The Bible tells us, "In
the beginning was the Word,
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and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God."
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It says, "To
receive with meekness
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the implanted Word,
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which is able
to save your souls.
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And to be diligent
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to present
yourself approved to God
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rightly dividing
the Word of truth."
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Join us now for the
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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Our study today is
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The Holy Spirit
and Spirituality.
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Hello and welcome to
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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If you've tuned in
before you know that
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you're in for a
tremendous blessing
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because of all of those
that the Lord has chosen
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to be a part of
this program today,
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so sit down get your Bibles,
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take the next hour or so with us
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as we walk
through the Word of God
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in the continual study of
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The Holy Spirit
and Spirituality.
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It's not enough
to be a Christian,
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we have to be spiritual, Amen?
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And so take the time with
us to go through this lesson
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and today, we are
covering lesson No. 11,
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March 11 to 17, and
the focus of this lesson
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is Grieving and
Resisting the Spirit,
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a very somber but a
very informative topic.
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If you don't have a
copy of this lesson,
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go to absg,
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that's absg.adventist.org.
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Now that's not our website,
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that's the website
for Adventist Church
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where you can download a
copy, a PDF copy of the lesson.
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If you have an iPad or
any form of receiving that
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so that you can
follow along with us,
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but if you a hard copy,
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that's just the
best way to go with that.
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You have your own, as I call it,
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your own snail mail.
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Now the Scripture
of our focus today,
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by the way, comes
from Ephesians 4:30,
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but just before we receive
that what God says to us,
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just want to introduce
you to our guests today.
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On my left is Jill Morikone.
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Jill, it's always
good to have you here.
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It's a blessing
to be here, Pastor.
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I'm so glad to
know that you're a woman
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after God's own heart.
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And Brian Hamilton.
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Brian, CFO, as well as
a man who loves ministry
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does even after
the working hours.
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Good to have you
here, Brian. Mollie.
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Mollie Steenson, General Manager
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and Vice President of 3ABN.
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And Shelley Quinn
involved in so many things,
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a book author, a traveler,
speaker, program director,
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new programming acquisitions.
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We thank you so
much for being here also.
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Thank you.
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But before we dive
into the Word of God,
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we're going to just
lead into Scripture first
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and then we're going
to have prayer asking God
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to open our hearts and
minds so that He and His Spirit
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can be our lead and our guide.
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Brian, would you have
a prayer for us today?
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Sure.
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Father in heaven,
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Jesus our Savior, Holy Spirit,
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we just count it a privilege
to be able to open Your Word
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that you've preserved
through the ages for us
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who are living
in these last days,
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and we're looking at the topic
of Grieving the Holy Spirit.
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Oh, we don't want to do that.
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We really don't.
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So bless us in this
study not to know how to grieve
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but how to bring
joy to the Holy Spirit.
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We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.
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Amen. Amen.
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This is what I
might refer to panel
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as one of those checkup topics.
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Yes.
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A lot of times, we've
covered topics on prayer
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and how to receive the
ABCs, Ask, Believe and Claim,
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we've done all that.
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But this is one of those
topics that say, not so fast.
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We're studying
about the Holy Spirit
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and the Holy
Spirit is saying to us
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through God's Word
that there are some pitfalls
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that I want you
to be fully aware of
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and as you become
aware of those pitfalls,
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you can avoid
falling into those pitfalls.
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I'll use a story.
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I remember this
story many years ago told,
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a very wealthy
man that was looking
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to hire someone
to be his driver.
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And he had three men
standing on the side of the road
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and he said,
"Well, I travel so much
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through the mountains
of Northern California,
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I need someone that
can navigate those roads,"
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and he had a
fairly long limousine.
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So the first driver got in
and he drove with confidence,
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and drove with speed and he
got pretty close to the edge
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but he never went over.
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And the next driver
said, "You know what,
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I'm going to
impress him even more.
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That guy got close to the
edge but I can get even closer
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to the edge."
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And he sped up even more
and got even closer and...
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He took a breath, but
he did get back safely.
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Then third driver took
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a completely different approach.
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He says, "You know what,
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I looked at the face of
the owner of that vehicle,
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of the owner of that limousine,
and he wasn't really happy
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about those two drivers.
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I'm going to stay as
far away from the edge
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as I possibly
can," and he got the job.
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Now that may be an illustration,
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I don't know if
it actually happened
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but it makes the point.
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In our walk with the Lord,
the Holy Spirit says to us,
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stay as far away
from the edge as you can.
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If you want a saving
relationship with Jesus
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and we're living
in the day and age
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and we all know this
where the world is saying
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get as close to
the edge as you can,
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as the devil
said to Adam and Eve,
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and you'll still be safe.
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I mean, God knows,
it's going to be just fine.
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Live the way you'd like to live,
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do what you want to do.
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But the Spirit of God is
saying something different.
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So let's begin
with the Scripture
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in Ephesians 4:30.
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And it's been our
custom to read that together.
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Let's go ahead.
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"And 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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One thing we have to
really put into perspective
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is sin is alluring.
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It's alluring.
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And everyone
has a different sin.
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The devil studies
each of us, and he says
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as he studies us
in his laboratory...
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There was a book many years
ago called "The Lucifer Files."
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You may remember
that, it was a book that
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it got a lot of
attention because I mean,
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everybody wanted to know
what was in The Lucifer Files.
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And the devil studies us,
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and what we have
to keep in mind is
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we are no match for
the powers of darkness.
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So that's why
I'm always concerned
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when I hear people say,
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"We're going to
stamp on the devil's head
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in Jesus' name."
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We got to find the devil's head.
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And we are not
able to put ourselves
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finite piles of
dust that only live
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for a vapor of time
to go against a wily foe
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that has thousands
of years of experience,
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million, billions of
samples of kinds of ways
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to deceive
individuals in his files
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and he tries to
line them up with us.
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So what I want to do is I
want to walk very carefully
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through two
very important points
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as we go to Sunday's lesson
"Resisting the Holy Spirit."
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Now instead of
going to Acts 7:51,
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I want to go to Revelation 12:10
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because when we talk
about the Holy Spirit resisting,
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there are two
ways of looking at sin.
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Two ways of looking at sin.
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And I want to go in the
avenue of Revelation 12:10.
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You have that, Jill? Mm-hm.
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Read that for us.
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"Then I heard a loud
voice saying in heaven,
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now salvation and strength
and the kingdom of our God
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and the power of
His Christ have come
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for the accuser of our brethren
who accused them before our God
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day and night
has been cast down."
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Now Satan in this case
is accusing us of our sin.
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He's pointing out our
sin for accusation purposes
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and for the
purpose of condemnation.
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That is the... I
call that the guilt drive.
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He closes individuals in,
he makes us terribly aware,
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leads us in the
path of temptation,
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we yield, we fall,
and as has been the case,
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he exposes us before God
and points out our unworthiness
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to even receive
any grace from God.
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As he did to Joshua, you
know, but the Lord in His grace
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plucked Joshua from the
fire of Satan's accusation.
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But the Spirit of
God, when the Bible says,
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and let's go to John 16:8,
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and I'll have Molly read
that one for us John 16:8.
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But the Spirit of
God works differently.
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We're talking about the
Holy Spirit and Spirituality.
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The Spirit of God
works quite differently
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when it comes to
pointing out our sin.
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Satan does the
accusation and the condemnation,
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our unworthiness but the
Spirit does something different.
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Molly, John 16:8. John 16:8.
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"And when He has come
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He will convict the world
of sin, and of righteousness,
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and of judgment."
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Now the conviction is amazing.
The conviction is amazing.
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He's convicting
us and He's doing it
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in the sense of
pointing out our awareness.
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You know, in
order to be born again,
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you got to know that
you need to be born again.
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That's true.
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In order to know
that you need Jesus,
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you need to know
why you need Jesus.
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Yes. And we're
told in Romans 3:23.
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"All have sinned
and have fallen short
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of the glory of God."
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But sin is so insidious, I
want to point out five ways
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that sin is insidious.
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Five very important
ways that sin is insidious.
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And because
sin, if Eve knew that
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she was going to die for sure,
she would not have, I believe,
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partaken of the
fruit but he said to her,
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you will not surely die.
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In other words, in
the Hebrew there says,
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"I'm sure you will not die."
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And that's why
people fall into sin
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because they don't
think it's going to bring
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the consequences
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that can even claim their lives.
00:10:03.13\00:10:04.47
And James talks about
that when we when we yield,
00:10:04.50\00:10:07.00
it brings forth
the birth, the growth,
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and then finally the death.
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Hebrews 2:3, let's
look at the first thing,
00:10:11.11\00:10:13.64
and this is from the examples
of the children of Israel.
00:10:13.68\00:10:16.75
Now I know you
studied the lesson,
00:10:16.78\00:10:18.15
so I'm going to
take for take it to heart
00:10:18.18\00:10:20.75
that you have read the lesson,
00:10:20.78\00:10:22.12
but I want to give
you a different viewpoint.
00:10:22.15\00:10:24.42
Hebrews 2:3, the first
step of sin is neglect.
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Good. Neglect.
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Neglect to pray,
neglect to study,
00:10:30.56\00:10:34.06
neglect to do
what you know is right.
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Sometimes a sin of omission,
sometimes a sin of commission.
00:10:37.77\00:10:40.47
Hebrews 2:3, let me see.
00:10:40.50\00:10:42.54
Shelley, do you have that?
00:10:42.57\00:10:43.91
Yes. Okay.
00:10:43.94\00:10:45.27
Hebrews 2:3 says,
"How shall we escape
00:10:45.31\00:10:48.91
if we neglect so
great a salvation,
00:10:48.94\00:10:51.55
which at the first
began to be spoken by the Lord
00:10:51.58\00:10:53.88
and was confirmed to us
by those who heard Him."
00:10:53.92\00:10:57.42
So sin starts with
neglect. Neglect of salvation.
00:10:57.45\00:11:01.32
There's some people
that as I saw, you know,
00:11:01.36\00:11:03.96
I've said this for a long time,
my good friend Doug Batchelor,
00:11:03.99\00:11:07.20
Pastor Batchelor mentioned this
00:11:07.23\00:11:09.10
when we were at an
evangelism together,
00:11:09.13\00:11:10.67
he said he saw a sign
on a church that says,
00:11:10.70\00:11:13.74
"Repent now and avoid the rush."
