WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: Holy Spirit-Led By Publishing Date: 2020-07-26T06:00:44-07:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/holy-spirit-led-by/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:29.720 Okay, so two or three weeks ago we said if I could learn how to dive into the well of 00:00:29.720 --> 00:00:36.400 the Spirit within me, if I could learn how to dive into the well of the Spirit within me, 00:00:36.400 --> 00:00:40.880 because the Spirit is within me, I could have the mind of Christ in every situation and I 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:48.240 could rediscover Eden life. What was life like in Eden? What does it look like for us to walk as 00:00:48.240 --> 00:00:57.640 unfallen Adams in a fallen world? Not rediscover Eden, but rediscover what it would be like to 00:00:58.120 --> 00:01:08.200 God like Adam used to walk in Eden before he fell. And so we said that one of the ways to find that 00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:13.680 out is to look at Galatians 5 and you'll see three things there. One in Galatians 5 16, 00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:20.920 you see it being said that one of the ways to accomplish this is to walk by the Spirit. In 00:01:20.920 --> 00:01:29.000 Galatians 5 18 it says be led by the Spirit and in Galatians 5 25 it says to live by the Spirit. 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:35.120 So last week we talked about walking by the Spirit, so today we talk about being led by 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:45.560 the Spirit, being led by the Spirit. So what usually happens is we think being led by the 00:01:45.560 --> 00:01:56.720 Spirit we narrow it down to guidance. We narrow it down to guidance. We narrow being led by the 00:01:56.720 --> 00:02:05.720 Spirit to guidance and decision-making. While that may be a part of it, that isn't at all a 00:02:05.720 --> 00:02:12.880 comprehensive way to look at it. So being led by the Spirit is not just guidance and decision-making, 00:02:13.200 --> 00:02:20.720 the actual sense is that of a Spirit dominated existence. The actual sense is that of a Spirit 00:02:20.720 --> 00:02:30.520 dominated existence. That's what the actual sense is. To be led by the Spirit is to have a Spirit 00:02:30.520 --> 00:02:38.920 dominated existence. What does that look like? It means that it is the Spirit of God who imagines, 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:56.680 who fuels, who authors your narrative on a daily basis. Your narrative on a daily basis. So this is 00:02:56.680 --> 00:03:02.120 so much more than guidance then because for too long at least in charismatic circles the tendency 00:03:02.120 --> 00:03:06.680 is to look at being led by the Spirit as being guided there by the Spirit in decisions one has 00:03:06.680 --> 00:03:12.080 to make when it's so much more than that. We are talking about a Spirit dominated existence. A 00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:20.080 Spirit dominated existence. A Spirit dominated existence and what that means is that the Spirit 00:03:20.080 --> 00:03:27.040 of God is the one who imagines. He's almost like a scribe or a programmer. Only this is not some kind 00:03:27.040 --> 00:03:35.720 of a programmer who controls the program. He's almost, hey too early, it's only 2.50. Supposed 00:03:35.720 --> 00:03:47.920 to happen at 3.50. So the Holy Spirit imagines, he fuels and then he authors the narrative of my 00:03:47.920 --> 00:03:54.800 daily life. That is what being led by the Spirit is and that is what I must aspire for. If you 00:03:54.800 --> 00:03:59.720 went and listened to last week's teaching you'll see how we can get there. We talked about walking 00:03:59.720 --> 00:04:06.160 by the Spirit. How walk has to do with character. By has to mean, by has to do with being animated, 00:04:06.160 --> 00:04:14.400 motivated by the Spirit, zest, space, life. How we got to begin to have the Spirit become absolute 00:04:14.400 --> 00:04:19.880 part of and we need to become heavily reliant in our areas of strength on the Holy Spirit first. 00:04:19.880 --> 00:04:26.800 Go back and listen to it and you'll get an idea what it means to have a Spirit dominated existence 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:33.120 and so I need to get up every day and say, oh God, I want you to bring to me your imagination 00:04:33.120 --> 00:04:38.600 of my day because your imagination is not a pipe dream. It is so beautiful and perfect and it was 00:04:38.600 --> 00:04:47.720 imagined before I was born. My days were written. This is the crazy thing. Tomorrow when I wake up 00:04:47.720 --> 00:04:54.560 and it's the 27th of July, before the earth was founded, God had already imagined the day that I 00:04:55.280 --> 00:05:02.760 was supposed to have on July 27th, 2020. Before there was time, he had already imagined it. 00:05:02.760 --> 00:05:09.840 A Spirit dominated existence allows you now to delve into the mind of God, to find out, 00:05:09.840 --> 00:05:18.920 to discover and to be fueled by and then finally have your life authored by him. That's what it 00:05:18.920 --> 00:05:39.080 looks like. Any questions? Any questions guys? Guys, don't settle for anything less. Being 00:05:39.080 --> 00:05:50.480 guided alone would be so little. Harry, you can stay if you want to. That's how Sheldon and Jane 00:05:50.480 --> 00:06:02.080 got caught. So guys, so any questions? Please, please begin to go down this route. It's such 00:06:02.080 --> 00:06:08.120 a beautiful thing for God to imagine your day. Such a beautiful thing for God's imagination to 00:06:08.120 --> 00:06:13.800 fuel your day and his imagination. And remember, if you ask or think or imagine, it ain't anywhere 00:06:13.800 --> 00:06:20.960 near what he can do. Ephesians 3 talks about that. He does beyond what you can ask or imagine. So, 00:06:20.960 --> 00:06:28.960 you are called to imagine with God and then he adds more. Let me just look at that again. Ephesians 00:06:28.960 --> 00:06:40.320 3.20. It's worth looking at. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or 00:06:40.320 --> 00:06:47.840 imagine according to his power that is at work within us. So, the idea is that I must anyways 00:06:47.840 --> 00:06:55.680 imagine with God. But when I am fueled by his imagination, then something is added to my life. 00:06:55.680 --> 00:07:04.640 We don't as Christians give much room for imagination because we think it's fanciful. But 00:07:04.640 --> 00:07:10.160 what if you imagined with God? What if the Spirit of God began to help you begin to see the dream 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:18.080 that your father has for you? My dad used to take me on the back of his scooter sometimes when he 00:07:18.080 --> 00:07:24.080 used to go to his native place and he would ride behind him and he would begin to imagine. And the 00:07:24.080 --> 00:07:28.700 reason he would imagine was he wanted to see those things fulfilled in my lifetime and for 00:07:28.700 --> 00:07:33.920 me to be a part of it. He would imagine things for my mother that he wouldn't dare tell my mother 00:07:33.920 --> 00:07:39.600 because for whatever reason, maybe it was too unreal. But to a little boy riding on the back 00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:49.920 of a scooter, it was okay to imagine things for my mother too. If there's anybody who you can freely 00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:56.800 imagine with, it is the Holy Spirit because most others will scoff at your dreams. But imagine with 00:07:56.800 --> 00:08:07.200 him man. And then he begins to author your day based on the dreams that you are now agreeing 00:08:07.200 --> 00:08:16.560 with him on. See, the Old Testament way of doing things is sometimes just costumed in the New 00:08:16.560 --> 00:08:21.440 Testament. In the Old Testament, the high priest used to have on his breastplate two stones called 00:08:21.440 --> 00:08:27.920 Urim and Tumim. And people don't even know the nature of these stones. Some imagine it to be black 00:08:27.920 --> 00:08:33.880 and white. And so the questions that they would ask God would be very simple. Shall we go to war? 00:08:33.880 --> 00:08:39.320 Shall we not go to war? And if it was yes, go to war, it would be the white stone that would come 00:08:39.320 --> 00:08:43.920 out. If it was no, don't go to war, it would be the black stone that came out. But it would be 00:08:43.920 --> 00:08:49.120 carried in a pouch on the breastplate of the high priest. Nobody