WEBVTT NOTE Podcast: Acts 29 Vancouver Episode: The New Normal: Beyond the Upper Room Publishing Date: 2026-05-24T03:04:44-07:00 Podcast URL: https://acts29.ca Episode URL: https://acts29.ca/the-new-normal-beyond-the-upper-room/ 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.000 The New Normal 00:00:09.000 --> 00:00:17.000 Things were never the same. They did not go back to their normal lives because this is the new normal. 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:21.000 And that's the reason why I titled my sermon as The New Normal. 00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:25.000 Life beyond the upper room. 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:37.000 I think it was on March 2nd, the BC Premier, David Eby, said that we are going ahead without our neighboring states, the US, 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:42.000 that we are going to change our clock and that's going to be once and for all. 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:49.000 And then on 8th March it was made official that we are going to stick with daylight saving 00:00:49.000 --> 00:00:54.000 and now when fall comes we are not going to change back our clock. 00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:59.000 This is the new normal. This is the new normal. 00:00:59.000 --> 00:01:04.000 So what happened on Day of Pentecost is that this is the new normal. 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:13.000 We often heighten and bring to this climax where the explosion happens on Day of Pentecost 00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:18.000 where Joel has prophesied about this, that a day is coming. 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:22.000 In the later days when God is going to pour out his Holy Spirit. 00:01:22.000 --> 00:01:28.000 Because in the Old Testament it is God who is always speaking to one specific group of people. 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:31.000 And those are the prophets. Yeah? 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:38.000 If you are not a priest, if you are not a prophet, there is a very slim chance that God is going to speak to you. 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:46.000 Yeah? And then Joel is saying that in the later days God is going to pour out his Spirit. 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:56.000 And it's not going to be for priests and prophets, but it's going to be for old men, young men, sons and daughters, servants and masters. 00:01:56.000 --> 00:02:00.000 It's going to be on all flesh. Joel has been promising about this day. 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:06.000 And then Jesus is also saying that if I go away, it's your advantage. Why? 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:13.000 Because if I go away, I can be sending my... I mean I will send my Spirit. 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:17.000 And you know what happened on the Day of Pentecost? Things changed. 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:23.000 Because prior to this, Jesus can only be at one place and one time. 00:02:23.000 --> 00:02:27.000 Because he is in the form of a physical body. 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:30.000 So he is walking on the shores of Galilee. 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:34.000 But he is not in Timbuktu. He is not in Vancouver. Right? 00:02:34.000 --> 00:02:40.000 But now what changed was that after the Day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out, 00:02:40.000 --> 00:02:44.000 now Jesus is right here in this room. 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:50.000 Jesus is in India. Jesus is in Tokyo. Jesus is in New York. Jesus is in Lagos. 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:56.000 He is in Kenya. He is everywhere. At the same time. Right? 00:02:56.000 --> 00:03:01.000 At the same time. Omnipresence of God. Spirit being present everywhere. 00:03:01.000 --> 00:03:05.000 And that changed everything, guys. 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:10.000 Things were never normal again. 00:03:10.000 --> 00:03:16.000 And it will blow away your mind when this happened. 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:22.000 And then, now you begin to read Acts chapter 3, Acts chapter 4, Acts chapter 5, right? 00:03:22.000 --> 00:03:26.000 Because we often read about Acts chapter 2, when the Holy Spirit was poured out. 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:30.000 What happened in chapter 3, chapter 4, chapter 5, till 28 chapters? 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:34.000 You see, full of miracles. 00:03:34.000 --> 00:03:39.000 Full of miracles. Yeah? The Book of Acts. It's fascinating, I tell you. 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:44.000 What was the wow factor? It's the Holy Spirit, guys. 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:50.000 Christians who don't have the fire, Christians who are lifeless, 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:54.000 Christians who are not passionate for God, one thing is missing. 00:03:54.000 --> 00:04:00.000 It's the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the wow factor in your life. 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:04.000 Yeah? It's the fire, the zeal. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:08.000 Whenever in the Old Testament, whenever God wants to do something, 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:13.000 he has a plan, he has a purpose, and he wants to accomplish that, he'll give his spirit. 00:04:13.000 --> 00:04:18.000 You know, the day in the moment when David was anointed by prophet Samuel, 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:23.000 it says, the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on him. 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:27.000 Since that day, David was never the same. Right? 00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:30.000 And think about, you know, Bezalel. 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:34.000 He was a man who was filled with the Spirit in Exodus 31. 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:40.000 For what? For craftsmanship, for woodwork, for gold, for everything. 00:04:40.000 --> 00:04:42.000 He excelled. 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:47.000 So, you see, whenever God wants to do something, he would send his Spirit. 00:04:47.000 --> 00:04:51.000 The Spirit would come upon him, or sometimes he would fill them. Right? 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:55.000 And it's a supernatural empowerment that comes upon the people of God 00:04:55.000 --> 00:04:58.000 to accomplish what God wants. 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:10.000 And so, in our day, gifts and talents and skills and knowledge and expertise are overrated. 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:12.000 Overrated, I tell you. Yeah? 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:17.000 If you don't have a voice that stands out, then the rest. 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:19.000 You're not meant to be a singer. Yeah? 00:05:19.000 --> 00:05:27.000 Or if you're not so naturally gifted, like Messi, something that outshines others, 00:05:27.000 --> 00:05:29.000 it doesn't make sense. Yeah? 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:35.000 But the rest of us, including myself, I'm a very average guy. Yeah? 00:05:35.000 --> 00:05:40.000 You know, I know a little bit of many things, but nothing stands out. 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:46.000 And I'm telling you guys, the Babylonian system, which we read in the book of Daniel, 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:51.000 it will always elevate in appearances people of royal birth, right? 00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:56.000 Who are knowledgeable, who are of royal blood. 00:05:56.000 --> 00:06:03.000 These things are elevated. And in our generation, things like expertise, like knowledge and skills and all these, 00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:09.000 yes, they are important to some extent, but we don't idolize them. 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:14.000 That's why the way Jesus now comes and does it is so different. 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:19.000 He did not come and choose the scribes and the Pharisees, the elites of his day. 00:06:19.000 --> 00:06:24.000 He chose very ordinary guys, fishermen, tax collectors. 00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:28.000 He would appoint them. Why? 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:32.000 Because he's the wow factor in their lives. 00:06:32.000 --> 00:06:38.000 And after Jesus, he said, it's your advantage that I go away. 