00:11:13.77\00:11:16.71
That's great.
00:11:16.74\00:11:18.07
Because in the days of
Noah, when the door closed,
00:11:18.11\00:11:21.04
it was over, lights out.
00:11:21.08\00:11:23.51
When the fires fell
on Sodom and Gomorrah,
00:11:23.55\00:11:25.18
whoever didn't
come out, lights out.
00:11:25.21\00:11:27.35
And that's going
to be the same case.
00:11:27.38\00:11:28.72
As it was in Noah's days,
00:11:28.75\00:11:30.09
it's going to be
the same way again.
00:11:30.12\00:11:31.45
So we cannot afford
to neglect something
00:11:31.49\00:11:33.25
so great as salvation.
00:11:33.29\00:11:34.76
Sin always begins with neglect.
00:11:34.79\00:11:36.79
Even in the Christian
life when we say we are saved,
00:11:36.83\00:11:39.76
sometimes neglect tends to
find its way under our door.
00:11:39.79\00:11:44.07
Neglecting study,
neglecting prayer,
00:11:44.10\00:11:46.03
neglecting our time
with God, it starts there.
00:11:46.07\00:11:49.00
But where does it
lead us next? Hebrews 3:19.
00:11:49.04\00:11:52.87
I'll give you that
one, Brian, Hebrews 3:19.
00:11:52.91\00:11:55.21
It goes from
neglect and it starts to sow
00:11:55.24\00:11:57.18
a different seed.
00:11:57.21\00:11:58.58
Look at this one, Hebrews 3:19.
00:11:58.61\00:12:00.62
"So we see that
they could not enter in
00:12:00.65\00:12:03.99
because of unbelief."
00:12:04.02\00:12:05.89
Wow.
00:12:05.92\00:12:07.26
It goes from
neglect to unbelief.
00:12:07.29\00:12:09.19
When you're not
studying God's Word,
00:12:09.22\00:12:10.96
your belief is
beginning to be eroded,
00:12:10.99\00:12:13.16
and then you get to the place
00:12:13.19\00:12:14.53
where you don't believe anymore.
00:12:14.56\00:12:16.46
That's the second step in
the insidious nature of sin.
00:12:16.50\00:12:20.60
And when the Spirit
brings to us, you got to study,
00:12:20.64\00:12:23.91
don't neglect, your
belief is in danger.
00:12:23.94\00:12:26.44
When you ignore that
wooing of the Spirit,
00:12:26.47\00:12:28.58
that's exactly what happens.
00:12:28.61\00:12:29.94
The third step, very
quickly, Hebrews 5:12 to 14.
00:12:29.98\00:12:34.15
If you could get that, Jill.
00:12:34.18\00:12:35.52
This is what happens,
first neglect, unbelief,
00:12:35.55\00:12:38.19
then listen to what happens.
00:12:38.22\00:12:39.89
Read that one for us.
00:12:39.92\00:12:41.26
12-14? Yes.
00:12:41.29\00:12:42.62
"For though by this time
you ought to be teachers,
00:12:42.66\00:12:45.13
you need someone
to teach you again
00:12:45.16\00:12:46.83
the first principles
of the oracles of God,
00:12:46.86\00:12:49.93
and you have come to
need milk and not solid food.
00:12:49.96\00:12:53.50
For everyone who partakes
only of milk is unskilled
00:12:53.54\00:12:56.91
in the Word of
righteousness, for he is a babe.
00:12:56.94\00:12:59.77
But solid food belongs to
those who are of full age,
00:12:59.81\00:13:03.35
that is those who by
reason of use have their senses
00:13:03.38\00:13:06.58
exercised to
discern both good and evil."
00:13:06.61\00:13:09.55
The third step of
ignoring the Spirit of God
00:13:09.58\00:13:12.72
is you stop maturing.
00:13:12.75\00:13:15.72
The danger of not maturing...
00:13:15.76\00:13:17.53
I did a 5-part series,
00:13:17.56\00:13:18.89
it's available
through 3ABN called
00:13:18.93\00:13:20.26
The Dangers of Hebrews.
00:13:20.30\00:13:21.76
You can get that, this
is not an advertisement,
00:13:21.80\00:13:24.20
the dangers in
the book of Hebrews.
00:13:24.23\00:13:25.57
The five most important dangers
that we must be aware of,
00:13:25.60\00:13:29.04
the danger of not maturing.
00:13:29.07\00:13:31.01
Some people have been
Christians for a long time
00:13:31.04\00:13:33.14
but all of a sudden you say,
00:13:33.17\00:13:34.51
"Brian, I can't believe
that, I heard that about you."
00:13:34.54\00:13:38.48
"Well, you know, I
haven't studied my Bible
00:13:38.51\00:13:39.85
I am so busy, my schedule
is locking my time out with God
00:13:39.88\00:13:43.12
that's why I like the
fact that Shelley goes to bed
00:13:43.15\00:13:45.15
as soon as the sun goes down
00:13:45.19\00:13:47.06
and gets up before it comes up."
00:13:47.09\00:13:48.76
Only on work
nights. Only on work nights.
00:13:48.79\00:13:51.46
But spending that time
with God will keep us maturing.
00:13:51.49\00:13:55.30
So we don't have to go back
after 25 years back to the milk
00:13:55.33\00:13:59.13
when we should be
handling solid food.
00:13:59.17\00:14:01.20
The next one, Hebrews 10:38-39.
00:14:01.24\00:14:05.31
Let me go back to Jill.
Did you just read that, Jill?
00:14:05.34\00:14:07.58
Okay, let's go to
Molly if you get that.
00:14:07.61\00:14:10.01
This is the other
one. Hebrews 10:38-39.
00:14:10.05\00:14:13.52
"Now the just
shall live by faith
00:14:13.55\00:14:15.65
but if anyone draws back,
my soul has no pleasure in him,
00:14:15.68\00:14:19.39
but we are not of those
who draw back to perdition
00:14:19.42\00:14:22.39
but of those who believe
to the saving of the soul."
00:14:22.42\00:14:25.43
When you
neglect, unbelief is sown,
00:14:25.46\00:14:28.70
when unbelief is
sown, you stop maturing
00:14:28.73\00:14:30.60
and then you begin to draw back.
00:14:30.63\00:14:32.60
The danger of drawing back.
00:14:32.63\00:14:34.64
You begin going back,
00:14:34.67\00:14:36.00
we call that backsliding,
and there are some people
00:14:36.04\00:14:38.57
that are
Christians for a long time
00:14:38.61\00:14:39.94
but they can't see
themselves backsliding
00:14:39.97\00:14:42.14
and they won't take counsel
that they're backsliding.
00:14:42.18\00:14:45.11
And they begin to backslide
and then the final step,
00:14:45.15\00:14:48.38
this is the
amazing part about this.
00:14:48.42\00:14:51.32
So the work of the...
00:14:51.35\00:14:53.42
when you resist
the Spirit of God,
00:14:53.46\00:14:56.09
you cannot respond and
then when you don't respond,
00:14:56.12\00:15:00.93
you neglect, you don't
believe, you stop maturing,
00:15:00.96\00:15:03.57
you start drawing
back, and the last one,
00:15:03.60\00:15:05.53
the most insidious
one, Hebrews 12:25-26.
00:15:05.57\00:15:11.51
Okay, did I get you
twice, Brian, or just once?
00:15:11.54\00:15:14.81
Good, Brian, read that
for us. Hebrews 12:25-26.
00:15:14.84\00:15:18.35
This is an amazing,
this is what we call
00:15:18.38\00:15:20.28
the death knell of
neglecting the Holy Spirit.
00:15:20.32\00:15:23.85
"See that you do not
refuse Him who speaks
00:15:23.89\00:15:29.26
for if they did not
escape who refused Him
00:15:29.29\00:15:32.19
who spoke on earth much
more shall we not escape
00:15:32.23\00:15:36.97
if we turn away from
Him who speaks from heaven
00:15:37.00\00:15:41.04
whose voice then shook the earth
00:15:41.07\00:15:43.87
but now He has promised
saying yet once more I shake
00:15:43.91\00:15:48.18
not only the
earth but also heaven."
00:15:48.21\00:15:51.51
The final step in
neglecting the Spirit of God
00:15:51.55\00:15:55.55
is you begin to refuse God.
00:15:55.58\00:15:58.65
You refuse Him.
00:15:58.69\00:16:00.02
We always say,
00:16:00.06\00:16:02.42
"How could that
person walk away from God?"
00:16:02.46\00:16:05.36
I will discover, when
you notice the termites,
00:16:05.39\00:16:09.23
they've been there a long time.
00:16:09.26\00:16:11.57
When your house
begins to fall apart,
00:16:11.60\00:16:13.67
the termites have
been working in secret.
00:16:13.70\00:16:15.47
Don't allow your life,
your time with God in secret
00:16:15.50\00:16:19.81
with you and the Spirit of
God to lead you to neglect,
00:16:19.84\00:16:23.14
unbelief, a lack of maturity,
00:16:23.18\00:16:26.18
beginning drawing back,
and then end up refusing God.
00:16:26.21\00:16:29.85
Don't resist the work
that the Spirit of God
00:16:29.88\00:16:32.45
tries to do in your life.
00:16:32.49\00:16:34.66
Jill, what about
Monday? That's heavy.
00:16:34.69\00:16:37.93
You know, as we
come into, Brian and I
00:16:37.96\00:16:40.70
both have
grieving the Holy Spirit,
00:16:40.73\00:16:42.33
part I and part II.
00:16:42.36\00:16:43.97
But as we move into
grieving the Holy Spirit,
00:16:44.00\00:16:46.40
thank you for
sharing that, Pastor,
00:16:46.43\00:16:47.84
I just think in each
one of our lives no matter
00:16:47.87\00:16:50.41
where you are right
now, you know, maybe
00:16:50.44\00:16:52.47
someone's watching
and you're just saying,
00:16:52.51\00:16:54.18
"I'm not sure, maybe
I'm at the step of neglect.
00:16:54.21\00:16:56.75
I've been neglecting
time with God or Bible Study
00:16:56.78\00:16:59.08
or I'm at the step of
unbelief or stopped maturing
00:16:59.11\00:17:01.92
but," any step that
we're at, we can go to God.
00:17:01.95\00:17:05.15
Praise the Lord.
