Participants: Joseph Khabbaz
Series Code: 15WAC
Program Code: 15WAC000005A
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00:15 Despite the rain, despite the weather, you're still here
00:17 and just praise God for each one of you being here. 00:21 Just want to say how I excited I am 00:25 as a director at the South Queensland Conference 00:27 to see so many young people here wanting to be equipped 00:31 and learn how to share their faith. 00:33 Can we say amen to that? 00:35 It's so wonderful to see young people saying, 00:37 God I want to be used by you 00:40 to be able to share my faith and see Your kingdom come. 00:44 We're gonna have a special message this morning, 00:48 moved by the Holy Spirit, 00:50 and so I just invite you to bow your heads with me, 00:53 as we open up our message. 00:56 Father God, we want to thank You 00:59 for the way Your Holy Spirit works in our lives. 01:01 We want to thank You, that Lord You seek to not only use us 01:06 but change us through ministry. 01:08 Lord, I thank You for bringing us here. 01:12 So that we can be equipped for mission, 01:14 so that we can be equipped by Your spirit, 01:17 and so that Your soon coming may be that much closer 01:20 because of the faithfulness of Your people 01:23 to the cause that You have given us. 01:26 Lord, we pray that Your Holy Spirit be with us 01:29 and give us the wisdom that we need 01:31 to understand Your word, 01:33 for we ask it in Jesus' name, amen. 01:37 Some of you may or may not know the name of Charles Finney. 01:43 He lived a few years ago 01:45 but he was an iconic American evangelist 01:49 and he is known for 01:51 starting or being the father of revivalism in America. 01:56 He grew up in New York and first he was a teacher, 02:00 then he became a law clerk 02:02 and after being a law clerk 02:04 and being touched by the Holy Spirit, 02:06 he then became a revivalist. 02:10 These are some of the outcomes of his revival meetings 02:13 that happened through out the US. 02:15 It is estimated that from 1857 to 1858, 100,000 people, 02:23 that's right, 100,000 people 02:25 were led to a experience with Jesus Christ 02:30 through his revival meetings either directly or indirectly. 02:34 Through the lifetime of Mark Finney being a revivalist, 02:38 It's believed that 500,000 professed 02:41 conversions took place though Jesus Christ, 02:45 and the amazing thing about that is 80% of the people 02:49 that were converted at his meetings, 02:51 stayed faithful to God afterwards, 02:54 isn't that amazing? 02:56 That through the life of one man, 02:59 so many people's lives were touched for Jesus Christ. 03:04 We might say, well, maybe Charles Finney was a super, 03:10 a super spiritual person from the day he was born. 03:13 Is that the case? 03:14 Well, this is what we find his spiritual experience was 03:19 when he was just a young man. 03:21 At the age of 26 he went to church 03:25 not because he wanted to 03:27 but that's just what people did in the 1880s. 03:32 In fact, when he went to church, 03:34 he would hear words like regeneration, 03:37 faith, sanctification 03:39 and he admits that at a young age 03:43 he never knew what those words meant at all. 03:46 What about his prayer life? 03:47 What was his prayer life like as young person? 03:50 Well, this is what he says. 03:52 He says that he never really believed in prayer very much 03:55 because he saw little answers to pray in his life. 04:01 This who, is who Charles Finney was. 04:04 And I don't know if you've ever felt that way, 04:07 being a young person, 04:08 but this young man was touched by the Holy Spirit. 04:12 You see, even though he did not have the experience 04:15 we thought he should have as an evangelist, 04:18 God continued and worked with this young man. 04:22 This man should have never been a revivalist, 04:25 just from a human perspective. 04:27 There was nothing in him that we would say 04:30 this person would become ever a great preacher, 04:34 but he was touched by the Holy Spirit. 04:38 He talks about his conversion experience 04:41 and he says there's one thing that he did know, 04:44 that he was a sinner. 