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:41.000 Okay. Now the spirit has been poured out. 00:06:41.000 --> 00:06:47.000 And this is the era of the Holy Spirit that you and I are living in. 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:54.000 Until Christ returns, it's going to be the Holy Spirit who's going to continue the work of Jesus in your life, 00:06:54.000 --> 00:06:57.000 in my life and through your lives, guys. 00:06:57.000 --> 00:07:03.000 And I'm saying this has nothing to do with being a charismatic or Pentecost. Nothing. Yeah? 00:07:03.000 --> 00:07:07.000 The word Pentecost means 50. Penta, right? 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:11.000 It comes from the Greek word, Pentecoste, which means 50. 00:07:11.000 --> 00:07:15.000 50 a day. As simple as that. Nothing more. Yeah? 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:21.000 So the Jews, they would celebrate the Passover 50 days later. 00:07:21.000 --> 00:07:31.000 And for Christians, we celebrate the day of Pentecost because it was 50 days after the resurrection. 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:35.000 Right? And so what happened after Acts chapter 2? 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:38.000 Let me share a few things here. Yeah? 00:07:38.000 --> 00:07:44.000 So after the Holy Spirit was poured out, bold preaching began. 00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:47.000 Peter was scared. He denied Jesus three times. 00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:52.000 Now he stands up and he boldly preaches. He's different now. 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:55.000 And the persecutions began. Right? Supernatural deliverance. 00:07:55.000 --> 00:08:00.000 The angel came and then he rescued the apostles from the prison. Right? 00:08:00.000 --> 00:08:05.000 And then the first martyr, which we read from the life of Stephen. Right? 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:10.000 Now these same disciples are being murdered for their faith. 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:15.000 And then Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus in chapter 9. Right? 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:24.000 The guy who has been plotting to kill the Christians is the same guy who is now protecting and promoting the gospel. Yeah? 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:28.000 And then, you know, Peter raises Tabitha from death. 00:08:28.000 --> 00:08:32.000 It's crazy, guys. It's not Jesus here. 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:38.000 Jesus is not raising. Peter is raising. He's doing the same thing that Jesus did. Why? 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:42.000 Because the spirit of Jesus is in Peter now. Right? 00:08:42.000 --> 00:08:50.000 It's crazy, guys. And then for the first time, the gospel now spreads to the Gentiles. Yeah? 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:56.000 And then the first mission trip, the international mission trip began. Right? 00:08:56.000 --> 00:09:04.000 Paul and Barnabas now steps aside their comfort zone, their territory, so to say, crossing international borders. 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:11.000 And then the gospel made its entry to Europe, Paul and Silas, when they were in Philippi. Right? 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:17.000 And then the unusual miracles, the handkerchief of Paul sent out. 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:22.000 And then people experience healing. Peter's shadow is bringing healing. 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:29.000 Crazy stories, guys. Yeah? The raising of Eutychus. It's a very funny story, guys. Yeah? 00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:37.000 On the third story, Paul has been preaching for so long that this guy does off. He fell from the third floor and died. Yeah? 00:09:37.000 --> 00:09:41.000 And then Paul raises him. Yeah? 00:09:41.000 --> 00:09:48.000 You know, don't worry if you're Eutychus. God will raise you up. 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:56.000 Crazy, guys. And then Paul experiences a shipwreck. He knew he was coming. Why? Because the Spirit revealed to him. 00:09:56.000 --> 00:10:03.000 And he's saying, no, if we go this route, we're going to have a shipwreck. He knew it. Yeah? 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:12.000 And then on the island, a poisonous snake bites him. And then, you know, people are thinking that he's going to die. 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:18.000 Nothing happens. And the whole island came to know Christ. 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:25.000 And then, you know, Paul, during his last days in house arrest, and he has been preaching the kingdom of God boldly. 00:10:25.000 --> 00:10:34.000 These are stories of the stories. You know, when you read the book of Acts, I tell you, the wow factor in the book of Acts is the Holy Spirit. 00:10:34.000 --> 00:10:38.000 Because the physical presence of Jesus was no longer here on earth. 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:44.000 And what continued was the same work of Jesus that continued by the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:48.000 Through what? Through whom? Through ordinary people. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:55.000 This is the wow factor in your life, guys. Let's dismiss which denominations we are from. 00:10:55.000 --> 00:11:01.000 I came from Baptist. I tell you guys. Sola Scriptura. Stick to the scripture. Yeah? 00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:06.000 The Holy Spirit is too controversial. Let's not deal with these things. Yeah? 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:12.000 Oh, we should speak in tongues only in private or should we speak in tongues in public? 00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:19.000 Prophecies? Should we allow it? Should we not allow it? So caught up in this debate, guys. 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:28.000 Let the Spirit do his work, man. Let's not caught up in this, in the controversies. Yeah? 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:35.000 It's amazing, guys. It's amazing. It changed. It ruined my life, guys. It ruined my life. 00:11:35.000 --> 00:11:42.000 Now I wouldn't consider myself as Baptist? 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:47.000 I want to be true to the Word. That's all that matters. 00:11:47.000 --> 00:11:57.000 One may say, well, after all, all these miracles found in the scripture are done by the disciples of Jesus. 00:11:57.000 --> 00:12:07.000 So I'm not sure about myself. Well, and others may say, what does the Holy Spirit do with me? 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:12.000 It has everything to do with you guys. This is the plan. 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:20.000 See, God is personal and yet his mission is global. His scope is always global. 00:12:20.000 --> 00:12:26.000 And that's why he's not satisfied with you experiencing Jesus in your own little way. 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:32.000 No, he's not interested in that. Much more than that. Yeah? 00:12:32.000 --> 00:12:38.000 You know, we have done a series on the Holy Spirit. Seven weeks, we did a seven-week series on the Holy Spirit. 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:46.000 We barely scratched the surface. And today I have only one hour to teach about this. 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:51.000 It's impossible to cover everything. So instead of broadly covering because the Holy Spirit is a counselor, 00:12:51.000 --> 00:12:55.000 the Holy Spirit is a teacher, that itself can be an hour, right? 00:12:55.000 --> 00:13:02.000 So he comes like a rushing wind. He comes like consuming fire. He flows like rivers of living waters. 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:06.000 All these are true, right? There's so many aspects that I can take on. 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:18.000 But I want to focus a few areas today, especially what it means for I now to allow the Holy Spirit to work in my life 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:21.000 and what happens if I allow him to do that, right? 00:13:21.000 --> 00:13:25.000 There are many more, but I'm just going to share four things here. Yeah? 00:13:25.000 --> 00:13:33.000 And then three points on how we can work or say walk and step with the Holy Spirit. 00:13:33.000 --> 00:13:38.000 So, you know, all together, seven points. Fair enough? Yeah. 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:44.000 Yeah. We don't know how long these seven points will go. Yeah? 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:53.000 But the first one is the transforming touch of the Holy Spirit, the transforming touch of the Holy Spirit. 00:13:53.000 --> 00:14:00.000 There's something irreversible about the Holy Spirit. Every life that you touch, they're never the same. 