00:17:05.19\00:17:06.52
Ask Him to
forgive and to cleanse
00:17:06.55\00:17:08.76
and we can begin anew
with the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:17:08.79\00:17:11.76
So this lesson as we discussed
00:17:11.79\00:17:14.30
is not meant to
be a discouragement,
00:17:14.33\00:17:17.07
it's meant to
be an encouragement
00:17:17.10\00:17:19.87
to keep our eyes
focused on Jesus daily, hourly.
00:17:19.90\00:17:23.04
Spend time in His word.
00:17:23.07\00:17:24.57
Make those choices
for Him and that makes
00:17:24.61\00:17:26.71
all the difference in
the world between resisting
00:17:26.74\00:17:29.71
and going to that final
step where we're refusing
00:17:29.74\00:17:32.41
or being connected with Jesus.
00:17:32.45\00:17:34.52
So grieving the Holy
Spirit, we're going to stay
00:17:34.55\00:17:37.69
in Ephesians 4
really for this whole part.
00:17:37.72\00:17:40.59
So let's go to Ephesians 4
00:17:40.62\00:17:42.82
which is
actually our memory text
00:17:42.86\00:17:44.36
and we're going to
read that verse again.
00:17:44.39\00:17:47.16
Ephesians 4:30.
00:17:47.20\00:17:52.03
You have that,
Shelley, you want to read that?
00:17:52.07\00:17:53.40
I do.
00:17:53.44\00:17:54.77
Ephesians 4:30,
"And do not grieve
00:17:54.80\00:17:58.07
the Holy Spirit of God
by whom you were sealed
00:17:58.11\00:18:02.28
for the day of redemption.
00:18:02.31\00:18:04.08
In the Greek,
the word for grieve,
00:18:04.11\00:18:06.51
do not grieve the
Spirit of God is Lupeo,
00:18:06.55\00:18:09.88
I'm not sure how
to pronounce that,
00:18:09.92\00:18:11.25
L-U-P-E-O.
00:18:11.29\00:18:12.85
It means to
experience deep emotional pain,
00:18:12.89\00:18:17.23
severe sorrow, or grief.
00:18:17.26\00:18:21.46
Sometimes, and we discussed this
00:18:21.50\00:18:23.03
in an earlier lesson, people say
00:18:23.06\00:18:24.47
where the Holy Spirit is a force
00:18:24.50\00:18:26.43
or the Holy
Spirit is God's Spirit.
00:18:26.47\00:18:28.27
But you cannot
grieve an object or a force.
00:18:28.30\00:18:33.04
You can only grieve a person.
00:18:33.07\00:18:35.34
That's right. You
can only hurt a person.
00:18:35.38\00:18:36.91
If I forget to water the plants,
00:18:36.95\00:18:38.35
which I do all the time,
that's why Greg waters them.
00:18:38.38\00:18:40.82
But if I were to forget
to water them, what happens?
00:18:40.85\00:18:43.65
They don't hurt.
00:18:43.69\00:18:45.02
They might die, but
they don't feel grief.
00:18:45.05\00:18:48.32
They're a thing.
00:18:48.36\00:18:49.79
But this is one
of those evidences
00:18:49.82\00:18:51.63
which shows us that the
Holy Spirit is a person.
00:18:51.66\00:18:55.30
Grief, deep emotional pain.
00:18:55.33\00:18:58.43
In the New Living
Translation, instead of grief,
00:18:58.47\00:19:00.57
it says the word sorrow.
00:19:00.60\00:19:02.10
It says, "Do not bring
sorrow to the Holy Spirit."
00:19:02.14\00:19:07.51
And as I read that I think,
how many times in my own life
00:19:07.54\00:19:11.15
do I make choices
maybe that brings sorrow
00:19:11.18\00:19:15.42
to the Holy Spirit?
00:19:15.45\00:19:16.79
God, by the
power of Your Spirit,
00:19:16.82\00:19:18.15
I want to make choices
that bring joy, that bring joy.
00:19:18.19\00:19:22.99
The lesson mentioned the
verse that you read, pastor,
00:19:23.02\00:19:25.79
in Sunday's lesson, John 16:8.
00:19:25.83\00:19:29.06
One of the tasks
of the Holy Spirit
00:19:29.10\00:19:32.00
is to convict of sin.
00:19:32.03\00:19:34.47
So any determination on
our part to hold on to sin
00:19:34.50\00:19:39.47
or to downplay the
seriousness of sin,
00:19:39.51\00:19:42.94
that grieves the Holy Spirit.
00:19:42.98\00:19:45.11
I like that. That
sentence was in the lesson.
00:19:45.15\00:19:47.28
Any determination
on our part to downplay
00:19:47.32\00:19:50.52
the seriousness
of sin or to hold on
00:19:50.55\00:19:52.89
to some sort of cherished sin,
that grieves the Holy Spirit.
00:19:52.92\00:19:56.66
And what we want
to look at Ephesians 4
00:19:56.69\00:19:59.49
is really all about contrast.
00:19:59.53\00:20:01.83
Maybe you could
say lifestyle choices
00:20:01.86\00:20:03.63
between walking in
God, walking in grace,
00:20:03.67\00:20:06.63
making choices for
God, showing godly traits
00:20:06.67\00:20:10.01
or showing traits
that are not so godly.
00:20:10.04\00:20:13.58
So we want to look at that.
00:20:13.61\00:20:14.94
We're going to look
at some godly traits
00:20:14.98\00:20:16.31
and then we're going to
look at the no godly traits.
00:20:16.34\00:20:18.31
Let's go to Ephesians 4.
00:20:18.35\00:20:20.18
Someone wants to read verse 2.
00:20:20.22\00:20:22.55
Okay. Pastor
John, you have that?
00:20:22.58\00:20:24.89
I had and I just turned away.
00:20:24.92\00:20:26.25
Okay, so, Brian,
you want to read that?
00:20:26.29\00:20:28.06
"With all
lowliness and gentleness,
00:20:28.09\00:20:31.06
with longsuffering...
00:20:31.09\00:20:35.63
bearing with one
another in love."
00:20:35.66\00:20:38.13
Brian, do you
see any godly traits
00:20:38.17\00:20:39.83
listed in that verse?
00:20:39.87\00:20:41.20
Yeah.
00:20:41.24\00:20:42.57
Gentleness, lowliness,
00:20:42.60\00:20:45.71
longsuffering, patience,
00:20:45.74\00:20:48.84
bearing with
one another in love.
00:20:48.88\00:20:51.85
All those are
descriptions of God's character.
00:20:51.88\00:20:54.98
Molly, you want to do verse 3?
00:20:55.02\00:20:56.75
Endeavoring to keep
the unity of the Spirit
00:20:56.79\00:21:00.06
in the bond of peace.
00:21:00.09\00:21:02.06
Is there any godly
traits mentioned there?
00:21:02.09\00:21:04.36
Unity and peace. Amen.
00:21:04.39\00:21:07.00
Okay, let's jump down, Shelley,
you want to read verse 13?
00:21:07.03\00:21:10.80
Verse 13, "Till we all
come to the unity of faith
00:21:10.83\00:21:14.70
and of the
knowledge of the Son of God
00:21:14.74\00:21:16.71
to a perfect man to
the measure of the stature
00:21:16.74\00:21:20.61
of the fullness of Christ."
00:21:20.64\00:21:23.11
Are there any godly
traits mentioned in that?
00:21:23.14\00:21:25.15
Oh, we look at
knowledge, we look at faith,
00:21:25.18\00:21:28.02
we look at perfection,
00:21:28.05\00:21:29.48
it would be the number one thing
00:21:29.52\00:21:30.85
that jumps out at me.
00:21:30.89\00:21:32.22
Me too, I have written
in the margin of my Bible,
00:21:32.25\00:21:33.89
being like Jesus.
00:21:33.92\00:21:35.52
Amen. Yeah.
00:21:35.56\00:21:36.89
Pastor John, you
want to read 23 and 24.
00:21:36.93\00:21:40.83
Okay.
00:21:40.86\00:21:42.83
"And be renewed in
the spirit of your mind.
00:21:42.86\00:21:47.60
And that you put on the new man
00:21:47.64\00:21:50.87
which was
created according to God
00:21:50.91\00:21:53.34
in true
righteousness and holiness."
00:21:53.38\00:21:56.54
What godly
traits do you see? Wow.
00:21:56.58\00:21:58.55
Renewed, also the new man,
00:21:58.58\00:22:03.42
the other one is
righteousness, holiness.
00:22:03.45\00:22:07.12
Created according
to God, a new creation
00:22:07.16\00:22:09.86
if I could just summarize that.
00:22:09.89\00:22:11.39
It's like Corinthians
5, right? That's right.
00:22:11.43\00:22:13.13
If anyone is in
Christ, he's a new creation.
00:22:13.16\00:22:16.36
"Old things have
passed away, behold all things
00:22:16.40\00:22:18.57
have become new."
00:22:18.60\00:22:20.04
Brian, you want
to read verse 25?
00:22:20.07\00:22:21.84
Okay.
00:22:21.87\00:22:24.14
"Therefore putting away
lying, let each one of you
00:22:24.17\00:22:29.14
speak truth with his neighbor
00:22:29.18\00:22:32.38
for we are
members of one another."
00:22:32.41\00:22:35.78
Any godly traits in there?
00:22:35.82\00:22:37.15
I know there are some
ungodly which we'll get to,
00:22:37.19\00:22:39.09
but any godly traits?
00:22:39.12\00:22:40.46
Yes, speaking the truth.
00:22:40.49\00:22:41.82
Yes, the truth. Great.
00:22:41.86\00:22:44.03
Verse 29 talks about
let no corrupt communication
00:22:44.06\00:22:48.20
proceed from your
mouth, and we'll get to that.
00:22:48.23\00:22:50.53
But then it says, "Speak
what is good for edification."
00:22:50.57\00:22:53.80
In the Greek that means
00:22:53.84\00:22:55.17
the act of building
spiritual advancement,
00:22:55.20\00:22:58.31
instruction that
builds a person up.
00:22:58.34\00:23:00.84
And verse 32, "Be
kind," there's a godly trait.
00:23:00.88\00:23:04.21
"Kindness one to
another, tenderhearted,"
00:23:04.25\00:23:07.35
that's a godly trait.
