WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: The Intent of the Spirit Publishing Date: 2017-06-04T06:00:44-07:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/the-intent-of-the-spirit/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.840 It's the right day to talk about that. The intent of the spirit. 00:00:03.840 --> 00:00:14.800 So, most of us know Acts 2 quite well because we've read it in the past on many occasions. 00:00:14.800 --> 00:00:18.960 But one of the things that happens in... Hey, Wayne, am I taping? 00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:22.880 Because I think last week it didn't tape. 00:00:22.880 --> 00:00:28.720 Oh, it did? Oh, cool. The machine, yeah. 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:33.840 Maybe you got the master copy. 00:00:33.840 --> 00:00:35.840 Oh, okay. 00:00:35.840 --> 00:00:41.840 Okay. Well, then it taped. No worries. 00:00:41.840 --> 00:00:47.040 Oh, the week before you did. Okay. I knew there was some fault at your end. 00:00:47.040 --> 00:00:51.440 As long as blame can be assigned, I'm happy. 00:00:51.440 --> 00:00:54.960 I was beginning to feel guilty. I blamed you without reason. 00:00:54.960 --> 00:00:56.960 But thank God that feeling passed. 00:00:57.200 --> 00:00:59.360 Okay. The intent of the spirit. 00:00:59.360 --> 00:01:03.840 Guys, so if you go to Acts chapter 2, we know what happened in the upper room. 00:01:03.840 --> 00:01:07.200 But then I want to look at Acts chapter 2, verse 14ish. 00:01:08.400 --> 00:01:12.800 And that's when Peter stands up and that's where I want to start. 00:01:12.800 --> 00:01:15.920 And just examine. So what's the intent of the Holy Spirit? 00:01:15.920 --> 00:01:20.240 What's his intent? What does he want to do? Why did the Father have him come? 00:01:20.240 --> 00:01:24.480 And what's his intent? So we look at that more than anything else today. 00:01:24.560 --> 00:01:30.960 And fabulous, man. So if you go to Acts 2, verse 14, this is when Peter stands up. 00:01:32.240 --> 00:01:37.520 Then Peter stood up with the leaven and raised his voice and addressed the crowd. 00:01:38.800 --> 00:01:42.400 Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you. 00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:46.720 Listen carefully to what I'm saying. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. 00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:51.760 It's only nine in the morning. No, this is what was spoken of by the prophet Joel. 00:01:52.480 --> 00:01:57.440 In the last days, God says, I'll pour out my Spirit on all people. 00:01:57.440 --> 00:02:01.040 Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. 00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:05.360 Even on my servants, both men and women, I'll pour out my Spirit in those days. 00:02:05.360 --> 00:02:10.400 And they will prophesy. Man, I read so flat, eh? 00:02:10.400 --> 00:02:14.720 If Chris read this, it would almost seem like the Holy Spirit was here. 00:02:17.040 --> 00:02:20.800 Well, we shall survive. I will show wonders in the heaven above 00:02:20.880 --> 00:02:24.560 and signs on the earth below. Blood and fire and billows of smoke. 00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:27.840 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great 00:02:28.880 --> 00:02:32.720 and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 00:02:32.720 --> 00:02:36.640 And so he borrows this from Joel, chapter 2, verses 28 to 32. 00:02:36.640 --> 00:02:39.840 And that's how he begins to explain the intent of the Holy Spirit. 00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:43.200 And we'll just look at those four verses and take it from there. 00:02:43.200 --> 00:02:48.480 So if you want to go to Joel 2, verse 28 to 32, because we rarely visit Joel. 00:02:48.480 --> 00:02:53.040 So let's go to Joel. I bet you don't know where it is. 00:02:59.040 --> 00:03:03.200 Anyone found it yet? On your phone or in the Bible? 00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:10.160 Really? I haven't found it yet. Oh, okay. Yeah, got it. 00:03:12.240 --> 00:03:17.200 Yeah, Joel 2, verse 28. So just keep a finger there and then we move on. 00:03:17.200 --> 00:03:25.760 Guys, so the first intent that God had with the Spirit of God coming onto the earth is this. 00:03:30.480 --> 00:03:36.720 First intent was whosoever. I mean, when Jesus walked the earth, 00:03:38.080 --> 00:03:43.680 he was just in one physical place at one physical time. It was impossible for people to really 00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:48.480 have him when they wanted him. He could hang out at the most with a few people. 00:03:49.440 --> 00:03:53.440 If he called them home, he had a small home. He probably couldn't take people home either. 00:03:54.080 --> 00:03:58.960 And so there is Jesus who's physically limited as he walked the earth as Jesus of Nazareth. 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:04.880 But God's plan was much bigger. His intent was whosoever calls on the name of Jesus Christ 00:04:04.880 --> 00:04:11.600 must get what is most personal to me. That's the beauty of this, huh? That God wanted people to 00:04:11.600 --> 00:04:21.760 receive the most personal thing to him. Yes, so there was his son and his son was the joy of his 00:04:21.760 --> 00:04:26.560 eye. He was the apple of his eye, beloved son. But there was something far more personal that 00:04:26.560 --> 00:04:31.520 God had that he wanted to give. But he couldn't give it away until Jesus Christ died for us. 00:04:33.760 --> 00:04:40.880 It does not get more personal than God's own Spirit being given to people like you and I. 00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:48.400 It doesn't get more personal than that. I mean, what can you give away that is absolutely the 00:04:48.400 --> 00:04:53.840 essence of you? Not your money, not even your sons or daughters. Hey, can you take the echo off a 00:04:53.840 --> 00:04:59.760 little? Not even your sons and daughters. It's none of that. The most personal thing that you can 00:04:59.760 --> 00:05:05.760 give away the essence of who you are is your spirit. And to give that away, you need people 00:05:05.760 --> 00:05:11.520 that you can trust, people that you know will handle you with care. But God instead of giving 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:18.000 says, whosoever receives Jesus Christ, I'll give you the most personal part of me and that's the 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:24.880 Holy Spirit. It doesn't get more personal than that. This is why Jesus said, you can blaspheme 00:05:24.880 --> 00:05:29.920 the father, you can blaspheme the son, but don't go around saying things about the Spirit because 00:05:29.920 --> 00:05:34.400 he is the essence of who the father is. There is nothing that gets more personal than the Spirit 00:05:35.280 --> 00:05:38.720 1 Corinthians 2 puts it this way, who knows the thoughts of man? 00:05:40.400 --> 00:05:45.920 Best. And the answer is the Spirit of man knows the thoughts of man best. And then it goes on to say, 00:05:45.920 --> 00:05:52.880 who knows God best? And it doesn't say Jesus Christ. It says God's Spirit knows God best. 00:05:52.880 --> 00:05:58.720 And he says, it is this Spirit, Jacob, that I absolutely freely in fullness, 00:05:59.280 --> 00:06:01.200 I'm willing to give you if you're willing to receive him. 00:06:02.160 --> 00:06:10.080 What this does is it's almost like it's almost like any distance between the father and I 00:06:10.080 --> 00:06:14.080 is suddenly completely removed because I'm connected by the Spirit suddenly. 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:21.520 I mean, I have a belt, but I don't want to take it off. But anyone wants to give them give me their belt? 00:06:31.760 --> 00:06:32.560 I need my belt. 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:41.360 This is not church property. Basically, I wanted to show you how Jesus whipped people out of the 00:06:41.360 --> 00:06:51.760 temple. No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding. Guys, if this is heaven and this is you, as long as the Spirit of 00:06:51.760 --> 00:06:56.720 God wasn't on earth, Jesus could go up and down this belt and help you occasionally by being in 00:06:56.720 --> 00:07:02.000 one place at one time. The moment the Holy Spirit came, the distance between heaven and earth was 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:07.120 completely taken away. You used to be here, God used to be there, there used to be a distance. 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:13.120 And suddenly, that's completely removed where you and God are one spirit, man. Distance is 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:18.080 completely removed. There is zero distance between God and you. I know I could have done this without 00:07:18.080 --> 00:07:23.920 the belt, but somehow it made sense to do it with the belt that all distance is covered when the 00:07:23.920 --> 00:07:30.320 Spirit of God comes. 1 Corinthians 6 17 says, you become one with the Spirit of God. We keep looking 00:07:30.320 --> 00:07:37.200 for God somewhere out there. When God so desperately wants to convey to me, take him, I am forever with 00:07:37.200 --> 00:07:44.000 you and I'm not far away. This is why it says, how do you get saved? You get saved by believing in 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:48.960 your heart and confessing with your mouth. God is no distant star. He's right here with us. One of 00:07:48.960 --> 00:07:53.280 the things the Spirit does is bring the Father into your life, bring the Son into your life. 