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:05.000 There's something irreversible truth about the Holy Spirit. Yeah? 00:14:05.000 --> 00:14:10.000 He loves to touch lives and every life that he touched, they're never the same. 00:14:10.000 --> 00:14:15.000 It's impossible to escape the touch of the Holy Spirit. Yeah? 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:19.000 It is never a one moment thing. 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:29.000 Because why? Because the agenda, his agenda is transformation. 00:14:29.000 --> 00:14:34.000 The Holy Spirit is interested in not modifying or improving your life a little bit here and there. 00:14:34.000 --> 00:14:40.000 He's not interested in tweaking your life. He is interested in transforming your life. Yeah? 00:14:40.000 --> 00:14:46.000 So Peter, who denied Jesus three times, is the same guy whose life has been changed forever. 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:54.000 And, you know, transformation happens in two ways, usually. Yeah? 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:58.000 One is instant, the other is gradual. 00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:06.000 For someone like Saul on the road to Damascus, he experiences this light from heaven. It ruined him. 00:15:08.000 --> 00:15:13.000 The fate that he wants to destroy is the very fate that he wants to defend. 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:16.000 His name was changed to Paul. 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:21.000 It all took one encounter. It was enough. 00:15:21.000 --> 00:15:26.000 You know, I remember of one man from our church in India. 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:28.000 He went to a father's camp. 00:15:29.000 --> 00:15:31.000 He's an alcoholic. 00:15:31.000 --> 00:15:35.000 He smokes. He's addicted to smoking. 00:15:35.000 --> 00:15:39.000 During this Bible camp, he encounters the Holy Spirit. 00:15:40.000 --> 00:15:47.000 And after he came out of that Bible camp, he lost his desire for smoking and for alcohol. 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:51.000 It all took one incident. 00:15:51.000 --> 00:15:53.000 The encounter with the Holy Spirit. 00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:57.000 It's not like he's feeling guilty about it. He repented. No. 00:15:57.000 --> 00:16:01.000 He just lost desire. He just lost interest. 00:16:01.000 --> 00:16:07.000 There's no desire to smoke. There's no desire to go for alcohol. 00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:11.000 The desire just changed. Right? It was instant. 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:16.000 And the other one is gradual. 00:16:17.000 --> 00:16:20.000 When you think of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5, 00:16:20.000 --> 00:16:28.000 none of those traits that are mentioned in Galatians 5 can be grown overnight. 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:31.000 I don't get patient. 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:37.000 One day, I wake up. I don't wake up and say, I'm full of self-control today. 00:16:39.000 --> 00:16:41.000 No, it doesn't work like that, guys. 00:16:41.000 --> 00:16:45.000 Love, peace, kindness, gentleness, forbearance. 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:50.000 All these qualities that we see are gradual. 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:54.000 They are not developed overnight. 00:16:54.000 --> 00:16:59.000 This is why Ezekiel talks about God saying that he's going to give you a new heart. 00:16:59.000 --> 00:17:03.000 He replaces your heart of stone with a heart of flesh. 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:05.000 Because it's the Spirit. 00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:10.000 And then the Spirit will now help you to follow his decrees. 00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:16.000 I remember of a guy who was addicted to pornography. 00:17:17.000 --> 00:17:20.000 And I walked with him closely. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:25.000 And I noticed it was so hard for him. 00:17:26.000 --> 00:17:30.000 He would come back and say to me, I've fallen again. 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:34.000 I was able to refrain from it for a week. I've fallen again. 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:37.000 There were times when he would go for a month. 00:17:37.000 --> 00:17:40.000 Fall again. Sometimes two months. 00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:42.000 We're really happy for him. 00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:44.000 Fall again. 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:52.000 And so, you know, over this period of time, my intent was, can I, without judging him, 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:59.000 without condemning him, without shaming him, without inflicting guilt in him, 00:17:59.000 --> 00:18:04.000 can I continue to love him and still expect him to change? 00:18:04.000 --> 00:18:08.000 And he was the work of the Holy Spirit in his life. 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:10.000 It was not instant. 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:12.000 It was a struggle for him. 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:17.000 But slowly by slowly, this is the work of the Spirit. 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:19.000 Sometimes it's gradual. 00:18:19.000 --> 00:18:24.000 Because why? Be it instant, be it gradual. 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:26.000 The Holy Spirit has one agenda. 00:18:26.000 --> 00:18:28.000 That is transforming you. 00:18:28.000 --> 00:18:30.000 That is transforming you. 00:18:30.000 --> 00:18:31.000 Be gradual. 00:18:31.000 --> 00:18:33.000 The Holy Spirit has one agenda. 00:18:33.000 --> 00:18:36.000 That is transformation into Christlikeness. 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:39.000 He is the Spirit of Jesus. 00:18:39.000 --> 00:18:42.000 The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus. 00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:44.000 He wants to make you like Jesus. 00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:46.000 That's his goal. 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:53.000 When you read Galatians 5, I just mentioned, these traits that we read, 00:18:53.000 --> 00:18:57.000 the nine fruits that were mentioned, these are all qualities of Jesus. 00:18:57.000 --> 00:19:00.000 These are all the nature attributes, personalities of Jesus. 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:02.000 Yeah? 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:06.000 The Holy Spirit's intent is to make you like Jesus. 00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:14.000 You know, the Holy Spirit will now change the very desires that are soulish 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:18.000 and now shift that into the things of God. 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:20.000 Your desire begins to change. 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:24.000 Some of the things that I enjoy, I don't enjoy anymore. 00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:28.000 He even changes your desires, guys. 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:31.000 That's the beauty about Christ. 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:38.000 It's never self-effort. 00:19:38.000 --> 00:19:44.000 I don't do these five things and become like Christ. 00:19:44.000 --> 00:19:46.000 It's never self-effort. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:48.000 It's the work of the Holy Spirit. 00:19:48.000 --> 00:19:51.000 Because transformation is the agenda. 00:19:51.000 --> 00:19:55.000 And I've got to allow that, the work of the Spirit in my life, 00:19:55.000 --> 00:19:58.000 because transformation is guaranteed, guys. 00:19:58.000 --> 00:20:04.000 No one who is in relationship with the Holy Spirit can remain the same, I guess. 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:11.000 I tell you guys, any area in your life that you struggle, 00:20:11.000 --> 00:20:14.000 any area in your life that you want to be strengthened, 00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:16.000 any area in your life that is unfruitful, 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:18.000 any area in your life that is unfruitful, 00:20:18.000 --> 00:20:24.000 any area that has been hidden, exposed to the Holy Spirit, 00:20:24.000 --> 00:20:27.000 He'll bring transformation in that very area, guys. 00:20:27.000 --> 00:20:29.000 So that's the first one. 00:20:29.000 --> 00:20:34.000 No one, no one remains the same, whoever encounters the Holy Spirit. 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:37.000 And then the second one is, 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:43.000 the Spirit of God is the Spirit of fruitfulness. 