00:23:07.38\00:23:08.85
"Forgiveness."
00:23:08.88\00:23:10.22
Forgiving one another
00:23:10.25\00:23:11.69
even as God in
Christ forgave you.
00:23:11.72\00:23:13.69
You know, Greg and
I have four nephews.
00:23:13.72\00:23:16.62
And Caleb is five and a half,
00:23:16.66\00:23:19.89
maybe five and
three quarters right now.
00:23:19.93\00:23:21.63
He called me on the
phone just the other week
00:23:21.66\00:23:24.03
and he said, "Auntie
Jill, I want to talk to you."
00:23:24.07\00:23:27.74
And he always likes to talk.
00:23:27.77\00:23:29.64
And I said, "Okay,
Caleb, tell me what's going on?"
00:23:29.67\00:23:32.97
And he said, "I
gave my life to Jesus."
00:23:33.01\00:23:36.48
Oh, praise God.
00:23:36.51\00:23:38.18
Wow! And I just started to cry.
00:23:38.21\00:23:40.45
And I said, "Caleb,
that's the best decision
00:23:40.48\00:23:44.02
you could ever make."
00:23:44.05\00:23:45.45
He's only five and a half.
00:23:45.49\00:23:46.82
Then he said, "I can't read yet,
00:23:46.86\00:23:50.03
so I can't read the Bible
00:23:50.06\00:23:52.29
but every time
I want to be mean,
00:23:52.33\00:23:55.36
I ask Jesus to help me."
00:23:55.40\00:23:58.20
Wow.
00:23:58.23\00:23:59.57
That is not
resisting the Holy Spirit,
00:23:59.60\00:24:03.57
not grieving the Holy Spirit.
00:24:03.61\00:24:06.07
That is choosing to walk
in what is pleasing to God
00:24:06.11\00:24:09.14
and asking Jesus to help you.
00:24:09.18\00:24:11.88
Just quickly,
we're almost out of time.
00:24:11.91\00:24:14.48
I just want to look at
the unconverted lifestyle.
00:24:14.52\00:24:16.85
This is... if we
harbor these traits,
00:24:16.89\00:24:21.02
we begin to
grieve the Holy Spirit.
00:24:21.06\00:24:26.46
Ephesians 4:18.
00:24:26.49\00:24:29.26
Pastor, you want to
read that, 18 and 19?
00:24:29.30\00:24:30.93
Okay.
00:24:30.97\00:24:32.30
"Having their
understanding darkened,
00:24:32.33\00:24:36.44
being alienated
from the life of God
00:24:36.47\00:24:39.07
because the
ignorance that is in them
00:24:39.11\00:24:42.58
because of the
blindness of their heart
00:24:42.61\00:24:45.81
who being past feeling..."
00:24:45.85\00:24:47.88
Ooh, that's...
00:24:47.92\00:24:49.48
"have given
themselves over to lewdness
00:24:49.52\00:24:52.52
to work all
uncleanness with greediness."
00:24:52.55\00:24:56.26
There's quite a few
ungodly traits listed there.
00:24:56.29\00:24:58.73
But... Yeah, that is...
00:24:58.76\00:25:01.96
You know, pastor,
you said past feeling.
00:25:02.00\00:25:04.73
That is just...
00:25:04.77\00:25:06.63
I've had inmates tell me
00:25:06.67\00:25:10.61
that they had no feeling
at all for their victims.
00:25:10.64\00:25:15.88
No feeling, no compassion,
no tender, no feeling
00:25:15.91\00:25:21.18
until they had come to Christ,
00:25:21.22\00:25:25.12
and then they had
wept buckets of tears
00:25:25.15\00:25:28.82
for the harm they had done.
00:25:28.86\00:25:30.93
The hurt they had caused.
00:25:30.96\00:25:32.69
And so without
Christ, there's no feeling.
00:25:32.73\00:25:35.46
That's a beautiful
illustration because that's what
00:25:35.50\00:25:37.93
God wants to do
if we don't resist.
00:25:37.97\00:25:40.84
If we choose to come to Him,
00:25:40.87\00:25:42.40
if we don't walk in
these attributes that grieve,
00:25:42.44\00:25:45.87
if we ask Him to come
in and just transform us,
00:25:45.91\00:25:48.68
He can change these
attributes into His image.
00:25:48.71\00:25:52.65
Just a couple more, verse 22.
00:25:52.68\00:25:56.45
"Put off concerning your
former conduct the old man,"
00:25:56.48\00:25:59.55
we already talked about
the new man, but the old man,
00:25:59.59\00:26:02.32
"which grows corrupt
according to the deceitful lust,
00:26:02.36\00:26:05.49
corruption, deceit, lust."
00:26:05.53\00:26:08.56
Verse 25 talks about lying.
00:26:08.60\00:26:11.43
Verse 28 talks about stealing.
00:26:11.47\00:26:14.84
Verse 29, "Let no
corrupt communication."
00:26:14.87\00:26:18.61
The word for
corrupt is rotten, useless,
00:26:18.64\00:26:21.04
corrupt almost like
a vegetable or fruit
00:26:21.08\00:26:23.14
that's decayed
that begins to rot.
00:26:23.18\00:26:26.15
Watch what we
say, what we speak.
00:26:26.18\00:26:28.88
And then 31, "Bitterness,
wrath, anger, clamor,
00:26:28.92\00:26:33.02
and evil speaking."
00:26:33.05\00:26:34.39
So my appeal to you
would be simply ask God
00:26:34.42\00:26:39.76
by the power of His Holy
Spirit to cleanse your heart,
00:26:39.79\00:26:43.87
to make you into
the image of Jesus,
00:26:43.90\00:26:46.60
and every day make
those choices for Him
00:26:46.63\00:26:50.01
so that we don't grieve Him.
00:26:50.04\00:26:52.57
Thank you, Jill.
00:26:52.61\00:26:54.24
And now Part two,
Grieving the Holy Spirit.
00:26:54.28\00:27:00.08
The lesson guide had a statement
00:27:00.12\00:27:04.35
right up at the very top in
that first little paragraph,
00:27:04.39\00:27:08.69
the second sentence,
it says, God is affected
00:27:08.72\00:27:14.16
by what we
decide and how we live.
00:27:14.20\00:27:17.27
God is affected by it.
00:27:17.30\00:27:20.80
And I just twisted
that into a question.
00:27:20.84\00:27:24.81
I asked myself, "Is God
affected by our actions?"
00:27:24.84\00:27:30.48
I like that.
00:27:30.51\00:27:31.85
What we say and what
we do, is God affected?
00:27:31.88\00:27:35.02
And so then I begin to say,
00:27:35.05\00:27:36.42
"Well, let me find illustrations
00:27:36.45\00:27:39.85
that would help me catch
how God does have affect,"
00:27:39.89\00:27:44.96
sometimes we
view God as being...
00:27:44.99\00:27:47.80
He's so in control of
all aspects of His being
00:27:47.83\00:27:52.57
that He's almost
totally emotionless, you know?
00:27:52.60\00:27:57.54
But no.
00:27:57.57\00:27:59.04
God has
emotions, God has feeling.
00:27:59.07\00:28:03.11
One of the
evidences we know that
00:28:03.14\00:28:05.38
is we're created in His
image, and guess what we have?
00:28:05.41\00:28:08.28
We have
emotions, we have feelings,
00:28:08.32\00:28:11.29
we are affected by
what other people say
00:28:11.32\00:28:13.69
or do to us.
00:28:13.72\00:28:15.36
So God must be too.
00:28:15.39\00:28:18.39
Genesis 6:5, 6.
00:28:18.43\00:28:22.46
I think we all know
this one but, Molly,
00:28:22.50\00:28:26.00
if you grab that
one, Genesis 6:5, 6.
00:28:26.03\00:28:31.41
Okay.
00:28:31.44\00:28:33.94
This is talking about
the generation of people
00:28:33.98\00:28:37.35
who lived before the flood.
00:28:37.38\00:28:40.42
Genesis 6:5, 6,
"Then the Lord saw
00:28:40.45\00:28:44.75
that the wickedness of
man was great in the earth
00:28:44.79\00:28:47.26
and that every intent of
the thoughts of His heart
00:28:47.29\00:28:50.83
was only evil continually.
00:28:50.86\00:28:53.03
And the Lord was sorry
00:28:53.06\00:28:55.66
that He had
made man on the earth
00:28:55.70\00:28:57.63
and He was
grieved in His heart."
00:28:57.67\00:29:01.07
So I asked the question,
00:29:01.10\00:29:03.61
"Is God affected by what we do?"
00:29:03.64\00:29:07.34
And here was a
whole generation of people
00:29:07.38\00:29:10.45
living at a certain
point in earth's history
00:29:10.48\00:29:13.68
that God was
grieved in His heart.
00:29:13.72\00:29:18.99
That's emotional pain, okay?
00:29:19.02\00:29:23.32
Turn to Psalms 78:25-41.
00:29:23.36\00:29:29.06
I'm going to read this.
00:29:29.10\00:29:31.00
I'm going to read this in
the New Living Translation.
00:29:31.03\00:29:34.94
Now I don't use
that particular Bible
00:29:34.97\00:29:37.71
as my study Bible,
00:29:37.74\00:29:40.44
but when the
people wrote in Hebrew
00:29:40.48\00:29:45.25
or they wrote in
Greek or in a little bit of,
00:29:45.28\00:29:48.62
I think, Aramaic in Daniel,
00:29:48.65\00:29:53.09
the language flowed.
00:29:53.12\00:29:56.76
But when you
translate it into English,
00:29:56.79\00:29:58.76
it doesn't always
flow so easy, okay?
00:29:58.79\00:30:01.63
When you're trying to
word for word equivalence
00:30:01.66\00:30:04.53
and all that,
it's just not smooth.
00:30:04.57\00:30:08.40
The point of the
New Living Translation
00:30:08.44\00:30:11.34
is to give the power of
the English language smoothly,
00:30:11.37\00:30:15.44
so let me read this.
00:30:15.48\00:30:16.81
This is about an incident
as recorded in Numbers 11:31-35
00:30:16.85\00:30:23.08
if you just take note of that.
00:30:23.12\00:30:24.52
That's the incident, but now
the Psalms is talking about it.
00:30:24.55\00:30:28.92
It says, "And they
ate the food of angels...
