Hello, I am Shelley Quinn
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and we welcome you
to A Sharper Focus.
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I am standing in tonight,
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again, for John
Lomacang, our pastor,
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who is in
Australia, preaching right now.
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And I know he's
been doing a program
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or a series on the judgment.
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So what my purpose was
in these last two weeks
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is to have something
that would be related to
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but not take
away from his thunder.
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So if you will recall,
last week we studied Psalm 51,
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which is a
beautiful Psalm of repentance.
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And that certainly has
something related to judgment.
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In that we see that
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David went through the
five steps of repentance.
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Recognition of sin,
sorrow, godly sorrow.
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He confessed his sin.
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He received
forgiveness from the Lord.
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And most importantly,
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he accepted God's
gift of repentance.
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He changed his conduct.
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So when we went
through that Psalm,
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if you will recall,
when we finished that,
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repentance wasn't
the end of it, was it?
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1 Kings 14:8, was something that
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God spoke about
David after he died.
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And these were God's words,
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He was talking to
Jeroboam and He said,
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"You have not been
as my servant David
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who kept all of my commandments,
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who followed me
with all of his heart
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and who did only what
was right in my eyes."
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What?
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David was guilty
of murder, adultery?
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How could God
say that about David?
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Well, we looked
at 1 Kings 15:4-5,
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which there we saw what
man had to say about David.
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What man wrote about David when
they weren't quoting God was,
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oh, yes, David did
everything that was right
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in the sight of the Lord
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except for his
incidents with Uriah.
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So we see
that-- you know, to me,
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once again this shows us that
the Bible is divinely inspired.
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And when man quoted God,
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he did not put
words in God's mouth.
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And God, when God said
that, what did we determine?
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If God can say that David did
followed all of my commandments
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followed me
with all of his heart
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and did only what
was right in my eyes,
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that means that God
forgives what God forgets.
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Let me say that, God
forgets what God forgives.
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When we ask God for forgiveness,
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He is-- He
forgives and He forgets.
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But given that, I thought,
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I've really been praying
about what we should do tonight.
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And at first, my thought was,
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well, something that is related
to the judgment is God's love.
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You know, most of us don't think
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about the judgment in that way.
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But it is all about God's love.
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The judgment is about
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God exercising
justly to put an end to sin,
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but it says that for His people
that He judges in favor of us.
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Hallelujah.
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But instead, the
way I've been led
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yesterday and then
again, today in particularly
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because someone
asked a question about this
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is that we were talking about
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God forgetting what He forgives.
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And tonight we're
going to talk about something
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that God will not forgive.
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Not that so much
maybe He doesn't forgive it
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but it is unpardonable.
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We're going to
be talking tonight
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about sins
against the Holy Spirit.
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And before we begin, we
just want to welcome all of you
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who are watching by
television or by Internet.
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We want to welcome all of you
who are listening on the radio.
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We're so grateful
that you are here.
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And I just want
to thank all of you
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for being here tonight.
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It's a wonderful thing.
This is been a hectic day.
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We've been-- I hit the floor
running at 4:30 this morning
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and I have not stopped,
it's been a hectic, busy day.
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But it's nice to come apart
and in the middle of the week
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be refreshed by the
Lord's word and by the teaching.
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Hopefully, led
by the Holy Spirit
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if I get out of the way.
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So why don't we
pray before we begin?
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Heavenly Father, we
come in the name of Jesus.
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And we thank You, oh, Lord.
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We thank You and we praise You
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that we are saved by grace.
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We thank You and praise
You that You sent Your son
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to die for us while
we were yet sinners.
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And Father, that You have also
sent Your precious Holy Spirit
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to dwell in our hearts
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so that Christ may
live in our hearts by faith.
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And that we might be
empowered to do Your work.
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And Father, we
thank You for Your word
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which we planted in our hearts.
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Lord, You say it has
the power to save our souls.
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So these three things
we are most grateful for.
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We thank You for Your love
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and we pray in
the name of Jesus.
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Father, I ask that You would
get me out of the way tonight
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that You would
speak through Your word
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by the power of
Your Holy Spirit.
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Help us Lord, to
have ears to hear
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what the Holy Spirit has to say.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
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What we are going to try
to accomplish in this hour
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is looking at five sins
against the Holy Spirit.
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It is important
for us to realize
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when we're sinning
against the Holy Spirit
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because we need to confess it
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and we need to
ask for forgiveness.
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There are five sins.
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We can grieve the
Holy Spirit of God,
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we can resist the
Holy Spirit of God,
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we can quench the
Holy Spirit of God,
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despise the Holy Spirit of God
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and finally,
that unpardonable sin
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of blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit.
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So let's look at the
first one, Ephesians 4:30.
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If you'll turn there
please, to Ephesians 4,
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Let me just start with verse 30.
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Because what verse
30 has to say is this,
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Paul's writing to the
Ephesians and he says,
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"Do not grieve
the Holy Spirit of God
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by whom you were sealed
for the day of redemption."
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Do not grieve the
Holy Spirit of God.
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Now let's-- sometimes
people don't really understand
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what it means to
grieve the Holy Spirit.
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How do we determine?
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When we see
something in scripture,
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how do we
determine what it means?
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We study it in
context, don't we?
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That's critical, when you
want to understand a phrase
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or something in the Bible
we have to study it in context.
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First, within the chapter,
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of course, within the
book in which it's written
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and then in the
context of the whole Bible.
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I mean, we don't
just pluck out a scripture
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and put our own determination
or own interpretation to it.
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So let's look at Ephesians 4.
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We're going to
begin with verse 1 first.
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Because this is the foundation
for what Paul is speaking of.
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And he says, "I therefore,
the prisoner in the Lord,
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beseech you to walk
worthy of the calling
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with which you were called."
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Paul emphatically
urges the Ephesians,
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walk in a worthy manner
of being called a Christian.
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You have been
called to a high calling,
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you are a royal
priesthood, a holy nation,
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a people belonging to the Lord,
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and we are letters
written on the heart.
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Letters, we are
God's letter to other men.
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What we do when we
say we're a Christian?
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What we do every
moment of our lives?
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Testifies to other people.
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It is so critical
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that we don't just be a
Christian on the Sabbath.
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It is so critical that we
walk worthy in a worthy manner.
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And, you know, when we think
about what Christ did for us,
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it boggles my
mind quite frankly.
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I mean, when you think
that He humbled Himself.
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God, humbled Himself
to take on human nature.
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Now, what happened
with His human nature
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when He returned to
heaven, after His resurrection?
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He went back up with
that same human nature.
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Do you realize what that means?
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That means, He can no
longer be omnipresent.
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That's why He had to
send the Holy Spirit.
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Ephesians 4:26-30 says that,
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it is as the Holy
Spirit dwells in our heart
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that Christ dwells
in our heart by faith.
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He was willing to give
up His omnipresence for us.
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I don't know that I
can quite fathom that.
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But now let's
skip down to verse 17
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because Paul is going to provide
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the practical outworking
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of this
exhortation to walk worthy.
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In a manner that is
worthy of our calling.
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He's contrasting
the former lifestyle
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that we had without Christ
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and the newness of
life that we find in Christ.
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So Ephesians
4:17, Paul says this,
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"This I say to you, therefore,
and testify in the Lord."
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In other words, it's
not my personal opinion.
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I'm speaking on behalf of God.
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"That you should no longer walk
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as the rest of
the Gentiles walke
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in the futility of their mind."
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What does it mean "to walk"?
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He's not talking about
if you're gliding along
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or if you're hopping along.
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What He's talking
about is our conduct.
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He's talking
about our daily actions.
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And he says, walk in a manner
that is not like the Gentiles
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who follow the
futility of their mind.
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Their mind that has been
degraded, depraved by sin.
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And Paul says, don't do this.
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He goes on saying, "Having
their understanding darkened,
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being alienated
from the life of God
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because of the
ignorance that is in them,
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because of the
blindness of their heart."
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If your understanding is
darkened, what is he saying?
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They can't comprehend spiritual
truth without the Holy Spirit.
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And the idea that
man is alienated from God
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means that at one time he
had a relationship with God.
00:12:02.98\00:12:07.29
We, in the Garden of Eden,
00:12:07.32\00:12:09.39
we had a beautiful relationship.
00:12:09.42\00:12:11.09
We were created for a
relationship with God.
00:12:11.13\00:12:13.73
But man became
alienated from God by sin
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and he then began to
suffer from spiritual death.
00:12:17.63\00:12:22.70
But because of the
ignorance that is in them,
00:12:22.74\00:12:25.84
they completely ignore God.
00:12:25.87\00:12:29.51
Ignoring God is
pretty ignorant, isn't it?
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There's a
complete lack of morals
00:12:31.81\00:12:33.98
because of the
blindness of their heart.
00:12:34.02\00:12:35.92
"Who--" still
talking about those Gentiles?
00:12:35.95\00:12:40.76
"Being past feeling have given
themselves over to lewdness,
00:12:40.79\00:12:46.90
toward all
uncleanness with greediness."
00:12:46.93\00:12:50.57
They are deliberately
rebelling against God's will,
00:12:50.60\00:12:54.27
they are voluntarily
yielding service to Satan.
00:12:54.30\00:13:00.61
And they work--
their lewdness, the lust,
00:13:00.64\00:13:04.61
the lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eyes,
00:13:04.65\00:13:07.65
they are coveting,
always wanting more.