04:47 And one evening on Sunday night, 04:51 he wanted to work his own salvation 04:54 and he wanted to find Christ in a personal way, 04:58 so this is what he did. 05:00 He grabbed his Bible and on Sunday night he began to read 05:07 and he kept reading and reading the Bible, 05:10 and before he knew it 05:11 two days had gone past and it was Tuesday. 05:15 And guess what, through that experience, 05:17 he never felt any different. 05:20 He read his Bibles for two days and he never felt any different 05:23 and he thought that would be the end of him. 05:26 He thought that he was gonna die right then 05:29 and if he did die, he would not make it into heaven 05:33 and he was so discouraged. 05:35 What do you do when you've read the Bible for two days 05:38 and you don't feel any different 05:40 to when you first started? 05:43 He woke up that morning discouraged, 05:45 ready to go to work as a law clerk, 05:48 and as he made his way to work, he heard a voice, 05:53 an inward voice he said, and this is what it said to him. 05:56 What are you waiting for? 05:59 Did you not promise to give your heart to God? 06:03 And what are you trying to do? 06:05 Are you endeavoring to work out your own righteousness? 06:10 And from that point, Finney stopped 06:13 and his mind began to receive the light of truth in his heart 06:18 and the question was repeated to him. 06:21 Will you accept it today, that salvation? 06:25 Will you accept it? 06:27 And Finney said, yes. 06:31 Finney had been trying to work out 06:33 or trying to earn his salvation, 06:35 but Hebrews Chapter 12 tells us, 06:38 that Jesus is the author and what? 06:42 Finisher of our faith. 06:44 Jesus authors our faith. 06:49 Finney was trying to do something 06:50 that Jesus could only do, 06:52 and the Holy Spirit was reminding him 06:55 that salvation is something to be received. 07:00 So Finney, after describing that experience, says this, 07:05 "I instantly seized hold of this, 07:08 and I had intellectually believed the Bible before, 07:12 but never had the truth been in my mind 07:16 that faith was a voluntary trust 07:19 rather than an intellectual state." 07:22 Did you catch that? 07:24 Finney said that he had believed it in his mind, 07:27 but he did never received it in his heart. 07:30 From that point on he said, 07:32 "It seemed as though I had meet the Lord Jesus Christ 07:37 face to face through that experience." 07:43 Just as we heard a few nights ago 07:45 as Pastor Taj preached powerfully 07:47 that we cannot separate truth and doctrine from Jesus. 07:51 It's just impossible, we cannot do that, 07:53 for Jesus is the Word. 07:56 Just as we cannot separate truth from doctrine, 07:59 we cannot separate Jesus from our Christian experience. 08:03 And there's many today that claim to be Christian, 08:06 that claim to be followers of Christ, 08:08 but they have no personal experience with Jesus. 08:13 They are not living the Christian life from day to day, 08:17 and that, in the Bible, is impossible. 08:20 For when we accept Jesus into our heart, 08:23 we live by the power of Jesus and He lives through us, amen. 08:30 Woe therefore to us. 08:33 Woe therefore to the church 08:35 if we have a high blood pressure of creeds 08:38 and a anemia of deeds. 08:43 There are many that know what truth is 08:45 but we do not live it out in our lives. 08:49 There are many that know where the Bible verses are, 08:52 the hymns that we should sing, 08:54 and those are wonderful things, 08:55 but unless Jesus is being experienced in our life, 08:59 it comes to naught. 09:00 We cannot be moved by the spirit 09:02 until the spirit moves us, amen. 09:05 The spirit must move us 09:07 in order to be moved by the spirit. 09:10 And therefore, it's when Jesus works in us, 09:13 that He can work through us. 09:15 Amen. 09:17 So as we look at this, is this found in the Bible? 09:21 We're gonna go straight to the scriptures now 09:23 and we're going to the Book of John. 09:25 We're going to the Book of John because 09:27 if the Holy Spirit is going to use us, 09:30 if the Holy Spirit is going to 09:32 change this generation to be filled with power, 09:36 we need to know what it means 09:37 to have an experience with Jesus Christ. 