WEBVTT 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:02.560 Good morning. 00:00:03.680 --> 00:00:05.040 Yeah, so glad that you're here. 00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:06.639 Welcome, welcome to Freedom Church. 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:09.519 If I haven't had a chance to meet you yet, my name's Jason. 00:00:09.599 --> 00:00:11.359 I get the privilege of being pastor here. 00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:14.080 We're especially glad that you're here if it's your first time. 00:00:14.560 --> 00:00:18.399 We're grateful for you, grateful that you would carve out some time on a Sunday. 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:23.679 Visiting a new place, a new church of all things, is uh we think that's a big deal. 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:25.359 And so we're we're glad that you're here. 00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:29.839 In fact, can we just put our hands together and welcome everybody who's here for the first time this morning? 00:00:30.239 --> 00:00:31.039 That's awesome. 00:00:31.120 --> 00:00:35.600 We've been we've been in this series for the last several weeks uh on the Holy Spirit. 00:00:35.840 --> 00:00:39.679 We've been we've titled it Rediscovering the Holy Spirit. 00:00:39.840 --> 00:00:50.320 And um uh, you know, we the way we started this series is we said this is that first of all, you if you're gonna talk about the Spirit and the Holy Spirit, you have to you got to talk about Jesus. 00:00:50.479 --> 00:00:53.200 In fact, in fact, it all starts with Jesus. 00:00:53.359 --> 00:00:56.719 The whole the whole ministry of the Holy Spirit is pointing us to Jesus. 00:00:56.799 --> 00:00:58.079 And so that's where we started. 00:00:58.159 --> 00:01:02.719 In fact, week one, we said, we said the the aim is not to be better. 00:01:02.880 --> 00:01:04.400 It's not better, it's new. 00:01:04.560 --> 00:01:07.760 And that's what that's what God is in the business of doing with with us. 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:13.280 He makes us new, and and that begins with with Jesus, the ministry of of Jesus. 00:01:13.439 --> 00:01:16.239 In fact, that's how you know that you're hearing the voice of God. 00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:18.480 So you know you're hearing, you're hearing the spirit. 00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:20.159 But maybe you didn't even know that that's possible. 00:01:20.239 --> 00:01:21.439 We said that through this series. 00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:26.239 You can actually hear God's voice, you can actually be led by the Holy Spirit. 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:29.280 That seems kind of crazy, but the Bible is really clear. 00:01:29.439 --> 00:01:30.879 You you can know God's will. 00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:33.920 Now, there's there's parts of of God that we will never know. 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:37.200 There's God, we're we're created, he's not. 00:01:37.359 --> 00:01:41.680 And just by that very fact, there are things about God we're incapable of knowing. 00:01:41.760 --> 00:01:44.319 There's a depth to God we will never be able to comprehend. 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:51.359 But there are things that we can know, and we can know his will, and we can hear his voice, and we can be led by the Holy Spirit. 00:01:51.439 --> 00:01:54.400 And so if you didn't know that, you should go back and listen to that because you that that's possible. 00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:56.159 You can actually know God's will for your life. 00:01:56.319 --> 00:02:01.200 The other thing we said is that the Holy Spirit is in the business of changing us. 00:02:01.599 --> 00:02:05.840 I mean, he he's in the business of actually making us new. 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:14.479 And in fact, this is this is a big part of, I mean, we give a lot of attention to a lot of different people out there on platforms and and different things. 00:02:14.639 --> 00:02:14.960 Why? 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:24.159 Because we want to be better, we want to change, we want to be new, we want to, we don't want to be like we were, we want to be something that we're supposed to be, we want to step into what we're supposed to be like, all these things. 00:02:24.319 --> 00:02:29.120 And and so we find all of our ways, our winning formulas to become the kind of people we think we're called to be. 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:32.879 And believe it or not, it's actually the Holy Spirit who changes you. 00:02:33.039 --> 00:02:34.719 And so there's a partnership with it. 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:36.319 There's a partnership with that, though. 00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:43.199 All right, they it it isn't just us and then and then you know, we just hope one day the Holy Spirit shows up and changes us. 00:02:43.280 --> 00:02:44.000 That's not how that works. 00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:44.719 There's a partnership. 00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:46.479 In fact, that's gonna be a key word for today. 