00:13:07.68\00:13:10.22
But verse 20, he says,
00:13:10.25\00:13:12.89
"But you have not
so learned Christ."
00:13:12.92\00:13:17.36
He's saying, you've not
known Christ in this way.
00:13:17.39\00:13:20.93
We need to know Him
in a personal manner
00:13:20.96\00:13:23.26
as our Savior and as our Lord.
00:13:23.30\00:13:25.97
Not just savior, but
Lord of our life, our master,
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as our mediator and
our advocate with God,
00:13:29.70\00:13:32.67
and as our high priest.
00:13:32.71\00:13:34.38
In John 17:3, Jesus
said, "This is eternal life
00:13:34.41\00:13:39.45
that they may know
Him (God) of heaven
00:13:39.48\00:13:44.42
and the one whom He sent."
00:13:44.45\00:13:46.15
It's as we come
into this personal
00:13:46.19\00:13:49.32
intimate relationship with God
00:13:49.36\00:13:52.09
that's when we begin to
experience eternal life.
00:13:52.13\00:13:54.86
Verse 21, "If indeed--"
Now he's assuming something.
00:13:54.90\00:13:59.80
"If indeed you have heard Him
and have been taught by Him."
00:13:59.83\00:14:05.34
What is Paul's assumption here?
00:14:05.37\00:14:08.08
He's saying, you've
not so learned Christ
00:14:08.11\00:14:09.78
if indeed you're
connected to the vine.
00:14:09.81\00:14:12.85
If your life source
is coming from Jesus,
00:14:12.88\00:14:15.98
if you're united with
Him as the truth is in Jesus.
00:14:16.02\00:14:22.32
You know, Jesus
said in John 14:6,
00:14:22.36\00:14:25.29
"I am the way, the truth
and the life," didn't He?
00:14:25.33\00:14:29.10
Truth is a person.
00:14:29.13\00:14:32.27
Jesus was the
embodiment of God's word
00:14:32.30\00:14:36.57
and God's word is Truth.
00:14:36.60\00:14:38.87
So here's Paul's
instructions to the Ephesians.
00:14:38.91\00:14:45.11
Verse 22, "That you put off,
concerning your former conduct,
00:14:45.15\00:14:50.99
the old man which grows corrupt
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according to the
deceitful lusts."
00:14:54.16\00:14:57.06
The lusts that bring
bondage and corruption,
00:14:57.09\00:14:59.73
that makes you slaves to sin.
00:14:59.76\00:15:02.36
You know, something
that's interesting about sin,
00:15:02.40\00:15:05.23
Satan will always present sin
to you and he gift wraps sin.
00:15:05.27\00:15:11.21
He puts shiny foil wrapper on it
00:15:11.24\00:15:14.41
and then he puts a
big beautiful bow on it,
00:15:14.44\00:15:17.45
and he hands it to you
and the packaging looks good.
00:15:17.48\00:15:20.22
You think, oh, this is
going to bring pleasure.
00:15:20.25\00:15:23.15
But sin never brings pleasure.
00:15:23.18\00:15:25.79
Sin ends up, it ends up
with us living in addiction,
00:15:25.82\00:15:30.53
with us living
in pain and sorrow
00:15:30.56\00:15:32.46
and hurting other people.
00:15:32.49\00:15:34.33
So he says, "Put
off this old conduct
00:15:34.36\00:15:38.83
and put off those
filthy rags of yours,
00:15:38.87\00:15:42.64
the old man which grows corrupt
according to the deceitful lust
00:15:44.47\00:15:49.01
those lusts that
will deceive us."
00:15:49.04\00:15:51.28
And Paul said, you
know, in Roman 6:6,
00:15:51.31\00:15:53.65
"Knowing this that you
were crucified with Christ
00:15:53.68\00:15:57.52
that the body of sin
might be done away with
00:15:57.55\00:16:01.89
that we should no
longer be slaves to sin."
00:16:01.92\00:16:05.86
You know, the most
wonderful news about salvation
00:16:05.89\00:16:09.43
is that it belongs to God
00:16:09.46\00:16:11.53
and that God is the
one who will sanctify us.
00:16:11.57\00:16:16.27
The Bible says, the
Father sanctifies us,
00:16:16.30\00:16:19.17
the sun sanctifies us,
the Holy Spirit sanctifies us,
00:16:19.21\00:16:22.34
the word sanctifies us.
00:16:22.38\00:16:24.21
It even says
obedience sanctifies us.
00:16:24.25\00:16:26.82
But we can't even
obey God except by grace.
00:16:26.85\00:16:32.35
It is only as God
gives us, we accept Christ,
00:16:32.39\00:16:37.96
which is His
first gift of grace,
00:16:37.99\00:16:40.36
only as the Holy Spirit dwells
in our heart we receive Him,
00:16:40.40\00:16:44.47
God's second
greatest gift of grace.
00:16:44.50\00:16:47.40
And as we receive His
word He planted in our heart,
00:16:47.44\00:16:50.97
it is God's work to save us.
00:16:51.01\00:16:54.88
He just asked that we
surrender to His control.
00:16:54.91\00:16:58.11
So he says,
"Put off this old man
00:16:58.15\00:17:01.38
which grows corrupt
according to the deceitful lust
00:17:01.42\00:17:03.79
and be renewed in
the spirit of your mind."
00:17:03.82\00:17:09.72
This reminds me of what
Paul said in Romans 12:2,
00:17:09.76\00:17:12.99
when he said, "Don't
be conformed to the world
00:17:13.03\00:17:17.03
but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind."
00:17:17.07\00:17:20.97
How is our mind renewed?
00:17:21.00\00:17:22.34
It's something, you
know, when he said that,
00:17:24.61\00:17:26.44
he said when you are renewed
in your mind that you may prove
00:17:26.47\00:17:31.91
what is the good
and perfect will of God.
00:17:31.95\00:17:34.88
Right here.
00:17:34.92\00:17:36.25
This is how our
mind gets renewed.
00:17:36.92\00:17:39.45
You know, there's a
lot of things and still,
00:17:39.49\00:17:42.12
I mean, as much as
I've read the Bible,
00:17:42.16\00:17:43.99
there are times
I'll pick up the Bible
00:17:44.03\00:17:45.96
and I'm holding a certain
thought pattern in my mind.
00:17:45.99\00:17:50.17
I have a habit of
thinking a certain way
00:17:50.20\00:17:53.07
and suddenly I'll
read something in the Bible
00:17:53.10\00:17:55.17
that I hadn't seen
before and I'll think,
00:17:55.20\00:17:57.21
Oh, Lord, what I'm
thinking, what I'm doing,
00:17:57.24\00:18:01.74
it's not right according to You.
00:18:01.78\00:18:03.48
So He renews my
mind through His word.
00:18:03.51\00:18:07.28
And Paul is saying, be renewed
in the spirit of your mind,
00:18:07.32\00:18:10.75
we're being recreated
in the image of Jesus.
00:18:10.79\00:18:14.22
It's not some superficial,
00:18:14.26\00:18:16.52
external change
but a recreated mind.
00:18:16.56\00:18:21.00
And then he says, in verse
24, "That you put on the new man
00:18:21.03\00:18:25.80
with which was
created according to God,
00:18:25.83\00:18:29.27
in true
righteousness and holiness."
00:18:29.30\00:18:33.58
And God is the one
who's recreating us.
00:18:33.61\00:18:37.05
That's what's exciting.
00:18:37.08\00:18:38.51
You know, Paul
often describes believers
00:18:38.55\00:18:43.05
as who we are in Christ.
00:18:43.08\00:18:46.65
In Christ, we're freed
from the eternal penalty of sin.
00:18:46.69\00:18:51.36
But He always also points
00:18:51.39\00:18:53.73
to what we
should strive to become.
00:18:53.76\00:18:57.73
Because the paradox is
even though we're freed
00:18:57.77\00:19:01.64
from the--
00:19:01.67\00:19:03.24
we're justified and freed from
that eternal penalty of sin,
00:19:03.27\00:19:06.57
we're only freed
from a life of sin.
00:19:06.61\00:19:09.94
As day by day
we surrender to God
00:19:09.98\00:19:14.55
and give Him
permission to work in our hearts
00:19:14.58\00:19:17.69
and ask that the
Holy Spirit dwell in us,
00:19:17.72\00:19:21.02
that He might empower us.
00:19:21.06\00:19:23.02
Now let's look at verse 25.
00:19:23.06\00:19:25.59
And I'm spending
quite a bit of time
00:19:25.63\00:19:27.20
on this grieving idea,
grieving the Holy Spirit
00:19:27.23\00:19:30.63
because so few
people understand it,
00:19:30.67\00:19:32.50
we got to look in context.
00:19:32.53\00:19:34.27
Do you see the context
00:19:34.30\00:19:35.64
that Paul is
talking about right now?
00:19:35.67\00:19:37.74
Now what he's going to
do in the next few verses
00:19:37.77\00:19:40.68
is he's going to give us
an example, several examples
00:19:40.71\00:19:45.21
of new life in the context
of a relationship with others.
00:19:45.25\00:19:50.39
And he follows this pattern,
he gives a negative command
00:19:50.42\00:19:53.66
then he gives a positive command
00:19:53.69\00:19:55.19
and then he follows that
with a spiritual principle
00:19:55.22\00:19:57.79
on which the command is based.
00:19:57.83\00:19:59.79
So let's look at verse 25,
here's the negative command,
00:19:59.83\00:20:03.50
"Therefore, put away lying."
