WEBVTT 00:00:38.399 --> 00:00:42.640 If you've never been born, you'd never have an eternal future in the presence of God. 00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:47.119 It's a blessing if you would have been born and have a day. 00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:49.039 Today was a good day. 00:00:49.439 --> 00:00:52.640 A good day because God made it and God gave it to you. 00:00:53.280 --> 00:00:55.840 How many of you had the best day you ever had in your life today? 00:00:56.960 --> 00:00:59.840 Three or four brave souls lifted their hands. 00:01:02.399 --> 00:01:04.000 Let me put it this way. 00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:14.079 If you consider the fact that the last 24-hour period of time you spent a lot on this earth, lose you 24 hours closer to the coming of Christ and the establishing of his kingdom on earth. 00:01:14.319 --> 00:01:16.079 And when he comes, we will see him. 00:01:16.319 --> 00:01:17.840 When we see him, we'll be what? 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:18.719 Like him. 00:01:18.879 --> 00:01:21.439 So you're 24 hours closer to being just like Jesus. 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:24.799 When you consider all that, you just had the best day you ever had in your life. 00:01:25.040 --> 00:01:27.200 It's just a matter of perspective. 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:30.079 I'm telling you, perspective is everything. 00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:38.719 If you begin to see things correctly, when you think right correctly, you feel right. 00:01:39.040 --> 00:01:40.560 When you feel right, you act right. 00:01:40.799 --> 00:01:42.879 It all starts with your thinking. 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:46.159 It all starts in how you think, a proper perspective, I think. 00:01:46.879 --> 00:01:49.599 That's the reason God gave us his word, I believe. 00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:50.879 More than anything else. 00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:55.439 God gave us his word to change the way we think. 00:01:57.680 --> 00:02:03.200 Now, do any of you in here have zero area in your life where you need to change the way you think? 00:02:03.680 --> 00:02:06.400 I mean you're just exactly like Jesus right now. 00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:13.759 Well, if you don't, if you're not just exactly like Jesus, then you have needs of changing the way you think. 00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:19.199 And the only way that's going to happen properly is for you to receive his word. 00:02:20.479 --> 00:02:23.520 God's word changes the way you think. 00:02:24.479 --> 00:02:28.960 And begins to order your thinking according to God's ways. 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:34.639 As your thinking is ordered according to God's ways, it changes the way you feel on the inside. 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:43.439 It changes your emotional life, changes your perspective, and it definitely changes the way you act, changes what you do. 00:02:43.680 --> 00:02:45.120 But it all starts with your mind. 00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:47.680 That's why it's important that your mind be renewed. 00:02:47.919 --> 00:02:49.599 You need your mind to be renewed. 00:02:49.759 --> 00:02:55.919 God's given us the mind of Christ, and we need to have our mind renewed through his word. 00:02:56.960 --> 00:03:00.879 So this Bible is a lot more important than a lot of people think. 00:03:01.039 --> 00:03:11.280 It's more important than just allowing to be uh, you know, laid around in your house and you know picking it up every once in a while and carrying it with you, thinking because it's with you, the devil can't bother you. 00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:13.039 It's more important than that. 00:03:13.199 --> 00:03:18.240 What God really wants you to do is feed on his word, and it will change the way you think. 00:03:18.719 --> 00:03:29.120 I hope that what we see, just some simple things in his word tonight, changes the way you think in one particular area of your life, and that you'll never be the same again because it changed you. 00:03:30.080 --> 00:03:31.599 That's the way I change. 00:03:31.840 --> 00:03:35.919 It's because I began to receive in certain areas at different times in different ways. 00:03:36.080 --> 00:03:43.360 It comes sometimes on personal study or devotion, comes through the preaching of the word as someone else's preaching, comes sometimes when I'm preaching. 00:03:43.439 --> 00:03:46.479 I mean, there's times where I'll say something and I think, man, that was so good. 00:03:46.560 --> 00:03:49.039 I wish I'd have taken notes on myself. 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:53.599 And a mental note to say, that is going to change my life. 00:03:53.680 --> 00:03:54.960 It's going to change the way I think. 