WEBVTT 00:00:00.740 --> 00:00:01.262 Good morning. 00:00:01.262 --> 00:00:09.743 I hope you all had, and continue to have, a wonderful holiday season, christmas season and Happy New Year, got to spend time with family. 00:00:09.743 --> 00:00:12.701 Would you pray with me, please, lord? 00:00:12.701 --> 00:00:15.250 Thank you for your family that is here this morning. 00:00:15.250 --> 00:00:42.740 Thank you for everyone that has made the decision to come into this place and just to worship you this morning and spend time just praising you for who you are, praising you for giving us your son and, lord, we just ask that you would send your Holy Spirit to be in this place to cover us, to be part of us and encourage us, and not in just this place, lord, but everywhere we go throughout our lives. 00:00:42.740 --> 00:00:44.662 We just want you with us. 00:00:44.662 --> 00:00:47.966 We want people to see you in us, not ourselves. 00:00:47.966 --> 00:00:51.159 Thank you for your son and what he did for us. 00:00:51.159 --> 00:01:01.689 We remember that this morning and this time of year and we thank you so much that he chose to die for us, and it's in his name we pray, amen, amen. 00:01:07.436 --> 00:01:09.319 And it's in his name we pray. 00:01:09.319 --> 00:01:09.480 Amen. 00:01:09.480 --> 00:01:15.102 Who am I that the highest king would welcome me? 00:01:15.102 --> 00:01:19.048 I was lost, but he brought me in. 00:01:19.048 --> 00:01:22.733 Oh, his love for me. 00:01:22.733 --> 00:01:28.525 Oh, his love for me. 00:01:28.525 --> 00:01:30.614 Oh, his love for me. 00:01:30.614 --> 00:01:31.418 Who the Son sets free? 00:01:31.418 --> 00:01:34.527 Oh, is free. 00:01:34.527 --> 00:01:41.111 Indeed, I'm a child of God. 00:01:41.111 --> 00:02:02.284 Yes, I am In my Father's house. 00:02:02.284 --> 00:02:02.808 There's a place for me. 00:02:02.808 --> 00:02:03.189 I'm a child of God. 00:02:03.189 --> 00:02:04.918 Yes, I am free at last. 00:02:04.918 --> 00:02:07.227 He has ransomed me. 00:02:07.227 --> 00:02:09.123 His grace runs deep. 00:02:09.123 --> 00:02:20.174 While I was a slave to sin, jesus died for me. 00:02:20.174 --> 00:02:24.866 Yes, he died for me. 00:02:24.866 --> 00:02:29.033 Who the Son sets free? 00:02:29.033 --> 00:02:32.741 Oh, is free. 00:02:32.741 --> 00:02:38.727 Indeed, I'm a child of God. 00:02:38.727 --> 00:02:47.593 Yes, I am In my Father's house. 00:02:47.593 --> 00:02:51.777 There's a place for me. 00:02:51.777 --> 00:02:58.706 I'm a child of God, yes, I am. 00:02:58.706 --> 00:03:05.117 I am chosen, not forsaken. 00:03:05.117 --> 00:03:10.032 I am who you say I am. 00:03:10.032 --> 00:03:14.570 You are for me, not against me. 00:03:14.570 --> 00:03:18.979 I am who you say I am. 00:03:19.602 --> 00:03:22.959 I am chosen not forsaken. 00:03:24.360 --> 00:03:27.742 I am who you say I am. 00:03:27.742 --> 00:03:32.385 You are for me, not against me. 00:03:32.385 --> 00:03:39.230 I am who you say. 00:03:39.230 --> 00:03:45.414 I am who the Son sets free. 00:03:45.414 --> 00:03:47.917 Oh is free. 00:03:47.917 --> 00:03:54.447 Indeed, I'm a child of God. 00:03:54.447 --> 00:04:48.559 Yes, I am In my Father's house, there's a place for me, I'm a child of God. 00:04:48.559 --> 00:05:03.250 Yes, I am Lord, we come before. 00:05:03.250 --> 00:05:05.074 Thee now. 00:05:05.074 --> 00:05:11.252 At Thy feet we humbly bow. 00:05:11.252 --> 00:05:17.894 O do not our suit disdain. 