Hello, friends, I'm
John Lomacang and welcome
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to our 3ABN
Sabbath School Panel,
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where the theme
for our quarterly study
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is "Making Friends for God."
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Today is
"Spirit-Empowered Witnessing."
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And I know that you are
looking forward to the study,
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and we invite you to join
us, all you need is a Bible,
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you need to sit down and
enjoy this time together.
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We are going to walk
through a spirit led excursion,
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asking the Lord to reveal to us
the hidden lessons in His Word.
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If you'd like to get a
copy to follow with us,
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go to absg.Adventist.org.
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That's absg.Adventist.org.
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You can follow also by going
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to a local
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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They would enjoy having
you join them for the study
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but right now,
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join us as we walk
through God's Word together.
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Welcome to our Bible study.
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Today we are
enjoying this time together,
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as we have on
past lesson studies,
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and we thank you
for taken the time
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to join us also.
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Spirit-empowered witnessing,
what does that really mean?
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Well on the
surface you might know,
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but we're going to share
with you today from God's Word,
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some very
important spiritual gems
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so that your
understanding can be increased.
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However, before we do anything,
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we're going to
introduce our panel today.
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To my immediate left is my...
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I call him Juan Valdez,
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but he's actually
Pastor John Dinzey.
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We always, that's
our term of endearment.
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Good to have you, Pastor Dinzey.
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It's a great
blessing to be here.
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Yes, yes.
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Always good to have
you, you're head of Latino,
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and Latino has
thrived under the direction
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of you and your wife.
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Praise the Lord for
that. Praise the Lord.
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And good old brother, Ryan Day.
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How are you today?
Man, I'm fantastic.
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Excited to be here. Okay.
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We know that we can always count
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on the fire to be
coming from his bosom,
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because he never
approaches the Word of God
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any other way.
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I appreciate that.
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And the veteran of the
group, Pastor Kenny Shelton,
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good to see you.
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Good to be here. Thank you.
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Yeah, he's always,
whoo, praise the Lord.
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Good to have you today.
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Everybody has
their own signature.
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And last but not
least, the list lady.
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Good to have you here, Jill.
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Thank you so much, Pastor.
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Privilege to be here. Yes, yes.
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And we encourage you to stay
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because we know
that we're going to have
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a spirit empowered
witnessing study today.
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However Pastor
Dinzey would you pray...
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Father, we are
grateful to you, Lord,
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because the scriptures
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are able to make us
wise unto salvation.
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But they're not going to make us
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wise unto salvation
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unless we dedicate time
to read it and study it.
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So we pray that you will
help each and every one of us
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receive a,
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such a blessing today
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that we will be encouraged
and inspired to read more,
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study more.
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We pray that as we are together,
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Your Holy Spirit
will speak through us.
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Use us mightily
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for Your name's honor and glory.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
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Amen.
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Now I'd like to
begin with our memory text,
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it is found in Acts 4:31.
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And this is a passage
that seems to find itself
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on more than one of our lessons,
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but I love it.
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Because it's showing the power
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and the presence
of the Spirit of God.
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Acts 4:31, "And
when they had prayed,
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the place
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where they were
assembled together
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was shaken,
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and they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit,
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and they spoke the
Word of God with boldness."
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I often say that if the Word,
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if the Spirit of God was needed
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at the
inauguration of the church,
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how much more is it needed
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for the
coronation of the church?
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When God begins
with the Spirit of God,
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He began with two
things, the Spirit of the Word,
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and the Word of the Spirit.
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So we pray today
that God will guide us.
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You know, the Holy
Spirit empowered witnessing,
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I don't know of any
other kind of witnessing.
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The other kind of
witnessing is effortless,
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because it's spiritless.
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But when you are
under the guidance
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of the Spirit of God,
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you begin to realize
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that certain things
begin to come out of your mouth
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that you didn't have there prior
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to that study began.
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I've had many experiences,
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I know that we could
maybe just by show of hands,
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we've been in those situations
where we have known and wow,
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this study was one
that the Spirit of God led.
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But I want you to know
why it's important for us
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to have the Spirit
of God in our lives.
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Go with me to the Book
of John, John Chapter 16.
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And we're going to look and
see why the spirit is important.
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And let me also
insert this as we go,
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what we're going
to see in the Bible
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is we're going to see terms
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that are
describing a personality,
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not a force, not a wind,
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not an apparition,
not a piece of God,
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not a byproduct of Jesus.
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But we're going
to see literally,
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the description that John gives
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is that of the third
person of the Godhead.
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And I want to make that clear
and you'll see and the reasons,
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you see the
reasons in just a moment,
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but John 16:7,
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we read these words,
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"Nevertheless I
tell you the truth.
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It is to your
advantage that I go away,
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for if I do not go away,
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the Helper will not come to you,
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but if I depart, I
will send him to you."
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There's the term
right there, that word him,
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is not I will send it to you.
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And so many people, we
say we're praying for it.
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No, we don't pray
for it, we pray for Him.
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Because when you pray for it,
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that's an impersonal
byproduct of something
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that was manufactured,
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that somehow are leftover.
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The Spirit of God is
not a leftover of Christ.
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He's not a guy
that's stepping in,
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well, I'm going to try to
do what He could never do.
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No.
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This is the expansion of
the work that Christ began.
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And He's called the
Helper, Him the Helper,
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I will send Him to you.
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It's not a
metamorphosis of Christ,
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or some other aspect of Him,
but in fact, the continuation,
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God sent His Son,
Jesus sent the spirit.
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And the spirit, the Bible says
will continue always with us.
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Let's look further
in John Chapter 16.
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Let's now look to verse 13.
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And you see over
and over and over
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and over the terminology
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referring to a
personality and not a force.
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It says in verse 13,
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"However, when He, the
Spirit of truth, has come,
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He will guide you
into all truth, together,
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for He will not
speak on His own authority,
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but whatever He
hears He will speak,
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and He will tell
you things to come."
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If somebody said
he is on his way over,
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I'm expecting a
person to show up.
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Amen.
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Right? That's right.
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So let's see, he, he,
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he, his, he, he, he.
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A breath of when?
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No, no, not at all.
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The Holy Spirit began
to work on the disciples
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before he arrived.
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And so what we
have to keep in mind
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and this is
something we often get,
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we often get mixed up.
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We don't separate the two.
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The Lord is saying, I
am going to empower you.
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But the
empowerment that I give to you
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will be aided by the one
from whom the empowerment came.
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So when he left,
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when Jesus breathed on
His disciples and says,
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"Receive you the Holy Spirit."
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He was empowering them,
imparting to them divine power,
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that He is life.
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He is life
unborrowed, underived.
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He was imparting to
them this unborrowed,
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underived power.
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But then He
says, "Now I'm leaving,
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and you're going to
continue to need this power
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so I'm going to send Him
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and when He comes,
that's why Acts 1:8 says,
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"And you shall
receive power after that
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the Holy Ghost
is come upon you."
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So the word here helper
is the Greek word parakletos,
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which mean one who
walks alongside you,
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one who is alongside you,
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meaning when we
witness for Jesus,
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we are not alone.
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The Holy Spirit is
beside us to guide us
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in our witnessing activities.
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The Holy Spirit
prepares our hearts
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for those before we meet them.
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The Holy Spirit
prepare the hearts of the one
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we are heading to,
before we get there.
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That's why we prayed.
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I remember going through,
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this very quick
story because I have Jill,
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I have six points, five points.
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I got a very quick story.
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But I remember, I remember
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once there was a
pastor locally here,
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one of our members
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who was a member
of a different church.
00:09:15.68\00:09:17.92
When he died, the pastor said,
he's going to do the funeral.
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And I said, you
gonna do the funeral,
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but that was our member.
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And I knew that they believe
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that they die and go
to heaven right away.
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And I said, Lord, so I
called the pastor said,
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"No, you can't do the funeral.
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He was our member,
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although he was a
member in your church longer.
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He's our member.
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And I know your belief
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is that we die and go to heaven.
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And that's not
the scriptural belief.
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And the Lord gave
me holy boldness."
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I said, "Pastor,
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you do not have the
authority to do this,
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to do that funeral,
and I will not allow it."
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So I hung up the
phone, I said, "Lord,
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this is for the
glory of Your name.
00:09:46.78\00:09:48.32
We cannot allow
Your glory and Your Word
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to become a spectacle.
00:09:51.39\00:09:52.72
So Lord, so I got
about, I said to the pastor,
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"What are you doing tomorrow?"
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I said, "I'll be at
your church tomorrow
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between 10 and noon."
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All right.
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He said, Okay,
I'll meet you there.
00:10:00.80\00:10:02.66
And on the way from
here in Thompsonville
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to the next destination,
00:10:06.00\00:10:07.34
I'll be very vague about that.
00:10:07.37\00:10:08.70
I said, and I'm speaking,
I'm talking to God on the car,
00:10:08.74\00:10:10.87
"Lord, this is for Your glory.
00:10:10.91\00:10:12.84
This is not about me.
00:10:12.87\00:10:14.51
This is about Your
glory and Your truth.
00:10:14.54\00:10:16.31
So Lord, send your
spirit ahead of me.
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When I arrived there,
this man will be receptive."
00:10:18.85\00:10:21.45
When I got there, it
was a different person.
00:10:21.48\00:10:24.15
He said, "Come to my office."
00:10:24.19\00:10:25.52
Then he said, "You know,
00:10:25.55\00:10:26.89
I thought about
what you said yesterday.
00:10:26.92\00:10:28.26
And yes, Pastor,
00:10:28.29\00:10:29.62
I've given you
complete authority
00:10:29.66\00:10:30.99
to do the whole entire funeral.
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He said, here's
the bullet tonight,
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put together.
00:10:35.03\00:10:37.20
And he pointed out the outline.
00:10:37.23\00:10:38.57
He said, could I say that?
00:10:38.60\00:10:41.10
I said, "Let me
read the bulletin."
00:10:41.14\00:10:42.47
No, no, you can't say that
00:10:46.27\00:10:48.14
because it's
incorrectly phrased.
00:10:48.18\00:10:49.94
You said receive
him into your presence.
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He will receive
them into His presence
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when he returns.
00:10:53.75\00:10:55.08
Rephrase that and
that will be okay.
00:10:55.12\00:10:56.45
All right.
00:10:56.48\00:10:57.82
And the whole
point was not arrogance,
00:10:57.85\00:10:59.19
and I want to
make it very clear.
00:10:59.22\00:11:00.56
The whole point was
not arrogance, but when...
00:11:00.59\00:11:02.42
But as the text said,
00:11:02.46\00:11:05.49
they spoke the
Word of God with what?
00:11:05.53\00:11:07.50
Boldness when the
Spirit of God took over.
00:11:07.53\00:11:10.20
When the Spirit of
God takes over our lives,
00:11:10.23\00:11:12.57
He removes timidity.
00:11:12.60\00:11:14.70
And He gives a
spirit of confidence,
00:11:14.74\00:11:17.24
not arrogance.
00:11:17.27\00:11:18.61
And you'll find that
Paul the Apostle continually,
00:11:18.64\00:11:21.68
Peter, John, all of them,
00:11:21.71\00:11:23.71
they had this holy boldness
00:11:23.75\00:11:25.95
that must proceed the individual
00:11:25.98\00:11:27.65
who's speaking as
Jesus, the Bible says,
00:11:27.68\00:11:30.12
He spoke as one having authority
00:11:30.15\00:11:33.05
and not as ascribes.
00:11:33.09\00:11:34.42
So let's look,
00:11:34.46\00:11:35.79
the Holy Spirit's
work is very powerful.
00:11:35.82\00:11:37.63
Let's look at the first thing.
00:11:37.66\00:11:39.16
The Holy Spirit
equips and empowers.
00:11:39.19\00:11:42.23
Luke 1:35,
00:11:42.26\00:11:44.57
"And the angel
answered and said to her, "
00:11:44.60\00:11:46.80
and this is, you'll find
that I use this scripture,
00:11:46.84\00:11:50.77
speaking about,
well, I'll read it.
00:11:50.81\00:11:54.88
Luke 1:35,
00:11:54.91\00:11:56.24
"And the angel
answered and said to her, "
00:11:56.28\00:11:57.78
that is Mary,
00:11:57.81\00:11:59.15
"the Holy Spirit
will come upon you,
00:11:59.18\00:12:01.88
and the power of the
highest will overshadow you.
00:12:01.92\00:12:04.89
Therefore also that
one who is to be born
00:12:04.92\00:12:09.02
will be called the
son of the highest."