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:58.800 There's no distance. We've got to stop looking for things outside of us. 00:08:00.960 --> 00:08:08.320 God so wants to keep leading me by speaking inside of me and he says, whosoever, I'm willing to come. 00:08:09.120 --> 00:08:13.360 And God's first intent when he sent the Holy Spirit was not to make us better people or better 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:18.720 Christians. His first intent when he sent the Holy Spirit was very simple. I want to be able to give 00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:26.160 you the ability to cry out, Abba Father, like my son Jesus did. The primary intent of the Holy 00:08:26.160 --> 00:08:31.440 Spirit coming was not to make us better Christians. The primary intent of the Holy Spirit coming was 00:08:31.440 --> 00:08:39.600 to help us see how God sees us. To help us see how God sees us. One of the things the Holy Spirit 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:45.120 does, you read Romans 8 15 and it says, I have not given you the Spirit of bondage. I have given you 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:49.520 the Spirit of fear. I haven't given you the Spirit of the world, but I have given you a Spirit that 00:08:49.520 --> 00:08:54.960 begins to call out from within you. And what is the call? What is the cry? The cry is Abba Father. 00:08:57.440 --> 00:09:01.840 And so given the fact that if you are a Christian, you have the Spirit of God in you, 00:09:01.840 --> 00:09:09.680 every morning the first thing you must behold is not God, not Savior, not Lord. The first cry that 00:09:09.680 --> 00:09:15.360 should come out of you is Abba Father. If you don't know Him as Father, and I think I said this 00:09:16.000 --> 00:09:19.680 last week, if you don't know Him as Father, then you don't know the Christian God. 00:09:21.760 --> 00:09:26.240 And if you can't approach Him as son or daughter, then your relationship needs to be improved. 00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:30.320 Because the primary intent of the Holy Spirit coming on the earth was, I want to give you the 00:09:30.960 --> 00:09:34.720 Abba cry. Go to Romans 8 15. It says it so well. Romans 8 15. 00:09:37.680 --> 00:09:38.720 Romans 8 15. 00:09:45.600 --> 00:09:50.800 Romans 8 15. Here's what it says, For you did not receive a Spirit that makes you a slave again to 00:09:50.800 --> 00:09:56.800 fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by Him we cry Abba Father. The Spirit Himself 00:09:56.800 --> 00:10:02.400 testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. This is what the Spirit of God primarily 00:10:02.400 --> 00:10:10.160 does. Begin every morning with the Father cry. Not the God cry, not the Lord cry, not the Savior cry. 00:10:10.160 --> 00:10:19.280 That's done. Hey Noah, I didn't know you were here. Hi Noah. But start with the Abba cry. 00:10:19.280 --> 00:10:23.760 Start with the Abba cry. Thanks Jonah. Sorry. 00:10:27.280 --> 00:10:32.880 He elevates me to the same richness of relationship that exists between Father and Son. 00:10:32.880 --> 00:10:38.960 He elevates me to the same richness of relationship that exists between Father and Son. 00:10:39.920 --> 00:10:44.480 He elevates me to the same richness of relationship that exists 00:10:44.480 --> 00:10:48.240 between Father and Son. Your intent while you walk the earth should be, 00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:54.360 Oh God, a day should come before I die where I am able to connect with you as intensely 00:10:54.360 --> 00:11:00.600 and as intimately as Jesus himself connected with you. 00:11:00.600 --> 00:11:01.960 That's where we are heading. 00:11:01.960 --> 00:11:07.840 Anything less than that would just be Christian. 00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:12.200 Who wants Christian? 00:11:12.200 --> 00:11:17.680 You can get that in any church. 00:11:17.680 --> 00:11:20.600 That's the primary intent of God and it applies to whosoever. 00:11:20.600 --> 00:11:24.440 Anybody who calls upon him gets this privilege. 00:11:24.440 --> 00:11:27.920 And here's the thing, when he gave you the Spirit, one of the things he wanted to let 00:11:27.920 --> 00:11:31.320 you know is, hey, now that I've given you my Spirit, now that I've given away the most 00:11:31.320 --> 00:11:37.000 personal part of me, you can know anything you want about me. 00:11:37.000 --> 00:11:39.120 All of me is open for you to take. 00:11:39.120 --> 00:11:45.460 I mean, just imagine you going standing before someone who's not part of your family yet 00:11:45.620 --> 00:11:48.220 and they have now just become part of the family. 00:11:48.220 --> 00:11:49.220 They don't know you yet. 00:11:49.220 --> 00:11:51.220 They still have wrong thoughts about you. 00:11:51.220 --> 00:11:52.540 They're still hostile to you. 00:11:52.540 --> 00:11:56.660 And you go open up your life and you say, hey, here I am. 00:11:56.660 --> 00:11:58.540 There's nothing that I've held back. 00:11:58.540 --> 00:12:00.920 I gave my son and you thought that was a big deal. 00:12:00.920 --> 00:12:02.620 Now let me tell you something else I've given you. 00:12:02.620 --> 00:12:06.580 I've given you the most personal part of me and that is my Spirit. 00:12:06.580 --> 00:12:10.340 And you can have anything and everything that you want of me. 00:12:10.340 --> 00:12:15.220 And if that is the invitation that the Father is giving you and I, then it is required, 00:12:15.220 --> 00:12:18.700 it is demanded of us that we take advantage of that. 00:12:18.700 --> 00:12:22.100 Exploit the Father's goodness, guys. 00:12:22.100 --> 00:12:26.620 Exploit him. 00:12:26.620 --> 00:12:29.300 Exploit him. 00:12:29.300 --> 00:12:30.300 You know, we get scared. 00:12:30.300 --> 00:12:31.700 I think I told you the story. 00:12:31.700 --> 00:12:36.440 Someone once wrote to me and sent me their bank account and their PIN number and everything 00:12:36.440 --> 00:12:40.060 and they said, you've blessed us. 00:12:40.060 --> 00:12:42.940 Here is our bank account and here's our PIN number. 00:12:42.980 --> 00:12:49.580 And feel free to put your hand into our account and take whatever you want. 00:12:49.580 --> 00:12:51.420 Freak me out, man. 00:12:51.420 --> 00:12:53.220 I started doing the pastoral thing. 00:12:53.220 --> 00:12:58.380 Oh, let the Lord lead you in whatever you want to give and all those nice things that 00:12:58.380 --> 00:12:59.980 you say when someone does that. 00:12:59.980 --> 00:13:03.800 And they said, no, we won't make it easy for you. 00:13:03.800 --> 00:13:04.940 Here is our bank account. 00:13:04.940 --> 00:13:06.300 Here is our PIN number. 00:13:06.300 --> 00:13:12.040 Put your hand and take what you want. 00:13:12.140 --> 00:13:20.160 And then after you've taken once, put your hand again and take something for Acts 29. 00:13:20.160 --> 00:13:22.280 Scares you when someone does that. 00:13:22.280 --> 00:13:25.080 But in a sense, that's what God has done. 00:13:25.080 --> 00:13:33.160 He's saying, put your hand in and take what you want. 00:13:33.160 --> 00:13:37.000 This is why, get up tomorrow morning and go hungry. 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:39.240 Go hungry. 00:13:39.240 --> 00:13:43.240 Make sure you're starving tonight because tomorrow morning you can go and take what 00:13:43.240 --> 00:13:44.240 you want. 00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:50.260 John 14, 26, Jesus actually says, hey, the Spirit will take from what is mine and give 00:13:50.260 --> 00:13:51.260 it to you. 00:13:51.260 --> 00:13:54.620 And then just so people don't misunderstand, he says, the reason I say the Spirit will 00:13:54.620 --> 00:13:58.440 take everything that is mine and give it to you is because everything the Father has is 00:13:58.440 --> 00:14:00.280 mine. 00:14:00.280 --> 00:14:06.160 Which is why I'm saying to you, Jesus says in John 14, 26 and John 16, 13, or 16, 13, 00:14:06.160 --> 00:14:09.720 he says, he'll give you everything that is mine. 00:14:09.720 --> 00:14:10.720 Everything guys. 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:16.240 You know, the thing with God is he uses words so carefully. 00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:20.960 When he says everything, he actually means, what do you want Jacob out of who I am and 00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:21.960 who is he? 00:14:21.960 --> 00:14:23.240 You can't even answer that. 00:14:23.240 --> 00:14:26.080 Who I am is I am man. 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:28.280 There is nothing before or after. 00:14:28.280 --> 00:14:29.800 What a name for a person to have. 00:14:29.800 --> 00:14:30.800 Hey, what's your name? 00:14:30.800 --> 00:14:31.800 I am. 00:14:31.960 --> 00:14:37.960 And then to think that Moulton Canadian Beer borrowed that? 00:14:37.960 --> 00:14:38.960 I am. 00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:44.040 So what do you want? 00:14:44.040 --> 00:14:48.360 All I'm trying to persuade us is to understand that tomorrow when you get up, take more than 00:14:48.360 --> 00:14:50.160 you've ever taken. 00:14:50.160 --> 00:14:55.080 You know, when finally I had the guts, I went and started asking the Lord, Father, so they 00:14:55.080 --> 00:14:58.840 got this bank account and I saw there was a whole lot of money there that frightened 00:14:58.840 --> 00:14:59.840 me even more. 00:15:00.240 --> 00:15:03.640 Because if it was $20, I could have taken $15 and been happy and let them survive on 00:15:03.640 --> 00:15:04.640 five. 00:15:04.640 --> 00:15:06.800 But now there was a whole lot of money. 00:15:06.800 --> 00:15:07.800 How do you handle it? 00:15:07.800 --> 00:15:10.960 And I was asking God, so Father, how do you want me to go about this? 00:15:10.960 --> 00:15:13.920 I felt him giving me a specific figure to it, so I took that out. 00:15:13.920 --> 00:15:16.640 And then I went again and decided how to take out for Acts 29. 00:15:16.640 --> 00:15:19.680 Took out $1500 for Acts 29 and gave it to Heidi. 00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:29.480 Tomorrow morning, make sure that you get up and say, Holy Spirit, I'm here. 00:15:29.480 --> 00:15:32.080 You are God's own spirit. 00:15:32.080 --> 00:15:36.320 I want to reach into God and take what I've never taken, explore what I've never explored, 00:15:36.320 --> 00:15:39.080 plumb the depths of God like I've never done it before. 