00:20:03.53\00:20:06.63
In context, lying
grieves the Holy Spirit.
00:20:06.67\00:20:10.91
"Put away lying."
00:20:10.94\00:20:13.07
And this isn't
just blatant lies,
00:20:13.11\00:20:15.54
it's all false exaggerations,
00:20:15.58\00:20:18.28
making promises you
don't intend to keep.
00:20:18.31\00:20:21.75
It's spreading rumors even.
00:20:21.78\00:20:24.42
And then his positive command,
00:20:24.45\00:20:26.62
"Let each one of you
speak truth with his neighbor."
00:20:26.65\00:20:31.49
And, now the
spiritual principle,
00:20:31.53\00:20:35.03
"For we are
members of one another."
00:20:35.06\00:20:38.93
See, lying disrupts unity,
00:20:38.97\00:20:44.17
lying will undermine trust.
00:20:44.21\00:20:47.24
If you can't trust someone,
00:20:47.28\00:20:49.24
you can't really be
united to them, can you?
00:20:49.28\00:20:52.28
So now, in verse
26, he says, "Be angry."
00:20:52.31\00:20:56.22
Now that's not a commandment,
that's a state of being.
00:20:56.25\00:20:58.95
He's simply saying,
we would say being angry.
00:20:58.99\00:21:02.66
I mean, he's not
commanding us to be angry,
00:21:02.69\00:21:04.49
although anger is not
in and of itself a sin
00:21:04.53\00:21:08.26
if there is a good
spiritual reason for it.
00:21:08.30\00:21:13.27
Jesus had righteous indignation.
00:21:13.30\00:21:15.60
And there's times when we
will have righteous indignation
00:21:15.64\00:21:18.21
when we see someone
doing something to someone
00:21:18.24\00:21:21.44
that is
completely against God's word
00:21:21.48\00:21:25.65
and against God's principles.
00:21:25.68\00:21:27.32
But when he says, be angry,
00:21:27.35\00:21:30.85
now here's his
first negative command.
00:21:30.89\00:21:33.12
He says, and do not sin.
00:21:33.15\00:21:35.72
Don't lose
control, don't take revenge,
00:21:35.76\00:21:38.36
don't go out there
becoming bitter and resentful.
00:21:38.39\00:21:41.46
Be angry, and do not sin.
00:21:41.50\00:21:44.53
One thing I
wanted to bring up to you
00:21:44.57\00:21:46.37
because it happened to me today.
00:21:46.40\00:21:48.40
Something happened today
that I wasn't necessarily angry.
00:21:48.44\00:21:54.61
I was a little miffed,
00:21:54.64\00:21:56.18
and then all of a sudden
I realize I was offended.
00:21:57.95\00:22:00.25
Now years and years ago
00:22:02.38\00:22:05.49
the Lord spoke to me
in that still small voice.
00:22:05.52\00:22:08.22
I didn't hear His
voice booming or anything
00:22:08.26\00:22:11.06
but you know when the
Holy Spirit speaks to you
00:22:11.09\00:22:13.70
and you know it's from God.
00:22:13.73\00:22:15.63
And what He said was
00:22:15.66\00:22:17.73
that the spirit of
offense is the spirit of pride.
00:22:17.77\00:22:23.67
Now think about that.
00:22:23.71\00:22:26.54
You cannot be offended
00:22:26.57\00:22:29.61
if it isn't that
your pride was wounded.
00:22:29.64\00:22:31.81
What happened to me
today was my pride was wounded.
00:22:31.85\00:22:34.78
But now let me tell you
the rest of how God said it.
00:22:34.82\00:22:36.92
"The spirit of offense
is the spirit of pride,
00:22:36.95\00:22:40.36
which is the
spirit of anti-Christ."
00:22:40.39\00:22:42.16
We need to--
when we get offended,
00:22:44.99\00:22:51.43
in your anger do not sin.
00:22:51.47\00:22:53.84
When you find that
you're offended at something,
00:22:54.94\00:22:57.94
recognize immediately,
00:22:57.97\00:23:00.61
it's your pride
has gotten in the way.
00:23:00.64\00:23:03.61
And then confess
that to the Lord,
00:23:03.65\00:23:07.42
because you're actually sinning
the sin of pride, aren't you?
00:23:07.45\00:23:10.89
If you'll
confess it to the Lord,
00:23:10.92\00:23:12.25
you'll find out how easy it
is to forgive somebody else.
00:23:12.29\00:23:15.96
Now he says, the
principle command
00:23:15.99\00:23:18.29
are the principle of--
00:23:18.33\00:23:21.46
the spiritual principle
on which this is built.
00:23:21.50\00:23:24.47
Excuse me, I've
skipped this verse.
00:23:24.50\00:23:26.57
He says, "Do not sin," that's
your negative commandment.
00:23:26.60\00:23:29.64
The positive commandment is,
00:23:29.67\00:23:31.14
"Do not let the sun go
down on your on your wrath",
00:23:31.17\00:23:34.61
don't harbor resentments.
00:23:34.64\00:23:36.78
And the only way
not to harbor resentment
00:23:36.81\00:23:38.71
is to pray for the other person.
00:23:38.75\00:23:41.15
Now his spiritual principle,
"Nor give place to the devil."
00:23:41.18\00:23:47.12
See, when we hold on to anger
and resentment and bitterness,
00:23:47.16\00:23:51.83
we're opening the
door to the devil.
00:23:51.86\00:23:55.96
We're essentially
saying, Satan, come on in.
00:23:56.00\00:23:59.77
And that is
exactly what does happen.
00:23:59.80\00:24:02.60
So he's saying, don't
give place to the devil,
00:24:02.64\00:24:05.74
don't give him opportunity
00:24:05.77\00:24:08.04
to destroy the
love of God within you.
00:24:08.08\00:24:11.61
Now let's look at another one,
in the negative commandment,
00:24:11.65\00:24:14.58
"Let him who
stole steal no longer."
00:24:14.62\00:24:18.99
The positive commandment,
"Rather let him labor."
00:24:19.02\00:24:22.56
That's the remedy,
you know, get up and take
00:24:22.59\00:24:26.26
and make work
with your own hands,
00:24:26.29\00:24:28.50
he says, what is good.
00:24:28.53\00:24:31.23
You know Paul himself
was a tent-maker, wasn't he?
00:24:31.27\00:24:34.44
And I think the principle is
that all able bodied believers
00:24:34.47\00:24:39.97
should be doing what
they can for themselves.
00:24:40.01\00:24:43.41
And he's saying, don't steal.
00:24:43.45\00:24:45.45
In context, stealing is
grieving the Holy Spirit.
00:24:45.48\00:24:50.55
Now the spiritual
principle he says,
00:24:50.59\00:24:52.35
"Is that he may have something
to give him who has need."
00:24:52.39\00:24:57.39
Don't steal, go out and work
00:24:58.63\00:25:01.13
not just to meet your own needs
00:25:01.16\00:25:02.86
but that you can be a
good steward of God's money
00:25:02.90\00:25:06.30
and that you can help
the disadvantaged believer.
00:25:06.33\00:25:10.87
Now another
negative command, verse 29,
00:25:10.91\00:25:13.88
"Let no corrupt word
proceed out of your mouth."
00:25:13.91\00:25:19.25
Do we realize that
the words of our mouth?
00:25:19.28\00:25:24.12
Jesus said, you will
be judged by your words.
00:25:24.15\00:25:26.76
When he's saying
no corrupt, this is--
00:25:28.59\00:25:30.66
it's not just profanity,
it's no foul speech whatsoever,
00:25:30.69\00:25:34.73
no obscene jokes,
00:25:34.76\00:25:36.70
no suggestive comments
around the water cooler,
00:25:36.73\00:25:40.97
it is no name-calling.
00:25:41.00\00:25:43.24
I just have to
tell you something
00:25:45.67\00:25:47.01
that's really interesting.
00:25:47.04\00:25:48.94
Sometimes when we're counseling
with couples who are--
00:25:48.98\00:25:54.15
their marriage is in trouble.
00:25:54.18\00:25:56.22
You'll find out that they
have engaged in name-calling.
00:25:56.25\00:26:01.32
And I want to speak to
you guys here right now.
00:26:01.36\00:26:04.99
I heard a scientific study
that was released recently,
00:26:05.03\00:26:09.26
a brain study, and they said
00:26:09.30\00:26:11.13
the way memories
are formed in your mind,
00:26:11.17\00:26:15.74
especially from conversations.
00:26:15.77\00:26:17.64
Why we remember
certain conversations
00:26:17.67\00:26:19.74
is when it had
an emotional impact.
00:26:19.77\00:26:23.75
And women are much more
emotional than men, aren't we?
00:26:23.78\00:26:26.41
See, have you ever wondered
00:26:27.92\00:26:29.38
why your wife can
remember conversations
00:26:29.42\00:26:32.22
from years and
years and years ago?
00:26:32.25\00:26:36.19
It's because it made--
it tattooed on her brain
00:26:36.22\00:26:42.83
because it had
an emotional impact.
00:26:42.86\00:26:45.43
And sometimes
people will get angry
00:26:45.47\00:26:48.64
and their anger escalates
00:26:48.67\00:26:50.07
and they'll get
into name-calling.
00:26:50.11\00:26:52.37
And let me tell you
something, whoever said,
00:26:52.41\00:26:54.01
"Sticks and stones
may break my bones,
00:26:54.04\00:26:56.61
but words will never hurt me,"
they must not have been human.
