Participants: Jill Morikoni (Host), Ps Kenny Shelton, Mollie Steenson, Brian Hamilton
Series Code: SSP
Program Code: SSP000005A
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00:01 The Bible tells us in the beginning was the word,
00:03 and the word was with God, and the word was God. 00:07 It says to receive with meekness 00:09 the implanted word, 00:11 which is able to save your souls, 00:13 and to be diligent to present yourself approved to God, 00:17 rightly dividing the word of truth. 00:20 Join us now for the 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 00:24 Our study today is 00:25 "The Holy Spirit and Spirituality." 00:32 Hello, and welcome to the 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 00:36 We're so glad that you have tuned in 00:38 and that you're joining with us, 00:40 as we discuss the Holy Spirit and Spirituality. 00:43 It's been such a blessing, we are on lesson number 5. 00:47 And we have been so blessed by each one of these lessons, 00:51 showing us the baptism of the Holy Spirit, 00:55 the anointing of the Holy Spirit, 00:56 the infilling of the Spirit, the divinity of the Spirit, 00:59 the personhood of the Spirit. 01:01 And today in a special way 01:03 we look at the baptism and filling of the Holy Spirit. 01:06 I want to introduce our panel at this time, 01:09 and then we'll give you the special website 01:11 where you can download the lesson, 01:12 and you can follow along with us. 01:14 To my left is Pastor Kenny Shelton, 01:17 you are president of Behold the Lamb Ministries, 01:21 an integral part of the ministry here at 3ABN 01:24 and I appreciate you as a man of God, 01:26 a man of the word. 01:27 And you and your wife Chris are such a blessing to us. 01:30 So thank you for being part of the panel here today. 01:32 It's such a blessing to always be involved in Bible study. 01:35 So love to study the Word of God 01:37 because we want to find out what truth is. 01:40 It's very important that part of what's going on. 01:42 So anyway we're thrilled to be a part 01:43 and thank you for the invitation to be able join in. 01:46 And then to my left Sister Mollie Steenson, 01:47 bless your heart, 01:49 it's always good to study the word with you too. 01:50 Thank you. Thank you. 01:52 I'm always inspired and just get a little higher up, 01:55 you know, elevated by the Spirit 01:57 when the Lord gives you, 01:58 Holy Spirit gives you words to speak. 02:00 So I'm glad you're here. 02:01 Can't imagine a better subject for us to be studying, 02:03 Pastor Kenney. 02:04 And this word is powerful and it's changing us. 02:07 Isn't it, Brian? Yeah. 02:09 This is to my left is Brian Hamilton. 02:10 Now let me just tell you a little about Brian. 02:12 Oh, no. He is our CFO. 02:15 He is a pastor but he is a gifted Bible teacher 02:18 as we will see... 02:20 And, Brian, I just appreciate so much 02:21 you being on the panel with us. 02:23 Yeah, amen. Thank you. 02:24 It's a fun to be a part of this panel. 02:25 Yes, it is. 02:27 And as I have mentioned before, 02:29 I can't think of a better subject 02:31 to be studying than the Holy Spirit. 02:33 And the person that started this out here 02:36 on our study was Jill Morikone. 02:39 Jill and Greg are, been with 3ABN for many years. 02:43 We're blessed with Jill's, 02:45 both her presentation and she does a program, 02:48 and she is a writer. 02:51 Jill is Danny Shelton's assistant 02:55 and administrative assistant, and she is a blessing. 02:58 Jill, you are a blessing to 3ABN, 03:01 and we're glad to be a part 03:02 that you're kind of moderating our panel today, so. 03:06 Well, we ask for the Holy Spirit 03:07 to do any moderation that takes place. 03:09 We are so glad that you have joined us as well. 03:13 We want to give the website. 03:14 This is the Seventh-day Adventist Church's website. 03:16 We are following along with the lesson, 03:19 the Holy Spirit and Spirituality. 03:21 So go to that website 03:23 absg.adventist.org. 03:29 That stands for Adult Bible Study Guide.adventist.org, 03:34 you can download the lesson 03:36 and you can follow along with us 03:38 as we study the lesson here. 03:40 As I mentioned at the open, we are in lesson number 5, 03:43 the baptism and the filling of the Holy Spirit. 03:46 If you're just joining us lesson number 1, 03:50 we talked about the Spirit in the word 03:52 and how the Holy Spirit inspired the word of God. 03:55 Lesson number 2 was the Holy Spirit 03:57 working behind the scenes at creation, 04:01 through the incarnation, redemption, 04:03 the Holy Spirit behind the scenes 04:05 and always lifting up the Lord Jesus Christ. 04:08 Lesson number 3, 04:10 the divinity of the Holy Spirit, 04:12 that the Holy Spirit is not lesser 04:14 than God the Father or God the Son. 04:16 He is equal, he is divine. 04:20 Lesson number 4, 04:21 the personality of the Holy Spirit. 04:23 Amen. The Holy Spirit is not a force. 04:25 He is a person, divine, part of the Godhead. 04:29 In today's lesson, 04:30 the baptism and filling of the Holy Spirit. 04:33 Before we jump into the lesson, 04:35 we always want to go to the Lord in prayer 04:37 and ask for the Holy Spirit 04:38 to open up our minds as we study. 04:40 So, Pastor Kenney, 04:42 would you open in prayer for us. 04:43 Yes, those of you're at home, 04:44 be sure and pray along with us, will you? 04:46 Bow your heads and let's pray. 04:47 Father in heaven, in the name of Jesus, 04:48 we just thank you and we give you praise for these lessons. 04:52 We pray and they have already opened our hearts and our minds 04:56 to receive more of you. 04:58 We're more receptive 04:59 to the power of the Holy Spirit, 05:01 we realize the existence of the Holy Spirit, 05:03 the importance of the Holy Spirit. 05:05 And I just pray in a special way that 05:07 you will pour that spirit out upon this panel here 05:10 as we study this most important lesson today. 05:12 And upon everyone of those who view, 05:15 those who listen, 05:16 we pray that you will stir the heart 05:18 and the mind to draw them closer to you, 05:20 bring conviction to them. 05:22 We praise you will give them victory in any part 05:24 that they need in their life 05:25 that we may be candidates for heaven. 05:27 Bless us we pray to this and may you have your will 05:30 and your way and everything that said and done, 05:34 that we may bring glory and honor unto you, 05:37 the King of kings and Lord of lords, 05:38 and we thank you and we praise you 05:39 in Jesus' name, amen. 05:41 Amen. 05:42 Prayed up and ready to go. 05:43 We're gonna do our memory text first 05:45 and then we jump into Sunday. 05:47 Our memory text is John 10:10, 05:50 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. 05:57 I have come that they may have life, 06:01 and have it to the full." 06:03 Now I'm used to King James there, to me it says, 06:06 "I am come that they would have life, 06:08 and have it more abundantly." 06:11 Oh, I love that word. Yeah, abundantly. 06:13 Now, you may notice we have four people on our panel today. 06:16 That's because Sunday's lesson, 06:18 we're going to discuss together. 06:20 And then we jump in 06:21 and Pastor Kenney will have Monday's lesson 06:23 but Sunday's lesson kind of kicks us off 06:26 with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 06:28 Let's turn to our scripture 06:30 and then we can kickoff our discussion. 06:32 Let's turn to Mark 1. 