00:15:39.080 --> 00:15:46.000 Guys, the saddest thing on earth or the poorest man or woman on earth is a man who has come 00:15:46.000 --> 00:15:52.160 into sufficiency and floats on God's goodness without diving into his heart with a passion 00:15:52.160 --> 00:15:53.400 that a hungry man has. 00:15:53.400 --> 00:15:55.040 Let me say that again. 00:15:55.080 --> 00:16:03.880 A poor man or a poor woman is a man or a woman who has come to a place of sufficiency. 00:16:03.880 --> 00:16:12.160 Life is going well and they float on the goodness of God, but they never dive in to retrieve 00:16:12.160 --> 00:16:16.480 the pearls from the bottom of the ocean, from the bottom of God's heart. 00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:22.760 And there are hundreds and hundreds of Christians who've come to a place of sufficiency. 00:16:22.760 --> 00:16:24.920 You can never be sufficient in God. 00:16:24.920 --> 00:16:25.920 It's impossible. 00:16:28.400 --> 00:16:34.400 Because there are depths to plumb for the rest of eternity. 00:16:34.400 --> 00:16:37.720 But so many of us come to a place where we are sufficient. 00:16:37.720 --> 00:16:42.200 Life is going well, things are well arranged, business is good, Christianity is good, work 00:16:42.200 --> 00:16:44.960 is good, marriage is good, everything is sufficient. 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:48.400 And these are the poorest people on earth because they're floating on the goodness of God. 00:16:49.400 --> 00:16:55.000 And God for some strange reason will continue to be good to you because that's his nature. 00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:58.160 But you float on the goodness of God, never diving in. 00:16:58.160 --> 00:17:03.040 When you go to Bahrain, you'll find these boats called the dowels, which basically skim 00:17:03.040 --> 00:17:06.920 the surface and then these guys just dive into the waters because one of the things 00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:09.600 Bahrain is famous for are pearls. 00:17:09.600 --> 00:17:12.240 And they dive into the water to retrieve pearls. 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:13.800 That is what God wants, eh? 00:17:13.800 --> 00:17:16.440 And only a man who is hungry can do that. 00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:21.560 If sufficiency is where you've come to, you are cursed. 00:17:21.560 --> 00:17:23.120 I know that's a harsh statement. 00:17:23.120 --> 00:17:27.920 But if sufficiency is where you and I have come to and where you and I are living, we 00:17:27.920 --> 00:17:28.880 are cursed. 00:17:31.880 --> 00:17:34.120 Never settle for sufficiency. 00:17:34.120 --> 00:17:36.720 It's a really ugly place to live. 00:17:36.720 --> 00:17:40.120 Really ugly place to live. 00:17:40.120 --> 00:17:45.840 It's when you start eating the good of the land without working with the Father. 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:52.240 Here is your father farming away and you produce tomatoes and cucumbers. 00:17:52.240 --> 00:17:53.240 No. 00:17:53.240 --> 00:17:58.720 Let's assume the father is a shepherd who has cattle, beef and goats. 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:01.720 The whole idea of cucumbers and tomatoes was putting me off. 00:18:01.720 --> 00:18:06.240 But let's assume he's digging away the land. 00:18:06.240 --> 00:18:09.720 He's producing cucumbers and tomatoes and onions and stuff like that. 00:18:09.720 --> 00:18:12.240 Onion is a fruit or a vegetable? 00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:13.320 Okay. 00:18:13.320 --> 00:18:14.320 Tomatoes are a fruit, by the way. 00:18:14.320 --> 00:18:15.320 Did you know that? 00:18:15.800 --> 00:18:16.800 Yeah. 00:18:16.800 --> 00:18:21.920 And he's cultivating that and you as a son, because he's good, will eat the good of the 00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:25.480 land but you and I will not work with the Father. 00:18:25.480 --> 00:18:32.120 That kind of living will get you to heaven but it will suck here on earth. 00:18:32.120 --> 00:18:39.920 May we guys who are sitting here never, never, ever come to a place of sufficiency and stay 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:42.920 there. 00:18:42.920 --> 00:18:44.920 Refuse sufficiency. 00:18:44.920 --> 00:18:50.040 Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord, I'll open my heart to them and give them whatever 00:18:50.040 --> 00:18:51.560 they want. 00:18:51.560 --> 00:18:53.440 Whatever they want. 00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:59.920 Second thing he promised, the second intent of the Holy Spirit was a guarantee. 00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:12.920 And it says in 2 Corinthians 1.22, it says that, 00:19:13.920 --> 00:19:17.920 2 Corinthians 1.22, it says, 00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:23.920 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. 00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:28.920 He anointed us, set a seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a 00:19:28.920 --> 00:19:31.920 deposit guaranteeing what is to come. 00:19:31.920 --> 00:19:36.920 He anointed us, set a seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a 00:19:36.920 --> 00:19:38.920 deposit guaranteeing what is to come. 00:19:38.920 --> 00:19:41.920 The seal that's mentioned there was the kind of seal that was used when you buy property. 00:19:41.920 --> 00:19:46.920 The moment you buy property, the title deed will be sealed as in this property belongs 00:19:46.920 --> 00:19:47.920 to you. 00:19:47.920 --> 00:19:52.920 And here's what God is saying, hey, now that you've received my son, I want to seal you 00:19:52.920 --> 00:19:55.920 as my property, as God's property. 00:19:55.920 --> 00:19:57.920 I want to seal you as my property. 00:19:57.920 --> 00:20:01.920 But I'm not going to take hot wax and mark you 777. 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:03.920 I'm going to do something better. 00:20:03.920 --> 00:20:10.920 I'm going to take my Spirit and seal you with my Spirit as a down payment for the future. 00:20:10.920 --> 00:20:14.920 And for long the church has said, the down payment for the future, the Holy Spirit has 00:20:14.920 --> 00:20:15.920 sealed us for heaven. 00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:17.920 It's not for heaven that we were sealed. 00:20:17.920 --> 00:20:21.920 If you go to Ephesians 1, 13 and 14, you'll see why we were sealed. 00:20:21.920 --> 00:20:24.920 Ephesians 1, 13 and 14. 00:20:24.920 --> 00:20:27.920 Ephesians 1, 13. 00:20:27.920 --> 00:20:29.920 Guys, by the way, I'm going to Abu Dhabi. 00:20:29.920 --> 00:20:32.920 It's good that we're going to plant a church. 00:20:32.920 --> 00:20:34.920 We're planting a church in Abu Dhabi. 00:20:34.920 --> 00:20:36.920 How are we going about it? 00:20:36.920 --> 00:20:43.920 About two months ago, two and a half months ago, a fellow called up this guy who's in 00:20:43.920 --> 00:20:44.920 the church in Bahrain. 00:20:44.920 --> 00:20:46.920 And this is a young guy who runs a business there. 00:20:46.920 --> 00:20:50.920 He and his wife, their parents live with them. 00:20:50.920 --> 00:20:58.920 A fellow called up and said, do you want to move from Bahrain to Abu Dhabi to start a church? 00:20:58.920 --> 00:21:04.920 That's a ridiculous thing to ask, to leave there, to leave the place where you have a 00:21:04.920 --> 00:21:07.920 business, where they're living with their parents, move to another country, even though 00:21:07.920 --> 00:21:10.920 it's only an hour or so away. 00:21:10.920 --> 00:21:15.920 I called and I said, hey, guys, this is a big app. 00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:17.920 And it's completely open. 00:21:17.920 --> 00:21:25.920 He said, no, we've got to move to Abu Dhabi because we want to plant a church there. 00:21:25.920 --> 00:21:26.920 Let me know. 00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:30.920 It'll take weeks to let me know, but let me know. 00:21:30.920 --> 00:21:31.920 And so I put the phone down. 00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:34.920 And 40 minutes later, I get a call. 00:21:34.920 --> 00:21:37.920 And it's been another five minutes. 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:39.920 I don't think it's been two or three weeks. 00:21:39.920 --> 00:21:42.920 We were talking and we just sensed that this is a bad thing. 00:21:42.920 --> 00:21:46.920 So let's go when and we'll move to Abu Dhabi. 00:21:46.920 --> 00:21:50.920 And so these guys are uprooting them. 00:21:50.920 --> 00:21:55.920 Young couple, they must be 27 or 20, so a little older than you. 00:21:55.920 --> 00:21:57.920 I found out how old you were from your dad yesterday. 00:21:57.920 --> 00:22:03.920 And so they're moving. 00:22:03.920 --> 00:22:05.920 So I'll be meeting them in Dubai. 00:22:05.920 --> 00:22:09.920 And in Dubai, I'll be preaching at one of the churches that Chad had set up. 00:22:09.920 --> 00:22:13.920 Remember Chad, that he had set up in Dubai and then go to Abu Dhabi. 00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:14.920 And let's see how this works. 00:22:14.920 --> 00:22:16.920 When I come back, I'll tell you what happened. 00:22:16.920 --> 00:22:22.920 So I just am amazed at people who are willing to pay that kind of a cost. 00:22:22.920 --> 00:22:26.920 So if you get a call sometime this week saying, hey, would you like to move to Mexico? 00:22:26.920 --> 00:22:28.920 You know how to respond. 00:22:28.920 --> 00:22:30.920 Right, Mike? 00:22:30.920 --> 00:22:32.920 Thank you. 00:22:32.920 --> 00:22:33.920 That's it. 00:22:33.920 --> 00:22:38.920 He's changing his number after he finishes church. 00:22:38.920 --> 00:22:43.920 No, just Mike. 00:22:43.920 --> 00:22:48.920 Guys, often people, Holies give a letter. 