really knows what it was about, 00:08:49.120 --> 00:08:55.760 but it was called Urim and Tumim. In Exodus 28-20, you read about it. So there was that, 00:08:55.760 --> 00:09:01.000 and then there was Moses. Of Moses, it was said in Exodus 33 verse 11 that he was a friend of God, 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:08.280 that God spoke to him as he spoke to a friend. Which would you rather have? Guidance-based God 00:09:08.280 --> 00:09:15.800 or God calls me friend? I mean, there's no comparison because one is a life that is 00:09:15.800 --> 00:09:24.040 dominated by the spirit. One is a life guided by the spirit. You see this in the case of Saul. 00:09:24.040 --> 00:09:31.520 King Saul did not know whether he should go to battle. And so what does he say? He says, 00:09:31.520 --> 00:09:36.560 he asks God. God does not answer. So what does he do? He says, bring me the Urim and Tumim. This is 00:09:36.560 --> 00:09:41.680 in 1 Samuel 14. And so they bring him the stones and he can't still figure out whether what God is 00:09:41.680 --> 00:09:47.800 saying. So what does he do? He gets upset. The thing with depending on God only for guidance is 00:09:47.800 --> 00:09:54.320 you won't even know when he's not your friend. Saul did not know that the spirit of God had left 00:09:54.320 --> 00:09:58.920 him. Saul did not know that his relationship was broken, but he definitely wanted answers. 00:09:58.920 --> 00:10:03.320 And when that happens, we begin to get more desperate where Christians indulge in a kind 00:10:03.320 --> 00:10:07.720 of divination where they go from prophet to prophet to prophet to find out what the will 00:10:07.720 --> 00:10:16.280 of God is because they've lost relationship and they're dull to it. So you can be acutely 00:10:16.280 --> 00:10:21.040 aware of your struggle to hear, but numbingly dull to the fact that your fellowship is broken. 00:10:21.040 --> 00:10:27.720 I hear so many people say that. I can't hear God. God doesn't speak to me. He's not coming 00:10:27.720 --> 00:10:31.160 through. I don't know why he doesn't speak to me. He speaks to you. He speaks to others, 00:10:31.160 --> 00:10:34.400 but he doesn't speak to me. I'm struggling to hear. I don't think he's interested in 00:10:34.400 --> 00:10:39.560 speaking to me. I don't think this hearing thing is real. Why not stop being so acutely aware of 00:10:39.560 --> 00:10:45.640 your not hearing and start becoming aware that perhaps you need to fix a relationship because 00:10:45.640 --> 00:10:49.880 it is in relationship that you begin to find out what the person is thinking. Otherwise, 00:10:49.880 --> 00:10:56.240 we might as well go and approach the witch of Endo, which is what Saul eventually did 00:10:56.240 --> 00:11:01.880 because he couldn't hear God. The Urim and Tumim were not working. Fellowship was broken. 00:11:01.880 --> 00:11:15.680 So where does he go? To a Spiritist. Any questions? I mean, in most circumstances, 00:11:15.680 --> 00:11:23.000 one would say that being led by the Spirit is finding the Spirit's guidance in decision-making. 00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:28.560 There's nothing wrong with that, guys. But in our context and in terms of what we are teaching 00:11:28.560 --> 00:11:35.640 now, we must understand that that is kindergarten, that we have to begin to graduate and have our 00:11:35.640 --> 00:11:51.520 lives dominated by the Spirit. Questions? Comments? It's a process. It'll never end. 00:11:51.520 --> 00:11:58.760 When Jocelyn turns 50 and I'm 105, I'll still be learning this. Only I'll be much better than 00:11:58.760 --> 00:12:09.840 I am right now. Nick will still be organizing my birthdays with Diana. I'll have lifetime 00:12:09.840 --> 00:12:16.080 membership in Denny's by then. That senior's discount will no longer apply. It'll be like 00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:26.880 free food. It'll be birthday every day at Denny's at least. This is not holy imagination. This is 00:12:26.880 --> 00:12:39.840 just imagination. Okay, the next thing that we need to look at being led by the Spirit is that 00:12:39.840 --> 00:12:45.920 to be led by the Spirit is to actively choose to stand on the side of the Spirit. To be led 00:12:45.920 --> 00:13:03.400 by the Spirit is to actively stand on the side of the Spirit over and against 00:13:03.400 --> 00:13:20.840 the flesh and the world or your old nature and the world. To be led by the Spirit is to actively 00:13:20.840 --> 00:13:27.080 stand on the side of the Spirit in all matters over and against the ways of the flesh and the 00:13:27.080 --> 00:13:34.760 world or the old nature and the world. To actively choose, to actively stand. So what does actively 00:13:34.760 --> 00:13:48.120 choose look like? To actively choose the Holy Spirit is to first respond to Him. So the first 00:13:48.120 --> 00:13:57.920 step is to respond. The second step is to depend. The third step is to cooperate. To actively choose 00:13:57.920 --> 00:14:03.880 the Holy Spirit, to actively stand with the Holy Spirit, to actively be led by the Holy Spirit is 00:14:03.880 --> 00:14:09.400 first to respond and it's impossible to respond to the Holy Spirit without having a knowledge of 00:14:09.400 --> 00:14:15.720 the Word. So to try and respond to the Spirit of God without having a knowledge of the Word is very 00:14:15.720 --> 00:14:24.880 very difficult. It's like trying to drive in the UK without knowing the rules of the road. Here you 00:14:24.880 --> 00:14:30.480 can manage. There they got these things called roundabouts and they got the wrong side of the road. 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:42.680 So to choose to stand with the Holy Spirit or to actively stand on the side of the Holy Spirit over 00:14:42.680 --> 00:14:46.000 and against the flesh and the world, these are three things that I have to practice on a regular 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:52.880 basis. I must respond. Every day I get an opportunity in every situation to respond either to the way of 00:14:52.880 --> 00:14:57.800 the Spirit or to the way of Jacob's old nature or to the way the world says I must respond. The second 00:14:57.800 --> 00:15:02.880 thing is once I begin to respond and I see aha so this is what you want I now need to learn how to 00:15:02.880 --> 00:15:07.560 depend on him in that area because his ways are very different from the ways that I would choose. 00:15:07.560 --> 00:15:12.760 His ways are very different from the ways the world would choose. Let me give you an example. 00:15:12.760 --> 00:15:19.800 Let's say you want to have great influence that you want to have wealth. The world would say work 00:15:19.800 --> 00:15:24.640 work work. The world would say take an extra job. The world would say hoard hoard hoard. The world 00:15:24.640 --> 00:15:30.320 would say invest invest put away in the bank. But what if the Spirit's way is hey you want to do 00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:35.640 well with wealth and become a conduit through which wealth can flow? Give away give away give 00:15:36.120 --> 00:15:43.800 away give away. That you don't go work work work. Promotion comes from me. Wealth comes from me. 00:15:43.800 --> 00:15:51.720 That you need to be generous and now your choice is do I respond to this or do I not? And then your 00:15:51.720 --> 00:15:57.120 second choice is now that I'm responding to it can I depend on him so that he can actually do 00:15:57.120 --> 00:16:03.720 this because this goes against the grain of my thinking. I was listening to a preacher on that 00:16:04.000 --> 00:16:10.200 God channel or whatever channel on Telus that brings God stuff and he was saying I just want 00:16:10.200 --> 00:16:18.200 you to know that God will supply our needs but he doesn't supply our wants and desires. And this 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:25.240 is a man who is an expert on wealth and Christian stewarding. And I'm thinking to myself okay so 00:16:25.240 --> 00:16:29.320 you took that scripture which says God will supply all your needs but you forgot that God is the 00:16:29.320 --> 00:16:36.400 father. The moment you remove God's fatherhood from any scripture what you have is an incomplete 00:16:36.400 --> 00:16:42.400 God who is like the gods of other religions. When was the last time your dad came and said to you 00:16:42.400 --> 00:16:46.160 when you were small I want you to know for the next 18 years I'll be supplying your needs but 00:16:46.160 --> 00:16:54.920 if you ever come to me with your wants and desires. So the moment you take away God from 00:16:54.920 --> 00:17:01.000 a scripture that scripture is incomplete. And there are thousands listening to this guy. 00:17:01.000 --> 00:17:10.920 And they never approach God with wants and desires and yet you're supposed to call him father. 