09:41 John, we're going to John Chapter 14, 09:43 but I'd like to give a background. 09:45 John was written by-- 09:48 the Gospel of John was written by John the son of Zebedee. 09:52 This John was just a simple fisherman 09:56 and yet he would become the most powerful witness 10:00 and preacher for Jesus Christ. 10:02 John would write the Apocalypse, 10:05 the Book of Revelation that would shows us precisely 10:08 how history would take place 10:11 from his time, forward until our time. 10:15 That's all laid out in the Book of Revelation 10:17 as he explains it. 10:19 And in the Gospel of John, he writes this letter 10:23 many years after the other three gospels had been written 10:27 and who is his audience? 10:29 His audience is a second generation Christian church. 10:35 The first generation had seen Jesus with their eyes, 10:39 but the second generation had only heard about Jesus. 10:46 We live in a generation today 10:48 where we haven't seen Jesus physically, 10:51 but we rely and we have heard the stories of the Bible 10:55 that had been told from generation to generation. 10:58 Their second generation is similar to us today. 11:02 And so John writes this testimony, 11:05 the Gospel of John, to this generation 11:08 that has not seen but they have only heard of Jesus Christ. 11:14 And through that experience, what will John say 11:19 to the second generation Christian church? 11:22 What will he say? What will his priority be? 11:26 Well, from John Chapter 14 to John Chapter 16 11:30 we have the final discourse of Jesus. 11:34 This is 24 hours before He is arrested 11:37 to be crucified as our Lord and Savior, 11:40 24 hours before He is nailed to the cross 11:45 and on Calvary He sheds His blood for you and me. 11:48 What will He share with His disciples 11:51 24 hours before that takes place? 11:55 Well, we're going to John 14: 17 11:58 and reading from the New King James Version. 12:00 This is what Jesus says, 12:03 "The Spirit of truth, with whom the world cannot receive, 12:07 because it neither sees Him nor knows Him, 12:11 but you know Him, for He dwells with you," 12:15 and will be what, "will be in you." 12:20 Let's look at that verse, 12:21 just break it down just for this moment. 12:25 John tells the disciples that the spirit of truth is coming 12:30 and in facts, in fact, is dwelling with them. 12:34 The spirit has always been there 12:36 but it's dwelling with them. 12:37 But there's going to be a time 12:39 where the spirit is going to dwell in them. 12:46 As he explains this, 12:48 he says the world cannot receive the Holy Spirit, why? 12:51 What did John say? 12:53 Because they do not see it, they do see the Holy Spirit, 12:59 therefore they do not believe the Holy Spirit. 13:03 We live in a world today in 2015 13:06 where we only believe what we see. 13:09 It makes no senses to tell somebody, 13:13 you cannot see it but I tell you to believe it. 13:16 We don't live in a world like that, 13:17 we live in a world of science 13:19 where we need empirical evidence to believe something, 13:23 so people say I only believe what I see. 13:28 But think about that statement for a little bit. 13:31 When someone tells you, I only believe what I see. 13:35 I can't believe it, if I don't see it. 13:38 That statement in itself, 13:43 is it tangible? 13:47 Is it something that you can grab and hold? 13:49 The statement I only believe what I see is not tangible, 13:54 therefore it's almost like a contradiction, 13:56 it's almost like telling someone 13:58 pick up a one ended stick. 14:01 It's not possible. 14:02 For someone to believe that statement 14:05 they have to believe in something 14:06 that's not tangible or empirical. 14:09 They in fact do believe in something they don't see, 14:11 because they believe in their statement. 14:14 And therefore we live in a world of contradictions 14:17 where we believe in things that we do not see all the time. 14:22 The Bible says, that the world cannot receive the Holy Spirit 14:26 because they don't believe in it because they don't see it. 14:28 But the Holy Spirit has been with you and you know him, 14:33 you know the Holy Spirit and he will be in you. 14:37 The Bible says in Psalms 34:8, 14:42 "Taste and see that the Lord is good." 14:47 The Bible says for us to receive the Holy Spirit in us, 14:52 we must experience the Holy Spirit. 