --> 00:07:47.120 of yourself, just naturally. 00:07:47.540 --> 00:07:48.670 What's he talking about? 00:07:49.620 --> 00:07:52.660 I want these rivers of living water flowing from me. 00:07:53.680 --> 00:07:55.430 What in the world is Jesus going to do differently? 00:07:55.680 --> 00:07:56.850 That hasn't been done in the past? 00:07:56.900 --> 00:07:58.300 He tells us in the very next verse. 00:07:58.620 --> 00:08:03.450 By this he meant the spirit whom those who believed in him were later to receive. 00:08:04.540 --> 00:08:08.660 Up to that time, the spirit had not been given since Jesus had not been glorified. 00:08:10.040 --> 00:08:13.400 So when you read the Old Testament, one of the things that you find is the Spirit of God is active. 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:20.060 He comes and indwells people to carry out specific tasks for a period of time, but the spirit would then leave. 00:08:21.320 --> 00:08:28.460 But when Jesus comes to this earth, and after Jesus has glorified, the Bible tells us that Jesus would send His Spirit to dwell within all 00:08:28.460 --> 00:08:29.200 of us. 00:08:30.200 --> 00:08:37.299 Israel would have to go to the temple to worship and see God and witness his miraculous signs. 00:08:37.419 --> 00:08:41.640 But the Bible tells us in this passage of Scripture that Jesus was going to send something special. 00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:48.700 In first Corinthians 316 it goes on to say, do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in 00:08:48.700 --> 00:08:48.860 you? 00:08:50.580 --> 00:08:52.780 No longer do you need to go to a temple to worship. 00:08:52.780 --> 00:08:54.480 A God has now made you the temple. 00:08:54.500 --> 00:08:58.790 No longer does the Spirit of God dwell within the temple, but you have become the dwelling place of God yourself. 00:08:59.760 --> 00:09:01.580 And the Spirit of God dwells within you. 00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:05.600 And no matter where you are in your walk with God, you can enjoy and worship him. 00:09:07.500 --> 00:09:08.520 The church isn't the building. 00:09:09.960 --> 00:09:13.230 Jesus has taught us that the church was the people. 00:09:14.840 --> 00:09:16.640 This building has no special bearing. 00:09:17.020 --> 00:09:21.540 It's those who have trusted in God who have found the Spirit of God dwelling in you. 00:09:22.820 --> 00:09:24.960 Jesus promised that His Spirit would dwell in us. 00:09:26.460 --> 00:09:33.460 If you read at the end of the book of Luke and the Gospels, it tells us in chapter 24 Jesus saying to his disciples, I'm going to send you what 00:09:33.460 --> 00:09:39.600 my father has promised, but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. 00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:46.030 Luke ends his book talking about the Spirit of God being promised to his people to come dwell within his people. 00:09:47.140 --> 00:09:50.180 In the book of acts is the continuation Creation of the Gospel of Luke. 00:09:51.720 --> 00:09:59.100 Luke also wrote the Book of acts that tells us when we turn to the very first pages of the Book of Acts in chapter one and verse three, after 00:09:59.100 --> 00:10:00.860 his suffering, this is talking about Jesus. 00:10:00.940 --> 00:10:04.380 He presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. 00:10:05.000 --> 00:10:08.260 He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 00:10:08.860 --> 00:10:16.060 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift 00:10:16.060 --> 00:10:18.920 my father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 00:10:19.500 --> 00:10:24.300 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. 00:10:25.600 --> 00:10:29.310 In verse eight it says, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. 00:10:29.760 --> 00:10:34.140 And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 00:10:35.920 --> 00:10:42.520 You know, the book of acts is simply how the Spirit of God indwelled the people of God to do the work that God has called them to do. 00:10:43.460 --> 00:10:46.020 God has given us all specific gifts to serve him. 00:10:46.920 --> 00:10:53.940 And as soon as the spirit of God comes and dwells within the people of God to conduct his ministry, it tells us Peter stands up and begins to preach the first 00:10:54.040 --> 00:10:55.360 sermon that's given in the book of acts. 00:10:56.500 --> 00:11:03.540 It says, But Peter, taking his stand with the 11, raised his voice and declared to them, Men of Judea, and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to 00:11:03.540 --> 00:11:05.160 you, and give heed to my words. 00:11:06.400 --> 00:11:13.740 Verse 22 Men of Israel, listen to these words Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs, which God performed 00:11:13.740 --> 00:11:15.900 through him in your midst, just as you yourselves know. 00:11:17.480 --> 00:11:18.140 Verse 36. 00:11:18.160 --> 00:11:25.510 In the same sermon, Peter goes on to say, therefore, let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. 00:11:26.640 --> 00:11:28.340 And in verse 41, this was the result. 00:11:29.580 --> 00:11:36.010 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about 3000 were added to their number that day. 00:11:37.920 --> 00:11:40.040 We may look at the enormous growth. 00:11:40.160 --> 00:11:41.880 I don't know what we would do if that ever happened here. 00:11:43.660 --> 00:11:50.560 3000 people as the church just listened to the Spirit of God and began to share the message of Jesus throughout the world. 00:11:52.140 --> 00:11:54.290 In chapter two and verse 41, that's how it concludes. 