00:05:17.894 --> 00:05:23.512 Shall we seek Thee, lord, in vain. 00:05:23.512 --> 00:05:26.543 Seek thee, lord, in vain. 00:05:26.543 --> 00:05:31.475 Shall we seek thee, lord, in vain. 00:05:31.475 --> 00:05:39.901 Grant that all may seek and find Thee. 00:05:40.463 --> 00:05:45.254 O God supremely kind. 00:05:45.761 --> 00:05:51.293 Heal the sick, the captive free. 00:05:51.293 --> 00:05:58.192 Let us all rejoice in Thee. 00:05:58.192 --> 00:06:13.952 Let us all rejoice in thee, o that thou wouldst bless me, lord. 00:06:13.952 --> 00:06:17.529 Bless thou me indeed. 00:06:17.529 --> 00:06:27.353 Give me the things I lack, o Lord. 00:06:27.353 --> 00:06:39.615 Grant my every need, lord, enlarge my coast. 00:06:39.615 --> 00:06:40.899 I pray. 00:06:40.899 --> 00:06:47.252 Thy hand be with me. 00:06:47.252 --> 00:07:11.023 Help me to do just as you say, that I may please thee From all evil. 00:07:11.023 --> 00:07:11.805 Keep thou me. 00:07:11.805 --> 00:07:14.149 Evil brings such pain. 00:07:14.149 --> 00:07:27.714 When tempted, I will turn to Thee, lest I live in vain. 00:07:33.901 --> 00:07:35.107 Amen, please be seated. 00:07:38.420 --> 00:07:50.353 All right, the scripture reading today comes from Acts, chapter 1, and it's verses 4 and 5, and it says Once, when he was eating with them, he commanded them do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he has promised. 00:07:50.353 --> 00:07:57.680 As I told you before, john baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. 00:07:57.680 --> 00:08:08.115 All right, good morning. 00:08:08.115 --> 00:08:10.148 We'll go ahead and get started with the word of prayer. 00:08:10.148 --> 00:08:12.485 God, we thank you for this day. 00:08:12.485 --> 00:08:14.166 God, we thank you for this time together. 00:08:14.166 --> 00:08:16.728 We're thankful for our family here. 00:08:16.728 --> 00:08:24.290 We're thankful for the love that you have for us and we're thankful for Jesus and his example of how to love and to interact with people. 00:08:24.290 --> 00:08:31.112 God, we're thankful for your spirit and the gift that you've given us so that we can always be in your presence. 00:08:31.112 --> 00:08:38.763 Lord, open up our hearts and our ears and our eyes to the things that you want us to know, and it's in Jesus' name we pray. 00:08:38.763 --> 00:08:43.293 Amen, alright, good morning. 00:08:43.293 --> 00:08:47.649 The year was 2003. 00:08:47.649 --> 00:08:51.427 I was 10 years old. 00:08:51.427 --> 00:08:54.505 I was sleeping. 00:08:54.505 --> 00:09:09.289 Then, out of nowhere, in the middle of the night, early in the morning, there was the sound of footsteps running down the hall and someone screaming and yelling. 00:09:09.289 --> 00:09:16.005 I heard the screaming and the yelling and the footsteps and I kind of woke up. 00:09:16.005 --> 00:09:26.070 I got out of my bed and went out to the hallway where I was greeted by my 12-year-old brother who was carrying a snowboard, screaming and yelling. 00:09:26.070 --> 00:09:27.172 I got a snowboard. 00:09:27.172 --> 00:09:29.035 Screaming and yelling, I got a snowboard. 00:09:29.035 --> 00:09:30.744 It was Christmas morning. 00:09:30.744 --> 00:09:44.539 My brother for months had wanted that snowboard and he let us all know at 4.30 am that he got that snowboard. 00:09:44.539 --> 00:09:47.087 I'll never forget that morning, justin running down the hall carrying that snowboard. 00:09:47.087 --> 00:09:52.966 I'll never forget that morning, justin running down the hall carrying that snowboard, yelling at the top of his lungs I got a snowboard. 00:09:52.966 --> 00:09:54.171 I got a snowboard. 