14:55 We must know what it means to have an experience with Him 14:58 in order to know Him. 15:01 We cannot worship someone, 15:03 we cannot be used by someone that we don't know. 15:07 That experience comes through, tasting and seeing 15:11 that the Lord is good. 15:13 My parents are from the Middle East 15:16 and on special occasions 15:18 we have the special dessert that I always look forward to. 15:22 And it's called baklava. 15:24 I don't know if any of you have ever tested baklava before. 15:28 Let me explain it to you if you've never had it. 15:31 It's layers of fine phyllo pastry 15:34 that are laid at the bottom, 15:35 then you get some nuts like walnuts and pistachios. 15:39 And then you layer it again 15:40 with another layer of phyllo pastry 15:43 and then on the top you get the special, 15:47 special syrup that you will glaze 15:50 this wonderful dessert with 15:54 and it's made out of sugar and rosewater, 15:58 and you layer it on top and when you eat this, 16:02 your taste buds will begin to dance, 16:04 your taste buds will begin to experience things 16:08 they've never experienced before 16:10 because it taste so good. 16:11 Now I can explain it to you. 16:14 But you need to taste it for yourself to know what 16:17 it taste like, to experience baklava. 16:21 The Bible says that we need to taste 16:23 and see that the Lord is good. 16:25 You can explain to someone with all logic, who Jesus is, 16:30 but until they have experience of Jesus, 16:32 they will never know what you are talking about. 16:35 The Bible says, therefore that the disciples 16:39 were going to lose Jesus, He was going to heaven. 16:42 But God was going to send the Holy Spirit, 16:46 what they lost through Christ, 16:48 they would gain through the spirit. 16:51 They would lose Jesus who is the truth, 16:53 but they would gain the spirit 16:55 in John 14:17 who was the spirit of truth. 17:01 They would lose the words from Jesus' lips, 17:04 but they would hear them again 17:06 through the spirit in John 14:26. 17:10 So the spirit is the perfect replacement for Jesus Christ 17:15 as He was absent from the church physically, 17:18 He would be present with the church spiritually 17:21 through the Holy Spirit. 17:24 But before the Holy Spirit can dwell in us, 17:28 what experience did the disciples have to go through? 17:32 What experience did they have to go through? 17:34 Well, Jesus was with them for three and half years 17:39 and at the end of His ministry 17:41 we see essentially no real difference. 17:46 Let's look at the life of Peter. 17:48 Peter, who was the spokesperson for the disciples. 17:52 Peter, who walked on water. 17:55 No one's ever walked on water since Peter. 17:59 Peter who would say that you are the son of God 18:03 who professed that, 18:06 during Jesus' trial would deny Jesus, 18:09 not once, not twice, but three times. 18:14 It seemed like they had learned nothing 18:17 during those three and half years, 18:19 he would deny his Lord and Savior, 18:22 during Jesus' toughest trial 18:25 and during Jesus' persecution time leading to the cross. 18:31 What about Thomas? 18:33 Thomas, he had seen Jesus, heard the words of Jesus, 18:38 but Thomas doubted, 18:40 the disciples came and said to him, 18:43 "We have seen the risen Christ." 18:45 He said, I won't believe that Jesus has risen from the death. 18:50 I know what he said, I heard it but I won't believe it, 18:53 until I see him with my own eyes. 18:56 Thomas, after three and half years, 18:59 doubted the words of Christ 19:01 and what about the other disciples? 19:04 In Matthew 26:55 to 56, 19:09 this is what the other disciples did 19:11 during Jesus' toughest time. 19:15 "In the hour Jesus said to the multitudes, 19:19 'Have you come out as against a robber 19:22 with swords and clubs to take me. 19:25 I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple 19:28 and you did not seize me.' 19:29 But all this was done, 19:32 that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. 