WEBVTT 00:00:04.126 --> 00:00:06.008 Thank you so much for this day. 00:00:06.008 --> 00:00:08.592 This is the day the Lord has made. 00:00:08.592 --> 00:00:11.215 We will rejoice and be glad in it. 00:00:11.215 --> 00:00:19.414 I'm really thankful for the elders here at Trinity for the privilege to stand here and speak to the people of God. 00:00:19.414 --> 00:00:24.800 It is very humbling and I'm really thankful for this great honor. 00:00:24.800 --> 00:00:29.134 It is very humbling and I'm really thankful for this great honor. 00:00:29.134 --> 00:00:30.397 My name is Ebenezer Esiama. 00:00:30.397 --> 00:00:37.119 I've yet to meet anybody called Ebenezer since I moved to America. 00:00:37.119 --> 00:00:50.097 I don't know why, but there is certainly Ebenezer Scrooge who messed it up for me, but out west I found a street called Ebenezer, so that was comforting. 00:00:50.097 --> 00:00:51.920 I'm really thankful that the Lord brought me here. 00:00:51.941 --> 00:01:02.031 The journey that led me here is all about missions, so this morning we're going to look at missions and how the Lord empowers us for mission. 00:01:02.031 --> 00:01:11.146 I'm going to read the book of Acts of the Apostles, chapter 1, verse 1 to 8. 00:01:11.146 --> 00:01:21.135 In the first book, o Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day when he was taken up. 00:01:21.135 --> 00:01:59.575 After he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen, he presented himself alive to them after his suffering, by many proofs appearing to them during the 40 days and speaking about the kingdom of God, and while staying with them, he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the promise of the Father, which he said you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. 00:01:59.575 --> 00:02:19.032 So when they had come together, they asked him. 00:02:19.032 --> 00:02:31.110 He said to them when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, to the end of the age, shall we pray. 00:02:31.110 --> 00:02:35.669 Abba, father, we thank you so much for your kindness. 00:02:35.669 --> 00:02:43.806 We thank you, lord, that you are the God of the harvest and this is all about you. 00:02:43.806 --> 00:03:00.080 O Lord, father, I ask, in the name of Jesus, that you would speak to us this day, that our hearts would be a federal soil for your word, that we would receive your word with understanding and that you transform us by the power of your word. 00:03:00.080 --> 00:03:10.368 Precious Holy Spirit, we ask for your empowerment also, help us, oh Lord, that we may be witnesses for you In wherever you've called us. 00:03:10.368 --> 00:03:20.816 May your name be glorified in us and through us, in Jesus' name, amen. 00:03:21.819 --> 00:03:31.348 So I was born in Ghana, in a small community and was born to a Christian family, and I grew up watching my parents always go into church. 00:03:31.348 --> 00:03:40.056 As a matter of fact, my dad was a trader and also he was a teacher and he served in the church. 00:03:40.056 --> 00:03:56.564 And one thing I saw them do every morning, from Monday to Friday, before they would go to work, they would meet in a small church and they would share devotion, pray and have time in the Word before he would go to work. 00:03:56.564 --> 00:03:59.391 And we would always go to church. 00:03:59.391 --> 00:04:03.792 So I grew up going to church, but I didn't have any relationship with God. 00:04:03.792 --> 00:04:19.326 I was just going because my parents were going and at some point in my life, when I was a teenager, I had some friends who also didn't know the Lord, like myself, and so we would go to horrible places. 00:04:19.346 --> 00:04:21.930 We'd go to nightclubs, wherever nightclubs, wherever. 00:04:21.930 --> 00:04:35.637 Wherever there is music worldly music you'll find me there, and at a point in around 2009 to 2010,. 00:04:35.637 --> 00:04:41.166 One time I was there, I was standing in a nightclub and I'm like what am I doing? 