00:12:09.06\00:12:10.96
Now watch this.
00:12:10.99\00:12:12.49
Jesus cannot be born in us,
00:12:12.53\00:12:15.46
until the Holy
Spirit comes upon us.
00:12:15.50\00:12:19.73
Christ in us,
00:12:19.77\00:12:21.10
but that can't happen
00:12:21.14\00:12:22.47
until the transaction
00:12:22.50\00:12:23.84
of the Holy
Spirit comes upon us.
00:12:23.87\00:12:25.21
And I use the illustration there
00:12:25.24\00:12:26.57
of Mary when Gabriel came
and visited her on schedule,
00:12:26.61\00:12:29.78
but right on God's time.
00:12:29.81\00:12:31.81
Also the Holy Spirit
convicts, John 16:8-11,
00:12:31.85\00:12:36.12
"And when He has come,
00:12:36.15\00:12:37.55
He will convict
the world of sin,
00:12:37.59\00:12:39.45
and of righteousness,
and of judgment of sin,
00:12:39.49\00:12:41.79
because they do
not believe in Me,
00:12:41.82\00:12:43.53
of righteousness,
00:12:43.56\00:12:44.89
because I go to My Father
00:12:44.93\00:12:46.26
and you see Me
no more of judgment,
00:12:46.29\00:12:47.96
because the ruler of
this world is judged."
00:12:48.00\00:12:50.83
So the Holy Spirit convicts.
00:12:50.87\00:12:53.03
Thirdly, the
Holy Spirit seals us.
00:12:53.07\00:12:56.27
Ephesians 4:30,
00:12:56.30\00:12:59.71
"And do not grieve
the Holy Spirit of God,
00:12:59.74\00:13:03.45
by whom you were sealed
for the day of redemption."
00:13:03.48\00:13:06.41
You can't grieve someone
00:13:06.45\00:13:07.88
who doesn't have
a sense of emotion.
00:13:07.92\00:13:11.35
Grief is not something
00:13:11.39\00:13:12.72
that's the
byproduct of your desk,
00:13:12.75\00:13:14.99
or your chair, or your car tire.
00:13:15.02\00:13:17.33
Grief is a human emotion.
00:13:17.36\00:13:18.83
Grief is an emotion
born within a person's heart.
00:13:18.86\00:13:22.43
Look at Matthew 12:32.
00:13:22.46\00:13:25.33
And that's why this
is so vitally important
00:13:25.37\00:13:27.40
that you do not
grieve the Holy Spirit.
00:13:27.44\00:13:29.40
You see that, you'll see
the Bible brings out the fact
00:13:29.44\00:13:32.24
that he is a separate entity.
00:13:32.27\00:13:34.64
Mark, Matthew 12:32,
00:13:34.68\00:13:36.68
"Anyone who speaks a
word against the Son of Man,
00:13:36.71\00:13:39.68
it will be forgiven him.
00:13:39.71\00:13:41.55
But whoever speaks
against the Holy Spirit,
00:13:41.58\00:13:44.55
it will not be forgiven him,
00:13:44.59\00:13:46.29
either in this age
or in the age to come."
00:13:46.32\00:13:49.82
They're not the same person.
00:13:49.86\00:13:52.43
Now, the next part is,
00:13:52.46\00:13:54.43
the Holy Spirit is imperative
in our work for the kingdom.
00:13:54.46\00:14:00.97
Luke 11:13.
00:14:01.00\00:14:03.81
Luke 11:13.
00:14:03.84\00:14:08.34
I love this.
00:14:08.38\00:14:09.71
"If you then, being evil,
00:14:09.74\00:14:12.98
know how to give good
gifts to your children,
00:14:13.01\00:14:16.62
how much more will
your heavenly Father
00:14:16.65\00:14:20.36
give the Holy Spirit
to those who ask Him!"
00:14:20.39\00:14:25.03
I believe one of the
reasons why we don't have
00:14:25.06\00:14:27.03
the Spirit of God
working actively in our lives,
00:14:27.06\00:14:29.63
is because sometimes
we become so linked to...
00:14:29.66\00:14:33.47
I'm using this
phrase loosely Jill,
00:14:33.50\00:14:35.24
we have a list
of our activities.
00:14:35.27\00:14:37.07
We're gonna go through that,
00:14:37.11\00:14:38.44
go through those activities
00:14:38.47\00:14:39.94
in our own ability
and our own strength.
00:14:39.97\00:14:42.58
But when you enter your day
with the Holy Spirit leading,
00:14:42.61\00:14:45.81
you'll find that the power
that He makes available to you,
00:14:45.85\00:14:49.72
not only informs
you and equips you,
00:14:49.75\00:14:51.79
but brings about success
that can never be experienced
00:14:51.82\00:14:54.46
otherwise
without the Spirit of God
00:14:54.49\00:14:56.32
in your life.
00:14:56.36\00:14:57.69
So yes, the Holy
Spirit is a promise
00:14:57.73\00:15:00.20
and the promise brings results.
00:15:00.23\00:15:01.90
Amen. That's right.
00:15:01.93\00:15:03.26
Praise the Lord. Pastor Dinzey.
00:15:03.30\00:15:04.63
Amen. Amen.
00:15:04.67\00:15:06.13
Well, we continue
studying this lesson.
00:15:06.17\00:15:08.40
And we move now
to Monday's lesson,
00:15:08.44\00:15:11.44
and it's entitled,
"An Empowered Church."
00:15:11.47\00:15:15.98
And this is,
00:15:16.01\00:15:18.25
when you look at
the Book of Acts,
00:15:18.28\00:15:19.61
you'll find that there
are wonderful stories of God
00:15:19.65\00:15:23.62
doing wonderful, mighty miracles
00:15:23.65\00:15:26.55
through regular human
beings like you and I.
00:15:26.59\00:15:29.96
And God is willing to
do these things today.
00:15:29.99\00:15:32.83
What we need to do
is do what they did,
00:15:32.86\00:15:35.00
so render our lives
completely to the Lord,
00:15:35.03\00:15:37.73
and be of one accord.
00:15:37.77\00:15:40.04
And we should endeavor to
do this as soon as possible,
00:15:40.07\00:15:44.17
because there's a
great need in the world today
00:15:44.21\00:15:47.51
for people to see Jesus
00:15:47.54\00:15:49.11
and hear Jesus
in God's children.
00:15:49.14\00:15:51.71
So the Book of Acts
00:15:51.75\00:15:53.08
is really the acts
of the Holy Spirit,
00:15:53.11\00:15:55.32
and the way you
said it yesterday
00:15:55.35\00:15:57.72
on another lesson.
00:15:57.75\00:15:59.42
And so, let's go
to Acts 2:41 and 42
00:15:59.45\00:16:02.92
to see some of the great things
00:16:02.96\00:16:05.06
that God was doing
through His children.
00:16:05.09\00:16:07.56
Acts 2:41 and 42,
00:16:07.60\00:16:10.80
"Then those who gladly
received his word were baptized,
00:16:10.83\00:16:14.90
and that day
00:16:14.94\00:16:16.27
about three thousand
souls were added to them.
00:16:16.30\00:16:20.44
And they continued steadfastly
00:16:20.48\00:16:22.38
in the apostles'
doctrine and fellowship,
00:16:22.41\00:16:24.41
in the breaking of
bread, and in prayers."
00:16:24.45\00:16:27.58
So we see here
00:16:27.62\00:16:28.98
that they were
baptized and continue,
00:16:29.02\00:16:31.89
they were part of
the Christian family,
00:16:31.92\00:16:35.06
and continued in
fellowship, it says here,
00:16:35.09\00:16:37.13
doctrine and
fellowship and in prayers.
00:16:37.16\00:16:41.36
Prayer is very important,
and we must continue this.
00:16:41.40\00:16:43.90
Let's look at Acts 4:4.
00:16:43.93\00:16:46.30
Acts 4:4.
00:16:46.33\00:16:47.77
Once again, we see here
00:16:47.80\00:16:51.27
the Lord telling
us wonderful things.
00:16:51.31\00:16:53.41
"However, many of those
who heard the word believed,
00:16:53.44\00:16:57.41
and the number of the men
00:16:57.45\00:16:59.68
came to be about five thousand."
00:16:59.71\00:17:02.98
So we have great
numbers joining the church
00:17:03.02\00:17:06.65
during this time,
00:17:06.69\00:17:08.12
after the Pentecost,
00:17:08.16\00:17:10.33
after the Holy
Spirit fell on the disciples
00:17:10.36\00:17:12.59
and upon those that were ready
to receive the Holy Spirit.
00:17:12.63\00:17:15.23
It is exciting
to read these things
00:17:15.26\00:17:17.67
in the Book of Acts,
00:17:17.70\00:17:19.03
and we encourage
you to read that again.
00:17:19.07\00:17:21.07
And so, let's now turn
00:17:21.10\00:17:23.14
to our
attention to Acts 4:31-33.
00:17:23.17\00:17:27.28
"And when they had prayed,
00:17:27.31\00:17:29.31
the place
00:17:29.34\00:17:30.68
where they were
assembled together was shaken,
00:17:30.71\00:17:33.11
and they were all
filled with the Holy Spirit,
00:17:33.15\00:17:34.85
and spoke the word
of God with boldness."
00:17:34.88\00:17:38.62
Like Pastor Lomacang said.
00:17:38.65\00:17:40.22
"Now the multitude of those
who believed were of one heart
00:17:40.26\00:17:43.56
and one soul,"
00:17:43.59\00:17:45.13
I like that,
00:17:45.16\00:17:46.49
"neither did any say
00:17:46.53\00:17:47.93
that any of the things
he possessed was his own,
00:17:47.96\00:17:49.93
but they had all
things in common.
00:17:49.96\00:17:52.40
And with great power
the apostles gave witness
00:17:52.43\00:17:54.87
to the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus
00:17:54.90\00:17:56.81
and great grace
was upon them all."
00:17:56.84\00:17:59.51
So we see here again,
00:17:59.54\00:18:02.48
the Lord working
through His children.
00:18:02.51\00:18:05.31
What a wonderful time that was.
00:18:05.35\00:18:07.12
And this is
going to happen again.
00:18:07.15\00:18:10.22
And with greater
intensity, greater power,
00:18:10.25\00:18:14.56
because the latter
rain will be poured out.
00:18:14.59\00:18:17.76
And I'm looking forward to that.
00:18:17.79\00:18:19.76
But today we are to
do what's right there
00:18:19.79\00:18:22.96
in front of us to do.
00:18:23.00\00:18:24.33
We are to improve
upon the opportunities
00:18:24.37\00:18:27.04
that God gives us
00:18:27.07\00:18:28.40
to witness to others
through the Holy Spirit.
00:18:28.44\00:18:32.01
We are not to wait
for some special moment
00:18:32.04\00:18:33.81
in the future
00:18:33.84\00:18:35.18
when the Holy
Spirit is poured out.
00:18:35.21\00:18:36.61
We need to be busy today,
00:18:36.64\00:18:38.68
going about the Lord's business
00:18:38.71\00:18:40.35
because there's a lot of things
00:18:40.38\00:18:42.75
that God wants to do
through us even today.
00:18:42.78\00:18:45.82
And again, Acts 5:14,
00:18:45.85\00:18:47.76
"And believers
were increasingly added
00:18:47.79\00:18:50.46
to the Lord,
00:18:50.49\00:18:51.83
multitudes of
both men and women."
00:18:51.86\00:18:55.50
So wonderful blessing,
the church was growing,
00:18:55.53\00:18:59.20
but I want to
point something out,
00:18:59.23\00:19:01.07
because these
people were united,
00:19:01.10\00:19:05.07
of one accord, they
held things in common.
00:19:05.11\00:19:08.41
It was like a family.
00:19:08.44\00:19:10.28
Because when you
become a child of the Lord,
00:19:10.31\00:19:13.21
you form part of
the great family of God
00:19:13.25\00:19:15.65
that's here on earth
and in heaven as well.
00:19:15.68\00:19:18.65
And I've had the opportunity
to travel from time to time.
00:19:18.69\00:19:21.22
And I remember the
first time I went to Germany,
00:19:21.26\00:19:24.79
on my first long
trip, when I was younger,
00:19:24.83\00:19:28.33
and went to church.
00:19:28.36\00:19:30.97
At the same time,
00:19:31.00\00:19:32.33
I went to church
here in the States,
00:19:32.37\00:19:33.97
and it was a family.
00:19:34.00\00:19:35.60
It's a family atmosphere
there among believers.