06:34 We're talking about the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 06:38 Mark 1, this is when Jesus came to be baptized 06:42 of John in the Jordan River. 06:45 Mark 1, and someone want to read versus 9:10. 06:51 "And it came to past..." 06:54 Mark 1:9-10, 06:58 "And it came to past in those days 07:00 that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, 07:04 and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 07:08 And immediately coming up from the water, 07:11 he saw the heavens parting, 07:14 and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove." 07:19 And let's read verse 8 as well. 07:21 We should've read versus 8-10 07:23 'cause that kind of give us that jumping into it verse 8. 07:26 Okay. 07:28 Verse 8 is, 07:29 "I indeed baptized you with water..." 07:33 And this is John speaking. 07:36 "And he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit, " 07:41 that's of Christ. 07:43 Amen. 07:44 So, John baptizes with water, 07:45 but he's saying that Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit. 07:49 So from this passage or other passages 07:51 you all want to share, 07:53 when does the baptism of the Holy Spirit take place? 07:58 You know every time it seems like, 08:01 when there is confession forsaking of sin, 08:04 Holy Spirit comes in and brings conviction. 08:06 You make a decision to follow Christ, and then, 08:09 you want to go down into that watery grave. 08:12 And then, you know, 08:13 and then come up in newness of life 08:15 and then it say "when you come up, 08:16 then you receive the power of the Holy Spirit." 08:19 So that's one aspect of it, 08:21 receiving power of the Holy Spirit. 08:23 Once we follow through with that, 08:24 which God has laid out in his word we receive power, 08:29 we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit 08:31 or the ability by the grace of God 08:33 to walk that Christian walk, that life of holiness. 08:37 Amen. Mollie. 08:38 What Acts tells us that, 08:41 we knew accept Jesus Christ as your Lord, 08:44 say if you repent of your sins, you're baptized, 08:48 then you receive the gift of the Spirit, 08:51 the gift of the Holy Spirit. 08:52 We're in Acts. 08:53 Where you in Acts? That's Acts 2:37-38. 08:55 Yeah, let's read that. I like that. 08:57 "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart..." 09:00 And I'm going to be teaching on this in Tuesday, 09:02 but let me read it now. 09:03 "And said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 09:06 Men and brethren, what shall we do? 09:08 Then Peter said to them, number 1, 09:10 repent and let every one of you be baptized 09:13 in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins 09:16 and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." 09:19 So when do we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit? 09:23 At conversion. Conversion. 09:24 At conversion you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 09:27 Amen, amen. 09:29 That's what goes along with what you were saying, 09:30 Pastor Kenny, when we confess Him, 09:33 when we repent, when we accept Him, 09:35 then that gift comes along at the same time. 09:38 Brian, you look like you're going to... 09:40 Well, I was just looking at the title, 09:42 the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 09:46 That's an analogy, okay, 09:48 to help us understand what's being conveyed here. 09:53 Baptism is where you go 09:57 into a body of water, 10:00 could be in prison we've done it in a cart, 10:06 A laundry cart, 10:07 fill up the laundry cart with the water. 10:08 Okay. Yeah. 10:10 I have seen it in rivers, I have seen it in lakes, 10:11 I have seen it in swimming pools, 10:13 but you go into a body of water and are laid into the water. 10:18 Water is used as a cleansing. 10:21 We take a shower and we cleanse our body with the water. 10:25 Yeah. 10:27 So when it says the baptism of the Holy Spirit, 10:30 it's referring to I think this cleansing in 10:35 what would we cleansed off, of course would be sin. 10:38 Yeah. Amen. 10:39 So the baptism of the Holy Spirit 10:41 has to do with cleansing. 10:42 Jill, just a second ago, 10:44 they probably didn't show it on television 10:46 but you picked up this and you sip some water. 10:50 What does the water do on, 10:52 it does on the inside as we drink it, 10:55 what water in a shower does on the outside. 10:58 So the infilling of the Holy Spirit, 11:01 both baptism is outside, 11:04 the drinking is on the inside. 11:06 So the Holy Spirit in the analogy of baptism 11:10 cleanses us both inside... 11:12 Amen. 11:13 ..and outside. 11:15 Amen. 11:16 Can I touch on three baptisms here? 11:17 Okay. Please. 11:19 And I want to use Matthew 3:11 to springboard, 11:22 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, 11:26 but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, 11:29 whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. 11:32 He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." 11:36 What does fire do as well as water? 11:38 Purifies. Purifies. 11:40 Purifies. It cleanses. 11:41 When you come out of darkness and into the light, 11:45 you enter into, 11:47 are you a part of the body of Christ. 11:49 When you ask Jesus Christ to be the Lord of your life, 11:52 you are put into something, 11:54 you're put into the body of Christ. 11:56 Okay. 11:57 You've been born again. 11:59 Well, now it says we are to follow 12:01 the Lord in believer's baptism. 12:03 Amen. 12:04 So what does the pastor do? 12:06 The pastor takes you 12:07 and he puts you in a baptistery tank 12:10 like we've got into that water baptism. 12:14 And what's left in that tank... 12:15 The old man. 12:17 What's supposed to be in the bottom of the tank? 12:18 Lot of old dead people. Yeah, the dead people. 12:20 So you need to come up, 12:21 you need to come out of that tank, 12:23 you've been baptized and now you're a member of the church, 12:27 the local church. 12:28 Ken, next, 12:30 but there is one coming after me. 12:31 Oh, boy. 12:33 John the Baptist says... 12:34 Yes. 12:35 Who is going to baptize you with the Holy Spirit, 12:37 who baptizes you with the Holy Spirit and fire? 12:40 Jesus. Jesus does. 12:41 Yes. 12:43 He baptizes you into all that power, 12:46 all that dunamis, 12:48 the Holy Spirit and fire. 12:50 There are three baptisms I find in the word. 12:52 There might be more but those are the only three 12:55 I'm thinking of right now. 12:56 So do you think those baptisms are synonymous 13:00 or would they occur at separate times. 13:02 In other words, 13:04 could I be baptized into the water 13:06 and not receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit 13:08 at the same time. 13:09 See it can't all happen at the same time 13:11 but usually it doesn't. 13:13 You can get born again 13:14 and it might be two weeks before 13:16 that can get you down in the water. 13:18 That was probably inappropriate, 13:21 but you actually do go to the water grave, 13:24 but then the scripture is clear 13:27 that you receive a gift of the Holy Spirit. 13:30 Now this Holy Ghost and fire, 13:34 that's a purifying and perfecting process, 13:37 I think it comes with some of that 13:39 sanctification process they must have. 13:41 The growth process, 13:44 I found something that I thought interesting 13:45 because of fire we need that. 13:47 Again, we're baptized, 13:49 we come up in newness of life. 13:51 I've heard some people say, Brother Brian, 13:53 sometimes says "Well, you know, I would accept Christ 13:56 and I would be baptized, but I'm just afraid, 13:58 I'm gonna fall right back. 14:00 I'm afraid I can't follow Christ 14:01 the way I want to." 14:03 They miss the point as once they accept Him, 14:06 once they follow what He said to do, 14:08 then He gives the power. 