Guest Speaker | Dr Steve Rennick

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey, I'm Kevin. Thanks for listening to our message. We strive each week to bring you relevant, practical, biblical teaching that meets you where you are. Hope you enjoy the message.

SPEAKER_01 0:13

Well, um, you know, the uh I I said we'd start there, Grace, but is it possible to go back to the family picture since since uh since Eric mentioned my family, I'll uh uh if if uh one second that's what that means. Okay, one second we do this and we do that. It is great to be back with you um here at Water's Edge. Uh I I'm glad to be here. I I said after my first visit here, I've been here one other time, uh I said to Pastor Eric that if I lived within an hour's drive of Water's Edge, I would be here for worship every single Sunday. This would be my church. This this would be where where I would love to be. Uh that's the Rennick clan. Um, that's us. Uh you mentioned my family, so every everybody's proud of their family. I'm proud of our family. Um that's uh I think that's all of us. Yeah, that's all of us. Uh I'm on one side, and my son, I know it's hard to tell that that's my son, is on the other side. Um, that's at the church where he's youth pastor in Kansas City. I think that was um when was dedication day for our youngest grandchild, which is his daughter, Daisy. No proud papa moment there for him at all in that picture. Uh, not not at all. Hard to tell that that he and I are even related. He was adopted through the mother's side, I'm pretty sure. Um, well, then to go to the next picture if you've got that one, then I do uh I do live um in Colorado Springs, and that's a that's a great that's a great thing. Um is there a picture in between there that we can do that's that's between that's just just that shot? Yeah, I thought I thought probably so since you mentioned it. I wasn't going to, I was just gonna skip right by it. I told them to skip it, but then you brought it up. So um then I then I'll just I'll just happen to to mention that that's a picture I took. I know. Uh that's that's a rough shot. That's a rough shot of Pike's Peak 14,000 feet through the Garden of the Gods. I don't live right there, I'm a few miles away from that spot. So uh that's why I love to come to Illinois. So the secrets the secret's out. It's not just the corn and the beans, it's the storms that knock down the buildings that I saw. And uh right, I mean, I'm driving along trying to get here, and literally there are just power lines that are just snapped and thrown over to the side, and I thought, great Scott, where am I going? So good to good to be back with you. Okay, let's go on now, back like we'd planned, Grace. Grace and mercy and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus our savior and in the Holy Spirit, too. And everybody said, Amen. Well, my name is Steve, and I'm glad to be back with you. Thank you, Pastor Eric, for inviting me the first time. You know, the first time's just curiosity, they just they don't know. So you don't know what you don't know. But if you get invited back the second time, that's a compliment. So thank you. So thank you. Yeah, that I'll I'll take that. Uh I'll take that. When I was 15 years old, my pastor put me in the pulpit for the very first time. Now, in case you didn't catch what I just said, let me say it again. The same month that I turned 15, my pastor Orville Larimore, you know a boy's from the Ozarks when his pastor's name is Orville. My pastor Orville Larimore, when I was 15, put me in the pulpit for the very first time. What had happened is that a month before that, I had gone to my pastor and said, I think God is calling me. And of all the things that Pastor Larimore could have done, he took me seriously. I was 14. He took me seriously and he asked me really good questions. And uh, and when he was done asking me questions, he prayed for me, and then he said these words, Steve, if God is calling you to preach, he didn't call you to preach someday, he called you to preach today. And and he had one of those big, remember back in the day they had these these desk calendars that was the size of the desk, and he flipped it from July to August. And two Sundays after my birthday, he wrote down the last Sunday of that service, he wrote down on the calendar PM service. See, it was with an organ, it was an evening service, PM, P.M. service, Steve Rennick encircled it really big, and my eyes got like this. And then Pastor Larry Moore gave me some some preacher hints, you know, preacher points, and uh, and then he gave me a key to the church and he said, now you you write your notes like I like I taught you, and then you come in and preach that church. You you preach that sermon. So I I would come in and I man, I I have stood right here at age 14, turning 15, two weeks into 15. I've stood right here in an empty church and preached and preached and preached like a dozen times. Every mouse got saved. It was amazing. It was it was awesome. And I had the I had my my notes down, seven pages of notes. There was a clock, just like this one, might be from my home church, so that you would know, don't go too long, right? That's what the clock was for. And and and I had it down, seven pages of notes was 23 minutes. That's perfect for a Sunday evening service, because then you can beat the Baptist to Dairy Queen. So it was it was perfect, folks. It was perfect, and that that Sunday came, and back in the day they had an organ over there, but that's true. But over here was the short miniature pew that was like a two-seater, or if