00:19:35.64\00:19:38.71
Didn't understand the language,
but I understood the love.
00:19:38.74\00:19:41.48
Okay, I like that.
00:19:41.51\00:19:43.04
So Acts 3:11 and 12.
00:19:43.08\00:19:47.62
I want to point
something out here because...
00:19:47.65\00:19:49.98
there was a mighty miracle done.
00:19:53.02\00:19:56.22
"Now as the lame man
00:19:56.26\00:19:58.19
who was healed held
on to Peter and John,
00:19:58.23\00:20:01.66
all the people ran
together to them in the porch
00:20:01.70\00:20:04.93
which is called
Solomon's, greatly amazed.
00:20:04.97\00:20:08.30
So when Peter saw it,
00:20:08.34\00:20:09.67
he responded to the people:
00:20:09.70\00:20:11.37
'Men of Israel, why
do you marvel at this?
00:20:11.41\00:20:14.91
Or why do you
look so intently at us,
00:20:14.94\00:20:17.55
as though by our
own power or godliness
00:20:17.58\00:20:21.22
we had made this man walk?' "
00:20:21.25\00:20:25.75
So they were pointing
out, hey, this is not us.
00:20:25.79\00:20:29.96
It is not us.
00:20:29.99\00:20:31.89
It is God working through us.
00:20:31.93\00:20:33.66
So as you continue reading,
he tells us the God of Abraham,
00:20:33.70\00:20:37.13
Isaac, and Jacob,
00:20:37.17\00:20:38.70
the God of our fathers
glorify His servant Jesus
00:20:38.73\00:20:41.24
whom you delivered up
00:20:41.27\00:20:42.60
and denied in the
presence of Pilate,
00:20:42.64\00:20:44.07
when he was
determined to let him go.
00:20:44.11\00:20:46.44
He continues to talk to them.
00:20:46.47\00:20:48.01
And then he says
00:20:48.04\00:20:49.71
that it was through God's power
00:20:49.74\00:20:52.45
that this man was made whole.
00:20:52.48\00:20:55.02
In other words,
they gave God the glory.
00:20:55.05\00:21:00.76
Wonderful amount of people
00:21:00.79\00:21:02.46
were being baptized 3,000, 5,000
00:21:02.49\00:21:04.59
every day people
coming into the church,
00:21:04.63\00:21:06.80
but they gave God the glory.
00:21:06.83\00:21:10.10
And so I enjoy working at 3ABN
00:21:10.13\00:21:13.27
because I see
this same thing here.
00:21:13.30\00:21:16.57
Seen it in Sister Jill,
Pastor Kenny, Pastor Ryan,
00:21:16.60\00:21:20.64
Pastor Lomacang.
00:21:20.68\00:21:22.01
They give God the glory
and this is what we should do,
00:21:22.04\00:21:25.01
give God the glory.
00:21:25.05\00:21:26.68
And, brothers and sisters,
00:21:26.72\00:21:29.48
I'd like to point this out
00:21:29.52\00:21:30.85
because we have
another instance here
00:21:30.89\00:21:33.89
because these
people were united.
00:21:33.92\00:21:36.16
Notice Acts 5:42,
00:21:36.19\00:21:38.53
"And daily in the
temple, and in every house,
00:21:38.56\00:21:43.30
they did not cease
00:21:43.33\00:21:44.90
teaching and
preaching Jesus as the Christ."
00:21:44.93\00:21:49.14
What a wonderful
lesson is here for us
00:21:49.17\00:21:51.71
and I want to
encourage you to consider
00:21:51.74\00:21:54.71
that we need to
take advantage of time.
00:21:54.74\00:21:56.95
A lot of time is
wasted by God's people.
00:21:56.98\00:21:59.91
And we need to
take advantage of time,
00:21:59.95\00:22:02.02
because we are
living in the last days
00:22:02.05\00:22:04.25
and it is high time
to wake out of sleep.
00:22:04.29\00:22:06.59
God wants to do
something marvelous.
00:22:06.62\00:22:09.19
And He wants to do
it through His children.
00:22:09.22\00:22:12.66
And those that are willing
00:22:12.69\00:22:14.36
will be used by
God on His keyboard.
00:22:14.40\00:22:17.13
Those that are
willing will be used by God.
00:22:17.17\00:22:19.93
Are you willing? There you go.
00:22:19.97\00:22:21.67
Are you waiting for
some special moments,
00:22:21.70\00:22:24.71
something, some great training,
God will use you today.
00:22:24.74\00:22:29.11
Take up the work
that He shows you
00:22:29.14\00:22:30.95
and you will see
good things happen.
00:22:30.98\00:22:34.55
Notice, I want to
read this because you know,
00:22:34.58\00:22:37.49
we read men and women
and joining the church.
00:22:37.52\00:22:40.72
But there was a
lot of resistance,
00:22:40.76\00:22:43.43
Scribes and Pharisees, priests,
00:22:43.46\00:22:46.59
but the Word of God
is powerful, powerful.
00:22:46.63\00:22:50.87
So I want to read
this verse as well
00:22:50.90\00:22:52.50
because God will
convince those that we think,
00:22:52.53\00:22:54.84
oh no, they are
never going to change.
00:22:54.87\00:22:58.34
Acts 6:7, "Then
the Word of God spread,
00:22:58.37\00:23:01.61
and the number of
the disciples multiplied,
00:23:01.64\00:23:04.05
multiplied greatly in Jerusalem.
00:23:04.08\00:23:06.92
And great many of the priests
were obedient to the faith.
00:23:06.95\00:23:12.05
So praise be to God.
00:23:12.09\00:23:13.96
And so we see here a lot,
we see here mention of numbers,
00:23:13.99\00:23:16.73
sometimes we, you know,
00:23:16.76\00:23:18.09
oh, it seems like
their focus is numbers.
00:23:18.13\00:23:21.03
No, here God is letting us know
00:23:21.06\00:23:24.63
of the
marvelous and great things
00:23:24.67\00:23:26.77
that were done through
common everyday people.
00:23:26.80\00:23:30.04
God did these wonderful things,
00:23:30.07\00:23:32.17
people willing
to be used by God.
00:23:32.21\00:23:34.58
And so, let us make
ourselves an empty vessel
00:23:34.61\00:23:38.31
for the Lord to work through us.
00:23:38.35\00:23:39.68
Let us put self aside
and say, Lord, here I am.
00:23:39.71\00:23:43.99
Use me according
to Your goodwill.
00:23:44.02\00:23:47.72
I want to...
00:23:47.76\00:23:49.39
I see time is escaping again.
00:23:49.42\00:23:52.09
I want to read Revelation 18.
00:23:52.13\00:23:57.23
I'm going to read
verse 1 and 2 only.
00:23:57.27\00:24:03.14
"After these
things I saw another angel
00:24:03.17\00:24:06.47
coming down from heaven,
00:24:06.51\00:24:08.11
having great authority,
00:24:08.14\00:24:10.75
and the earth was
illuminated with his glory.
00:24:10.78\00:24:14.22
And he cried mightily
with a loud voice, saying,
00:24:14.25\00:24:16.89
'Babylon the great
is fallen, is fallen,
00:24:16.92\00:24:19.62
and has become the
dwelling place of demons,
00:24:19.65\00:24:21.82
a prison for every foul spirit,
00:24:21.86\00:24:23.63
and a cage for every
unclean and hateful bird!"
00:24:23.66\00:24:26.29
And it continues.
00:24:26.33\00:24:27.66
But I want to point out it says
00:24:27.70\00:24:29.10
that the earth was
illuminated with His glory.
00:24:29.13\00:24:32.00
This is God
working through His people,
00:24:32.03\00:24:35.24
the whole earth
will be illuminated
00:24:35.27\00:24:37.14
with the glory of God,
00:24:37.17\00:24:38.81
the character of God
shining through God's children,
00:24:38.84\00:24:42.68
as the Holy
Spirit is poured out,
00:24:42.71\00:24:44.45
and I want to
encourage you to get ready
00:24:44.48\00:24:48.48
to remove whatever obstacle
00:24:48.52\00:24:50.79
is in the way of the Holy Spirit
00:24:50.82\00:24:52.32
working in your life,
00:24:52.35\00:24:53.69
so that God will use you
00:24:53.72\00:24:56.12
and the results
will be wonderful.
00:24:56.16\00:24:58.43
And remember, all
the glory goes to God.
00:24:58.46\00:25:02.36
Amen.
00:25:02.40\00:25:03.73
Pastor Dinzey, I
appreciate that very much.
00:25:03.77\00:25:05.23
Yes, amen. Wow!
00:25:05.27\00:25:06.60
We have gotten off
on a good leg here.
00:25:06.63\00:25:09.10
No self-praise but
praise God as the spirit leads,
00:25:09.14\00:25:12.07
the Word of God
just keeps coming alive.
00:25:12.11\00:25:14.34
And we have three more.
00:25:14.38\00:25:16.51
Well, Holy Spirit
abled family members
00:25:16.54\00:25:20.25
that are coming up
next, so don't go away.
00:25:20.28\00:25:22.22
We'll be back in just a moment.
00:25:22.25\00:25:23.65
Ever wish you could watch
00:25:29.76\00:25:31.09
a 3ABN Sabbath
School Panel again,
00:25:31.13\00:25:33.19
or share it on
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00:25:33.23\00:25:36.36
Well, you can by visiting
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00:25:36.40\00:25:41.37
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00:25:41.40\00:25:43.81
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00:25:43.84\00:25:45.94
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00:25:45.97\00:25:49.41
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00:25:49.44\00:25:51.18
Sharing is easy.
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00:25:55.82\00:26:00.29
We welcome you back
to our lesson study.
00:26:00.32\00:26:02.26
And we now continue on Tuesday,
the Holy Spirit and Witnessing.
00:26:02.29\00:26:07.00
Ryan? Amen.
00:26:07.03\00:26:08.36
That's right,
we're going to be talking
00:26:08.40\00:26:09.73
about, "The Holy
Spirit and Witnessing."
00:26:09.76\00:26:11.90
And you know,
00:26:11.93\00:26:13.27
I have to just give a
shout out to you guys here.
00:26:13.30\00:26:14.84
Thank you so much for
setting the groundwork for this.
00:26:14.87\00:26:17.14
And, Pastor, I love
what you brought out
00:26:17.17\00:26:18.51
about the
personality of the Holy Spirit,
00:26:18.54\00:26:21.81
because there seems to
be some disagreement on that
00:26:21.84\00:26:24.78
here in these last days.
00:26:24.81\00:26:26.15
But, you know,
yeah, it said lightly.
00:26:26.18\00:26:29.05
But you know, I just
want to emphasize also,
00:26:29.08\00:26:30.62
you brought out
something amazing,
00:26:30.65\00:26:31.99
and that's the fact
00:26:32.02\00:26:33.36
that this is a
distinct third person
00:26:33.39\00:26:35.39
separate from the
Father and the Son.
00:26:35.42\00:26:37.13
And we have to emphasize
that in the fact that you know,
00:26:37.16\00:26:40.00
in rejecting the
power of the Holy Spirit,
00:26:40.03\00:26:43.03
you know, you're
setting yourself up
00:26:43.06\00:26:44.40
for a very dangerous situation.
00:26:44.43\00:26:46.00
I mean, this is salvation.
This is life and death.
00:26:46.03\00:26:48.60
And I love the
fact that you know,
00:26:48.64\00:26:49.97
Bible says God is not
the author of confusion.
00:26:50.01\00:26:52.07
He's very clear on this.
00:26:52.11\00:26:53.44
And the fact that
Jesus Himself said
00:26:53.48\00:26:55.11
that He would
send another helper,
00:26:55.14\00:26:58.01
another parakletos.
00:26:58.05\00:27:00.12
You know, if I said that
I was going to take this,
00:27:00.15\00:27:02.38
you know, say this
was Pastor John Dinzey's,
00:27:02.42\00:27:04.02
and I'm going to take this away
00:27:04.05\00:27:05.39
and bring you
another glass of water,
00:27:05.42\00:27:07.12
but I brought you
the same glass of water.
00:27:07.16\00:27:09.02
That's not another
glass of water, right?
00:27:09.06\00:27:10.69
And so, you know,
we need to be receptive
00:27:10.73\00:27:13.13
of the Holy
Spirit in these last days
00:27:13.16\00:27:14.60
for the working of witnessing
00:27:14.63\00:27:16.97
because God is
going to empower us
00:27:17.00\00:27:18.77
as Acts 1:8 says,
00:27:18.80\00:27:20.57
to be a witness
into all the earth.