00:17:10.920 --> 00:17:33.880 Could you pan on Don there for a second as he eats? Okay so actively choose to respond, 00:17:33.880 --> 00:17:38.080 actually choose to depend and then finally cooperate. And it's the same with philosophies 00:17:38.120 --> 00:17:43.480 of the world. There will be different philosophies in the world that you are asked to live by. You'll 00:17:43.480 --> 00:17:48.120 be asked to live by different philosophies as a teacher in the school, as a student in a school, 00:17:48.120 --> 00:17:56.880 as a pastor in a church, as a worker in business. You will be asked to adopt a certain philosophy 00:17:56.880 --> 00:18:03.400 and every time you're asked that you have to actively stand on the side of the spirit over 00:18:03.400 --> 00:18:09.080 and against the flesh in the world. And if you don't then it's a whole different outcome and we'll 00:18:09.080 --> 00:18:13.360 talk about that shortly. But we get this opportunity every day. This is what it is to be led by the 00:18:13.360 --> 00:18:18.280 spirit. Then guys guidance becomes very simple. It's just part of the parcel. You don't have to 00:18:18.280 --> 00:18:25.680 go to God for guidance you just know it. With regard to philosophies it's the case, with regard 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:30.200 to friends it's the case, with regard to trends it's the case, with regard to feelings it's the 00:18:30.200 --> 00:18:35.000 case, with regard to future prospects it's the case, with regard to finances I got the Oculus 00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:40.320 Quest from you right? That gift on my birthday. I got one situation now where I have to choose 00:18:40.320 --> 00:18:44.720 to actively stand on the side of the spirit over against the flesh in the world. And what's my 00:18:44.720 --> 00:18:51.600 dilemma? My dilemma is that almost every game in Oculus Quest has role playing in it which I have 00:18:51.600 --> 00:18:58.960 told people is a dangerous thing anyways or these games are so deeply fear-based that it creates 00:18:58.960 --> 00:19:05.440 problems for people. So now my thing is it's such a simple thing it's just a blooming game. Just 00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:12.120 watch it Jacob and stop making an issue out of it. But in everything I must take an active stand on 00:19:12.120 --> 00:19:18.400 the side of the spirit and the ways of the spirit. So it doesn't matter whether it's trends, whether 00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:28.400 it's friends, whether it's philosophies or whether it's finances, whether it's future prospects, 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:35.600 in all of them I need to take a stance. This is why Christianity is a counter culture and when it 00:19:35.600 --> 00:19:55.080 is not it loses its saltiness and if it loses its saltiness what is it worth? And so I have to decide 00:19:55.080 --> 00:20:01.400 whether I give in to my ways or whether I follow the ways of the spirit and there are two outcomes 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:07.040 always guys remember that two outcomes always and I want you to hear this so clearly two outcomes 00:20:07.040 --> 00:20:15.160 always and it's said so in John 6 33 and it says so in Galatians 6 verse 6 to 8. In John 6 33 it 00:20:15.160 --> 00:20:22.200 says it this way Jacob the flesh profits nothing the spirit gives life. In Galatians 6 verse 6 and 00:20:22.200 --> 00:20:29.080 8 the ante is upped a little and this is what God says Jacob do not be deceived God is not mocked 00:20:29.240 --> 00:20:34.920 as in hey Jacob I want you to know that don't fall into the deception that you can get away 00:20:34.920 --> 00:20:42.320 with anything you do I will not be mocked what a man sows that he will reap if he sows to the flesh 00:20:42.320 --> 00:20:49.880 he will reap destruction. I find that so stunning he doesn't use words like if you reap to the flesh 00:20:49.880 --> 00:20:55.120 you will get a few weeds or if you reap to the flesh you won't get a promotion no if you reap 00:20:55.120 --> 00:21:02.040 to the flesh you will if you sow to the flesh you will reap destruction but if you sow to the 00:21:02.040 --> 00:21:13.720 spirit you will reap life. Galatians 6 6 to 8 so there are two outcomes this is what being led by 00:21:13.720 --> 00:21:18.400 the spirit is and it's a marvelous thing because the spirit of God wants to raise up a community 00:21:18.400 --> 00:21:28.720 here on earth that is so different from the communities of the earth. Any questions? Do you 00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:41.560 find this an unreasonable expectation from God? Is it unreasonable to expect this? He is majesty, 00:21:41.560 --> 00:21:47.800 he is king of kings, he is Lord of lords, he is the holy one, he is creator, he thinks the neo-wise 00:21:47.800 --> 00:21:58.560 comet that Jeevan helped us spot two nights ago. I gotta tell you the story sorry. So Jeevan says 00:21:58.560 --> 00:22:06.800 to us come with me I am Jeevan the Comet Spotter that's his new name like Kony the circle drawer 00:22:06.800 --> 00:22:12.960 Jeevan the Comet Spotter and he says come with me and he does it come with me and we like fools 00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:22.800 follow him and so he takes us to this really dark place and he lines us up and so all three 00:22:22.800 --> 00:22:30.480 of us are lined up and he just glances at the sky like an expert comet spotter and he spots it and 00:22:30.480 --> 00:22:39.400 he says look behold and so so Jeevan, Derek and me like three students behold and so we are looking 00:22:39.400 --> 00:22:51.480 at it and we do see it we see in the sky slightly off yonder the comet with like a gray tail like a 00:22:51.480 --> 00:22:56.880 straight gray tail and we just said Jeevan you are the Comet Spotter Jeevan you are this Comet 00:22:56.880 --> 00:23:01.640 Spotter and fortunately I've taken my binoculars around and so each of us looked at it and we were 00:23:01.640 --> 00:23:07.520 fascinated that the others were trying so hard to spot it and we spotted it in a second and then 00:23:07.560 --> 00:23:12.360 I decided to look at it with my binoculars the strange thing is every time I look at it with 00:23:12.360 --> 00:23:22.880 my naked eye I can see it clearly but when I use my binoculars I can't see it so we tried it a few 00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:30.600 times and every time I tried it naked eye I can see it binoculars cannot see it and then we realized 00:23:30.600 --> 00:23:40.640 what we were looking at so it was this tree with a straight branch sticking out in the night so 00:23:40.640 --> 00:23:46.200 every time you look at it it looks like the tail of a comet going straight up but it's a tree that 00:23:46.200 --> 00:23:52.920 has shed leaves and it's this branch sticking out into the sky so every time I use my binoculars I 00:23:52.920 --> 00:24:02.520 can see the tree and no comet but every time I look with my naked eye I see the tree but one 00:24:02.520 --> 00:24:12.240 not to be disappointed by these things he took us to another spot and from there we started 00:24:12.240 --> 00:24:22.140 looking again using the binoculars and dawn spotted it he said oh man it is so bright and blue so 00:24:22.140 --> 00:24:31.140 unfortunately dawn was looking at a car in the distance I mean let me not go further I could tell 00:24:31.140 --> 00:24:39.220 you more but we have a message to do here do you want the comet spotted you want to take a bow no 00:24:39.220 --> 00:24:52.040 okay okay yeah so to be led by the spirit to be led by the spirit here's another thing that is 00:24:52.040 --> 00:25:06.380 critical to people who say they are being led by the spirit in their lives you will see that those 00:25:06.380 --> 00:25:16.580 that are led by the spirit move from legalism to liberty move from legalism to liberty as in 00:25:16.580 --> 00:25:24.760 they move from law keeping to keeping the law without keeping it they move from law keeping to 00:25:24.760 --> 00:25:30.980 keeping the law without keeping it as in they are no longer restrained by rules but they live 00:25:30.980 --> 00:25:39.200 by the rules because they love the rules and the rule-giver you cannot live by the rules unless 00:25:39.200 --> 00:25:48.100 