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:49.919 Is I want to talk to you about this word partnership. 00:02:50.240 --> 00:02:51.280 Partnership. 00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:58.960 This idea, you're not actually intended to go through life by yourself. 00:02:59.680 --> 00:03:00.800 Like it's not. 00:03:01.120 --> 00:03:02.159 That's not the way it works. 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:07.360 I was I was thinking I uh about I like to go to the mountains every year, at least once a year. 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:09.360 If I can go more, that would be great, right? 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:20.400 But uh, but I at least once a year I have a trip plan to go to the mountains and usually try to take guys, other guys with me, and we go climb a mountain, and and they're they're big mountains, usually like Colorado or something. 00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:22.560 And so they're at they're at elevation. 00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:24.240 And and that's hard. 00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:31.680 I don't know if you've been at, you know, you go to elevation, you climb a big mountain, you're like, you feel like you can be in good shape, and yet you still feel like you're dying on the way up. 00:03:31.759 --> 00:03:34.719 That's what it's like, and it's like it humbles you, you know. 00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:47.680 It's what's really humbling is when you're climbing a big mountain, and then some local who lives there, some elderly lady in her early 70s is jogging up the same mountain, and you're just like, I I feel small. 00:03:47.840 --> 00:03:50.719 No, that's what I thought I was really accomplishing something. 00:03:50.960 --> 00:03:53.120 Nah, she's not impressed, you know. 00:03:53.439 --> 00:04:04.319 And I remember a few years ago, I was climbing this mountain and got some guys, some of whom are in this room right now with me, and they're we stop, we make one of our first stops, and everybody's out of breath. 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:09.360 You just you that's just what you do when you go to the mountain, you just don't go, you just don't have oxygen for several days. 00:04:09.520 --> 00:04:12.080 And so he was like, you're just dying, you know. 00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:20.800 And and then we sat down, and one of the guys like opens his bag up and he pulls out a can of oxygen in oxygen tank. 00:04:20.959 --> 00:04:23.120 I mean, I never I didn't even know this was a thing. 00:04:23.199 --> 00:04:27.199 Like, I didn't know you could backpack up oxygen in your bags. 00:04:27.360 --> 00:04:31.199 I was like, I was like, what are you what are you doing right now? 00:04:31.279 --> 00:04:34.639 You know, I was so confused, like, oh yeah, it's uh it's some O2. 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:39.600 You know, they're like I was just like, oh my god, and I'll be really honest. 00:04:39.680 --> 00:04:46.560 You know, the I didn't see I don't think I don't think I let my face say this, but I've been told I wear that on my sleeve a little bit. 00:04:46.720 --> 00:04:50.000 So what was in my head, I was like, that's the stupidest thing I ever seen. 00:04:50.079 --> 00:04:50.879 That's what I thought. 00:04:50.959 --> 00:04:52.560 I was like, that's the dumbest thing. 00:04:52.639 --> 00:04:53.519 You know, you want some? 00:04:53.680 --> 00:04:57.920 I was like, no, okay, I'm a man, I'm climbing the mountain. 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:00.800 You know, just like oxygen, my goodness. 00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:02.240 We went we went a little farther. 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:07.759 We were about an hour, hour and a half into the climb, and we're sitting there, and then another break or die. 00:05:08.079 --> 00:05:10.560 Of course, they go, are they pulling out their oxygen again? 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:11.839 Like, you you want one? 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:12.800 I was like, Yeah, I do. 00:05:12.879 --> 00:05:13.759 Give me that oxygen. 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:17.759 I was like, Yeah, that sounds awesome. 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:19.199 I'll take some. 00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:22.639 I still think it's stupid for the record, anyway. 00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:29.199 I think I think that's sorry because I think that's how we think of the Holy Spirit. 00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:33.120 We're like, I'm I'm going through life, life's hard. 00:05:33.439 --> 00:05:40.560 And and I and I don't think it does anybody any good, or you yourself included, to try to pretend like life isn't hard. 00:05:40.800 --> 00:05:44.560 Some seasons are easier than others, some seasons are more difficult than others. 00:05:44.720 --> 00:05:50.319 The truth is that life is not simple and life is not easy, but it could be worse. 