00:22:48.920 --> 00:22:55.920 And if you see what it actually says, it says that having believed, 00:22:55.920 --> 00:22:59.920 you were marked in him with a seal. 00:22:59.920 --> 00:23:01.920 So the same thing that Paul was writing to the Corinthians. 00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:03.920 He was writing to Ephesians. 00:23:03.920 --> 00:23:05.920 But look at what he says then after that. 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:06.920 The promised Holy Spirit, verse 14, 00:23:06.920 --> 00:23:12.920 who will guarantee not heaven, guarantee not inheritance, 00:23:12.920 --> 00:23:16.920 until the redemption of those who are God's possession to the praise of his glory. 00:23:16.920 --> 00:23:23.920 Meaning the Holies who said we can possess inheritance until we are redeemed and go to heaven. 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:27.920 This was supposed to happen now, man. 00:23:27.920 --> 00:23:28.920 Then what? 00:23:28.920 --> 00:23:31.920 Something that is in heaven. 00:23:31.920 --> 00:23:36.920 It was the thing, hey, you're in heaven. 00:23:36.920 --> 00:23:37.920 You're here. 00:23:37.920 --> 00:23:41.920 Not when you get to heaven. 00:23:41.920 --> 00:23:47.920 Not grab it. 00:23:47.920 --> 00:23:50.920 So that's like a guarantee. 00:23:50.920 --> 00:23:58.920 I'm guaranteeing you, Shantar, that if you take advantage of the fact that I have opened my life to you, says God, 00:23:58.920 --> 00:24:02.920 then I'll let you have your inheritance. 00:24:02.920 --> 00:24:07.920 That will be prepared for you before Jesus came to the earth. 00:24:07.920 --> 00:24:09.920 I'll give it to you here on earth. 00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:12.920 I'll give you long enough life to live it up. 00:24:12.920 --> 00:24:16.920 This is what the Spirit of God can do for us, hey? 00:24:17.920 --> 00:24:20.920 The whole thing is tomorrow morning you've got to go and ask, Father, 00:24:20.920 --> 00:24:27.920 so what part of your inheritance am I supposed to inherit? 00:24:27.920 --> 00:24:31.920 What am I supposed to get this year? 00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:41.920 The strange thing is our work, our marriages, our families, our babies, our dogs, and even cats 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:50.920 draw our focus and attention that we forget to chase our inheritance and end up chasing our occupation. 00:24:57.920 --> 00:25:01.920 We forget chasing our inheritance and chase our occupation. 00:25:02.920 --> 00:25:07.920 If you and I were, I mean, just think of it, hey? 00:25:07.920 --> 00:25:14.920 Let's assume that Gillian's dad has this huge hospital that he wants to give her as an inheritance. 00:25:14.920 --> 00:25:18.920 You think she'd work at VGH another day? 00:25:18.920 --> 00:25:26.920 Let's assume my mom had to give me this huge building on a hundred acres of land. 00:25:26.920 --> 00:25:31.920 You think we'll continue in Pilgrim next Sunday? 00:25:35.920 --> 00:25:39.920 What if God wanted to give him a Boeing 747? 00:25:39.920 --> 00:25:42.920 He might retire tomorrow. 00:25:42.920 --> 00:25:46.920 The point is, guys, this is such an important point. 00:25:46.920 --> 00:25:52.920 When you know what God wants to allocate to you in terms of your inheritance, work takes its correct priority. 00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:57.920 Ask God, Father, what is it that you want to allocate to me this year? 00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:05.920 Otherwise, next year will be the same as this year as we pursue the never-ending cycle of work, salary, occupation, livelihood. 00:26:05.920 --> 00:26:07.920 It just goes on and on and on. 00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:11.920 Know your inheritance and things get sorted out. 00:26:11.920 --> 00:26:14.920 That's a guarantee that he has, eh? 00:26:14.920 --> 00:26:24.920 Guys, the other thing the Holy Spirit does, and this is such a marvelous thing he does, 00:26:24.920 --> 00:26:37.920 he initiates, he conveys, he interprets, he directs, he unfolds, and he manifests God's promise in your life. 00:26:37.920 --> 00:26:41.920 Every time you're going through a situation, here's what the Holy Spirit is doing. 00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:46.920 So let's assume you're going through a difficult situation or a cheerful situation 00:26:46.920 --> 00:26:51.920 or a situation where you need to know what you're going to do next week and where you're going to go. 00:26:51.920 --> 00:26:54.920 Well, let's just take my going to Abu Dhabi, how this whole thing is going to work out. 00:26:54.920 --> 00:26:56.920 Here's what the Holy Spirit is already doing. 00:26:56.920 --> 00:27:01.920 He's beginning to initiate thoughts as in he's dropping it into my head. 00:27:01.920 --> 00:27:04.920 He's willing to interpret them for me. 00:27:04.920 --> 00:27:07.920 He's willing to show me of his presence. 00:27:07.920 --> 00:27:09.920 He's able to convey it to me. 00:27:09.920 --> 00:27:13.920 He's able to unfold it and he's able to manifest it. 00:27:13.920 --> 00:27:15.920 This is the job of the Holy Spirit. 00:27:15.920 --> 00:27:20.920 The Holy Spirit brings the promise of God alive in your heart. 00:27:20.920 --> 00:27:22.920 He brings the promise of God alive in your heart. 00:27:22.920 --> 00:27:24.920 He's the only one who does that. 00:27:26.920 --> 00:27:30.920 Again and again and again, he takes promises that God has given and says, 00:27:30.920 --> 00:27:32.920 hey, Don, remember that prophetic word that was sent to you? 00:27:32.920 --> 00:27:35.920 Who do you think the gift of prophecy comes from? 00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:37.920 The Spirit of God. 00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:39.920 The Bible says so. 00:27:39.920 --> 00:27:41.920 So he'll say to Don, remember that prophetic word you received? 00:27:41.920 --> 00:27:46.920 And he begins to translate it, interpret it, convey it, unfold it, manifest it. 00:27:46.920 --> 00:27:50.920 And if you and I are paying attention, suddenly this is what the Bible means when it says, 00:27:50.920 --> 00:27:52.920 and the Spirit of God will quicken you. 00:27:52.920 --> 00:27:54.920 He'll quicken you. 00:27:54.920 --> 00:27:56.920 Something begins to trigger inside. 00:28:00.920 --> 00:28:02.920 And he's waiting at the door, eh? 00:28:02.920 --> 00:28:04.920 He's waiting at the door. 00:28:04.920 --> 00:28:07.920 So tomorrow morning, why tomorrow morning? 00:28:07.920 --> 00:28:09.920 It's morning somewhere in the world. 00:28:11.920 --> 00:28:15.920 When you leave here, because I do want you to pay attention right now, 00:28:15.920 --> 00:28:20.920 when you leave here, open the door and say, Spirit of God, 00:28:20.920 --> 00:28:24.920 what is it that you have allocated for me this year? 00:28:24.920 --> 00:28:26.920 I've got six months left, Spirit of God. 00:28:26.920 --> 00:28:28.920 Show me. 00:28:29.920 --> 00:28:34.920 This is the assurance, the guarantee that he brings. 00:28:34.920 --> 00:28:36.920 Any questions, guys? 00:28:36.920 --> 00:28:38.920 Any thoughts, anything you want to add or take away? 00:28:38.920 --> 00:28:40.920 Anything? 00:28:40.920 --> 00:28:42.920 Go ahead. 00:28:44.920 --> 00:28:46.920 Sufficiently and contentment. 00:28:46.920 --> 00:28:52.920 Contentment is when you are satisfied not with what you have, 00:28:52.920 --> 00:28:56.920 but with the goodness of God and who God is, 00:28:56.920 --> 00:29:01.920 and therefore you know how to be joyful in that circumstance 00:29:01.920 --> 00:29:04.920 without complaining, without getting hostile with God. 00:29:04.920 --> 00:29:06.920 That's what contentment is. 00:29:06.920 --> 00:29:10.920 So contentment, a man can have a million and be content. 00:29:10.920 --> 00:29:13.920 A man can have $20 and be content, 00:29:13.920 --> 00:29:16.920 because he knows that his father is good, 00:29:16.920 --> 00:29:19.920 and every good gift comes from his father. 00:29:19.920 --> 00:29:21.920 So that's contentment. 00:29:21.920 --> 00:29:23.920 And that with godliness is great gain. 00:29:23.920 --> 00:29:27.920 Sufficiently is when you've come to a place where you're doing well. 00:29:27.920 --> 00:29:30.920 Your job is going well, everything is going well, 00:29:30.920 --> 00:29:36.920 and now sufficiency lulls you into this place where, 00:29:36.920 --> 00:29:40.920 since everything is going good, let's just plateau here. 00:29:41.920 --> 00:29:47.920 One wife, two cars, a dog, two grown-up sons, a good job, 00:29:47.920 --> 00:29:50.920 enough money in the bank, and I go to church too. 00:29:50.920 --> 00:29:52.920 And occasionally God answers my prayer. 00:29:52.920 --> 00:29:54.920 My wife couldn't get better than this. 00:29:55.920 --> 00:29:57.920 That is just repulsive. 00:29:57.920 --> 00:30:01.920 That is what God calls lukewarm. 00:30:01.920 --> 00:30:04.920 Another word for sufficiency is lukewarmness. 00:30:07.920 --> 00:30:10.920 And that is puked out. 00:30:11.920 --> 00:30:13.920 Refuse sufficiency. 00:30:14.920 --> 00:30:16.920 Sufficiently is neither hot nor cold. 00:30:16.920 --> 00:30:18.920 It's a settled place. 00:30:18.920 --> 00:30:20.920 A settled place. 00:30:22.920 --> 00:30:24.920 Any other questions, guys? 00:30:24.920 --> 00:30:26.920 Or any thoughts you want to add? 00:30:27.920 --> 00:30:29.920 No? 00:30:31.920 --> 00:30:32.920 Okay. 00:30:34.920 --> 00:30:36.920 The next thing, this is I think one of the best things, 00:30:36.920 --> 00:30:49.920 that the intent of the Holy Spirit is to help me know the father and the son. 00:30:50.920 --> 00:30:54.920 If he wasn't around, this would be impossible. 00:30:56.920 --> 00:30:58.920 There's one place where Jesus says, 00:30:58.920 --> 00:31:00.920 when the Holy Spirit comes, he says, 00:31:00.920 --> 00:31:02.920 hey guys, I'm not going to leave you as orphans. 