you love the rule-giver it is impossible to keep a rule if you're only focused on the rule so 00:25:48.100 --> 00:25:55.560 one of the things that happens if you are led by the spirit to be led by the spirit means that you 00:25:55.560 --> 00:26:02.860 will move from legalism to liberty why because you rule move from keeping the rules to loving 00:26:02.860 --> 00:26:11.140 the rule-giver you move from keeping the rules to loving the rule-giver David got it David got it 00:26:11.140 --> 00:26:19.980 enlarge my heart Oh God that I may run in your laws what a statement enlarge my heart Oh God that 00:26:19.980 --> 00:26:31.540 I may run in your laws how cool is that this is why David knew how much latitude you had within 00:26:31.740 --> 00:26:39.300 the rules to change things up this man took the Ark of the Covenant out of the tent of meeting and 00:26:39.300 --> 00:26:48.100 put it under a tent on Mount Zion nobody dared do that this man decided that worship has to be 00:26:48.100 --> 00:26:57.060 changed it cannot go on as it did in the mosaic era and so he put 2,000 singers or more to sing 00:26:57.060 --> 00:27:05.900 to the Lord continuously he knew how to not break the rules and yet extend God's magnificence one 00:27:05.900 --> 00:27:13.020 of the things you have to ask yourself is and please don't think you are not legalistic you 00:27:13.020 --> 00:27:25.300 all are and I am too there are many areas where we keep rules without loving the rule-giver and 00:27:25.460 --> 00:27:31.820 every time you keep a rule without loving the rule-giver you will walk into legalism 00:27:31.820 --> 00:27:46.220 to be led by the Spirit is to move from legalism to liberty to move from the dread of God to the 00:27:46.220 --> 00:27:57.260 dread of grieving him because you like him too much you'll move from the dread of God which 00:27:57.260 --> 00:28:01.740 was the Old Testament way and sometimes even the New Testament way of functioning God will do this 00:28:01.740 --> 00:28:05.620 God will do that you move from the dread of God to the dread of grieving him because you can't 00:28:05.620 --> 00:28:11.780 bear the thought of hurting him because you're in a relationship now it bothers you when you do 00:28:11.780 --> 00:28:23.660 stuff that grieves him and you move from appeasement to sonship appeasement to sonship 00:28:23.660 --> 00:28:30.460 where you're no longer interested in doing a song and dance to make him happy but you are a son so 00:28:30.460 --> 00:28:35.060 you operate from that place you don't operate to appease him you operate from I have already 00:28:35.060 --> 00:28:40.140 pleased him and that has nothing to do with me but he has chosen to be pleased in me so I will 00:28:40.140 --> 00:28:46.940 continue to work from there appeasement and guys all this that we do with God is also reflected 00:28:46.940 --> 00:28:55.900 in our human relationships in marriages you will find this in father-son relationships you will 00:28:55.900 --> 00:29:04.460 find this in boss-employee relationships you will find this this is what Satan introduced right off 00:29:04.460 --> 00:29:11.780 in the garden did God actually say do not eat and so what does Eve do she turns it up a notch 00:29:11.780 --> 00:29:28.660 and says he said do not touch he never said that and the last one from religious caution from 00:29:28.660 --> 00:29:40.460 religious caution to holy abandon from religious caution to holy abandon I love David for this man 00:29:40.460 --> 00:29:45.380 if there was a guy who should have abided by the Old Testament laws he should have been the one but 00:29:45.380 --> 00:29:50.820 what does he do he goes to the temple and he says hey can I have the bread the bread that you put 00:29:50.820 --> 00:29:57.420 before God can I have it my soldiers are hungry can they have it he knew he knew what Jesus said 00:29:57.420 --> 00:30:03.900 later that the Sabbath was made for man not man for the Sabbath he knew he had this ability 00:30:03.900 --> 00:30:11.020 to move from religious caution to holy abandon but see you cannot move there if we are stuck in this 00:30:11.020 --> 00:30:20.540 place where we do not love the rule-giver being led by the Spirit frees us if you're if you're a 00:30:20.540 --> 00:30:27.540 former Pentecostal you got tons of this if you're a charismatic you got new ones 00:30:27.540 --> 00:30:37.300 if you're from India you definitely have them 00:30:37.300 --> 00:30:56.840 anything you do for God that lacks love and joy question it anything you do for God that lacks 00:30:56.840 --> 00:31:04.620 love enjoy question it anything you do for God that lacks love and joy question it and once you 00:31:04.620 --> 00:31:08.660 question it, begin to work on it, saying, Father, I'm doing this because you're God, 00:31:08.660 --> 00:31:12.160 but I'd like to do it with love and joy and right now I have neither of them or I've got 00:31:12.160 --> 00:31:15.940 one of them. Can you help me get to a place, Holy Spirit, where I do things because I love 00:31:15.940 --> 00:31:20.340 it and because I find it extremely joyful to do it. 00:31:20.340 --> 00:31:30.700 Guys, if we begin to live like this, the Bible says that those that are led by the Spirit 00:31:30.700 --> 00:31:36.060 of God are the sons of God or in other words what Romans 8 verse 14 is trying to say is, 00:31:36.060 --> 00:31:42.820 these are the distinguishing marks of a son of God. These are the distinguishing marks of a son 00:31:42.820 --> 00:31:48.100 of God. This is how they behave. That's what it says in Romans 8 14 and then in Romans 8 19, 00:31:48.100 --> 00:31:54.220 it says not only are these the distinguishing marks of the son of God, but creation is waiting 00:31:54.220 --> 00:32:01.180 for the revealing of the sons of God, as in the rest of humanity, both the trees and the fields 00:32:01.180 --> 00:32:08.940 and believers and unbelievers are waiting for someone to show them what the son of God really 00:32:08.940 --> 00:32:16.180 looks like, an unveiling of the King and the kingdom. If we are not led by the Spirit, we 00:32:16.180 --> 00:32:21.820 cannot unveil the King and the kingdom. When you are led by the Spirit, you unveil, you disclose 00:32:22.140 --> 00:32:26.820 the King and the kingdom and creation longs for it. Yes, there will be a day when it's all 00:32:26.820 --> 00:32:42.180 consummated, but even today creation longs for it. I remember going for a funeral years ago to a 00:32:42.180 --> 00:32:51.300 church close to Tunis place and it was a funeral and I prayed and it is a very traditional church 00:32:51.300 --> 00:32:56.140 and as I prayed people's eyes began to open and they started looking at me because they did not 00:32:56.140 --> 00:33:01.340 expect me to have a conversation with God. They expected me to pray, but I was having a conversation 00:33:01.340 --> 00:33:07.540 with my father and as the conversation continued during a funeral, people began to open their eyes. 00:33:07.540 --> 00:33:12.660 After that people came to me and said, how do you have a relationship with God? What was I doing 00:33:12.660 --> 00:33:19.500 there? I was being led by the Spirit to reveal to a people who are believers perhaps that there is 00:33:19.500 --> 00:33:30.540 a way that you can be with the Father. I had the youth pastor there come and say, how does this work? 00:33:30.540 --> 00:33:39.900 Long ago when I first became a believer, I used to go to a church where there used to be 00:33:39.900 --> 00:33:44.380 this pastor who I've said this before to many of you. He would come and stand in the front and if 00:33:44.380 --> 00:33:48.780 you arrived in the church early, you would think he was having a conversation with somebody. 00:33:49.580 --> 00:33:54.220 It was in a little chapel called Juffet Chapel. It was a US Navy chapel. If you got there early, 00:33:54.220 --> 00:33:59.260 you would find him talking to someone and you would marvel thinking, who's he talking to? 00:33:59.260 --> 00:34:08.220 Because it sounded too real, too real. There is in the heart of every man a need for this, a thirst for this. 00:34:12.380 --> 00:34:16.860 We must do this man, otherwise he's not unveiled, he's not disclosed, he's not revealed. 00:34:16.860 --> 00:34:18.860 Questions? 00:34:24.860 --> 00:34:35.860 Okay, the next bit is interesting. To be led by the Spirit is to allow him to raise and establish, 00:34:35.860 --> 00:34:56.860 raise and establish you in the pattern of God in Genesis 1. Raise and establish you in the pattern of God in Genesis 1. 00:34:56.860 --> 00:35:00.860 Guys, if you try listening to my preaching with your eyes closed, you may fall off to sleep. 