19:36 Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled." 19:42 Peter denied Him, Thomas doubted Him 19:47 and the disciples deserted Him. 19:51 When we're not filled by the Holy Spirit, 19:53 when tough times come in our lives, 19:55 we will do exactly the same thing. 19:58 We can say we're Christian, we can say we go to church, 20:01 but unless we've had an experience with Jesus, 20:04 unless we've been filled by the Holy Spirit, 20:07 we will do exactly the same things 20:10 that the disciples did, 20:12 even though we've heard all the words before. 20:14 Unless the Holy Spirit fills us and transforms us, 20:19 we will deny, doubt or desert Christ. 20:23 That's exactly what happened with the disciples. 20:27 But a change took place, 20:30 a change took place within the disciples, 20:32 they began to become transformed 20:35 through the infilling of the Holy Spirit. 20:38 Acts 2:4 tells us exactly what took place. 20:43 "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit 20:48 and began to speak with other tongues 20:51 as the Spirit gave them utterance." 20:54 The Bible tells us that at Pentecost, 20:57 the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit. 21:02 What took place as the result of that infilling? 21:06 What took place with Peter? 21:09 Peter was transformed from a coward to a person 21:14 that preached with boldness and without fear. 21:17 In fact, church historians tell us 21:20 that Peter at his own peril, preached in Rome, 21:25 and when he preached in Rome they grabbed him and seized him 21:28 and he was crucified on a cross much like his savior 21:33 because of his faith. 21:35 He no longer denied Jesus, 21:37 but he was a preacher of the gospel 21:39 because of the infilling of the Holy Spirit. 21:42 I am so glad that God can take a coward 21:45 that can became a mighty witness for Jesus 21:48 because I don't know about you, 21:50 but I've sometimes had the same experience as Peter. 21:54 Sometimes we know in our experience 21:56 that we should have stood up for Christ but we didn't, 22:00 because we were afraid of what people would say. 22:03 We were afraid of what the world would think. 22:06 Peter was transformed by the infilling of the Holy Spirit. 22:11 Hallelujah to the Lamb of God. 22:13 Thomas was filled with the Holy Spirit. 22:17 Thomas who doubted became one of the greatest missionaries 22:21 the world has ever seen. 22:23 He preached in the Middle East 22:25 and he worked his way, all the way to India. 22:29 A mighty preacher of the gospel 22:32 because he was filled with the Holy Spirit. 22:35 And what about the rest of the disciples? 22:38 Well, the Bible tells us that the disciples 22:41 through the preaching and infilling of the Holy Spirit 22:45 turned the world upside down. 22:50 You see, Jesus, you know, if these were my friends, 22:53 if these were my inner group, 22:56 I would've said, hang on, we need to change, 22:59 a changing of the God right now. 23:02 These guys don't have what it takes. 23:03 They've been apprentices for three and a half years 23:06 and they still do not know 23:08 what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. 23:11 If that was me, I would have said we need a new crew. 23:15 But I thank God that He never gives up on us. 23:18 I think God that what He's looking for 23:21 is not a change in men, 23:24 He's not looking to change one for the other, 23:27 but He is looking for changed men, amen, and women. 23:31 He's looking for people that had been changed 23:34 by the infilling of the Holy Spirit. 23:37 How does this change take place? 23:40 How can we be filled with a Holy Spirit 23:44 so that we can preach with power? 23:48 What led to such a move? 23:50 Well, the Bible tells us in Ephesians 3:16-19, 23:56 this is what the Bible says, 23:58 "And He would grant you, 24:00 according to the riches of His glory, 24:03 to be strengthened with might 24:06 through His Spirit in the inner man. 24:10 That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, 24:15 that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 24:19 may be able to comprehend with all the saints 24:23 what is the width and length and depth and height 24:28 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, 24:32 that you may be filled with all fullness of God." 24:38 The Bible tells us that the way we gain strength in Ephesians 24:41 is through His spirit 24:43 and that Christ dwells in us through faith. 