00:31:02.920 --> 00:31:04.920 I'll be gone for a while, but then I'll come and live in you. 00:31:04.920 --> 00:31:08.920 And he says that, here's what's going to happen in John 14, 00:31:08.920 --> 00:31:10.920 verse 18 to 20, he says, 00:31:10.920 --> 00:31:13.920 that day you will know that I am in the Father, 00:31:14.920 --> 00:31:16.920 and you are in me. 00:31:17.920 --> 00:31:19.920 No, he says, I am in the Father, 00:31:19.920 --> 00:31:21.920 you in me, and I in you. 00:31:21.920 --> 00:31:24.920 That's what Jesus says in John 14, verse 20. 00:31:24.920 --> 00:31:26.920 That day, as in when the Holy Spirit comes, 00:31:26.920 --> 00:31:28.920 Jacob, here's what's going to happen. 00:31:28.920 --> 00:31:30.920 You will know that I am in the Father, 00:31:30.920 --> 00:31:32.920 as in Jesus and the Father are one, 00:31:32.920 --> 00:31:35.920 that you are in me, and I am in you. 00:31:35.920 --> 00:31:38.920 As in there's zero separation. 00:31:38.920 --> 00:31:40.920 Zero separation. 00:31:40.920 --> 00:31:44.920 This is why you and I can live a Christ-like life. 00:31:45.920 --> 00:31:49.920 It is possible to have the same purity as Christ. 00:31:49.920 --> 00:31:52.920 It is possible to have the same intimacy with the Father 00:31:52.920 --> 00:31:55.920 as Jesus did. It's absolutely possible. 00:31:55.920 --> 00:31:58.920 Just imagine what he's saying, eh? 00:31:59.920 --> 00:32:01.920 If Don was Jesus, 00:32:01.920 --> 00:32:04.920 because he always takes a Jesus role in every skit. 00:32:04.920 --> 00:32:08.920 So, did Don and Jeevan just come out for a second? 00:32:10.920 --> 00:32:12.920 I mean, I know you don't need this illustration, 00:32:12.920 --> 00:32:16.920 but somehow, just imagine, this is what Jesus is saying. 00:32:16.920 --> 00:32:19.920 That the Father is in him, 00:32:20.920 --> 00:32:22.920 so the Father and him are united. 00:32:22.920 --> 00:32:23.920 There's no separation. 00:32:23.920 --> 00:32:24.920 Just imagine that. 00:32:24.920 --> 00:32:27.920 No separation between Father and Son. 00:32:27.920 --> 00:32:30.920 This kind of unity we cannot even think of. 00:32:30.920 --> 00:32:32.920 No separation between the Father and the Son. 00:32:32.920 --> 00:32:34.920 So here's what Jesus is saying. 00:32:34.920 --> 00:32:36.920 The Father is in me. 00:32:37.920 --> 00:32:41.920 And then he says, but Jacob, I am in you. 00:32:41.920 --> 00:32:45.920 And the same kind of union that the Father and Son have. 00:32:45.920 --> 00:32:48.920 Now Jesus is saying, I have with you, Jacob. 00:32:48.920 --> 00:32:50.920 And then he says, and Jacob, just so you know, 00:32:50.920 --> 00:32:52.920 you are in me. 00:32:53.920 --> 00:32:55.920 This is why other scriptures come to life, 00:32:55.920 --> 00:32:58.920 where he says, if you receive me, here's what I'm going to do. 00:32:58.920 --> 00:33:01.920 My Father and I are going to come and sup with you. 00:33:01.920 --> 00:33:06.920 Guys, the closeness of God is no longer... 00:33:06.920 --> 00:33:10.920 It can't even be described in terms of distance, inches, centimeters. 00:33:10.920 --> 00:33:12.920 How do you describe it when someone is inside you? 00:33:12.920 --> 00:33:16.920 Does a mother say, there's a baby that's two meters away from me, 00:33:16.920 --> 00:33:17.920 two centimeters away from me? 00:33:17.920 --> 00:33:20.920 The mother says, there's a baby within me. 00:33:21.920 --> 00:33:25.920 This is the distance now between the King of the universe and you. 00:33:26.920 --> 00:33:29.920 Reach in and take what he has, because you're not exploiting him. 00:33:29.920 --> 00:33:31.920 He's saying, here, take. 00:33:31.920 --> 00:33:33.920 I've given you the best of me, my Son, 00:33:33.920 --> 00:33:36.920 and I've given you the most personal part of me, my spirit. 00:33:36.920 --> 00:33:40.920 And it is for you, because you are as loved as Jesus himself. 00:33:41.920 --> 00:33:43.920 Reach in and take, guys. 00:33:43.920 --> 00:33:44.920 Reach in and take his thoughts. 00:33:44.920 --> 00:33:45.920 Reach in and take feelings. 00:33:45.920 --> 00:33:47.920 Reach in and take his gifts. 00:33:47.920 --> 00:33:49.920 Reach in and take his provision. 00:33:49.920 --> 00:33:53.920 Reach in and take every good thing that a father wants to give his children. 00:33:55.920 --> 00:33:57.920 That's the intent. 00:33:57.920 --> 00:33:59.920 Thank you. 00:33:59.920 --> 00:34:02.920 To help me know the Father and the Son better. 00:34:03.920 --> 00:34:06.920 Hey, think of this, sir. 00:34:06.920 --> 00:34:09.920 If the Son, Jesus Christ, lives in you. 00:34:09.920 --> 00:34:14.920 And we often hear it said, Jesus Christ, the hope of glory. 00:34:14.920 --> 00:34:18.920 Christ in you, the hope of glory. 00:34:18.920 --> 00:34:20.920 Christ in you, the hope of glory. 00:34:20.920 --> 00:34:23.920 If Jesus Christ, the Son, lives in you, 00:34:23.920 --> 00:34:28.920 then in all things, you must have the expectation of glory. 00:34:29.920 --> 00:34:31.920 Just think of that again. 00:34:31.920 --> 00:34:37.920 We say, Jesus Christ in you, the hope of glory. 00:34:37.920 --> 00:34:41.920 If Jesus Christ, the Son, lives in you, 00:34:41.920 --> 00:34:48.920 then in all things, you must have an expectation of glory. 00:34:49.920 --> 00:34:54.920 As in, let's assume you've sinned and you've messed up. 00:34:54.920 --> 00:34:58.920 In your mess that has been caused by sin, 00:34:58.920 --> 00:35:02.920 because Christ is in you, you must have an expectation of, 00:35:02.920 --> 00:35:05.920 this will be gloriously transformed. 00:35:07.920 --> 00:35:10.920 People have hurt you, abused you, broken you, 00:35:10.920 --> 00:35:13.920 and you're in a really bad situation because of someone else's fault. 00:35:13.920 --> 00:35:15.920 Christ in you. 00:35:15.920 --> 00:35:21.920 Therefore, in that situation, you must have the expectation of glory. 00:35:22.920 --> 00:35:24.920 In the church, same situation. 00:35:24.920 --> 00:35:26.920 Christ in us, the hope of glory. 00:35:26.920 --> 00:35:30.920 Well then, every time we gather or not gather, 00:35:30.920 --> 00:35:36.920 I must have an expectation that Christ in all things will bring his splendor, 00:35:36.920 --> 00:35:40.920 his magnificence, his power, his weight, his honor, 00:35:40.920 --> 00:35:43.920 to come into our houses and upon our church. 00:35:44.920 --> 00:35:47.920 If Christ is in you, and write this line down, 00:35:47.920 --> 00:35:49.920 because the more you ponder on it, the more you think, 00:35:49.920 --> 00:35:51.920 then what cannot be transformed? 00:35:51.920 --> 00:35:54.920 What cannot be transformed? 00:35:54.920 --> 00:35:59.920 Which organ in your body? Which marriage? Which home? Which situation? 00:35:59.920 --> 00:36:01.920 What is it that cannot be transformed? 00:36:01.920 --> 00:36:04.920 If Christ is in you, if Christ is in you, 00:36:04.920 --> 00:36:09.920 then you and I must have an expectation of his splendor, his power, 00:36:09.920 --> 00:36:13.920 his weight, his magnificence, or in other words, his glory affecting it. 00:36:13.920 --> 00:36:16.920 And when his glory affects things, it transforms it. 00:36:17.920 --> 00:36:19.920 The same applies to your body. 00:36:20.920 --> 00:36:26.920 This is the expectation that makes us a distinct people from the rest of the world, guys. 00:36:26.920 --> 00:36:28.920 Otherwise, what distinguishes us? 00:36:30.920 --> 00:36:33.920 But the simple fact that there is somebody called the king of the universe 00:36:33.920 --> 00:36:37.920 who actually dwells in us by his spirit, by his spirit. 00:36:40.920 --> 00:36:42.920 Just a fascinating thought. 00:36:42.920 --> 00:36:45.920 That there is no situation that you can go into 00:36:45.920 --> 00:36:51.920 and not expect that Christ in you will transform it 00:36:51.920 --> 00:36:54.920 because there is always an expectation when a Christian goes into something. 00:36:54.920 --> 00:36:58.920 There is always an expectation because you have become carriers of the Godhead. 00:36:58.920 --> 00:37:01.920 You have become carriers of the Godhead. 00:37:01.920 --> 00:37:04.920 You have become carriers of the Godhead. 00:37:06.920 --> 00:37:09.920 Imagine that, man. Blows you away. 00:37:09.920 --> 00:37:11.920 You... 00:37:15.920 --> 00:37:17.920 Just brilliant what God has done. 00:37:17.920 --> 00:37:20.920 Such a logical mind, eh? How he set the whole thing up. 00:37:21.920 --> 00:37:27.920 As Christ died for you, pays your sins, makes you new, cleanses you, 00:37:27.920 --> 00:37:30.920 become a temple, a temple must have a God living in it, 00:37:30.920 --> 00:37:33.920 sends his Holy Spirit, comes to dwell in you. 00:37:33.920 --> 00:37:34.920 You become the carrier of God. 00:37:34.920 --> 00:37:36.920 They used to carry an ark. Now you walk. 00:37:36.920 --> 00:37:38.920 You go where you're sent. You hear God. 00:37:38.920 --> 00:37:40.920 You know all his thoughts and his feelings. 00:37:40.920 --> 00:37:43.920 You know that when you enter a situation, you're carriers of the Godhead 00:37:43.920 --> 00:37:46.920 and that there is an expectation that something will change. 00:37:47.920 --> 00:37:49.920 When I was praying for that man who had the lung problem, 00:37:49.920 --> 00:37:51.920 there was an expectation that it will change. 00:37:51.920 --> 00:37:54.920 In Austria, when nine deaf people were getting healed, 00:37:54.920 --> 00:37:55.920 there was an expectation. 00:37:55.920 --> 00:37:58.920 It is impossible for a Christian to live without expectation. 00:37:58.920 --> 00:38:02.920 When a Christian lives without expectation, you need to seek help. 00:38:04.920 --> 00:38:06.920 I'm not saying depression is not real. 00:38:06.920 --> 00:38:08.920 I'm saying depression is real, clinical depression is real, 00:38:08.920 --> 00:38:10.920 chemical imbalances are real. 00:38:10.920 --> 00:38:13.920 But beyond all that, there is something called hope, 00:38:13.920 --> 00:38:16.920 which is an expectation we have. 00:38:16.920 --> 00:38:20.920 That can be revived. That can be revived to break every barrier. 00:38:30.920 --> 00:38:35.920 Here's another thought that I so hope I can grow in and you and I can grow in. 00:38:36.920 --> 00:38:41.920 Guys, choose never to operate from your measure but from God's fullness. 