14:10 Amen. 14:12 Dunamis, right, the power, 14:13 explosiveness to be able to follow His teachings and then, 14:17 I think, it begins... 14:19 In my life it seems like 14:20 the fire is being heated seven times, 14:23 is somebody still with me, 14:25 seven times hotter because of the impurities 14:28 that need to go 14:29 and so I just kind of looked up and just a small Review 14:32 and the Herald, I think it was 12/11, 14:34 1900 that says. 14:35 It says, "Fire reveals the difference 14:39 between gold and silver and precious stone." 14:43 Interesting, now it says right here, 14:46 "Against that which is hay and stubble and the world, 14:53 so the Day of Judgment will try or test the characters of man 14:59 from that which is not like Christ's likeness." 15:02 So I thought, how interesting. 15:03 When the fire is turned up, it really does what? 15:05 It tests the character. 15:07 Am I going to be that precious gold, 15:10 am I going to be that silver that can be refined 15:12 and be seven times in the furnace of affliction, 15:14 or is it going to be a fire that if I am not right, 15:17 I am hay, stubble, boom, I go up in smoke as it were, 15:20 or that I burn and it's going to boil down 15:23 to the test of character? 15:26 It's kind of an interesting thought, 15:27 but we're all going through that... 15:29 Do you see that the fires of, I hear, persecution, 15:32 and I hear the fires of things 15:34 in our own hearts and our lives, 15:36 and I am trying to learn to, 15:38 by the grace of God to thank Him for those things, 15:42 the knots, the whippings. 15:44 Yes. 15:46 The knots on the head, 15:47 somebody follows that, you know, 15:48 they seem like the things that go, 15:50 and many times we cause them ourselves, 15:52 we allow them as bad choices that we make. 15:54 But there's still things, I've learned this, 15:56 some of the greatest mistakes 15:59 that I have made has been my biggest blessings 16:01 in the long run. 16:03 If you went through that fiery furnace. 16:05 If you go through it and you learn the lesson, 16:08 you've made things right 16:09 and you move forward is the biggest blessing 16:11 because you will say, 16:13 "I never want to go there again." 16:15 Amen. 16:16 God wants to purify us but you said that 16:19 quote from Sister White, reminds me of 1 Peter 1:7, 16:21 "The genuineness of your faith 16:24 being much more precious than gold that perishes 16:26 though it is tested by fire, " 16:28 there is that word, God is trying us, 16:31 He's changing us, 16:32 He's in the process of perfecting us 16:34 through the work of the Holy Spirit. 16:36 Now not only on Sunday 16:37 we talked about the baptism of the Holy Spirit taking place 16:41 when we make Jesus Christ the Lord of our life. 16:43 When we repent, but we also daily, hourly, 16:47 moment by moment, 16:49 need a special filling with the Spirit. 16:51 So, Pastor Kenny, you have Monday 16:52 with infilling of the Spirit. 16:53 Monday's lesson I think is just an awesome 16:55 because when you say being filled with the Spirit, 16:58 everybody comes up with something different. 16:59 I don't know if you met people filled with the Spirit, 17:01 what does that mean? 17:03 And they get a little jumpy about 17:04 and they get a little bit nervous about 17:06 being filled with the Spirit. 17:07 But, you know, I have learned over the years 17:10 and I am still learning that, 17:12 that is essential in my walk with Christ 17:15 as to being filled with the Spirit 17:17 every day of my life. 17:19 I have to be filled with the Spirit. 17:21 If I am not, there's something going on, 17:22 there's a leak somewhere and it needs to be patched up. 17:25 So what does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? 17:27 I thought the New Testament gives several examples, 17:30 and in the time we have we'll cover them 17:31 quickly as we can. 17:33 It is a point to remember is being filled, 17:35 when I said being filled 17:37 with the Holy Spirit doesn't mean... 17:39 And I think this is brought out in a lesson 17:40 before which is good, it's not... 17:43 It doesn't mean we posses more of the spirit, 17:46 it means the spirit possesses more of us. 17:50 I think that was talked about several times, 17:51 that is beautiful when you think about it. 17:53 Well I posses, I have. 17:54 No, it's giving, 17:56 it's submitting to the Holy Spirit to use us. 17:59 Too many people try to use the Holy Spirit, 18:02 I say in the religious realm, that's a no, no. 18:05 You don't want to do that, 18:06 you want to submit to the Holy Spirit 18:08 because the Holy Spirit has your best interest. 18:10 The Holy Spirit wants you to be saved. 18:12 Amen. 18:14 Holy Spirit is going to do everything possible 18:16 to make sure that you are there and that I am there. 18:18 I have that confidence and that assurance. 18:20 If I am not there, 18:22 it's because I have chosen not to be there. 18:24 That makes sense? 18:25 Yes. It does. 18:27 Because He's done everything, Calvary's already there, 18:28 so everything's all been placed, 18:30 my ticket at the will call window, 18:32 if I don't have the courage to go to will call window 18:34 and say get my ticket, I'm not going to get it. 18:37 I understand that well for many years in basketball, 18:41 you know, you want to go see a game, 18:43 I'll be careful now, 18:44 close to the Sabbath hour so you go ahead 18:46 and get your ticket before the sun goes down, 18:49 you leave at the will call window, 18:51 so you don't waste your time you run to will call 18:52 'cause I already paid for it and you just get it and go. 18:54 Got somebody come and tell you and say 18:56 what must I do to be saved and you say, 18:59 sorry, too late, 19:00 everything's already been done. 19:01 Yes. That needs to be done. 19:03 Amen. It's paid for. 19:04 It's paid for. 19:06 Being filled with the spirit just, you know, 19:07 it really encourage me. 19:09 To me it signifies that it's an ongoing process. 19:13 Does that make sense? 19:14 Is being filled is an ongoing process, 19:17 of being filled with the Spirit is just not a one time, 19:20 I had people who are filled with the Spirit, 19:21 I had this experience it should be every day, 19:24 it's an ongoing experience to be filled 19:27 and continue to be filled because, 19:29 you know, you should be giving and as we give we are filled, 19:34 you know, our people say my cup is full, 19:37 my cup is full and bless your precious little heart. 19:42 It's nice to have the cup filled 19:44 but you can only give 19:45 what's going over in the saucer. 19:49 What's that one song 19:50 which says my cup's running over... 19:52 Drinking from my saucer. 19:53 I'm drinking from the saucer. 19:55 My cups are overflowing. 19:57 So it's an ongoing process. 19:59 So in receiving this and seeking this, 20:01 it tells it's a continued growth in grace. 20:06 And the Holy Spirit wants to live 20:07 and abide in us and the beautiful, 20:10 I think it's been read three or four different times. 20:13 I can't get over Acts 1:8 20:16 'cause you were talking about... 20:17 You now receive. 20:18 It says, "But you shall receive power after us." 20:21 almost like after the Holy Ghost is come upon you. 20:25 We were raised basically so many years ago 20:27 that when the Bible said Holy Ghost, 20:30 I changed the word to Holy Spirit. 