00:04:41.166 --> 00:04:51.112 It was like a prodigal son moment for me, and when the prodigal son came to himself, he said what is happening to me? 00:04:51.112 --> 00:04:56.713 You know, my father has servants who are doing so much better than I'm doing now. 00:04:56.713 --> 00:05:03.571 So the Lord did that for me in my life and I'm like, no, I'm just, I need to go back. 00:05:03.571 --> 00:05:25.026 And that was the last time I stepped foot in the nightclub and I'm thankful that I had a pastor then called Joseph Asante who kind of brought me very close to him and would ask me to read scriptures for him and he would take me along in ministry. 00:05:25.788 --> 00:05:35.302 So it kind of stirred my heart for God and when I started out I was very shy and timid. 00:05:35.302 --> 00:05:37.425 I never thought that a time would come I'll be able to stand before people to speak. 00:05:37.425 --> 00:05:52.209 But the word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two edges sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and the word is a descent of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 00:05:52.209 --> 00:06:02.547 When I read the word I just Lord, your word says that we will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us and we will be witnesses. 00:06:02.547 --> 00:06:22.053 So I started to seek the Holy Spirit and I started to seek the Holy Spirit and I started to seek the power of God and the Lord was gracious to me to give me his Holy Spirit who has been working in me, giving me power to stand before people and declare the testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:06:22.053 --> 00:06:25.999 Testimony of our Lord Jesus Christ. 00:06:30.980 --> 00:06:37.016 So I started 2010, when I started to be in ministry and minister the gospel, and that same year I was praying. 00:06:37.016 --> 00:06:40.761 I said God, surround me with your people, because the friends that I had didn't know the Lord. 00:06:40.761 --> 00:06:52.047 At that same time, too, I was getting ready to go to college and the Lord did something, because in my little town, usually when they finish high school, that's it, that's the end. 00:06:52.047 --> 00:07:04.774 But by the grace of God, he helped me to make it to college and while there, he surrounded me with people who loved God and will always be talking about the things of God. 00:07:04.774 --> 00:07:11.517 The Lord answered my prayer that he was so gracious in giving me friends who loved God. 00:07:11.517 --> 00:07:20.939 And while there, there were prophecies that the Lord has called you to ministry and you will be a missionary preaching the word. 00:07:20.939 --> 00:07:25.130 And so first year in college, they started calling me apostle. 00:07:27.862 --> 00:07:33.168 So I spent four years in college and after graduation I was praying. 00:07:33.168 --> 00:07:38.769 I'm like, if the Lord is going to use me, then I need to make a decision and commit. 00:07:38.769 --> 00:08:00.194 So I applied for ministerial apprenticeship program in the capital of Ghana, a place it's called Accra, and there was a missionary from America, it's called Pastor Richard Whitcomb, and he was doing apprenticeship program, where he invites people and trains them and then send them out. 00:08:00.194 --> 00:08:02.769 So I'm like I'm going to go for this program. 00:08:02.769 --> 00:08:10.769 So I applied and I didn't know where I was going to stay, I didn't know how I was going to be provided for. 00:08:10.769 --> 00:08:26.591 I just applied and went and, by the grace of God the Lord was so gracious they provided a place of stay for me and they were giving me monthly allowances and took care of me and trained me in the things of God. 00:08:26.591 --> 00:08:32.432 It was there that I met my father-in-law, pastor Mark Medley. 00:08:33.620 --> 00:08:42.743 In 2017, early 2017, he came to Ghana and I was part of the students that he trained and I loved him. 00:08:42.743 --> 00:08:44.251 The very first time I met him, I saw that there was something. 