00:11:54.520 --> 00:11:59.220 But when you get to verse 42, it starts to describe to us this church that was born. 00:12:01.140 --> 00:12:05.320 It says in verse 42, they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching. 00:12:05.580 --> 00:12:08.880 What made them a church is that they were in God's Word and to fellowship. 00:12:09.180 --> 00:12:10.380 They were fellowshipping with one another. 00:12:10.420 --> 00:12:13.020 They were breaking bread or having communion with one another. 00:12:13.080 --> 00:12:13.590 They were praying. 00:12:13.940 --> 00:12:18.180 It tells us in verse 30 or 43, everyone kept feeling a sense of awe. 00:12:18.880 --> 00:12:19.830 It's a sense of worship. 00:12:20.820 --> 00:12:27.920 And many wonders and signs were being taken place through the apostles, and all those who had believed were gathered together like a church and had all things in 00:12:27.920 --> 00:12:28.980 common, and there was unity. 00:12:30.500 --> 00:12:36.500 It says in verse 45, and they began selling their property and possessions, and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 00:12:37.020 --> 00:12:38.120 I don't I don't know where we get. 00:12:38.680 --> 00:12:39.660 I do know where we get this. 00:12:39.760 --> 00:12:41.600 But in giving to the church, 10%. 00:12:41.820 --> 00:12:46.250 I'm I'm always comfortable talking about giving, by the way, because this church does not give me a paycheck. 00:12:46.280 --> 00:12:46.640 Okay. 00:12:46.700 --> 00:12:52.120 But when giving, when giving to God, we have this idea of 10% in our mind. 00:12:52.600 --> 00:12:54.740 And you know, when you read the Old Testament, they talk about 10%. 00:12:55.020 --> 00:12:55.970 But that's not all they gave. 00:12:56.040 --> 00:12:58.380 They gave on top of that, they gave temple offerings. 00:12:58.380 --> 00:12:59.240 They gave to the poor. 00:12:59.240 --> 00:13:00.780 They gave during particular holidays. 00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:01.920 They gave a lot. 00:13:02.640 --> 00:13:04.660 And when you get to the New Testament, it's not 10%. 00:13:04.880 --> 00:13:06.640 Again, it's sacrificial giving. 00:13:07.340 --> 00:13:08.880 It's giving to the point it hurts. 00:13:09.780 --> 00:13:11.440 And Jesus calls you priests. 00:13:11.780 --> 00:13:12.420 You know what priests did? 00:13:12.880 --> 00:13:13.900 They sacrificed. 00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:15.970 That's not an easy word to swallow. 00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:19.940 But here in the early church, they're giving out of charity to one another. 00:13:19.960 --> 00:13:27.240 And it says day by day, continuing with one mind in the temple and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together 00:13:27.260 --> 00:13:29.110 with gladness and sincerity of heart. 00:13:29.340 --> 00:13:30.200 Church never ended. 00:13:31.220 --> 00:13:38.120 When they left Sunday morning, they thought about what Jesus wanted on Monday and 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. 00:13:38.160 --> 00:13:41.420 And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who are being saved. 00:13:41.680 --> 00:13:43.740 And you thought 3000 was amazing. 00:13:44.720 --> 00:13:49.640 These people continue to show this river of living water coming from their lives. 00:13:49.640 --> 00:13:52.500 And people were so attracted to this that they came to know Christ. 00:13:53.100 --> 00:13:53.900 That is an amazing church. 00:13:55.160 --> 00:13:57.780 In fact, people call that the perfect church. 00:13:58.680 --> 00:14:03.880 If my back wasn't hurting today, I would do the perfect church cheer for you, followed by a triple backflip. 00:14:05.900 --> 00:14:06.320 I'm just kidding. 00:14:06.720 --> 00:14:07.590 It's a it's a quadruple. 00:14:10.770 --> 00:14:12.520 Anyway, I don't get all that. 00:14:13.240 --> 00:14:14.140 This is the perfect church. 00:14:14.240 --> 00:14:16.490 You know what people tend to do when they come to this passage of scripture? 00:14:17.060 --> 00:14:18.520 Especially guys like me. 00:14:18.660 --> 00:14:21.060 Three years ago when we wanted to start a church in Lehigh. 00:14:21.500 --> 00:14:23.190 They're like, okay, this is the perfect church. 00:14:23.700 --> 00:14:26.040 We want to model our church after the perfect church. 00:14:26.280 --> 00:14:30.760 Let's make a checklist of everything that we need to do to be the perfect church, right? 00:14:32.260 --> 00:14:33.320 And so they begin to make the list. 00:14:33.480 --> 00:14:33.800 Let's see. 00:14:34.020 --> 00:14:34.820 They prayed. 00:14:34.960 --> 00:14:35.440 Do we pray? 00:14:35.520 --> 00:14:36.180 Check. 00:14:36.300 --> 00:14:37.400 They listened to Apostle's teaching. 00:14:37.420 --> 00:14:37.820 Did we do that? 00:14:37.960 --> 00:14:38.620 Check. 00:14:38.760 --> 00:14:39.460 They gave. 00:14:39.460 --> 00:14:39.840 Did they give? 00:14:40.040 --> 00:14:40.420 Check. 00:14:40.420 --> 00:14:40.540 Did. 00:14:40.800 --> 00:14:41.680 Did they take communion? 00:14:41.820 --> 00:14:42.300 Check. 00:14:42.300 --> 00:14:48.500 And they would just go down the checklist Do you know that this church, when this started in acts chapter two, they did not know that they were the perfect church. 00:14:49.520 --> 00:14:54.320 They didn't know that thousands of years later, people would read this passage of Scripture and say, look, this is the perfect church. 