20:32 I was afraid to say Holy Ghost. 20:35 Some people don't get that, Sister Mollie, 20:37 but we heard so many different things 20:38 about different things beside Holy Ghost 20:40 and I have come to figure out that they're the same, 20:43 so that's good, the Holy Ghost. 20:45 This says, you receive the Holy Ghost after, right. 20:47 After the Holy Ghost will come and you receive power 20:49 after the Holy Ghost. 20:50 Here's a comment from the Sabbath-School 20:52 Worker 11/28 in 1905. 20:57 It says, "Christ is represented by the Holy Spirit 20:59 we understand, 21:01 when this spirit is appreciated, 21:03 " I think this is the part of the lessons, 21:04 I am coming more to appreciate the Holy Spirit 21:08 and what the spirit is doing. 21:10 The work that the spirit has to do in this world 21:14 as it were is been put back to the Holy Spirit. 21:17 God is there, Christ, you know, 21:19 and the Holy Spirit is down working 21:20 with mankind representing naturally 21:22 but notice, 21:23 "When those control by the Spirit 21:26 communicate to others," 21:27 notice this, 21:29 "the energy with which they are in viewed, 21:31 an invisible cord is touched which, 21:35 " notice church " 21:36 which electrifies the whole, 21:38 with that we could all understand 21:40 how balanced are the divine resources." 21:43 When the Spirit of the living God, 21:45 when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, 21:48 there is an energy that you can't explain. 21:51 I'm getting goose bumps now. 21:52 I feel that energy, 21:54 you see it coming out of my neck. 21:55 I feel that energy of the Holy Spirit 21:57 and I know the Holy Spirit touches a cord 22:00 and the wording in here is whoo, 22:03 it electrifies, it electrifies. 22:06 See some people don't get that 22:07 because they've not been electrified. 22:09 That's right. 22:10 There are not plugged into the source. 22:12 You've got to plug in to the 110. 22:14 Be careful with 220 but now I'm looking for that too 22:17 when it comes to that Holy Spirit. 22:18 But the 110, 22:20 even when you're striving, and looking, and praying, 22:23 "Lord I want to be filled with Your Spirit. 22:25 I want to get more involved with, " 22:27 sometime we get little relax, little lazy along the way. 22:31 I was working the other day on a house and I forgot that, 22:35 you know, there's no plug-in in the wall outside there 22:37 and I was laying some stone up to there. 22:38 So I pull that little wire out of the sockets and when I did, 22:41 I pull the face of it off, you know, the plug-in part. 22:44 Well, you know, 22:45 it had two different wires running too 22:46 one coming off the other. 22:48 So, you know, you just out there as it could be, 22:49 oh, man, I watch that, 22:51 no big deal, you know, so I was... 22:53 Again take this to the power of Holy Spirit, 22:55 sometime it gets a hold of us and it shocked us. 22:58 I was busy laying the stone, 22:59 and I come back and I laid my arm back there and said ooh. 23:03 And it weren't the Holy Spirit. 23:04 And it weren't the Holy Spirit 23:06 but it was an electrifying that got my attention. 23:08 I did, I said ooh, praise the Lord, 23:10 whoa, that's good. 23:12 I'm getting loose, anyway, 23:14 I thought that was interesting because we need to let 23:16 the Holy Spirit of the living God 23:18 come and electrify us. 23:20 Yeah. Yes, amen. 23:21 And when we are, we become potent 23:23 in the cause of Christ 23:24 and I think that dunamis 23:26 we're talking about really in our language 23:28 really we get our word dynamite. 23:30 Dynamite. That we're dynamite. 23:31 We need to be exploding 23:33 as it were for the cause of Christ. 23:34 So wherever you go, 23:36 there should be things moved out of the way. 23:37 Every obstacle that's in the way is moved out 23:40 because of the explosion 23:41 of the power of the Holy Spirit. 23:43 We don't have to do it, the Spirit does it. 23:44 So those are things I thought was so interesting. 23:47 Ephesians 5:18 simply says, quickly says, 23:50 "And be not drunk with wine," interesting, 23:53 "where in is excess but be you feel with what, the spirit." 23:58 The spirit. 23:59 Fill is simple is to fill up. 24:02 It's to top off, is to make it complete, 24:05 to render notice, 24:07 perfect to make known God's will and to obey it. 24:13 Too many people in the world today 24:15 says in not right way. 24:17 They know the will of God but they refuse to obey. 24:20 They know the spirit's prompting. 24:22 They know what they need to clean up their act. 24:24 They know what they need to get right with God, 24:28 but they refuse to yield 24:29 to the Holy Spirit even pointing out. 24:34 Yeah. 24:35 I wish we had more time I'd talk about this. 24:36 I realize the conversion for me, 24:38 I said many times, I know conversion 24:40 when it comes is different for different people. 24:42 But the Lord did my covert in the dream, 24:44 pointed out three things in my life 24:45 that had to be changed or I was going to miss heaven. 24:47 You were in a dream sleeping? 24:48 It was a dream sleeping, the Lord came to me in dream 24:50 'cause I was praying about things 24:52 that I need to get right whatever... 24:53 and he named those three things, 24:55 and He supposedly said, 24:56 and you know what? 24:58 I love this, I won't go into all the detail with it, 24:59 He knows you. Amen. 25:01 He knows me so intimate through the Holy Spirit. 25:04 He knows me so intimate, 25:06 that when He came to me He said, 25:09 "Kenny." 25:11 He didn't say, hey you. Amen. 25:13 He didn't say, hey, Mr. Shelton. 25:16 He knew me, He said, you know what? 25:18 He said, "Kenny," and you know what it is, 25:20 even though you may be drifting off 25:22 and you're still searching, 25:24 you still want, 25:25 I recognize the voice of the shepherd. 25:29 He said all one word, "Kenny," and I said, "Yes Lord." 25:33 Amen. 25:35 His sheep will know that voice. 25:37 Even if they're teetering, 25:39 they're going to know if they really listen, 25:40 He speaks to them, so I thought out, anyway, 25:43 that God works that... 25:44 He wants us to obey, obey Him, and I look, 25:48 there's so much more to covering 25:49 and being filled with the spirit is 25:50 just an exciting thing, 25:52 but again it's an ongoing process, 25:54 it's everyday, it's not these week old, 25:57 10 years ago experiences that we need, 26:00 we need a fresh supply, fresh graces everyday, 26:03 fresh experiences with Him. 26:05 And I tell you when you're fresh, 26:07 people are going to know you're fresh. 26:08 If you're a little bit day old, 26:09 they're going to know you're day old. 26:11 Yeah. That's it. 26:12 They're going to know it. 26:14 And so we need to be fresh in Jesus Christ. 26:15 So okay, my time's up. 26:16 And vitally important that we have enthusiasm 26:21 and I don't mean fake enthusiasm. 26:22 Oh, no, no, no. 26:24 Kenny, you are just overflowing with the Spirit of God, 26:26 there is... 26:27 You can't be lackadaisical and lukewarm 26:31 and be full of the Holy Spirit. 26:33 When you are full of the Holy Spirit, 26:34 it's gonna show and, 26:36 Kenny, it's gonna show on you and praise God for that, 26:38 you're supposed to. 26:39 This isn't supposed to that Christ in us right, 26:40 the hope of glory shows out. 26:42 I'm scared to death somebody will see me. 26:45 I don't know about... 26:46 They see me, I can't change anybody. 26:48 I can't do anything or mess anybody. 