00:35:00.860 --> 00:35:11.860 If that hat fits you, wear it. Because the preaching is brilliant, but it's hot and the fan is on you. 00:35:11.860 --> 00:35:20.860 So it's natural to fall off to sleep. So look at me, pretty captivating preacher. 00:35:20.860 --> 00:35:29.860 Look at this shirt man, nobody's commented on this shirt yet. Yeah, I know. 00:35:29.860 --> 00:35:37.860 I really upped my game in the last two weeks. Thank you, thank you. 00:35:37.860 --> 00:35:44.860 I've got two more shirts that I want to wear, so I'm thinking of doing a midweek service, because I'm not sure how long summer will last. 00:35:44.860 --> 00:35:48.860 I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Okay. 00:35:48.860 --> 00:35:56.860 To be led by the Spirit is to raise and establish you in the pattern of God in Genesis 1. 00:35:56.860 --> 00:36:02.860 And this is a pattern, guys. Think of it like this. 00:36:02.860 --> 00:36:10.860 If I ran a company and you knew the ethos, the vision that I have for the company, 00:36:10.860 --> 00:36:16.860 I would find it much easier to work with you than if you came to the company as an employee and just did what I told you. 00:36:16.860 --> 00:36:21.860 To be led by the Spirit is not just do what he told you, but to get into the mind of God saying, 00:36:21.860 --> 00:36:29.860 this is how you think. And the moment God sees that our shucks, you've gotten it, he takes you on different adventures. 00:36:29.860 --> 00:36:37.860 And so here's the way God works. This is a pattern. There are certain patterns that God just chooses to employ. 00:36:37.860 --> 00:36:43.860 And the pattern is, the first thing is subdue darkness and chaos. 00:36:43.860 --> 00:36:49.860 In most situations, this is how he acts in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. 00:36:49.860 --> 00:37:03.860 Second, rule or steward with a creative word. 00:37:03.860 --> 00:37:09.860 This is still what the Holy Spirit does because all this in Genesis 1 was accomplished by the Holy Spirit. 00:37:09.860 --> 00:37:27.860 Third, replicate and multiply after his nature and kind. 00:37:27.860 --> 00:37:45.860 Fourth, rest and let his principles go to work and perpetuate. 00:37:45.860 --> 00:37:55.860 This is something the Spirit of God longs to do with the church, longs to do with me, long to do with Jesus and was able to do with Jesus. 00:37:55.860 --> 00:38:03.860 This is what the Holy Spirit did in Genesis 1, did through David, did through Noah, did through Abraham. 00:38:03.860 --> 00:38:15.860 Always remember the Genesis mandate or the first two chapters of Genesis gives you a good idea of how God wants to do things here on earth. 00:38:15.860 --> 00:38:21.860 And if God is making a wheel, it's best to not reinvent it. 00:38:21.860 --> 00:38:26.860 This is how he went about doing things in Genesis 1. The first thing he did was not start creating. 00:38:26.860 --> 00:38:34.860 The first thing he did was, I have to subdue and undo the darkness and the chaos. Genesis chapter 1, verse 2. 00:38:34.860 --> 00:38:41.860 He finishes doing that and then in Genesis 1, 3, he says, all right, now let's start creating. 00:38:41.860 --> 00:38:49.860 Let me begin to rule and steward creation and let me do it with a creative word that's spoken from my mouth. 00:38:49.860 --> 00:38:57.860 Then in Genesis 1, 26, he says, all right, I've finished doing a lot. Now let me replicate and multiply my kind. 00:38:57.860 --> 00:39:03.860 And so in Genesis 1, 26, he says, all right, multiply, replenish the earth with my kind. 00:39:03.860 --> 00:39:10.860 I made them in my image. Now let them multiply after my kind. 00:39:10.860 --> 00:39:15.860 And then in Genesis chapter 2, verse 2, I was wondering why you guys were standing. 00:39:15.860 --> 00:39:25.860 And then in Genesis chapter 2, verse 2, I'm wondering why you guys are looking that way. 00:39:25.860 --> 00:39:31.860 This is being a servant pastor. And then in Genesis chapter 2, verse 2, rest. 00:39:31.860 --> 00:39:36.860 On the seventh day, chapter 2, verse 2, he says, I go into rest and I've finished what I need to. 00:39:36.860 --> 00:39:40.860 It says God finished all his works and now he went into rest. Why? 00:39:40.860 --> 00:39:46.860 Because he knew that the principles that he had established would cause whatever he had done to perpetuate. 00:39:46.860 --> 00:39:49.860 And this is a theme that the Holy Spirit follows. 00:39:49.860 --> 00:39:55.860 Let's take a story from Jesus's life or two stories from Jesus's life. 00:39:55.860 --> 00:40:02.860 Where is it? Luke chapter 7? Yeah, Luke chapter 7. 00:40:02.860 --> 00:40:11.860 The widow of Nine, a village called Nine, Jesus is walking towards the village and out comes a woman with a son who is dead. 00:40:11.860 --> 00:40:18.860 What does Jesus do first? In chapter 7, verse 12, he undoes what is dark and chaotic. 00:40:18.860 --> 00:40:22.860 He goes and revives the son. How does he revive the son? 00:40:22.860 --> 00:40:26.860 He revives the son by speaking a creative word, arise. What does he do next? 00:40:26.860 --> 00:40:30.860 Now that he's given life, he lets the son go back to his mother. 00:40:30.860 --> 00:40:37.860 What happens after that? The principle of giving life and bringing the dead back to life now causes the entire village to turn to Christ. 00:40:37.860 --> 00:40:42.860 Let's go to Mark chapter 5, where he has just landed on the shores of Gadarin. 00:40:42.860 --> 00:40:47.860 As he lands on the shores of Gadarin, a man comes out who is possessed by a legion of demons. 00:40:47.860 --> 00:40:51.860 What does Jesus do first? He undoes the chaos. What does he do after that? 00:40:51.860 --> 00:40:58.860 He speaks the word, casting the spirits out, and the man returns to his original condition, 00:40:58.860 --> 00:41:02.860 fully whole, absolutely free of possession. What does he do next? 00:41:02.860 --> 00:41:10.860 He says, do not come with me right now in the boat. I want you to go and I want you to tell people, multiply, tell people what I've done for you. 00:41:10.860 --> 00:41:18.860 The man goes. Chapter 7, verse 3, it says, chapter 7, verse 31, it says the man went throughout the region of Decapolis, 00:41:18.860 --> 00:41:23.860 the very place from which Jesus had been chased out because the pigs went into the water. 00:41:23.860 --> 00:41:31.860 He goes back in chapter 7, verse 31, to Decapolis and he finds that there are people that are willing to welcome him and have him heal those that are sick. 00:41:31.860 --> 00:41:37.860 This is a constant pattern in God. This is what we fail to do in Wally. 00:41:37.860 --> 00:41:42.860 This is why I said let's not go pray in Wally first because the first thing you want to do in any situation 00:41:42.860 --> 00:41:46.860 before you begin to rule Stuart is to first subdue darkness. 00:41:46.860 --> 00:41:52.860 Christians have a tendency to go and begin to rule Stuart with a creative word without subduing the darkness. 00:41:52.860 --> 00:41:59.860 Every time you face a situation here on earth, it is first required to subdue the darkness before you can rule and Stuart with a creative word. 00:41:59.860 --> 00:42:05.860 Learn this, Tooney. You've got to get this. You don't get this. You do not get to where you want to go. 00:42:05.860 --> 00:42:14.860 These are principles that have to be established in our lives. If you are leading, if you plan to do things in terms of nation cities, 00:42:14.860 --> 00:42:21.860 if you are given a charge where you have to fulfill things, then one of the things we have to learn is step one before step two. 00:42:21.860 --> 00:42:36.860 Any questions? 00:42:36.860 --> 00:42:47.860 For reasons that could partly be my fault or could partly not be my fault, we are not very good at this as a church. 00:42:47.860 --> 00:42:53.860 We may be good at this as individuals, but we haven't learned this well and this is something we need to learn. 00:42:53.860 --> 00:42:57.860 We've learned how to steward things. We've learned how to rule with a creative word. 00:42:57.860 --> 00:43:02.860 We've learned how to replicate and stick to a certain way of functioning. 00:43:02.860 --> 00:43:10.860 We've learned to rest really well where once we establish things, we hear God and we don't do an iota more and God is able to perpetuate 00:43:10.860 --> 00:43:19.860 sheerly through his principles, but the one area where this church is lacking is we do not know how to subdue darkness and chaos on a corporate level. 00:43:19.860 --> 00:43:27.860 We don't know that. 00:43:27.860 --> 00:43:39.860 Any questions? 