00:27:20.60\00:27:23.54
And I love how this study begins
00:27:23.57\00:27:25.47
because Pastor Mark Finley
00:27:25.51\00:27:26.94
does another beautiful
job of setting the study up.
00:27:26.98\00:27:29.24
He says
throughout the Book of Acts,
00:27:29.28\00:27:30.85
and we're going to be focusing
00:27:30.88\00:27:32.21
in on the Book of Acts in
this particular study here.
00:27:32.25\00:27:34.88
Throughout the Book of Acts,
00:27:34.92\00:27:36.25
the Holy Spirit
was powerfully present.
00:27:36.28\00:27:38.75
He ministered to
00:27:38.79\00:27:40.12
and through the believers
00:27:40.16\00:27:41.49
as they witnessed for their Lord
00:27:41.52\00:27:43.16
in a variety of ways,
00:27:43.19\00:27:44.69
and we're going to see
those variety of ways here
00:27:44.73\00:27:46.93
in just a moment.
00:27:46.96\00:27:48.30
He strengthened them to
face the trials and challenges
00:27:48.33\00:27:50.47
of witnessing in
a hostile culture.
00:27:50.50\00:27:53.57
He led them
00:27:53.60\00:27:54.94
to honest hearted truth seekers.
00:27:54.97\00:27:57.64
He prepared the hearts of people
00:27:57.67\00:27:59.71
in whole cities
00:27:59.74\00:28:01.08
before the believers
ever came to those cities,
00:28:01.11\00:28:03.88
He opened doors of opportunity
that they never dreamed of
00:28:03.91\00:28:07.58
and empowered
their words and actions.
00:28:07.62\00:28:10.69
And here in these last days,
00:28:10.72\00:28:12.05
we definitely
need to be empowered
00:28:12.09\00:28:13.59
by the Holy Spirit
00:28:13.62\00:28:15.02
so that we can
finish God's work.
00:28:15.06\00:28:16.76
Just as Christ came to
finish the work of the Father,
00:28:16.79\00:28:19.29
we're here to co-labor
with God in finishing His work.
00:28:19.33\00:28:22.30
And so here we are.
00:28:22.33\00:28:23.67
I'm going to begin
here in Acts Chapter 7.
00:28:23.70\00:28:25.87
While we're going
there to Acts Chapter 7,
00:28:25.90\00:28:28.17
you know, obviously,
00:28:28.20\00:28:29.54
we already see early
on in the Book of Acts,
00:28:29.57\00:28:31.37
the wonderful working
power of the Holy Spirit
00:28:31.41\00:28:34.04
through God's people,
00:28:34.08\00:28:35.41
right there in Acts
Chapter 2, Day of Pentecost.
00:28:35.44\00:28:38.05
You know, the
Holy Spirit of the Lord
00:28:38.08\00:28:40.12
begins to give
power to the disciples
00:28:40.15\00:28:43.28
to
supernaturally be able to speak
00:28:43.32\00:28:45.22
in other earthly languages
00:28:45.25\00:28:47.52
for the purpose of
communicating the gospel,
00:28:47.56\00:28:49.96
and I'm not going
to speak on tongues
00:28:49.99\00:28:51.33
in this particular episode.
00:28:51.36\00:28:52.69
That's going to
be in next week study
00:28:52.73\00:28:54.20
where we're going to
be talking about the gifts
00:28:54.23\00:28:55.66
because we'll get to that later.
00:28:55.70\00:28:57.03
But nonetheless,
we see the Holy Spirit
00:28:57.07\00:28:58.83
working through a
variety of different ways
00:28:58.87\00:29:01.67
to forwardly
advance the kingdom of God.
00:29:01.70\00:29:03.94
And so here we see,
00:29:03.97\00:29:05.47
we're going to start here
in Acts Chapter 7, of course,
00:29:05.51\00:29:07.24
this is the
experience of Stephen.
00:29:07.28\00:29:09.68
And, of course, it comes
within the context of him
00:29:09.71\00:29:11.95
about to be stoned.
00:29:11.98\00:29:13.35
And so notice
what the Bible says
00:29:13.38\00:29:14.72
beginning in
Acts 7:54 and onward.
00:29:14.75\00:29:18.19
It says, "When
they heard these things
00:29:18.22\00:29:20.06
they were cut to the heart,
00:29:20.09\00:29:21.72
and they gnashed at
him with their teeth."
00:29:21.76\00:29:23.69
This is the
Sanhedrin judges here,
00:29:23.73\00:29:27.16
but he's speaking of Stephen,
00:29:27.20\00:29:29.96
"But he, being
full of the Holy Spirit,
00:29:30.00\00:29:32.23
gazed into heaven
and saw the glory of God,
00:29:32.27\00:29:35.20
and Jesus
00:29:35.24\00:29:36.57
standing at the
right hand of God and said,
00:29:36.60\00:29:38.27
'Look, I see the heavens open
00:29:38.31\00:29:40.31
and the Son of man standing
at the right hand of God.' "
00:29:40.34\00:29:43.85
This brother is about to die.
00:29:43.88\00:29:45.81
I mean, he's on
his deathbed, but yet,
00:29:45.85\00:29:48.05
full of the Holy Spirit,
00:29:48.08\00:29:49.78
he finds means
to uplift the Lord
00:29:49.82\00:29:51.75
and to witness for
the Lord right there.
00:29:51.79\00:29:53.79
The Holy Spirit
strengthened Stephen
00:29:53.82\00:29:56.42
to witness for Jesus
in the face of a ruthless
00:29:56.46\00:29:59.59
and out of control
mob stoning him to death.
00:29:59.63\00:30:02.10
What does that say
about us in these last days?
00:30:02.13\00:30:04.23
Man, I want that kind of power.
00:30:04.27\00:30:06.27
I want that kind of faith.
00:30:06.30\00:30:07.64
Let's move on
quickly to Acts Chapter 8.
00:30:07.67\00:30:09.97
We're going to go
to the next chapter.
00:30:10.01\00:30:11.34
Now we're
looking at the instance
00:30:11.37\00:30:12.74
in which the Holy
Spirit uses Philip,
00:30:12.77\00:30:14.94
the disciple here.
00:30:14.98\00:30:16.31
And, of course,
beginning in verse 29,
00:30:16.34\00:30:18.01
and reading on to
verse 30 of Acts Chapter 8,
00:30:18.05\00:30:20.38
notice what the Bible says.
00:30:20.42\00:30:21.75
It says, "Then the
Spirit said to Philip,
00:30:21.78\00:30:24.75
'Go near and
overtake this chariot.'
00:30:24.79\00:30:27.76
So Philip ran to him,
00:30:27.79\00:30:29.52
and heard him
reading the prophet Isaiah,
00:30:29.56\00:30:31.96
and said, 'Do you understand
what you are reading?' "
00:30:31.99\00:30:35.63
This is powerful, because again,
00:30:35.66\00:30:37.53
oftentimes the Holy Spirit
will give you a holy boldness,
00:30:37.57\00:30:40.67
to be able to
go into a situation
00:30:40.70\00:30:42.70
that otherwise you yourself
00:30:42.74\00:30:44.21
would not have chosen to do,
00:30:44.24\00:30:45.57
but the Holy Spirit will impress
00:30:45.61\00:30:47.14
upon a person's
heart do this and go.
00:30:47.18\00:30:49.31
And in this case,
he was addressing,
00:30:49.34\00:30:52.51
you know, a person
within the royal line
00:30:52.55\00:30:55.72
or within the royal palace
of the Ethiopian government.
00:30:55.75\00:30:58.92
And, of course,
00:30:58.95\00:31:00.29
this was a higher
person, obviously.
00:31:00.32\00:31:01.76
But he felt the need
impressed by the Holy Spirit
00:31:01.79\00:31:04.26
and as it said here,
the Holy Spirit told him go.
00:31:04.29\00:31:06.63
And so, he
miraculously guided Philip
00:31:06.66\00:31:08.93
to an influential
truth seeking Ethiopian
00:31:08.96\00:31:12.63
to open up the
continent of Africa
00:31:12.67\00:31:15.17
for the gospel,
00:31:15.20\00:31:16.54
which is powerful
in this one instance.
00:31:16.57\00:31:18.34
I remember one
time hearing a story,
00:31:18.37\00:31:20.64
it was when I was
with Amazing Facts.
00:31:20.68\00:31:22.41
And there was a
story that often fluctuated
00:31:22.44\00:31:24.15
because there was a
couple of evangelists
00:31:24.18\00:31:25.51
on the team
00:31:25.55\00:31:26.88
that witnessed another
Amazing Facts evangelist
00:31:26.92\00:31:29.02
at an actual live
public evangelistic series,
00:31:29.05\00:31:32.32
and they were
getting toward the end
00:31:32.35\00:31:33.69
of the evangelistic series.
00:31:33.72\00:31:35.06
And they had been, you know,
giving appeals they had been,
00:31:35.09\00:31:37.63
you know, preaching the gospel
00:31:37.66\00:31:38.99
and had been several people
00:31:39.03\00:31:40.36
that had not
yet made a decision.
00:31:40.40\00:31:41.73
And there was this one guy
that they had visited often,
00:31:41.76\00:31:44.53
and, you know, pled with
him and really worked with him
00:31:44.57\00:31:46.80
and he was receiving the truth,
00:31:46.84\00:31:48.44
had no problem
with all of the truth
00:31:48.47\00:31:49.94
he was learning,
00:31:49.97\00:31:51.31
but he just hadn't
made a decision yet.
00:31:51.34\00:31:53.04
And the guy that
told me this story,
00:31:53.07\00:31:55.11
he said, "Man, I
was there, I saw this,
00:31:55.14\00:31:56.95
this brother was preaching
00:31:56.98\00:31:58.31
right in the
middle of the sermon
00:31:58.35\00:31:59.68
got down to the altar
call or to the final appeal,
00:31:59.71\00:32:02.58
and he walked down
the middle of the aisle,
00:32:02.62\00:32:04.29
went right up to this brother
in front of everybody and said,
00:32:04.32\00:32:06.29
"Brother, you need to
give your heart to the Lord
00:32:06.32\00:32:08.79
right here tonight."
00:32:08.82\00:32:10.56
Now that kind of
got some shocking
00:32:10.59\00:32:12.33
because we don't usually
take those very, you know,
00:32:12.36\00:32:14.66
straightforward bold ways
of bringing people to the Lord,
00:32:14.70\00:32:17.50
and a lot of
people might find that
00:32:17.53\00:32:18.87
to be offensive.
00:32:18.90\00:32:20.24
But nonetheless later
when they asked him and said,
00:32:20.27\00:32:21.60
"Why would you do such a thing?
00:32:21.64\00:32:22.97
That was bold, you
know, that was risky."
00:32:23.00\00:32:24.84
He said, "I just felt
the Holy Spirit inspired me
00:32:24.87\00:32:26.91
to tell this brother
00:32:26.94\00:32:28.28
that he needed
to make a decision
00:32:28.31\00:32:29.64
for the Lord tonight."
00:32:29.68\00:32:31.01
He did and that
brother was baptized
00:32:31.05\00:32:32.55
and he's a worker
in the church today,
00:32:32.58\00:32:34.15
it's powerful story to hear.
00:32:34.18\00:32:35.68
So the Holy Spirit
works in various ways,
00:32:35.72\00:32:38.45
it works in ways
00:32:38.49\00:32:39.82
that sometimes
surpasses our understanding,
00:32:39.85\00:32:42.39
but we just simply
need to be obedient
00:32:42.42\00:32:45.39
and follow the Lord.
00:32:45.43\00:32:46.76
So notice Acts Chapter 11.
00:32:46.80\00:32:48.13
Let's go really
quickly to Acts Chapter 11.
00:32:48.16\00:32:50.33
Of course, this
is referring to Jesus
00:32:50.37\00:32:53.27
or excuse me,
00:32:53.30\00:32:54.64
Peter and his experience
with Cornelius's house,
00:32:54.67\00:32:56.87
but notice
beginning in verse 15.
00:32:56.91\00:32:58.67
It says, "And I began to speak,
the Holy Spirit fell upon them,
00:32:58.71\00:33:02.88
as upon us at the beginning.