00:08:44.251 --> 00:08:44.553 I loved him. 00:08:44.553 --> 00:08:50.048 The very first time I met him, I saw that there was something different about him and he loved the Lord. 00:08:50.048 --> 00:09:02.989 So we went to villages, communities and bringing people who are in ministry pastors and church workers together for training, because they didn't have that in the villages. 00:09:02.989 --> 00:09:13.113 So I was part of the team that organized that conference, sitting on motorbikes, going on very hard roads and bringing all the pastors. 00:09:13.113 --> 00:09:17.770 So while we were there he got sick. 00:09:17.770 --> 00:09:26.691 He ate something that didn't really settle well with him, but anytime he would stand to speak, god would give him grace to teach. 00:09:26.691 --> 00:09:38.347 And so I said to myself this man may never come back to Africa again Due to what he was going through. 00:09:38.347 --> 00:09:40.746 But he came again. 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:45.586 He came the following year and he didn't come alone. 00:09:45.586 --> 00:09:56.812 He came with my wife, katie, and when I met Katie in the village I knew that the Lord was doing something. 00:09:56.812 --> 00:10:09.221 I knew that God has something in mind and I just thank God that the Lord brought us together and he's so merciful and gracious. 00:10:09.221 --> 00:10:19.106 When I started out in my little village sharing the gospel, going to homes and people will ask me are you a Jehovah witness? 00:10:19.106 --> 00:10:29.773 I'm a Jesus witness and I didn't know that a time would come I'd be standing here before you sharing the gospel. 00:10:30.779 --> 00:10:41.509 But God's word is so faithful and true that when he gives us his Holy Spirit and he gives us his power, there's no telling where God will take us. 00:10:41.509 --> 00:10:45.370 And it's so amazing watching what God is doing. 00:10:45.370 --> 00:11:08.587 His word is true and he is faithful, jesus Christ, when he started his ministry and at the age of 30, when he went to that place where he grew up, nazareth, they gave him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and he found a place where it was written the spirit of the Lord is upon me. 00:11:08.587 --> 00:11:13.770 He has anointed me to proclaim the gospel to the poor. 00:11:13.770 --> 00:11:21.909 He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind. 00:11:21.909 --> 00:11:30.809 He has sent me to proclaim freedom to the oppressed. 00:11:30.809 --> 00:11:42.591 When he said that, he sat down and every eye was upon him and he said Today this word is fulfilled in your ears. 00:11:44.341 --> 00:11:46.950 There's nothing that Jesus did without the Holy Spirit. 00:11:46.950 --> 00:11:50.528 Everything that he did, he did it by the Spirit. 00:11:50.528 --> 00:11:57.413 It was the Holy Spirit who empowered him to heal the sick, to raise the dead, to cast out devils. 00:11:57.413 --> 00:12:02.731 And if we are called to missions, we cannot do it without the Holy Spirit. 00:12:02.731 --> 00:12:05.509 We need the Holy Spirit to empower us. 00:12:05.509 --> 00:12:10.830 We need the Holy Spirit to give us boldness to be witnesses in our own Jerusalem. 00:12:10.830 --> 00:12:20.870 I believe that our Jerusalem could be our home with our family, where we share the gospel with our family. 00:12:20.870 --> 00:12:23.285 And it doesn't end there. 00:12:23.285 --> 00:12:27.111 He said in all Judea, and Judah means praise. 00:12:27.111 --> 00:12:39.167 So I believe you could be in your place of worship where you see opportunities, in a place of worship where you avail yourself of God to use you for his glory. 00:12:39.167 --> 00:12:53.303 And then he said to Samaria and I think Samaria, sometimes in our workplace it looks like Samaria Because the Samaritans, they are mistress of the Jews and Gentiles. 00:12:53.303 --> 00:12:58.246 In our workplaces we find people who are some are believers, some are not. 00:12:58.246 --> 00:13:01.835 So even there we can be witnesses for Jesus. 00:13:01.835 --> 00:13:08.048 And so thankful that my friend Luke from our work has joined us this morning. 00:13:08.048 --> 00:13:10.496 So the mission is the heart of the Father morning. 