26:50 But Christ in me, 26:51 the hope of glory can change somebody. 26:53 And that's a beautiful thing, 26:54 God wants to do in each one of our hearts 26:56 and lives and praise Jesus. 26:58 I just feel like I'm getting on fire here. 27:01 I'm getting electrified, praise God. 27:03 Thank you Jesus 27:04 for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, 27:06 for the infilling of the Holy Spirit. 27:08 And now, Mollie, you start with conditions. 27:10 Conditions to being filled with Holy Spirit, 27:12 and the first thing I wanted to head on was, 27:14 who is the baptism of the Holy Spirit for 27:16 and that would be 1 Corinthians 12:13, 27:20 "For by one spirit 27:21 we were all baptized into one body 27:24 whether Jews or Greeks, whether slave or free. 27:29 And have all been made to drink into one spirit." 27:32 So, Kenny, who is this 27:33 infilling of the Holy Spirit for? 27:35 Whosoever will, everybody. 27:41 I wanted to do a little springboard. 27:42 I'm going to pick on a statement of Sister White's, 27:45 it's in Manuscript Releases, 27:46 volume 14, page 71, she says, 27:50 "I wish to impress upon you the fact 27:52 that those who have Jesus abiding 27:54 in the heart by faith have actually 27:57 received the Holy Spirit. 27:58 Every individual who receives Jesus 28:01 as His personal savior 28:03 just as surely receives the Holy Spirit 28:06 to be his counselor, 28:08 sanctifier, guide, and witness." 28:11 Amen. 28:12 So, now, we're going to look at the conditions. 28:16 What are the conditions laid out in the word of God, 28:20 because there are conditions? 28:21 Amen. 28:22 Every promise of God is condition. 28:25 Amen. We know that. 28:27 Its condition is laid out and the word to determine, 28:31 if our heart is truly ready to receive Christ. 28:35 Amen. 28:36 That's what is important is the condition of the heart. 28:39 I wanted us to go to Mark 4, 28:41 because we're going to look at some conditions of the heart 28:45 and we're going to start in Mark, 28:47 it's the parable of the sower. 28:49 And let me tell you, 28:51 were going to read Mark 4 starting in verse 4, 28:54 but I'm going to skip over to verse 14 28:57 because we are talking about the sower sowing. 28:59 And I want to show you what the sower is sowing. 29:02 Verse 14 says, "The sower sowes the word." 29:04 Amen. 29:06 So that's where we liken the word 29:08 to the seed of a living God, 29:09 "The sower sows the word." 29:11 Now, starting in verse 3, 29:12 "Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow 29:16 and it happened as he sowed, 29:19 that some seed fell by the wayside 29:22 and the birds of the air came and devoured it." 29:24 Now what we're talking about is conditions of the heart. 29:27 That's right. 29:29 We've got all these people in the congregation, 29:31 the preacher is up there 29:32 preaching a powerful salvational message. 29:36 It's going forth. 29:37 There are people out there 29:39 that just don't even know the word's going on. 29:40 "That is those that fell by the wayside. 29:44 Some fell on stony ground, 29:47 where it did not have much earth 29:49 and immediately it sprang up 29:51 because it had no depth of earth." 29:53 Some of our hearts are stony, 29:54 some portions of our hearts are stony. 29:56 Yeah. 29:58 But in verse 7, 30:00 "And some seeds fell among thorns, 30:03 and the thorns grew up, and choked it, 30:05 and it yielded no crop." 30:07 But, thank God for the but in the word of God, verse 8, 30:10 "But other seed fell on good ground, 30:12 and yielded a crop that sprang up 30:15 increased and produced..." 30:16 Amen. 30:17 Some thirty fold, some sixty, and some hundredfold." 30:20 And that's what we want to be. 30:22 As for this word to go into our heart 30:24 and to spring up 30:26 and we'll be hundredfold producers, 30:28 fruit producers in the kingdom of God. 30:30 Okay, now I want you to go to Acts, 30:33 I read this a little earlier, told you was in, 30:35 what I was gonna teach on, Acts 2... 30:38 Can you give it again? Amen. 30:40 Now this is Peter. 30:43 Peter is just coming out of the upper room. 30:45 And y'all, what happened in that upper room? 30:47 Holy Spirit poured out. 30:48 The Holy Spirit has cloven tons of fire 30:52 and they came out of that upper room 30:55 endued with power from own high. 30:57 Amen. 30:58 Now here is what Peter says, he remember, 31:02 he expounded on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. 31:06 He told the people 31:08 what the Lord impressed upon him 31:09 and the Holy Spirit spoke through him. 31:11 He says now, when they heard this, 31:13 when they heard Peter's sermon, 31:16 that the first sermon 31:18 at the first evangelistic sermon 31:20 Peter had preached, this is it. 31:22 In Acts 2:37. In fact 2:37-38. 31:26 "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart." 31:29 Remember what is it that the seed is sown into? 31:32 It's the heart. Amen. 31:34 They were cut to the heart 31:35 and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 31:37 man, brethren, what shall we do? 31:40 Then Peter said to them, number one, "Repent". 31:43 What's that word repent mean? 31:45 That's not just I'm sorry, I did it. 31:47 That's right. 31:49 Repent means... 31:50 Turning away. A complete turn around. 31:52 Repent, change your ways. 31:54 If you were headed this direction, 31:56 turn around, 31:57 you've got to go this direction, repent. 32:00 Mercy. 32:01 Man, brethren. Yeah. 32:03 "Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized 32:06 in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins 32:10 and you shall receive the Holy Spirit." 32:13 So what are the conditions? 32:14 Number one, 32:16 you have to have God's word come forth into your heart. 32:20 You must hear the word of God. Amen. 32:23 We were talking last week I believe it was, 32:25 how our salvation every one of us 32:29 we had heard, and heard, and heard, 32:32 and I know God by the power of His spirit 32:34 slowly softened my heart. 32:37 But then the day came, 32:38 when the word was planted right into my heart 32:40 and it was time, I had to make a decision. 32:42 Yes. 32:44 By an act of my will, 32:45 I chose to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. 32:48 I got changed. 32:49 I got born again. 32:51 And I have never been the same. 32:52 Once you accept Jesus, turn from your wicked ways, 32:56 receive His spirit, your will never be the same. 32:59 You hear God's word, it goes into your heart, 33:02 it convicts your heart of its condition 33:05 and you don't say, 33:06 "Oops, I'm sorry. 33:07 Oh, look how that I am." 33:09 You repent, you change. Amen. 33:11 Then follow the Lord in believer's baptism. 33:16 We're told to do that. 33:17 And then you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, 33:20 those were the conditions. 33:22 Amen. 33:23 The power of hearing the truth of words, 33:25 God's word is life changing. 33:27 Our conscience is pricked and we see sinfulness of us. 33:32 We see our sinful condition. 33:34 We see our lost condition. 33:37 True repentance then follows and then, 33:41 this is something that it took me a while to see this. 33:45 where it says 33:49 "Not knowing that it's the goodness of God 33:53 that leads us to repentance." 33:55 See, now I've got this frame of reference 33:58 that I'm looking here none of you three haven't know. 34:01 I wasn't raised in the Adventist church 34:04 and I'm not going to tell you the denomination I was in, 34:07 but they preached hell hot and I mean, they, 34:11 they... 34:13 And it scared people into repenting. 