you had a full gospel pastor, then it was a one-seater. You understand what I'm saying? Okay, so so that that evening he called me up and put me sitting on the little miniature pew, and I'm looking out, and and I don't know if this has ever happened to you before, but my my mouth became the Sahara. I couldn't get any liquid. And and sweat started pouring out of my palms. It was just the weirdest thing. I thought, what has happened to me? And while I'm trying to, like, uh, you know, like I need, you know, you didn't bottled water back then. I need some moisture, I didn't know what to do. And and before I knew it, the worship leader said, and now here comes brother Steve, and brother Steve was me, and I was 15. No. Even now, like telling this story, my heart is just reliving this. And so I got off the short pew, and I I came up to the podium and I uh to the pulpit and I looked at the clock and I looked down at my notes, and I preached my seven pages of notes, and I looked up, and seven minutes had gone by. I didn't know what to do. And and in my mind, I went, if you preach it two more times, that'll be 21 minutes. That'll cover. You can still beat the Baptist, it'll be great. You know, and so I looked down and I literally went back in my notes and I was ready to start again. And my pastor was on the side, he could see what I was doing, and he came running up and put his arm around me, and he said these words short and sweet is hard to beat. Come on, folks, let's go and eat. That's what happened. Now I tell that story for a couple of reasons. I'm not 15 anymore. Uh, I do have seven pages of notes, but the bad news is it's gonna take me a little more than seven minutes, okay? Um, but I tell that story also because I want to honor my pastor. I had a pastor. I want to say to you, church, you've got a pastor. Yeah. You do. You do. And and I'm grateful. He's not just my friend, he's my mentor. And uh and I have a I have a deep appreciation and respect, but also love for your pastor. And uh and I'm glad that you also, like I have had in my life, I'm glad that you have a pastor. You can applaud again. If you would please open your Bibles to the Acts, to the book of Acts, chapter two. That's the New Testament book, fifth book in the New Testament, the book of Acts, chapter two. Historically, in English translations, it's called the Acts of the Disciples. The book of Acts is referred to as the Acts of the Disciple, but historically in the church, all the way back to the church fathers, the book of Acts, the fifth book in the New Testament, was referred to as the Acts of the Holy Spirit. And today we're gonna talk about the Acts of the Holy Spirit. Acts chapter 2. We'll read just the opening few verses there. Acts chapter 2, but stay there. We're gonna stay in Acts chapter 2 and walk through it today. Acts chapter 2, prepare ourselves to hear something that is absolutely, utterly amazing. This is what the Bible says. When the day of Pentecost came, now that's at the end of May on our calendars. I'm sure Pastor Eric will cover that in detail when we get there. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. And suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole place where they were sitting. Some translations call it a howling wind. So imagine that. From heaven comes, and and they saw the people who were there, the two dozen people that were gathered there, they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire, goodness gracious, that separated, so you get like one tongue apiece, I guess, I'm not for sure. And it came to rest on each of them. We always think of it like on the top of their head, we don't know where it rested. Now, all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. Now get this, and they began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. What in the world is going on? You've got to be kidding me. What in heaven's name is God up to? God is keeping his promise. God is keeping his word, God is showing up. You see, whether you believe the Bible or not, there really is no better proof that Jesus is who Jesus said he was, and that Jesus did what Jesus said he would do, which is I will lay down my life and three days later I will be raised again. There's no greater proof of that than this story. Because in Acts chapter 2, at the very beginning, all of the disciples are together and they are filled with fear, and they should be, because they have just seen Jesus arrested and scourged, crucified, dead, and buried. And their only question, their biggest question is who's next? I think it's going to be Simon Peter, probably. If not, then it's going to be James or John, because you know they were, they were all with him even more. They were filled with fear. They were fearful, full of fear. And yet, as we continue reading in the book of Acts, the Acts of the Holy Spirit, as we continue reading, they go from fearless to from fearful to fear less. They go from full of fear to no fear, and they begin to boldly speak in in Jesus' name. And when they are arrested, talk about, oh gee, thank you. And when they are arrested and they are thrown into prison at night in chains, the book of Acts says, and they're singing songs of praise. Now that's the Holy Spirit. Because if you put me in chains in a prison at night, you might hear something else. You see, they go from fearful to fearless. That's the story of Acts chapter 2. That's that's the fullness of the acts of the Holy Spirit. And Jesus said, now this is exactly what will happen. You'll go from fearful to fearless. Jesus said, This is what will happen