00:13:10.496 --> 00:13:12.620 So the mission is the heart of the Father. 00:13:13.501 --> 00:13:28.320 When you look at Genesis, when man fell, it was God who took the initiative and sought for man. 00:13:28.320 --> 00:13:33.249 Adam was not going to seek for God because he had obeyed the devil and was lost in sin, dead in sin, but the heart of the Father was pursuing him. 00:13:33.249 --> 00:13:37.725 So I believe that mission is the heart of the Father. 00:13:37.725 --> 00:13:40.322 And he said Adam, where are you? 00:13:40.322 --> 00:13:45.546 He wasn't asking this question because he was ignorant of where he was. 00:13:45.546 --> 00:13:52.048 It's just giving him an opportunity to recognize his state and to repent and turn to him. 00:13:52.048 --> 00:13:53.683 But he did not. 00:13:53.683 --> 00:13:59.402 Instead he blamed God and we all know the story. 00:14:00.764 --> 00:14:16.644 And later on, when Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him because his sacrifice was not accepted and his brother Abel's sacrifice was accepted before the Lord, he got angry and killed his brother. 00:14:16.644 --> 00:14:22.422 And even that God was still seeking him, asked him, king, where is your brother? 00:14:22.422 --> 00:14:25.001 He said am I my brother's keeper? 00:14:25.001 --> 00:14:33.956 So the heart of the father is always to seek the lost, to give us the opportunity to turn to Him. 00:14:33.956 --> 00:14:44.557 And that is what he does, because he loves us and that is why he sent Jesus Christ, his Son, to come and seek and save the lost. 00:14:44.557 --> 00:15:00.902 And so today, I believe that the Lord is still seeking His lost children, and I know that it may be a long time coming, and maybe you've been praying for a relative, a loved one, to come to the Lord. 00:15:00.902 --> 00:15:15.643 Just know that your prayers will not be in vain, that the Lord, who is always seeking for the lost, will seek and find the lost loved one and bring him back to him. 00:15:15.643 --> 00:15:18.200 In Jesus name, amen. 00:15:20.426 --> 00:15:22.780 Missions, it's also the father's work. 00:15:22.780 --> 00:15:24.000 It's what he does. 00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:27.121 He's always working. 00:15:27.121 --> 00:15:32.004 When Jesus came, it said of him in Acts, chapter 10, verse 38. 00:15:32.004 --> 00:15:46.322 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 00:15:46.322 --> 00:15:57.282 So this mission that we are called to is our Father's work, and he gives us all that we need to to is our Father's work and he gives us all that we need to do what he has called us to do. 00:15:57.282 --> 00:16:06.187 We just went through the book of Nehemiah and we saw how God worked in the life of Nehemiah. 00:16:06.187 --> 00:16:08.428 I loved it when the words were coming. 00:16:08.428 --> 00:16:13.312 This morning he actually Nehemiah spent more time in prayer before the Lord. 00:16:13.312 --> 00:16:19.229 He did spend more time than the actual time it took for him to complete the walls. 00:16:19.229 --> 00:16:34.725 It took 52 days to complete the assignment, but we heard this morning that three months he was seeking the face of God and asking the Lord for help to execute his mission. 00:16:35.725 --> 00:16:44.147 I also found a man that I love so much in the scriptures, called David, and this man is a man after God's own heart. 00:16:44.147 --> 00:16:59.691 And it's for a reason, because I look at the life of David at the most difficult time in his life, where he had fallen into sin and he was praying and repenting before the Lord. 00:16:59.691 --> 00:17:04.655 His prayer is recorded for us in Psalm 51. 00:17:04.655 --> 00:17:13.861 When you get to verse 10, he says Creating me a pure heart, o God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 00:17:13.861 --> 00:17:20.404 Do not cast me away from your presence, do not take your Holy Spirit from me. 00:17:20.404 --> 00:17:28.088 Restore also unto me the joy of salvation and uphold me with a free spirit. 