00:20:43.000 --> 00:20:46.000 The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of fruitfulness. 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:49.000 Where do we get that? Everywhere. 00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:55.000 Genesis' account, the Holy Spirit was hovering over the surface of the deep. 00:20:55.000 --> 00:20:59.000 And then He makes things happen out of nothing. 00:20:59.000 --> 00:21:03.000 And He said, be fruitful and multiply. 00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:08.000 Even in Galatians 5, it's called the fruit of the Spirit. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:12.000 Fruit of the Spirit, meaning it's the Spirit of fruitfulness. 00:21:12.000 --> 00:21:14.000 We are supposed to bear fruit. 00:21:14.000 --> 00:21:17.000 In Psalm 1, we're supposed to bear fruit. 00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:19.000 One who is blessed by God. 00:21:19.000 --> 00:21:21.000 Jesus comes and says the same thing. 00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:24.000 If you abide in Me and I abide in you, you will bear fruit. 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:30.000 Right? Fruitfulness has everything to do with the Holy Spirit. 00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:34.000 And that's why it's important for us to ask ourselves, 00:21:34.000 --> 00:21:36.000 am I bearing fruit? 00:21:38.000 --> 00:21:40.000 Am I bearing fruit? 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:42.000 If I am not bearing fruit, 00:21:42.000 --> 00:21:47.000 question whether you are in relationship with the Holy Spirit. 00:21:48.000 --> 00:21:52.000 Because to be in a relationship with the Holy Spirit and not bear fruit, 00:21:53.000 --> 00:21:54.000 that's strange. 00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:56.000 Strange, I tell you. 00:21:56.000 --> 00:22:02.000 And when I say bearing fruit, it's not necessarily money or materially. 00:22:02.000 --> 00:22:08.000 But if the Spirit is the Spirit of joy, love, peace, patience, kindness, righteousness, 00:22:08.000 --> 00:22:11.000 all these gentleness, self-control, all of these things, 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:14.000 then are these qualities bearing fruit in your life? 00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:16.000 Yeah? 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:21.000 Sometimes it's physical, sometimes it's more than physical. 00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:26.000 Mary was a virgin, and you know what was the wow factor in Mary's life? 00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:28.000 The Holy Spirit came upon her. 00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:30.000 And even though she was a virgin, 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:31.000 made it possible. 00:22:31.000 --> 00:22:32.000 Yeah? 00:22:32.000 --> 00:22:33.000 Sarah. 00:22:33.000 --> 00:22:34.000 Sarah was old and aged, you know. 00:22:34.000 --> 00:22:37.000 And Abraham, dead as meat. 00:22:39.000 --> 00:22:41.000 And then, happened. 00:22:41.000 --> 00:22:42.000 Daniel, 00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:47.000 in a system that is not Christian, 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:50.000 in a Babylonian system, 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:51.000 right? 00:22:51.000 --> 00:22:53.000 It's not a Christian environment. 00:22:53.000 --> 00:22:54.000 Thrives. 00:22:55.000 --> 00:22:56.000 Really thrives. 00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:57.000 Joseph, doesn't matter. 00:22:57.000 --> 00:22:58.000 Really thrives. 00:22:58.000 --> 00:22:59.000 Joseph, doesn't matter. 00:22:59.000 --> 00:23:01.000 Whether it's in famine, during famine, 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:04.000 or whether it's in prison, flourishes. 00:23:06.000 --> 00:23:10.000 See, this is the pattern that you will see again and again in the Bible. 00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:13.000 And here's this. 00:23:13.000 --> 00:23:15.000 In Ezekiel 47, 00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:20.000 where Ezekiel saw this vision, right? 00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:26.000 And then, rivers of living waters from the temple of God flowing. 00:23:26.000 --> 00:23:31.000 And then, nourishing the plants and the trees on both sides. 00:23:31.000 --> 00:23:35.000 And every area that's been touched, they begin to bear fruit. 00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:37.000 And here's the crazy thing. 00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:39.000 It flows even into the Dead Sea. 00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:43.000 And now, the Dead Sea is full of fishes. 00:23:46.000 --> 00:23:47.000 And Jesus himself said, 00:23:47.000 --> 00:23:50.000 for those who are filled with the Spirit, 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:54.000 they are rivers of living waters will flow out of that man. 00:23:56.000 --> 00:24:01.000 Oftentimes, the Holy Spirit is compared with the rivers of life, 00:24:01.000 --> 00:24:03.000 rivers of living waters flowing. 00:24:03.000 --> 00:24:09.000 And this is why, if the Holy Spirit is living and flowing in your life, 00:24:09.000 --> 00:24:12.000 every area that it touches, it will bear fruit. 00:24:13.000 --> 00:24:14.000 Yeah? 00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:16.000 Every area. 00:24:17.000 --> 00:24:22.000 Why it's important is because sometimes I can hide certain areas in my life 00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:27.000 and not bring it to the attention nor to the touch of the Spirit. 00:24:28.000 --> 00:24:30.000 Because we have a free will. 00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:33.000 We often say, God, you are Lord of my life. 00:24:33.000 --> 00:24:35.000 You are in control of this. You are in control of this. 00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:38.000 But there are certain areas where we don't want to let go. 00:24:39.000 --> 00:24:41.000 Finance is a big one. 00:24:42.000 --> 00:24:47.000 We always think that 10 times is God's, 90 is ours. 00:24:47.000 --> 00:24:50.000 Because it's a hard-earned money. 00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:54.000 When God says everything is His, right? 00:24:54.000 --> 00:25:01.000 That's why it's important for us to allow the Spirit to touch every aspect of our lives. 00:25:02.000 --> 00:25:04.000 If we are to bear fruit. 00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:10.000 Bearness and the Spirit, they do not go hand in hand. 00:25:11.000 --> 00:25:13.000 We read that in Ezekiel as well. 00:25:13.000 --> 00:25:16.000 Dry bones and Spirit, Spirit breeds life. 00:25:16.000 --> 00:25:18.000 Dry bones come to life. 00:25:18.000 --> 00:25:23.000 Spirit, the Spirit of God and barrenness, they don't go hand in hand, guys. 00:25:24.000 --> 00:25:27.000 If there are things that are barren in your lives, 00:25:27.000 --> 00:25:33.000 and when I say barren, I'm not just talking about the womb or just the physical. 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:38.000 Barren in relationships, barren in purity. 00:25:39.000 --> 00:25:40.000 Yeah? 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:41.000 So many other aspects. 00:25:41.000 --> 00:25:47.000 And I'm saying that because the Spirit is the Spirit of fruitfulness. 00:25:48.000 --> 00:25:54.000 It is impossible to be unfruitful if we allow the Spirit of God to touch that aspect of our lives. 00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:55.000 Yeah? 00:25:57.000 --> 00:25:59.000 So that's the second one. 00:25:59.000 --> 00:26:07.000 The third one is the supernatural becomes the normal. 00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:11.000 The supernatural becomes the normal. 00:26:11.000 --> 00:26:15.000 You know, no religion talks about these guys. 00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:21.000 God of the universe, the creator of the heavens and the earth, 00:26:21.000 --> 00:26:24.000 living in me, living in you. 00:26:24.000 --> 00:26:26.000 Which religion talks about that? 00:26:27.000 --> 00:26:29.000 Tell me, which religion talks about that? 00:26:31.000 --> 00:26:34.000 We often worship the God of the heavens and the earth. 00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:36.000 They try to appease their gods. 00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:39.000 They bring their pujas, their offerings to their gods 00:26:39.000 --> 00:26:42.000 so that their gods can have favor on them. 00:26:43.000 --> 00:26:46.000 Christianity is radical. 00:26:47.000 --> 00:26:55.000 We make outrageous claims saying Christ is the only way, the truth and the life. 00:26:55.000 --> 00:26:57.000 Outrageous guys. 00:26:57.000 --> 00:26:59.000 We are saying that it is exclusive. 