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:52.399 I hear that a lot, and you know what? 00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:54.879 That's probably a helpful motto from time to time. 00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:57.279 I get that, but who can't say that? 00:05:57.519 --> 00:06:00.240 Literally, everybody can say that it could be worse. 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:04.959 I get it, but I think we have to stop for a minute and just go, life's difficult. 00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:08.480 Life throws you curveballs that you never saw coming. 00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:11.199 And and and then that's it, that's part of life. 00:06:11.279 --> 00:06:14.959 And my point is that you weren't intended to do life on your own. 00:06:15.120 --> 00:06:17.920 And so Jesus gives us his Holy Spirit. 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:25.920 And see, most of us, we think of the Holy Spirit like some oxygen tank that you put in your backpack while you climb the mountain of life. 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:27.920 And then, you know, it's just like, oh, it's hard. 00:06:28.079 --> 00:06:32.639 I'll pull out the little, I'll pull out the little thing I need, and it's like, oh, I'm ready to go. 00:06:32.720 --> 00:06:40.480 And it's like we think of this Holy Spirit business as just sort of like this ornament to our life, this addition, this little thing that hopefully we'll tag along. 00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:41.120 But you know what? 00:06:41.199 --> 00:06:43.360 We just got to climb the mountain, just us versus the mountain. 00:06:43.439 --> 00:06:56.240 And I'm just telling you that from the beginning pages of the Bible, that God planted humankind, mankind in a garden, the place he was walking and talking with them, the place he was. 00:06:56.480 --> 00:07:06.639 He created covenant partners, like not just us in a garden, and God would show up with the clipboard and checking off, did you do your chores this week? 00:07:06.959 --> 00:07:07.759 No, no, no. 00:07:07.920 --> 00:07:13.600 He's less like the oxygen tank and your backpack, and he's more like the person who climbs the mountain with you. 00:07:14.240 --> 00:07:16.560 Like he's the one with you, going with you. 00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:21.920 So I think we need to we need to reorient our understanding a little bit of who the Holy Spirit. 00:07:22.319 --> 00:07:24.000 I like to always think of the Holy Spirit. 00:07:24.079 --> 00:07:26.240 I I've I've we've said this for a few years. 00:07:26.399 --> 00:07:28.480 He's like the unfair advantage. 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:31.040 He's an unfair advantage. 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:32.560 What does the Holy Spirit do? 00:07:32.720 --> 00:07:34.720 I mean, the Jesus was really clear. 00:07:34.879 --> 00:07:42.800 He he convicts us, he changes us, he teaches us things, he even says that he will show us things that are yet to come. 00:07:43.279 --> 00:07:45.199 I mean, that doesn't that's not even fair. 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:46.879 You know, that's not that's just not fair. 00:07:46.959 --> 00:07:48.399 That's an unfair advantage. 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:49.120 You know what it is? 00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:50.319 That's a partnership. 00:07:50.639 --> 00:07:53.279 That's that's God wanting to partner with you. 00:07:53.439 --> 00:07:54.480 So here's what I'm gonna do. 00:07:54.560 --> 00:07:55.439 We're gonna go to the book of Acts. 00:07:55.519 --> 00:07:57.839 We're gonna go to Acts chapter 8 here in just a few minutes. 00:07:57.920 --> 00:08:09.680 And I'm gonna give you some context and kind of lay the groundwork before we jump into that, because um, one of the things that we see in Acts is we see is we see the Holy Spirit at work. 00:08:10.079 --> 00:08:16.720 In fact, one of the ways that the book of Acts is often uh referred to is like is they call it the Acts of the Apostles. 00:08:16.959 --> 00:08:24.079 A lot of people, though, now will actually acknowledge it's more accurately dubbed the Acts of the Holy Spirit. 00:08:24.319 --> 00:08:28.399 And so you get you have the book of Luke and the book of Acts were actually the same book. 00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:32.159 They were one book, and then they were split, split up in our Bible. 00:08:32.399 --> 00:08:36.639 So you have the book of Luke, and then you have the book, which is a and then Acts, a continuation of the book of Luke. 00:08:36.879 --> 00:08:53.200 And you get you get this picture of Jesus through his Holy Spirit doing this work of using ordinary people, common people, to do incredible things and establish his church. 00:08:53.360 --> 00:08:55.279 And there's a couple different ways that you can read your Bible. 00:08:55.360 --> 00:09:00.240 And this is one of the things I want you to, I want you to actually come away from any weekend here. 00:09:00.320 --> 00:09:05.200 I want you to, I want you to be able to understand how to read your Bible better just in general. 00:09:05.360 --> 00:09:06.639 And there's a couple of different ways. 00:09:06.799 --> 00:09:13.039 One of the ways to understand your Bible is that most of the Bible is written in a literary form called narrative. 