00:09:54.171 --> 00:09:58.201 We had a similar situation happen this year. 00:09:58.201 --> 00:10:00.607 I have three kids. 00:10:00.607 --> 00:10:02.211 Kelly Drew is our middle kid. 00:10:02.211 --> 00:10:03.192 He is four years old. 00:10:03.192 --> 00:10:07.302 Three kids Kelly Drew is our middle kid, he is four years old. 00:10:07.322 --> 00:10:08.183 Drew wanted one specific gift this year. 00:10:08.183 --> 00:10:11.431 If you asked him, he would tell you he wanted the Minion fart gun. 00:10:11.431 --> 00:10:14.682 That is what our four-year-old son wanted. 00:10:14.682 --> 00:10:19.173 Morgan and I decided that we were not getting him that toy. 00:10:19.173 --> 00:10:20.721 That was not going to be an option. 00:10:20.721 --> 00:10:24.769 We'd even talked to Santa and said no, not this year. 00:10:24.769 --> 00:10:32.053 However, his sister, jordy, at two years old, went to the store and got it for him for Christmas. 00:10:32.053 --> 00:10:35.102 And so this is Kelly Drew on Christmas morning. 00:10:35.102 --> 00:10:40.616 I had a video on there but it's a little choppy. 00:10:40.616 --> 00:10:51.754 But Drew jumped about three feet in the air on Christmas morning when he unwrapped his last present from his sister and it was in fact the Minion fart gun. 00:10:53.880 --> 00:10:55.663 I will admit, that thing is super cool. 00:10:55.663 --> 00:11:00.573 I think I have played with it more than he has. 00:11:00.573 --> 00:11:06.071 It doesn't just make noise, but it shoots this puff of air through and it's just. 00:11:06.071 --> 00:11:11.480 It's just this smoke ring that just goes through the air and there's there's different flavors you can put in the gun. 00:11:11.480 --> 00:11:12.142 It's crazy. 00:11:12.142 --> 00:11:16.187 I wanted to bring it but he told me no. 00:11:16.227 --> 00:11:26.351 This morning Kelly Drew had been asking for that, that toy, for months, probably since July. 00:11:26.351 --> 00:11:29.025 He had been saying I want the Minion fart gun. 00:11:29.025 --> 00:11:37.589 If you asked him what you want Santa to bring, that's what his answer was going to be he was waiting, and waiting, and waiting for that moment. 00:11:37.589 --> 00:11:42.025 We get excited for something when we have to be patient. 00:11:42.025 --> 00:11:52.048 Drew had waited for months, justin had waited for months on that snowboard and you get really excited when that moment of waiting is finally over. 00:11:54.121 --> 00:12:09.669 This week we're going to conclude our series on the gift and talking about the Holy Spirit, and hopefully over the last few weeks you've been made aware of the Holy Spirit and what it does in your life and who he is and the way that he works in your life. 00:12:09.669 --> 00:12:25.326 And so this week we're going to just kind of wrap it up and look at Acts 1 and Acts 2, where the moment where the Holy Spirit came into the world and we get to see that In Matthew 28, jesus gave the Great Commission. 00:12:25.326 --> 00:12:40.846 He told the disciples to obey all of His commands and to teach those new disciples to obey all of His commands, and he said be sure of this, I am with you always, even to the end of age. 00:12:40.846 --> 00:12:45.893 Jesus in the Great Commission says I will be with you always. 00:12:45.893 --> 00:12:51.206 After Jesus' resurrection he comes and spends time with the disciples. 00:12:51.206 --> 00:12:58.533 We read about that at the end of the Gospel and we read about that at the beginning of Acts Jesus spending time with the disciples. 00:12:58.820 --> 00:13:12.462 Now they had been through it emotionally, they had dealt with the loss of their teacher and leader, and then he came back and, even though he had told them that was what was going to happen, it never really clicked. 00:13:12.462 --> 00:13:20.245 And so I want you to think about the roller coaster of emotions that they've experienced as Jesus has came back and as he's defeated death. 