00:26:59.000 --> 00:27:03.000 Yes, it's for everyone who will believe, but it is only one way. 00:27:03.000 --> 00:27:05.000 We're not saying there are multiple ways. 00:27:05.000 --> 00:27:07.000 Crazy, man. 00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:10.000 And we say the God of the universe lives in me. 00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:12.000 Crazy, man. 00:27:13.000 --> 00:27:19.000 And if the God of the universe lives in you, why do we have to limit God? 00:27:19.000 --> 00:27:24.000 Look to ourselves and say I can afford it, I cannot afford it, I can do it, I cannot do it. 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:27.000 Because the focus is on the self. 00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:29.000 Right? 00:27:29.000 --> 00:27:32.000 But if the supernatural God is living in me, 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:38.000 if the supernatural God is living in me, then I should expect the supernatural things in my life. 00:27:39.000 --> 00:27:43.000 It's so tragic how we have downgraded. 00:27:43.000 --> 00:27:51.000 Because anything that is not verifiable, anything that is not quantifiable, 00:27:51.000 --> 00:27:55.000 everything that is not rationalized, everything that cannot be put on a spreadsheet, 00:27:55.000 --> 00:28:01.000 everything that cannot be calculated, if numbers doesn't match, it's harder. 00:28:02.000 --> 00:28:05.000 And I'm saying it's so tragic, guys. 00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:12.000 Because when you read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, there's nothing natural about God. 00:28:13.000 --> 00:28:14.000 Nothing. 00:28:14.000 --> 00:28:22.000 Some people have tried to demystify, demystify, as in like the Bible take out the supernatural elements from the Bible. 00:28:23.000 --> 00:28:28.000 And all we can get is a history book, but nothing extraordinary. 00:28:28.000 --> 00:28:31.000 How can we even say it's the living word of God? 00:28:33.000 --> 00:28:42.000 The lame walk, the dead were raised, the prisons break, cities were shaken, demons fled, and the gospel spreads like wildfire. 00:28:43.000 --> 00:28:44.000 Man. 00:28:45.000 --> 00:28:48.000 This is not an occasional event, guys. 00:28:48.000 --> 00:28:54.000 See, once the Pentecost happens, the spirit was poured out, this became the new normal. 00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:57.000 The supernatural became the new normal. 00:28:57.000 --> 00:28:58.000 Yeah? 00:28:59.000 --> 00:29:00.000 Doesn't matter. 00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:01.000 It's Paul, doesn't matter. 00:29:01.000 --> 00:29:02.000 It's Peter, doesn't matter. 00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:03.000 It's Stephen. 00:29:03.000 --> 00:29:07.000 Stephen was just chosen for food distribution. 00:29:08.000 --> 00:29:11.000 He was not even an apostle. 00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:17.000 It became normal, guys. 00:29:17.000 --> 00:29:25.000 And yet logic, rationalism, legalism, all these things kicks in. 00:29:27.000 --> 00:29:31.000 And that's exactly what the people in Nazareth did that. 00:29:31.000 --> 00:29:34.000 Isn't he the son of Mary and Joseph? 00:29:35.000 --> 00:29:36.000 Right? 00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:40.000 And then Jesus couldn't do much miracles out there because there was a lack of faith. 00:29:41.000 --> 00:29:44.000 Same story with the Israelites in the wilderness. 00:29:44.000 --> 00:29:46.000 I think it's in Psalm 78. 00:29:47.000 --> 00:29:49.000 They limited God again and again. 00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:52.000 They limited the Holy One of Israel. 00:29:52.000 --> 00:30:01.000 God sometimes is limited, not because he's limited, but because of the smallest of my expectations. 00:30:04.000 --> 00:30:07.000 Because Jesus loves to say, your faith has made you well. 00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:09.000 Yeah? 00:30:09.000 --> 00:30:12.000 Things are done according to the measure of our faith. 00:30:23.000 --> 00:30:28.000 So I would say, when was the last time you dreamt of a God-sized vision? 00:30:29.000 --> 00:30:37.000 Something that is embarrassingly massive that when you think of yourself, you laugh. 00:30:38.000 --> 00:30:39.000 Yeah? 00:30:41.000 --> 00:30:48.000 See, guys, I tell you, some of my dreams, some of my wish to do, 00:30:48.000 --> 00:30:54.000 some of my goals that I've written five years ago, it's funny. 00:30:56.000 --> 00:30:58.000 I don't need God for those things. 00:31:11.000 --> 00:31:15.000 Joel chapter 2 has not expired, guys. 00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:18.000 Young man will dream dreams. 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:19.000 Yeah? 00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:23.000 The old man, sorry, it's the old. 00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:26.000 Oh, I'm not sure. 00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:29.000 Yeah. 00:31:29.000 --> 00:31:37.000 But see, guys, we have to increase our expectations on who our God is, man. 00:31:38.000 --> 00:31:49.000 If the Holy Spirit has been poured out and if he's living in you, not for a visit, not for a vacation, permanent, permanent, 00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:59.000 why do I have to limit him so much to the size of what I can comprehend? 00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:01.000 Yeah? 00:32:01.000 --> 00:32:06.000 And you know, this self-sufficiency is so difficult to tackle with. 00:32:07.000 --> 00:32:08.000 Yeah? 00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:12.000 When we are short of money, we open our bank account. 00:32:12.000 --> 00:32:14.000 When we are sick, we go to hospital. 00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:15.000 Yeah? 00:32:15.000 --> 00:32:18.000 When we need some comfort, we go to our loved ones. 00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:27.000 And I'm not saying these things are wrong, but I'm saying that God always is never the first choice. 00:32:28.000 --> 00:32:29.000 Yeah? 00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:33.000 We go when our systems have failed. 00:32:33.000 --> 00:32:38.000 Many people go to God for healing after everything failed. 00:32:39.000 --> 00:32:40.000 Yeah? 00:32:43.000 --> 00:32:48.000 After everything collapses, we go to God. 00:32:48.000 --> 00:32:51.000 Now there's no hope, there is nothing that I can do. 00:32:51.000 --> 00:32:53.000 I go to God. 00:32:53.000 --> 00:32:57.000 It's tragic, guys, when he should have been the first choice. 00:32:57.000 --> 00:32:58.000 Yeah? 00:32:58.000 --> 00:33:00.000 The supernatural is the new norm, guys. 00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:03.000 The supernatural is the new norm. 00:33:03.000 --> 00:33:11.000 If you believe John 1.50, you will see greater things. 00:33:12.000 --> 00:33:20.000 I am saying that Acts 2 and the following chapters which we read, and we are fascinated by these stories, 00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:24.000 I'm hoping that these things will manifest in greater glory. 00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:26.000 Things are beginning to happen here. 00:33:26.000 --> 00:33:33.000 You know, people are experiencing healing in the middle of worship without anyone praying, without anyone laying hands. 00:33:33.000 --> 00:33:34.000 Yeah? 00:33:34.000 --> 00:33:36.000 More and more are happening. 00:33:36.000 --> 00:33:37.000 Some are physical. 00:33:37.000 --> 00:33:44.000 For Andre, last week, it was something non-physical, but it was something that broke loose for Andre. 00:33:46.000 --> 00:33:48.000 For John, he experienced something physical. 00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:51.000 For Nellie, she experienced something physical. 00:33:51.000 --> 00:33:55.000 Things are breaking out here, and I'm seeing that there is fate in this house, guys. 00:33:55.000 --> 00:33:57.000 The spirit of God is in this house. 00:33:57.000 --> 00:34:05.000 He's moving, and so can we increase our fate, and can we expect that this is a new normal? 00:34:05.000 --> 00:34:07.000 Yeah? 00:34:07.000 --> 00:34:15.000 How can someone go for surgery and then come out in a few hours, and then the very next day, he's here as if chilling out there. 00:34:15.000 --> 00:34:16.000 Look at Kamal. 00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:17.000 Crazy! 00:34:17.000 --> 00:34:19.000 As if nothing happened. 00:34:19.000 --> 00:34:22.000 And you know, Anne said, this is a new normal. 00:34:22.000 --> 00:34:24.000 That's what she said at the corridor. 00:34:24.000 --> 00:34:32.000 I pray that these things become so normal so that we would say, come to our church. 00:34:32.000 --> 00:34:34.000 There is something that happens every time. 00:34:34.000 --> 00:34:35.000 Yeah? 00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:41.000 I hope and I pray that we invite people because the presence of God is in our hearts. 