00:03:55.120 --> 00:04:01.199 So it comes through personal study, it comes through others, it may come through just conversations with another brother or sister in the Lord. 00:04:01.360 --> 00:04:02.960 It may come in some other way. 00:04:03.039 --> 00:04:04.879 It may come from God Himself. 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:09.360 But as you receive His Word, the most important thing it does is change your mind. 00:04:09.759 --> 00:04:11.759 It changes your thinking. 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:26.240 Now, if you if you aren't right now thinking absolutely correctly in all areas, you need to open yourself up to believe that it's possible for God to say something to me tonight that will change my life in a particular area of my life. 00:04:26.480 --> 00:04:31.600 Don't ever go to church just thinking, well, I can go into church and hope it makes me feel a little better. 00:04:31.920 --> 00:04:34.079 No, go with more expectations than that. 00:04:34.240 --> 00:04:36.639 Go, number one, expecting to meet with God. 00:04:37.519 --> 00:04:40.160 To come into his presence and to meet with him. 00:04:40.480 --> 00:04:49.920 But secondly, come expecting that somewhere in this corporate gathering, the Lord is going to come and say something to me that's going to leave me different. 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:52.160 And he will. 00:04:52.720 --> 00:04:54.639 Those who ask, get. 00:04:55.839 --> 00:04:59.600 Now that's a little misquote of the word, but it's the truth. 00:04:59.839 --> 00:05:01.600 If you seek, you will what? 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:02.399 Fine. 00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:04.319 If you knock, the door will be open to you. 00:05:04.480 --> 00:05:06.720 Ask and you shall receive. 00:05:06.879 --> 00:05:12.480 Come expecting that the word of God, in whatever form it comes to me, is going to change my life. 00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:15.839 And God can say something to you totally independent of what I'm saying. 00:05:16.079 --> 00:05:17.279 Have you ever noticed that in church? 00:05:17.439 --> 00:05:20.560 A preacher be preaching on one thing, God talking to you about something else. 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:24.639 That doesn't happen often, so don't be listening to other voices. 00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:26.240 I want you to listen to me. 00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:29.600 But anyway, I want you to tune in tonight. 00:05:29.680 --> 00:05:36.399 Please just give attention for, you know, the next three or four hours as we go through the word and concentrate. 00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:37.920 All right? 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:40.720 I want you to turn over to Acts chapter 1. 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:42.399 If you would, please. 00:05:42.639 --> 00:05:44.240 Acts chapter 1. 00:05:46.959 --> 00:06:04.560 Before we get into it tonight, uh I just want to say how much I appreciate the opportunity of coming and teaching and being a part of your lives and getting a chance to come because I feel an ownership, some measure of ownership in the birth and the life of this church, simply because I've prayed for you and I prayed for Robert long before this church ever started. 00:06:04.800 --> 00:06:14.480 Prayed with him through the process of the decisions and feel a deep ownership of and really a great deal of joy in what God's done in the church in one year. 00:06:14.720 --> 00:06:15.839 It's quite remarkable. 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:18.240 I mean, it really is, and the Lord is doing some good things. 00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:22.000 And I feel, and and many of our people feel a part of that because we all love Robert. 00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:23.439 I mean, at Calvary, we love Robert. 00:06:23.519 --> 00:06:25.199 We loved him at Metro in Oklahoma. 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:30.879 He's come and done all of the presbyteries that we've that we've had in our church, and our people there love him. 00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:32.879 And if y'all don't like him, we'll take him. 00:06:33.600 --> 00:06:36.240 I don't know what we'd do with him, but we'll take him. 00:06:37.839 --> 00:06:45.360 But we love Robert, and love Debbie, and love their family, and love the staff and the people that God is collecting and putting together as a leadership team here. 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:52.319 And uh so it's an honor to me, it really is, to be able to come and teach you and to uh open the word of God to you. 00:06:52.480 --> 00:06:54.879 Acts chapter 1, verse 1. 00:06:54.959 --> 00:06:59.600 It says, the first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and to teach. 