00:13:20.245 --> 00:13:24.532 And so he spent 40 days with the disciples after his resurrection. 00:13:24.532 --> 00:13:36.971 They were convinced at this point that he was in fact alive, that he defeated death, and that's when he gives them this command in Acts, chapter 1, verse 4. 00:13:36.971 --> 00:13:45.732 It says once, when he was eating with them, he commanded them do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift that he promised. 00:13:45.732 --> 00:13:53.549 As I told you before, john baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. 00:13:54.461 --> 00:14:02.448 The disciples had spent so much time with Jesus and at this point they would believe and not doubt His resurrection anymore. 00:14:02.448 --> 00:14:13.544 They knew, in fact, that he defeated death and you'd have to imagine, at this point there was almost probably a readiness to go out into the world and say look what our Savior did. 00:14:13.544 --> 00:14:29.567 They've been cooped up in Jerusalem, kind of in hiding, but at this point they're convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and the Savior, and you can imagine that they have this great desire to go out into the world and to share with everybody. 00:14:29.567 --> 00:14:32.769 We told you he is exactly who he said he was. 00:14:32.769 --> 00:14:35.288 But Jesus commanded them to do what? 00:14:35.288 --> 00:14:42.620 To wait where In Jerusalem? 00:14:42.620 --> 00:14:43.062 For what? 00:14:43.062 --> 00:14:48.284 For the gift that I told you you're going to receive. 00:14:48.284 --> 00:14:54.984 You see, the empowerment of the Spirit is essential in kingdom work. 00:14:55.355 --> 00:14:58.345 I think Jesus knew this and that's why he says wait. 00:14:58.345 --> 00:15:06.687 You can go out in the world and you can tell people all of this, but you need the Holy Spirit for kingdom work. 00:15:06.687 --> 00:15:10.942 It's pretty clear he wanted them to wait. 00:15:10.942 --> 00:15:17.861 He tells us again in Luke 24, 19, stay in the city until you've been clothed with the Spirit. 00:15:17.861 --> 00:15:25.625 It's almost an invitation to enter a moment of profound expectation and preparation. 00:15:25.625 --> 00:15:31.424 This is not just waiting for the sake of waiting, but it's waiting for the promise of the Father. 00:15:31.424 --> 00:15:35.884 It's waiting for the gift that would come and change everything. 00:15:35.884 --> 00:15:51.746 It's in this moment of waiting that we see God's heart for His disciples and for us today, that he would empower them, that he would equip them and that he would transform them by the Holy Spirit. 00:15:51.746 --> 00:15:58.847 And we need to be transformed by the Holy Spirit before we can go out and fulfill our mission. 00:15:58.847 --> 00:16:00.662 So the first command was to wait. 00:16:00.662 --> 00:16:02.128 If you're there on your outline, the first command was to wait. 00:16:02.128 --> 00:16:02.830 If you're there on your outline. 00:16:02.830 --> 00:16:03.890 The first command was to wait. 00:16:03.890 --> 00:16:14.966 Jesus has already told them in John 16, verse 7, it is better for them that he goes away so that the Helper, the Holy Spirit, could come. 00:16:14.966 --> 00:16:23.105 There was something essential that they still needed before the mission could start, and it was the Holy Spirit. 00:16:25.397 --> 00:16:28.919 Waiting is not just a passive activity in the kingdom of God. 00:16:28.919 --> 00:16:33.883 It's an active posture of anticipation of what God is going to do. 00:16:33.883 --> 00:16:39.825 In our fast-paced world, we often want things to move quickly. 