00:33:02.91\00:33:04.48
Then I remembered
the word of the Lord,
00:33:04.51\00:33:06.48
how He said,
00:33:06.51\00:33:07.85
'John indeed
baptized with water,
00:33:07.88\00:33:09.22
but you shall be baptized
with the Holy Spirit.' "
00:33:09.25\00:33:12.62
So the Holy
Spirit in this instance
00:33:12.65\00:33:14.16
gave Peter a
confirmatorial sign,
00:33:14.19\00:33:17.86
when the Gentile
believers also received
00:33:17.89\00:33:20.10
the gift of the Holy
Spirit, so that's one.
00:33:20.13\00:33:21.96
But I also love here
00:33:22.00\00:33:23.33
that just as
pastor brought up earlier
00:33:23.37\00:33:24.93
the attributes and the powerful,
00:33:24.97\00:33:26.63
wonderful work
of the Holy Spirit,
00:33:26.67\00:33:28.04
the Bible tells us
in John Chapter 14,
00:33:28.07\00:33:30.41
that the Holy
Spirit will also bring
00:33:30.44\00:33:32.47
all things to our remembrance.
00:33:32.51\00:33:33.84
And in this
case, he reminded Peter
00:33:33.88\00:33:35.78
of the word of the
Lord, which is wonderful.
00:33:35.81\00:33:38.55
Acts 15, moving on quickly,
00:33:38.58\00:33:39.91
because we have
little time here.
00:33:39.95\00:33:41.28
Acts 15.
00:33:41.32\00:33:42.65
We're going to see all
of these multiple examples
00:33:42.68\00:33:44.42
of how the Holy Spirit works.
00:33:44.45\00:33:45.79
This is Acts 15, which I believe
00:33:45.82\00:33:47.16
this is referring to
the council at Jerusalem.
00:33:47.19\00:33:49.99
So notice what it says here,
00:33:50.03\00:33:51.36
Acts 15,
beginning with verse 28.
00:33:51.39\00:33:53.16
It says, "For it seemed good
to the Holy Spirit, and to us,
00:33:53.19\00:33:56.80
to lay upon you
no greater burden
00:33:56.83\00:33:58.93
than these necessary things:
00:33:58.97\00:34:00.84
that you abstain from
things offered to idols,
00:34:00.87\00:34:03.00
from blood, from
things strangled,
00:34:03.04\00:34:04.84
and from sexual immorality.
00:34:04.87\00:34:06.47
If you keep yourselves
from these, you will do well."
00:34:06.51\00:34:09.71
So in this instance,
00:34:09.74\00:34:11.08
we see the Holy Spirit
00:34:11.11\00:34:12.45
brought the
church together in unity
00:34:12.48\00:34:14.22
at a time
00:34:14.25\00:34:15.58
when it could
easily have been split
00:34:15.62\00:34:17.42
over the issue of circumcision.
00:34:17.45\00:34:19.19
We could use a
little bit of that today.
00:34:19.22\00:34:20.86
You know, we need the
Holy Spirit to unify us
00:34:20.89\00:34:22.99
on some of these
issues that often, you know,
00:34:23.02\00:34:24.89
the devil tries to
use to split God's Church,
00:34:24.93\00:34:27.33
but we see the Holy Spirit
working among God's people
00:34:27.36\00:34:30.10
to unify them in
these trying times.
00:34:30.13\00:34:32.73
There's one more
example I may not read
00:34:32.77\00:34:34.20
the entire thing
for lack of time,
00:34:34.24\00:34:35.80
but Acts Chapter
16, very next chapter,
00:34:35.84\00:34:40.18
this is the instance in which,
well, let's just read it here.
00:34:40.21\00:34:43.28
Verse 6, Acts 16:6, this is,
00:34:43.31\00:34:45.31
"Now when they had
gone through Phrygia
00:34:45.35\00:34:47.18
and the region of Galatia,
00:34:47.22\00:34:48.72
they were
forbidden by the Holy Spirit
00:34:48.75\00:34:50.29
to preach the word in Asia.
00:34:50.32\00:34:52.42
After they had come to Mysia,
00:34:52.45\00:34:54.26
which tried to go into Bithynia,
00:34:54.29\00:34:56.42
but the Spirit
did not permit them.
00:34:56.46\00:34:58.36
So passing by Mysia,
they came down to Troas.
00:34:58.39\00:35:01.20
And a vision
appeared to Paul in the night.
00:35:01.23\00:35:04.37
A man of Macedonia stood
and pleaded with him, saying,
00:35:04.40\00:35:07.54
'Come over to
Macedonia and help us.'
00:35:07.57\00:35:10.11
Now after he had seen
the vision, immediately,
00:35:10.14\00:35:12.57
we sought to go to Macedonia,
00:35:12.61\00:35:14.34
concluding that
the Lord had called us
00:35:14.38\00:35:16.24
to preach the gospel to them.
00:35:16.28\00:35:18.61
So what does they show us here?
00:35:18.65\00:35:20.38
This is powerful.
00:35:20.42\00:35:21.75
The Holy Spirit opened up
the entire continent of Europe
00:35:21.78\00:35:25.55
to the preaching of the
gospel through the Apostle Paul.
00:35:25.59\00:35:28.26
You know, Paul was deceased.
00:35:28.29\00:35:29.62
His plan was to go over here.
00:35:29.66\00:35:30.99
"I'm going to go to Mysia.
00:35:31.03\00:35:32.36
I'm going to go
over here to Bithynia."
00:35:32.39\00:35:33.73
"No, no, no,"
the Holy Spirit said,
00:35:33.76\00:35:35.10
"No, no, that's not
where I want you to go."
00:35:35.13\00:35:36.46
He gave Paul a vision,
He impressed upon his heart,
00:35:36.50\00:35:37.87
you need to go over here
to this brother in Macedonia.
00:35:37.90\00:35:40.20
And through that
it opened the way
00:35:40.24\00:35:41.70
for the gospel to
pour open into Europe.
00:35:41.74\00:35:44.94
The Holy Spirit was active
in the New Testament Church,
00:35:44.97\00:35:48.41
and it is active in the
life of the church today
00:35:48.44\00:35:50.61
and we need to remember that,
00:35:50.65\00:35:51.98
we need to be surrendered
to God's Spirit today.
00:35:52.01\00:35:54.75
We need to ask Him
into our heart and say,
00:35:54.78\00:35:56.35
"Lord, guide me, lead me,
00:35:56.38\00:35:58.02
show me what it is,
00:35:58.05\00:35:59.39
show me where you want me to go.
00:35:59.42\00:36:01.19
Lord, help me to
surrender to you today, Lord."
00:36:01.22\00:36:03.63
And so that's my
prayer for myself.
00:36:03.66\00:36:05.26
That's my prayer for the church.
00:36:05.29\00:36:06.83
And so, hey, we
need to be surrendering
00:36:06.86\00:36:08.26
to the Holy Spirit,
00:36:08.30\00:36:09.63
so we can be a
witness today, Brother Kenny.
00:36:09.66\00:36:12.27
Praise the Lord.
00:36:12.30\00:36:13.64
Thank you for that
00:36:13.67\00:36:15.00
for the good
foundation, all three.
00:36:15.04\00:36:16.37
Praise God for that.
00:36:16.40\00:36:17.74
All right, Wednesday's lesson
it talks about, interesting,
00:36:17.77\00:36:20.11
"The Holy Spirit and
Word and Witnessing."
00:36:20.14\00:36:22.84
So I see a awful
lot of time on that.
00:36:22.88\00:36:24.81
So we'll just try
to do the best we can
00:36:24.85\00:36:26.18
by the grace of God.
00:36:26.21\00:36:27.55
First I want to do it,
00:36:27.58\00:36:28.92
there's a
paragraph I found in book
00:36:28.95\00:36:30.29
called Education 126.
00:36:30.32\00:36:32.22
Why? Because it's powerful.
00:36:32.25\00:36:33.59
We've been talking
about the power of Pentecost.
00:36:33.62\00:36:35.29
We've been talking
00:36:35.32\00:36:36.66
about the power
of the Word of God,
00:36:36.69\00:36:38.03
but the power of
miracles that God,
00:36:38.06\00:36:39.86
miracles that God used,
00:36:39.89\00:36:41.60
you see through individuals
who are willing to be used,
00:36:41.63\00:36:43.80
but it says here.
00:36:43.83\00:36:45.17
It says, "The creative energy
00:36:45.20\00:36:46.53
that called the
world into existence
00:36:46.57\00:36:49.50
is in the Word of God."
00:36:49.54\00:36:51.51
Now, let's, lot of people say,
00:36:51.54\00:36:52.87
"Well, I don't understand that."
00:36:52.91\00:36:54.24
But you know, Hebrews 11:3 says,
00:36:54.28\00:36:55.61
"The worlds were
framed by," what?
00:36:55.64\00:36:58.31
"The Word of God."
00:36:58.35\00:36:59.68
These worlds here.
00:36:59.71\00:37:01.05
So in other words, it looks
like what you're saying here,
00:37:01.08\00:37:02.45
the world's an exit,
the Word of God is powerful,
00:37:02.48\00:37:06.19
much more than maybe
some of us can really realize
00:37:06.22\00:37:08.19
how powerful it is.
00:37:08.22\00:37:09.86
Goes on and says,
"This word imparts power."
00:37:09.89\00:37:13.70
We know the Bible
talks about in Hebrews 4:12.
00:37:13.73\00:37:16.80
It says, it's powerful.
00:37:16.83\00:37:18.23
The Word of God is powerful,
00:37:18.27\00:37:20.34
you know, sharper
than any two-edged sword.
00:37:20.37\00:37:22.50
So we know the
Word of God is powerful.
00:37:22.54\00:37:25.07
It begets life.
00:37:25.11\00:37:26.44
It produces life,
00:37:26.47\00:37:28.01
the Word of God,
there's life in the Word.
00:37:28.04\00:37:29.74
So when the Word is spoken,
there's life, it goes out.
00:37:29.78\00:37:32.61
Every command, I love this,
every command is a promise.
00:37:32.65\00:37:36.95
I love that, I tell you why,
00:37:36.99\00:37:38.55
Hebrews 10:23,
said he is faithful.
00:37:38.59\00:37:41.82
Notice that of the things
00:37:41.86\00:37:43.76
that He's
faithful that promised.
00:37:43.79\00:37:45.86
So we know that God's
faithful, anything He's promised
00:37:45.89\00:37:47.83
He's faithful
in fulfilling that.
00:37:47.86\00:37:50.07
And then it says here,
00:37:50.10\00:37:51.43
"Received into the soul
00:37:51.47\00:37:52.80
it brings with it the
life of the infinite one."
00:37:52.83\00:37:56.44
We need life in us.
00:37:56.47\00:37:58.57
We need life, we
say in the church.
00:37:58.61\00:38:00.18
We need life in our
experience with Christ.
00:38:00.21\00:38:03.21
It transforms the nature,
00:38:03.24\00:38:05.65
and it recreates the
soul in the image of God.
00:38:05.68\00:38:08.52
That means it changes the
mind and the heart, right?
00:38:08.55\00:38:11.05
Romans 12:2, we
need a transformation,
00:38:11.09\00:38:13.86
we need a change.
00:38:13.89\00:38:15.22
And I really believe
00:38:15.26\00:38:16.59
that we were just
as God's people today
00:38:16.62\00:38:18.03
just simply said,
Lord, I need to change.
00:38:18.06\00:38:20.03
You know, been going
on for years the same way,
00:38:20.06\00:38:21.66
I don't want it to
go on like this anymore.
00:38:21.70\00:38:23.63
I want to experience that.
00:38:23.67\00:38:25.00
And I'm like rest of you,
00:38:25.03\00:38:26.37
used to talk about when
you read the Book of Acts,
00:38:26.40\00:38:27.90
I keep saying, Man, I
want more of that experience.
00:38:27.94\00:38:30.64
And many of you, I'm
sure have experienced that,
00:38:30.67\00:38:32.31
but God's going to do it
00:38:32.34\00:38:33.68
in greater and
greater depth than I think.
00:38:33.71\00:38:35.64
Just I'm really enjoying that,
00:38:35.68\00:38:37.01
looking forward to
what God is going to do.
00:38:37.05\00:38:38.88
2 Corinthians 3:18,
00:38:38.91\00:38:40.25
"Beholding the glory of the Lord
00:38:40.28\00:38:41.62
we're changed into," what?
00:38:41.65\00:38:43.18
"The same image,"
when it says here,
00:38:43.22\00:38:45.02
"that the Word of
God will change us
00:38:45.05\00:38:47.02
into the image of God."