00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:06.160 Now, this is this is Luke writing the book of Acts, and the first account he composed was the book of Luke. 00:07:06.639 --> 00:07:13.040 So in the book of Luke, he talks about what Jesus began to do and to teach, and the book of Acts is going to tell you a lot of other things that he did. 00:07:13.120 --> 00:07:13.439 Okay? 00:07:14.000 --> 00:07:21.199 Verse 2, until the day when he, Jesus, was taken up, after he had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom he had chosen. 00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:30.639 To these he also presented himself alive after his suffering by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. 00:07:31.199 --> 00:07:38.959 And gathering them together, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for that which the Father had promised, which he said, You heard from me. 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:44.319 For John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. 00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:50.879 And so when they had come together, they were asking him, saying, Lord, is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel? 00:07:51.199 --> 00:08:05.920 And he said to them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses, both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, Samaria, and even the remotest part of the earth. 00:08:06.160 --> 00:08:07.439 Now look up here, minute. 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:13.199 Acts chapter 1 is a transition chapter in the Bible. 00:08:13.360 --> 00:08:15.439 It's making this huge transition. 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:22.000 It marks the beginning of a great chapter or transition in human beings' lives, as a matter of fact. 00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:32.960 There's not a more important transition that ever took place in the history of mankind than took place during this season of time that Luke was writing the book of Acts. 00:08:33.200 --> 00:08:36.559 Luke was writing the first chapter of the book of Acts, as a matter of fact. 00:08:36.879 --> 00:08:42.240 Now, the gospels ended as Robert has been teaching you the last two weeks. 00:08:42.480 --> 00:08:46.799 What happened the week before Jesus' crucifixion? 00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:51.919 What happened the day after his, or three days after his crucifixion and his burial? 00:08:52.080 --> 00:08:56.000 What happened on Sunday following the Sabbath, the resurrection day? 00:08:56.240 --> 00:08:59.360 Well, he's beginning to talk about here what happened after that. 00:08:59.759 --> 00:09:02.559 And so it's a tremendously important transition. 00:09:02.960 --> 00:09:15.360 The Gospels end with the death, burial, resurrection of Christ, and Acts begins to talk about and introduces the account of the birth of the church and its growth through the apostles. 00:09:15.759 --> 00:09:19.200 So there was a transfer of ownership that took place here. 00:09:19.360 --> 00:09:22.879 There's a tremendous transition of thinking that took place here. 00:09:23.759 --> 00:09:31.039 Now Jesus is simply preparing these people that he's writing to, that he's expressing this truth to. 00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:38.720 He's preparing them for the most incredibly unbelievable event almost. 00:09:38.879 --> 00:09:39.200 Almost. 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:41.440 Ranks right up there in the top three, I think. 00:09:41.759 --> 00:09:45.039 Most incredibly unbelievable event in human history. 00:09:46.240 --> 00:09:58.720 And that was the advent or the coming of the Holy Spirit to dwell and live not only with us, but in us, in the lives of human beings. 00:09:58.960 --> 00:10:03.679 The coming of the Holy Spirit is what Jesus is preparing these people to receive. 00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:05.360 That's what he's doing. 00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:08.720 He's setting them up for what's about to happen. 00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:14.399 Now see, the disciples faced a big challenge here in the beginning of the book of Acts. 00:10:14.960 --> 00:10:16.720 Here was their challenge. 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:20.559 How are we going to do this without him? 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:23.440 He's not here. 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:26.480 He's gone. 00:10:27.919 --> 00:10:30.879 He was here, but he's not here anymore. 00:10:31.200 --> 00:10:36.639 How are we going to do what he told us to do without him? 00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:39.519 How are we going to do it? 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:46.960 How are we going to preach the gospel of the kingdom to all nations and make disciples of all nations? 00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:51.200 How are we going to preach repentance to the ends of the earth? 00:10:51.759 --> 00:10:53.440 How are we going to do that? 