00:14:55.240 --> 00:15:03.120 You know what they knew and all that they knew is that they saw Jesus come back from the dead, and 00:15:03.120 --> 00:15:04.640 they trusted in him. 00:15:05.560 --> 00:15:12.620 And as they trusted their lives to Christ, God worked upon their hearts to be people who mimicked their lives after 00:15:12.620 --> 00:15:13.860 God. 00:15:14.260 --> 00:15:19.490 And if we could just take within ourselves the idea of Jesus as Lord Jesus is reigning on the throne. 00:15:19.620 --> 00:15:20.500 Jesus died for me. 00:15:20.780 --> 00:15:22.920 I'm just going to simply trust my whole life to him. 00:15:23.240 --> 00:15:28.800 There's no doubt within my mind that we, as a church, will begin to look and model after a church just like this. 00:15:29.640 --> 00:15:31.590 I mean, I know you guys are good, but you're right. 00:15:34.570 --> 00:15:38.270 This is everything that Jesus would want a church to be. 00:15:39.360 --> 00:15:40.530 But they didn't look at it as a checklist. 00:15:41.000 --> 00:15:42.860 All they did was look to Jesus. 00:15:44.780 --> 00:15:48.880 You know, when I see this passage of Scripture, I say to myself, how? 00:15:49.700 --> 00:15:50.900 How can we be like that? 00:15:52.060 --> 00:15:54.530 How can we experience this type of life? 00:15:54.640 --> 00:15:58.540 How in myself can I have rivers of living, water flowing? 00:15:59.260 --> 00:16:01.420 How is the joy of the Lord really going to be in me? 00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:03.400 And how are we ever going to look like this? 00:16:05.600 --> 00:16:08.880 And the answer is simple and Jesus has already given it to us. 00:16:09.100 --> 00:16:09.790 It's the spirit. 00:16:11.500 --> 00:16:13.860 God wants all of us believers to be spirit led. 00:16:13.900 --> 00:16:18.360 I'm going to give a little bit of a warning to this, because people make this mean some crazy things, okay? 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:22.180 And it doesn't mean that I'm making it mean crazy things. 00:16:23.560 --> 00:16:26.760 The Bible simply says in Galatians five, it's a command to the church. 00:16:27.480 --> 00:16:29.800 God has given you a spirit, his spirit, for a reason. 00:16:30.400 --> 00:16:35.700 God made such a big deal about the coming of the spirit and the indwelling of the spirit on the people of God, for the mission of God for a reason. 00:16:36.820 --> 00:16:41.880 And he says in Galatians chapter five, but I say, walk in the spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. 00:16:43.260 --> 00:16:46.240 God's desire for all of us is to walk in the spirit. 00:16:46.340 --> 00:16:48.380 And we look at that and think, what? 00:16:49.440 --> 00:16:50.240 What does that mean? 00:16:51.520 --> 00:16:55.620 You know, I was a young kid, my uncle, who was pretty young as well. 00:16:55.620 --> 00:16:57.380 I remember he was probably 18 or 19 years old. 00:16:57.440 --> 00:17:01.120 I thought he was like as a little kid, he looked like he was 40 or 50 to me, right? 00:17:01.460 --> 00:17:02.520 I turned 30 this week. 00:17:02.540 --> 00:17:03.240 And now 50. 00:17:03.380 --> 00:17:03.640 40. 00:17:03.640 --> 00:17:04.720 That doesn't seem very far off. 00:17:05.579 --> 00:17:08.680 But I remember as a kid we would go sleigh ride together. 00:17:08.680 --> 00:17:11.319 He would take us out in the snow or bobsledding, whatever you want to call it. 00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:12.319 I don't know, but. 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:14.599 But I remember when the snow was real deep as a kid. 00:17:14.819 --> 00:17:18.220 We had to hike up this enormous hill to go down. 00:17:18.780 --> 00:17:19.160 And I would follow. 00:17:19.560 --> 00:17:20.460 Always follow behind him. 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:26.700 And I always look for where his footsteps were because the snow was too deep and too difficult for me to walk in up the hill. 00:17:26.720 --> 00:17:32.280 And everywhere his footstep was, I would take a kind of a jump to make it into that next step. 00:17:33.180 --> 00:17:35.940 I was following in his steps. 00:17:36.340 --> 00:17:38.690 I was walking in his steps. 00:17:39.560 --> 00:17:42.860 The Holy Spirit is like a GPS system to our lives. 00:17:43.900 --> 00:17:45.360 The Holy Spirit leads our lives. 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:47.340 He directs our lives. 00:17:47.380 --> 00:17:50.670 It's as if he's in front of us, taking those steps in the snow. 00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:58.020 And we as people look to where he's directing our lives and simply place our foot in those marks because we find as believers, it's 00:17:58.020 --> 00:17:59.710 much easier to walk that way. 00:18:00.920 --> 00:18:06.390 Any of you ever trusted in Christ as your Savior and spent some time in your life then walking away from Jesus and just found life unsatisfactory? 00:18:07.620 --> 00:18:12.560 Anyone ever come to know the Lord and then all of a sudden decide to go do something sinful and just feel so guilty about it? 00:18:14.300 --> 00:18:17.940 It's because the Spirit of God is working on your heart and in your life. 00:18:19.140 --> 00:18:22.160 He says in Ephesians, don't be drunk with wine because that will ruin your life. 00:18:22.260 --> 00:18:24.310 Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:18:25.080 --> 00:18:27.800 What God desires is just a small portion of your life. 00:18:27.800 --> 00:18:31.920 Sometimes I'm afraid that when we come into life, we look at it like this I'm going to get my job in my career. 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:32.670 I'm going to have my kids in my family. 