24:50 We receive the Holy Spirit through faith 24:53 and it's faith that is rooted in His love. 24:59 What Christ needed was not a change in men but changed men. 25:06 He wasn't looking to swap the disciples with other men, 25:10 he was looking for a change in them, 25:12 and the change took place through faith. 25:15 The Holy Spirit came into their lives 25:17 because they were rooted in love, 25:21 they were rooted in love. 25:24 What kind of love is the Bible talking about here? 25:29 Well, the Bible describes this love 25:36 and this love is described in a way that it's through our, 25:41 through our acknowledgement of our sins 25:44 when we see Jesus high and lifted up. 25:46 When we see Jesus having died for our sins, 25:49 we become transformed 25:51 through the changing, transforming grace of His love. 25:55 You see, the grace of Jesus is not cheap grace, 25:58 it's transforming grace. 26:01 The grace of Jesus is not an excuse for sin, 26:04 the grace of Jesus empowers us to live the life 26:08 that Jesus would have us to live 26:11 through the infilling of the Holy Spirit. 26:15 What happens when we're not rooted properly? 26:20 What happens when we're not rooted in love? 26:22 Well, let's look at a tree. 26:24 What happens when winds come 26:28 and a tree is not firmly rooted? 26:31 Can a tree stand? 26:33 A tree cannot stand if it's not firmly rooted 26:36 and it's a same way with the Christian life. 26:39 If we're not firmly rooted 26:40 in an experience with Jesus Christ, 26:44 if we're not rooted in His love, 26:45 if we do not know what it means to be 26:48 forgiven by the blood of the Lamb, 26:50 when the winds of strife come we will not be able to stand. 26:54 We will just be like the disciples that denied, 26:58 doubted and deserted Jesus Christ. 27:01 It is through being rooted in who Christ is 27:05 and what He has done for us 27:06 that the Holy Spirit can fill us. 27:10 Look at what the Book of Acts of the Apostles says. 27:14 Look at what the author says here from page 550-551. 27:21 "Those who have never experienced 27:24 the tender, winning love of Christ 27:26 cannot lead others to the fountain of life. 27:30 Christian workers who succeed in their efforts 27:35 must know Christ, 27:39 and in order to know Him, and His love." 27:45 The Acts of the Apostles says here, the author says here 27:48 that unless we have experienced the winning love of Christ, 27:51 we can never lead other to the fountain of life. 27:54 Those are serious words. 27:56 If we don't know what it means to be loved by Christ, 27:59 we can never teach others about the love of Christ. 28:03 We can never be successful in ministry 28:06 unless we're rooted in the love of Christ. 28:10 Christ Object Lessons page 415, 28:13 look at what it says here, 28:15 talking about God's people just before He returns. 28:19 "The last rays of merciful light, 28:22 the last message of mercy to be given to the world, 28:26 is a revelation of His character of love." 28:31 What is the last revelation to be given to the world? 28:35 It says it right there in Christ Object Lessons. 28:39 The last message of mercy to be given to the world 28:43 is a revelation of His character of love. 28:47 Unless God has worked in us, He cannot work though us. 28:51 Unless the message of His mercy, 28:54 unless His character is transformed in our lives, 28:57 we cannot be a part of the final message 29:00 that will go to the whole world. 29:02 And I don't know about you, 29:03 but I want to be part of that final message, amen. 29:06 I want the Holy Spirit to use me and use, be used through me, 29:12 so that others may hear about the gospel 29:15 and the everlasting gospel 29:16 that would go to the whole world. 29:20 How will that take place? 29:23 Let's turn to Mark 16:19, 29:28 Mark 16:19. 29:32 We're going to just before the Holy Spirit 29:35 came in Pentecost, something happened. 