00:34:41.000 --> 00:34:46.000 And whoever comes and encounters the spirit of the living God, they can never be the same, guys. 00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:49.000 Yeah? 00:34:49.000 --> 00:34:51.000 Some need physical healing, they get healing. 00:34:51.000 --> 00:34:54.000 Some need mental healing, they get mental healing. 00:34:55.000 --> 00:34:57.000 We don't even have to name it, guys. 00:34:58.000 --> 00:35:00.000 And the fourth one. 00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:06.000 As the spirit is poured out, we become Isaiah 61 and Acts chapter 1 people. 00:35:07.000 --> 00:35:08.000 Yeah? 00:35:08.000 --> 00:35:10.000 Isaiah 61 and Acts 1 people. 00:35:10.000 --> 00:35:18.000 You know, God said, you know, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. 00:35:18.000 --> 00:35:21.000 And you will receive power when you receive power. 00:35:21.000 --> 00:35:24.000 And you will receive power when you receive power. 00:35:24.000 --> 00:35:31.000 And God said, you know, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. 00:35:31.000 --> 00:35:34.000 If the Spirit comes, comes the power of God. 00:35:35.000 --> 00:35:36.000 Yeah? 00:35:36.000 --> 00:35:44.000 And then in Isaiah 61, the spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me so that I can proclaim goodness to the poor, 00:35:44.000 --> 00:35:48.000 bind the brokenhearted, set the captives free, proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. 00:35:48.000 --> 00:35:52.000 These things, the spirit of God enables you, right? 00:35:52.000 --> 00:35:53.000 And I'm telling you this. 00:35:53.000 --> 00:35:57.000 Jesus in Luke chapter 4 opens up the scroll of Isaiah. 00:35:57.000 --> 00:35:59.000 And he reads from there. 00:35:59.000 --> 00:36:03.000 And he said, today the scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing. 00:36:03.000 --> 00:36:05.000 You know, this blew away my mind. 00:36:05.000 --> 00:36:10.000 Jesus is not reading the initiation and the fulfillment of his ministry. 00:36:10.000 --> 00:36:15.000 He's declaring it for anybody who is a spirit-filled person. 00:36:16.000 --> 00:36:21.000 Jesus is reading a declaration of anybody who is spirit-filled. 00:36:22.000 --> 00:36:26.000 Because he gives his spirit to do exactly what he did. 00:36:27.000 --> 00:36:28.000 Yeah? 00:36:28.000 --> 00:36:31.000 We become spirit-filled people. 00:36:31.000 --> 00:36:34.000 And we are supposed to do exactly what Jesus did. 00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:37.000 We are because power has come upon you. 00:36:38.000 --> 00:36:40.000 Power has come upon you. 00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:42.000 Do you believe that? 00:36:42.000 --> 00:36:44.000 Power has come upon you. 00:36:44.000 --> 00:36:46.000 Or do you still think you're powerless? 00:36:48.000 --> 00:36:50.000 Think of that for a second. 00:36:50.000 --> 00:36:52.000 You have power, guys. 00:36:53.000 --> 00:36:55.000 Because that's what Jesus said. 00:36:55.000 --> 00:36:57.000 You will receive power. 00:36:57.000 --> 00:36:59.000 Do not underestimate. 00:37:04.000 --> 00:37:06.000 You will receive power. 00:37:06.000 --> 00:37:09.000 And when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, we will receive power. 00:37:09.000 --> 00:37:14.000 And we will be his witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, to the ends of the earth. 00:37:15.000 --> 00:37:19.000 You know, for many of us, our Jerusalem is now our next door. 00:37:19.000 --> 00:37:21.000 We don't have to go to the ends of the earth. 00:37:21.000 --> 00:37:25.000 Because God brings people from all over the world to be your next door. 00:37:25.000 --> 00:37:27.000 Crazy, guys. 00:37:28.000 --> 00:37:31.000 And Isaiah 61, oh boy. 00:37:33.000 --> 00:37:38.000 The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord comes upon us to do these things. 00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:41.000 He doesn't look for the qualified guys. 00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:49.000 The criteria for God to use us is never about degrees or pedigrees or as such. 00:37:50.000 --> 00:37:53.000 It is simply those who are available. 00:37:54.000 --> 00:37:56.000 Who are available. 00:37:58.000 --> 00:38:00.000 Who are available. 00:38:00.000 --> 00:38:05.000 You know, it's interesting how the progression of Isaiah 61, right? 00:38:05.000 --> 00:38:07.000 Not Isaiah 61. 00:38:07.000 --> 00:38:11.000 When Isaiah experiences the presence, the glory of God. 00:38:12.000 --> 00:38:16.000 He said, he initially said, I'm ruined, right? 00:38:16.000 --> 00:38:18.000 For I'm a man of unclean lips. 00:38:18.000 --> 00:38:22.000 Here is this man who is unworthy before the presence of the Holy God. 00:38:22.000 --> 00:38:26.000 Now his own unworthiness is exposed. 00:38:27.000 --> 00:38:29.000 He feels worthless. 00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:34.000 And then the moment God touches his lips with the coals. 00:38:34.000 --> 00:38:37.000 And his life is changed forever. 00:38:37.000 --> 00:38:40.000 And then God said, who will go? 00:38:40.000 --> 00:38:43.000 And then this guy who said, I am unworthy. 00:38:43.000 --> 00:38:45.000 I am ruined. 00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:49.000 This guy immediately raised his hand and said, here I am. 00:38:49.000 --> 00:38:51.000 Send me, Lord. 00:38:51.000 --> 00:38:53.000 Crazy. How did that shift happen? 00:38:54.000 --> 00:38:56.000 It's the touch of God. 00:38:56.000 --> 00:38:58.000 Crazy, man. 00:38:58.000 --> 00:39:03.000 How can Isaiah quickly progress from being an unworthy guy 00:39:03.000 --> 00:39:06.000 to one who is like, send me. 00:39:06.000 --> 00:39:08.000 I'm ready. 00:39:10.000 --> 00:39:13.000 We become Isaiah 61 people, guys. 00:39:13.000 --> 00:39:16.000 We become Acts 1 people. 00:39:16.000 --> 00:39:18.000 You may not be ready. 00:39:18.000 --> 00:39:19.000 You may feel you are unworthy. 00:39:19.000 --> 00:39:21.000 You may feel like you don't have what it takes. 00:39:21.000 --> 00:39:27.000 Guys, I tell you, man, when the Spirit touches you, you will be ready. 00:39:27.000 --> 00:39:29.000 You will be ready. 00:39:30.000 --> 00:39:33.000 Because we stop looking at ourselves. 00:39:36.000 --> 00:39:42.000 It is deeply personal on one hand, but it is urgent, guys. 00:39:42.000 --> 00:39:44.000 It is urgent. 00:39:48.000 --> 00:39:52.000 So a quick summary of the four points we covered. 00:39:52.000 --> 00:39:55.000 Whoever encounters Christ, they're never the same. 00:39:55.000 --> 00:39:59.000 And then secondly, it is the spirit of fruitfulness. 00:39:59.000 --> 00:40:03.000 If the Holy Spirit is in your life, you will be fruitful, guys. 00:40:03.000 --> 00:40:06.000 It will be unusual not to be fruitful. 00:40:06.000 --> 00:40:11.000 And then the third one is that since he's a supernatural spirit, 00:40:11.000 --> 00:40:14.000 the spirit of Jesus himself living in you, 00:40:14.000 --> 00:40:17.000 I should expect the supernatural. 00:40:17.000 --> 00:40:20.000 It should be the norm. 00:40:20.000 --> 00:40:24.000 And then the last one, we become Isaiah 61 people 00:40:24.000 --> 00:40:28.000 because the spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon you and upon me. 00:40:28.000 --> 00:40:32.000 So then, last three points. 00:40:32.000 --> 00:40:35.000 These are shorter, I tell you. 00:40:37.000 --> 00:40:40.000 How to walk in step with the Spirit. 00:40:40.000 --> 00:40:44.000 If this is the Spirit and if this is the same Spirit of Jesus 00:40:44.000 --> 00:40:47.000 who does extraordinary things in the lives of the believers, 00:40:47.000 --> 00:40:52.000 in the lives of Jesus, and in my life, then how do I learn? 00:40:52.000 --> 00:40:54.000 How do I learn to walk with the Spirit? 00:40:54.000 --> 00:40:56.000 How do I operate in the Spirit? 00:40:56.000 --> 00:40:59.000 And I'm going to share three very simple things 00:40:59.000 --> 00:41:05.000 which might not surprise, but sometimes we fail to do the basic. 00:41:06.000 --> 00:41:09.000 And the first one is the Bible is your compass, man. 00:41:09.000 --> 00:41:11.000 The Bible is your compass. 00:41:11.000 --> 00:41:13.000 The Spirit is the Spirit of truth. 00:41:13.000 --> 00:41:16.000 God's Word is the Word of truth. 00:41:16.000 --> 00:41:18.000 They go hand in hand. 00:41:18.000 --> 00:41:21.000 And I'm saying that many people limit the Spirit 00:41:21.000 --> 00:41:24.000 because they don't have the framework of the Spirit. 00:41:25.000 --> 00:41:28.000 God breathed, right? 00:41:28.000 --> 00:41:32.000 The Bible is God's breathed Word, meaning the Spirit, right? 00:41:32.000 --> 00:41:35.000 It's fascinating how the Bible is written. 00:41:35.000 --> 00:41:40.000 When we first joined the Bible college, we would do an introduction to the Bible. 00:41:40.000 --> 00:41:43.000 And it blew my mind. 00:41:43.000 --> 00:41:46.000 Over 40 authors wrote the Bible. 00:41:46.000 --> 00:41:48.000 They were not writing at the same place. 00:41:48.000 --> 00:41:52.000 They were writing at different times and different seasons. 