00:16:39.825 --> 00:16:43.424 We want our drive-thru order to be done fast, right. 00:16:43.424 --> 00:16:46.283 We want our mobile order to be ready when we pull in. 00:16:46.283 --> 00:16:48.380 We want everything to be done immediately. 00:16:48.380 --> 00:16:57.966 But oftentimes, when we want something to be done fast and quickly, we try to do it on our own. 00:17:00.634 --> 00:17:05.183 Sometimes God's best work happens in the stillness of waiting. 00:17:05.183 --> 00:17:11.059 Waiting allows us to align our hearts with God's will and His timing. 00:17:11.059 --> 00:17:17.476 Abraham and Sarah had to wait 25 years to have Isaac. 00:17:17.476 --> 00:17:22.708 Moses waited 40 years in the wilderness before there was deliverance. 00:17:22.708 --> 00:17:26.942 Jesus waited 30 years before His ministry really began. 00:17:26.942 --> 00:17:38.362 Elizabeth had waited a long time to finally give birth to a son, but it was in those moments of waiting that God was aligning the plan to work out exactly how it needed to be. 00:17:38.362 --> 00:17:44.442 And so, in this moment, the disciples are ready to get going, but Jesus says stay here and wait for the Holy Spirit. 00:17:44.442 --> 00:17:57.261 Sometimes God calls us into a season of waiting, whether that's waiting for direction, whether that's waiting for clarity, whether that's waiting for the empowerment. 00:17:57.261 --> 00:18:03.844 Those times of waiting, even though we don't like it, are not empty moments. 00:18:03.844 --> 00:18:07.804 They're filled with the promise of what God is working and doing in our life. 00:18:07.954 --> 00:18:09.901 And so the second thing is the promise. 00:18:09.901 --> 00:18:12.480 Is that on your outline? 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:14.942 Okay, I'll leave that up there for a second. 00:18:14.942 --> 00:18:15.915 I went right past that. 00:18:15.915 --> 00:18:32.751 Everybody got it, okay. 00:18:32.751 --> 00:18:36.104 The promise of the Holy Spirit is the second part. 00:18:37.214 --> 00:18:39.315 Jesus doesn't tell them to wait for no reason. 00:18:39.315 --> 00:18:40.663 They're waiting for something really important. 00:18:40.663 --> 00:18:42.815 They're waiting for something really important. 00:18:42.815 --> 00:18:44.842 They're waiting for something that's worth it. 00:18:44.842 --> 00:18:50.662 When McDonald's tells you to pull up, that makes you angry, doesn't it? 00:18:50.662 --> 00:19:01.181 When you're in the drive-thru, you're expecting to get your food quickly, and it almost seems like every time you get to the window, they say can you pull up? 00:19:01.181 --> 00:19:06.382 The only time it's worth waiting is if they say the fries are in the deep fryer. 00:19:06.382 --> 00:19:08.596 If you'll pull up, we'll get them out in just a minute. 00:19:08.596 --> 00:19:23.678 Then it's like, okay, this makes sense, right, like I'm happy to wait if it's for the fries, because there's nothing better than hot, fresh McDonald's french fries there really is and a Coke. 00:19:23.698 --> 00:19:27.819 For some reason, I don't know, jesus tells them to wait this moment of waiting, but it's for the gift. 00:19:27.819 --> 00:19:38.803 Wait for the gift that the Father has promised, the promise of the Holy Spirit, the one who would empower them to do what Jesus has called them to do. 00:19:38.803 --> 00:19:44.084 Jesus has called them into a mission, but the Holy Spirit would empower them to do that mission. 00:19:44.084 --> 00:19:44.806 Does that make sense? 00:19:44.806 --> 00:19:52.204 So Jesus calls them into mission, but then the Holy Spirit would empower them to fulfill that mission. 