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:59.200 How are we going to heal the sick and raise the dead and all the things that Jesus told us to do? 00:10:59.360 --> 00:11:00.320 How are we going to do that? 00:11:00.480 --> 00:11:01.600 He's not here anymore. 00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:03.120 How are we going to carry on? 00:11:03.279 --> 00:11:05.360 Now that's a good question I'd like to ask you. 00:11:05.600 --> 00:11:09.759 How are we going to do what he left us here to do without him here? 00:11:11.840 --> 00:11:13.440 Anyone got any ideas? 00:11:14.799 --> 00:11:16.159 Anybody got a good idea? 00:11:16.320 --> 00:11:20.879 How are we going to do what Jesus left us here to do without him? 00:11:21.440 --> 00:11:22.080 Here. 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:25.360 Through the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:11:25.600 --> 00:11:26.559 That's how. 00:11:27.679 --> 00:11:30.320 We're going to do it exactly the same way they did. 00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:33.120 And that's what Luke was saying. 00:11:33.279 --> 00:11:39.279 And that's what Jesus was saying when he was preparing them to receive the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit. 00:11:39.519 --> 00:11:47.759 The only way to do what Jesus left us here to do is through a dependency and a relationship with the Holy Spirit. 00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:49.840 I don't know about you. 00:11:50.480 --> 00:11:54.639 But it's been my observation of church life over the course of the last 30 years. 00:11:54.879 --> 00:12:00.480 That there's a lot of people that simply feel like it's possible to talk about the Holy Spirit too much. 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:02.639 And I don't agree with that. 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:11.519 I don't believe it's possible to think about, talk about, and emphasize the presence and the power and the gifts and all of the things that the Holy Spirit came to give us. 00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:14.080 I don't think it's possible to talk about that too much. 00:12:14.320 --> 00:12:16.559 And people say, you're going to seed on the Holy Spirit. 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:21.120 I mean, you're going to get plum crazy if you keep on talking about the Holy Spirit all the time. 00:12:21.600 --> 00:12:28.320 Well, if he makes me crazy, then I'm going to be crazy because he's the only choice we got. 00:12:29.279 --> 00:12:35.759 The only thing you have to depend upon in the Christian life, not only doing what Jesus let you here to do, but to becoming like Christ. 00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:41.600 The only hope you have is through the agency and the power of the Holy Spirit because your flesh can't produce it. 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:42.960 Your flesh can't do it. 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:44.399 It's impossible. 00:12:45.120 --> 00:12:50.960 So the only way for us to accomplish what Jesus left us here to do is through the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:12:51.039 --> 00:12:53.600 So we better find out some stuff about Him. 00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:56.960 We better learn how to walk in Him. 00:12:57.120 --> 00:12:59.120 We better learn how to hear Him. 00:12:59.519 --> 00:13:06.639 We better learn to understand and discern His presence and what He desires and what He wants to do. 00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:10.240 Through the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:13:39.279 --> 00:13:40.720 They were in the upper room. 00:13:40.960 --> 00:13:44.559 And Jesus told them to go over to the city of Jerusalem and wait in Luke 24. 00:13:44.799 --> 00:13:47.200 Wait for the promise of the one of the Father. 00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:48.399 And they went over there and waited. 00:13:48.480 --> 00:13:55.360 They did a strange when Jesus told that 120 disciples to go to the upper room and wait, they did a weird thing. 00:13:56.080 --> 00:13:58.000 They went over there and waited. 00:13:58.320 --> 00:13:59.919 They did what he said. 00:14:00.159 --> 00:14:01.200 It's amazing. 00:14:01.360 --> 00:14:04.799 That a whole 120 group of people would do what Jesus said. 00:14:05.120 --> 00:14:06.159 He went over there and did it. 00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:07.120 They went over there and did it. 00:14:07.200 --> 00:14:09.039 And the Spirit of God came into their lives. 00:14:09.200 --> 00:14:11.679 Now, here's the point. 00:14:12.080 --> 00:14:25.360 That 120 group of disciples of 120 went into that upper room totally incapable of doing what Jesus left them there to do. 00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:36.480 But they came out of that room absolutely, fully capable of doing everything that the Lord had left them here to do. 00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:40.879 I don't know about you, but I've got to find out what happened in that room. 00:14:42.720 --> 00:14:45.120 Are you interested in seeing what happened in that room? 00:14:46.399 --> 00:14:47.679 I mean, what happened to them? 00:14:47.759 --> 00:14:50.399 Did they all of a sudden just get a lot smarter? 