00:38:47.06\00:38:48.39
So I like to say our
job or our commission
00:38:48.42\00:38:51.39
is simply here is to, you know,
00:38:51.43\00:38:53.70
just simply be open
00:38:53.73\00:38:55.06
and ask the Holy
Spirit to come into us
00:38:55.10\00:38:57.73
and change our life.
00:38:57.77\00:38:59.53
And it's
certainly through the word
00:38:59.57\00:39:01.00
that God has inspired
00:39:01.04\00:39:02.84
and you know, maybe
it's not the problem
00:39:02.87\00:39:04.31
is we've not
been reading the Word
00:39:04.34\00:39:06.01
like we should
be reading the Word,
00:39:06.04\00:39:07.74
spending time in the Word.
00:39:07.78\00:39:09.28
This is what it takes.
00:39:09.31\00:39:10.65
You know, how are we going?
00:39:10.68\00:39:12.01
How's it going to benefit us
00:39:12.05\00:39:13.65
if we're not
really spending time
00:39:13.68\00:39:15.02
in prayer and in study?
00:39:15.05\00:39:17.42
Our lesson brings
out the word is shared
00:39:17.45\00:39:19.99
when it shared something
good is about to happen.
00:39:20.02\00:39:23.02
You know the song
something good is on its way.
00:39:23.06\00:39:25.03
Something good
is about to happen.
00:39:25.06\00:39:27.10
Example, some of
them have mentioned here
00:39:27.13\00:39:28.70
about Peter,
00:39:28.73\00:39:30.07
the Sermon on
the Day of Pentecost,
00:39:30.10\00:39:31.63
what happened, quickly.
00:39:31.67\00:39:33.17
There was, why
there was conversions,
00:39:33.20\00:39:35.20
the Word of God when
it went out with power,
00:39:35.24\00:39:37.11
Holy Spirit accompanied,
there were conversions,
00:39:37.14\00:39:38.97
people were changed.
00:39:39.01\00:39:40.34
That's right.
Stephen dying testimony.
00:39:40.38\00:39:42.98
What did it do? It changed life.
00:39:43.01\00:39:45.11
Oh, just those
who have witnessed it,
00:39:45.15\00:39:46.95
it just changed it.
00:39:46.98\00:39:48.35
Paul, he told over and
over of the coming of Messiah,
00:39:48.38\00:39:52.35
Jesus the Messiah.
00:39:52.39\00:39:53.72
So all these
prophecies in there,
00:39:53.76\00:39:55.36
and then we fill up
00:39:55.39\00:39:56.73
I think that you
mentioned about Philip.
00:39:56.76\00:39:58.09
You know what, it was Isaiah
53 that resulted in a baptism.
00:39:58.13\00:40:03.63
So I could think of
that's kind of exciting right
00:40:03.67\00:40:05.33
to preach out anybody
else that there's baptism.
00:40:05.37\00:40:07.40
So I said, you
know the Word of God,
00:40:07.44\00:40:09.27
there's conversion,
there's changed lives.
00:40:09.30\00:40:11.87
You know, this has changed heart
00:40:11.91\00:40:13.34
and there's the, you know,
coming of the Messiah Jesus.
00:40:13.38\00:40:15.91
And then there's baptism.
00:40:15.94\00:40:17.68
Read a few passages
quickly that shows relationship
00:40:17.71\00:40:20.88
between the Holy
Spirit and the Word
00:40:20.92\00:40:23.79
and witnessing in
the New Testament.
00:40:23.82\00:40:25.92
I think was already read,
we read it in Acts Chapter 4,
00:40:25.95\00:40:28.86
we read it again.
00:40:28.89\00:40:30.23
Sometimes these things overlap,
00:40:30.26\00:40:31.59
but hopefully we can
draw something too from it
00:40:31.63\00:40:33.90
each time that we read it.
00:40:33.93\00:40:35.46
Acts 4:4, it says,
00:40:35.50\00:40:37.83
"How many of them
which heard the word, "
00:40:37.87\00:40:39.90
what did they do?
00:40:39.93\00:40:41.27
Bible says, "They
believed it," notice,
00:40:41.30\00:40:43.41
"and the number
was about 5,000."
00:40:43.44\00:40:45.31
Man, that's it.
00:40:45.34\00:40:46.68
Whoo, talk about
blessings, right?
00:40:46.71\00:40:48.04
Five thousand.
Yeah, we love that.
00:40:48.08\00:40:50.15
And verse 34,
00:40:50.18\00:40:51.51
"Neither was there
any among them that lacked
00:40:51.55\00:40:54.35
for as many as were
possessors of lands and houses."
00:40:54.38\00:40:57.42
You talk about
change of the Holy Spirit,
00:40:57.45\00:40:59.19
something took place.
00:40:59.22\00:41:00.56
We became unselfish.
00:41:00.59\00:41:01.92
Selfish became unselfish.
00:41:01.96\00:41:03.86
And they began
to sell what they...
00:41:03.89\00:41:05.23
sold what they had,
00:41:05.26\00:41:06.59
and they brought
00:41:06.63\00:41:07.96
the money back
in and they begin.
00:41:08.00\00:41:09.33
It's all common.
00:41:09.36\00:41:10.70
We're just going to
share with everybody.
00:41:10.73\00:41:12.07
You know, that can't happen
00:41:12.10\00:41:13.44
without the power
of the Holy Spirit.
00:41:13.47\00:41:15.80
No hoarding at all,
like we see happening.
00:41:15.84\00:41:17.77
That's exactly, no hoarding.
00:41:17.81\00:41:19.44
Everyone was willing to share
00:41:19.47\00:41:20.94
and to give to his
brother and his sister.
00:41:20.98\00:41:22.94
So we realized
00:41:22.98\00:41:24.31
as the Holy Spirit began to work
00:41:24.35\00:41:25.78
in the hearts of
New Testament Church,
00:41:25.81\00:41:27.88
the people accepted the call.
00:41:27.92\00:41:30.22
We need to accept the
call today, do we not?
00:41:30.25\00:41:32.35
Accept the call,
but how they did it?
00:41:32.39\00:41:34.96
They did it with such
vigor, such excitement,
00:41:34.99\00:41:38.43
such enthusiasm,
00:41:38.46\00:41:40.20
that it began to rub
off on those roundabout,
00:41:40.23\00:41:42.46
they did it
with, you know, power,
00:41:42.50\00:41:43.93
they did it courageously,
00:41:43.97\00:41:45.30
it talk about
boldly they accepted,
00:41:45.33\00:41:47.20
you know, the
power in the Word of God.
00:41:47.24\00:41:49.34
They began to publish
everything they could,
00:41:49.37\00:41:51.74
they begin to
preach wherever they could,
00:41:51.77\00:41:53.58
and they had the
example of Jesus Christ.
00:41:53.61\00:41:56.78
We can't go wrong if we
publish and we teach that
00:41:56.81\00:41:59.48
which Christ came as He taught.
00:41:59.51\00:42:01.52
We just need to
take that right now.
00:42:01.55\00:42:03.62
And it becomes lively,
00:42:03.65\00:42:04.99
it becomes something
00:42:05.02\00:42:06.35
that we need
excited about to learn
00:42:06.39\00:42:08.12
that we want
this same experience.
00:42:08.16\00:42:09.99
And I like this part, it
says great grace, Acts 4:33,
00:42:10.03\00:42:15.03
we need to consider
this great, notice this,
00:42:15.06\00:42:17.37
"Great grace was given to them,"
00:42:17.40\00:42:19.83
notice, "them all.
00:42:19.87\00:42:21.80
And we need the grace,"
00:42:21.84\00:42:23.17
notice this, why
we need the grace?
00:42:23.20\00:42:24.74
"Because the grace of God
00:42:24.77\00:42:26.54
is that which
qualifies us for service."
00:42:26.57\00:42:29.91
Isn't it?
Without it, it's nothing.
00:42:29.94\00:42:31.88
Well, I have
this and I have that,
00:42:31.91\00:42:33.78
well, all right, you have that.
00:42:33.82\00:42:36.45
But what qualifies
you to work for the master
00:42:36.48\00:42:38.72
is the grace of God, right?
00:42:38.75\00:42:40.62
The grace and the power of God.
00:42:40.66\00:42:42.42
It comes from
above. It's a fruit.
00:42:42.46\00:42:44.96
You've talked
about fruit of grace
00:42:44.99\00:42:46.59
appeared to all they
said and all that they did.
00:42:46.63\00:42:50.97
That is such a good thought.
00:42:51.00\00:42:52.60
Everything that they
said, everything that they did,
00:42:52.63\00:42:56.54
was seasoned with grace.
00:42:56.57\00:42:58.47
It was seeds that
were more planted,
00:42:58.51\00:43:01.98
people made
decisions for Christ.
00:43:02.01\00:43:03.85
They were filled
with the Holy Spirit
00:43:03.88\00:43:05.25
and the power of God.
00:43:05.28\00:43:07.28
They even loosed,
00:43:07.32\00:43:10.82
they even loosed the pocketbook,
00:43:10.85\00:43:12.55
you know of the stingy,
00:43:12.59\00:43:14.32
even the checkbook
00:43:14.36\00:43:16.83
you know that
before when they had
00:43:16.86\00:43:18.56
the checkbook out.
00:43:18.59\00:43:20.13
Okay, stay with me.
00:43:20.16\00:43:21.50
There was just
zero maybe there now
00:43:21.53\00:43:23.10
when the power of
the Holy Spirit comes,
00:43:23.13\00:43:24.77
you start adding a
couple of more zeros.
00:43:24.80\00:43:26.90
Some of you can do
that right now at 3ABN
00:43:26.94\00:43:28.67
because, you know, we
need to get this gospel
00:43:28.70\00:43:30.24
preach it all the world, right?
00:43:30.27\00:43:31.91
And just put it one to zero
00:43:31.94\00:43:33.27
just start
putting a bunch of zeros,
00:43:33.31\00:43:34.64
it all be good.
00:43:34.68\00:43:36.01
That's what the
Spirit of the Living God did
00:43:36.04\00:43:38.01
when it come into
the hearts and the life
00:43:38.05\00:43:40.05
whatever they had
was really of no value.
00:43:40.08\00:43:43.35
And they begin to
realize that what they have...
00:43:43.39\00:43:45.82
One man said it something,
he says so beautiful was this,
00:43:45.85\00:43:48.16
you know, whatever
we have in this life,
00:43:48.19\00:43:50.26
you know, it's just a,
00:43:50.29\00:43:51.63
well really what
seemed like he said
00:43:51.66\00:43:53.66
it belongs more to
God than it does to us.
00:43:53.70\00:43:57.33
We know that's a
fact but he's like,
00:43:57.37\00:43:58.77
he's trying to sort it out.
00:43:58.80\00:44:00.44
It really, really belongs to Him
00:44:00.47\00:44:01.80
more than it does to us.
00:44:01.84\00:44:03.17
Absolutely, it does.
00:44:03.20\00:44:04.74
Pocketbooks were
leaking, loosen, you know.
00:44:04.77\00:44:07.78
These believers were so excited,
00:44:07.81\00:44:11.15
you know with the
hope of another world
00:44:11.18\00:44:13.25
that again
everything they had was just,
00:44:13.28\00:44:15.45
I like it simply nothing.
00:44:15.48\00:44:17.59
No man the Bible
said in Acts 4:32.
00:44:17.62\00:44:20.59
Notice, no man said that
00:44:20.62\00:44:21.96
all of the things
which he possessed was his.
00:44:21.99\00:44:25.23
That was his own,
everything was in common.
00:44:25.26\00:44:28.06
I mean, how can we do that?
00:44:28.10\00:44:29.43
We can't go through
any kind of a disaster
00:44:29.46\00:44:31.23
or something or somebody
says a disaster is coming,
00:44:31.27\00:44:34.40
we go clean the shelves.
00:44:34.44\00:44:36.67
We don't care if
somebody has something else
00:44:36.71\00:44:38.17
on there some time,
00:44:38.21\00:44:39.54
you know what I'm talking about.
00:44:39.57\00:44:40.91
We just want to get for me,
00:44:40.94\00:44:42.28
mine and I but
here this situation,
00:44:42.31\00:44:43.68
it wasn't about self anymore.
00:44:43.71\00:44:45.35
When the Spirit
of the Living God
00:44:45.38\00:44:46.72
really comes in, we go on,
00:44:46.75\00:44:48.08
we put self you
know, on the back burner,
00:44:48.12\00:44:49.98
and we begin to look to others.
00:44:50.02\00:44:51.35
Praise God.