00:41:52.000 --> 00:41:55.000 And then how they witnessed is different, yeah? 00:41:55.000 --> 00:41:58.000 And they were not, they don't have voice recorders. 00:41:58.000 --> 00:42:01.000 They don't have iPhones. 00:42:01.000 --> 00:42:07.000 They don't have any, you know, sophisticated tools to gather the data. 00:42:08.000 --> 00:42:13.000 And yet, it's amazing how even Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the four Gospels, 00:42:13.000 --> 00:42:15.000 they don't contradict each other. 00:42:15.000 --> 00:42:19.000 They are providing the narratives of Jesus from different lenses. 00:42:19.000 --> 00:42:23.000 And it perfectly makes sense, yeah? 00:42:23.000 --> 00:42:25.000 It's fascinating. 00:42:25.000 --> 00:42:28.000 It's the Spirit of God breathing into these people, right? 00:42:28.000 --> 00:42:31.000 Life, they're inspired and they're writing. 00:42:31.000 --> 00:42:34.000 These are not human generated words. 00:42:35.000 --> 00:42:40.000 And so, you know, when the Holy Spirit comes, and Jesus says, 00:42:40.000 --> 00:42:45.000 He'll remind you of all the things that I have taught. 00:42:45.000 --> 00:42:47.000 And you know, reminding is what? 00:42:47.000 --> 00:42:49.000 Meaning you have heard it before. 00:42:49.000 --> 00:42:53.000 Because if I have never heard it before, how can He remind me? 00:42:53.000 --> 00:42:56.000 And the thing is, guys, it's like this. 00:42:56.000 --> 00:42:59.000 When the Holy Spirit even wants to remind you, 00:42:59.000 --> 00:43:02.000 but if I have never heard of it, how can He remind me? 00:43:02.000 --> 00:43:03.000 Yeah? 00:43:03.000 --> 00:43:05.000 The key word there is remembrance. 00:43:05.000 --> 00:43:08.000 The Spirit brings you to remembrance. 00:43:08.000 --> 00:43:12.000 And that's why the framework for how the Spirit works is that 00:43:12.000 --> 00:43:14.000 the word is the key. 00:43:14.000 --> 00:43:18.000 The word is the framework for which the Spirit operates, guys. 00:43:19.000 --> 00:43:22.000 And sometimes we're so ignorant of the word 00:43:22.000 --> 00:43:25.000 that the Spirit wants to dive here and here and here and here, 00:43:25.000 --> 00:43:28.000 and yet I have no clue about the Spirit. 00:43:28.000 --> 00:43:29.000 Yeah? 00:43:29.000 --> 00:43:33.000 That's why I go with feelings now. 00:43:33.000 --> 00:43:35.000 I feel like this is the Holy Spirit. 00:43:35.000 --> 00:43:37.000 I feel like this is the Holy Spirit, right? 00:43:37.000 --> 00:43:40.000 I'm not sure whether it's aligned with the word. 00:43:40.000 --> 00:43:44.000 And so now I begin to credit the things that I did 00:43:44.000 --> 00:43:48.000 because of my feelings and credit it as the Holy Spirit told me. 00:43:48.000 --> 00:43:53.000 That's where the controversy, that's where the error begins to happen. 00:43:54.000 --> 00:43:58.000 If our understanding of the word increases, guys, 00:43:58.000 --> 00:44:01.000 our flow with the Spirit will increase, guys. 00:44:01.000 --> 00:44:03.000 And the accuracy of your hearing, 00:44:03.000 --> 00:44:07.000 the accuracy of diving and flowing with the Spirit will increase, guys. 00:44:07.000 --> 00:44:09.000 Yeah? 00:44:18.000 --> 00:44:23.000 Sometimes it's just fascinating, I tell you. 00:44:23.000 --> 00:44:31.000 Sometimes, like I said, the Spirit reminds you of the things that Jesus taught, right? 00:44:31.000 --> 00:44:36.000 There are times when I would read my Bible in the morning, nothing extraordinary. 00:44:36.000 --> 00:44:38.000 I didn't say like, oh, that was a revelation. 00:44:38.000 --> 00:44:42.000 No, it was just a normal reading of the Word. 00:44:42.000 --> 00:44:46.000 And then during the day when I'm meeting someone, 00:44:46.000 --> 00:44:49.000 God will remind me of certain things that I read. 00:44:49.000 --> 00:44:53.000 Sometimes it's the same day, sometimes things that I read two days ago, 00:44:53.000 --> 00:44:57.000 sometimes things that I read three days ago or a week ago. 00:44:57.000 --> 00:45:00.000 And I knew that when the Spirit is reminding me, 00:45:00.000 --> 00:45:03.000 I knew that that's the word for this person. 00:45:05.000 --> 00:45:08.000 And it always surprises me, guys. 00:45:08.000 --> 00:45:11.000 And this guy will say, how do you know? 00:45:11.000 --> 00:45:14.000 How do you know? Yeah? 00:45:14.000 --> 00:45:18.000 How do I know? Because the Spirit reminded me. 00:45:18.000 --> 00:45:23.000 Sometimes it's for you, sometimes it's for others. Yeah? 00:45:23.000 --> 00:45:25.000 But this is one way. 00:45:25.000 --> 00:45:29.000 If you want to increase flowing with the Spirit, hearing the Holy Spirit, 00:45:29.000 --> 00:45:33.000 if you don't know the Word, you will always limit the Spirit, guys. 00:45:34.000 --> 00:45:38.000 Because He's the author. He's the author of the Bible. 00:45:38.000 --> 00:45:40.000 Yeah? 00:45:40.000 --> 00:45:42.000 Second one. 00:45:43.000 --> 00:45:49.000 One of the hardest things for a modern-day man or a woman is to let go of control. 00:45:49.000 --> 00:45:51.000 Control. 00:45:51.000 --> 00:45:54.000 I want to control my finances. I want to control my future. 00:45:54.000 --> 00:45:56.000 I want to control the future of my children. 00:45:56.000 --> 00:45:59.000 I want to control what I will be doing. 00:45:59.000 --> 00:46:01.000 Everything. 00:46:01.000 --> 00:46:04.000 I want the remote in my hand. Right? 00:46:04.000 --> 00:46:09.000 And the world promotes this, that the world is in your fingertips. 00:46:09.000 --> 00:46:12.000 Now, you want to watch this? Turn it on. 00:46:12.000 --> 00:46:14.000 You want to close this? Shut it off. Right? 00:46:14.000 --> 00:46:17.000 And then we want that in every aspect of our lives. 00:46:17.000 --> 00:46:23.000 For Christians to let go of control, it goes against the grain. 00:46:24.000 --> 00:46:28.000 And I'm saying that surrender is so tough. Why? 00:46:28.000 --> 00:46:32.000 Because it appears like defeat. 00:46:33.000 --> 00:46:38.000 It appears like weakness. Right? 00:46:38.000 --> 00:46:42.000 But in the Kingdom of God, it's an upside-down kingdom. 00:46:42.000 --> 00:46:49.000 You know, we were talking about this the other day, about Jesus being our good shepherd. 00:46:49.000 --> 00:46:52.000 And we were mentioning about a sheep. 00:46:52.000 --> 00:46:55.000 How helpless the sheep is. Yeah? 00:46:55.000 --> 00:46:59.000 He has no venom. He has no claws. He has no shell. 00:46:59.000 --> 00:47:04.000 He's not fast. He's so slow. Yeah? 00:47:04.000 --> 00:47:11.000 There's nothing about the sheep that'll make him strong and fast and secure. Nothing. 00:47:11.000 --> 00:47:16.000 It's one of the most vulnerable mammals on earth. Yeah? 00:47:16.000 --> 00:47:19.000 They're so dependent. 00:47:19.000 --> 00:47:24.000 And Jesus, you know what? Jesus calls you and I sheep. 00:47:24.000 --> 00:47:30.000 Yeah. And we think that we can do on our own. 00:47:30.000 --> 00:47:37.000 And I'm saying that to let go of control is a huge, huge thing for every one of us. 00:47:37.000 --> 00:47:45.000 You know, in the wilderness, Jesus, sorry, God, rained down manna from heaven. 00:47:45.000 --> 00:47:51.000 Not once a month. Not once a week. Not once a year. 00:47:51.000 --> 00:47:52.000 He could have done that. 00:47:52.000 --> 00:47:57.000 You know, God could have rained down their portion for the rest of the month. Right? 00:47:57.000 --> 00:48:01.000 And they don't have to come and collect, you know, again for the rest of the month. 00:48:01.000 --> 00:48:03.000 But God would do it daily. 00:48:03.000 --> 00:48:11.000 And what God is intending is that they can rely on him daily. Right? 00:48:11.000 --> 00:48:19.000 He would not trade it for, you know, giving them in bulk and then lose out intimacy. 00:48:19.000 --> 00:48:22.000 Lose out dependence. 00:48:22.000 --> 00:48:26.000 But God would give them daily and they would go out. 00:48:26.000 --> 00:48:28.000 It's a daily reliance on God. 00:48:28.000 --> 00:48:30.000 And you know, Jesus teaches the same principle. 00:48:30.000 --> 00:48:34.000 Jesus taught his disciples the Lord's Prayer. 00:48:34.000 --> 00:48:40.000 And it says, give us this day our yearly bread, monthly bread. 00:48:40.000 --> 00:48:42.000 It says daily bread. 00:48:42.000 --> 00:48:46.000 Jesus says, give us this day our daily bread. 00:48:46.000 --> 00:48:51.000 Bread, no matter how amazing it is, you eat, you need it again. 00:48:51.000 --> 00:48:53.000 Bread is never a luxury. 00:48:53.000 --> 00:48:56.000 Bread is a necessity. 00:48:56.000 --> 00:48:59.000 They need for their survival. 00:48:59.000 --> 00:49:03.000 And Jesus is saying that you need me for your survival. 00:49:03.000 --> 00:49:07.000 And for Christians to let go of control? 00:49:07.000 --> 00:49:09.000 Ah! 00:49:09.000 --> 00:49:11.000 Yeah? 00:49:11.000 --> 00:49:17.000 I don't carry over yesterday's confidence into today. 00:49:17.000 --> 00:49:20.000 Each day has enough trouble of its own. 00:49:20.000 --> 00:49:23.000 His mercies are new every morning. 00:49:23.000 --> 00:49:26.000 Yeah, he supplies my daily. 00:49:26.000 --> 00:49:28.000 Daily. 00:49:37.000 --> 00:49:39.000 Last one. 00:49:44.000 --> 00:49:47.000 Keep an open conversation going. 