00:09:13.120 --> 00:09:15.600 It's a narrative form, meaning this. 00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:19.120 It means it's not just, you know, most of us are looking for the rules, right? 00:09:19.279 --> 00:09:21.200 Or like, because the Bible's hard to understand. 00:09:21.279 --> 00:09:22.080 We can admit that. 00:09:22.159 --> 00:09:27.679 And so most of us are just going, okay, where's the list of things where it's like, do these things to win at life, right? 00:09:27.759 --> 00:09:28.559 I need that list. 00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:30.000 Show somebody show me that list. 00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:33.279 And then we're we're looking for, and it's not quite that simple, right? 00:09:33.679 --> 00:09:48.159 And and narrative means that the Bible is written in a way where not only what's being said is important, but the way it's being said is important, where it's placed is important, the amount of times it's repeated is important, its placement in the Bible is important, like all of that. 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:50.320 And that's a narrative way of reading the Bible. 00:09:50.399 --> 00:09:56.799 It means that all the little details are significant for you to fully grasp what's being communicated to you. 00:09:56.960 --> 00:09:58.159 Now, here's the other form, right? 00:09:58.240 --> 00:10:00.639 When we're looking for the list of just tell me what to do. 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:02.879 That's called a didactic way of reading your Bible. 00:10:03.039 --> 00:10:04.559 That that's not wrong. 00:10:04.879 --> 00:10:14.080 The letters that Paul writes to the Corinthians, to the Philippians, to the Ephesians, when he's writing these letters, those are didactic, meaning this. 00:10:14.240 --> 00:10:20.000 When you read them, he says stuff like, Stop doing that, start doing this. 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:21.279 Like he's really clear. 00:10:21.360 --> 00:10:22.399 It's like directives. 00:10:22.559 --> 00:10:26.159 He's going, This is this is stupid, this is better. 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:29.120 Like, this is chaos, this is order. 00:10:29.279 --> 00:10:37.279 And so we can read it and we can go, oh, he's writing a letter to like Freedom Church, and he's going, you need to do it this way, not that way, right? 00:10:37.440 --> 00:10:38.320 You can read it that way. 00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:40.720 That's a didactic way of reading the Bible. 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:44.159 Acts is meant to be read in narrative. 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:45.120 Narrative. 00:10:45.279 --> 00:10:46.399 So, what does that mean? 00:10:46.559 --> 00:10:53.519 It means that we can read it and we get a bigger glimpse of what God does, the things that he does in his church. 00:10:53.679 --> 00:10:56.720 What it doesn't mean is that we read it and we go, it's always this way. 00:10:56.879 --> 00:10:58.080 I'll give you an example. 00:10:58.240 --> 00:11:08.080 It's like if if we were to go down here and I and uh Highway 85 Bridge going across the Missouri River collapses, but you got a job you got to get to in Watford. 00:11:08.159 --> 00:11:10.399 And so you're going, I got you're like, you know what? 00:11:10.559 --> 00:11:15.840 You come over there with a stick and you're like, I believe in God's gonna part the Missouri River for me. 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:23.759 And it's like I don't, I don't think that that was the point of him parting the Red Sea in that story. 00:11:23.919 --> 00:11:26.639 Was like, he's gonna get you to your job site in Watford City. 00:11:26.720 --> 00:11:29.600 Like, I don't, I think we're missing something here, right? 00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:39.360 It does mean God's a miracle-working God, and he will do things you never saw coming, he will make a way for you, and you didn't think there was one. 00:11:39.440 --> 00:11:45.360 And when you think your balls, your back is against the wall and you're doomed, he goes, think again when I'm with you. 00:11:45.519 --> 00:11:47.840 That's the story you can pull out of that. 00:11:48.080 --> 00:11:48.960 Do you see that? 00:11:49.120 --> 00:11:52.080 That's a narrative way of reading the Bible. 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:55.840 And see, we can do the same thing here with the book of Acts. 00:11:56.000 --> 00:11:57.519 Okay, so here's Almond Democracy. 00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:00.480 Acts, Acts chapter 1, because we're gonna go to Acts chapter 8. 00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:04.879 So let me give you some context from Acts chapter 1, leading up to Acts 8. 00:12:05.039 --> 00:12:11.600 Jesus has ascended, he rose again, and then he was it says he was um around for about 40 days, and then he ascended. 00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:14.480 They watched him uh uh uh ascend, wouldn't you know? 00:12:14.559 --> 00:12:15.919 I can't even imagine what that looked like. 00:12:16.000 --> 00:12:18.960 And so there he is, and then they start gathering. 00:12:19.200 --> 00:12:25.440 It says that the Holy Spirit comes on them and they're they're gathering, they're gathering in groups large and small. 