when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. He told them that. He said that's how it'll be. And that it will be just as God has promised through the prophet Joel, chapter 2. Now, this is huge. It says, hundreds of years before the day of Pentecost, in the Old Testament, the prophet Joel or Joel, God says, I will pour out my spirit. Not you will invoke me, but I will choose to do it. I will pour out my spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions, even on my servants, both men and women. God says, I will pour out my spirit in those days. You see, this is even the same as Jesus had promised them in Acts chapter 1, verse 8. And Jesus says to them, Look, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. And so they are all together in the upper room. They're waiting, and they have little to no idea what to expect. What will this experience be like? The disciples, after Acts 1.8, they go back to the upper room, the very same one where they had gathered with Jesus before. And now they're waiting and they're wondering. And they say they think, what's going to happen? Can you imagine what that was like for them? They're going, come on, Jesus, let's go. You know, let's move it along. Let's get it going. What's this gonna be like? What's this gonna feel like? Will it tingle? What's this power gonna be like? Uh John the Baptist said that that Jesus was gonna baptize us with fire. That's what John the Baptist had said. So is this gonna burn me? They did not know, and they didn't have to wait long because Acts chapter 2 comes. And in Acts chapter 2, on the day of Pentecost, they get their answer. And here's the answer: there's a howling wind. My goodness. Second, there's fire in the room. Wind and now fire. You know what happens to fire in a wind? And it settles on them, these tongues of fire. And then the Holy Spirit is what it says. Exactly what God had promised through the prophet Joel hundreds of years before, and exactly what Jesus meant when he said, Lo, I will be with you always, even to the end of the age. Here comes the Holy Spirit. And then, goodness gracious, as if that's not enough, they begin to speak in languages they had never even studied before. Wouldn't that be helpful in Germany? Especially where you live, near Luxembourg and in Belgium and France and not too far from the Netherlands. Nobody speaks Dutch. You know? You need that gift. Now they did not really understand what was happening, what they were saying, and yet Acts 2 says that the crowd around them understood. Isn't that interesting? The people didn't understand. Those that got the Holy Spirit didn't really fully grasp what was going on. I don't think any of us do. And if you do fully grasp what the Spirit's doing, then it ain't the Spirit. Yet the crowd gathered in Jerusalem, they heard and they understood. The story is that in Acts chapter 2, there are devout Jews from all over the Mediterranean world. And they were hearing, look in your Bible at verse 11. They are hearing, quote, the wonders of God in our own tongue. That's what happened. Which is how God loves and cares for them and for all people. It is how God came for them in Jesus and for all people, and how everyone in all the world can be in right relationship with God through Jesus. That's the wonders of God in their own tongue. People from all over the known world were hearing good news. Let me be honest with you, here it is. The good news is God's not angry with you. The good news is God's not out to get you. The good news is God cares for you, and God is out to love you and to teach you how to love him and how to love your neighbor. That's what the Holy Spirit always does. The Holy Spirit will always point us to Jesus and lead us to love others. That's the Holy Spirit. Now, who would have dreamed that the Holy Spirit also just happens to be a phenomenal linguist? I mean, like, who knew? And while they're they're sharing the wonders of God in those people's own tongue, while the people were listening, some people in the crowd say, I don't think so. There's always some of those, right? I don't think so. This is read it, it's in the book. Acts chapter 2. Like, I mm. We know when they're babbling, like, we know what this is. And so somebody has to stand up. And so, of course, it's going to be Simon Peter. He stands up and he speaks up and he goes, Look, folks, it's nine in the morning. Please. That's it. It's literally, it's what it says. It's too early for that. And he says, now instead, instead of thinking this, look around you. That's a good advice. He says, look around you, look at your neighbors. Here are people from all over the known world, and they hear and they understand the good news of God in their own language. That's what this is all about. And then Simon continues with this remarkable sermon, Acts chapter 2, and it actually follows in Acts chapter 2, it follows this very same promise he cites Joel chapter 2, where God promises, I will pour out my spirit on all people. And your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your old men are going to dream dreams, and your young men are going to see visions, and even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my spirit in those days. And Simon in Acts chapter 2, he says, Those days are these days. That Joel to is Acts 2. And friends, I'm going to tell you that is the pneumatology of the church of God. That God is pouring out his spirit and we don't control it. God does. And that this spirit is the very same wind which blew through the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37. And