00:30:28.96\00:30:31.53
Verse? Verse 25.
00:30:31.56\00:30:33.83
Psalm 78:25.
00:30:33.86\00:30:39.83
"They ate the food of angels.
00:30:39.87\00:30:42.47
God gave them all
that they could hold.
00:30:42.50\00:30:46.11
He released the
east wind in the heavens
00:30:46.14\00:30:48.51
and guided the south
wind by His mighty power.
00:30:48.54\00:30:51.88
He rained down
meat as thick as dust,
00:30:51.91\00:30:56.05
birds as plentiful as
the sands of the seashore.
00:30:56.08\00:30:59.79
He caused the birds
to fall within their camp
00:30:59.82\00:31:02.32
all around their tents,
and the people ate their fill.
00:31:02.36\00:31:06.19
He gave them what they craved."
00:31:06.23\00:31:09.93
Now what they were doing
is they were lusting for this.
00:31:09.96\00:31:14.54
This was one of the
uncontrolled passions
00:31:14.57\00:31:17.87
of their heart, was
their appetites, okay?
00:31:17.91\00:31:20.84
And this appetite
for meat was only the tip
00:31:20.88\00:31:24.05
of the iceberg.
00:31:24.08\00:31:26.11
That was only
one of the symptoms
00:31:26.15\00:31:27.68
of a whole
characteristic of their lives.
00:31:27.72\00:31:30.45
So they craved it.
00:31:30.49\00:31:32.39
"But before they
satisfied their cravings
00:31:32.42\00:31:35.59
while the meat was
yet in their mouths,
00:31:35.62\00:31:38.79
the anger of the
Lord rose against them..."
00:31:38.83\00:31:42.30
And the way this
translation puts it is,
00:31:42.33\00:31:45.23
"He killed their strongest men.
00:31:45.27\00:31:47.40
He struck down the
finest of Israel's young men."
00:31:47.44\00:31:50.84
Now if you read it in
Numbers, it will say that,
00:31:50.87\00:31:54.31
"He struck them with
a very great plague."
00:31:54.34\00:31:58.58
In other words,
they reaped a result
00:31:58.61\00:32:00.98
of their overindulgence.
00:32:01.02\00:32:03.15
That's probably what happened.
00:32:03.18\00:32:05.12
"But in spite of this
the people kept sinning.
00:32:05.15\00:32:08.72
Despite His wonders
they refused to trust Him.
00:32:08.76\00:32:12.43
And so He ended
their lives in failure
00:32:12.46\00:32:15.60
and their years in terror.
00:32:15.63\00:32:17.40
And when God began slaying them
00:32:17.43\00:32:19.83
they finally sought Him,
00:32:19.87\00:32:21.57
they repented and
took God seriously."
00:32:21.60\00:32:24.97
It says, "But it says
then they remembered that
00:32:25.01\00:32:27.24
God was their
rock and God Most High
00:32:27.28\00:32:30.15
was their redeemer.
00:32:30.18\00:32:32.61
But all that they
gave Him was lip service."
00:32:32.65\00:32:37.22
So even while they
turned back, it was lip service.
00:32:37.25\00:32:40.56
"They lied to Him
with their tongues.
00:32:40.59\00:32:42.46
Their hearts
were not loyal to Him.
00:32:42.49\00:32:44.46
They did not keep His
covenant, yet He was merciful
00:32:44.49\00:32:48.43
and forgave their sins."
00:32:48.46\00:32:49.80
This is again
talking about the emotions
00:32:49.83\00:32:52.53
and the feelings of God.
00:32:52.57\00:32:53.90
In spite of all that
they were putting God through,
00:32:53.94\00:32:57.11
He's still, you know,
He was forgiving to them.
00:32:57.14\00:33:02.14
"Yet He was
merciful forgave their sins
00:33:02.18\00:33:03.95
and did not destroy them all.
00:33:03.98\00:33:05.71
Many times, He
held back His anger
00:33:05.75\00:33:07.98
and did not
unleash His fury," okay?
00:33:08.02\00:33:12.42
"For He remembered
that they were mere mortals,
00:33:12.45\00:33:15.09
gone like a breath of
the wind and never returns.
00:33:15.12\00:33:18.16
Oh, how often they rebelled
against Him in the wilderness,
00:33:18.19\00:33:22.83
grieved His heart
in that dry wasteland.
00:33:22.86\00:33:26.03
Again and again they
tested God's patience,"
00:33:26.07\00:33:29.30
and this says provoked,
The New King James says,
00:33:29.34\00:33:32.61
"limited the
Holy One of Israel."
00:33:32.64\00:33:37.15
Wow. That's heavy.
00:33:37.18\00:33:38.78
Okay?
00:33:38.81\00:33:40.15
We can do the very
same thing, you know.
00:33:40.18\00:33:43.95
Think about that as we...
00:33:43.99\00:33:46.35
And it has to do with our
life, how we live our life.
00:33:46.39\00:33:50.03
These people
were living their life
00:33:50.06\00:33:52.19
in a self-consumed way.
00:33:52.23\00:33:54.43
They were thinking
about their own desires
00:33:54.46\00:34:00.10
and it grieved God.
00:34:00.14\00:34:02.40
That's what makes
the human families
00:34:02.44\00:34:06.17
so dangerous.
00:34:06.21\00:34:08.01
I think that originally,
now this is "Brian speaking"
00:34:08.04\00:34:13.01
but I think I have
some evidence for it.
00:34:13.05\00:34:15.92
I think originally, God gave us,
00:34:15.95\00:34:20.09
programmed into us,
00:34:20.12\00:34:22.16
the ability for self-governance,
00:34:22.19\00:34:25.33
okay, our minds
were in perfect balance,
00:34:25.36\00:34:28.70
you know, the feelings,
the emotions, the desires,
00:34:28.73\00:34:31.73
the lusts, the
cravings over against the reason
00:34:31.77\00:34:35.44
and the judgment the conscience,
00:34:35.47\00:34:37.97
everything in perfect balance.
00:34:38.01\00:34:40.28
But I believe at the
fall, we became unbalanced.
00:34:40.31\00:34:45.18
Oh, yeah. All right?
00:34:45.21\00:34:46.98
And the whole goal
of the plan of salvation
00:34:47.02\00:34:51.22
is to rewrite the law of God,
00:34:51.25\00:34:55.06
it says in our
hearts and in our minds.
00:34:55.09\00:34:58.23
When it says in our hearts,
it means all our feelings
00:34:58.26\00:35:01.00
and emotions, desires, passions,
00:35:01.03\00:35:03.30
lusts to write God's law
00:35:03.33\00:35:06.63
and even our
feelings and emotions
00:35:06.67\00:35:10.51
as well as in our mind.
00:35:10.54\00:35:13.71
Amen. So that is the goal of it.
00:35:13.74\00:35:17.35
And when we resist
His efforts to do that,
00:35:17.38\00:35:23.05
I believe it grieves God.
00:35:23.08\00:35:26.32
It just hurts Him, pains Him.
00:35:26.35\00:35:30.09
We can make Him
jealous too, you know?
00:35:30.13\00:35:33.66
A couple other
examples, you know,
00:35:33.70\00:35:35.30
Jesus was on earth...
00:35:35.33\00:35:36.97
If you want to turn to Mark 3,
00:35:37.00\00:35:39.60
and I just have
another minute left.
00:35:39.63\00:35:41.87
I want to flip this
to the positive too.
00:35:41.90\00:35:44.47
But Mark 3:1-5 is a story about
00:35:44.51\00:35:49.28
what I call is
a Setup at Church.
00:35:49.31\00:35:53.52
A Setup at Church.
00:35:53.55\00:35:55.15
And if someone wants to
read, pastor, you have that one?
00:35:55.18\00:35:57.35
Sure.
00:35:57.39\00:35:58.72
"And He entered
the synagogue again,
00:35:58.75\00:36:00.09
and a man was there
who had a withered hand.
00:36:00.12\00:36:03.32
So they watched Him closely
whether He would heal him
00:36:03.36\00:36:06.13
on the Sabbath so
that they might accuse Him.
00:36:06.16\00:36:09.26
And He said to the man
who had the withered hand,
00:36:09.30\00:36:11.70
'Step forward.'
00:36:11.73\00:36:13.07
And He said to them,
'Is it lawful on the Sabbath
00:36:13.10\00:36:17.24
to do good or to do
evil, to save life or to kill?'
00:36:17.27\00:36:20.71
But they kept silent.
00:36:20.74\00:36:22.51
And when they had looked
around at them with anger
00:36:22.54\00:36:26.82
being grieved by the
hardness of their hearts,
00:36:26.85\00:36:30.32
He said to the man,
'Stretch out your hand,'
00:36:30.35\00:36:33.25
and he stretched it out
and his hand was restored
00:36:33.29\00:36:36.19
as whole as the other."
00:36:36.22\00:36:38.89
But do you notice how
the hardness of our hearts
00:36:38.93\00:36:41.86
grieved the Lord.
00:36:41.90\00:36:43.40
There's other text,
you think of the lost coin
00:36:43.43\00:36:45.57
and the lost sheep.
00:36:45.60\00:36:47.30
And they call a party.
00:36:47.34\00:36:49.07
He said rejoice with me
00:36:49.10\00:36:51.51
for the lost
was found, you know.
00:36:51.54\00:36:53.78
So you see the joy
that comes from God
00:36:53.81\00:36:57.08
when we respond to Him.
00:36:57.11\00:36:58.71
I like this one,
this is what I end with.
00:36:58.75\00:37:00.52
This is Zephaniah 3:16,17.
00:37:00.55\00:37:03.65
"In that day, it shall be
said to Jerusalem, 'Do not fear,
00:37:03.69\00:37:07.16
Zion, let not
your hands be weak.
00:37:07.19\00:37:09.69
The Lord our God
is in your midst.
00:37:09.72\00:37:12.06
The mighty One will save.
00:37:12.09\00:37:13.73
He will rejoice
over you with gladness,
00:37:13.76\00:37:17.47
He will quiet you with His love,
00:37:17.50\00:37:19.63
He will rejoice
over you with singing.'"
00:37:19.67\00:37:23.81
I love this.
00:37:23.84\00:37:25.17
Yes, one of my favorite verses.
00:37:25.21\00:37:26.64
Go ahead, Molly.