00:17:28.088 --> 00:17:35.232 So will I teach transgressors your ways, and sinners shall be converted to you. 00:17:43.894 --> 00:17:49.085 This is a man who is repenting of his sin and he's talking about teaching God's word to transgressors that sinners will be converted to God. 00:17:49.085 --> 00:17:50.346 He knew the heart of God. 00:17:50.346 --> 00:17:59.422 He knew that it's the heart of the Father that sinners will convert to him, because God doesn't take any pleasure when a sinner dies in his sin. 00:17:59.422 --> 00:18:04.699 If there's anything that grieves the heart of God, it's when people die in their sins. 00:18:04.699 --> 00:18:11.622 But for his people, he says, precious in the sight of God are the death of his sins. 00:18:11.622 --> 00:18:19.661 The death that is not pleasing in God's sight is the death of the sinner. 00:18:19.661 --> 00:18:25.722 But he knows that his own people are coming to him, so he rejoices to welcome them. 00:18:25.722 --> 00:18:36.444 So this morning we will pray the heart of David that sinners will turn to God, because his arms is always open. 00:18:36.444 --> 00:18:48.262 That is why Jesus was nailed on the cross, so that his arms will always be open to anyone who turns to him and he never forsakes. 00:18:48.262 --> 00:18:50.320 He never leaves his children. 00:18:50.320 --> 00:18:52.602 His arms are always open. 00:18:52.602 --> 00:18:58.761 The mission is also our calling as children of God. 00:18:58.761 --> 00:19:03.942 God has called us to be in his mission. 00:19:04.174 --> 00:19:08.902 Jesus said in Matthew, chapter 28, verse 18 to 20,. 00:19:08.902 --> 00:19:17.686 Jesus came and said to them all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 00:19:17.686 --> 00:19:26.988 Now, this scripture saved my life, because where I grew up, I was raised up in a lot of fear. 00:19:26.988 --> 00:19:31.426 I was always afraid of demonic presence and all kinds of things. 00:19:31.426 --> 00:19:39.865 But when I read this scripture, jesus said all authority, not only in heaven but on earth, is given unto me. 00:19:39.865 --> 00:19:49.656 Like well, there's no need to be afraid of demons, there's no need to be afraid of the devil, because Jesus has all authority. 00:19:49.656 --> 00:19:53.046 He's the King of kings and the Lord of lords. 00:19:53.046 --> 00:20:02.768 All power belongs to Jesus and at the mention of the name, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. 00:20:02.768 --> 00:20:04.411 Hallelujah, hallelujah. 00:20:04.411 --> 00:20:06.816 He said. 00:20:06.816 --> 00:20:10.238 Therefore, go make disciples of all nations. 00:20:10.238 --> 00:20:22.127 Go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. 00:20:22.127 --> 00:20:27.451 And behold, I am with you, always, to the end of age. 00:20:27.451 --> 00:20:31.704 We are not alone. 00:20:31.704 --> 00:20:35.951 I'm not standing here alone. 00:20:35.951 --> 00:20:36.394 He is with us. 00:20:36.394 --> 00:20:37.977 He has not called us to be alone. 00:20:37.977 --> 00:20:50.555 He is right there with us, giving us all the power, all the authority, all the grace that we need, even as we work with him. 00:20:51.015 --> 00:20:54.898 Missions is an opportunity to work with God, and I love how the gospel of Mark ends. 00:20:54.898 --> 00:20:56.460 He says that. 00:20:56.460 --> 00:21:04.867 And they went forth preaching the word, the Lord working with them, confirming the word with signs following. 00:21:04.867 --> 00:21:08.310 So wherever we go, we don't go alone. 00:21:08.310 --> 00:21:14.438 The Lord is always working with us in the mission. 00:21:14.438 --> 00:21:15.940 The gospel is for the world. 00:21:15.940 --> 00:21:17.923 It doesn't end with us. 00:21:17.923 --> 00:21:23.089 It is not just what God does for me and that's it. 00:21:23.089 --> 00:21:26.760 No, god has a plan for the whole world. 00:21:26.760 --> 00:21:30.768 For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son. 00:21:30.768 --> 00:21:40.414 But whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. 00:21:40.414 --> 00:21:42.196 It's also said in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 19,. 