00:26:56.64\00:27:00.38
Because words are very hurting.
00:27:00.42\00:27:03.79
And that is something
that when-- Paul is saying,
00:27:03.82\00:27:08.29
let no corrupt
speech come from your mouth.
00:27:08.32\00:27:11.13
Just know, if you're doing this,
00:27:11.16\00:27:14.16
you are
grieving the Holy Spirit,
00:27:14.20\00:27:17.23
even in this name-calling.
00:27:17.27\00:27:19.93
Now his positive
command is to say,
00:27:19.97\00:27:22.37
okay, don't let
any corrupt speech.
00:27:22.40\00:27:24.61
But let what is good
for necessary edification,
00:27:24.64\00:27:29.18
to build others up, to
build up relationships.
00:27:29.21\00:27:33.72
And remember, if a word
doesn't encourage and edify,
00:27:33.75\00:27:37.12
it's tearing down.
00:27:37.15\00:27:39.22
And here's the
spiritual principle,
00:27:39.25\00:27:41.29
"that it may impart
grace to the hearers."
00:27:41.32\00:27:43.43
That it could be
beneficial to others."
00:27:43.46\00:27:46.53
Now here we are in context,
00:27:46.56\00:27:49.00
he's making this huge
presentation about taking off,
00:27:49.03\00:27:54.80
discarding the old
nature, putting on the new man,
00:27:54.84\00:27:59.37
putting on that robe of
righteousness of Jesus Christ.
00:27:59.41\00:28:02.74
Putting on new behavior,
being renewed in your mind,
00:28:02.78\00:28:05.41
and he says, and do
not grieve the Holy Spirit.
00:28:05.45\00:28:10.49
Everything he
said up to this point,
00:28:10.52\00:28:13.39
lying, stealing, corrupt speech,
00:28:13.42\00:28:17.73
all of this
grieves the Spirit of God.
00:28:17.76\00:28:21.66
And then to
grieve, and actually,
00:28:23.06\00:28:26.03
if you look at
this in the Greek,
00:28:26.07\00:28:27.80
he is saying cease grieving
00:28:27.84\00:28:30.41
or do not have
the habit of grieving.
00:28:30.44\00:28:33.74
"Do not grieve the
Holy Spirit of God,
00:28:33.78\00:28:35.91
by whom you were sealed
for the day of redemption."
00:28:35.94\00:28:40.98
The literal
translation there is that
00:28:41.02\00:28:43.65
you were sealed with a
view to the day of redemption.
00:28:43.69\00:28:47.59
This is not a
guarantee of salvation
00:28:47.62\00:28:50.69
but that's a whole
another bible study.
00:28:50.73\00:28:52.39
I want to point
out something though.
00:28:53.43\00:28:56.06
Only a person can be grieved.
00:28:56.10\00:28:59.17
This speaks to the
personality of the Holy Spirit.
00:28:59.20\00:29:02.30
Do not grieve the
Holy Spirit of God.
00:29:02.34\00:29:06.47
Do not cause the
spirit of love and holiness
00:29:06.51\00:29:10.45
to be in pain and distress.
00:29:10.48\00:29:13.88
You know, in the first
part of Ephesians 1, 12 and 13,
00:29:13.92\00:29:16.85
he talks about
being sealed in Christ
00:29:16.89\00:29:21.62
and now he's saying we're
sealed in the Holy Spirit.
00:29:21.66\00:29:24.63
And receiving--
When people ask me,
00:29:24.66\00:29:26.96
how do you know if
someone is a Christian?
00:29:27.00\00:29:29.70
How would you answer that?
00:29:29.73\00:29:31.57
I'll tell you my answer.
00:29:31.60\00:29:33.27
The answer is, if they are--
00:29:33.30\00:29:36.71
if they have the
Holy Spirit of God,
00:29:36.74\00:29:38.77
I know they're Christian.
00:29:38.81\00:29:40.54
If you don't have
the Holy Spirit of God
00:29:40.58\00:29:42.48
then Christ can't even
dwell in your heart by faith.
00:29:42.51\00:29:45.25
So now, do not grieve
the Holy Spirit of God.
00:29:45.28\00:29:48.72
He's made a case
but he continues,
00:29:48.75\00:29:51.25
in context, he says,
00:29:51.29\00:29:54.16
"Let all bitterness,"
that continual antagonism.
00:29:54.19\00:29:59.39
"Let all
bitterness, wrath, anger,
00:29:59.43\00:30:01.66
clamor, loud quarreling."
00:30:01.70\00:30:03.80
Yes, loud quarreling.
00:30:03.83\00:30:05.73
Even that grieves
the Holy Spirit of God
00:30:05.77\00:30:08.80
when things escalate.
00:30:08.84\00:30:10.54
He says, "Let evil
speaking be put away from you,
00:30:10.57\00:30:14.94
with all malice."
00:30:14.98\00:30:16.98
See, everything he's listed here
00:30:17.01\00:30:19.01
are the works of the flesh
00:30:19.05\00:30:20.72
that we find in
Galatians 5:19-21.
00:30:20.75\00:30:26.25
All of these things
grieve the Holy Spirit.
00:30:26.29\00:30:29.52
And then, let me
ask this question,
00:30:29.56\00:30:33.09
can you see that
almost on a daily basis
00:30:33.13\00:30:36.56
we're doing something
00:30:36.60\00:30:37.93
that grieves the
Holy Spirit of God?
00:30:37.97\00:30:40.37
When is the last time you
asked that God forgive you
00:30:40.40\00:30:44.77
for grieving His Holy Spirit?
00:30:44.81\00:30:46.64
We need to be aware
of what we're doing.
00:30:48.01\00:30:51.71
And then he says, in verse 32,
00:30:51.75\00:30:55.38
and actually in the
Greek, this is a play on words.
00:30:55.42\00:30:57.89
He says, "Be
kind" Which is chrestos
00:30:57.92\00:31:01.16
"to one another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another,
00:31:01.19\00:31:04.89
just as God in
Christ forgave you."
00:31:04.93\00:31:10.97
So be kind, be chrestos
00:31:11.00\00:31:13.67
because he's saying, because
of Christ who is chrestos.
00:31:15.74\00:31:20.18
It's kind of a play on words.
00:31:20.21\00:31:21.54
Paul is quite
famous for that actually.
00:31:21.58\00:31:24.31
You know, when
you think about it,
00:31:24.35\00:31:27.68
the fruit of the
Holy Spirit is what?
00:31:27.72\00:31:29.82
We've got love, joy and peace.
00:31:30.99\00:31:34.72
Where do we experience that?
00:31:34.76\00:31:36.09
That's something
we experience within.
00:31:36.12\00:31:38.39
Then there is long
suffering or patience,
00:31:38.43\00:31:41.46
kindness and goodness.
00:31:41.50\00:31:43.63
This is something that
we express to other man.
00:31:43.67\00:31:46.10
So when he's saying,
"be kind to one another."
00:31:46.13\00:31:48.37
That's one of the
fruit of the Spirit.
00:31:48.40\00:31:50.24
And then there is gentleness,
which is essentially humility,
00:31:50.27\00:31:55.94
self-control, and faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control,
00:31:55.98\00:32:00.02
that's what we express to God.
00:32:00.05\00:32:02.08
So what we need
to remember is that
00:32:02.12\00:32:05.19
we have been crucified
with Christ and the flesh,
00:32:05.22\00:32:10.53
the passions and
the desires of our flesh
00:32:10.56\00:32:13.33
are supposed to be buried.
00:32:14.56\00:32:17.57
Now they rear their
ugly head from time to time.
00:32:17.60\00:32:21.70
But what we've got to
do is, when Paul says,
00:32:21.74\00:32:24.94
"Walk in a manner
worthy of your calling."
00:32:24.97\00:32:29.01
He also said in Galatians 5:25,
00:32:29.04\00:32:32.51
"If we live in the spirit,
00:32:32.55\00:32:34.95
let us also walk in the spirit."
00:32:34.98\00:32:38.59
It is walking by
the spirits leading.
00:32:38.62\00:32:42.79
So that is our first sin.
00:32:42.82\00:32:44.69
Do we see that we're all guilty?
00:32:44.73\00:32:48.16
Almost on a daily basis
00:32:48.20\00:32:50.50
of grieving the
Holy Spirit of God.
00:32:50.53\00:32:53.44
Ask God for forgiveness,
ask Him to help you repent.
00:32:53.47\00:32:57.17
I'll tell you what, if we could
00:32:57.21\00:32:58.54
just do away
with that one thing,
00:32:58.57\00:33:00.51
we wouldn't be
doing anything else,
00:33:00.54\00:33:01.94
every sin really grieves.
00:33:01.98\00:33:03.68
Now let's look at Acts 7,
to see what the second sin is.
00:33:03.71\00:33:09.85
And we're going to have to
kind of speed this up a little.
00:33:09.88\00:33:12.75
Acts 7, and we will
began with verse 51.
00:33:12.79\00:33:19.26
This is the second sin
against the Holy Spirit.
00:33:20.70\00:33:23.73
Act 7:51.
00:33:25.67\00:33:27.40
Luke writes,
Jesus is saying this.
00:33:29.67\00:33:32.24
No, excuse me, Stephen
is saying this in Acts 7,
00:33:32.27\00:33:35.98
when Luke records it.
00:33:36.01\00:33:37.98
Stephen says, "You stiff-necked
00:33:38.01\00:33:40.35
and uncircumcised
in heart and ears."