00:14:53.200 --> 00:14:59.200 They get wiser, they get stronger, they get filled up with some good ideas. 00:14:59.360 --> 00:15:00.639 What happened to them? 00:15:01.600 --> 00:15:08.480 So I want to show you tonight, just in my own simple way, what happened to them. 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:12.879 Now, some people in the room here tonight even would say, Well, I know what happened to them. 00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:14.480 I don't know why you got to go over that again. 00:15:14.639 --> 00:15:21.120 You know, they were baptized in the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit invaded their lives and came upon them, and they were endued with power and all this kind of stuff. 00:15:22.559 --> 00:15:30.000 But my point is this: it's even if you know that and have experienced that, it's still easy to get away from it. 00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:34.159 It's still easy to drift out of dependence upon the Holy Spirit. 00:15:34.879 --> 00:15:40.879 Listen, you can move from here to way over there and wake up one day and wonder how you got there. 00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:46.159 It's kind of just drifting out of dependence upon the Holy Spirit. 00:15:46.240 --> 00:15:51.919 And anytime you don't depend upon Him and trust in Him and put your hope in Him, you put your hope in something else. 00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:53.279 Well, what else do you put it in? 00:15:53.360 --> 00:15:55.679 You put it in your own flesh, the performance of your flesh. 00:15:55.759 --> 00:15:59.039 And especially in good times, it's easy to trust in your flesh. 00:15:59.200 --> 00:16:01.120 That's all if you've got some good flesh. 00:16:02.240 --> 00:16:04.480 So it's easy to put your trust, especially in good times. 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:10.240 It's easier in hard times, really, in challenging times, to utterly depend upon the Holy Spirit than it is in good times. 00:16:10.320 --> 00:16:15.759 But we find ourselves drifting, so I want to call your attention back to where you need to be rather than where you might be. 00:16:16.000 --> 00:16:16.320 Okay? 00:16:18.240 --> 00:16:20.080 Don't allow the drift to take place. 00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:26.639 For instance, let me give you an illustration of what I'm talking about here. 00:16:26.720 --> 00:16:34.320 This is the way we need to be brought back to attention on this issue, because we simply don't have any other hope other than the power of the Holy Spirit in our life. 00:16:34.559 --> 00:16:36.159 That's the only hope we have. 00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:46.480 If you were to go to the dictionary, for example, and look up the word black, one of the words that would describe black as a definition of black would be the word dark. 00:16:47.200 --> 00:16:52.879 If you go to the dictionary and look up dark, one of the words that describes dark or defines dark is obscure. 00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:56.960 You look up obscure, one of the words that defines obscure is dim. 00:16:57.919 --> 00:17:01.840 You go to the dictionary and look up dim, one of the words that defines dim is pale. 00:17:02.159 --> 00:17:06.160 You go to the dictionary and look up pale, and one of the words that defines pale is white. 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:12.079 Well, now I started out with black and I ended up with white, and I didn't take any big steps along the way. 00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:16.960 I may not be the most brilliant person in the world, but I know that black ain't white. 00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:21.680 And I don't know how I got white, and I started out black. 00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:25.119 I started out this way and ended up this way. 00:17:25.279 --> 00:17:28.319 Or I started out this way and I ended up this way, and I don't know how I got here. 00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:29.519 Now I want you to listen to me. 00:17:29.680 --> 00:17:31.279 Listen to me, listen to me. 00:17:31.519 --> 00:17:44.799 You can find yourself in a hurry somewhere where you never intended to be, and thinking things you never intended to think, and wake up one day and say, How in the world did I get here? 00:17:46.559 --> 00:18:01.839 It doesn't take a whole lot of being off course to get a long way from God's perfect will and desire for your life if you don't focus in on trusting in the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you. 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:04.720 This whole issue of the Holy Spirit is very important to us. 