00:37:26.68\00:37:28.01
Okay, I've got Wednesday.
00:37:28.04\00:37:30.21
And Wednesday is
Quenching the Holy Spirit.
00:37:30.25\00:37:33.48
So Pastor
Lomacang had Resisting,
00:37:33.52\00:37:36.02
Jill and Brian
looked at Grieving,
00:37:36.05\00:37:38.95
and now
Quenching the Holy Spirit.
00:37:38.99\00:37:41.49
And, you know, those
three are very closely related.
00:37:41.52\00:37:46.09
I wanted to just
maybe differentiate a bit
00:37:46.13\00:37:49.50
between quenching and grieving.
00:37:49.53\00:37:51.60
Quenching is what
we do to the Spirit.
00:37:51.63\00:37:55.90
Grieving is how He
responds to what we did.
00:37:55.94\00:38:00.94
Grieving speaks of
the personal anguish
00:38:00.98\00:38:04.28
of the Holy
Spirit when a believer,
00:38:04.31\00:38:07.52
when we quench the holy fire
00:38:07.55\00:38:10.92
that He has
kindled in our hearts.
00:38:10.95\00:38:13.42
We don't quench the Holy Spirit
00:38:13.46\00:38:15.82
without
grieving the Holy Spirit.
00:38:15.86\00:38:18.39
And we don't
grieve the Holy Spirit
00:38:18.43\00:38:20.40
unless we
quench the Holy Spirit.
00:38:20.43\00:38:23.13
They are simply two
sides to the same problem.
00:38:23.16\00:38:27.00
One describes what we do,
00:38:27.04\00:38:29.64
the other
describes what He does.
00:38:29.67\00:38:33.14
We quench, He grieves.
00:38:33.17\00:38:35.91
He grieves because we quench.
00:38:35.94\00:38:38.81
So if you don't want
to grieve the Holy Spirit,
00:38:38.85\00:38:43.32
then don't
quench the Holy Spirit,
00:38:43.35\00:38:45.49
don't resist the Holy Spirit.
00:38:45.52\00:38:47.92
It's 1
Thessalonians 5:19 that says,
00:38:47.96\00:38:51.63
"Do not quench the Spirit."
00:38:51.66\00:38:54.00
Now that's not a suggestion.
00:38:54.03\00:38:56.06
Does that sound
like a suggestion at all?
00:38:56.10\00:38:58.63
That sounds very much
like a direct command.
00:38:58.67\00:39:02.60
That's right.
00:39:02.64\00:39:04.27
And we've mentioned this before.
00:39:04.31\00:39:07.38
The number one
purpose of the Holy Spirit
00:39:07.41\00:39:10.05
is to do what?
00:39:10.08\00:39:11.41
Convict the world of sin.
00:39:11.45\00:39:13.85
So it was the Holy
Spirit that convicted...
00:39:13.88\00:39:17.02
every one that has come
out of darkness into light,
00:39:17.05\00:39:19.95
everyone who's made Jesus Christ
00:39:19.99\00:39:21.99
The Lord of their
life, been born again,
00:39:22.02\00:39:24.29
the Holy Spirit
drew you, convicted you,
00:39:24.33\00:39:29.06
and you responded
in a positive way.
00:39:29.10\00:39:32.63
Okay, now once the Holy Spirit
draws you out of darkness,
00:39:32.67\00:39:36.44
you become a Christian.
00:39:36.47\00:39:37.81
Does He just
quit working with you?
00:39:37.84\00:39:40.11
Now what becomes
His prime directive?
00:39:40.14\00:39:42.41
His prime directive
now is your sanctification.
00:39:42.44\00:39:47.05
The purpose of the
Holy Spirit now in your life
00:39:47.08\00:39:49.98
is to continue to draw you
out of darkness into light,
00:39:50.02\00:39:53.69
into that sanctification.
00:39:53.72\00:39:56.36
Now the word quench,
00:39:56.39\00:39:57.93
if you think of the word quench,
00:39:57.96\00:40:00.00
what do you quench
with this glass of water?
00:40:00.03\00:40:02.56
You can quench fire,
you can quench your thirst.
00:40:02.60\00:40:06.53
But quenching means
to put something out,
00:40:06.57\00:40:09.30
does it not?
00:40:09.34\00:40:10.67
Now it suggests fire.
00:40:10.71\00:40:13.64
I want you to look at fire.
00:40:13.68\00:40:15.01
Ephesians 6:16, "Above
all, taking the shield of faith
00:40:15.04\00:40:20.55
with which you may
be able to do," what,
00:40:20.58\00:40:23.08
"to all the fiery
darts of the wicked one"?
00:40:23.12\00:40:25.92
To quench.
00:40:25.95\00:40:27.39
So that would suggest
that there is something
00:40:27.42\00:40:30.69
about the Holy
Spirit that is like fire
00:40:30.73\00:40:34.90
that can be extinguished.
00:40:34.93\00:40:38.87
John the Baptist
tells us in Matthew 3:11,
00:40:38.90\00:40:42.80
"I indeed
baptize you with," what,
00:40:42.84\00:40:45.61
"with water unto repentance,
but he who comes after me
00:40:45.64\00:40:50.05
is mightier than I whose sandals
00:40:50.08\00:40:52.91
I am not worthy to carry,
00:40:52.95\00:40:54.52
He will baptize you with
the Holy Spirit and with fire."
00:40:54.55\00:40:59.99
Now let's look at
the day of Pentecost.
00:41:00.02\00:41:03.49
Where were the 120?
They were in the upper room.
00:41:03.53\00:41:07.53
And they were in
unity, they were in harmony,
00:41:07.56\00:41:10.03
they were in one
accord, they were praying,
00:41:10.07\00:41:13.07
seeking God
because Jesus had told them
00:41:13.10\00:41:16.94
don't leave home without it.
00:41:16.97\00:41:19.04
Don't leave Jerusalem
00:41:19.07\00:41:20.68
without the
promise from on high.
00:41:20.71\00:41:22.54
Remember that old
American Express commercial,
00:41:22.58\00:41:25.18
"Don't leave home without it?"
00:41:25.21\00:41:26.61
Jesus gave them
that same directive.
00:41:26.65\00:41:28.68
Don't leave
Jerusalem without the promise
00:41:28.72\00:41:31.69
that I promised you.
00:41:31.72\00:41:33.36
"When the day of
Pentecost did fully come,
00:41:33.39\00:41:35.42
they were all with
one accord in one place,
00:41:35.46\00:41:37.76
and suddenly there
came a sound from heaven
00:41:37.79\00:41:40.33
of a rushing mighty wind
and it filled the whole house
00:41:40.36\00:41:43.93
where they were sitting,
then there appeared to them
00:41:43.97\00:41:46.80
divided tongues as of," what?
00:41:46.84\00:41:49.30
"As of fire and it
sat upon each one of them
00:41:49.34\00:41:52.21
and they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit
00:41:52.24\00:41:55.04
and began to
speak with other tongues
00:41:55.08\00:41:57.65
as the Spirit
gave them utterance."
00:41:57.68\00:41:59.91
So fire and the Holy
Spirit are all put together,
00:41:59.95\00:42:04.42
they are associated
with the Holy Spirit.
00:42:04.45\00:42:08.66
How many of you have
received the Holy Spirit?
00:42:08.69\00:42:11.19
Do you know that
means that there is fire?
00:42:11.23\00:42:13.36
Remember Jeremiah,
the weeping prophet?
00:42:13.40\00:42:17.60
Well, remember he got
a little huffy with God,
00:42:17.63\00:42:20.97
and he told God,
I'm not going to speak
00:42:21.00\00:42:23.41
on Your behalf anymore.
00:42:23.44\00:42:24.87
Remember Jeremiah,
and then he went on to say
00:42:24.91\00:42:28.64
but there was fire
shut up in my bones.
00:42:28.68\00:42:32.55
He could not
because he didn't want
00:42:32.58\00:42:36.42
to intellectually
but because of the power
00:42:36.45\00:42:38.45
of the Holy Spirit
that worked within him,
00:42:38.49\00:42:40.49
he couldn't not.
00:42:40.52\00:42:42.19
There is
something all Christians
00:42:42.22\00:42:45.29
that have made Jesus
Christ the Lord of their life
00:42:45.33\00:42:48.86
are indwelt by
the Spirit of God.
00:42:48.90\00:42:50.93
You all know
that to be the truth.
00:42:50.97\00:42:53.03
And the Holy Spirit is there
like fire not to be quenched
00:42:53.07\00:42:58.77
but to be fanned
into a full flame.
00:42:58.81\00:43:03.04
Now I wanted to
look at how we can quench
00:43:03.08\00:43:09.12
the Holy Spirit.
00:43:09.15\00:43:11.15
If you have a fire going
00:43:11.19\00:43:14.76
and you don't feed that fire
00:43:14.79\00:43:17.79
or you don't fan that fire,
00:43:17.83\00:43:20.40
what is going to
happen to that fire?
00:43:20.43\00:43:22.06
It goes out. The
fire's gonna go out.
00:43:22.10\00:43:24.53
Now remember
00:43:24.57\00:43:26.23
when you made Jesus
Christ the Lord of your life,
00:43:26.27\00:43:28.64
you invited the Holy Spirit
to set up residence with you.
00:43:28.67\00:43:33.21
The Scripture says, "What
know ye not you are the temple
00:43:33.24\00:43:35.94
of the Holy Spirit."
00:43:35.98\00:43:37.31
The Holy Spirit resides,
abide, has set up residence
00:43:37.35\00:43:40.82
on the inside of you.
00:43:40.85\00:43:42.28
Now if you don't feed
it, if you don't fan it,
00:43:42.32\00:43:45.02
that fire
within you will go out.
00:43:45.05\00:43:47.79
Who wants the fire of
God to go out within them?
00:43:47.82\00:43:50.73
You know it was
Paul that told Timothy.
00:43:50.76\00:43:52.76
Remember what Paul told Timothy?
00:43:52.79\00:43:54.73
Stir up that gift
that is within you.
00:43:54.76\00:43:58.10
So how do we
feed the Holy Spirit
00:43:58.13\00:44:03.00
that is within us?
00:44:03.04\00:44:04.37
Pastor Lomacang,
I'll throw that to you.
00:44:04.41\00:44:06.71
How do you feed that
fire that is within you?