00:21:42.196 --> 00:22:00.851 It says that in Christ, god was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 00:22:01.031 --> 00:22:07.654 God wants to reconcile with man, and at the cross is where the reconciliation takes place. 00:22:07.654 --> 00:22:12.286 I have a little bit of background in accounting and we studied what we call bank reconciliation statement. 00:22:12.286 --> 00:22:18.734 And we studied what we call bank reconciliation statement and in that sometimes the customer's cash book may not agree with the bank statement. 00:22:18.734 --> 00:22:26.324 So they try to figure out what's the difference, what caused the differences, so they prepare bank reconciliation statement. 00:22:26.324 --> 00:22:37.726 God wants to reconcile us to himself and that is why he gave Jesus Christ and he said he has made us ministers of reconciliation. 00:22:37.726 --> 00:22:41.945 We bring people in agreement with God. 00:22:41.945 --> 00:22:47.086 Because of sin, man is no longer in agreement with God. 00:22:47.086 --> 00:22:53.310 But at the cross our sins are forgiven, but at the cross our sins are forgiven. 00:22:53.310 --> 00:23:01.386 The blood of Jesus is enough to wipe out all our sins and bring us into harmony and agreement with the Father. 00:23:01.386 --> 00:23:10.446 God intends that everyone who has embraced the gospel become part of the great enterprise of spreading the gospel. 00:23:10.446 --> 00:23:17.804 It may look different for each and every one of us, but we are all called Hallelujah. 00:23:17.804 --> 00:23:19.319 We are not left out. 00:23:19.319 --> 00:23:21.280 There is an assignment for us. 00:23:21.280 --> 00:23:35.222 God desires that his son, jesus Christ, reign in every heart, that Jesus be exalted and be lifted up in the hearts of men, because he is indeed our savior. 00:23:35.222 --> 00:23:44.946 He is the one who delivers us from the domain of darkness and he has transferred us into the kingdom of his son. 00:23:47.736 --> 00:24:00.454 Pastor Tyler mentioned that very soon actually, when I immigrated from Ghana to the United States, I have to be resident here for three years before I can apply for citizenship. 00:24:00.454 --> 00:24:04.886 I'm not a citizen yet, but there is a time where I can apply for it. 00:24:04.886 --> 00:24:12.984 And now I'm still a citizen of Ghana and someday I'll be a citizen of the United States of America. 00:24:12.984 --> 00:24:17.640 The Bible says that we have another citizenship. 00:24:17.640 --> 00:24:41.104 It says our citizenship is in heaven, where we eagerly await a savior from there, our Lord Jesus Christ, whom, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control. 00:24:41.104 --> 00:24:49.711 So, everyone who believes in Jesus Christ, there is an instant transference. 00:24:49.711 --> 00:24:56.275 We are transferred into the kingdom of God and we are transferred into the kingdom of God and we are citizens of the kingdom of God. 00:24:56.275 --> 00:25:08.066 Now in the United States I have to wait for three years, and sometimes it's even longer, but in God's kingdom we don't have to wait that long. 00:25:08.066 --> 00:25:15.580 That moment that we believe in the Lord, we become part of the family of God. 00:25:17.246 --> 00:25:24.700 So to conclude, there's a scripture that I read in Joshua, chapter 13. 00:25:24.700 --> 00:25:42.809 Now Joshua was very old and in the previous chapter, the last verse, it talks about how they have defeated 31 kings and they have conquered a lot of lands. 00:25:42.809 --> 00:25:49.429 But in Joshua, chapter 13, verse 1, he says Now Joshua was old and advanced in years. 00:25:49.429 --> 00:26:05.839 And the Lord said to him you are old and advanced in years and there remains still very much land to possess, very much land to possess. 00:26:05.839 --> 00:26:18.817 There are still many lands to possess and the Lord is willing to empower His people, however that looks like in the land that he wants us to reach for Him. 00:26:18.817 --> 00:26:19.440 He wants to do that. 00:26:20.261 --> 00:26:21.688 So how do we respond? 