God gave them new life. Oh, may God do it again. Yeah? And this is the very same fire from God, which led and protected the children of Israel in the wilderness in the book of Exodus. Oh, may God do it again. And this utterly bizarre gift of languages. I mean, that one ought to stop us for a moment. That is God, look at this, choosing to reverse the curse. Let me say that again. It is God choosing to reverse the curse. It is the opposite of Genesis 11 and the Tower of Babel. No longer is God dividing people into language groups. Now God is reversing that because He's uniting people regardless of what native language we may speak. Well, glory, hallelujah. God do it again. And then Peter, Simon Peter, he ends the sermon with these words. It's Acts chapter 2. Look at it, beginning at verse 38. He says, Repent and be baptized. Good sermon, Peter. Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah. And then he says, Here's good news for us. Listen, this promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off. That was me. And for all whom the Lord our God will call. That message, Acts chapter 2, was for us. Isn't that something? And with many other words, he, Peter, warned them, and Peter pleaded with them, and he said, Save yourselves from this corrupt generation. Well, come on. Back, Simon Peter. I don't know if anybody's looked around. I'm sure here in Chicago you all are clean and holy. But out in Colorado, we've got all kinds of issues and problems. And he said, Save yourselves from this corrupt generation. Amen, amen, amen. Now listen, those who accepted his message were baptized. And about were added to their number that day. Can you imagine? Two dozen people are in the upper room, and through them, empowered from on high, filled with the Holy Spirit, they begin to turn the world right side up. You see, the world's already upside down. So they begin to turn the world right side up. And what happened that day didn't stop, or we wouldn't be here. It spread from, just like Jesus said, from Jerusalem to Judea to Samaria to the uttermost ends of the earth. That means that from Jerusalem, it went south to Egypt and Ethiopia and Africa. It went west to Athens and Rome and Europe and eventually to the Americas. It went east to Persia and India and China and into Asia and it did not stop and it has not stopped. The good news of Jesus continues across cultures and continents and centuries to new people and to new languages all around the world, all the way to us today. That what started there is still going on. Can you imagine that a little baby that King Herod attempted to murder in Bethlehem, whose early childhood was lived as an immigrant and a refugee in Egypt. That's who Jesus was. That then he reached adulthood in this little backwater place called Nazareth. And then as an adult, he headquartered his ministry in Capernaum. And then three and a half years later, he was assassinated, murdered in Jerusalem. That he is today the most talked about and the most ignored. He is today the most loved and the most reviled. He is today the most studied and the most disputed. He is today the most commonly worshipped and the most often maligned name in human history. And we today would never have heard of him if it were not for Acts chapter two. If it were not for God keeping his promise that he made in Joel chapter 2, if it were not for this overwhelming power of the Holy Spirit which was unleashed on that day. Now the Bible speaks of the power of the Holy Spirit in in two primary ways. One of them is the abiding peace of God. That sense of presence that comes with all of the comfort and the compassion of Jesus. Oh, this is the spirit most of us know and want. This is the spirit that most of us love and we we treasure. It is the spirit of abiding peace. It is that that sense of the still small voice. It is his peace in the midst of our storm. The one who is always with us, even to the end of the age, as Jesus said. Ah, that's the Holy Spirit.

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Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:47

I want that. The Bible also speaks of the Holy Spirit in another way. It's the Acts chapter two way. And if we are honest, this one makes most of us just at least a wee bit uneasy. Because this is the spirit who disrupts our ordinary lives. And this is the spirit who enters like a howling wind. This is the spirit who spoke to Job through a whirlwind. This is the spirit who lands on us with tongues of fire, as the prophet Jeremiah said, his word is in me like a fire, and I cannot hold it in. This is the spirit who reverses the curse of the Tower of Babel and who reverses the course of our ordinary everyday lives. This is the spirit that we do not control, who is under the control of God alone. Now we love and we want the first experience of the spirit, but the second one, well, that's another story. Now, if we could interview the two dozen people who were in the upper room at the beginning of Acts chapter 2, who on that day were filled with the Spirit, who actually felt the wind, heard it, and who had that the tongues of fire, whatever that was, land on them, and then who spoke in languages that they did not know, that they'd never studied before. Now, if we could sit down and we could interview them, I would love to ask them, what have you learned about God? That would be my question. I would just tell me about this. What did you learn from the second experience? I think I get the first one, but what did you learn from the second experience? I think they would likely say