00:44:51.39\00:44:52.72
They no longer
called it their own,
00:44:52.75\00:44:54.69
what they had forsaken.
00:44:54.72\00:44:56.06
They've had forsaken
all for the cause of Christ.
00:44:56.09\00:44:58.89
Man, what a church?
00:44:58.93\00:45:00.66
What a people of God?
00:45:00.70\00:45:02.66
If we would simply
follow what the Word of God says
00:45:02.70\00:45:04.93
like Mark 38:34,
00:45:04.97\00:45:07.37
he simply says
Jesus said, deny what?
00:45:07.40\00:45:10.51
Deny self and take up
the cross and follow me.
00:45:10.54\00:45:14.74
The biggest enemy we all
have, we realize this self,
00:45:14.78\00:45:17.15
we can say it
over and over and over,
00:45:17.18\00:45:18.51
but it really is,
00:45:18.55\00:45:19.88
no one's going to
take up the cross.
00:45:19.91\00:45:21.58
No one's going to follow,
as long as self is in the way,
00:45:21.62\00:45:26.32
you know, as women
give, the man said,
00:45:26.35\00:45:28.19
and I think so
here's I was quoting
00:45:28.22\00:45:29.56
while ago trying to,
00:45:29.59\00:45:30.93
I believe that what we
have is more God's than ours.
00:45:30.96\00:45:33.16
That's good.
00:45:33.19\00:45:34.53
What we have is from
God and what God loans us,
00:45:34.56\00:45:37.43
we are certainly to
give to the cause of Christ.
00:45:37.47\00:45:40.50
They learn from the Word of God,
00:45:40.54\00:45:43.30
they were empowered
00:45:43.34\00:45:44.81
by the Holy Spirit of
the Living God, to what?
00:45:44.84\00:45:48.24
To witness for Him for others.
00:45:48.28\00:45:50.98
And certainly, when
you read about this,
00:45:51.01\00:45:53.18
you just get excited
00:45:53.21\00:45:54.55
and you want to just put
everything aside right quick
00:45:54.58\00:45:56.65
and start running out
trying to get somebody.
00:45:56.69\00:45:58.69
Will anybody listen, you
know, when somebody's listening,
00:45:58.72\00:46:02.16
we're excited.
00:46:02.19\00:46:03.53
If you went out with
that kind of enthusiasm
00:46:03.56\00:46:04.89
and the power
of the Holy Spirit,
00:46:04.93\00:46:06.26
there would be people
out there that would listen.
00:46:06.29\00:46:08.70
This is the
hour. This is the day.
00:46:08.73\00:46:10.50
If it's not now,
when is it going to be?
00:46:10.53\00:46:12.70
When is it really going to be.
00:46:12.73\00:46:14.24
Now witness for
Jesus, He's coming soon.
00:46:14.27\00:46:16.17
We need to be
ready for that wonderful,
00:46:16.20\00:46:17.54
beautiful day.
00:46:17.57\00:46:18.91
Amen.
00:46:18.94\00:46:20.28
Thank you so much, Pastor Kenny.
00:46:20.31\00:46:21.64
What an incredible
study each one of you.
00:46:21.68\00:46:23.85
I love the Book of
Acts as you open it up
00:46:23.88\00:46:26.31
and you read and you
see the growth of the church
00:46:26.35\00:46:28.65
and the power of the Holy Spirit
00:46:28.68\00:46:31.32
on ordinary men and women.
00:46:31.35\00:46:33.46
As you mentioned,
00:46:33.49\00:46:34.82
what an incredible
difference the Holy Spirit makes
00:46:34.86\00:46:38.53
in the life of the Christian.
00:46:38.56\00:46:40.50
On Thursday, we look at
the life transforming power
00:46:40.53\00:46:44.27
of the Holy Spirit.
00:46:44.30\00:46:45.70
This is really the role
00:46:45.73\00:46:47.07
the Holy Spirit
plays in conversion
00:46:47.10\00:46:49.40
in changing people's lives.
00:46:49.44\00:46:50.77
And the lesson brings
out four specific examples
00:46:50.81\00:46:53.58
from the Book of Acts,
00:46:53.61\00:46:55.18
and we see the role
that the Holy Spirit played
00:46:55.21\00:46:57.85
in each one of their conversion.
00:46:57.88\00:47:00.28
Lord willing, we will get
00:47:00.32\00:47:01.65
through all four
of these examples.
00:47:01.68\00:47:03.79
So example number one
is Lydia seller of purple.
00:47:03.82\00:47:08.06
Okay.
00:47:08.09\00:47:09.42
So all four of these examples
00:47:09.46\00:47:10.79
are actually
Paul encountered them
00:47:10.83\00:47:12.59
on his second
missionary journey.
00:47:12.63\00:47:16.30
We know that he visited
many places, he met Timothy,
00:47:16.33\00:47:19.23
of course, in Lystra
00:47:19.27\00:47:20.60
and then he traveled
through many different places,
00:47:20.64\00:47:23.20
modern day Turkey,
00:47:23.24\00:47:24.57
then received the call
00:47:24.61\00:47:25.94
to come over to
Macedonia and help us.
00:47:25.97\00:47:28.44
He went to modern day Greece
00:47:28.48\00:47:29.94
and we know that
he went to Philippi.
00:47:29.98\00:47:31.41
That's where he
encountered Lydia
00:47:31.45\00:47:33.68
and we'll discuss her story.
00:47:33.72\00:47:35.08
She's the first one
then Paul and Silas,
00:47:35.12\00:47:37.59
and the Philippian jailer,
00:47:37.62\00:47:39.45
we'll discuss his
story and his conversion.
00:47:39.49\00:47:41.59
Then, of course,
00:47:41.62\00:47:42.96
they went to
Thessalonica and Berea,
00:47:42.99\00:47:45.19
Athens,
00:47:45.23\00:47:46.56
that's where they
encountered dio...
00:47:46.59\00:47:51.23
Dionysus.
00:47:51.27\00:47:52.60
Thank you, Dionysus.
00:47:52.63\00:47:53.97
I knew I was going
to mess up that word.
00:47:54.00\00:47:55.90
And then we'll
discuss his story.
00:47:55.94\00:47:57.74
And then in
Corinth, we see Crispus
00:47:57.77\00:47:59.67
who was the
ruler of the synagogue.
00:47:59.71\00:48:01.98
So let's take a look at Lydia.
00:48:02.01\00:48:03.45
We're in Acts Chapter 16.
00:48:03.48\00:48:04.98
Turn to Acts Chapter 16.
00:48:05.01\00:48:07.25
And I see two different
things taking place here.
00:48:07.28\00:48:09.48
First we're going to
look at the Holy Spirit
00:48:09.52\00:48:11.82
prepared the apostles,
00:48:11.85\00:48:13.99
then we look at the
Holy Spirit prepared Lydia.
00:48:14.02\00:48:18.39
So let's look at the preparation
00:48:18.43\00:48:19.76
the Holy Spirit
did for the apostles.
00:48:19.79\00:48:21.73
And Ryan
already referenced this.
00:48:21.76\00:48:24.07
This is in Act 16:6, 7, 8, 9.
00:48:24.10\00:48:27.17
First of all, the
Holy Spirit said, don't go.
00:48:27.20\00:48:30.21
They were
forbidden by the Holy Spirit
00:48:30.24\00:48:32.67
to preach the word in Asia,
00:48:32.71\00:48:34.04
that's Acts 16:6,
00:48:34.08\00:48:35.94
and then they wanted
to go to a different place
00:48:35.98\00:48:37.81
and the Holy Spirit
did not permit them.
00:48:37.85\00:48:40.78
Instead, the Holy Spirit said,
"Here is where you need to go."
00:48:40.82\00:48:44.89
And Paul had this
vision and in the night,
00:48:44.92\00:48:47.92
and he needed to go
00:48:47.96\00:48:49.29
over to
Macedonia and to help them.
00:48:49.32\00:48:51.43
So the first thing the
Holy Spirit did is he said,
00:48:51.46\00:48:53.73
don't go here.
00:48:53.76\00:48:55.10
Go over here.
00:48:55.13\00:48:56.46
So the Holy Spirit directed
00:48:56.50\00:48:58.77
the evangelistic efforts of Paul
00:48:58.80\00:49:01.44
and the rest of the disciples.
00:49:01.47\00:49:03.27
Then we see the
apostle's response
00:49:03.30\00:49:04.94
in verse 10.
00:49:04.97\00:49:06.34
We're in Acts 16:10.
00:49:06.37\00:49:07.94
"Now after he," that's
Paul, "had seen the vision
00:49:07.98\00:49:10.71
immediately, we
sought to go to Macedonia,
00:49:10.75\00:49:13.62
concluding that
the Lord had called us
00:49:13.65\00:49:16.28
to preach the gospel to them."
00:49:16.32\00:49:18.39
So when God calls you,
00:49:18.42\00:49:19.89
when the Holy
Spirit prompts your heart
00:49:19.92\00:49:21.92
to do something, you
need to walk in obedience.
00:49:21.96\00:49:25.36
Then we see in verses 12 and 13,
00:49:25.39\00:49:27.46
they encounter Lydia.
00:49:27.50\00:49:30.17
"From there,
they went to Philippi,
00:49:30.20\00:49:31.57
which is the foremost
city of that part of Macedonia,
00:49:31.60\00:49:34.20
a colony,
00:49:34.24\00:49:35.57
and we were staying in
that city for some days.
00:49:35.60\00:49:37.57
And on the Sabbath day,
00:49:37.61\00:49:38.94
we went out of the
city to the Riverside,
00:49:38.97\00:49:40.88
where prayer was
customarily made,
00:49:40.91\00:49:43.61
and we sat down and
spoke to the woman there."
00:49:43.65\00:49:46.72
So first of all,
you might be saying,
00:49:46.75\00:49:48.08
why is he sitting down
00:49:48.12\00:49:49.45
and speaking to the woman there?
00:49:49.48\00:49:50.82
Well, first of all,
00:49:50.85\00:49:52.19
we know that Philippi
00:49:52.22\00:49:53.62
was a very
influential city there
00:49:53.66\00:49:55.39
when Paul went to visit it
00:49:55.42\00:49:56.89
probably between 200
and 500,000 residents.
00:49:56.93\00:50:00.43
It was 10 miles from the coast.
00:50:00.46\00:50:02.30
They had a school of medicine.
00:50:02.33\00:50:03.87
There it was very
much a Roman city.
00:50:03.90\00:50:07.67
They did not have a synagogue,
00:50:07.70\00:50:09.47
because there were
very few Jewish people
00:50:09.50\00:50:12.31
in that city.
00:50:12.34\00:50:13.78
It was required they
had to have 10 Jewish men
00:50:13.81\00:50:17.21
in order to start a synagogue.
00:50:17.25\00:50:19.21
So this tells us
00:50:19.25\00:50:20.58
that probably
they did not even have
00:50:20.62\00:50:22.18
10 Jewish men in that city.
00:50:22.22\00:50:24.79
Therefore, the
woman just met together,
00:50:24.82\00:50:27.22
they had a
women's prayer meeting
00:50:27.26\00:50:28.59
by the river.
00:50:28.62\00:50:29.96
And then we see the Holy
Spirit preparing Lydia's heart.
00:50:29.99\00:50:34.00
Let's look at the
next verse, verse 14.
00:50:34.03\00:50:36.23
"Now a certain woman
named Lydia heard us,
00:50:36.26\00:50:39.13
she was a seller of purple
from the city of Thyatira,
00:50:39.17\00:50:42.97
who worshipped God."
00:50:43.00\00:50:44.74
Now this indicates
00:50:44.77\00:50:46.37
that she had
already come to believe
00:50:46.41\00:50:49.21
in the God of the Jews,
00:50:49.24\00:50:50.91
and she had already
begun to worship on the Sabbath
00:50:50.95\00:50:52.91
because it's the Sabbath day
00:50:52.95\00:50:54.28
and she is there
worshiping by the river
00:50:54.32\00:50:57.05
having this
women's prayer group.
00:50:57.09\00:50:59.02
We see the drawing
power of the Holy Spirit
00:50:59.05\00:51:02.06
before Paul ever showed up.
00:51:02.09\00:51:03.79
We see that God
was already working
00:51:03.83\00:51:05.99
and moving in her heart.
00:51:06.03\00:51:08.63
And then we see
the convicting power
00:51:08.66\00:51:10.13
of the Holy Spirit take
place when Paul begins to speak,
00:51:10.17\00:51:12.67
the second half of that verse.