00:38:44.920 --> 00:38:46.920 Never operate from your measure. 00:38:46.920 --> 00:38:51.920 As in, okay, so Sheldon, let's assume he's a decent pianist. 00:38:52.920 --> 00:38:55.920 Not a decent, let's assume he's a really good jazz pianist 00:38:55.920 --> 00:38:59.920 and can play phenomenally because he actually teaches piano. 00:39:00.920 --> 00:39:05.920 But the moment he comes and sits here and plays out of his measure, 00:39:08.920 --> 00:39:15.920 you and I will lose because I can't operate out of my measure. 00:39:15.920 --> 00:39:18.920 I must always operate out of God's fullness. 00:39:20.920 --> 00:39:23.920 Jesus Christ never operated out of his measure. 00:39:23.920 --> 00:39:25.920 He operated out of his Father's fullness. 00:39:25.920 --> 00:39:27.920 I bet his carpentry was the same. 00:39:27.920 --> 00:39:31.920 He must have been an amazing carpenter, learned well from his Father Joseph. 00:39:31.920 --> 00:39:35.920 But the strange thing was he would operate not from his measure but from God's fullness. 00:39:35.920 --> 00:39:39.920 When I stand here and preach, if I preach out of the fact that I've been preaching 00:39:39.920 --> 00:39:43.920 for the last 20 whatever years, then all you get is a measure of Jacob, 00:39:43.920 --> 00:39:45.920 the best that Jacob can be. 00:39:45.920 --> 00:39:49.920 And the best that Jacob can be ain't good enough for anybody. 00:39:49.920 --> 00:39:52.920 And so the more skilled you are, the more careful you have to be. 00:39:55.920 --> 00:39:58.920 The more skilled you are, the less you need the Spirit. 00:40:02.920 --> 00:40:07.920 The more skilled you are, the more the chance that you'll operate from your measure 00:40:07.920 --> 00:40:09.920 and not from the fullness of God. 00:40:10.920 --> 00:40:12.920 Choose not to, eh? 00:40:12.920 --> 00:40:13.920 And here's the other thing. 00:40:13.920 --> 00:40:17.920 I mean, you don't know guys, every time I go to Vernon or go to any church 00:40:17.920 --> 00:40:19.920 other than you guys, because I'm so used to you guys, 00:40:19.920 --> 00:40:21.920 if I go anywhere else, I'm always scared. 00:40:22.920 --> 00:40:25.920 I'm always scared that I won't be able to do well enough. 00:40:25.920 --> 00:40:27.920 That I'll mess up somewhere. 00:40:27.920 --> 00:40:30.920 That whatever God wants to do, I won't be able to do it exactly as he wants to. 00:40:30.920 --> 00:40:32.920 That I'll let him down. 00:40:32.920 --> 00:40:34.920 These things still come up, eh? 00:40:34.920 --> 00:40:37.920 And when they come up, I go to this line that says, 00:40:37.920 --> 00:40:40.920 I'm not going to do well enough, I'm not going to do well enough. 00:40:40.920 --> 00:40:43.920 And when they come up, I go to this line that, 00:40:43.920 --> 00:40:46.920 Father, I am scared that I will let you down. 00:40:46.920 --> 00:40:49.920 And this is so true if I operate from my measure. 00:40:49.920 --> 00:40:52.920 But Father, what if I started operating from your fullness? 00:40:52.920 --> 00:40:54.920 How do you operate from your fullness? 00:40:54.920 --> 00:40:59.920 It's like saying, Oh God, this is who I am, but I know you can do better, so here I am. 00:40:59.920 --> 00:41:03.920 And now begin to just flow like Spirit of God, only you can. 00:41:03.920 --> 00:41:07.920 Let things come out of my mouth that were not in my notes. 00:41:07.920 --> 00:41:11.920 Let notes come out of the piano that were not in my fingers. 00:41:14.920 --> 00:41:18.920 But suddenly God says, Sure, I can do that. 00:41:19.920 --> 00:41:21.920 People begin to benefit, eh? 00:41:25.920 --> 00:41:27.920 What a brilliant way to live. 00:41:28.920 --> 00:41:30.920 Affects everything. 00:41:30.920 --> 00:41:32.920 You should try cooking that way. 00:41:32.920 --> 00:41:35.920 Not out of your measure, but out of the fullness of God. 00:41:35.920 --> 00:41:38.920 Because this applies to routine things and to adventurous things. 00:41:38.920 --> 00:41:40.920 There's nothing it doesn't apply to. 00:41:44.920 --> 00:41:48.920 And you'll find that it's less of a struggle then, things become easier. 00:41:51.920 --> 00:41:53.920 Someone said this line, I don't remember. 00:41:53.920 --> 00:41:58.920 Guys, at your best, you're feeding on leaves and you're a caterpillar. 00:41:59.920 --> 00:42:04.920 And then when his fullness takes over, you're feeding on nectar and you're a butterfly. 00:42:06.920 --> 00:42:09.920 Leaves to nectar, caterpillar to butterfly. 00:42:10.920 --> 00:42:14.920 That's the difference between your measure and the fullness of God. 00:42:14.920 --> 00:42:16.920 It's very interesting. 00:42:17.920 --> 00:42:20.920 Leaves to nectar, caterpillars to butterfly. 00:42:20.920 --> 00:42:24.920 I want to look at one more scripture and then we'll call it a day. 00:42:24.920 --> 00:42:26.920 I'll finish it when I come back home. 00:42:26.920 --> 00:42:27.920 I may not finish it. 00:42:27.920 --> 00:42:29.920 Let's look at one more scripture. 00:42:29.920 --> 00:42:31.920 Hebrews 13, 6. 00:42:31.920 --> 00:42:34.920 And after church, not after church. 00:42:34.920 --> 00:42:36.920 Church doesn't end, right? 00:42:36.920 --> 00:42:38.920 When you leave here, church is still living. 00:42:39.920 --> 00:42:47.920 After the service of Jesus Christ, after the service of Jesus Christ, after the service of Jesus Christ, after the service of Jesus Christ. 00:42:47.920 --> 00:42:48.920 Church is still living. 00:42:49.920 --> 00:42:56.920 After the service, if you need prayer, guys will be up here and you can come up and be prayed for. 00:42:56.920 --> 00:42:57.920 Why? 00:42:57.920 --> 00:42:58.920 I'll tell you why. 00:42:58.920 --> 00:43:00.920 Because the Spirit of Life is here, right? 00:43:01.920 --> 00:43:02.920 And he's so willing to do stuff, man. 00:43:02.920 --> 00:43:06.920 The fourth thing, I'll just write it down and we won't go there today. 00:43:06.920 --> 00:43:12.920 But the fourth intent of God with the Holy Spirit and all this is from Joel 2, 28 to 32. 00:43:12.920 --> 00:43:13.920 You'll find it all there. 00:43:13.920 --> 00:43:15.920 The fourth intent was signs and wonders. 00:43:15.920 --> 00:43:18.920 One of the things the Holy Spirit does is signs and wonders. 00:43:18.920 --> 00:43:24.920 Let's go to Romans 15, 18 and 19 and you'll see that then we'll skip the rest of it and go to the third point. 00:43:24.920 --> 00:43:26.920 Romans 15, 18 to 19. 00:43:26.920 --> 00:43:30.920 This is a verse that we don't read very often, but it's such a cool verse. 00:43:30.920 --> 00:43:33.920 Romans 15, 18 to 19. 00:43:33.920 --> 00:43:37.920 One of the things the Holy Spirit does is he makes real the power of God. 00:43:37.920 --> 00:43:39.920 He makes real the power of God. 00:43:39.920 --> 00:43:41.920 He makes real the power of God. 00:43:41.920 --> 00:43:44.920 Romans chapter 15, verse 18 and 19. 00:43:44.920 --> 00:43:47.920 Here's what it says. 00:43:47.920 --> 00:43:50.920 Let me start at 17. 00:43:50.920 --> 00:43:53.920 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 00:43:53.920 --> 00:44:02.920 I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done. 00:44:02.920 --> 00:44:09.920 You know, my topic at the men's breakfast this morning in Vernon was weaponizing your words. 00:44:09.920 --> 00:44:11.920 Weaponizing your words. 00:44:11.920 --> 00:44:12.920 Weaponizing your words. 00:44:12.920 --> 00:44:23.920 As in how do you take your words and weaponize them so that they become effective combat instruments? 00:44:23.920 --> 00:44:25.920 Here's what Paul is saying. 00:44:25.920 --> 00:44:27.920 Listen, let me start again. 00:44:27.920 --> 00:44:29.920 Because he uses words and words. 00:44:29.920 --> 00:44:32.920 Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. 00:44:32.920 --> 00:44:39.920 I will not even venture to speak anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done. 00:44:39.920 --> 00:44:41.920 Look at what it says next. 00:44:41.920 --> 00:44:55.920 By the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit, so from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, nowadays they just say Illy, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. 00:44:55.920 --> 00:45:02.920 So he proclaimed the gospel of Christ through powerful signs and wonders by the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:45:02.920 --> 00:45:10.920 And the fourth intent, which we won't touch today, is the fact that the Holy Spirit loves showing God's power off. 00:45:10.920 --> 00:45:13.920 He loves showing God off. 00:45:13.920 --> 00:45:20.920 And we talked about this, that the kingdom has to have words and works. 00:45:20.920 --> 00:45:23.920 If one is absent, it ain't the kingdom. 00:45:23.920 --> 00:45:25.920 Words and works. 00:45:26.920 --> 00:45:35.920 Which is why when Chantal was reading out how the hemoglobin level shot up and the creatinine level fell and the other level went up, it was fabulous. 00:45:35.920 --> 00:45:37.920 Words and works. 00:45:37.920 --> 00:45:38.920 How did it happen? 00:45:38.920 --> 00:45:39.920 Through the declaring of words. 00:45:39.920 --> 00:45:40.920 What happened? 00:45:40.920 --> 00:45:41.920 Works. 00:45:41.920 --> 00:45:44.920 By the power of the Spirit of God. 00:45:44.920 --> 00:45:48.920 Otherwise all we are doing is information if there's no demonstration. 00:45:48.920 --> 00:45:52.920 So, Hebrews 13 verse 6 and we'll end with that. 00:45:52.920 --> 00:45:54.920 Hebrews 13 verse 6. 00:45:56.920 --> 00:45:58.920 Hebrews 13 verse 6. 00:46:05.920 --> 00:46:07.920 So we say with confidence, 00:46:08.920 --> 00:46:14.920 The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid, what can man do to me? 00:46:14.920 --> 00:46:16.920 So we say with confidence, 00:46:16.920 --> 00:46:20.920 The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid, what can man do to me? 00:46:20.920 --> 00:46:22.920 One of the names for the Holy Spirit is helper. 00:46:22.920 --> 00:46:24.920 And I think we've talked about this before. 00:46:24.920 --> 00:46:28.920 There's a word in Hebrew which says Yahweh Ezer. 00:46:28.920 --> 00:46:30.920 Yahweh Ezer means God my helper. 