00:18:32.840 --> 00:18:35.540 I'm gonna get my little bit of God, and I'm going to have my retirement and everything's going to be okay. 00:18:37.160 --> 00:18:43.320 But the way that God describes it for our lives is that we fill ourselves with everything that God is, and we look at life in light of God. 00:18:44.360 --> 00:18:47.540 We look at life in light of the direction he desires for us to go. 00:18:49.120 --> 00:18:50.790 How do we walk in the spirit? 00:18:52.260 --> 00:18:55.680 I'm going to give you two ways that we follow the Spirit's leading in our lives this morning. 00:18:56.180 --> 00:18:58.440 I'm going to give you two ways that we ignore the Spirit's leading in our lives. 00:18:58.960 --> 00:18:59.940 And we walk out of here. 00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:03.420 We're going to do everything that God wants us to do, right? 00:19:04.880 --> 00:19:05.240 Amen. 00:19:05.780 --> 00:19:06.140 Can I get it? 00:19:06.240 --> 00:19:06.380 Okay. 00:19:06.840 --> 00:19:07.920 That's good. 00:19:08.460 --> 00:19:09.140 It tells us in. 00:19:09.400 --> 00:19:10.520 Excuse me. 00:19:10.840 --> 00:19:13.260 John, chapter 16 and verse seven. 00:19:13.760 --> 00:19:17.720 Jesus is talking about the coming of the Holy Spirit, teaching his disciples what it will be like. 00:19:18.680 --> 00:19:24.080 He does this for three straight chapters chapter 14, chapter 15, and chapter 16. 00:19:24.380 --> 00:19:25.410 What's it going to be like? 00:19:25.460 --> 00:19:29.800 Jesus, if you're promising us the spirit, what's it going to be like when he's directing our lives? 00:19:31.240 --> 00:19:31.680 It tells you. 00:19:31.680 --> 00:19:32.360 But I tell you the truth. 00:19:32.720 --> 00:19:34.360 It is to your advantage that I go away. 00:19:34.600 --> 00:19:37.140 For if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you. 00:19:37.400 --> 00:19:39.450 But if I go, I will send him to you. 00:19:40.300 --> 00:19:41.000 Concerning sin. 00:19:41.660 --> 00:19:43.780 Because they do not believe in me. 00:19:44.560 --> 00:19:46.840 I kind of skipped a thought there by skipping verse eight. 00:19:46.920 --> 00:19:50.140 But Jesus says, the reason the spirit is coming is because of sin. 00:19:51.280 --> 00:19:53.700 And he says, because they do not believe in me. 00:19:54.760 --> 00:19:58.480 Now God doesn't mention verse in verse nine, sin because he wants us to feel guilty. 00:19:59.640 --> 00:20:03.080 God mentions in verse nine sin because he wants us to find hope in Christ. 00:20:04.340 --> 00:20:11.520 And he's saying to us, the first thing the Spirit of God is going to do when he starts working in your life is point you to salvation in Jesus rather than living for 00:20:11.540 --> 00:20:13.880 this world, for yourself, and living in this world and sin. 00:20:14.280 --> 00:20:16.580 God's got a whole different program and plan for your life. 00:20:17.100 --> 00:20:22.180 God has this relationship that you haven't even begun to tap into and experience the rivers of living water. 00:20:22.880 --> 00:20:26.460 And when that Spirit of God comes into your life, you begin to trust in him. 00:20:27.540 --> 00:20:31.960 Believe means trust, a total dependence on everything that God has promised you. 00:20:33.020 --> 00:20:33.870 You look to him. 00:20:34.900 --> 00:20:35.780 Paul said it this way. 00:20:35.820 --> 00:20:41.780 I beseech you brothers, by the mercies of God, that you lay down your life as a living sacrifice to him. 00:20:42.440 --> 00:20:44.620 You don't trust God with a part of your life. 00:20:44.620 --> 00:20:46.800 You trust God with all of your life. 00:20:47.600 --> 00:20:53.820 It says in verse 13, but when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on his own initiative. 00:20:54.100 --> 00:20:58.380 But whatever he hears, he will speak, and he will disclose to you what is to come. 00:20:59.940 --> 00:21:03.200 Second thing, the Spirit of God does in our lives is it shares with us truth. 00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:05.160 It gives us truth. 00:21:05.220 --> 00:21:05.980 Let me give you a warning. 00:21:07.100 --> 00:21:11.600 This is where a lot of people connect the Spirit of God with a different kind of spirit. 00:21:13.240 --> 00:21:20.240 The Bible tells us in first John chapter four and verse one, brothers believe not every spirit because many false prophets have gone into 00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:20.790 the world. 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:28.180 Meaning there are people out there, false prophets, teaching things that are by a spirit, but it's not God's Spirit. 00:21:29.180 --> 00:21:36.320 In fact, it tells us in Corinthians that the that Satan can appear as an angel of light meaning when God 00:21:36.320 --> 00:21:42.480 or when someone comes in to deceive your life away from God, they're doing it as light. 00:21:43.720 --> 00:21:45.380 It looks appealing. 00:21:46.440 --> 00:21:49.280 Satan does not run into people's lives with pitchforks in hand. 00:21:49.300 --> 00:21:50.200 That is way too obvious. 00:21:51.560 --> 00:21:52.580 That's just for Halloween. 00:21:54.360 --> 00:21:56.060 Satan comes into your life to deceive you. 00:21:56.940 --> 00:22:00.180 In fact, in Peter it says, First Peter five, it says to devour you. 00:22:00.700 --> 00:22:02.220 He wants to eat you alive. 00:22:03.560 --> 00:22:09.740 The Bible tells us in first John chapter four and verse 24 that we shall worship him in spirit and truth. 00:22:10.460 --> 00:22:13.800 The Spirit of God works collectively with the truth of God to direct our lives. 00:22:15.080 --> 00:22:17.800 Jesus prayed in John 17, sanctify them through thy truth. 00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:19.920 Thy word is truth. 