something like this. They would say, God is always faithful. Did you get that? God is always faithful. These people would say, and are you ready? God is utterly unpredictable. Always faithful and utterly unpredictable. Oh my goodness. You see, that's a paradox. That's an oxymoron, and that's just the point. Because Jesus often taught with paradox, didn't he? He said, uh, the first shall be the last. He said, the greatest among you will be the servant of all. He said, if you want to save your life, then you need to lose it, give it away. That's a paradox. That's that's oxymoron. Now I didn't know we had an airman with us today, but I have two brothers, and the oldest one was a jar head. He was a marine, simper fi. And the other one is a disabled, retired army sergeant. And I'm the baby brother. They're six and eight years older than me. And and and so I grew up with their stories. And and they loved, sorry, again, pardon me, airmen, they love to make fun of the military when they were home on leave. I'm sure you never do that, and those that's just what they did back in that day. And they would compare oxymorons, military oxymorons. It was like a contest. Anytime they were both on leave at home, they would they had a contest going. Here's some of them that they brought home. They would say that somebody in the military called it a beautiful mess. Somebody else suffered from, get this, a complete lack of information. One person was described as awfully pretty, and the other one was pretty ugly. Someone in boot camp was called an advanced beginner. Are you getting this? The all-time winner, I don't remember which brother brought it home, but but said that a woman was almost pregnant. The point is we don't think the words fit together. Are you with me? These words don't fit together, but with God they do. God is always faithful, isn't he? You see, that is who God is. Do you want to find one who's closer than a brother? Do you want an anchor for your soul? Do you want to know that you are forgiven? Do you want your heart to be cleansed? Do you want your life to be full? Do you want to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are never, ever, ever, never, ever alone? Then from the mountaintop of life to the valley, to the valley of the shadow of death, I say to you, God is always faithful. God is always faithful. And God is also utterly unpredictable. I mean a howling wind? Huh? Tongues of fire, speaking in languages that never studied before. That's that's utterly unpredictable. You want some more? God says, I will pour out my spirit on all people, not just on some people. Wait a minute, wait a minute. I thought it was only on some people. No, not on some people, not a few people, not on the chosen people, but on which people? All people. A-L-L. All means all. Can you imagine? That's good news for us because that means that that your family and your ancestry and your lineage does not limit you. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. When Diane and I were engaged, I said, honey, if you're gonna marry me, you gotta meet my family. So on a Sunday after church, we drove to the jail. Signed in. Signed in. We walk in. This is the early 80s, so you know I'm in a blue suit with a red power tie. She's in a dress that has shoulder pads larger than the Chicago Bears. You remember that? Big old hair, come on. Sunday afternoon, it's it's it's you know, and we we walk into the visitation room at the jail, sign in. From the other corner, the turnkey, the guard, opens the door, in walks the Marine. Billy's got tattoos, he he wearing overalls, he got a beard bigger than his belly. I mean, my brother walks in the door and and he says to the turnkey, hey Fred, come on over here and meet my little brother. Fred looks at me, looks back at Billy, looks at me again, looks at Billy and goes, Billy, what happened to you? Well, honey, your family and your ancestry and your lineage does not limit you. Did you hear that? Listen, your family, your ancestry and your limage, it doesn't impress God either. Oh, well, I am, I am, I am. God is God, and God is the God of all people, and God is the God of all the earth, and God pours out his spirit, not on a small, predetermined group, but on ALL on all people. Folks, that's utterly unpredictable, and that's not all. God says, I will pour out my spirit on all people. Now get this your sons and your daughters will prophesy. So the spirit is not just for people of a certain age, because this is for sons and daughters, and it's not just for the boys. Hallelujah. You see, if you you think you got to be of a certain age and you gotta be only one gender, then here's the deal. That's the old way. That's the old covenant. Acts 2 is the new way and the new covenant. This is for boys and girls, this is for sons and daughters. There is no glass ceiling in access to the power of the Holy Spirit. God will call God's sons and God will call God's daughters and to prophesy, to speak of him and for him, and God is the one who will do the choosing. Yeah, and that's not all. Get this. Your old men will dream dreams. Well, hallelujah. Well, what if I'm tired? What if I'm retired? What if I've done my fair share? What if my earthly future is shorter than my earthly past? What if world and and culture and certainly technology has just passed me by? God says, no problem. Moses was 80 years old, and God started him on a new career. At 80. And Moses isn't the only one. Remember when they get to the promised land and the young whippersnappers don't want to take the high country? And they're looking at the high