00:26:21.688 --> 00:26:27.875 Respond like Nehemiah, in prayer. 00:26:27.875 --> 00:26:30.844 So mission is his birth in prayer, that we spend time before the Lord. 00:26:30.844 --> 00:26:40.724 Jesus told the disciples wait, spend time, wait for the promise of the Father, don't be in a hurry, wait. 00:26:40.724 --> 00:26:47.170 And they waited for 10 days and the Holy Spirit came and they became different people. 00:26:47.170 --> 00:26:51.987 Peter, who previously would not want to identify with Christ. 00:26:51.987 --> 00:26:55.325 He was very timid and denied the Lord. 00:26:55.325 --> 00:26:57.545 After that he was a different man. 00:26:57.545 --> 00:27:03.671 Saint Peter stood and spoke the word and 3,000 people were converted. 00:27:03.671 --> 00:27:08.246 That's the difference that the Holy Spirit makes in our lives. 00:27:10.221 --> 00:27:18.988 During the COVID time, I was in prayer See my little town praying and the Lord spoke to me. 00:27:18.988 --> 00:27:21.866 He said take the gospel to the communities around you. 00:27:21.866 --> 00:27:24.252 I said, okay, I will do that. 00:27:24.252 --> 00:27:30.249 So I started going to the community centers and we shared the gospel. 00:27:30.249 --> 00:27:43.006 They were in lockdown, but in these communities some of them they don't even have televisions, but they had a PA system where I could go there and speak and everyone would hear me. 00:27:43.006 --> 00:27:56.865 So I'll go and speak and we'll go to homes, ask them how they are doing, share prayer with them, ask them what they thought about the way that was preached, and many were encouraged. 00:27:56.865 --> 00:28:14.385 Now it cost money to go to all those communities and so while I was on the mountain I knew some people that I wrote their names down Say, oh, maybe God will touch their hearts to support the mission that he has laid on my heart. 00:28:15.409 --> 00:28:25.865 Now, as I obeyed the Lord and went after we have reached about 12 communities, I went back to my notes and I looked at the names and these people. 00:28:25.865 --> 00:28:39.689 I haven't talked to them about what the Lord had put it on my heart to do. 00:28:39.689 --> 00:28:47.676 I haven't asked them to support it, lord, and respond to what he's calling us to do. 00:28:47.676 --> 00:29:01.005 We can also respond in evangelism, making disciples I did mention it In our homes, our church, here at Trinity Community Church, and also at our workplace workplace. 00:29:01.005 --> 00:29:08.884 We can be a light Jesus in our workplace, and also to foreign lands very soon. 00:29:09.527 --> 00:29:14.488 There are people from here currently who are on foreign lands for the mission of God. 00:29:14.488 --> 00:29:18.248 Maybe God may be calling some of us to that. 00:29:18.248 --> 00:29:29.472 We should be open to what God wants to do with us and also we must intentionally support missionaries with our prayers. 00:29:29.472 --> 00:29:45.207 I'm so thankful this morning the elders and the prayer team how they covered me in prayer and it's amazing because we need prayers of the saints, because without the people of God we can't do it. 00:29:45.207 --> 00:30:12.648 I believe that there are some of us that the Lord will be calling to just intercede for people who are on the fields doing missionary work and if that is us, let us respond to it and invest time in praying for people in missions and also support missionaries with our resources and support missionaries with our resources. 00:30:12.648 --> 00:30:17.000 I don't have to talk more about that because this is a missionary church and that is already done here. 00:30:18.144 --> 00:30:28.944 But this morning I want us to enter into a time of prayer because I believe that there are some here that the Lord is doing a work in our hearts. 00:30:28.944 --> 00:30:34.304 I believe there are some here who wants to reconcile with God. 00:30:34.304 --> 00:30:53.130 You may have believed on the Lord, jesus Christ before, but right now you are at a place where it feels like it's stopped and it feels like you've hit a wall in your walk with God, and the Lord wants to make a way right now. 00:30:53.130 --> 00:30:57.221 So the prayer team will be coming right now, I believe. 