00:12:25.519 --> 00:12:31.120 They would gather in the temple and then kind of a more communal, kind of a community gathering. 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:35.519 There were no doubt there were there were many people that were gathering in that group that weren't even believers. 00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:37.519 Honestly, probably like we have this morning. 00:12:37.679 --> 00:12:38.879 There's some of you in the room. 00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:40.960 You don't know where you're at with Jesus. 00:12:41.120 --> 00:12:43.279 You're still wondering, you're still questioning. 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:46.480 And it would be a gathering much, much like much like this. 00:12:46.559 --> 00:12:49.759 And so they would gather in that, and then they would gather in their in their homes. 00:12:49.840 --> 00:12:51.440 They would say house to house. 00:12:51.679 --> 00:12:55.440 We're doing, um, we're going through a group right now called Way of Life. 00:12:55.679 --> 00:12:59.519 In fact, this is step three of what we call our formation pathway. 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:02.879 It's an intentional pathway to be formed and discipled in our church. 00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:05.360 And so we've got about 50 some people that have been signed up. 00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:07.200 We're in their when tonight's our last night. 00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:12.639 We've been doing this for seven weeks, and it's all made up of their different community groups that they gather together with. 00:13:12.720 --> 00:13:21.120 It's incredible because we get to talk about things that we're teaching about on the weekends or things that we just sort of take for granted, like salvation and baptism. 00:13:21.279 --> 00:13:28.240 And then we get together in the groups, and the groups are actually able to talk about these and sort of flush this out so they can actually get it in them. 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:29.600 It's an it's it's an amazing thing. 00:13:29.759 --> 00:13:30.799 We didn't make that up. 00:13:31.039 --> 00:13:31.679 There it is. 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:33.919 They were doing that from the beginning. 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:35.200 That's Acts right here. 00:13:35.360 --> 00:13:43.759 Then it says this it says that they are gathering, they said they had a lot of gladness, there was a lot of joy that made up the early church. 00:13:43.919 --> 00:13:47.039 Like they were actually excited to see each other. 00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:48.879 How about that for a church gathering? 00:13:49.039 --> 00:13:50.879 People like being around each other. 00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:57.039 I mean, I don't know if you've ever been to a church where they don't like, or at least you wouldn't know that they like being around each other. 00:13:57.200 --> 00:14:03.919 I know some pastors, they don't even like pastoring the church they pastor because nobody seems to like each other there. 00:14:04.080 --> 00:14:07.440 And I'm just thank God Freedom Church isn't like that. 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:14.559 Thank you for not being like thank you for the culture that you that you want to repeat and and create with me here at Freedom Church. 00:14:14.639 --> 00:14:18.639 You we actually like each other, at least most of us we like each other. 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:20.240 Thank God for that, right? 00:14:20.399 --> 00:14:20.879 I like that. 00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:22.080 I like pastoring you. 00:14:22.159 --> 00:14:22.720 That's great. 00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:25.200 Gladness, authenticity. 00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:28.240 The Bible describes them in the beginning of Acts. 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:32.240 There's this level of like authenticity that made up the early church. 00:14:32.320 --> 00:14:34.240 That just means that they weren't religious and weird. 00:14:34.320 --> 00:14:35.679 That's what that means. 00:14:36.000 --> 00:14:37.919 Religious and and weird. 00:14:38.000 --> 00:14:39.279 You know what nobody ever says? 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:42.240 You know, I was thinking I've been a bit religious and weird. 00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:43.440 Nobody ever says that. 00:14:43.519 --> 00:14:46.320 They're always like, yeah, religious and weird, like those people. 00:14:46.480 --> 00:14:52.960 That's what everybody always you can't just say, oh, I was so encouraged, Pastor. 00:14:53.039 --> 00:14:58.639 It's like I felt the atmospheric pressure of my heart uh shifted in that dynamic. 00:14:58.720 --> 00:15:02.799 It's like, bro, I think that was just the AC shifting on or something. 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:05.279 And I don't even know what you're talking about right now. 00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:07.679 Religious and weird. 00:15:07.919 --> 00:15:10.320 Nobody ever says, I'm I'm religious and weird. 