34:17 Well, I'm going to say what, if it works for you, fine, 34:20 but that's not what the word says. 34:22 The word says, 34:24 it's not holding you at over hell 34:27 and saying burn baby burn and roasting you, no. 34:31 It's telling the goodness of God. 34:34 It's God's word and the goodness of God... 34:36 That's right. 34:37 That leans you to repentance, to that change of way. 34:41 And then 34:44 we ask in faith in the James 1:6-8. 34:49 We ask in faith, 34:51 "But let him ask in faith with no doubting, 34:54 for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, 34:58 driven and tossed by the wind. 35:00 But let not that man supposed 35:02 he will receive anything from the Lord, 35:04 he is a double-minded man, 35:05 and he is unstable in his way." 35:07 We are to be persistent. Yeah. 35:12 The scripture that's Luke 11:9-10. 35:14 "So I say to you: if you will be given to, 35:18 seek and you should find, 35:20 knock and it shall be open to you. 35:22 For everyone who asks, receives, who seeks, 35:25 finds and to him who knocks it will be opened." 35:27 Amen. 35:28 We have to be persistent, Brother Kenny, 35:30 and how much more 35:31 what the heavenly father gift us. 35:33 I love this, Luke 11:13. 35:36 "If you then, being evil, 35:37 know how to give good gifts to your children, 35:40 how much more." 35:41 How much more? 35:43 Do you want little bit of the Holy Spirit? 35:45 Do you want a lot of the Holy Spirit? 35:47 Oh Father! 35:48 Fill me to the capacity I'm at, 35:50 till my cup is running over 35:52 and we're drinking from the saucer. 35:54 That's how we want to be. 35:55 "How much more would your heavenly Father 35:58 give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him." 36:01 Isn't that beautiful? 36:03 Go head. No, no. 36:05 No please, go ahead. 36:06 That's just a quick comment because you just brought this 36:07 ahead in my notes in Desire of Ages 172, 36:09 because when you are talking about the Holy Spirit said 36:11 "The Christian life is not a modification 36:14 or an improvement of the old." 36:16 I liked that. 36:17 "But a transformation of nature." 36:19 There is a death, 36:20 death to self and sin, a new life altogether. 36:25 Notice this change can only be brought about 36:29 by the Holy Spirit, 36:30 effectual workings of the Holy Spirit. 36:33 How that works in? 36:34 It's not, well, I'm better than I used to be. 36:36 The old man's supposed to die. 36:38 The old man for me keeps trying to get up 36:39 and I keep try and choke him 36:41 and put him back down there by grace of God. 36:42 You know, don't come back up. 36:44 So it's a bad world, it goes on. 36:45 Yes, it is. 36:47 But this working can be done and will be done 36:49 because of power of the Holy Spirit. 36:50 Amen. 36:51 Thank you, Mollie, so much for that. 36:53 God wants to change us 36:54 by the power of the Holy Spirit. 36:56 Make us into the image of Jesus through that repentance, 36:59 baptism, the faith, the prayer, 37:00 I love that and you have more conditions for us, 37:02 Brian, don't you? 37:03 Yeah. 37:05 Wednesday, it's conditions part two 37:08 and so there are more conditions. 37:11 But before I launch into that, Mollie, 37:13 I really appreciated what you had to share with us 37:15 in Mark 4, 37:18 about the soil, the conditions of the heart, 37:21 and the impact that, 37:23 that has on the Holy Spirit's ability 37:27 to be able to make change in our lives. 37:30 I didn't grow up here in the Midwest, 37:33 I grew up out in Pacific, Northwest, 37:36 and there you some very rocky rugged terrain, okay. 37:42 You have some actual mountains 37:44 that you lack here that we lack here in the Midwest. 37:47 It's true. 37:48 It's flat in Illinois, you know. 37:50 All though there are some rolling hills 37:52 and they may be called those mountains. 37:53 But out in Washington, Oregon, 37:55 there are true mountains, okay. 37:58 Rugged with cracks, rock sticky, 38:01 and it amaze me how in some areas 38:04 where there is almost zero soil. 38:08 You can see a tree growing out 38:11 and blossoming in what seems the most inhospitable area. 38:18 And so, let's remember that the Holy Spirit 38:22 even in most inhospitable areas can bloom and grow. 38:28 Amen. 38:29 So we don't want to write anybody off. 38:31 Thank you for that. 38:33 By looking at the outer appearance and thinking, 38:35 oh, they're just an old rugged, no. 38:38 I've even seen in parking lots, in cities. 38:42 I have seen cracks in the parking lot 38:44 and out bloomed a little flower, 38:46 a daisy, okay. 38:48 So God's spirit, 38:50 if there is even a crack in the side walk, 38:53 will drop the seed in that crack 38:56 and it will bloom and then it will blossom. 38:58 That's beautiful. Let's remember that. 38:59 So they were not so harsh on each other 39:02 about the conditions of our hearts, you know, 39:04 because we all need that. 39:06 Acts 5, 39:10 why don't we turn to Acts 5:32? 39:15 Acts 5 39:18 and I got into Romans, so I realized. 39:23 Acts disappeared from my Bible. 39:26 I bet it's still there. 39:27 You know what, you're right, Mollie, it's there. 39:31 So Acts 5:32, 39:34 I'm going to really start in verse 31. 39:36 Okay. "Him." 39:38 Who is the him? 39:40 The Him is Jesus. 39:41 "Him God has exalted to his right hand." 39:46 So God has exalted Jesus to his right hand 39:49 "To be Prince and Savior to give repentance." 39:54 So, Mollie, you talked about repentance, 39:56 even repentance is a gift. 39:59 It's a gift. It's good. 40:00 We don't have it of ourselves but we can ask for it. 40:04 So to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel 40:09 and forgiveness of sins. 40:11 And we are His witness to these things, 40:15 and so also is the Holy Spirit that God has given 40:19 to those who obey Him." 40:24 So there is again a condition 40:27 and I feel this as an ongoing condition. 40:31 Not a one time, I obeyed once in the past. 40:35 It's a continual, 40:36 daily type of thing of surrendering for obedience. 40:41 Those, I remember as our children, 40:43 our two sons grew up, 40:45 and the day came 40:46 when they wanted the keys to the car. 40:49 Oh mercy. 40:51 Did that ever happen to you, Kenny? 40:52 Yes. 40:54 Mollie, did it happen to you? Yeah. 40:56 They wanted the keys to the car. 40:59 It was easy to hand the keys over 41:02 when they had consistently showed their life 41:06 as obedient to your instructions. 41:09 It's good. 41:11 But when they hadn't, 41:13 I found it very difficult to hand those keys over, 41:16 because I was afraid of what they would do to the car, 41:21 with the car, or to somebody else... 41:24 That's right. 41:25 Who the car might come in contact with. 41:27 It was their consistent life of obedience 41:33 that helped me have confidence to hand over the keys. 41:37 And I just wonder if the Holy Spirit looks at us 41:41 in a way like I looked at our children, 41:45 that the Holy Spirit longs to lend the car as it were, 41:50 longs to hand over the keys. 41:53 But what are we going to do with that car when we get it? 41:57 Are we going to use it show off. 42:00 You never did that, Kenny, I know. 42:02 But I probably did. 42:06 That's men have more of a problem with that issue, 42:08 I think than you ladies. 42:09 But you know... 42:11 Maybe we show off in other ways though, 42:12 so I think pride is a... 42:14 Yeah. Human condition. 