00:51:12.70\00:51:14.67
It says, "The
Lord opened her heart
00:51:14.70\00:51:17.07
to heed the
things spoken by Paul."
00:51:17.11\00:51:20.38
Now that word opened in
Greek means open up completely.
00:51:20.41\00:51:24.88
We see that Lydia had been drawn
00:51:24.91\00:51:28.28
by the Holy Spirit already
00:51:28.32\00:51:29.72
and have been
led into some truth
00:51:29.75\00:51:31.35
and then Paul
preached Jesus the Messiah,
00:51:31.39\00:51:34.32
and the Lord opened
up her heart completely.
00:51:34.36\00:51:37.33
She responded to
the convicting power
00:51:37.36\00:51:39.73
of the Holy Spirit.
00:51:39.76\00:51:41.10
And in her response, verse 15,
00:51:41.13\00:51:42.93
she and her
household were baptized,
00:51:42.96\00:51:44.83
she begged us saying,
00:51:44.87\00:51:46.47
if you have judged me
to be faithful to the Lord,
00:51:46.50\00:51:48.90
come to my house and stay.
00:51:48.94\00:51:51.07
So she persuaded us,
00:51:51.11\00:51:52.44
she responded to the
Holy Spirit's appeal,
00:51:52.47\00:51:54.24
she witnessed to her family,
00:51:54.28\00:51:55.88
she immediately began to witness
00:51:55.91\00:51:58.91
and minister to others."
00:51:58.95\00:52:01.08
The second example is
the Philippian jailer.
00:52:01.12\00:52:04.29
And the next story
00:52:04.32\00:52:05.99
which we don't
have time to go into,
00:52:06.02\00:52:07.49
but Paul and
Silas are intercepted
00:52:07.52\00:52:09.56
or interrupted by
this fortuneteller,
00:52:09.59\00:52:11.89
the slave girl who
practices divination,
00:52:11.93\00:52:14.66
and she cried for many days,
00:52:14.70\00:52:16.56
these men are
servants of the Most High God.
00:52:16.60\00:52:19.20
And Paul became a bit annoyed,
00:52:19.23\00:52:21.24
and maybe because
00:52:21.27\00:52:22.84
she's interrupting the
preaching of the gospel.
00:52:22.87\00:52:25.91
He cast out the demon.
00:52:25.94\00:52:27.48
The owners are upset
because they lost some money.
00:52:27.51\00:52:31.51
So they dragged Paul and
Silas before the magistrates,
00:52:31.55\00:52:34.62
the authorities and they said
00:52:34.65\00:52:35.98
these men are
bringing trouble to the city.
00:52:36.02\00:52:38.12
These men are teaching customs
that are not lawful for Romans.
00:52:38.15\00:52:41.19
Well, they made up false
charges is what they did.
00:52:41.22\00:52:45.06
And so then we pick
up the story in verse 22,
00:52:45.09\00:52:47.60
we're in Acts 16:22,
00:52:47.63\00:52:49.03
"The multitude rose
up together against them,
00:52:49.06\00:52:51.80
and the magistrates
tore off their clothes
00:52:51.83\00:52:54.04
and commanded them
to be beaten with rods.
00:52:54.07\00:52:56.71
And when they had
laid many stripes on them,
00:52:56.74\00:52:58.51
they threw them into prison,
00:52:58.54\00:53:00.41
commanding the jailer
to keep them securely.
00:53:00.44\00:53:03.85
Having received such a charge,
00:53:03.88\00:53:05.51
he put them
into the inner prison
00:53:05.55\00:53:07.38
and fastened
their feet in stocks."
00:53:07.42\00:53:09.72
Now, I don't know about you,
but if that had happened to me,
00:53:09.75\00:53:11.95
I might have been
a little discouraged,
00:53:11.99\00:53:13.36
God, I'm doing Your work.
00:53:13.39\00:53:15.29
I'm trying to
witness and evangelize
00:53:15.32\00:53:17.33
and do what You
have called me to do.
00:53:17.36\00:53:18.79
And I just got
beat and I'm hurting
00:53:18.83\00:53:21.43
and I'm physically broken, right
00:53:21.46\00:53:23.16
and I'm lying here in
prison, in stocks in jail.
00:53:23.20\00:53:27.07
God, where are You?
00:53:27.10\00:53:28.44
But that's not
how they responded.
00:53:28.47\00:53:29.80
Let's look at what
they did. Verse 25.
00:53:29.84\00:53:32.14
At midnight, in
the darkest hour,
00:53:32.17\00:53:35.41
when life seems
the most hopeless,
00:53:35.44\00:53:38.61
Paul and Silas were
praying and singing hymns to God
00:53:38.65\00:53:43.08
and the prisoners
were listening to them.
00:53:43.12\00:53:46.32
When you're treated
wrongly, turn to praise,
00:53:46.35\00:53:50.56
turn to joy first.
00:53:50.59\00:53:53.09
When you're treated wrongly,
keep witnessing for Christ.
00:53:53.13\00:53:56.67
Joy brings deliverance and
salvation for other people,
00:53:56.70\00:54:00.84
as we saw here,
the prisoners listened.
00:54:00.87\00:54:03.20
God showed up.
00:54:03.24\00:54:04.57
There's this
incredible earthquake,
00:54:04.61\00:54:07.08
and the foundation
of the prison is shaken,
00:54:07.11\00:54:10.01
all the doors are opened,
everybody's chains fell off
00:54:10.05\00:54:12.68
and the jailer,
he is getting upset,
00:54:12.71\00:54:14.22
"Oh, I'm going to lose my job.
00:54:14.25\00:54:16.05
All these people
are going to escape."
00:54:16.08\00:54:18.65
And Paul says,
"It's okay, we're here,
00:54:18.69\00:54:20.72
don't harm yourself."
00:54:20.76\00:54:23.06
And then verse 29,
00:54:23.09\00:54:24.63
that he called for a light
00:54:24.66\00:54:25.99
ran in and fell down
trembling before Paul and Silas.
00:54:26.03\00:54:29.76
And he said, "Sir,
what must I do to be saved?"
00:54:29.80\00:54:34.14
You see, God
turned the situation
00:54:34.17\00:54:35.70
that the apostles
thought was for bad
00:54:35.74\00:54:37.34
and God turned it
around for the salvation
00:54:37.37\00:54:39.74
of this man and his household
00:54:39.77\00:54:43.35
who were
baptized that very night.
00:54:43.38\00:54:45.65
When it seems all is
lost, that is when God shows up.
00:54:45.68\00:54:48.78
When it looks the
darkest it has ever been,
00:54:48.82\00:54:51.12
that's when God brings hope.
00:54:51.15\00:54:53.12
When it appears
there is no way out,
00:54:53.15\00:54:55.52
that's when God opens the
door and takes off your chains.
00:54:55.56\00:54:59.56
When it is certain that
defeat is going to take place,
00:54:59.59\00:55:02.10
that's when God
brings deliverance.
00:55:02.13\00:55:04.00
You see, God can turn
obstacles into opportunities.
00:55:04.03\00:55:07.20
God can turn fear into faith,
00:55:07.24\00:55:09.24
God can turn
cowardice into conversion.
00:55:09.27\00:55:12.31
God can turn
defeat into deliverance.
00:55:12.34\00:55:15.24
God can turn what Satan intended
00:55:15.28\00:55:17.21
for evil into good.
00:55:17.25\00:55:19.18
So let's look at
the third example.
00:55:19.21\00:55:21.62
Dionysus, the...
00:55:21.65\00:55:25.65
Areopagite.
00:55:25.69\00:55:27.02
Thank you.
00:55:27.06\00:55:28.39
I'm having
trouble with these words.
00:55:28.42\00:55:29.76
So remember, Paul
went to Athens now
00:55:29.79\00:55:31.76
and he makes us
address on Mars Hill.
00:55:31.79\00:55:34.33
And these are
highly intellectual men.
00:55:34.36\00:55:38.23
And there's 30,000
gods is what they said,
00:55:38.27\00:55:41.67
30,000 idols in
the city of Athens,
00:55:41.70\00:55:43.94
and there's only
10,000 people when Paul went.
00:55:43.97\00:55:46.37
There was the
inscription to the unknown God
00:55:46.41\00:55:48.51
and he makes
this incredible appeal
00:55:48.54\00:55:50.68
to these intellectuals
00:55:50.71\00:55:52.81
to reach them
and witness to them
00:55:52.85\00:55:54.65
and call them to Christ,
00:55:54.68\00:55:56.45
and then in Acts 17:34,
00:55:56.48\00:55:59.65
"However, some men
joined him and believed,
00:55:59.69\00:56:03.32
among them
Dionysius the Areopagite,
00:56:03.36\00:56:06.53
a woman named
Damaris, and others with them."
00:56:06.56\00:56:10.20
Now, Dionysus was probably
00:56:10.23\00:56:12.63
the superior
judge of this court.
00:56:12.67\00:56:14.54
He's a prominent Gentile leader.
00:56:14.57\00:56:16.84
And yet the Holy
Spirit worked in him
00:56:16.87\00:56:19.37
and brought him to
a knowledge of truth.
00:56:19.41\00:56:22.61
We see the same
thing with Crispus
00:56:22.64\00:56:24.38
being a leader of the
synagogue in the next chapter.
00:56:24.41\00:56:27.25
He was also a
leader of the people
00:56:27.28\00:56:29.48
and the Holy Spirit
won him to the truth.
00:56:29.52\00:56:31.89
Amen. Wow.
00:56:31.92\00:56:33.25
That's right.
00:56:33.29\00:56:34.62
You know, when you get
into the Holy Spirit's lessons,
00:56:34.66\00:56:35.99
you know, really the,
the truth starts flowing
00:56:36.02\00:56:40.36
and because of that,
we have to flow quickly.
00:56:40.40\00:56:42.60
Pastor Dinzey,
00:56:42.63\00:56:43.97
give me a summary of
what is on your heart today?
00:56:44.00\00:56:47.20
Well, my day was
about the church empowered.
00:56:47.24\00:56:53.21
And I'm going to read
from Desire of Ages, page 250.
00:56:53.24\00:56:56.61
"There is no limit
to the usefulness of one
00:56:56.64\00:57:00.85
who by putting
self aside makes room
00:57:00.88\00:57:03.28
for the working
of the Holy Spirit
00:57:03.32\00:57:04.65
upon his heart
00:57:04.69\00:57:06.02
and lives a life
holy consecrated to God."
00:57:06.05\00:57:08.42
Amen. Amen.
00:57:08.46\00:57:10.26
You know, I just
after hearing Jill
00:57:10.29\00:57:12.43
read the stories
that I've read many times,
00:57:12.46\00:57:14.66
I want to be more
like Paul and Silas.
00:57:14.70\00:57:16.80
You know, they
followed the Holy Spirit,
00:57:16.83\00:57:18.17
they allowed the
Holy Spirit to lead in,
00:57:18.20\00:57:19.63
in jail.
00:57:19.67\00:57:21.00
You know, they
gave praise to God
00:57:21.04\00:57:22.84
and brought someone to Jesus
and that's, I want that faith.
00:57:22.87\00:57:24.87
Amen.
00:57:24.91\00:57:26.24
I know we all want to be
empowered by the Holy Spirit.
00:57:26.27\00:57:28.31
Someone put it one
time before, he said,
00:57:28.34\00:57:30.61
we must first toil a
while endures a while,
00:57:30.65\00:57:33.11
pray a while
and believe a while.
00:57:33.15\00:57:34.78
Amen,
00:57:34.82\00:57:36.15
and I just want to encourage you
00:57:36.18\00:57:37.52
that anyone can be changed
00:57:37.55\00:57:38.89
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
00:57:38.92\00:57:40.26
Wow.
00:57:40.29\00:57:41.62
I tell you, friends, you know,
00:57:41.66\00:57:42.99
the Lord makes it
clear in His Word,
00:57:43.02\00:57:44.36
is not by might nor by power,
00:57:44.39\00:57:45.73
but by my
spirit, saith the Lord.
00:57:45.76\00:57:47.30
if you want to have
00:57:47.33\00:57:48.66
the kind of life
that is transformed,
00:57:48.70\00:57:50.03
not just informed,
trust God's Spirit.
00:57:50.07\00:57:52.13
Join us next time
00:57:52.17\00:57:53.50
for the next
lesson study entitled,
00:57:53.54\00:57:55.30
"Unlimited Possibilities."
00:57:55.34\00:57:57.71
Look forward to seeing you then.
00:57:57.74\00:57:59.07