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:14.879 So let me give let me help you out because if I ask you that, you're gonna be like, oh, of course I'm not religious and weird. 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:18.000 So let me help you out with that. 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:19.440 Here's here's what happens. 00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:24.240 Um, when when you're when you're first of all, that's performative. 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:26.720 Religiosity and and being weird. 00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:28.240 That's that's performative. 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:33.679 Like I can't really let people know what's going on, and I gotta per I gotta portray myself in a way that's not accurate to who I am. 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:34.639 That's performance. 00:15:34.879 --> 00:15:38.080 And performance always leads to a lack of compassion. 00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:42.159 And so the better question isn't do I am I performative and am I religious? 00:15:42.240 --> 00:15:44.000 The better question is do I have compassion for people? 00:15:44.159 --> 00:15:49.200 Because what my observation, religiosity and compassion can't live together. 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:52.080 The better question is, do I have compassion for people? 00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:55.600 I'm just compassion's not a spiritual gift. 00:15:55.840 --> 00:15:58.799 That's um, that's a character, that's part of the character of God. 00:15:59.039 --> 00:16:00.000 So anyway, there you go. 00:16:00.080 --> 00:16:01.360 That was that was free. 00:16:01.519 --> 00:16:02.559 That's that's Acts. 00:16:02.639 --> 00:16:04.480 Okay, that's the first part of Acts. 00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:08.879 And then they get to Acts chapter 6, and we get this guy, Philip. 00:16:08.960 --> 00:16:10.720 In fact, that's who we're gonna read about in Acts 8. 00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:12.559 Acts 8, Philip is preaching. 00:16:12.639 --> 00:16:15.440 He preaches, we get to see the results of his preaching. 00:16:15.519 --> 00:16:17.279 He preaches an incredible message. 00:16:17.360 --> 00:16:18.799 It's clear based on Acts 8. 00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:23.840 It's like based on how people are responding, he's anointed, like God's using him to preach. 00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:33.519 But see, he doesn't start in Acts 8 preaching, he starts in Acts chapter 6 because all the things I just said, that sounds like a church I want to be a part of. 00:16:33.759 --> 00:16:36.399 You know, I want to be a part of that church. 00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:43.279 Thousands of people actually wanted to be a part of that church, so it grew rapidly and they got to get organized. 00:16:43.440 --> 00:16:47.279 So Acts chapter six, they have a little bit of a different socioeconomic culture. 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:51.120 And so when people were coming into the church, it's like, I mean, they were feeding each other. 00:16:51.200 --> 00:16:53.519 Like you know, that communion meant we're gonna have a meal. 00:16:53.600 --> 00:16:55.600 And for some of you, this is your meal for the day. 00:16:55.759 --> 00:17:01.279 Like it was like they were taking care of people on an we're often used to in our culture. 00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:04.720 And so here they are, they're doing this, they got to get organized. 00:17:04.880 --> 00:17:06.400 It's a it's a bit of a mess. 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:14.880 And so, Philip, the great preacher in Acts chapter 8, he starts by weighting tables in Acts chapter 6. 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:20.640 And I think this is important for you because because I know for some of us, it's like we got like a fire burning in us. 00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:26.799 We're like, man, I want to change the world, I want to change my nation, I want to see people come to Jesus, I want to reach the next generation. 00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:28.000 God, use me. 00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:30.559 And don't be surprised when he's like, that's great and all. 00:17:30.640 --> 00:17:34.160 I need you to get on a team and make sure them rows are straight. 00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:35.759 Come on. 00:17:36.960 --> 00:17:37.920 I'm just saying. 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:40.559 I'm just saying that's that's where it starts. 00:17:40.640 --> 00:17:43.279 So that's that's at that's at one through six. 00:17:43.359 --> 00:17:44.160 We get to eight. 00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:44.799 Here we go. 00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:45.519 Let's read this. 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:48.880 This is Acts chapter eight, verse nine. 00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:52.240 Now, because he just preached, and people are responding. 00:17:52.480 --> 00:18:00.400 For some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:08.079 He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention. 