00:22:20.100 --> 00:22:23.800 Jesus very simplistically pointed to us the identity of what truth was His Word. 00:22:25.560 --> 00:22:26.870 We've gone through together in this series. 00:22:27.020 --> 00:22:28.230 How do we know we can trust the Bible? 00:22:28.260 --> 00:22:31.660 So I don't want to do that again, but just to simply say God's Word is truthful or it isn't. 00:22:32.980 --> 00:22:35.800 And if God's Word is truthful, the rest of truth isn't. 00:22:38.520 --> 00:22:41.540 The Spirit of God directs you to his truth. 00:22:42.880 --> 00:22:44.680 How do you know the Spirit of God is working in your life? 00:22:45.840 --> 00:22:49.420 He directs you to God's Word. 00:22:50.600 --> 00:22:56.580 The Spirit of God collectively guides us into our beliefs and believing. 00:22:56.620 --> 00:23:02.580 It guides us to Jesus to trust in him and believing it guides us to God's truth to learning about him. 00:23:02.580 --> 00:23:07.800 And it says in verse 14, he will glorify me, for he will not take of mine and will disclose it to you. 00:23:07.860 --> 00:23:10.460 Do you know one more way that the Spirit of God directs our beliefs? 00:23:10.620 --> 00:23:10.960 Is that it? 00:23:11.380 --> 00:23:18.440 It elevates Jesus and so many people get so fixed on the Spirit of God that they forget what the purpose of the Spirit of God is all about, and that 00:23:18.440 --> 00:23:20.560 is to make Jesus known, to be glorified. 00:23:21.940 --> 00:23:24.250 The Spirit of God's role is a hidden role. 00:23:25.740 --> 00:23:28.700 The Spirit of God stands behind Christ and pushes him forward. 00:23:30.380 --> 00:23:31.870 How do we know the Spirit of God is working in our lives? 00:23:31.880 --> 00:23:33.020 Well, it affects our beliefs. 00:23:33.540 --> 00:23:34.880 It gets us to trust in Christ. 00:23:35.080 --> 00:23:38.800 It compels us to read God's Word, and it lifts us up to elevate Jesus in our lives. 00:23:39.580 --> 00:23:40.940 That's how the Spirit of God works. 00:23:41.340 --> 00:23:42.620 It affects our beliefs. 00:23:42.620 --> 00:23:45.120 But second of all, the Spirit of God affects our living. 00:23:47.220 --> 00:23:53.600 It says in Galatians chapter five and verse 16, but I say, walk in the spirit. 00:23:53.680 --> 00:24:01.280 Now the deeds of the flesh which are opposing the spirit are evident, which are immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, 00:24:01.300 --> 00:24:08.400 outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions and factions, envy and drunkenness, carousing, all of these things of which I forewarn you, 00:24:08.480 --> 00:24:13.760 just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 00:24:14.100 --> 00:24:15.440 Those are things that oppose the spirit. 00:24:15.480 --> 00:24:17.420 But he goes on to say, this is what the spirit is. 00:24:18.340 --> 00:24:19.390 The fruit of the spirit is love. 00:24:20.560 --> 00:24:21.140 It's joy. 00:24:21.220 --> 00:24:23.980 It's peace, patience, kindness, goodness. 00:24:23.980 --> 00:24:26.060 It's faithfulness against such things. 00:24:27.400 --> 00:24:28.180 There is no law. 00:24:30.160 --> 00:24:32.720 The Spirit of God directs our lives. 00:24:34.260 --> 00:24:36.100 The Spirit of God changes our beliefs. 00:24:38.000 --> 00:24:40.440 How do we know the Spirit of God is working in us? 00:24:41.960 --> 00:24:45.550 Your character begins to change to model after His Spirit. 00:24:47.120 --> 00:24:52.680 Jesus tells us that his goal for us in the life of a believer is to conform us to the image of His Son. 00:24:53.220 --> 00:24:58.840 When the Spirit of God works within our lives, we begin to live a particular way that suggests the Spirit of God is dwelling within us. 00:25:00.820 --> 00:25:02.720 And you know what the Spirit of God desires us for? 00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:05.120 To do with this is to live it out. 00:25:06.960 --> 00:25:09.460 Anyone can love someone who's lovable. 00:25:09.520 --> 00:25:12.350 Anyone can be patient with those who are patient around you. 00:25:13.060 --> 00:25:17.700 But when the Spirit of God is working, you love those who are unlovable. 00:25:19.320 --> 00:25:21.280 You're patient with those who are impatient. 00:25:22.760 --> 00:25:24.800 You're gentle with those who are rough. 00:25:27.200 --> 00:25:27.720 The Spirit of God. 00:25:28.100 --> 00:25:34.140 When he works in our lives, he begins to direct our beliefs, and as he directs our beliefs, he challenges our hearts to live in a particular way. 00:25:34.460 --> 00:25:36.240 This is how we know the Spirit of God works in our life. 00:25:36.280 --> 00:25:38.480 And you know, it makes total sense to Jesus's greatest command. 00:25:40.060 --> 00:25:41.820 Love the Lord your God with all your heart. 00:25:41.860 --> 00:25:44.140 Believe in him and love others. 00:25:44.260 --> 00:25:44.960 Live it out. 00:25:46.740 --> 00:25:49.980 This is how the Spirit of God directs our lives for the people of God. 00:25:50.260 --> 00:25:53.830 To begin to model and reflect what the church looked like in acts chapter two. 00:25:55.040 --> 00:25:56.880 It's Jesus. 00:25:57.960 --> 00:26:00.880 How do I begin to allow the spirit to look like this in me? 00:26:02.220 --> 00:26:07.280 The first answer is guys, spend time with Jesus. 00:26:07.840 --> 00:26:12.180 Everything that we saw in the first part of the chapter, that what the Spirit of God is to do is to promote Jesus. 00:26:14.060 --> 00:26:20.420 If I want to look like the Spirit of God and I don't feel like I am in my life, the question that I ask you is, are you spending time with Jesus? 