00:33:40.38\00:33:43.69
He's talking-- this is
right before he's stoned.
00:33:43.72\00:33:46.52
He has been telling them
00:33:46.55\00:33:48.52
just all from the
Old Testament scripture
00:33:48.56\00:33:51.36
which was the only scripture
that they had at that time.
00:33:51.39\00:33:54.86
So he's telling them all
from scripture about Jesus
00:33:54.90\00:33:58.80
and what Jesus has fulfilled
00:33:58.83\00:34:00.94
and the pharisees are
still rejecting Jesus.
00:34:00.97\00:34:04.31
And he says, "You stiff-necked
00:34:04.34\00:34:06.47
and uncircumcised
in heart and ears.
00:34:06.51\00:34:09.24
You always
resist the Holy Spirit;
00:34:09.28\00:34:14.12
as your fathers did, so do you.
00:34:14.15\00:34:17.15
Which of the prophets did
your fathers not persecute?
00:34:17.19\00:34:20.32
And they killed those
00:34:20.36\00:34:21.72
who foretold the
coming of the Just One,
00:34:21.76\00:34:24.43
of whom you now have become
the betrayers and murderers,
00:34:24.46\00:34:29.73
who have received the law
by the direction of angels
00:34:29.76\00:34:34.00
and have not kept it."
00:34:34.04\00:34:36.17
Now what happened
when Stephen said this?
00:34:36.20\00:34:39.21
They stoned him, didn't
they? But do you see here?
00:34:39.24\00:34:42.81
This is a sin
against the Holy Spirit
00:34:42.84\00:34:47.55
is to resist him.
00:34:47.58\00:34:50.15
I believe there
is an order here.
00:34:50.19\00:34:52.82
We grieve the Holy
Spirit through our sin
00:34:52.85\00:34:57.33
and now the Holy Spirit--
What is his primary job?
00:34:57.36\00:35:02.26
To convict and
convince us of sin.
00:35:02.30\00:35:05.47
To convict us of truth,
convince of our sin, right?
00:35:05.50\00:35:08.54
So now the Holy Spirit comes
along and in his gentle way,
00:35:08.57\00:35:13.61
he lets us know, you're sinning.
00:35:13.64\00:35:17.65
And we ignore
him, we resist him.
00:35:17.68\00:35:22.08
We're not ready
to confess our sins,
00:35:22.12\00:35:23.99
we're not ready to ask that
God would grant us repentance.
00:35:24.02\00:35:27.69
So we just, kind
of, keep on going.
00:35:27.72\00:35:30.66
Yeah, I know I shouldn't
have shouted at my wife,
00:35:30.69\00:35:33.03
I know I shouldn't have
name-called her but I'm not--
00:35:33.06\00:35:37.00
You know, You--
00:35:37.03\00:35:39.23
Lord, You just don't
know what she's like.
00:35:39.27\00:35:42.30
So it's something that we resist
00:35:42.34\00:35:44.27
and we're sinning against
the Holy Spirit when we resist.
00:35:44.31\00:35:47.74
But there's also, you know,
00:35:47.78\00:35:49.61
sometimes we
resist the Holy Spirit
00:35:51.51\00:35:53.38
when he is
impressing us to do something.
00:35:53.42\00:35:56.69
I have to-- an amazing story
00:35:56.72\00:35:58.62
I'm gonna share
with you real quick.
00:35:58.65\00:36:00.39
One day I was driving
down the road and I was coming,
00:36:00.42\00:36:03.43
it was before I came to 3ABN,
I was with another network.
00:36:03.46\00:36:08.03
And as I'm
driving down the highway,
00:36:08.06\00:36:11.73
I came off of a
major interstate,
00:36:11.77\00:36:13.54
going onto a state highway
00:36:13.57\00:36:15.30
and there is a gas
station on the corner.
00:36:15.34\00:36:18.11
And as I turn and I see this
man standing behind a pickup,
00:36:18.14\00:36:21.88
I could only see his head.
00:36:21.91\00:36:23.41
And I'm going down the road
00:36:23.45\00:36:24.95
and what's being
impressed upon my mind is,
00:36:24.98\00:36:28.18
go pray with that man.
00:36:28.22\00:36:30.19
Well, I'm driving down the
road I'm in hurry to get home.
00:36:30.22\00:36:33.46
And I'm going down
the road, and I'm going,
00:36:33.49\00:36:36.02
Lord, is that You or is that me?
00:36:36.06\00:36:37.99
And then in a minute,
go pray with that man.
00:36:38.03\00:36:40.00
Lord, is this You is this me?
00:36:40.03\00:36:41.40
And I'm going--
00:36:41.43\00:36:42.76
I was probably another three
or four miles down the road,
00:36:42.80\00:36:45.17
just saying, is
this You or is this me?
00:36:45.20\00:36:47.04
Is this You or is this me?
00:36:47.07\00:36:48.40
Have you ever been
impressed to do something
00:36:48.44\00:36:50.24
and you don't know
where it's really coming from?
00:36:50.27\00:36:52.51
And finally, what the
still small voice of the Lord
00:36:52.54\00:36:56.85
impressed upon my mind was,
00:36:56.88\00:36:59.81
when will you
learn not to resist Me?
00:36:59.85\00:37:03.69
Man, I turned that
car round, I am thinking,
00:37:05.09\00:37:07.16
oh, he's not going to be
there by the time I get there.
00:37:07.19\00:37:10.03
You know, I am just rushing back
00:37:10.06\00:37:11.59
to get to the service station.
00:37:11.63\00:37:13.73
Well, I pull up
there, his pickup still was,
00:37:13.76\00:37:16.60
praise the Lord.
00:37:16.63\00:37:17.97
So I walked up, I didn't see him
00:37:18.00\00:37:19.60
and I'm walking toward the door
00:37:19.63\00:37:21.20
and there is this man that
I thought I had seen his head,
00:37:21.24\00:37:24.64
and he's speaking to a couple,
00:37:24.67\00:37:26.68
and they all
speaking in Spanish.
00:37:26.71\00:37:28.74
And I'm thinking, oh,
Lord, maybe that wasn't You.
00:37:28.78\00:37:31.81
He speaks
Spanish, he doesn't speak--
00:37:31.85\00:37:34.02
So I walked up to him
and I said, excuse me.
00:37:34.05\00:37:39.12
And he turned around and
he says, oh, Shelly Quinn.
00:37:39.15\00:37:42.86
And I thought, he'd been
watching me on another network
00:37:42.89\00:37:46.09
and the interesting thing was
00:37:46.13\00:37:48.86
I hadn't seen that
he was on crutches.
00:37:48.90\00:37:53.13
He was getting ready
to go in the next day
00:37:53.17\00:37:55.90
to have a leg amputated.
00:37:55.94\00:37:58.07
They had done surgery
already on the wrong leg
00:37:58.11\00:38:03.04
and now they were going
00:38:03.08\00:38:04.61
to have to
amputate his other leg.
00:38:04.65\00:38:07.72
So he was really
in need of prayer
00:38:07.75\00:38:11.65
and he told me, he
said, I'm frightened.
00:38:11.69\00:38:14.49
He said, you know,
after my first bad experience
00:38:14.52\00:38:17.43
I don't want to lose
a leg, he was a veteran.
00:38:17.46\00:38:19.86
And we prayed, and we prayed.
00:38:19.89\00:38:22.13
I mean, I was
praying for healing,
00:38:22.16\00:38:23.50
I'll have you know, I
was praying for healing.
00:38:23.53\00:38:26.00
He was not healed,
00:38:26.03\00:38:27.64
but he called me about
10 days after his surgery.
00:38:27.67\00:38:32.34
He said, I have to tell you,
00:38:32.37\00:38:33.71
I have gone through this
whole surgery without pain,
00:38:33.74\00:38:37.65
because we prayed that as well.
00:38:37.68\00:38:39.18
He said, I have gone
through this whole surg--
00:38:39.21\00:38:41.32
they can not believe.
00:38:41.35\00:38:43.39
Normally when you
have a limb amputated,
00:38:43.42\00:38:46.82
the pain is severe.
00:38:46.86\00:38:48.19
And he said, I'm not
taken any pain medication,
00:38:48.22\00:38:50.33
I'm up, talking
to other patients
00:38:50.36\00:38:56.10
about the goodness of God.
00:38:56.13\00:38:57.83
Now if I had
resisted the Holy Spirit
00:38:57.87\00:39:01.97
I would have been
sinning against God.
00:39:02.00\00:39:04.61
Now there's plenty of times that
00:39:04.64\00:39:05.97
I have resisted the Holy Spirit
00:39:06.01\00:39:08.14
and then I'm sorry,
like, when God tells you
00:39:08.18\00:39:09.91
to call someone and
you don't call someone
00:39:09.94\00:39:13.11
and that
happened with a young girl
00:39:13.15\00:39:14.48
I've been mentoring.
00:39:14.52\00:39:15.85
And she called, I
was busy eating dinner.
00:39:15.88\00:39:18.95
I thought, ah, I'll
call her back tomorrow.
00:39:18.99\00:39:21.16
And the Holy Spirit--
Now I realize, it was Him,
00:39:21.19\00:39:23.93
it was going call
tonight, call tonight.
00:39:23.96\00:39:25.39
No, no, I am
too tired, you know,
00:39:25.43\00:39:27.43
it's been a long day, it's late.