00:49:47.000 --> 00:49:50.000 Keep an open conversation going. 00:49:50.000 --> 00:49:51.000 Very simple. 00:49:51.000 --> 00:49:54.000 But it is so critical. 00:49:54.000 --> 00:49:57.000 Because Paul says, pray without ceasing. 00:49:57.000 --> 00:50:00.000 In 1st Thessalonians, pray without ceasing. 00:50:00.000 --> 00:50:05.000 He's not talking about using words non-stop. 00:50:05.000 --> 00:50:06.000 Right? 00:50:06.000 --> 00:50:09.000 If that's the case, none of us will be here. 00:50:09.000 --> 00:50:10.000 Yeah? 00:50:10.000 --> 00:50:12.000 You cannot pray all the time. 00:50:12.000 --> 00:50:13.000 Why? 00:50:13.000 --> 00:50:16.000 Because if you do that, you will not do anything else. 00:50:16.000 --> 00:50:18.000 Yeah? 00:50:18.000 --> 00:50:21.000 So, pray without ceasing. 00:50:21.000 --> 00:50:23.000 What does he mean by that? 00:50:23.000 --> 00:50:28.000 Meaning to be always in tune with God. 00:50:28.000 --> 00:50:32.000 You know, yes, we do have specific times for prayer. 00:50:32.000 --> 00:50:34.000 That's really important. 00:50:34.000 --> 00:50:37.000 Specific times when you allocate your specific time, 00:50:37.000 --> 00:50:41.000 when you read your Bible, when you pray, when you connect with God. 00:50:41.000 --> 00:50:43.000 Those things are vital for you and for me. 00:50:43.000 --> 00:50:49.000 But to limit God to that time alone, it is tragic. 00:50:49.000 --> 00:50:51.000 The tragedy is not absence of prayer. 00:50:51.000 --> 00:50:55.000 The tragedy is when we limit prayer to those moments alone. 00:50:55.000 --> 00:50:57.000 Right? 00:51:00.000 --> 00:51:02.000 You know, it's like you wake up in the morning. 00:51:02.000 --> 00:51:05.000 You know, I wake up in the morning and then I have my devotion. 00:51:05.000 --> 00:51:07.000 And then I feel good about it. 00:51:07.000 --> 00:51:08.000 I feel refreshed. 00:51:08.000 --> 00:51:09.000 And then now I go to work. 00:51:09.000 --> 00:51:13.000 And then from 9 to 5, God is absolutely, completely absent. 00:51:13.000 --> 00:51:18.000 And then I come back and like, oh, you know, I should read my Bible again. 00:51:18.000 --> 00:51:20.000 Yeah? 00:51:20.000 --> 00:51:21.000 It's tragic, man. 00:51:21.000 --> 00:51:26.000 Where have we lost God from those 9 to 5 hours? 00:51:26.000 --> 00:51:28.000 Yeah? 00:51:28.000 --> 00:51:31.000 And I'm saying that for students who are writing assignments, 00:51:31.000 --> 00:51:34.000 ask God in the middle of what you're writing. 00:51:34.000 --> 00:51:38.000 For those who are working on projects, ask the Lord's help. 00:51:38.000 --> 00:51:39.000 Right? 00:51:39.000 --> 00:51:43.000 For those who are making transactions, ask the Lord to intervene. 00:51:43.000 --> 00:51:44.000 Yeah? 00:51:44.000 --> 00:51:48.000 For those who are doing sales, ask the Lord for doors, for connections, 00:51:48.000 --> 00:51:50.000 for things to happen. 00:51:50.000 --> 00:51:54.000 Guys, I tell you, it is in these moments, 00:51:54.000 --> 00:51:59.000 it is in these everyday life moments where you and I experience God in powerful ways. 00:51:59.000 --> 00:52:00.000 Yeah? 00:52:00.000 --> 00:52:04.000 You see, one of the things that the Holy Spirit is an expert, 00:52:04.000 --> 00:52:08.000 he's a teacher, he's a guide, he's a counselor. 00:52:08.000 --> 00:52:13.000 That's why when you face problems, he's so good at these things. 00:52:13.000 --> 00:52:16.000 He begins to counsel you, he begins to guide you, he begins to teach you. 00:52:16.000 --> 00:52:21.000 That's why when you have a problem, oh man, he's right there. 00:52:23.000 --> 00:52:24.000 Yeah? 00:52:28.000 --> 00:52:31.000 That's why Jesus is so aware. 00:52:31.000 --> 00:52:34.000 Sometimes he's able to spot Zacchaeus on the tree. 00:52:34.000 --> 00:52:38.000 Sometimes he's able to feel that their power went out of him. 00:52:38.000 --> 00:52:40.000 He knew someone touched me. 00:52:40.000 --> 00:52:42.000 That awareness. 00:52:42.000 --> 00:52:45.000 He said, I only do what my Father tells me to do. 00:52:45.000 --> 00:52:47.000 Highly aware, right? 00:52:47.000 --> 00:52:55.000 And I'm saying that, to be honest, I sometimes am very dull, very unaware. 00:52:55.000 --> 00:53:00.000 And then someone would bring up and be like, oh shucks, what am I doing? 00:53:00.000 --> 00:53:03.000 I should have spotted that sooner, right? 00:53:03.000 --> 00:53:08.000 And this awareness is something you and I can develop, yeah? 00:53:08.000 --> 00:53:10.000 Let me end. 00:53:13.000 --> 00:53:15.000 Today we're going to do something different. 00:53:15.000 --> 00:53:18.000 I'm going to call a few leaders here. 00:53:18.000 --> 00:53:28.000 And if you have not tasted or experienced the work or the move of the prompting of the 00:53:28.000 --> 00:53:33.000 Holy Spirit in your life, today a few leaders who operate in the spirit world, 00:53:33.000 --> 00:53:35.000 they will lay hands on you, yeah? 00:53:35.000 --> 00:53:37.000 They'll lay hands on you and they'll pray for you. 00:53:37.000 --> 00:53:43.000 And for some who have never spoken in tongues, do we have to speak in tongues? 00:53:43.000 --> 00:53:44.000 No. 00:53:44.000 --> 00:53:50.000 Is speaking in tongues a measure to gauge your level of maturity? 00:53:50.000 --> 00:53:52.000 No, right? 00:53:52.000 --> 00:53:54.000 But see, here's the thing. 00:53:54.000 --> 00:53:57.000 All the spiritual gifts are for the benefit of others. 00:53:57.000 --> 00:54:02.000 If I provide you with a spiritual gift, you will be able to speak in tongues. 00:54:02.000 --> 00:54:05.000 If I prophesy over someone, that person benefits. 00:54:05.000 --> 00:54:08.000 If I have a gift of generosity, that person benefits. 00:54:08.000 --> 00:54:11.000 If I have a gift of healing, that person benefits. 00:54:11.000 --> 00:54:14.000 If I have a gift of wisdom, that person learns. 00:54:14.000 --> 00:54:17.000 Every spiritual gift is for others. 00:54:17.000 --> 00:54:20.000 There's one gift for the person. 00:54:20.000 --> 00:54:22.000 That's the gift of tongues. 00:54:22.000 --> 00:54:25.000 If I speak in tongues, no one benefits. 00:54:25.000 --> 00:54:26.000 Right? 00:54:26.000 --> 00:54:29.000 If I'm speaking in tongues, you don't understand what I'm speaking. 00:54:29.000 --> 00:54:32.000 But it edifies me. 00:54:32.000 --> 00:54:34.000 It builds me up. 00:54:34.000 --> 00:54:36.000 It increases me. 00:54:36.000 --> 00:54:38.000 It sharpens my spirit. 00:54:38.000 --> 00:54:39.000 It builds my inner man. 00:54:39.000 --> 00:54:41.000 That's what the Bible says, right? 00:54:41.000 --> 00:54:43.000 That's the gift for you, for me. 00:54:43.000 --> 00:54:45.000 Do we have to speak? 00:54:45.000 --> 00:54:46.000 I'm saying no, it's not. 00:54:46.000 --> 00:54:47.000 Right? 00:54:47.000 --> 00:54:54.000 Because the extreme is that people begin to judge the level of maturity by whether this person speaks in tongues or not. 00:54:54.000 --> 00:54:56.000 And that's not, right? 00:54:56.000 --> 00:54:59.000 Because if you have received Christ, you have received the Holy Spirit. 00:54:59.000 --> 00:55:03.000 But it's one of the gifts that the Spirit enables. 00:55:03.000 --> 00:55:13.000 And so, if it builds me, if it improves me, if it sharpens my spirit, if it builds my inner man, why wouldn't I want that? 00:55:13.000 --> 00:55:23.000 And so I'm saying that if you have never spoken in tongues, I'm saying that how I spoke in tongues was someone prayed over me and then, boom, it started. 00:55:23.000 --> 00:55:25.000 And I'm saying that that's not always the case. 00:55:25.000 --> 00:55:28.000 In Acts chapter 2, nobody laid hands. 00:55:28.000 --> 00:55:33.000 But when the Spirit came, everyone was filled with tongues of fire. 00:55:33.000 --> 00:55:39.000 So I'm saying that irrespective of whether the leaders lay hands on you or not, God can fill you up. 00:55:39.000 --> 00:55:43.000 But I'm saying that today, today we want to do something different, right? 00:55:43.000 --> 00:55:52.000 And I am praying that as the Spirit enables, it can be healing, it can be, it can be prophecy, it can be tongues of fire. 00:55:52.000 --> 00:55:55.000 It can be tongues of whatever God wants to. 00:55:55.000 --> 00:56:02.000 I would invite that this is the Spirit of God that is here in this house. 00:56:02.000 --> 00:56:19.000 And can I ask Derek, Jillian, Sue, Mae, Dawn, maybe Annile to come up as the musicians continue to play one song. 00:56:19.000 --> 00:56:24.000 And I know we'll sing that song, Holy Spirit, you are welcome here. 00:56:24.000 --> 00:56:26.000 And he's already here. 00:56:26.000 --> 00:56:32.000 So as we welcome him, can we expect the Spirit to break something in our lives today? 00:56:32.000 --> 00:56:33.000 Yeah. 00:56:33.000 --> 00:56:41.000 Can the Spirit deposit something, something that has gone barren or something that you have never tasted? 00:56:41.000 --> 00:56:43.000 It says rivers of living waters. 00:56:43.000 --> 00:56:45.000 What would that look like for you? 00:56:45.000 --> 00:56:46.000 Yeah. 00:56:49.000 --> 00:56:51.000 So yeah, Derek, please.