00:18:08.240 --> 00:18:09.680 Oh, that's that's interesting. 00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:11.599 By the way, nothing's new. 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:20.880 Nothing's new, gave him their attention and exclaimed, This man is rightly called the great power of God. 00:18:21.039 --> 00:18:22.720 Listen, you got that in your bio? 00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:24.480 The great power of God. 00:18:24.640 --> 00:18:29.279 Somebody needs to love you enough to be like, you need to change your name. 00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:30.240 That's not good. 00:18:30.480 --> 00:18:33.599 The great power, this man's the great power of God. 00:18:33.759 --> 00:18:39.119 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:44.400 I like to think of Simon the sorcerer as like first social media influencer in the Bible. 00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:46.319 Like you didn't think you didn't think that was in the Bible? 00:18:46.480 --> 00:18:47.119 It's in the Bible. 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:48.000 It's right here. 00:18:48.160 --> 00:18:54.480 They they they they pay tribute with their attention and they are amazed by his ability. 00:18:54.640 --> 00:18:56.319 Well, I know it's like, well, it's sorcery. 00:18:56.400 --> 00:18:58.400 It's like we think he's pulling rabbits out of hats. 00:18:58.640 --> 00:19:00.160 Okay, let me give you the modern version. 00:19:00.319 --> 00:19:05.039 The man knows how to he knows how to get influence, he knows how to make money, he knows how to get women. 00:19:05.119 --> 00:19:05.680 Come on, man. 00:19:05.759 --> 00:19:09.359 You know exactly what I'm talking about because there's plenty of it on your Instagram feed right now. 00:19:09.440 --> 00:19:10.400 There's plenty of that. 00:19:10.559 --> 00:19:17.119 He knows how to do all the things, and they're amazed at his great power. 00:19:18.400 --> 00:19:19.839 That's the same spirit, by the way. 00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:21.839 That spirit lives, that lives on. 00:19:22.079 --> 00:19:27.279 The same spirit that we have in now, it's been, it was then, it's it's now too. 00:19:27.359 --> 00:19:28.720 And you know why I think that is? 00:19:29.599 --> 00:19:32.480 I think we're I think we're as people we're looking for power. 00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:33.759 I think we really are. 00:19:33.839 --> 00:19:36.319 We're looking for we're looking for power. 00:19:36.480 --> 00:19:40.400 I mean, we said at the beginning, life's life's hard, life's challenging. 00:19:40.559 --> 00:19:43.759 We're looking for we're looking for that like that extra. 00:19:43.839 --> 00:19:44.640 And you know what I think? 00:19:44.720 --> 00:19:47.279 I not only I think that we're looking for it, I think we need it. 00:19:47.759 --> 00:19:50.720 I think you are designed for power. 00:19:51.119 --> 00:20:01.359 I think that you were designed to see God at work in your life in a unique, experiential way. 00:20:01.519 --> 00:20:08.160 I I don't think that the I don't think that it's all it's all about what you know. 00:20:08.319 --> 00:20:16.960 I think that there's something to be said about the experience that you're having with the living God. 00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:24.799 And I think and I think I I might even say this, I think as a parent, I think we got a lot of parents in the room. 00:20:25.119 --> 00:20:40.240 I think I think there's there's something to be said about your kids growing up and and going, I didn't I didn't just hear what I was supposed to do, I watched the power of God at work in my mom and in my dad. 00:20:40.880 --> 00:20:46.720 I think I think that's an important part of a life in partnership with the living God. 00:20:47.119 --> 00:20:50.720 And and and I'm and it's not just what you see in others, but what you see in yourself. 00:20:50.880 --> 00:20:58.079 I think that you should be able to look back and go, my goodness, there was I used to be, and now I'm different. 00:20:58.319 --> 00:21:17.359 And I can't explain that because that's the that's the power of God at work, not only to save you, but he also wants to give you the power to like he wants to empower your life to empower your life to make a difference, for witness, to live on purpose. 00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:18.799 Like he wants to do that. 00:21:18.960 --> 00:21:20.720 And I think and I think this is a critical part. 00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:22.319 I think people are hungry for it. 00:21:22.480 --> 00:21:24.240 I think that I think we're all looking for it. 00:21:24.400 --> 00:21:37.440 And I think that, and I and I would say this, I think, I think as as a as a as the current generation of of Christians in our culture right now, I think we need to give the next generation a better vision of God's power in our lives. 00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:39.279 I think we need to be open to that. 00:21:39.359 --> 00:21:43.359 I think we need to be more intentional about that. 00:21:44.000 --> 00:21:45.519 Look at verse 12. 00:21:45.759 --> 00:21:53.759 He says, But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God, look at that, they believed. 