00:26:22.460 --> 00:26:23.560 Are you getting in His word? 00:26:25.060 --> 00:26:27.390 Are you praying and communicating with him? 00:26:27.840 --> 00:26:31.120 You're never going to look like Christ unless you're spending time with Christ. 00:26:32.080 --> 00:26:34.480 And from the joy of that relationship with the Lord. 00:26:34.660 --> 00:26:35.420 Outflows. 00:26:35.720 --> 00:26:37.180 Rivers of living water. 00:26:38.760 --> 00:26:39.800 You say, well, I don't believe you. 00:26:39.860 --> 00:26:40.980 Let me just say try it. 00:26:43.280 --> 00:26:49.040 Try just this week, taking some time in your morning just to open up His word and let God direct your heart in your life. 00:26:49.900 --> 00:26:51.050 Speak to him. 00:26:51.500 --> 00:26:52.420 Tell him where you are. 00:26:52.780 --> 00:26:54.960 God, I don't understand what this whole walk thing means. 00:26:55.020 --> 00:26:57.070 God, I don't know that I can even live like this in my life. 00:26:57.200 --> 00:26:58.780 But Jesus, it says give. 00:26:58.860 --> 00:26:59.620 You give it to you. 00:26:59.680 --> 00:27:00.840 So I'm giving everything that I am. 00:27:01.180 --> 00:27:02.040 It may not be that great. 00:27:02.100 --> 00:27:03.160 In fact, none of us are perfect. 00:27:03.560 --> 00:27:04.780 But, God, I'm giving it to you. 00:27:06.000 --> 00:27:07.480 And watch what God does in your life. 00:27:08.580 --> 00:27:15.720 I had a friend send me a message this week, and he was known in our community 00:27:15.720 --> 00:27:16.640 where I grew up. 00:27:16.820 --> 00:27:22.500 It was a town of about 15,000 people, and he was always in trouble, so everyone knew him. 00:27:22.820 --> 00:27:25.920 And this week, he kind of he's still been living that way. 00:27:25.920 --> 00:27:33.110 And he kind of hit a wall and he just he sent me a text and he just all it said was, you got to tell me what the meaning of life is. 00:27:37.260 --> 00:27:42.740 You know, it's a shame to think that we could go our whole lives having never answered that question. 00:27:44.220 --> 00:27:46.380 We just kind of lived day to day float around. 00:27:46.620 --> 00:27:48.500 We got our little God in us. 00:27:48.500 --> 00:27:52.220 But as far as the overall meaning to life, who knows and who cares? 00:27:54.060 --> 00:27:59.710 But God tells us that he's given us His Spirit for a greater purpose than just living for day to day. 00:28:00.260 --> 00:28:03.720 He's given us his spirit to direct our beliefs and our minds to guide us where we need to go. 00:28:03.920 --> 00:28:08.320 And he's given us the spirit to challenge us to live in a way to promote the beauty of Christ. 00:28:08.420 --> 00:28:15.800 And you know, it said in acts chapter two and verse 47 that when that church did that, God added to their numbers day by day, 00:28:16.060 --> 00:28:18.580 because the beauty of Jesus was being seen in their lives. 00:28:19.460 --> 00:28:21.490 So let me leave with these last two thoughts for us. 00:28:23.320 --> 00:28:27.800 Bible tells us what a following after Christ lives. 00:28:27.840 --> 00:28:28.910 I don't even want to deal with that. 00:28:29.380 --> 00:28:31.330 What following after Christ is. 00:28:32.160 --> 00:28:36.860 The Bible tells us also how we ignore the following of Christ in our lives. 00:28:38.920 --> 00:28:40.100 Yes, I do want to deal with that. 00:28:41.680 --> 00:28:48.800 He tells us in Ephesians chapter four and verse 30, if you want to follow the Spirit of God in your life, do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, 00:28:49.080 --> 00:28:50.580 by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:56.980 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from, along with all malice. 00:28:57.620 --> 00:29:02.870 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ has also forgiven you. 00:29:04.340 --> 00:29:10.320 The important part is what Paul says in leading into this whole passage is, do not grieve the Holy Spirit. 00:29:12.380 --> 00:29:17.500 If you're coming today and you're saying, I've been trying this Jesus thing out and it's not working in my life. 00:29:18.160 --> 00:29:21.260 Maybe the answer for you this morning is you're grieving the Holy Spirit. 00:29:23.520 --> 00:29:24.020 What does that mean? 00:29:25.940 --> 00:29:29.080 That means you're ignoring what God wants to do in your life, and you're going on living however you want. 00:29:29.840 --> 00:29:34.160 It's as if you're hearing everything about God, and you're saying in a biblical sense, to hell with it. 00:29:37.020 --> 00:29:38.350 That's grieving the Holy Spirit. 00:29:40.120 --> 00:29:47.280 When God directs your heart to do one thing and you decide just to go do something totally different, don't expect the Spirit of God just to feel like living water 00:29:47.280 --> 00:29:48.190 within you. 00:29:48.960 --> 00:29:53.720 In fact, revelation tells us that Jesus spews lukewarm Christianity out of his mouth. 00:29:54.760 --> 00:29:57.360 Jesus wants all of you, not a part of you. 00:29:57.680 --> 00:29:58.660 Jesus wants all of you. 00:29:58.800 --> 00:30:01.700 And when you give all of him to you, the promise to him, excuse me? 00:30:01.760 --> 00:30:06.550 The promise is that living water will just flow forth in your life. 00:30:07.720 --> 00:30:09.940 Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God. 00:30:11.420 --> 00:30:17.200 It tells us, look in verse 31, that what that looks like, it's the person that's just going out and doing whatever they want. 00:30:17.280 --> 00:30:19.080 They're getting angry at everybody who wrongs them. 00:30:19.440 --> 00:30:22.540 They don't care about anybody else, just their wrath and their vengeance and their justice. 