00:46:30.920 --> 00:46:34.920 But whenever we think of the word helper, we think of assistant. 00:46:34.920 --> 00:46:41.920 So what we think is, we'll do what we can and then God will be an assistant and he'll come and help us with what we're doing. 00:46:41.920 --> 00:46:44.920 But here's God's intent of being a helper. 00:46:44.920 --> 00:46:47.920 He says, I will be your helper if you will be helpless. 00:46:48.920 --> 00:46:52.920 God cannot be helper if I am not helpless. 00:46:55.920 --> 00:46:57.920 We think of God as an assistant. 00:46:57.920 --> 00:47:00.920 God says, I'm not your assistant Jacob. 00:47:01.920 --> 00:47:03.920 I'll be your helper if you're helpless. 00:47:03.920 --> 00:47:07.920 But if you're trying and then want me to come and assist you, ain't gonna happen. 00:47:10.920 --> 00:47:14.920 One of the things the Holy Spirit is called, the Holy Spirit is called your helper. 00:47:15.920 --> 00:47:17.920 The word paraclete means helper. 00:47:17.920 --> 00:47:19.920 Here are three or four questions I want to ask you. 00:47:19.920 --> 00:47:26.920 Since he lives in you, since you have an expectation that God will never abandon you, since you have this expectation that God will... 00:47:26.920 --> 00:47:28.920 Remember this guys. 00:47:29.920 --> 00:47:38.920 God may discipline you for your sins and say that your unrighteousness has distanced you from me. 00:47:38.920 --> 00:47:39.920 God may say all that. 00:47:39.920 --> 00:47:44.920 But thank God, we serve not just God, we serve Father God. 00:47:45.920 --> 00:47:56.920 You and I need to be aware without a shadow of a doubt that because he is Father, even when you sin, he will not abandon you, he will not forsake you, he will reach out for you. 00:47:56.920 --> 00:47:59.920 The greater the darkness, the greater is life. 00:48:00.920 --> 00:48:05.920 The more you resist his truth, only then does delusion come in. 00:48:05.920 --> 00:48:08.920 If he was just God, we'd be fried by now. 00:48:11.920 --> 00:48:18.920 But because he is Father, that's why in the middle of sin, God still appears as Father. 00:48:22.920 --> 00:48:24.920 So here are some questions I want to ask you. 00:48:25.920 --> 00:48:30.920 Since he lives in you, since Hebrews 13 says, never will I leave you, never will I forsake you. 00:48:30.920 --> 00:48:32.920 The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. 00:48:32.920 --> 00:48:33.920 What can man do to me? 00:48:33.920 --> 00:48:35.920 Here are some questions I want you to take home. 00:48:35.920 --> 00:48:38.920 Guys, how would you live? 00:48:41.920 --> 00:48:43.920 Let's assume you are assailed with fear. 00:48:43.920 --> 00:48:48.920 How would you live that moment if you had no fear? 00:48:49.920 --> 00:48:52.920 How would you live that moment if you had no fear? 00:48:52.920 --> 00:48:55.920 One of the things we all deal with is this thing called fear. 00:48:56.920 --> 00:48:59.920 When fear assails you, can you ask yourself this question? 00:48:59.920 --> 00:49:03.920 When fear assails you, can you ask yourself this question? 00:49:03.920 --> 00:49:09.920 How would I actually live this moment if I was not afraid? 00:49:10.920 --> 00:49:12.920 So you're waiting at the doctor's office for results. 00:49:13.920 --> 00:49:16.920 There's this queasy feeling inside you. 00:49:17.920 --> 00:49:18.920 It's tense. 00:49:19.920 --> 00:49:25.920 How would you live that moment if you were not afraid? 00:49:25.920 --> 00:49:35.920 You're waiting for the results of a mortgage or you're waiting for the results of an exam or you're waiting for a job application to turn up and your stomach is in knots. 00:49:36.920 --> 00:49:40.920 How would you live that moment if you were not afraid? 00:49:42.920 --> 00:49:47.920 True, but surprisingly that's often absent. 00:49:48.920 --> 00:49:49.920 And that's where we need to go. 00:49:49.920 --> 00:49:50.920 And that's where we need to go. 00:49:51.920 --> 00:49:56.920 Where I need to say to myself, Father, I feel afraid, but what would it look like if I wasn't afraid? 00:49:57.920 --> 00:50:04.920 And you'll be surprised at how it is absolutely possible to begin to live life progressively without fear. 00:50:08.920 --> 00:50:13.920 Something happened two days ago where suddenly I was afraid of how something would turn up. 00:50:13.920 --> 00:50:14.920 Something would turn out. 00:50:15.920 --> 00:50:19.920 I remember sitting and I was saying to myself, Jacob, so how would you live this moment if you were not afraid? 00:50:20.920 --> 00:50:22.920 And immediately I knew why I would not be afraid. 00:50:23.920 --> 00:50:24.920 Exactly for the reasons Marcus said. 00:50:25.920 --> 00:50:26.920 Father, you are so in control. 00:50:27.920 --> 00:50:28.920 You never abandon me. You never leave me. You never forsake me. 00:50:29.920 --> 00:50:30.920 I'm your precious little boy. 00:50:31.920 --> 00:50:32.920 You so care for me. 00:50:33.920 --> 00:50:34.920 I'm special to you. 00:50:35.920 --> 00:50:36.920 You like looking after me, looking out for me. 00:50:37.920 --> 00:50:39.920 So why am I so afraid? 00:50:40.920 --> 00:50:42.920 And the moment that went away, gosh man. 00:50:43.920 --> 00:50:47.920 What would life look like if moments of fear just disappeared? 00:50:48.920 --> 00:50:53.920 Fear is the presence in the person when it's asking for God. 00:50:54.920 --> 00:50:56.920 Yeah. Perfect love casts out fear. 00:50:57.920 --> 00:51:00.920 The moment I'm aware of a loving father, fear has to go out because his love towards me is perfect. 00:51:01.920 --> 00:51:02.920 Think of that. The second question. 00:51:05.920 --> 00:51:08.920 What would you plan if you were sure God would resource you? 00:51:08.920 --> 00:51:13.920 What would you plan if you were sure that God would resource you? 00:51:14.920 --> 00:51:15.920 How would your planning change? 00:51:16.920 --> 00:51:18.920 What would life tomorrow look like? 00:51:19.920 --> 00:51:23.920 How would your future look like if you were absolutely sure that God would resource you? 00:51:25.920 --> 00:51:26.920 You've heard from him. 00:51:27.920 --> 00:51:28.920 God's told you what he's going to do. 00:51:29.920 --> 00:51:30.920 But we are hesitant. 00:51:31.920 --> 00:51:32.920 We hee haw around it. 00:51:33.920 --> 00:51:34.920 You receive prophetic words. 00:51:35.920 --> 00:51:36.920 God has spoken to you multiple times. 00:51:36.920 --> 00:51:37.920 We still don't want to step out. 00:51:38.920 --> 00:51:40.920 It's the scary thing of how am I going to do this? 00:51:41.920 --> 00:51:42.920 But what would you plan? 00:51:43.920 --> 00:51:47.920 How would your life look like if you were assured that God would resource you? 00:51:51.920 --> 00:51:52.920 It would change our lives, man. 00:51:58.920 --> 00:52:01.920 All Jesus would hear is a whisper in his ear which would say, 00:52:02.920 --> 00:52:05.920 I want you to go to Galilee, but I want you to go to Samaria. 00:52:06.920 --> 00:52:07.920 Off we'd go. 00:52:08.920 --> 00:52:11.920 Didn't have water because he was thirsty so he'd sit at a well. 00:52:12.920 --> 00:52:13.920 Didn't exactly know why he was sitting at a well. 00:52:14.920 --> 00:52:15.920 But oops, there comes a woman. 00:52:16.920 --> 00:52:18.920 Wasn't good for a Jewish rabbi to speak to a woman. 00:52:19.920 --> 00:52:20.920 But he begins a conversation. 00:52:22.920 --> 00:52:23.920 Turns the entire Samarian village around. 00:52:24.920 --> 00:52:25.920 And what is Jesus doing? 00:52:26.920 --> 00:52:27.920 Something that was spoken about long ago. 00:52:28.920 --> 00:52:32.920 That in the land where there is dense darkness a light will arise. 00:52:33.920 --> 00:52:34.920 Isaiah 60. 00:52:34.920 --> 00:52:37.920 And later on Jesus himself says it when he says, 00:52:38.920 --> 00:52:41.920 and you shall go from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria and to the ends of the earth. 00:52:42.920 --> 00:52:43.920 And he had already started doing that. 00:52:44.920 --> 00:52:46.920 Let by the whisper of the Spirit of God. 00:52:47.920 --> 00:52:50.920 What would your life look like and how would you plan life 00:52:51.920 --> 00:52:54.920 if you were absolutely sure that everything would be resourced, 00:52:55.920 --> 00:52:56.920 that what you are going to do is resourced by God? 00:52:57.920 --> 00:52:58.920 Third question. 00:52:59.920 --> 00:53:00.920 I've got only four or five. 00:53:01.920 --> 00:53:02.920 Third question. 00:53:03.920 --> 00:53:06.920 What if confidence and joy marked everything you did? 00:53:07.920 --> 00:53:11.920 What if confidence and joy marked everything you did? 00:53:12.920 --> 00:53:15.920 What if confidence and joy marked everything you did? 00:53:16.920 --> 00:53:18.920 Not confidence in happiness, not confidence in hahaha. 00:53:19.920 --> 00:53:20.920 Confidence in joy. 00:53:21.920 --> 00:53:25.920 What if confidence and joy marked everything you did? 00:53:26.920 --> 00:53:31.920 What would life look like then? 00:53:32.920 --> 00:53:47.440 These are the things the Holy Spirit wants to bring to our lives. 00:53:47.440 --> 00:53:49.440 This is what makes Christians distinct. 00:53:49.440 --> 00:53:55.720 And as a kid, we traveled by train from North India to South India. 00:53:55.720 --> 00:53:57.740 A long three-day journey. 00:53:57.740 --> 00:54:00.740 And so the train would come and stop at these platforms. 00:54:00.740 --> 00:54:03.740 And kids were not allowed to step out on the platform. 00:54:03.740 --> 00:54:05.240 But my dad would let me. 00:54:05.240 --> 00:54:09.240 And I'd step out on the platform and I'd feel like a man. 00:54:09.240 --> 00:54:10.740 And I'd walk around. 00:54:10.740 --> 00:54:17.240 And I'd go buy fruit and go up to the window of the compartment and give it to my mom. 00:54:17.240 --> 00:54:19.740 And it'd feel like, ah, finally I'm a man. 00:54:19.740 --> 00:54:23.240 And all this was based on one simple fact, that my dad was behind me. 00:54:23.240 --> 00:54:27.240 And my intent was always, could I jump into the train once it starts moving? 