00:43:39.860 --> 00:43:51.860 Guys, Paul said this, Jesus said this, David knew it, Moses knew it, that Paul said it this way, 00:43:51.860 --> 00:43:55.860 the world is under the sway of the evil one. 00:43:55.860 --> 00:44:04.860 Moses said it in Deuteronomy 32, Jesus said that the prince of darkness is here, that he does control things. 00:44:04.860 --> 00:44:13.860 Ephesians 6 talks about warfare is not against and so life and land will be contested. 00:44:13.860 --> 00:44:21.860 Life and land will be contested and if you do not know how to contest it and I do not know how to contest it, 00:44:21.860 --> 00:44:28.860 then there is no taking of life and land. 00:44:28.860 --> 00:44:40.860 Life and land will be contested. Your children will be contested. 00:44:40.860 --> 00:44:50.860 And so to not be able to subdue darkness and chaos just means that the enemy has less to struggle for. 00:44:50.860 --> 00:45:02.860 Just because it's contested does not mean that therefore he has reign. It just means that he will contest it. 00:45:02.860 --> 00:45:10.860 It's like putting that handkerchief in the circle and you both go run around it and you're circling around it. 00:45:10.860 --> 00:45:18.860 That's what it's like. It will be contested. All you have to do is flip the person away through skill and through strength and through experience and through practice. 00:45:18.860 --> 00:45:23.860 And the more you contest things, the more the enemy knows, leave this handkerchief alone, it's not worth it. 00:45:23.860 --> 00:45:29.860 Let's go and fight for some other handkerchief. 00:45:29.860 --> 00:45:42.860 And we have not learned this partly because we have not had opportunity to actually experience it on a level where everybody has an encounter where we learn this. 00:45:42.860 --> 00:45:57.860 We only can learn this through practice. 00:45:57.860 --> 00:46:04.860 Any questions? 00:46:04.860 --> 00:46:10.860 It irks me when people say, oh, we shouldn't pay attention to the devil. 00:46:10.860 --> 00:46:16.860 That is such a cop out. 00:46:16.860 --> 00:46:28.860 Pay enough attention to the enemy and pay absolute attention to your God. 00:46:28.860 --> 00:46:45.860 Okay. Just one more and we are done. 00:46:45.860 --> 00:46:55.860 You want more stories, Tooni? I'll tell you more one on one because I've got tons of stories where I've gone with Jeevan, I've gone with Derek, 00:46:55.860 --> 00:47:01.860 I've gone with Heidi and Sue, I've gone with Dano and Blessy, I've gone with what's your name? 00:47:01.860 --> 00:47:04.860 The guy on the outside, the guy playing the drums, Evan. 00:47:04.860 --> 00:47:15.860 I've gone with Dawn, I've gone with a few others to places where you could not do anything till you subdued chaos and darkness. 00:47:15.860 --> 00:47:18.860 Until you do that, you cannot progress. 00:47:18.860 --> 00:47:31.860 It's just you don't gain sufficient ground. 00:47:31.860 --> 00:47:47.860 Last principle, to be led by the spirit is to relinquish control. 00:47:47.860 --> 00:47:53.860 Guys, just before we go there, never learn at your own pace. 00:47:53.860 --> 00:47:55.860 It's a really bad idea. 00:47:55.860 --> 00:48:01.860 It would be like your kid saying, can I just do this whole school thing at my own pace? 00:48:01.860 --> 00:48:05.860 I mean, do I have to get through grade seven in one year? 00:48:05.860 --> 00:48:08.860 Let me just do it at my own pace. 00:48:08.860 --> 00:48:12.860 We don't do that in any other area except when it comes to Christianity. 00:48:12.860 --> 00:48:15.860 We'll do this at our own pace. 00:48:15.860 --> 00:48:17.860 It's a really bad idea. 00:48:17.860 --> 00:48:21.860 You'll get old. 00:48:21.860 --> 00:48:28.860 It's a sensitive word nowadays. 00:48:28.860 --> 00:48:40.860 So, the pace that God goes at is always, his strides are always a little more than you. 00:48:40.860 --> 00:48:45.860 I mean, my dad was short, but unfortunately when I was a kid I was shorter. 00:48:45.860 --> 00:48:51.860 And so, he would just walk fast and when he would start walking fast, I'd have to do this. 00:48:51.860 --> 00:48:58.860 Why? Because even his short strides were pretty big. 00:48:58.860 --> 00:49:00.860 God is like that. His strides are big. 00:49:00.860 --> 00:49:07.860 So, you can never come to a point where you're saying, well, me and God, we just are like that. 00:49:07.860 --> 00:49:10.860 No, his strides are always big. You may have to do some running always. 00:49:10.860 --> 00:49:14.860 But please don't take things at your own pace. 00:49:14.860 --> 00:49:17.860 It's a really bad idea because then you have to play catch up. 00:49:17.860 --> 00:49:20.860 In the last five months, you'll have to really catch up. 00:49:20.860 --> 00:49:23.860 It's a lot of fun, but you could have done it much better. 00:49:23.860 --> 00:49:25.860 Okay, last one. 00:49:25.860 --> 00:49:27.860 To be led by the Spirit is to relinquish control. 00:49:27.860 --> 00:49:33.860 God is always inviting you, inviting you to lose control. 00:49:33.860 --> 00:49:36.860 What an odd God. 00:49:36.860 --> 00:49:40.860 God is always inviting you to lose control. 00:49:40.860 --> 00:49:42.860 He's always saying, hey, Jacob, I want you to lose control. 00:49:42.860 --> 00:49:45.860 I don't want you to be in control. Relinquish control. 00:49:45.860 --> 00:49:47.860 He's inviting me every morning. 00:49:47.860 --> 00:49:50.860 He invites me saying, can I have this day as I want it? 00:49:50.860 --> 00:49:55.860 He won't force you, but he's always inviting you to lose control. 00:49:55.860 --> 00:50:01.860 Why? Because if I relinquish control, it allows God to help himself to more of me. 00:50:01.860 --> 00:50:08.860 If I relinquish control, it allows God to help himself to more of me. 00:50:08.860 --> 00:50:09.860 So I may have a plan. 00:50:09.860 --> 00:50:15.860 I may even have an appointment set a certain way. 00:50:15.860 --> 00:50:20.860 There's 10 minutes more. Don't bring her in right now. 00:50:20.860 --> 00:50:23.860 No, no, you can. Come, Jane. 00:50:23.860 --> 00:50:26.860 I may have a set agenda. I may have a set series of meetings. 00:50:26.860 --> 00:50:29.860 I may have two hours for this and two hours for that. 00:50:29.860 --> 00:50:35.860 And every morning I have to come actively to him and say, yes, I do have these and these are good, 00:50:35.860 --> 00:50:39.860 but I need to yield control to you so that should you want to change anything, 00:50:39.860 --> 00:50:47.860 you can help yourself to more of my life because I am relinquishing control. 00:50:47.860 --> 00:50:50.860 This is then when we can sing the song we sang, 00:50:50.860 --> 00:50:55.860 Take Me Deeper Than My Feet Could Ever Wander. 00:50:55.860 --> 00:50:58.860 That song will come alive only when you relinquish control. 00:50:58.860 --> 00:51:01.860 And we'll sing it at the end one more time. 00:51:01.860 --> 00:51:04.860 That song will only come alive when you relinquish control. 00:51:04.860 --> 00:51:10.860 Take Me Deeper Than My Feet Could Ever Wander will not happen if we do not yield control. 00:51:10.860 --> 00:51:13.860 Now here's the other thing about relinquishing control. 00:51:13.860 --> 00:51:16.860 Many of us in this church have relinquished control, 00:51:16.860 --> 00:51:19.860 but the thing with relinquishing control is this way. 00:51:19.860 --> 00:51:25.860 So you relinquish this much control and so your life is shot up. 00:51:25.860 --> 00:51:31.860 But now because you relinquished this much, you can stay here for the next four years. 00:51:31.860 --> 00:51:37.860 Relinquishing control must be continuous and as you do, you begin to scale up. 00:51:37.860 --> 00:51:43.860 What happens with many of us Christians is there are these moments when we relinquish control, 00:51:43.860 --> 00:51:47.860 but it is not a daily dying or denying of self. 00:51:47.860 --> 00:51:52.860 So it's in spurts. It will be during a conference, during an amazing teaching, 00:51:52.860 --> 00:51:55.860 which would be every Sunday sometimes. 00:51:55.860 --> 00:51:59.860 So then what happens is in between you do not. 00:51:59.860 --> 00:52:04.860 So don't. It is not enough that you relinquish control six months ago. 00:52:04.860 --> 00:52:07.860 You've got to go at it again. 00:52:07.860 --> 00:52:12.860 Because otherwise what happens is you stay there for the next many weeks. 00:52:12.860 --> 00:52:15.860 God is inviting you every day. 00:52:15.860 --> 00:52:18.860 Yep. 00:52:32.860 --> 00:52:38.860 It is very hard to repeat the whole question, but should we contend with darkness? 00:52:38.860 --> 00:52:40.860 Why is it that we aren't contending with it? 00:52:40.860 --> 00:52:43.860 Is it because there is less darkness or is it because we are less aware? 