29:39 Mark 16:19 tells us, 29:42 "So then after the Lord had spoken to them, 29:45 he was received up into heaven, 29:47 and sat down at the right hand of God." 29:51 Before Pentecost happened, 29:54 Jesus ascended into heaven and was enthroned in heaven, 29:59 He sat down right next to His Father. 30:03 After He was enthroned, 30:05 Acts comes along and tells us the Holy Spirit was poured out 30:10 upon the disciples in a powerful way, 30:13 we call it Pentecost. 30:15 Jesus was enthroned, Pentecost took place. 30:21 The same thing happens in our own spiritual life. 30:25 Unless Jesus is enthroned in our hearts, 30:28 the Holy Spirit can never fill us. 30:31 Unless Jesus is priority, 30:33 the Holy Spirit can never be used through us. 30:36 You see, unless Jesus is Lord of all in our life, 30:42 He is not Lord at all. 30:45 Unless Jesus takes place 30:48 and he's rooted in the center of our hearts and lives, 30:51 Pentecost can never take place in our own personal life. 30:55 We can never be filled by the Holy Spirit 30:58 unless Jesus is enthroned in our hearts. 31:03 We picked that up in Galatians 3:2. 31:07 Look at what the Bible says in Galatians 3:2. 31:12 Talking about the filling of the Holy Spirit. 31:18 "This only, Paul says to the Galatians, 31:20 I want to learn from you, 31:22 did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, 31:25 or by the hearing of faith?" Verse 14. 31:29 "And the blessing of Abraham 31:31 might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, 31:35 that we might receive the promise of the Holy Spirit 31:39 through--" what, everyone? 31:41 "Through faith." 31:45 The Holy Spirit comes upon God's people through faith. 31:50 And if we're trying to manufacture the Holy Spirit, 31:55 if we're trying to earn our way to receive the Holy Spirit, 31:59 it'll never happen 32:00 because it can only happen through faith. 32:04 And many of us are not having victory in our lives 32:07 because we are trying to generate in our lives 32:10 what only the Holy Spirit can do. 32:12 We are trying to have a walk with Christ 32:15 that is based on our own efforts 32:18 rather than the working of the Holy Spirit 32:21 and if that's going to be our Christian walk, 32:23 we will never be real soul winners 32:26 and be moved by the Holy Spirit so lives can change. 32:31 The working of the Holy Spirit in us 32:34 will allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, amen? 32:41 As we see an army of young people coming together, 32:47 as we see an army of Christians around the world, 32:52 we sometimes wonder 32:53 how can we have an army and so little results. 32:57 How can we have-- 32:59 We've had more than 12, 33:00 we've got more than 12 people in Christendom today. 33:04 The Bible says 12 people, disciples, 33:07 turned the world upside down. 33:09 We have more than 12, why is there such little results? 33:14 Why don't we see the moving of the Holy Spirit today 33:17 as we did back then? 33:20 Why don't we see 33:21 the world being turned upside down all over the world? 33:25 Could it be that we are relying on methods and strategies 33:29 that are not based on the word of God? 33:31 Could it be that we are trying to conjure up the Holy Spirit 33:35 and generate something 33:37 rather than accepting it through faith? 33:40 It is by faith 33:42 that the church will be empowered to reach the world 33:46 and have the soon coming of Jesus 33:49 proclaim throughout the whole world. 33:53 As we look at the close of earth's history, 33:57 there are many people just playing church, 34:03 there are many that are going to church from week to week 34:06 but they have never experienced Jesus face to face. 34:10 Mark-- Charles Finney experienced the same thing. 34:16 Charles Finney went to church week after week 34:19 and before he was used by God, 34:20 he needed to have an experience with God. 34:25 He needed to know who Jesus was as his personal savior. 34:29 He needed to know what it meant to be rooted in His love. 34:34 There are many playng church today. 34:38 We look one way on the outward appearance but come Sabbath, 34:43 when Sabbath is closed, 34:46 our experience is over 34:48 and we live in a totally different direction. 