00:54:27.240 --> 00:54:28.740 Because that's what men do. 00:54:28.740 --> 00:54:30.740 Kids would have to get in before the train moves. 00:54:30.740 --> 00:54:33.740 And in India, trains can move without telling you they're moving. 00:54:33.740 --> 00:54:37.740 So, my dad would keep his eye on me. 00:54:37.740 --> 00:54:40.240 And I'd pretend like I was there on my own. 00:54:40.240 --> 00:54:42.240 But my dad would be watching. 00:54:42.240 --> 00:54:45.240 And then the moment he sees the train about to move, he'd say, get in, get in. 00:54:45.240 --> 00:54:46.740 And I'd say, no, I want to hang out. 00:54:46.740 --> 00:54:49.240 I want to climb in when the train's moving. 00:54:49.240 --> 00:54:50.240 And initially he wouldn't. 00:54:50.240 --> 00:54:52.240 And then finally he started letting me do that. 00:54:52.240 --> 00:54:57.740 But there was this joy of being a man and this confidence that I had finally become someone. 00:54:57.740 --> 00:55:01.240 And then the train would start moving and I'd let one or two people go in. 00:55:01.240 --> 00:55:02.740 And then my dad would be behind me. 00:55:02.740 --> 00:55:06.240 And I'd go while it's moving and I'd step in while it's moving and climb in. 00:55:06.240 --> 00:55:09.240 And my dad was right behind me because he was the guy next behind me. 00:55:09.240 --> 00:55:12.240 And it would be such a thrill. 00:55:12.240 --> 00:55:18.740 And that confidence that I had that I'd never be left behind at a platform in India. 00:55:18.740 --> 00:55:26.240 And that I could always do this with such a sense of accomplishment came from one simple thing. 00:55:26.240 --> 00:55:27.740 My dad had my back. 00:55:30.240 --> 00:55:36.240 What would life look like if the Spirit of God could bring to you this reality 00:55:36.240 --> 00:55:41.240 where every moment of life is transformed into a time of confidence and joy? 00:55:45.240 --> 00:55:46.740 And the last question. 00:55:49.740 --> 00:56:01.740 What if you lived in the certainty of knowing answers to your questions as sure as you know your own thoughts? 00:56:01.740 --> 00:56:10.740 What if you are convinced that when you seek counsel or when you need an answer to a question 00:56:10.740 --> 00:56:15.740 that it is absolutely 100% certain that God will answer? 00:56:15.740 --> 00:56:20.740 Not 20 years from now, but now. 00:56:22.740 --> 00:56:25.740 What would it look like if you had that kind of certainty? 00:56:25.740 --> 00:56:31.740 I want to say to you that I am absolutely certain that in every situation that I am in 00:56:31.740 --> 00:56:36.740 I will be given answers by the Living God conveyed to me by the Spirit. 00:56:36.740 --> 00:56:43.740 Not vague answers. Not, oh, look at the skies and count the stars stuff that he did with Abraham. 00:56:43.740 --> 00:56:51.740 That he did with Abraham. I'm talking about I am absolutely certain that there will never be a place in my life for the rest of eternity 00:56:51.740 --> 00:56:58.740 where I will not know specific answers or the first step that will be followed by a second and a third step 00:56:58.740 --> 00:57:03.740 for the rest of my life on earth where I will ask the Father and the Father will say, 00:57:03.740 --> 00:57:07.740 no, or give me a nebulous answer. That does not happen, guys. 00:57:07.740 --> 00:57:11.740 You must have that certainty to live on earth with the Holy Spirit. 00:57:11.740 --> 00:57:16.740 Because if the Holy Spirit calls himself a parakeet, counselor, advocate, 00:57:18.740 --> 00:57:25.740 then he will always give you answers. Always. 00:57:25.740 --> 00:57:33.740 Don't fall for the stories that pastors tell you that God sometimes says yes, no, and also or something like that. 00:57:33.740 --> 00:57:40.740 Or that don't ask God why. All that comes out of their experience, not from the Bible. 00:57:41.740 --> 00:57:46.740 Isaiah, Jeremiah, David, Noah, Moses. What did these guys do? 00:57:46.740 --> 00:57:52.740 They kept asking. They kept asking. They kept asking. And which covenant did they belong to? 00:57:52.740 --> 00:57:58.740 The old covenant. Which covenant do you and I belong to? The new covenant. 00:57:58.740 --> 00:58:01.740 They never had the Holy Spirit living in them. 00:58:03.740 --> 00:58:07.740 They had to go to prophets and kings and priests to figure out God. 00:58:07.740 --> 00:58:12.740 You don't have to figure out God because God has figured you out and he's in you. 00:58:12.740 --> 00:58:19.740 Guys, live with the certainty, live with the certainty that any and every situation that you will face for the rest of your life, 00:58:19.740 --> 00:58:25.740 be it good, be it bad, be it routine, or be it adventurous, will always have God leading you. 00:58:25.740 --> 00:58:30.740 Because the Holy Spirit is your guide. This is his function. To help me know the Father and the Son. 00:58:30.740 --> 00:58:35.740 It will be in small things and it will be in huge things. You've got to be absolutely certain. 00:58:35.740 --> 00:58:40.740 And if that certainty isn't there, then we need to begin to grow in it. 00:58:44.740 --> 00:58:53.740 I mean, on June 1st when we met here, after we were done, I'm heading out. Derek is waiting to lock the church up. 00:58:53.740 --> 00:59:00.740 And I've gone out and I sense I've got to go back in and check. And I don't even know what I'm checking for. 00:59:00.740 --> 00:59:03.740 All I know is, I know the Spirit of God is saying, go back and check. 00:59:04.740 --> 00:59:14.740 So I'm going down into the men's washroom and since everybody had left, I went into the ladies' washroom to check if someone's hiding there or left there or whatever. 00:59:14.740 --> 00:59:18.740 Switching off lights, going into the kitchen. I'm not a very brave guy to do all these things. 00:59:18.740 --> 00:59:24.740 So I usually send Don and Derek or Jeevan to do it. Because if they get beaten up, I can always pray for them. 00:59:24.740 --> 00:59:29.740 But this time I felt the Lord saying, you go. So I'm going while Derek and Don are waiting outside. 00:59:30.740 --> 00:59:37.740 And I've checked everything and there is nothing left to check. And yet I know that there is something that I'm supposed to figure out. 00:59:38.740 --> 00:59:45.740 And so finally I start pulling at every door and I go pull the front door and the front door is open. 00:59:46.740 --> 00:59:51.740 And we were going to set the alarm and go away. And that door would have stayed shut but it is open. 00:59:52.740 --> 00:59:56.740 And I'm thinking to myself, Father, how do you pull these things off? How do you do this? 00:59:56.740 --> 01:00:00.740 How do you do this? These are routine simple things, guys. 01:00:01.740 --> 01:00:03.740 Think of the bigger things then. 01:00:04.740 --> 01:00:11.740 May you have or may you... Guys, we may not be able to get all answers right now. 01:00:12.740 --> 01:00:16.740 But may you have the certainty that that is exactly where you're heading. 01:00:16.740 --> 01:00:18.740 Exactly where you're heading. 01:00:19.740 --> 01:00:25.740 I never had my dad turn to me when I ask him a question and say stuff like, count the stars in the sky. 01:00:27.740 --> 01:00:32.740 As in with Abraham, God was trying to prove a point. What I'm trying to say is, your God is not nebulous. 01:00:35.740 --> 01:00:39.740 Your God is not nebulous. I know a pastor who named his son Anderson. 01:00:40.740 --> 01:00:44.740 Because the word Anderson means mystical and cannot be fathomed. 01:00:45.740 --> 01:00:51.740 And he named his son Anderson because he said, God is like that. You can never figure him out. He's mysterious. 01:00:52.740 --> 01:00:54.740 That is so sad, man. 01:00:55.740 --> 01:01:02.740 And he bases on Isaiah 55, where God says, my thoughts are higher than your thoughts and my ways are higher than your ways. 01:01:03.740 --> 01:01:05.740 That was in the Old Testament. And in the New Testament, you know what he says? 01:01:06.740 --> 01:01:08.740 Sure, my thoughts are higher than your thoughts and my ways are higher than your ways. 01:01:09.740 --> 01:01:11.740 Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you, you have the mind of Christ. 01:01:17.740 --> 01:01:19.740 Enjoy fathoming God, guys. 01:01:22.740 --> 01:01:26.740 You've got to do it here on earth. After life here is over, you're in heaven. 01:01:27.740 --> 01:01:34.740 And it's different. You'll fathom him. But it won't be as... as it's here on earth. 01:01:38.740 --> 01:01:44.740 Let's pray. Father, I think you are marvelous. And the church thinks so, too. 01:01:45.740 --> 01:01:51.740 I think it's just nuts that you allow us to figure you out. 01:01:52.740 --> 01:01:59.740 Not through books, not through prayer, not through hours of worship, not through... 01:02:01.740 --> 01:02:05.740 not through penance, not through all the things that other religions do. 01:02:06.740 --> 01:02:09.740 You allow us to figure you out by coming and living in us. 01:02:09.740 --> 01:02:15.740 And today on Pentecost, we want to say thank you. It's the best thing that could have happened to us. 01:02:18.740 --> 01:02:32.740 Oh, God, would you please take some of the stuff that we were talking about and just impact us so that we really begin to understand that, gosh, life can be so different. 01:02:33.740 --> 01:02:42.740 Every moment of life can be one of confidence, one of joy, one without fear, one fathoming the mind of God himself. 01:02:43.740 --> 01:02:48.740 And then when we begin to do that, we begin to walk the earth like Jesus walked the earth. As he is, so are we. 01:02:49.740 --> 01:02:52.740 We really like that Father for all of us. And I know that's your desire, too. 01:02:53.740 --> 01:02:58.740 I like what you said in John 14. You said, I'm going to the Father so that I can send you the Holy Spirit. 01:02:58.740 --> 01:03:05.740 This was your desire. All these things were your intent. And we say, yes, thank you. We invite that into our lives. 01:03:06.740 --> 01:03:09.740 And we bless you now. In Jesus' name. Amen. 01:03:10.740 --> 01:03:13.740 Bless you guys as you go. If you need prayer, feel free to come up while...