country, and it's held by big people, and you got to march uphill to get there, and they're looking around, and all the young bucks are like, Man, I don't think so. I don't think so. I don't think so. What happens? From the back comes Caleb. Caleb's 80 years old. I don't know if he walked with a limp or a cane or a walker. But he was he walked up to the front. And what did he say? I'll do it. All the young guys said, Go get them. Better than that, God said, Go get them. And Caleb did. So your old men will dream dreams. Are there any dreamers in the house today? Hmm? Now your young men will see visions. What's that mean? That means they will see life not as it has been, but as it could be. Not as it has been, but as it should be. Not as it has been, but as it would be, if we all would just trust God and take the high ground. Follow his spirit. Your young men will see visions. They'll stop asking why and they'll begin to ask, why not? Now I wonder, is there anyone here who still dares to dream impossible dreams? Is there anyone here who believes that God still gives vision and visions? I'm a child of the 60s, so I grew up on Star Trek. When we got married, my wife had Vulcan ears. She had these ears you could put on, pointy ears. That's true. That's why I that's why I'm glad to preach this morning without her here. I can say what I want to. What did Star Trek say? Our mission is what? To boldly go where no one has gone before. Friends, that's not science fiction. That is the work of the Spirit of God in and through the people of God who boldly go. The same God who says, even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my spirit in those days. So I want to say to you, God is always faithful. Always, in always, always. God is always faithful, and God is utterly what? Unpredictable. Which is a good lesson for we who think that if God would simply ask us, then we could tell him how to properly run the universe. Right? I mean, I I'm gonna tell you, I checked in at the throne of heaven just this morning. I was prepared to loan the Almighty my own good opinions. And do you know what I found at the throne of heaven this morning? It was like Root 66. There is a blinking neon sign that says no vacancy. In other words, the throne of God is still full. No vacancy. God is always faithful, and God is utterly unpredictable. Now, I don't think I would have given Adam and Eve free will. I raised three kids, I know better. Actually, Diane did, but I was there sometimes. You see, that's risky free will. That's unpredictable. How about Noah and the flood? Did anybody predict that? How about Moses and the Red Sea? Did Moses see that one coming? Pharaoh didn't. Did Moses? No, no, no. How about Balaam? There's my kicker in the Old Testament. God speaks through his prophets to his people, but when God wants to speak to the prophet Balaam, God speaks through his donkey. Donkey! Man wasn't even from Missouri, and his donkey spoke to him. I don't think anyone has ever figured that one out. Not even your esteemed pastor. It's unpredictable. God comes to earth, but he comes not at the head of a conquering army of angelic warriors. That would be my approach. But when God comes in Jesus, he comes how? Weak, vulnerable, powerless, humble, and of all things born of a virgin? Unpredictable. Jesus says, It's better for you if I go away. Excuse me, Jesus, I think it'd be better if you'd stay. He said, No, no, no, no, no, no. Here's the unpredictable. It's better for you if I go away because if I go away, I will send you another, an advocate, a comforter, who will dwell with you and in you and help you to do my will. Unpredictable. Jesus says, You will no longer see me, but I'll always be with you. I would prefer to see you, Jesus. Jesus says, No, no, no, no, it's better for you. You'll no longer see me, yet I will always be with you. You see, God is always faithful and utterly unpredictable. Thanks be to God. Now, what about you and your life? Hmm? Are you at the point in your life where you can invite an always faithful, yet utterly unpredictable God to be in charge of you? We talk about get saved. Salvation. Yes, it's praying for forgiveness of sin, of course. It's also saying, God, you're in charge of me. I I I've seen what happens when I'm in charge. So I'm just saying to you, you can do that today. Also, what about for those that maybe you know Jesus? Maybe you love and even serve Jesus, but I I just want to ask specifically, Acts chapter 2, have you ever asked the Holy Spirit into your life to come and to set up residence, to clean house in in body, mind, heart, and soul, and to have complete and utter control? Holy Spirit, I'm yours. Have you ever done that? Because you can today. And what about for those that that maybe you've walked with the Lord for a while, maybe for years, maybe for decades. But but could today be a time where really it's time for a fresh wind? For the Holy Spirit to come and and blow fresh in me and through me. Holy Spirit, I've I've held on to too much, and there's too many barnacles on the ship of my life. Lord, I I need you. I need you to clean me up, straighten me up, get my feet back where they need to be. I I need the Holy Spirit in me and through me because we can do that today. Right here, right now. Let's stand together. Father, we we pray in Acts 2 prayer today. Yes, we ask for comfort. Yes, we ask for healing. Yes. We also ask for the unpredictable. We open ourselves to you, always faithful, utterly unpredictable. We do it in Jesus' name. And everybody said, Amen.

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