00:30:24.040 --> 00:30:26.520 But in verse 32 it says, here's how you know the Spirit of God is working. 00:30:27.000 --> 00:30:27.600 There is unity. 00:30:28.700 --> 00:30:29.300 There's a church. 00:30:29.620 --> 00:30:30.100 How big are we? 00:30:30.120 --> 00:30:31.760 I don't know, 75, 80 people this morning. 00:30:34.220 --> 00:30:35.800 You know, we could have present among us. 00:30:37.240 --> 00:30:41.360 It's unity, tolerance, but disunity. 00:30:42.420 --> 00:30:45.480 The Bible tells us the Spirit of God is not working in that moment. 00:30:47.160 --> 00:30:49.060 It tells us instead to be kind to one another. 00:30:49.260 --> 00:30:51.780 When other people wrong, you turn the other cheek. 00:30:51.840 --> 00:30:52.880 I think someone said that, right? 00:30:53.200 --> 00:30:58.840 I believe that was Jesus, tenderhearted, forgiving each other just as God in Christ has also forgiven you. 00:30:58.880 --> 00:31:00.480 Look, people are going to wrong you. 00:31:01.160 --> 00:31:06.380 You've wronged Jesus, and rather than smack you upside the head, he loved, he forgave you. 00:31:07.620 --> 00:31:09.120 Want the Spirit of God to work. 00:31:09.120 --> 00:31:11.720 It's got to start with unity and loving each other. 00:31:13.400 --> 00:31:14.040 That's where God works. 00:31:17.280 --> 00:31:17.280 Don't grieve the Holy Spirit. 00:31:17.280 --> 00:31:24.320 He tells us in the last verse, don't quench the Holy Spirit Yeah, I think this is 00:31:24.320 --> 00:31:29.340 a verse for those who say, I've given my life to Jesus, but I'm just I'm not finding that joy. 00:31:31.300 --> 00:31:32.240 What's quenching the Holy Spirit? 00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:34.580 Anybody ever been real thirsty? 00:31:36.160 --> 00:31:37.060 Quench that thirst? 00:31:37.080 --> 00:31:41.900 You know, you're supposed to drink Gatorade in that situation, but you quench that thirst. 00:31:43.140 --> 00:31:48.860 You ever been in a place in your life where you thought the Spirit of God was directing you to do something, and then you didn't? 00:31:51.380 --> 00:31:58.500 Have you ever been in that place in your life where you just feeling your heart, being compelled to give it over to God, but you just want to onto 00:31:58.580 --> 00:31:59.470 it so bad? 00:32:01.680 --> 00:32:03.750 That's quenching the spirit. 00:32:04.780 --> 00:32:07.080 It's not about directly sinning against God. 00:32:08.500 --> 00:32:10.460 It's also about just ignoring God. 00:32:12.360 --> 00:32:14.620 The Bible talks about sin of omission and commission. 00:32:15.540 --> 00:32:18.800 Sins we do deliberately, and sins that we do not deliberately. 00:32:20.520 --> 00:32:27.680 We just simply ignore Israel made sacrifices for those sins because 00:32:27.680 --> 00:32:29.860 God thought both were important. 00:32:31.720 --> 00:32:33.060 Both were sins in his eyes. 00:32:34.880 --> 00:32:35.290 You can think. 00:32:35.580 --> 00:32:42.640 Just before we were about to start this church, I was back east visiting some other churches, letting them know we're going to create this 00:32:42.640 --> 00:32:43.880 cool, awesome church in Lehi. 00:32:43.900 --> 00:32:45.000 Lots of people are going to come and love it. 00:32:45.160 --> 00:32:45.670 It's going to be great. 00:32:46.120 --> 00:32:53.420 Just like acts two and I walked into Walmart, it's where everyone goes and I 00:32:53.420 --> 00:32:58.700 saw a high school friend of mine walking in, and he looked like he had the worst day of his life. 00:32:59.460 --> 00:33:06.460 And I remember I was in the middle of a conversation with Stacy, and she looked down an aisle, and then all of a sudden I was, next thing I know, I'm standing right in front of him. 00:33:06.560 --> 00:33:13.020 I don't have any idea why, but as soon as I saw him, I just felt compelled by God just to walk over there and without even realizing, I was walking over there. 00:33:13.400 --> 00:33:14.400 Next thing I know, I'm right in front of him. 00:33:15.080 --> 00:33:17.980 And I just said hi to him and he looked at me like he wanted to kill me. 00:33:19.240 --> 00:33:23.760 And I stood back and I said, do you remember who I am? 00:33:23.820 --> 00:33:25.740 And he said, yeah, and that was all he said. 00:33:26.120 --> 00:33:28.840 So I continued to speak and he never spoke another word. 00:33:28.840 --> 00:33:33.330 And I thought, I've done something wrong at some point to this guy in his past, I forgot what it was. 00:33:33.580 --> 00:33:35.320 He still remembering that right now? 00:33:35.360 --> 00:33:39.660 I don't know what that is, but you know, I felt so compelled by God to go talk to him. 00:33:40.420 --> 00:33:44.820 And then he looked so dissatisfied by my presence that I just left. 00:33:45.840 --> 00:33:50.380 A day later, my mom called and said, hey, do you remember that guy that you went to high school with that you grew up with? 00:33:50.520 --> 00:33:53.660 I mean, he was my friend through elementary school, middle school, high school. 00:33:54.640 --> 00:33:55.840 I said, yeah, I remember him. 00:33:55.980 --> 00:33:59.600 And she said, well, I just heard he took his life yesterday. 00:34:02.140 --> 00:34:06.050 Right after I got done talking to him, he went home and ended his life. 00:34:07.680 --> 00:34:11.040 And in that moment, I grieved the Holy Spirit. 00:34:14.280 --> 00:34:19.460 Jesus came to this world on a mission and he didn't do it alone. 00:34:22.060 --> 00:34:29.500 He sent the Spirit of God to work on the people of God, to do the ministry in this world, to 00:34:29.540 --> 00:34:30.139 share his love. 00:34:31.900 --> 00:34:33.670 There are two ways we do that as a church family. 