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:07.359 It's the most important issue that faces us. 00:18:09.440 --> 00:18:16.559 He said, Not many days from now, you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit. 00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:20.880 It's the most important event in human history since the coming of Jesus. 00:18:21.440 --> 00:18:24.160 Jesus, as a matter of fact, is more important that I go away. 00:18:24.319 --> 00:18:26.000 It's expedient that I go away. 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:27.519 It's better that I leave. 00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:28.000 Why? 00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:31.119 Because another like me will come. 00:18:31.519 --> 00:18:38.559 The comforter will come, but he will no longer be with you, he will be in you. 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:54.559 If you don't wake up to the understanding of the fact of the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life and the need of being, of receiving this bad tzo, this immersion in his presence. 00:18:55.920 --> 00:19:01.680 You don't have anything to lean on except the good ideas you have in your mind and the strong arm of your flesh. 00:19:01.759 --> 00:19:02.799 That's all you got. 00:19:02.960 --> 00:19:03.920 That's all that's left. 00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:06.319 It's either the Holy Spirit or your flesh. 00:19:07.839 --> 00:19:09.759 So it's important that we look at this. 00:19:10.240 --> 00:19:12.960 So I'm just going to ask a few, just a few questions. 00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:15.119 Here's the question: why be baptized in the Holy Spirit? 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:17.039 Why be filled with the Holy Spirit? 00:19:17.359 --> 00:19:19.279 And this is not complicated. 00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:24.000 Why be filled with the Holy Spirit? 00:19:24.079 --> 00:19:25.440 Here's the first reason. 00:19:27.359 --> 00:19:28.079 You listening? 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:29.839 Here's the first reason. 00:19:31.519 --> 00:19:33.680 So we can think what God thinks. 00:19:34.400 --> 00:19:35.920 So we can think what God thinks. 00:19:36.000 --> 00:19:37.519 Or think as God thinks. 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:45.599 We need to be encouraged to be baptized in the Holy Spirit so we can think what God thinks. 00:19:52.559 --> 00:19:55.519 Naturally speaking, we don't have the power to think what God thinks. 00:19:56.880 --> 00:19:58.480 We don't think God's thoughts. 00:19:58.799 --> 00:19:59.920 In the natural. 00:20:04.559 --> 00:20:05.200 Do we? 00:20:05.920 --> 00:20:08.079 Isaiah 55, 9 says what? 00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:15.359 As the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. 00:20:16.559 --> 00:20:20.880 His ways and his thoughts are so much higher than ours, it's like the heavens above the earth. 00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:22.799 I don't have a chance. 00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:26.720 I don't have a chance of thinking God's thoughts. 00:20:26.960 --> 00:20:29.200 Or thinking the way God thinks. 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:31.440 In the power of my flesh. 00:20:31.599 --> 00:20:40.640 So one of the things that happened to these people in the upper army that can happen to you is through the agency of the Holy Spirit, the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the fullness of the Holy Spirit, you can begin to think as God thinks. 00:20:40.960 --> 00:20:49.039 1 Corinthians 2 talks about the same thing, actually, in verse 14 through 16, where it says, essentially, a natural man does not receive or accept the things of the Spirit of God. 00:20:49.279 --> 00:20:55.599 Indeed, they are foolishness to him because these kinds of things are spiritually appraised. 00:20:56.559 --> 00:21:00.079 It's only by the Spirit that we're able to know some things. 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:04.000 You cannot know spiritual things with your natural mind. 00:21:05.119 --> 00:21:06.720 It's impossible. 00:21:07.519 --> 00:21:14.079 So in order to think what God thinks, you must be baptized, be filled with the Holy Spirit to think the thoughts of God. 00:21:14.640 --> 00:21:19.599 Now let me just show you a couple of reasons why I think you need to think the thoughts of God. 00:21:21.599 --> 00:21:23.200 And why we need to. 00:21:23.680 --> 00:21:25.200 Let me ask you this. 00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:28.319 Here's the way we think lots of times. 00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:29.279 Let me ask you this. 00:21:29.440 --> 00:21:40.160 Have you ever thought, just if it has ever occurred to you or popped into your mind, just even randomly sometimes maybe, but have you ever remembered ever having this thought? 