00:39:27.46\00:39:30.03
And the next day her
father called me to let me know
00:39:30.07\00:39:33.70
she died in the
middle of the night.
00:39:33.74\00:39:36.40
She had MS, and she was only 18,
00:39:36.44\00:39:41.38
and the MS had
come back and she knew.
00:39:41.41\00:39:43.95
He said, she was so at peace,
00:39:43.98\00:39:45.55
she knew she was
going to die though,
00:39:45.58\00:39:47.65
she was calling
to tell you goodbye.
00:39:47.68\00:39:49.08
I was crushed,
00:39:50.75\00:39:52.39
I mean, I am still
crushed to think about that.
00:39:52.42\00:39:55.22
So we don't want
to resist the spirit
00:39:55.26\00:39:58.19
when he is telling
us, when he is appealing
00:39:58.23\00:40:01.23
to our
conscience about somethinge.
00:40:01.26\00:40:03.30
To resist the spirit is sin.
00:40:03.33\00:40:07.07
Now let's look at the third
sin against the Holy Spirit.
00:40:07.10\00:40:10.84
1 Thessalonians 5:19,
00:40:10.87\00:40:15.14
1 Thessalonians 5:19.
00:40:15.18\00:40:19.58
Hear pages turning.
00:40:24.39\00:40:25.92
1 Thessalonians 5:19.
00:40:30.43\00:40:34.33
Paul writes to
the Thessalonians,
00:40:34.36\00:40:36.43
"Do not quench
the spirit of God."
00:40:36.46\00:40:42.70
Now I just want to stop
for a second and say this,
00:40:42.74\00:40:45.31
when you have
grieved the spirit of God
00:40:45.34\00:40:48.44
and he comes to correct
you in His gentle manner,
00:40:48.48\00:40:53.92
and you feel that tug
at your heart, you know,
00:40:53.95\00:40:57.45
your consciences
is bothering you,
00:40:57.49\00:40:59.65
you know that God's
trying to correct your path.
00:40:59.69\00:41:03.83
When you resist the Holy Spirit,
00:41:03.86\00:41:06.86
if you resist him long enough,
00:41:06.90\00:41:10.17
you will quench
the Spirit of God.
00:41:10.20\00:41:15.30
It isn't just--
Paul goes on to say,
00:41:15.34\00:41:17.91
"Do not despise prophecies.
00:41:17.94\00:41:20.18
Test all things,
hold fast what is good
00:41:20.21\00:41:22.58
and abstain from
every form of evil."
00:41:22.61\00:41:25.88
But it is--
there's a pattern here.
00:41:25.91\00:41:28.32
We grieve the Spirit
00:41:28.35\00:41:30.15
then when we
resist the Holy Spirit,
00:41:30.19\00:41:32.32
if you resist him long enough,
you'll quench the Holy Spirit.
00:41:32.35\00:41:36.06
That's why, you know,
what did we look at in Psalm 51
00:41:36.09\00:41:38.69
that David was saying, oh, Lord,
00:41:38.73\00:41:40.50
do not take Your
Holy Spirit away from me.
00:41:40.53\00:41:45.07
David had some heinous
sins on his record then
00:41:46.77\00:41:50.14
but he was praying,
00:41:50.17\00:41:51.71
that's the most
beautiful prayer of repentance.
00:41:51.74\00:41:54.41
But this is what
we need to recognize.
00:41:54.44\00:41:58.01
And I can tell you, I mean,
it can happen during the day.
00:41:58.05\00:42:02.78
I get up, the
first thing I'm praying
00:42:02.82\00:42:04.95
when I'm getting up is,
00:42:04.99\00:42:07.16
Lord, fill me afresh
with Your Holy Spirit.
00:42:07.19\00:42:09.76
I wouldn't leave the house
without praying that prayer.
00:42:09.79\00:42:12.96
I mean, we should be praying.
00:42:12.99\00:42:14.33
And even Sister White says,
00:42:14.36\00:42:15.70
why are we not
pleading with the Lord?
00:42:15.73\00:42:19.17
Every day we should
ask for fresh and filling,
00:42:19.20\00:42:22.10
just because of the fact
00:42:22.14\00:42:23.84
that we can only be
filled with the Holy Spirit
00:42:23.87\00:42:26.41
to the degree
we're emptied of self.
00:42:26.44\00:42:29.44
And through the day, you know,
00:42:29.48\00:42:31.35
day by day sometimes
self rears its ugly head,
00:42:31.38\00:42:34.38
does it not?
00:42:34.42\00:42:35.78
So I pray that.
00:42:35.82\00:42:38.19
And I remember
when I was writing,
00:42:38.22\00:42:40.66
exulting his
words, I had prayed.
00:42:40.69\00:42:43.22
I would get up and
pray for about an hour
00:42:45.53\00:42:47.13
and then I would start writing.
00:42:47.16\00:42:48.90
And real quickly, my
sister who was a handful,
00:42:48.93\00:42:54.10
I'll put it that way.
00:42:54.14\00:42:55.47
My sister was a handful.
00:42:55.50\00:42:56.84
I loved her dearly,
but she was a handful.
00:42:56.87\00:42:59.21
And I was running ministry
out of the home at the time,
00:42:59.24\00:43:02.61
it's about 12 years ago.
00:43:02.64\00:43:04.35
And she called me,
she called me regularly
00:43:04.38\00:43:07.98
three to five
times a day, regularly.
00:43:08.02\00:43:10.59
And so I had told her, look,
I have 17 days to write a book,
00:43:10.62\00:43:13.99
so you can't be
calling me all the time,
00:43:14.02\00:43:16.73
I'll call you
every day at 5 o'clock.
00:43:16.76\00:43:18.49
Well, here I was,
00:43:18.53\00:43:19.86
I had prayed to be
surrendered to the Lord
00:43:19.89\00:43:21.86
because you can write something
that has no anointing on it.
00:43:21.90\00:43:25.13
You know what I'm
saying? If God's--
00:43:25.17\00:43:26.50
You can write
truth but if God's spirit
00:43:26.53\00:43:29.00
is not really directing
you, it can just be flat, right?
00:43:29.04\00:43:32.17
So I'm praying this
and my sister calls.
00:43:32.21\00:43:36.14
And I said, I told her don't
call unless it's an emergency.
00:43:36.18\00:43:38.48
So I pick up the
phone, "Is this an emergency?"
00:43:38.51\00:43:40.12
"No, I'm just
bored." "I can't talk."
00:43:40.15\00:43:42.62
A few hours
later she calls again.
00:43:43.79\00:43:45.55
"Is this an emergency?"
00:43:45.59\00:43:46.92
"No, it's not but I
just need to talk to you.
00:43:46.96\00:43:49.39
I'm just lonesome."
00:43:49.42\00:43:50.76
"Honey, I can't
talk, I'm sorry, bye."
00:43:50.79\00:43:52.39
Couple hours
later she calls again
00:43:52.43\00:43:54.10
and this time I pick it up
00:43:54.13\00:43:55.50
and she says,
"You don't love me."
00:43:55.53\00:43:57.87
She said, "You
just don't love me,
00:43:57.90\00:43:59.23
I don't have a sister anymore."
00:43:59.27\00:44:01.40
And here's this
person who is so surrendered,
00:44:01.44\00:44:04.14
supposed to be writing
this book for the glory of God.
00:44:04.17\00:44:06.91
And I said, "I don't love
you? You have no respect for me.
00:44:06.94\00:44:11.45
You've no respect for my time."
00:44:11.48\00:44:13.01
And I just let her have it.
00:44:13.05\00:44:15.88
And I got off the
phone and I started typing.
00:44:15.92\00:44:19.89
And I typed several pages
and I printed it off to read it
00:44:19.92\00:44:23.83
and it was flat.
00:44:23.86\00:44:26.33
And I realized, I
quenched the Holy Spirit of God.
00:44:26.36\00:44:29.96
I mean, truly, it can happen.
00:44:31.93\00:44:33.97
I mean, I had to
surrender again that moment
00:44:34.00\00:44:37.31
because it's not just something,
00:44:37.34\00:44:39.27
don't think that
quenching the Spirit of God
00:44:39.31\00:44:41.44
is something that just
happens from time to time
00:44:41.48\00:44:45.58
but we've got to be careful.
00:44:45.61\00:44:47.55
And then when he says,
do not despise prophecies.
00:44:47.58\00:44:51.22
You know, let me just
give you a quick listing.
00:44:52.75\00:44:56.26
And we don't have
time to go in this,
00:44:56.29\00:44:57.83
but this comes from Ephesians 4,
00:44:57.86\00:44:59.86
Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12,
00:44:59.89\00:45:02.76
when we look at
what the Holy Spirit
00:45:02.80\00:45:06.23
gave the church.
00:45:06.27\00:45:07.87
It says, he gave some to be
apostles, prophets, evangelist,
00:45:07.90\00:45:10.31
pastors and teachers.
00:45:10.34\00:45:12.41
Okay? That five fold ministry.
00:45:12.44\00:45:14.98
We don't need to
despise that five fold ministry.
00:45:15.01\00:45:17.91
If we do, we're
quenching the Spirit of God.
00:45:17.95\00:45:20.95
And it also says,
there's gifts of miracles,
00:45:20.98\00:45:23.49
discernment of spirits,
00:45:23.52\00:45:24.89
the word of wisdom or
the word of knowledge,
00:45:24.92\00:45:27.32
encouragement,
the gift of faith.