42:16 So the lesson says, 42:19 "The Holy Spirit is granted to all who obey God." 42:22 Amen. 42:24 "In the Bible love and obedience go hand in hand. 42:27 Amen. 42:29 True faith is expressed in obedience. 42:32 Yes. 42:33 So God loves to give us the Holy Spirit. 42:36 God's longing to give us. 42:38 Jesus has promised us the Holy Spirit. 42:40 Yes. 42:42 But when we live in a life of rebellion, 42:44 in disobedience, 42:48 even though his heart longs to give it, 42:50 he has to hold it back 42:53 until we are trustworthy you might say 42:56 to be able to hand over the keys to the car. 42:59 That's right. 43:00 So that was one of the conditions. 43:02 Let's look at Jude. 43:04 Jude is a little book clear back, 43:07 right before the Book of Revelation 43:09 which is the last book in the Bible. 43:12 Jude is one chapter long, 43:16 so you don't have any chapters in Jude, 43:18 you just have verses, okay. 43:20 In Jude verses 18 to 21. 43:25 And this is a description of those 43:31 who are lacking the Holy Spirit, okay. 43:35 So Jude verse 18 now, 43:38 "They told you that there would be mockers 43:41 in the last day, last time, 43:44 who would walk according to their own ungodly lust. 43:49 These are sensual persons, who cause division, 43:54 not having the Spirit." 43:57 Oh, my. 43:59 So this is something that we can look in our own lives. 44:03 We can look in other people. 44:06 We can look in surroundings where we work at. 44:09 Yeah. 44:10 And we say are the divisions. It's good. 44:14 If there is divisions, 44:16 that should be telling us that 44:18 there is something that is lacking. 44:21 And that something is the Holy Spirit. 44:25 Are we, 44:27 our ungodly lusts controlling our life. 44:32 And that should be prompting us, 44:35 telling us there is something missing in our life 44:39 and that is the Holy Spirit. 44:40 Amen. 44:41 The Holy Spirit is um... 44:46 It's kind of like our relationship with our spouses. 44:51 If we are central, lustful, 44:55 seeking something else other than 44:58 who we promise to be faithful to, 45:01 that severs relationship. 45:03 Yes, it does. 45:05 There is no longer, it does something that is 45:10 in fact, it causes grieves... 45:14 Yes. To our spouse, okay. 45:17 And the Holy Spirit, 45:19 wasn't that in one of our lessons in the past 45:20 that talked about that we can grieve the spirit of God. 45:24 Okay. It's good now. 45:25 So the spirit cannot give himself 45:28 in his fullness to us... 45:29 That's right. 45:30 While we are in a process of grieving him. 45:32 That's right. All right. 45:34 Just as our spouse can't give the fullness of love to us 45:37 that they would want to give... Yes. 45:40 If we're causing them to grieve. 45:41 That's right. Amen. 45:43 Good. 45:44 So another condition is, what is the heart? 45:47 What is the condition of our heart? 45:49 Oh, boy. You know. 45:50 And if we see that there is division and strife and lust 45:55 and other unholy things in our heart, 45:59 then that should prompt us that, let's go seek the spirit. 46:04 Let's ask the spirit to remove those things, 46:07 so that we have room for him in our hearts. 46:10 Oh, amen. Beautiful. 46:12 Praise the Lord. Amen. 46:13 That ends part two. 46:16 And, Jill? 46:17 Amen. That was beautiful, Brian. 46:18 I love that analogy of your spouse in the marriage and... 46:21 Amen. 46:22 I've thought of that with Jesus, 46:24 but I don't think ever with the Holy Spirit, 46:26 that was the first time... Amen. 46:28 I had processed that myself and that's a beautiful analogy, 46:31 how we could grieve the Holy Spirit 46:33 or how it could cause pain and it's not that, 46:36 these conditions we've been discussing 46:38 are not God being hard on us. 46:40 It's simply how can we come into total unity? 46:45 How can we be filled with the Holy Spirit 46:48 unless we choose to allow him to change us? 46:53 So that we can walk in obedience. 46:54 So that we can follow him fully. 46:57 If Thursday is self centered living 47:01 versus Christ centered living. 47:05 This week we've looked at kind of three major things. 47:08 We started with the baptism of the Holy Spirit, 47:10 the filling of the Holy Spirit. 47:12 We looked at the prerequisites, that's a hard word. 47:15 Prerequisites to receiving the Holy Spirit 47:19 or to be in filled with the Holy Spirit. 47:21 And now we look at the change, the transformation 47:25 that the Holy Spirit makes in our hearts and lives. 47:28 Let's go to Ephesians. 47:30 We also can see this in Galatians 5, 47:32 but I want to look at Ephesians first. 47:35 If we have time, we'll go to Galatians 47:37 if not, it's a good scripture for another time. 47:40 But Ephesians 5, we're going to read verses 1 47:43 actually through 21. 47:46 We see here the radical difference between those 47:50 who follow Jesus, follow the spirit, 47:52 walk in the spirit 47:54 and those who, as Galatians 5 tells us, 47:56 follow the works of the flesh. 47:58 Ephesians 5, kind of is divided into three separate categories. 48:03 And verses 1 through 7 deals with love versus lust. 48:09 Verses 8 through 14 is light versus darkness. 48:13 Verse 15 through 21, I'm sorry is wisdom versus foolishness. 48:20 It's all three different ways of looking at the same thing. 48:23 Living in the spirit versus living in the flesh. 48:25 So verse 1, we're in Ephesians 5. 48:28 "Be imitators of God as dear children." 48:32 The standard for Christian behavior is high. 48:36 Exceedingly high 'cause the character of God is holy. 48:40 Amen. 48:41 We can't reach that of ourselves 48:43 but the Holy Spirit in us can change us into His image. 48:47 He says, "And walk in love, 48:49 literally to live or behave in love. 48:52 As Christ loved us and gave Himself for us, 48:55 an offering and a sacrifice to God 48:57 for a sweet-smelling aroma." 48:59 Or I think King James is a sweet smelling savor. 49:02 Yes, walk in love. Amen. 49:05 He loved us. He gave Himself for us. 49:08 He calls us to walk in love, 49:09 toward our brothers and sisters. 49:11 Now we look at the opposite. 49:13 These are like those works of the flesh. 49:14 Verse 3. 49:16 "And these all do with lust, impurity, 49:19 fornication all uncleanness, covetousness, 49:23 let it not even be named among you 49:26 as it is fitting for Saints, 49:28 neither filthiness nor foolish talking 49:30 nor coarse jesting." 49:31 This is all what we speak, maybe not the physical act 49:35 but we're dealing now with 49:37 what we actually speak out of our mouth 49:39 and how it can be impure, how it could be immoral. 49:42 But instead of that we're to give thanks. 49:45 It says, rather giving thanks. Amen. 49:48 "For this you know that no fornicator unclean person, 49:51 or covetous man, who is an idolater, 49:54 has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God." 49:58 That's pretty heavy. That is. 49:59 When I read that, that's heavy. 50:01 "Let no one deceive you with empty words, 50:03 for because of these things the wrath of God 50:05 comes upon the sons of disobedience. 50:08 Therefore do not be partakers with them." 50:12 I remember when I was 13, one of those hard ages. 50:17 And acting out against my mom and dad. 50:21 Yelling, talking back. 50:23 Mercy. 50:25 Um, doing everything I could to walk away from God. 50:31 I remember, I physically wrote down in my journal. 50:35 God, you don't work. 50:37 Christianity doesn't work. 50:39 What I see in the Bible isn't real. 50:41 It doesn't work, I don't want you. 50:44 And I wrote that God, I'm walking away from you. 50:47 That's heavy. 