00:52:43.860 --> 00:52:47.860 I would say it's because we are less aware and when... 00:52:47.860 --> 00:52:49.860 No. 00:52:49.860 --> 00:52:52.860 I would say this church hasn't pushed... 00:52:52.860 --> 00:52:54.860 It's better to say this church than the pastor. 00:52:54.860 --> 00:53:00.860 I would say this church hasn't in that area created opportunities for people 00:53:00.860 --> 00:53:10.860 to exert their muscle when it comes to dealing with things of chaos and darkness. 00:53:10.860 --> 00:53:15.860 A few individuals do and that is good, but we haven't really been given opportunity 00:53:15.860 --> 00:53:22.860 in this church to practice it on a regular basis and that must change. 00:53:22.860 --> 00:53:27.860 Otherwise we'll have a few people who do it and others who don't. 00:53:32.860 --> 00:53:37.860 And sometimes the only way to learn how to bike is to fall off the bike and get a few cuts. 00:53:38.860 --> 00:53:42.860 No other way around it. 00:53:42.860 --> 00:53:49.860 And in your desire to protect your child from having a cut, he'll have to walk all his life. 00:53:49.860 --> 00:53:56.860 So that is something that this church must do if it needs to go where it's going. 00:53:56.860 --> 00:53:59.860 Yeah. 00:53:59.860 --> 00:54:04.860 To be led by the Spirit is relinquished control. 00:54:04.860 --> 00:54:06.860 God is always inviting you to lose control. 00:54:06.860 --> 00:54:08.860 It allows God to help himself to more of you. 00:54:08.860 --> 00:54:14.860 Second, yielding control is the evidence of a growing relationship of intimacy and trust. 00:54:14.860 --> 00:54:21.860 Yielding control is evidence of a growing relationship of trust. 00:54:21.860 --> 00:54:29.860 Yielding control is evidence of a growing relationship of intimacy and trust with God. 00:54:29.860 --> 00:54:36.860 Yielding control is evidence of a growing relationship of intimacy and trust with God. 00:54:36.860 --> 00:54:39.860 Or for that matter with your spouse. 00:54:42.860 --> 00:54:45.860 Or with a friend. 00:54:46.860 --> 00:54:52.860 It's easier to yield control as I get more intimate with somebody and I trust somebody more. 00:54:52.860 --> 00:54:54.860 I'm willing to. 00:54:57.860 --> 00:55:05.860 The line in the song says, when oceans rise, my soul will rest in your embrace. 00:55:05.860 --> 00:55:09.860 Yielding control is actually a surrender of your self-will. 00:55:09.860 --> 00:55:13.860 Surrender of your self-will. 00:55:13.860 --> 00:55:23.860 And if there is any idol that competes with Christ in the church, it is self-will. 00:55:23.860 --> 00:55:28.860 Yielding control is a surrender of self-will. 00:55:28.860 --> 00:55:31.860 So it's not easy to do. 00:55:31.860 --> 00:55:39.860 It is saying that this is what I will, but this is what I'm going to do because you're inviting me to yield control. 00:55:39.860 --> 00:55:47.860 To be led by the Spirit, there's an absolute necessity to relinquish control. 00:55:47.860 --> 00:55:50.860 And I'm going to do that. 00:55:50.860 --> 00:55:52.860 I'm going to do that. 00:55:52.860 --> 00:55:54.860 I'm going to do that. 00:55:54.860 --> 00:55:57.860 It's easy to relinquish control. 00:56:03.860 --> 00:56:05.860 I love the way I've written the next sentence. 00:56:05.860 --> 00:56:19.860 Yielding control will pair you, yielding control pairs you, like you pair your phone, pairs you with Christ Unlimited. 00:56:20.860 --> 00:56:25.860 Yielding control pairs you with Christ Unlimited. 00:56:25.860 --> 00:56:33.860 As in suddenly it's like the Bluetooth thing syncs and you are paired with Christ Unlimited. 00:56:33.860 --> 00:56:37.860 Yielding control pairs you with Christ Unlimited. 00:56:41.860 --> 00:56:44.860 It's tremendous as you begin to yield control. 00:56:44.860 --> 00:56:46.860 It pairs you with Christ Unlimited. 00:56:46.860 --> 00:56:48.860 Unlimited. 00:56:48.860 --> 00:56:50.860 Unlimited. 00:56:55.860 --> 00:56:57.860 And its rewards are generational. 00:56:57.860 --> 00:56:59.860 Its rewards are generational. 00:56:59.860 --> 00:57:03.860 Your children's children will enjoy your yielding of control. 00:57:05.860 --> 00:57:09.860 This is the whole idea of the song, Spirit lead me. 00:57:09.860 --> 00:57:15.860 Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders. 00:57:15.860 --> 00:57:20.860 Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders. 00:57:24.860 --> 00:57:35.860 The more you yield control, the more God will show you the areas that are hidden in your life that he now wants to change. 00:57:35.860 --> 00:57:38.860 The more you yield control, the more transparent you become. 00:57:38.860 --> 00:57:40.860 Remember that guys. 00:57:40.860 --> 00:57:43.860 The more you yield control, the more transparent you become. 00:57:43.860 --> 00:57:47.860 Because as you yield control, God will say, okay, now let me deal with this. 00:57:47.860 --> 00:57:49.860 And that goes away. 00:57:49.860 --> 00:57:52.860 And in that area you don't need to hide anything anymore. 00:57:59.860 --> 00:58:01.860 I'm not just talking about defective areas. 00:58:01.860 --> 00:58:03.860 I'm talking about areas of hurt. 00:58:03.860 --> 00:58:10.860 Where you were hurt so badly that you control that area so dominantly because you don't want to be hurt again. 00:58:10.860 --> 00:58:19.860 And as you begin to yield control, God begins to just take away the hurt in that area where no stimuli can provoke it anymore. 00:58:19.860 --> 00:58:23.860 And that's the beauty with yielding control. 00:58:23.860 --> 00:58:26.860 Life becomes more transparent. 00:58:29.860 --> 00:58:35.860 And you begin to pair or partner with Christ Unlimited. 00:58:37.860 --> 00:58:38.860 Christ Unlimited. 00:58:38.860 --> 00:58:43.860 Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders. 00:58:46.860 --> 00:58:52.860 You know, it's okay saying it to you guys. 00:58:52.860 --> 00:58:55.860 Sometimes I think I'm boastful, but I'm not. 00:58:56.860 --> 00:59:05.860 Guys, I don't want to write a book, but I want you to tell people of the stories that happened in my life before I die. 00:59:05.860 --> 00:59:12.860 I want you young adults to say, we knew a guy, but I'll be 105, so who knows whether you'll go first or I'll go first. 00:59:12.860 --> 00:59:18.860 But the point is you need to tell people that we knew a guy. 00:59:20.860 --> 00:59:24.860 And so I must get to a place where my trust is without borders. 00:59:26.860 --> 00:59:28.860 And then it'll be your turn to do the same. 00:59:29.860 --> 00:59:31.860 And then it'll be your turn to do the same. 00:59:41.860 --> 00:59:45.860 In every area, in every area. 00:59:46.860 --> 00:59:53.860 I assure you, man, as you yield control, God will put his finger on certain areas in your life and say, okay, Jacob, you've yielded control. 00:59:53.860 --> 00:59:55.860 You want me to do things, but we've got to get rid of this. 00:59:55.860 --> 00:59:56.860 Otherwise, this will come up again. 00:59:59.860 --> 01:00:02.860 So let's say it's in the area of finances. 01:00:02.860 --> 01:00:05.860 Great, Jacob, you're yielding control in the area of finances. 01:00:05.860 --> 01:00:12.860 But from now on, all the finances that come to you, are you willing not to keep back a cent of it and give all of it away? 01:00:12.860 --> 01:00:13.860 No, Lord. 01:00:13.860 --> 01:00:19.860 Well, let's work on that now so that your trust in the area of finances is without borders. 01:00:21.860 --> 01:00:23.860 I'll take care of you anyways. 01:00:23.860 --> 01:00:28.860 I'm walking on water or whatever. 01:00:31.860 --> 01:00:34.860 As you yield control, you will sense the delight of the spirit. 01:00:34.860 --> 01:00:39.860 As you yield control, you will sense the delight of the spirit. 01:00:39.860 --> 01:00:41.860 You will sense the delight of the spirit. 01:00:42.860 --> 01:00:49.860 As he leads you into situations beyond you, as he leads you into situations beyond you. 01:00:49.860 --> 01:00:53.860 As you yield control, you will sense the delight of the spirit. 01:01:00.860 --> 01:01:03.860 I don't know how you interpret the sense of delight of the spirit, 01:01:05.860 --> 01:01:11.860 but it'll almost be like him guffawing with delight and dancing on your head. 01:01:11.860 --> 01:01:18.860 You'll sense the delight of the spirit as he leads you into situations beyond you. 01:01:18.860 --> 01:01:22.860 You will fall into the habit of getting out of the boat and joining him. 01:01:22.860 --> 01:01:27.860 You will fall into the habit of getting out of the boat and joining him. 01:01:29.860 --> 01:01:31.860 I so look forward to life, guys. 01:01:31.860 --> 01:01:35.860 You'll get into the habit of getting out of the boat and joining him 01:01:36.860 --> 01:01:39.860 when he comes to you with the impossible. 