00:44:06.74\00:44:11.35
You respond to the Holy Spirit.
00:44:11.38\00:44:13.92
That's what I would be,
00:44:13.95\00:44:15.88
as far as one
of the first steps,
00:44:15.92\00:44:17.25
you respond and
you continue putting in
00:44:17.29\00:44:20.16
what I would refer to
as fuel the Word of God.
00:44:20.19\00:44:23.83
Fuel, Prayer. Fuel,
Believe. Fuel, Trust.
00:44:23.86\00:44:27.43
And then a life of service
which are all ingredients
00:44:27.46\00:44:31.03
in what the Spirit of God
wants to do, work on us, in us,
00:44:31.07\00:44:34.30
and then finally through us.
00:44:34.34\00:44:35.67
Right.
00:44:35.70\00:44:37.14
You feed that with
prayer, with the Word,
00:44:37.17\00:44:41.81
spending time in God's presence.
00:44:41.84\00:44:45.05
And I wrote down
again my little idioms,
00:44:45.08\00:44:48.08
what you feed grows,
what you starve dies.
00:44:48.12\00:44:52.15
You feast on God's
Word and that Word will grow
00:44:52.19\00:44:56.62
within you, you
become what you behold.
00:44:56.66\00:45:00.20
And as you feed on that Word,
spend time in God's presence,
00:45:00.23\00:45:05.10
then you are going to that
fire within you is being fanned
00:45:05.13\00:45:10.54
and it's
growing and it's getting
00:45:10.57\00:45:12.01
brighter and brighter.
00:45:12.04\00:45:14.48
The indwelling Holy
Spirit is like that fire
00:45:14.51\00:45:18.48
and you express
that in your actions.
00:45:18.51\00:45:22.32
And the Holy
Spirit, remember the purpose
00:45:22.35\00:45:24.82
of the Holy
Spirit first and foremost
00:45:24.85\00:45:27.32
is to draw you out of darkness,
to convict the world of sin,
00:45:27.36\00:45:30.69
now it's your sanctification.
00:45:30.73\00:45:32.89
So as the Holy Spirit shows
you circumstances and situations
00:45:32.93\00:45:38.43
and draws you into
areas of obedience to God
00:45:38.47\00:45:42.24
and you resist
that or you grieve Him,
00:45:42.27\00:45:45.81
you are in effect
quenching the Holy Spirit,
00:45:45.84\00:45:49.28
you are dampering Him,
00:45:49.31\00:45:51.31
you are pouring
water on that fire.
00:45:51.35\00:45:53.98
But as you respond
to the Holy Spirit,
00:45:54.02\00:45:57.29
you are allowing Him to
burn brighter within you.
00:45:57.32\00:46:01.92
I have a
friend, or had a friend,
00:46:01.96\00:46:04.13
he's passed now,
and the Holy Spirit
00:46:04.16\00:46:07.53
was convicting
him and drawing him
00:46:07.56\00:46:09.96
in a certain area, and
he knew that was happening
00:46:10.00\00:46:13.47
and, you know, he
didn't do what the Holy Spirit
00:46:13.50\00:46:17.44
was showing him to do.
00:46:17.47\00:46:19.34
And he felt that lessening
of the fire within him.
00:46:19.37\00:46:25.65
He felt that quenching.
00:46:25.68\00:46:27.42
And he started
because it was as though
00:46:27.45\00:46:30.15
not the Holy Spirit
had departed, it was that
00:46:30.19\00:46:33.29
but the Holy Spirit
quit dealing with him.
00:46:33.32\00:46:37.33
And he prayed and he
sought God, "Oh, God,
00:46:37.36\00:46:40.43
I invite your presence back."
00:46:40.46\00:46:42.26
You know, the Holy
Spirit did come back
00:46:42.30\00:46:46.77
and convict him
in this area again,
00:46:46.80\00:46:49.84
but it wasn't
immediate, it took a while.
00:46:49.87\00:46:52.54
He had quenched the Spirit.
00:46:52.57\00:46:54.21
He had poured water on
that fire that was in him.
00:46:54.24\00:46:58.31
And in doing so, his
relationship with the Lord
00:46:58.35\00:47:03.42
suffered greatly.
00:47:03.45\00:47:04.85
Quenching is what we
do and the end result
00:47:04.89\00:47:08.59
of quenching the
Holy Spirit of God is that
00:47:08.62\00:47:11.99
we grieve the Spirit of God.
00:47:12.03\00:47:14.56
Oh, that was,
you know, I know that
00:47:14.60\00:47:16.43
I am guilty of
grieving the Spirit of God.
00:47:16.46\00:47:18.63
If you backbite,
if you gossip, I mean,
00:47:18.67\00:47:21.34
it's just during the
day, anything, you know,
00:47:21.37\00:47:24.21
if you're talking about
somebody behind their back,
00:47:24.24\00:47:26.47
you're grieving
the Spirit of God
00:47:26.51\00:47:27.98
because it's
against His commandments.
00:47:28.01\00:47:29.94
And there are
times when God will come
00:47:29.98\00:47:32.55
and you know
you're resisting Him,
00:47:32.58\00:47:35.12
He's trying to get
you to go change that.
00:47:35.15\00:47:37.22
I know I'm guilty of grieving,
I know I'm guilty of resisting,
00:47:37.25\00:47:40.79
I know even in the past, I mean,
00:47:40.82\00:47:43.63
usually I don't resist very long
00:47:43.66\00:47:45.09
but I know in the
past, I'm guilty of quenching
00:47:45.13\00:47:48.66
because I have
neglected what you were saying.
00:47:48.70\00:47:52.63
That's beautiful,
Molly, about fueling.
00:47:52.67\00:47:55.04
The one thing I'm sure
I've not done is blasphemy
00:47:55.07\00:47:59.64
against the Holy Spirit.
00:47:59.67\00:48:01.31
And I want to
encourage you at home.
00:48:01.34\00:48:04.75
We're going to look
at Thursday's lesson
00:48:04.78\00:48:07.95
which is blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit.
00:48:07.98\00:48:11.75
And I just wanna
say this, God is,
00:48:11.79\00:48:15.52
His grace is all encompassing,
it is for everyone,
00:48:15.56\00:48:20.33
it's just absolutely amazing.
00:48:20.36\00:48:22.76
But there is the possibility
00:48:22.80\00:48:28.87
of putting yourself
00:48:28.90\00:48:31.21
beyond the
reach of divine grace.
00:48:31.24\00:48:34.54
We see in Scripture what man
has dubbed an unpardonable sin
00:48:34.58\00:48:38.38
and I can't find that
anywhere in Scripture.
00:48:38.41\00:48:41.42
It's not
mysterious, it is not something
00:48:41.45\00:48:44.42
that's undefinable.
00:48:44.45\00:48:45.79
We're gonna see that it
is calculated, intentional,
00:48:45.82\00:48:48.79
it is a
persistent pattern of sin
00:48:48.82\00:48:52.19
that sears the conscience
and hardens the heart.
00:48:52.23\00:48:56.23
And it makes a person
completely insensitive
00:48:56.26\00:49:00.10
to the Spirit's call to repent.
00:49:00.14\00:49:03.97
I think it's interesting.
00:49:04.01\00:49:06.57
This sin is not that
it just won't be forgiven,
00:49:06.61\00:49:12.61
but it's because the
person who has committed it
00:49:12.65\00:49:16.82
has finally
gotten to that point,
00:49:16.85\00:49:19.15
they've so
quenched anything of God
00:49:19.19\00:49:22.19
that they have
no desire to repent.
00:49:22.22\00:49:24.86
And so God cannot
and will not forgive them
00:49:24.89\00:49:28.10
because they have...
00:49:28.13\00:49:30.90
what they've done
when they turn away
00:49:30.93\00:49:32.90
from God for so long,
00:49:32.93\00:49:35.37
there's eternal
consequences to it.
00:49:35.40\00:49:37.77
Now in Scripture,
00:49:37.81\00:49:39.14
we only have time
to look at one of them.
00:49:39.17\00:49:40.51
Let's turn to Matthew 12:31, 32.
00:49:40.54\00:49:44.45
We find this in Mark
3:28, 29 and in Luke 12:11.
00:49:44.48\00:49:49.58
In Scripture, we
see in the context that
00:49:49.62\00:49:52.65
it is defined as blasphemy
against the Holy Spirit.
00:49:52.69\00:49:56.93
And, Brian, why don't you read
00:49:56.96\00:49:59.86
Matthew 12:31, 32?
00:49:59.89\00:50:04.57
"Therefore I
say to you every sin
00:50:04.60\00:50:07.94
and blasphemy
will be forgiven men
00:50:07.97\00:50:11.97
but the blasphemy
against the Spirit
00:50:12.01\00:50:15.48
will not be forgiven men.
00:50:15.51\00:50:18.51
Anyone who speaks a
word against the Son of Man
00:50:18.55\00:50:21.58
shall be forgiven him
00:50:21.62\00:50:23.89
but whoever speaks
against the Holy Spirit,
00:50:23.92\00:50:27.26
it will not be
forgiven him either in this age
00:50:27.29\00:50:31.29
or in the age to come."
00:50:31.33\00:50:33.09
Boy, this used to just
scare me half to death,
00:50:33.13\00:50:35.40
and I know we get
a lot of phone calls
00:50:35.43\00:50:37.47
from people who are
worried that they have committed
00:50:37.50\00:50:39.27
the unpardonable
sin that they cannot...
00:50:39.30\00:50:43.30
So in context
here, it's blasphemy
00:50:43.34\00:50:45.84
against the Holy Spirit
because they were attributing
00:50:45.87\00:50:49.04
the work of Christ
to the power of Satan.
00:50:49.08\00:50:52.78
So the power of the Holy Spirit,
00:50:52.81\00:50:55.28
they were equating
that to the power of Satan.
00:50:55.32\00:50:57.22
Essentially they were
saying, "Hey you're demon-filled
00:50:57.25\00:50:59.55
and this power is demonic."
00:50:59.59\00:51:01.99
And, you know, when
you think about this,
00:51:02.02\00:51:05.39
when Jesus at His baptism,
00:51:05.43\00:51:08.30
what happened at Jesus' baptism?
00:51:08.33\00:51:10.53
He was filled
with the Holy Spirit.
00:51:10.57\00:51:13.84
He was endowed with the Spirit.