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:55.440 They're going, I'm in. 00:21:55.680 --> 00:21:58.559 They're believers, they're going, I'm gonna follow Jesus. 00:21:58.640 --> 00:21:59.680 He's preaching the good news. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:00.559 That's it. 00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:04.319 That right there ought to be a little bit of a the good news. 00:22:04.400 --> 00:22:07.359 It's the kindness of God that leads people to repentance. 00:22:07.440 --> 00:22:09.680 It's like, you dirty rotten sinners, give your life. 00:22:09.920 --> 00:22:12.079 It's like, oh, where's the good news at? 00:22:12.400 --> 00:22:13.279 Where's the good news? 00:22:13.440 --> 00:22:21.680 The good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:25.279 So not only are they born again, they're following Jesus. 00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:27.680 They're even following Jesus in water baptism. 00:22:27.839 --> 00:22:28.720 That's incredible. 00:22:28.960 --> 00:22:30.720 Saved, baptized. 00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:32.160 Look at this next part. 00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:36.400 Simon himself even believed and was baptized. 00:22:36.480 --> 00:22:37.279 That's amazing. 00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:44.880 Even the social media influencer guy that seems to have it all together, even he's like, I'm in this follow up, this message. 00:22:45.039 --> 00:22:47.759 I'm in, and I'm even I'm ready to be baptized. 00:22:48.000 --> 00:22:55.279 It says he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles that he saw. 00:22:55.680 --> 00:23:03.599 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they accepted. 00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:05.519 They're going, we got a new set of believers. 00:23:05.599 --> 00:23:07.119 We got some Jesus followers. 00:23:07.359 --> 00:23:08.480 Things are happening. 00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:10.160 There's clearly some time here. 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:12.559 They're changing, there's things happening. 00:23:12.799 --> 00:23:15.440 It says they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:26.000 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers, the people who are already in Christ there that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:30.000 Because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them. 00:23:30.160 --> 00:23:35.039 They had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 00:23:35.200 --> 00:23:41.680 And see, for a lot of us, you here's what this means: you can experience the redemption of Jesus in your life. 00:23:42.720 --> 00:23:51.920 Without this, what we're talking about here, without this encounter with the Holy Spirit, you can experience the redemption of the Holy Spirit, of Jesus through his Holy Spirit in your life. 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:54.480 You can experience the fruit of the Spirit in your life. 00:23:54.720 --> 00:24:09.599 The fruit of the Spirit, love and joy and peace and patience, like all those things that go how to, by the way, the thing that qualifies you for leadership in the kingdom of God is not, are you the person with the most you know, out um uh right gifts of the spirit? 00:24:09.680 --> 00:24:13.680 Like, are we looking around going, that person operates in that gift and that person operates in that gift? 00:24:13.759 --> 00:24:23.680 That's not the qualification for leadership, it's the fruit of the spirit, and you can experience a life-transforming fruit of the spirit in your life when you come to Jesus. 00:24:24.160 --> 00:24:33.440 You can experience the justification of God, stand before God, and it's like, no, I know I'm guilty, but now because of Jesus, I'm not anymore. 00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:39.200 Like, I know, I know, but I'm I'm leaning on I'm gonna, it's Jesus. 00:24:39.359 --> 00:24:40.559 I'm gonna point to Jesus. 00:24:40.720 --> 00:24:42.480 Like that's called justification. 00:24:42.720 --> 00:24:50.960 You can experience that, but then there's something else here, and it's this idea of the spirit coming upon us, and that's what's happening here. 00:24:51.119 --> 00:24:52.640 And look what it says in verse 17. 00:24:52.799 --> 00:24:55.200 Then Peter and John place their hands on who? 00:24:55.440 --> 00:25:01.519 Believers, people are following Jesus, people whose lives we have every reason to believe is in the process of being transformed. 00:25:02.000 --> 00:25:05.599 Place their hands on them and they receive the Holy Spirit. 00:25:05.839 --> 00:25:08.319 There's something, there's something, what does that mean? 00:25:08.559 --> 00:25:09.920 There's something different about that. 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:12.480 They're receiving the Holy Spirit. 00:25:12.880 --> 00:25:16.880 You know, that whole language, we we see some of this in John chapter 20. 00:25:17.119 --> 00:25:20.720 Jesus is with his disciples, he's preparing to leave. 00:25:20.880 --> 00:25:25.519 And in the Bible says he breathes on them and they receive the Spirit. 00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:27.039 I don't know what that looked like. 00:25:27.200 --> 00:25:29.359