50:48 And in the midst of this pain, 50:51 I was involved in a certain friends you could say. 50:55 My mom sat me down and she said, 50:56 you are not gonna associate with those people anymore. 51:00 And I said, you're not being fair 51:02 and all my other friends can do that. 51:04 And you're not treating me right, 51:06 and how dare you do that? 51:08 And she said, you live in this house. 51:10 Come on, now. 51:12 You follow by what your father and I believe 51:15 God wants you to do. 51:17 Jill, they're pulling you from Jesus. 51:19 Yeah. Wow. 51:21 And praise the Lord, when I look back in my life, 51:24 that was one of the turning points in my life. 51:26 Amen. 51:27 Because that association with people, 51:30 who even though I was really teetering 51:33 and not sure what I wanted to do, 51:34 but it was pulling me to the darkness, 51:36 all of these things. 51:38 This says, do not be partakers with them. 51:40 Let me just throw these things. Yes. 51:43 But your mother and father had trained you upright. 51:47 So they're that is on behalf of how you parents 51:51 that are training you children upright 51:53 just like Jill, may have wanted to go astray 51:56 that training brought her right back. 51:59 Amen. Amen. 52:00 And that's the power of the Holy Spirit. 52:02 And that's the story for another day, 52:03 how God works in that. 52:05 In verse 8, now we're looking at light versus darkness, 52:07 but it's still the same. 52:09 It's walking in the spirit versus walking in the flesh. 52:12 For you who were once darkness, now you are light in the Lord, 52:15 that's you, that's me, that's each of us. 52:17 The Bible said all have sinned 52:19 and fallen short of the glory of God. 52:21 We were all darkness but God wants to transform us. 52:24 Mollie, I always says this out of the kingdom of darkness 52:26 into the kingdom of God's dear son, 52:28 the kingdom of light. 52:29 "Walk as children of light, for the fruit of the Spirit 52:33 is in all goodness, righteousness, truth. 52:35 Have no fellowship 52:37 with the unfruitful works of darkness, 52:39 but rather expose them." 52:40 Let's jump on 'cause our time is running away. 52:42 Verse 15, we see wisdom versus foolishness. 52:47 "See then that you walk circumspectly, 52:50 not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, 52:53 because the days are evil." 52:56 Verse 18, do not be drunk with wine, 52:58 in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit." 53:02 "Speaking to one another 53:04 in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, 53:06 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father 53:09 in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 53:12 submitting to one another in the fear of God." 53:15 If we contrast self centered living 53:19 versus Christ centered living. 53:22 Self centered living is flesh filled living. 53:24 Yeah. 53:26 It's controlled by passion, slave to sin, 53:31 shows the fruits of sin, walks in lust, 53:36 walks in darkness. 53:38 Walks in foolishness is an idolater. 53:42 But by contrast if we have a Christ centered life, 53:49 spirit fill living, 53:50 we are controlled not by the flesh 53:52 but by the Holy Spirit. 53:54 Amen. That's right. 53:55 We're not a slave to sin, 53:57 we choose everyday daily to die to self in sin. 54:02 Our life reveals the fruit of the spirit. 54:05 We walk in love which is Jesus, 54:09 from the manger to the cross as our wages tells us, 54:12 live the principle of self-sacrificing love. 54:15 The opposite of living for myself and selfishness, 54:19 self sacrificing love. 54:21 Christ centered living lives for other people. 54:24 Yes. 54:26 So when I read this list, 54:27 I say God what areas of my life are not in harmony with you? 54:32 Ask God by the power of a spirit 54:33 to show me those places that are not in harmony with you. 54:37 And this list is not to discourage you, 54:40 not to make you think, 54:42 I do some of those works of the flesh 54:44 and I'm not sure what I know. 54:46 We can't change ourselves. 54:48 Jeremiah 13 says, 54:49 "Can the Ethiopian change his skin color 54:51 or the, is that the right, "or the leopard his spots?" 54:55 Then may we also do good who are accustomed to evil. 54:58 It is God by the power of His Spirit. 55:01 I want to look at one more scripture Ezekiel 36, 55:05 Ezekiel 36. 55:08 This is one of my favorite scriptures. 55:11 Ezekiel 36... 55:16 25, verse 25. 55:18 "I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean, 55:22 I will cleanse you from all your filthiness 55:25 and from all your idols." 55:26 God wants to purify us and cleanse us. 55:29 Forgive us from sin but he doesn't stop there. 55:31 Verse 26, "I will give you a new heart 55:35 and put a new spirit within you; 55:37 I will take out the heart of stone." 55:39 The heart that's contrary to God's commandments, 55:41 that heart that does not want to walk in accord with him. 55:44 And I will give you a heart of flesh. 55:46 I will put my spirit within you. 55:49 Praise the Lord. 55:50 And cause you to walk in my statues. 55:52 And you will be my people. Amen. 55:54 And I will be your God. 55:56 That is what God wants to do in our lives 55:59 by the power of the Holy Spirit. 56:02 When we choose to surrender to let him work in our lives... 56:07 Amen. 56:08 He wants to change us. Yes. 56:10 A quote from Desire of Ages, page 215. 56:13 "There is no limit to the usefulness of one 56:17 who put in self aside..." 56:19 Oh, boy. 56:21 "Makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit 56:23 on his heart..." 56:24 "And lives the life wholly consecrated to God." 56:28 I know we have just a couple moments left in. 56:30 I'd like a closing thought from each one of you. 56:33 So I don't know, Pastor Kenny, we'll start with you. 56:35 It brings to my attention, it think it's Romans 2:4, 56:38 it the talks about the, "The goodness of God 56:41 leadeth thee to repentance." 56:43 That's just a bottom line for me. 56:45 It's his goodness, his longsuffering. 56:47 Yeah. 56:48 You know, he continues to call and I'm thankful. 56:50 Amen. 56:51 And, Kenny, I'm just going to agree with you. 56:53 Thank God for the power of the Holy Spirit 56:56 that will draw us into goodness of God, 56:59 that wants us out of darkness and in light. 57:02 Thank God for this. Amen. 57:03 I work every week with men that have chosen the wrong route... 57:08 Yeah. 57:09 And just left them in bondage... 57:11 Yes. 57:12 In present, addictions, you know. 57:16 God's way with the Holy Spirit is to free us. 57:19 To give us our freedom. That's right. 57:20 Our self governance back again. Amen. 57:22 That's such a blessing... 57:24 Yes, it is. To have that. 57:25 Praise God for what he wants to do. 57:26 Thank you each one of you, 57:28 Pastor Brian and Mollie and Pastor Kenny. 57:30 It's a privilege to open up God's Word 57:32 to see what He wants to do in our hearts and in our lives. 57:36 We want to thank you at home for joining with us. 57:40 We pray that everyday this next week, 57:43 you will get in the word of God. 57:44 The word of God can change you, you will choose 57:47 and when you get up in the morning, 57:48 "God, I surrender myself to You today. 57:51 I ask you would fill me with Your spirit 57:53 and You would empower me for the work 57:55 that You have called me to do." 57:57 That's all the time we have for today. 57:59 Until next time God bless you and keep you. |
Revised 2017-01-30