00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:41.680 That's impossible. 00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:43.359 You ever said that? 00:21:43.599 --> 00:21:44.960 You ever thought that? 00:21:45.839 --> 00:21:46.160 Huh? 00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:46.720 Have you? 00:21:46.880 --> 00:21:48.240 That's impossible. 00:21:48.559 --> 00:21:50.400 I can't do that, it's impossible. 00:21:50.640 --> 00:21:51.440 They can't do that? 00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:52.559 It's impossible. 00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:53.680 That'll never change. 00:21:53.839 --> 00:21:54.559 It's impossible. 00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:55.920 It's impossible. 00:21:56.240 --> 00:21:57.519 That's the way we think. 00:21:57.759 --> 00:21:58.720 Regularly. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:00.799 Don't we? 00:22:01.119 --> 00:22:01.680 Yeah. 00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:03.200 We that's the way we think. 00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:04.559 It's impossible. 00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:06.480 Do you think that's the way God thinks? 00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:10.880 I mean, does God ever wake up one morning and say, It's impossible? 00:22:13.119 --> 00:22:14.480 Can't happen? 00:22:15.599 --> 00:22:16.400 Won't change. 00:22:16.640 --> 00:22:18.079 Circumstances will never change. 00:22:18.240 --> 00:22:19.279 That cannot happen. 00:22:19.359 --> 00:22:20.160 It's impossible. 00:22:20.319 --> 00:22:22.079 Human beings are hopeless. 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:24.319 I can't do it anymore. 00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:26.400 You think God ever thinks that? 00:22:26.799 --> 00:22:27.119 No. 00:22:29.279 --> 00:22:34.480 The thought, it's impossible, has never entered the mind of God. 00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:36.079 Ever. 00:22:39.279 --> 00:22:41.119 What does the word say about him? 00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:46.000 With God, all things are possible. 00:22:46.559 --> 00:22:48.720 With God, nothing is impossible. 00:22:48.960 --> 00:22:50.960 All things are possible with God. 00:22:52.799 --> 00:22:59.839 Now, I believe God wants us to think his thoughts in that area instead of our own. 00:23:00.160 --> 00:23:11.680 He wants us to begin to see that in the power of the Spirit, through the agency of the Spirit, there is nothing impossible with God or with God in me. 00:23:12.880 --> 00:23:14.799 That's how he wants us to think. 00:23:15.599 --> 00:23:18.240 That becomes the basis of our faith. 00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:20.880 Nothing is impossible. 00:23:21.200 --> 00:23:24.240 You don't wake up and say, this circumstance will never change. 00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:26.640 This circumstance cannot ever change. 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:28.640 It is impossible. 00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:31.119 Yes, it is. 00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:33.279 How do I know? 00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:35.279 Because that's the way God thinks. 00:23:35.519 --> 00:23:38.559 So I think it's important for us to begin thinking like God thinks. 00:23:38.640 --> 00:23:44.480 And I think it definitely changed them thinking like God thinks in this particular area, this particular way. 00:23:44.640 --> 00:23:48.880 They went into the upper room believing this whole deal is an absolute impossibility. 00:23:49.359 --> 00:23:54.880 Matter of fact, they were terribly, terribly challenged by what Jesus had left them to do. 00:23:55.119 --> 00:24:00.480 But they came out of it believing, not only believing, but achieving those impossible things. 00:24:00.720 --> 00:24:03.039 They began to think as God thinks. 00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:05.039 Here's another way we think sometimes. 00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:12.480 We have a tendency to think as Christians, human beings, we begin to think, you know, what I need is I need more faith. 00:24:12.880 --> 00:24:13.920 I need more faith. 00:24:14.000 --> 00:24:14.960 I need more faith. 00:24:15.359 --> 00:24:17.119 And I'd be all right if I had more faith. 00:24:17.200 --> 00:24:18.559 That's the way we think. 00:24:19.759 --> 00:24:21.680 Do you think that's what God thinks? 00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:23.680 He doesn't need more faith, and he knows that. 00:24:23.839 --> 00:24:26.000 But do you think God thinks we need more faith? 00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:35.359 Well, we get to thinking we need more faith, so we'll run to seminars and get us some tapes and listen to tapes on faith and try to build up our faith and all of this, and what I need is more faith. 