00:51:13.87\00:51:15.34
And then He went
around and He raised the dead,
00:51:15.37\00:51:18.64
He healed the
sick, He cast out demons
00:51:18.67\00:51:22.24
all by the power
of the Holy Spirit,
00:51:22.28\00:51:25.31
and He was
continually giving this evidence
00:51:25.35\00:51:29.42
that He was there to
destroy the devil's kingdom
00:51:29.45\00:51:32.92
to set up God's Kingdom.
00:51:32.95\00:51:34.96
And, you know, it's interesting.
00:51:34.99\00:51:36.76
The more clear
evidence that He gave,
00:51:36.79\00:51:40.06
there was this
certain group of Pharisees.
00:51:40.10\00:51:42.36
Now the Pharisees
were very educated men,
00:51:42.40\00:51:45.90
they were doctors of the law,
00:51:45.93\00:51:47.34
they were very knowledgeable
in the Word of God,
00:51:47.37\00:51:50.67
they knew and
they knew everything
00:51:50.71\00:51:54.08
from the miracle
of His birth on down
00:51:54.11\00:51:56.14
as they saw Him
working these miracles,
00:51:56.18\00:51:58.68
they knew, "Hey,
He's on the scene."
00:51:58.71\00:52:03.05
There was this group of them
00:52:03.08\00:52:05.49
though who the more
clear evidence that He gave,
00:52:05.52\00:52:09.16
the more they opposed Him
00:52:09.19\00:52:10.83
because they
liked their position.
00:52:10.86\00:52:13.66
They liked being,
you know, the top dog,
00:52:13.70\00:52:17.47
and they wanted to
dampen or actually demolish
00:52:17.50\00:52:21.74
the influence of
Christ's ministry.
00:52:21.77\00:52:24.41
So these were people who
essentially now are saying,
00:52:24.44\00:52:31.11
"Oh, no, He's doing
this by the power of Satan."
00:52:31.15\00:52:33.21
They knew this was a lie.
These were deliberate acts.
00:52:33.25\00:52:38.42
You used the word calculated,
they were very calculated.
00:52:38.45\00:52:41.16
Yes. And they
were very persistent.
00:52:41.19\00:52:42.86
Yes.
00:52:42.89\00:52:44.23
And that therein is the
explanation of this sin.
00:52:44.26\00:52:50.13
They did not do
this in ignorance.
00:52:50.17\00:52:53.70
They continually were...
00:52:53.74\00:52:56.57
I know the Holy
Spirit was trying
00:52:56.60\00:52:58.17
to get them to repent
but they were persistent
00:52:58.21\00:53:01.54
and they were doing
this with full knowledge.
00:53:01.58\00:53:04.38
You know, Ellen White
has an interesting quote.
00:53:04.41\00:53:06.48
Let me read this to you.
00:53:06.51\00:53:08.28
She says, "To
speak against Christ,
00:53:08.32\00:53:10.79
charging His work
to Satanic agencies
00:53:10.82\00:53:13.86
and attributing
the manifestations
00:53:13.89\00:53:15.82
of the Spirit to
fanaticism is not of itself
00:53:15.86\00:53:22.20
a damning sin."
00:53:22.23\00:53:23.83
Well, what? Wait a minute.
00:53:23.87\00:53:25.30
We just got through saying
that this can be a damning sin.
00:53:25.33\00:53:28.34
No, because when
you think about it,
00:53:28.37\00:53:30.87
Jesus' own relatives
stood outside the door,
00:53:30.91\00:53:33.14
they thought He was crazy,
they thought He was fanatical,
00:53:33.17\00:53:35.51
they were ready to
go in and bring Him out.
00:53:35.54\00:53:38.05
But He didn't charge
His relatives with sin.
00:53:38.08\00:53:42.48
He didn't say,
"You're guilty of this sin,"
00:53:42.52\00:53:46.86
because they did it in
ignorance unlike the Pharisees
00:53:46.89\00:53:51.89
who were doing this
absolutely with full knowledge.
00:53:51.93\00:53:56.26
We don't have time to read this.
00:53:56.30\00:53:57.63
But in Numbers 15,
just jot this down.
00:53:57.67\00:54:01.40
Numbers 15:24-26
and Numbers 15:30.
00:54:01.44\00:54:07.18
Let me just read what
happens here in Numbers,
00:54:07.21\00:54:11.45
God is speaking of sin that's
unintentionally committed,
00:54:11.48\00:54:15.68
unintentionally committed.
00:54:15.72\00:54:17.35
He sets up the
sacrifices for these people
00:54:17.39\00:54:20.96
and then to give
them a sin offering
00:54:20.99\00:54:22.96
so that He can pardon their sin.
00:54:22.99\00:54:24.33
And He says in verse
26, "It shall be forgiven
00:54:24.36\00:54:26.49
the whole congregation
of the children of Israel,
00:54:26.53\00:54:28.50
the stranger who
dwells among them
00:54:28.53\00:54:30.33
because all the people
did it unintentionally."
00:54:30.37\00:54:35.37
It was done in ignorance.
00:54:35.40\00:54:37.54
So God always makes a
way to forgive for someone
00:54:37.57\00:54:41.68
who's done
something in ignorance.
00:54:41.71\00:54:43.98
But then He goes on in verse 30,
00:54:44.01\00:54:45.71
Numbers 15:30, He says,
00:54:45.75\00:54:47.42
"The person who does
anything presumptuously
00:54:47.45\00:54:52.82
whether he's
native-born or a stranger,
00:54:52.85\00:54:54.52
that one brings
reproach on the Lord
00:54:54.56\00:54:57.76
and he shall be cut
off from among his people."
00:54:57.79\00:55:01.03
So the Pharisees or anyone
00:55:01.06\00:55:03.00
who through a protracted process
00:55:03.03\00:55:06.07
of just continually
rejecting the Holy Spirit
00:55:06.10\00:55:11.64
and His invitation to
repent, you've placed yourself
00:55:11.67\00:55:16.75
beyond the
reach of divine grace.
00:55:16.78\00:55:20.02
What happens is
persistent and deliberate sin
00:55:20.05\00:55:23.89
becomes a habit
that hardens your heart
00:55:23.92\00:55:27.52
and then it's
impossible for you to repent.
00:55:27.56\00:55:31.99
Real quickly, Hebrews 6:4-6.
00:55:32.03\00:55:38.93
Hebrews 6:4-6.
00:55:38.97\00:55:41.80
It says, "It is
impossible for those
00:55:41.84\00:55:43.41
who were once
enlightened and have tasted
00:55:43.44\00:55:45.04
the heavenly gift and become
partakers of the Holy Spirit,"
00:55:45.07\00:55:48.94
these are Christ-saved,
spirit-filled Christians,
00:55:48.98\00:55:53.31
it's impossible for them,
00:55:53.35\00:55:56.35
"after they've
tasted the good Word of God
00:55:56.38\00:55:58.05
and the powers
of the ages to come,
00:55:58.09\00:55:59.95
if they fall away to
renew them again to repentance
00:55:59.99\00:56:03.29
since they crucified again
for themselves the Son of God
00:56:03.32\00:56:06.03
and put Him to open shame."
00:56:06.06\00:56:07.70
When someone apostasies,
00:56:07.73\00:56:10.93
when someone turns
away from the truth,
00:56:10.97\00:56:13.13
I heard of a
pastor, an Adventist pastor,
00:56:13.17\00:56:17.67
who just turned away
and said God's not real.
00:56:17.71\00:56:20.61
Now that is such a
hardening of the heart.
00:56:20.64\00:56:23.65
I don't know how he
could ever come back.
00:56:23.68\00:56:28.38
But the
unpardonable sin is willful
00:56:28.42\00:56:32.12
and intentional
defiance of the power of God.
00:56:32.15\00:56:34.66
It is never
committed unconsciously
00:56:34.69\00:56:37.96
or out of ignorance.
00:56:37.99\00:56:39.33
It's never just a single
act, it's persistent resistance,
00:56:39.36\00:56:43.16
persistent hostility.
00:56:43.20\00:56:45.27
If you are apathetic,
indifferent, and neglect,
00:56:45.30\00:56:48.40
which you brought
up so beautifully,
00:56:48.44\00:56:50.21
if you refuse to
grow in the Spirit,
00:56:50.24\00:56:53.64
you're leading to a
hardening of the heart.
00:56:53.68\00:56:56.51
So when Ellen White says,
00:56:56.54\00:56:58.91
when the Spirit is
thus finally rejected,
00:56:58.95\00:57:01.32
there is no more that
God can do for the soul
00:57:01.35\00:57:05.22
'cause the enemy has
completed his work in them.
00:57:05.25\00:57:09.66
They have
disdain and disinterest.
00:57:09.69\00:57:11.86
There is no fear or
anxiety in those people.
00:57:11.89\00:57:14.60
So if you have fear or anxiety
that you've committed to this,
00:57:14.63\00:57:19.00
that is actually
the conclusive evidence
00:57:19.03\00:57:22.60
that you have not.
00:57:22.64\00:57:24.14
So we suggest that you
surrender, yield control,
00:57:24.17\00:57:27.58
stay vitally connected to God
so that you won't be overcome
00:57:27.61\00:57:32.48
by the enemy of your
souls because remember,
00:57:32.51\00:57:34.68
greater is He who is in
you than he who's in the world.
00:57:34.72\00:57:38.15
Wow, what a lesson study.
00:57:38.19\00:57:39.55
I mean, this is
just a powerful thing
00:57:39.59\00:57:40.92
that we have been able
to participate in today,
00:57:40.96\00:57:44.69
Resisting, Grieving,
Quenching and Blasphemy.
00:57:44.73\00:57:47.63
And as we look at
this, we are praying that
00:57:47.66\00:57:49.50
you will allow the Spirit of God
00:57:49.53\00:57:51.00
to work in your life
so that these experiences
00:57:51.03\00:57:54.47
would never come to the place
00:57:54.50\00:57:55.90
where the Spirit
of God leaves you.
00:57:55.94\00:57:57.77
Our prayer is that
God works in your heart
00:57:57.81\00:58:00.54
to prepare you for
His eternal kingdom.
00:58:00.58\00:58:03.14
God bless you
till we see you again.
00:58:03.18\00:58:04.81
Amen.
00:58:04.85\00:58:06.35