34:51 If the Holy Spirit is going to use us, 34:54 we need to have a consistent life with Jesus Christ, 34:57 we need to live what we know. 35:01 The Word must become flesh in our lives. 35:05 The longest distance 35:07 is the distance between the mind and the heart. 35:11 And many of us have not traveled that road 35:13 from the mind to the heart 35:16 to have that personal experience with Jesus Christ. 35:20 And when we have that experience 35:22 and that's why we're here, 35:23 to be filled and moved by the Holy Spirit. 35:26 When that takes place I believe 35:30 that we're gonna see things take place in this church 35:32 that we have never seen before. 35:34 We're gonna be-- see such an outpouring of the Holy Spirit 35:38 when the word becomes flesh in our lives. 35:43 I've often asked myself 35:46 and I've directed this question at God, 35:51 God, out of all of history, out of all the times in history, 35:56 why did you choose this time? 35:59 Out of all the times to usher in the last days? 36:06 Why did you use this time? 36:09 Out of all the times in history where we're less religious, 36:14 where, you know, there's more atheism if you want to say, 36:18 there is more, there's more direct rebuttal against Jesus 36:23 and His Word than maybe any other time in history. 36:26 We're living in the last days, at earth's darkest hour. 36:32 Why did God use this time? 36:36 I believe that it's at earth's darkest hour 36:40 that His light will shine the brightest. 36:44 Because it's in darkness where light shines the brightest. 36:49 And we, as Daniel tells us in Daniel Chapter 12, 36:53 we are part of those stars, 36:55 he describes God's people as the stars 36:58 that will shine brightly. 37:01 And I believe that when the Holy Spirit comes in 37:05 and works through us and is in us, 37:07 this dark world will see a great light 37:11 as the Holy Spirit works through us. 37:13 In earth's darkest hour God's light will shine the brightest. 37:18 The question is, do we want to be a part of that. 37:21 Do we want to be a part of God's final movement? 37:25 Do we want God to work in us so that He can work through us? 37:30 I believe that is our desire. 37:33 I believe that when God works through us, 37:38 we're gonna see a great movement take place 37:42 as never was. 37:44 So this morning I want to invite you, 37:47 if it's your desire to accept Jesus 37:52 and say, God, I just want to be used by You. 37:55 I haven't had the experience that I should have, 37:58 I haven't had the experience 37:59 so that Your Holy Spirit can work through me. 38:02 I've been trying to win people and work, 38:05 I've been working for You 38:06 but You haven't been working through me. 38:09 God, I want You to work through me right now. 38:12 That takes place through faith. 38:15 The Holy Spirit comes upon us 38:17 as we read in Galatians, through faith. 38:20 If that's your desire, 38:21 I just invite you to bow your heads with me 38:24 as we seek the Lord in prayer. 38:27 Father God, 38:29 Lord, we thank You for the outworking of the Holy Spirit. 38:33 We thank You that You can change us 38:37 as You did for Your disciples 38:38 and that such a work can be done in this world 38:42 that can never take place 38:44 unless Your Holy Spirit moves upon Your people. 38:47 Lord, we want to receive You by faith right now. 38:51 We want Your Holy Spirit to abide in us. 38:54 And we ask right now 38:57 that, Lord, may there be a massive outpouring 39:01 of Your spirit as we seek to reach people this afternoon. 39:05 Lord, this afternoon we're going to go out 39:08 and reach souls for Your kingdom. 39:10 Lord, we cannot do that without Your Holy Spirit. 39:14 Your Holy Spirit needs to work for us, dear Lord, 39:17 for we cannot change people's lives, only You can. 39:22 Lord, we pray therefore that as we're rooted in Your love, 39:25 Your Holy Spirit will be poured upon us. 39:28 May You anoint us from the crown of our head 39:31 to the soul of our feet. 39:33 Lord, we pray that as we're moved by Your spirit, 39:37 many souls will be won for Your kingdom. 39:40 For we ask it in Jesus' name, amen. |
Revised 2015-03-26