00:45:27.36\00:45:29.36
I am absolutely convinced
00:45:29.39\00:45:31.19
Danny Shelton has
the gift of faith.
00:45:31.23\00:45:34.20
I mean, everybody
has a measure of faith,
00:45:34.23\00:45:36.16
we grow in faith
but the gift of faith,
00:45:36.20\00:45:39.57
this is I think something
that God gives to someone
00:45:39.60\00:45:43.00
when he's got a huge
project for them to do.
00:45:43.04\00:45:46.44
And to think how God
chose Danny and had him start,
00:45:46.47\00:45:52.51
a carpenter with a
high school education
00:45:52.55\00:45:55.68
who went out to build a network,
00:45:55.72\00:45:57.75
to reach the world
with the undiluted truth.
00:45:57.79\00:46:00.26
And 30 years later
we're all over the world
00:46:00.29\00:46:03.19
with production
centers in Australia
00:46:03.22\00:46:05.49
and France, in Russia.
00:46:05.53\00:46:09.00
I mean, it's just,
00:46:09.03\00:46:11.00
it had to be that God
gave him the gift of faith.
00:46:11.03\00:46:13.64
And if you hear his
personal testimonies,
00:46:13.67\00:46:16.04
sometimes he'll tell stories of
what he did, and I'm thinking,
00:46:16.07\00:46:18.61
I don't think I
could've ever done that.
00:46:18.64\00:46:21.68
But it was the gift of
faith, the Holy Spirit--
00:46:21.71\00:46:25.45
One of the gifts
is of healing tongues,
00:46:25.48\00:46:27.85
which is other languages,
an interpretation of tongues.
00:46:27.88\00:46:30.65
The ministries of help
or serving, administration,
00:46:30.69\00:46:34.22
leaders, mercy,
helpers and giving.
00:46:34.26\00:46:37.63
There's a gift of giving.
00:46:37.66\00:46:39.46
And I saw a little girl,
00:46:39.49\00:46:41.73
this is before was an Adventist,
00:46:41.76\00:46:43.37
she was in my children's
church that I was running.
00:46:43.40\00:46:46.80
And this little
girl, 11 years old,
00:46:46.84\00:46:51.87
came from a family,
a very modest means.
00:46:51.91\00:46:56.38
She hardly ever had shoes
that didn't have holes in them,
00:46:56.41\00:47:01.22
but from time to
time she would get a gift
00:47:01.25\00:47:04.55
from her grandmother, a $50.
00:47:04.59\00:47:06.76
You know what this
child did with her $50?
00:47:06.79\00:47:09.46
She couldn't wait
to bring it to church
00:47:09.49\00:47:11.76
and to give it to God.
00:47:11.79\00:47:13.80
And I looked at
her and I thought,
00:47:13.83\00:47:15.56
this is so amazing.
00:47:15.60\00:47:17.30
One 11 year old child does this
when they've got so many wants,
00:47:17.33\00:47:20.87
so many needs.
00:47:20.90\00:47:23.37
And I realized the Holy Spirit
00:47:23.41\00:47:26.47
had given her
the gift of giving.
00:47:26.51\00:47:29.21
There are people who will give
so sacrificially, it's amazing.
00:47:29.24\00:47:32.98
So do not quench
the spirit of God.
00:47:33.01\00:47:36.05
And we need to
recognize when we have,
00:47:36.08\00:47:38.15
and we need to ask God.
00:47:38.19\00:47:39.52
It's just like
David in Psalm 50.
00:47:39.55\00:47:41.92
He recognized he had quenched
the spirit and he's saying,
00:47:41.96\00:47:44.59
don't take your
spirit away from me.
00:47:44.63\00:47:47.30
Now I don't know how I did this.
00:47:47.33\00:47:49.43
But number four is
to despite the spirit
00:47:49.46\00:47:53.34
or to despise the spirit.
00:47:53.37\00:47:55.60
And essentially this
is when we are profaning,
00:47:55.64\00:47:59.37
insulting and
outraging the Holy Spirit.
00:47:59.41\00:48:02.51
This is when our conscience,
00:48:02.54\00:48:04.28
consciences are hardened
by willful disobedience.
00:48:04.31\00:48:08.32
Turn to Hebrews 10 very quickly.
00:48:08.35\00:48:11.59
Hebrews 10.
00:48:11.62\00:48:13.09
Hebrews 10, and we
will began with verse 26.
00:48:14.86\00:48:19.16
Hebrews 10:26.
00:48:20.96\00:48:23.30
And the Bible says
this, "For if we sin willfully
00:48:24.80\00:48:29.30
after we have received
the knowledge of the truth,
00:48:29.34\00:48:31.74
there no longer
remains a sacrifice for sins,
00:48:31.77\00:48:34.11
but a certain fearful
expectation of judgment,
00:48:34.14\00:48:37.45
and fiery indignation which
will devour the adversaries.
00:48:37.48\00:48:42.25
Anyone who has
rejected Moses' law
00:48:42.28\00:48:44.35
dies without
mercy on the testimony
00:48:44.39\00:48:46.22
of two or three witnesses.
00:48:46.25\00:48:48.06
Of how much worse
punishment, do you suppose,
00:48:48.09\00:48:51.13
will he be thought worthy
00:48:51.16\00:48:53.19
who has trampled the
Son of God under foot,
00:48:53.23\00:48:56.97
counted the
blood of the covenant
00:48:57.00\00:48:58.73
by which he was
sanctified a common thing,
00:48:58.77\00:49:01.60
and insulted
(despised) the Spirit of grace?"
00:49:01.64\00:49:07.74
This passage, I wish we
had more time to unpack it.
00:49:07.78\00:49:11.28
This passage scares the
pants off of most people.
00:49:11.31\00:49:16.05
They read this and
think, oh, I can't be forgiven.
00:49:16.08\00:49:18.92
I just want to
give you this thought,
00:49:18.95\00:49:22.89
what was Hezekiah's
son's name? Remember?
00:49:22.92\00:49:27.03
Manasseh, king Manasseh.
00:49:28.30\00:49:31.17
Here is good King Hezekiah,
00:49:31.20\00:49:34.10
who has done so many good things
00:49:34.14\00:49:35.67
for the Kingdom for the Lord.
00:49:35.70\00:49:37.47
Now he has this--
when God grants him,
00:49:37.51\00:49:40.81
you know, when he begs God.
00:49:40.84\00:49:42.34
When God said, get
your house in order,
00:49:42.38\00:49:44.15
it's time for you to
die, and he begs God.
00:49:44.18\00:49:46.78
God gives him the extra years,
he has Manasseh, you know,
00:49:46.82\00:49:50.25
it probably been better
if he never had Manasseh,
00:49:50.29\00:49:52.42
but he does.
00:49:52.45\00:49:53.79
And Manasseh
sheds innocent blood
00:49:53.82\00:49:56.32
that's from one end of
Jerusalem to the other,
00:49:56.36\00:49:59.83
he institutes
sacrificing children to Moloch,
00:49:59.86\00:50:05.47
including his own son.
00:50:05.50\00:50:07.40
He consults witches and mediums,
00:50:07.44\00:50:09.77
he does all of these
things, he was an evil man.
00:50:09.80\00:50:13.48
He built altars to other gods
00:50:13.51\00:50:15.84
and he undid all the
good that his father had done.
00:50:15.88\00:50:19.41
He led Israel astray.
00:50:19.45\00:50:21.68
And God sent Him
prophet after prophet,
00:50:21.72\00:50:24.05
warning after warning,
00:50:24.09\00:50:25.42
and Manasseh had
hardened his heart.
00:50:25.45\00:50:27.96
This is willful disobedience.
00:50:27.99\00:50:30.39
I mean, he despised
the Holy Spirit of God.
00:50:30.43\00:50:34.26
He did everything
against God that he could.
00:50:34.30\00:50:37.10
And God finally says, okay,
00:50:37.13\00:50:38.93
captain of
Babylon, come get him.
00:50:40.84\00:50:43.24
He is captured and
taken off in irons shackles
00:50:43.27\00:50:48.48
with a hook in his nose,
he's taken into captivity.
00:50:48.51\00:50:52.11
And let me read you
00:50:52.15\00:50:53.68
from 2 Chronicles 33:12-13.
00:50:53.72\00:50:59.92
2 Chronicles 33:12-13,
00:50:59.95\00:51:05.73
this is the greatest
picture of God's mercy
00:51:05.76\00:51:09.53
and divine grace
in the whole Bible.
00:51:09.56\00:51:11.63
I just love this story.
00:51:11.67\00:51:13.67
You know, Manasseh's story,
00:51:13.70\00:51:15.14
his history is told
partially in 2 Kings 21
00:51:15.17\00:51:19.21
and it abruptly breaks
00:51:19.24\00:51:21.11
off and then it
resumes in 2 Chronicles 33.
00:51:21.14\00:51:24.88
2 Chronicles 33:12,
"Now when he (Manasseh)
00:51:24.91\00:51:30.55
was in
affliction, he's in captivity.
00:51:30.59\00:51:33.15
He implored the Lord his God,
00:51:33.19\00:51:37.63
and humbled himself greatly
before the God of his fathers."
00:51:37.66\00:51:42.36
Isn't that interesting?
00:51:42.40\00:51:44.43
Sometimes God will allow
the consequences of our sin
00:51:44.47\00:51:49.50
to come crashing
down on our head so that,
00:51:49.54\00:51:54.04
I mean, even that
is in love and mercy.