00:34:34.920 --> 00:34:35.920 First, we do that with each other. 00:34:37.159 --> 00:34:42.300 We come here and we minister through God's Spirit and unity and love with one another. 00:34:44.000 --> 00:34:45.750 But we don't just focus on our church. 00:34:47.020 --> 00:34:53.210 It's just as important to God as this church as it is the people outside of these walls and our lives. 00:34:53.520 --> 00:34:55.320 We should look for a couple of ways to get engaged. 00:34:55.440 --> 00:34:57.200 We should come here to church and see God. 00:34:57.540 --> 00:34:58.340 Where do you want me to serve? 00:35:00.200 --> 00:35:03.740 If you've asked that question, you've been new here and you just want to get your feet wet. 00:35:03.740 --> 00:35:05.250 There are plenty of places to do that. 00:35:06.640 --> 00:35:08.160 We need ushers on Sunday morning. 00:35:08.220 --> 00:35:13.090 This morning we had a handful trying to figure out what we were going to do with the nursery because we've got people sick today. 00:35:13.600 --> 00:35:18.460 You guys don't know this, but this place was running like crazy until we got the service started today because we were short. 00:35:18.580 --> 00:35:18.860 So many people. 00:35:20.440 --> 00:35:21.880 There are ushers to serve. 00:35:21.880 --> 00:35:24.220 There is hospitality ministry, which Cara leads. 00:35:24.460 --> 00:35:27.540 There's nursery and toddlers, which Raquel leads. 00:35:28.160 --> 00:35:30.160 There's the facility care, which Marissa leads. 00:35:30.200 --> 00:35:31.510 Hey, will you guys raise your hands for a minute? 00:35:31.860 --> 00:35:32.720 Cara's back here. 00:35:33.120 --> 00:35:33.800 Marissa is right here. 00:35:34.840 --> 00:35:35.460 Raquel is sick. 00:35:36.800 --> 00:35:38.080 TJ, is TJ here? 00:35:38.940 --> 00:35:39.900 I think her kids were okay. 00:35:40.200 --> 00:35:40.620 Thank you. 00:35:40.640 --> 00:35:40.940 Tj. 00:35:41.560 --> 00:35:42.080 She can hear me. 00:35:42.300 --> 00:35:42.700 Thank you. 00:35:42.700 --> 00:35:43.220 Tj. 00:35:43.220 --> 00:35:48.260 She does meal care teams, which, it's been such a blessing with our church. 00:35:48.380 --> 00:35:51.750 If we're going to reach the city for Christ, we need to care for the people in the city. 00:35:52.680 --> 00:35:59.840 And one of the great things that we've been able to do, because this lady has taken on this ministry, is we've been able to fix meals for people in our church who've been injured or can't do 00:35:59.840 --> 00:36:00.020 it. 00:36:00.200 --> 00:36:00.630 Had a baby. 00:36:01.100 --> 00:36:01.940 We had that blessing. 00:36:02.600 --> 00:36:05.100 And then people outside of our church to minister to those hearts. 00:36:05.520 --> 00:36:10.990 And so if you just like hospitality and you just want to provide meals for families and needs, we've got families right now that need it. 00:36:11.740 --> 00:36:13.400 The outreach, we do outreach during the summer. 00:36:13.400 --> 00:36:14.840 We've got a Halloween outreach coming up. 00:36:14.920 --> 00:36:16.610 We'll call it to those who hate the word Halloween. 00:36:16.840 --> 00:36:18.210 It's a what do you call it? 00:36:18.260 --> 00:36:18.600 Harvest party. 00:36:19.400 --> 00:36:19.880 We're going to do that. 00:36:20.020 --> 00:36:21.330 All right Halloween haters. 00:36:21.480 --> 00:36:21.660 All right. 00:36:22.400 --> 00:36:23.460 I don't care what you call it. 00:36:24.800 --> 00:36:26.020 building projects coming up. 00:36:26.080 --> 00:36:28.270 We're going to bust down this wall, so we need big muscles. 00:36:29.440 --> 00:36:33.960 But even beyond that, I mean, we've had we've got needs in Discovery Club. 00:36:33.960 --> 00:36:35.660 We got needs in children's church. 00:36:35.720 --> 00:36:36.420 We're going to expand that. 00:36:36.600 --> 00:36:38.260 We knocked on the wall a bigger place to serve. 00:36:38.600 --> 00:36:40.440 We've got needs in music. 00:36:40.440 --> 00:36:43.010 We've got needs one on one discipleship. 00:36:43.180 --> 00:36:44.660 You think about it and we got it. 00:36:44.840 --> 00:36:47.080 We've got a list out there that's got a place for everyone to serve. 00:36:47.880 --> 00:36:48.600 You need to serve. 00:36:49.360 --> 00:36:51.460 God didn't call you to sit on your keister. 00:36:51.640 --> 00:36:53.760 Write on your pockets, right? 00:36:53.800 --> 00:36:54.710 He wants you to serve. 00:36:54.820 --> 00:36:56.540 That spirit of God is working in you to serve. 00:36:56.960 --> 00:37:00.120 And when you get out of this church, think outside of these walls. 00:37:00.200 --> 00:37:01.140 What about your family? 00:37:02.140 --> 00:37:03.810 What are you doing to spiritually grow your family? 00:37:03.920 --> 00:37:05.680 The Bible says be fruitful and multiply. 00:37:06.140 --> 00:37:09.510 Take care of the spiritual needs of your family, but also look to your city. 00:37:11.140 --> 00:37:12.360 How are we reaching those around us? 00:37:14.120 --> 00:37:22.840 Bible says this to those of you who are afraid this morning of what all that might mean, the Spirit of God, the 00:37:23.000 --> 00:37:30.640 Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, 00:37:30.660 --> 00:37:32.860 and self-discipline. 00:37:34.900 --> 00:37:36.670 I hope I made this plain this morning for you guys. 00:37:38.120 --> 00:37:42.280 I hope when you leave today you can recognize when the Spirit of God is working in your life. 00:37:43.800 --> 00:37:50.130 Rather than grieve it or quench it, you embrace it and surrender to it. 00:37:50.960 --> 00:37:53.720 God loves you and that's what he wants for you. 00:37:54.740 --> 00:37:58.300 Who's closing us in a word of prayer.