00:24:39.119 --> 00:24:40.960 How much faith does it take? 00:24:42.400 --> 00:24:44.960 So you need to start thinking a little differently in this area. 00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:50.240 How much genuine, spirit-inspired faith does it take? 00:24:51.200 --> 00:24:52.880 Does it take a lot? 00:24:53.759 --> 00:24:55.519 Or does it take a little? 00:24:58.160 --> 00:24:59.440 How much does it take? 00:24:59.680 --> 00:25:00.640 You say to do what? 00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:02.160 To do anything. 00:25:03.200 --> 00:25:04.720 To do anything. 00:25:05.920 --> 00:25:07.599 See, we think we need more faith. 00:25:07.759 --> 00:25:17.119 Yet God comes to say to us, matter of fact, Jesus, there's no place in the Bible, no place in the word anywhere where we're encouraged to ask God for more faith. 00:25:17.599 --> 00:25:18.480 No place. 00:25:18.880 --> 00:25:21.519 You say, wrong, wrong, wrong, preacher. 00:25:21.759 --> 00:25:24.559 The disciples said, Lord, increase our faith. 00:25:24.799 --> 00:25:26.000 Yeah, that's what they said. 00:25:26.160 --> 00:25:29.119 But do you ever read what he said to their request? 00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:33.039 It's a tremendously strong rebuke to them. 00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:37.680 Talking about the fig tree and all of that kind of thing that withered up that came back and said, Wow, this, it really happened. 00:25:37.759 --> 00:25:39.200 What you said happened. 00:25:39.519 --> 00:25:42.400 He said, Look, have faith in God. 00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:45.759 The next time you hear me say something, you can go ahead and put it in the bank. 00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:47.200 It's going to happen. 00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:50.480 And then he goes ahead to teach them in a rebuking way. 00:25:50.640 --> 00:25:51.839 He said, Listen to me. 00:25:52.000 --> 00:26:04.000 If you have the faith of a grain of mustard seed, just a tiny little speck, the tip of a pinhead, just a tiny speck of faith. 00:26:04.240 --> 00:26:09.200 This little faith moves this huge mountain. 00:26:09.839 --> 00:26:12.640 Little faith moves huge mountains. 00:26:12.799 --> 00:26:14.400 That's what he's saying. 00:26:14.960 --> 00:26:17.279 How much faith does it take? 00:26:17.839 --> 00:26:18.640 Just a little. 00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:20.480 Do you need more than you already have? 00:26:20.720 --> 00:26:21.039 No. 00:26:21.279 --> 00:26:22.480 You've already got a little. 00:26:22.640 --> 00:26:23.839 You have a measure of faith. 00:26:23.920 --> 00:26:27.200 You have the mustard seed measure of faith in you the moment you were born again. 00:26:27.279 --> 00:26:28.400 You had enough faith to believe. 00:26:28.559 --> 00:26:29.359 God gave you that. 00:26:29.519 --> 00:26:30.960 You've got plenty of faith. 00:26:31.119 --> 00:26:33.279 You just need to use the faith you have. 00:26:33.440 --> 00:26:37.119 Exercise it as it is inspired by the Holy Spirit. 00:26:37.440 --> 00:26:38.960 You don't need, listen. 00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:42.640 How many of you believe that God can do anything? 00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:44.960 Then why are you going to seminars? 00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:50.960 You're going to have somebody else tell you that God can do anything? 00:26:51.200 --> 00:26:53.119 You already believe He can do anything. 00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:55.680 You just said you did when you raised your hand. 00:26:56.000 --> 00:26:57.119 Do you or not? 00:26:57.440 --> 00:27:00.799 Then quit going to seminars and start exercising the faith you have. 00:27:00.960 --> 00:27:01.599 Speak it. 00:27:01.759 --> 00:27:02.079 Listen. 00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:08.240 At Calvary Assembly, for example, when I first got there, they had this huge mountain of debt. 00:27:08.880 --> 00:27:10.079 It was enormous. 00:27:10.160 --> 00:27:14.319 It was debilitating and crushing and almost took the church under. 00:27:15.279 --> 00:27:24.079 And one of the things I told them, I said, listen, we're going to stop complaining to God about how big this mountain is, and we're going to start telling this mountain how big God is. 00:27:25.759 --> 00:27:27.920 It only takes a little mustard seat of faith. 00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:31.440 Surely we can drum that much up to move this thinking mountain. 00:27:31.759 --> 00:27:32.400 Amen. 00:27:35.519 --> 00:27:37.599 God thinks you got enough faith. 00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:39.920 You need to start thinking like he thinks. 00:27:40.079 --> 00:27:46.000 It doesn't take but a little bit of faith to do big things. 00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:52.400 Through the power of the agency and the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:27:52.480 --> 00:27:58.000