00:30:57.221 --> 00:31:07.047 If you are like that and you want to renew your relationship with God, I want you to come forward and we will share a prayer. 00:31:07.047 --> 00:31:22.821 The Lord wants to renew commitments and he wants to make a way in the hearts of his people. 00:31:22.821 --> 00:31:28.147 He is a faithful God. 00:31:28.147 --> 00:31:32.909 Thank you Jesus. 00:31:32.909 --> 00:31:33.912 Thank you, abba, father. 00:31:33.912 --> 00:31:34.354 He is a faithful God. 00:31:34.354 --> 00:31:34.674 Thank you Jesus. 00:31:34.674 --> 00:31:36.579 Thank you, abba, father. 00:31:36.579 --> 00:31:37.503 We bless your name. 00:31:37.503 --> 00:31:41.162 We give you praise, lord. 00:31:41.162 --> 00:31:42.820 We give you all the honor. 00:31:42.820 --> 00:31:59.188 I'll be open as they come, just praying that the Lord will take whatever has been a hindrance, whatever is stopping us from going forward in our walk with God. 00:31:59.188 --> 00:32:00.920 The Lord will remove it. 00:32:02.616 --> 00:32:04.703 I also want to pray for some people. 00:32:04.703 --> 00:32:12.406 You know that you've been called to missions, but you don't know where to start or how that looks like. 00:32:12.406 --> 00:32:15.483 You can also join us in prayer. 00:32:15.483 --> 00:32:32.487 And the final group of people that we want to pray for this morning is for those who never had any encounter with the Holy Spirit and you desire the Holy Spirit to come, to come and reign in your life. 00:32:32.487 --> 00:32:37.800 Because without the Holy Spirit to come, to come and reign in your life, because without the Holy Spirit, there's nothing that we can do. 00:32:39.015 --> 00:32:43.386 Paul went to a place and they had believed and they were baptized. 00:32:43.386 --> 00:32:47.260 He asked them so since you believed, have you received the Holy Spirit? 00:32:47.260 --> 00:32:49.901 They said we don't know. 00:32:49.901 --> 00:32:52.520 We don't know about any Holy Spirit. 00:32:52.520 --> 00:33:06.624 So if we are here and you've never had any encounter with the Holy Spirit, the prayer team will be praying for you in the name of Jesus Church. 00:33:06.624 --> 00:33:10.502 Let's stand up and worship the Lord and bless His name. 00:33:10.654 --> 00:33:11.779 Father, we give you praise. 00:33:14.955 --> 00:33:19.500 If you need prayer, you can walk forward In Jesus' name. 00:33:19.539 --> 00:33:20.303 Thank you, lord. 00:33:20.303 --> 00:33:22.222 We bless your holy name. 00:33:22.222 --> 00:33:25.340 Lord, we give you praise. 00:33:25.340 --> 00:33:28.941 We magnify your name. 00:33:28.941 --> 00:33:32.362 Oh Lord, we exalt you, lord. 00:33:32.362 --> 00:33:36.281 Thank you, holy Spirit. 00:33:36.281 --> 00:33:40.682 We magnify you, lord. 00:33:40.682 --> 00:33:44.163 We give you all the praise in the name of Jesus. 00:33:44.163 --> 00:33:48.323 Thank you, lord, for what you are doing in your church. 00:33:48.323 --> 00:34:02.744 Oh Lord, calling us to your mission, lord of the harvest, we pray to you, lord, in the name of Jesus, for all those that you are calling this morning. 00:34:02.744 --> 00:34:08.420 Father, we pray in the name of Jesus, that you empower us with the Holy Spirit. 00:34:08.420 --> 00:34:21.311 You help us, oh Lord, to fulfill that which you've called us to do. 00:34:21.311 --> 00:34:26.481 Paul said Say to our keepers that he may lay hold of the ministry which he has received from the Lord, that he may fulfill it. 00:34:26.481 --> 00:34:42.742 Father, we pray, in the mighty name of Jesus, that the ministries that you've given us empower us, oh Lord, that we will fulfill it to your glory and to your praise. 00:34:42.742 --> 00:34:46.344 We give you all the glory, oh Lord. 00:34:46.344 --> 00:34:47.521 We give you all the honor. 00:34:47.521 --> 00:34:54.347 We thank you, father, in Jesus' name, amen. 00:34:54.347 --> 00:34:55.648 Amen.