00:51:54.08\00:51:56.95
So that He can get
us to where, you know,
00:51:56.98\00:51:59.48
you've heard
that the old saying,
00:51:59.51\00:52:01.52
somebody's got a hit bottom.
00:52:01.55\00:52:03.42
Manasseh had hit
bottom. He's in captivity.
00:52:03.45\00:52:07.86
Now this prideful man who
has willfully disobeyed God,
00:52:07.89\00:52:13.66
I mean, who has done
all kinds of evil things,
00:52:13.70\00:52:15.83
he has come to his
senses and He humbled himself
00:52:15.86\00:52:20.67
greatly before the
God of this fathers
00:52:20.70\00:52:22.64
and prayed to Him and
God received his entreaty,
00:52:22.67\00:52:28.61
he heard his
supplication and He brought him
00:52:28.64\00:52:32.28
back to
Jerusalem, into his kingdom.
00:52:32.31\00:52:37.45
Then Manasseh knew
that the Lord was God."
00:52:37.49\00:52:41.02
The God restored
the kingdom to him.
00:52:42.12\00:52:45.63
Is that grace or what?
00:52:45.66\00:52:48.76
Anybody who thinks that
00:52:48.80\00:52:50.23
there is not grace
in the Old Testament
00:52:50.27\00:52:53.34
isn't reading it
through the right filter.
00:52:53.37\00:52:57.14
You know, Paul had
written to the Roman
00:52:57.17\00:52:59.37
saying that the law entered
that the offense might abound
00:52:59.41\00:53:03.85
but where sins bounded,
grace abounded much more.
00:53:03.88\00:53:08.58
So now let's get to
the last four minutes
00:53:08.62\00:53:11.12
to the most difficult one
00:53:11.15\00:53:12.82
and that is the sin against
the Holy Spirit, a blasphemy.
00:53:12.85\00:53:17.86
This, I have to say up
front, is a sin of arrogance,
00:53:17.89\00:53:23.03
not a sin of ignorance.
00:53:23.06\00:53:25.43
Let me read
quickly from Matthew 12:22
00:53:25.47\00:53:30.41
is where we'll start.
00:53:30.44\00:53:31.87
Matthew 12, and we
will look at verse 22.
00:53:31.91\00:53:37.91
And we are going to
have to read quickly.
00:53:39.51\00:53:41.95
Matthew 12:22,
00:53:43.02\00:53:46.19
"Then one was
brought to Him (Jesus)
00:53:46.22\00:53:48.76
who was demon-possessed, blind
and mute and He healed him,
00:53:48.79\00:53:52.76
so that the blind and
mute man both spoke and saw.
00:53:52.79\00:53:56.26
And all the multitudes,
00:53:56.30\00:53:58.37
all of the peopel
were amazed and said,
00:53:58.40\00:54:01.10
'Could this be
the Son of David?'"
00:54:01.14\00:54:03.97
Who was the son of David?
00:54:04.01\00:54:05.34
They knew he was
going to be the Messiah.
00:54:05.37\00:54:06.71
Is this the Messiah?
00:54:06.74\00:54:08.31
The multitude saw,
this is an act of God.
00:54:08.34\00:54:12.65
He has cast out demons,
00:54:12.68\00:54:14.28
he's healed the
blind and mute man.
00:54:14.32\00:54:16.28
The multitude saw that.
00:54:16.32\00:54:17.92
But when the pharisees it,
00:54:17.95\00:54:21.32
they said-- they
heard it, they saw it.
00:54:21.36\00:54:25.69
But when they heard
the reaction of the crowd,
00:54:25.73\00:54:28.93
these hypocrites
who had been getting
00:54:28.96\00:54:32.23
confirmation after confirmation,
00:54:32.27\00:54:34.64
more and more evidence
that Jesus was the Messiah.
00:54:34.67\00:54:39.07
These hypocrites who wanted
to hold on to their power,
00:54:39.11\00:54:41.94
their position.
00:54:41.98\00:54:43.31
Listen to what they say,
"They heard it and they said,
00:54:43.35\00:54:46.61
'This fellow does not cast
out demons except by Beelzebub,
00:54:46.65\00:54:50.15
the ruler of the demons.'"
00:54:50.19\00:54:52.19
But Jesus knew their
thoughts, and said to them,
00:54:52.22\00:54:54.62
"Every kingdom
divided against itself
00:54:54.66\00:54:56.62
is brought to desolation,
00:54:56.66\00:54:57.99
and every city or house divided
against itself will not stand.
00:54:58.03\00:55:01.26
If Satan casts out Satan,
he is divided against himself.
00:55:01.30\00:55:04.90
How then will his kingdom stand?
00:55:04.93\00:55:07.54
And if I cast out
demons by Beelzebub,
00:55:07.57\00:55:09.90
by whom do your
sons cast them out?
00:55:09.94\00:55:13.11
Therefore they
shall be your judges.
00:55:13.14\00:55:14.78
But if I cast out
demons by the Spirit of God,
00:55:14.81\00:55:17.31
surely the kingdom of
God has come upon you.
00:55:17.35\00:55:20.88
How can one enter
a strong man's house
00:55:20.92\00:55:22.68
and plunder his goods,
00:55:22.72\00:55:24.05
unless he first
binds the strong man
00:55:24.09\00:55:27.26
and then he will
plunder his house.
00:55:27.29\00:55:29.96
He who is not
with Me is against Me,
00:55:29.99\00:55:31.63
and he who does not
gather with Me scatters abroad.
00:55:31.66\00:55:34.03
Therefore I say to
you,'" here it comes.
00:55:34.06\00:55:37.33
Here it comes within
context, let's look at this,
00:55:37.37\00:55:40.07
"Therefore I say to you,
00:55:40.10\00:55:42.20
every sin and
blasphemy will be forgiven men,
00:55:42.24\00:55:45.57
but the blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit
00:55:45.61\00:55:48.78
will not be forgiven men.
00:55:48.81\00:55:52.05
Anyone who speaks a
word against the Son of Man,
00:55:52.08\00:55:54.78
it will be forgiven him
00:55:54.82\00:55:56.22
but whoever speaks
against the Holy Spirit,
00:55:56.25\00:55:58.92
it will not be forgiven him,
00:55:58.95\00:56:00.86
either in this age
or in the age to come."
00:56:00.89\00:56:05.93
Here we see
00:56:05.96\00:56:08.30
blasphemy was a
deliberate rejection of truth.
00:56:08.33\00:56:13.50
They knew the truth but
they blasphemed the Holy Spirit
00:56:13.54\00:56:17.94
by saying Jesus
had an unclean spirit.
00:56:17.97\00:56:20.28
They blasphemed him.
00:56:20.31\00:56:22.04
The more evidence Jesus
provided that he was Christ,
00:56:22.08\00:56:24.75
the greater their
opposition was against Him.
00:56:24.78\00:56:27.78
And that progression
of resisting God's truth
00:56:27.82\00:56:31.39
led to an irrevocable
decision against His truth.
00:56:31.42\00:56:35.22
And now they declared
He was demon possessed
00:56:35.26\00:56:38.06
because they wanted
to hold on to their power
00:56:38.09\00:56:40.10
and knowing that He was not."
00:56:40.13\00:56:42.16
Their consciences were so seared
00:56:42.20\00:56:44.90
by deliberate
rejection of God's truth,
00:56:44.93\00:56:48.17
they had no
desire to be forgiven.
00:56:48.20\00:56:51.77
You know our God
is a forgiving God.
00:56:51.81\00:56:53.51
But when you get to that
point you've got no desire.
00:56:53.54\00:56:56.51
They had grieved, resisted,
00:56:56.54\00:56:58.71
despised and
blasphemed the Holy Spirit.
00:56:58.75\00:57:03.95
Now I just have to say this
00:57:03.99\00:57:05.69
because I know someone
who's watching is going to say,
00:57:05.72\00:57:08.42
have I committed
the unpardonable sin?
00:57:08.46\00:57:11.39
Let me tell you, you can
clear your conscience tonight
00:57:11.43\00:57:15.23
by asking for forgiveness.
00:57:15.26\00:57:16.60
If you are haunted with the idea
00:57:16.63\00:57:19.63
or the fear that you
have committed the sin,
00:57:19.67\00:57:23.30
unpardonable sin, then
I can tell you right now,
00:57:23.34\00:57:25.44
you're not because your
conscience is not seared.
00:57:25.47\00:57:30.28
So ask God to
grant you forgiveness.
00:57:30.31\00:57:33.25
And let's pray now that God
will grant us all forgiveness.
00:57:33.28\00:57:36.22
Heavenly Father, we
come in the name of Jesus
00:57:36.25\00:57:38.59
recognizing we have
sinned against your Holy Spirit.
00:57:38.62\00:57:41.89
Please forgive us,
Lord, for grieving, resisting,
00:57:41.92\00:57:45.73
despising, even quenching
your Holy Spirit, Father,
00:57:45.76\00:57:48.76
and please protect us from
ever blaspheming Your Spirit.
00:57:48.80\00:57:52.27
Oh, Lord, fill
us with Your spirit,
00:57:52.30\00:57:54.54
let us never be lacking in zeal.
00:57:54.57\00:57:56.20
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:57:56.24\00:57:59.04
Thank you all so much.
00:57:59.07\00:58:00.41
We want to thank
all of you at home.
00:58:00.44\00:58:02.18
Good night.
00:58:02.21\00:58:03.68