01:01:39.860 --> 01:01:41.860 When he comes to you with the impossible. 01:01:41.860 --> 01:01:44.860 You see him and you're no longer talking to him. 01:01:45.860 --> 01:01:46.860 It's not possible. 01:01:47.860 --> 01:01:48.860 It's not possible. 01:01:48.860 --> 01:01:49.860 You're no longer talking to him. 01:01:50.860 --> 01:01:51.860 You're no longer talking to him. 01:01:52.860 --> 01:01:54.860 You see him and you don't talk to him. 01:01:55.860 --> 01:01:59.860 You see him again in a way that's all you have to do to get away from him. 01:01:59.860 --> 01:02:04.780 You see him and you no longer think he's a ghost because you know he's the Holy Ghost. 01:02:04.780 --> 01:02:06.540 You got familiar with him. 01:02:06.540 --> 01:02:11.300 You see him walking on the water and the rest of the boat is afraid but you get excited. 01:02:11.300 --> 01:02:16.460 Your heart begins to suddenly start thumping and you lift your foot over the side of the 01:02:16.460 --> 01:02:18.100 boat and you begin to walk towards him. 01:02:18.100 --> 01:02:21.700 And you're not walking towards him for the experience of walking on water. 01:02:21.700 --> 01:02:25.420 You're walking towards him because you know in your heart that he is coming to me with 01:02:25.420 --> 01:02:28.180 something else now that is impossible. 01:02:28.180 --> 01:02:32.900 And he and I now get to walk and trust without borders. 01:02:32.900 --> 01:02:36.040 That you get to pair with Christ unlimited. 01:02:36.040 --> 01:02:39.620 That you begin to see heaven on earth. 01:02:39.620 --> 01:02:44.140 That you begin to give people a taste of this is who God is. 01:02:44.140 --> 01:02:49.880 That you begin to have Christ leap out of the Bible into real flesh and blood. 01:02:49.880 --> 01:02:59.680 That the word becomes flesh finally not in Christ only but in you. 01:02:59.680 --> 01:03:03.280 This is what it is to be led by the Spirit guys. 01:03:03.280 --> 01:03:06.000 Blessed are you that you are as young as you are. 01:03:06.000 --> 01:03:09.080 Blessed are you that you are as old as you are. 01:03:09.080 --> 01:03:12.480 Blessed are we that we get to try this out. 01:03:12.480 --> 01:03:15.640 Yeah? 01:03:15.640 --> 01:03:18.200 Let me sing that song as you do. 01:03:18.200 --> 01:03:21.600 Do what you desire the song to do for you. 01:03:21.600 --> 01:03:45.440 Either in terms of yielding or control or... 01:03:45.440 --> 01:03:47.560 You rally your family. 01:03:47.560 --> 01:03:49.640 You rally your work. 01:03:49.640 --> 01:03:51.660 You rally your money. 01:03:51.660 --> 01:03:54.720 You rally your possessions and your wealth. 01:03:54.720 --> 01:04:00.020 And laid all down at the feet of Christ and the body. 01:04:00.020 --> 01:04:04.280 And he takes precedence in every situation. 01:04:04.280 --> 01:04:09.120 So once that happens and you have sought him and his ways first. 01:04:09.120 --> 01:04:13.400 Everything else that you have laid down is now pressed down shaken together and given 01:04:13.560 --> 01:04:16.320 right back to you many times over. 01:04:16.320 --> 01:04:24.280 And the things that choke out this kind of a life is the concerns that we have with these 01:04:24.280 --> 01:04:26.080 four things I mentioned. 01:04:26.080 --> 01:04:31.080 Family, work, possessions and money. 01:04:31.080 --> 01:04:32.080 Come up. 01:04:32.080 --> 01:04:33.080 Please. 01:04:33.080 --> 01:04:38.080 It's gonna be nice to you since you're going. 01:04:38.080 --> 01:04:39.080 Okay. 01:04:39.080 --> 01:04:52.080 Can you put the words up for the one we're gonna sing, Ocean? 01:04:52.080 --> 01:04:53.080 Oh, you're gonna sing? 01:04:53.080 --> 01:04:54.080 No, I'm not. 01:04:54.080 --> 01:04:55.080 No. 01:04:55.080 --> 01:04:56.080 Okay. 01:04:56.080 --> 01:04:57.080 Ew. 01:04:57.080 --> 01:05:01.760 Okay, so last year it was probably about this time. 01:05:01.760 --> 01:05:04.400 I remember it was a sunny day in the downtown east side. 01:05:04.400 --> 01:05:05.400 I was walking from... 01:05:05.400 --> 01:05:06.400 Sorry. 01:05:06.400 --> 01:05:17.160 So I was working, going to a visit and there was a... 01:05:17.160 --> 01:05:23.440 I was just walking close to Powell where it's on the one way and there was... 01:05:23.480 --> 01:05:27.520 I heard that song and I was like, that's weird because it's the downtown east side. 01:05:27.520 --> 01:05:30.720 You don't hear worship songs ever. 01:05:30.720 --> 01:05:40.200 And it was the verse, take me deeper than my feet would ever wander. 01:05:40.200 --> 01:05:43.200 I know it usually but... 01:05:43.200 --> 01:05:49.360 Yeah, anyways, it was that part of the song. 01:05:50.360 --> 01:05:59.320 And I heard this racket coming behind me and I looked and there is this woman riding. 01:05:59.320 --> 01:06:04.560 She did not look like she was in her right mind but she was like crazily riding up the 01:06:04.560 --> 01:06:09.920 street on this bike and she flew across the intersection at Powell. 01:06:09.920 --> 01:06:14.400 There was no walking light on, like to the point where I wanted to jump, like to stop 01:06:14.400 --> 01:06:15.880 her. 01:06:15.880 --> 01:06:20.080 And then she was on the wrong side of the road but this song was playing that exact 01:06:20.080 --> 01:06:22.160 verse. 01:06:22.160 --> 01:06:27.800 And I was like, that totally tells me exactly how you want us to... 01:06:27.800 --> 01:06:31.040 Yeah, go back just a second. 01:06:31.040 --> 01:06:37.800 Like how God wants us to live within his Holy Spirit. 01:06:37.800 --> 01:06:39.960 And as Jacob was talking, I was just like... 01:06:39.960 --> 01:06:41.960 She had this huge grin on her face. 01:06:41.960 --> 01:06:43.960 Of course, of course. 01:06:43.960 --> 01:06:45.960 I just wanted to read those words. 01:06:45.960 --> 01:06:48.960 She had a huge smile on her face. 01:06:48.960 --> 01:06:54.480 She was not scared whatsoever though other people, including myself, were like... 01:06:54.480 --> 01:06:56.480 I was like, she's gonna get hit by car. 01:06:56.480 --> 01:07:00.480 She totally went on the wrong side of the road when she crossed Powell. 01:07:00.480 --> 01:07:04.760 And then she just kind of disappeared around the corner with this song playing in the background. 01:07:04.760 --> 01:07:12.560 And since that time, I have thought of that picture every time I hear this song because 01:07:12.720 --> 01:07:16.440 I think that is how God wants us to live. 01:07:16.440 --> 01:07:23.680 Other people will be afraid for us because we're living really what appears to be crazy. 01:07:23.680 --> 01:07:27.760 I know there are people in our lives that think we're completely nuts. 01:07:27.760 --> 01:07:30.760 Like I gave... 01:07:30.760 --> 01:07:33.760 Sorry. 01:07:33.760 --> 01:07:40.320 I gave a notice for my job. 01:07:40.320 --> 01:07:45.080 We gave notice for a house to move. 01:07:45.080 --> 01:07:46.080 We have no job. 01:07:46.080 --> 01:07:48.080 We have no place to go. 01:07:48.080 --> 01:07:51.440 We're gonna book a moving truck. 01:07:51.440 --> 01:07:53.480 Our families think we're nuts. 01:07:53.480 --> 01:07:55.440 People at work think we're crazy. 01:07:55.440 --> 01:08:00.120 But we know that we know that God is leading us. 01:08:00.120 --> 01:08:09.120 So we have to ride with joy and peace knowing that God is ahead of us. 01:08:09.920 --> 01:08:10.920 I know. 01:08:10.920 --> 01:08:14.920 I don't look very joyful. 01:08:14.920 --> 01:08:23.720 But as Jacob was talking, I realized I have to look above the water, not at the water, 01:08:23.720 --> 01:08:27.640 and definitely know what's below because that's where everyone else is looking. 01:08:27.640 --> 01:08:30.760 We have to do this differently. 01:08:30.760 --> 01:08:33.120 And we need to ride like that woman. 01:08:33.120 --> 01:08:35.280 She didn't care what was coming at her. 01:08:35.280 --> 01:08:37.400 We're not coming at her. 01:08:37.480 --> 01:08:41.520 I was worried for what might come at her, and nothing did. 01:08:41.520 --> 01:08:46.640 She safely sailed around that corner with this song playing in the background. 01:08:46.640 --> 01:08:52.120 And I just totally felt on that day that God gave me that picture of what this needs to 01:08:52.120 --> 01:08:53.120 look like. 01:08:53.120 --> 01:08:54.120 Very cool, man. 01:08:54.120 --> 01:08:55.120 Thank you. 01:08:55.120 --> 01:08:58.120 It just didn't feel like I was supposed to share it whole today. 01:08:58.120 --> 01:08:59.360 Yeah, but it was perfect.