00:19:52.204 --> 00:19:58.201 The Holy Spirit was the gift that the Father had promised, and he had promised it long ago. 00:19:58.201 --> 00:20:01.269 You read in Joel, I think. 00:20:01.269 --> 00:20:01.814 Here we go. 00:20:01.814 --> 00:20:02.981 You read in Joel 2.28. 00:20:02.981 --> 00:20:03.203 Here we go. 00:20:03.223 --> 00:20:04.272 You read in Joel 2, verse 28. 00:20:04.272 --> 00:20:09.164 It says then, after doing all of those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. 00:20:09.164 --> 00:20:15.426 Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams and your young men will have visions. 00:20:15.426 --> 00:20:20.467 In those days, I will pour out my Spirit even on servants, men and women alike. 00:20:20.467 --> 00:20:35.163 That's the Old Testament and this moment in Acts that we're about to get to is the fulfillment of the promise that was made long, long ago that the Holy Spirit would come, and it would come in a powerful way. 00:20:35.284 --> 00:20:40.586 For the disciples it was a life-changing experience. 00:20:40.586 --> 00:20:52.440 The Holy Spirit would give them the power to witness, to preach, to heal, to perform miracles and to live out the mission of God in the world. 00:20:52.440 --> 00:20:55.941 Similarly, the promise of the Holy Spirit is for us today as well. 00:20:55.941 --> 00:20:59.285 Jesus invites us to wait for the Spirit's work in our lives. 00:20:59.285 --> 00:21:05.047 In our own strength, we cannot live out the life of God has called us to do. 00:21:05.047 --> 00:21:13.921 We need the Holy Spirit to empower us, to equip us, or to guide us and to equip us for His service. 00:21:16.695 --> 00:21:20.762 The promise of the presence of God in your life. 00:21:20.762 --> 00:21:34.741 Jesus, when he's telling the disciples to just hang out for just a second, don't go just yet, don't leave just yet, he says the gift is coming, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and he says soon it's going to be poured out over you. 00:21:34.741 --> 00:21:41.824 And he says you know, john talked about baptism with water, but in a few days you'll be baptized with the Holy Spirit. 00:21:41.824 --> 00:21:48.230 John's baptism that he talked about was a symbol of repentance and preparation. 00:21:48.230 --> 00:21:55.996 It was the washing away of sins and a sign of turning away from our old ways and preparing for the Savior and the Messiah. 00:21:55.996 --> 00:22:05.269 But the baptism of the Holy Spirit that Jesus writes about and tells us about would be a baptism into the very presence of God. 00:22:05.269 --> 00:22:09.445 It would be a transformation that would equip believers for the mission ahead. 00:22:09.445 --> 00:22:11.801 So hopefully that makes sense. 00:22:11.801 --> 00:22:16.767 When God poured out His Holy Spirit, he allowed His presence to be with us. 00:22:16.767 --> 00:22:23.627 We have the Holy Spirit and therefore we have the presence of God with us. 00:22:23.627 --> 00:22:28.540 Baptism with the Holy Spirit speaks to the deep inward work that God does within us. 00:22:28.540 --> 00:22:33.522 It's not just an outward ritual, but it's what he's doing in us. 00:22:33.875 --> 00:22:41.085 I think we see evidence of what the Holy Spirit does in people's lives in this story that takes place in Acts, chapter 14. 00:22:41.085 --> 00:22:54.586 In Acts, chapter 14, it's not going to be up there, but in Acts 14, paul and Barnabas are preaching and teaching in nearby cities, and they are just simply being disciples. 00:22:54.586 --> 00:22:56.642 They're doing what God called them to do. 00:22:56.642 --> 00:22:58.801 They're preaching about Jesus. 00:22:58.801 --> 00:23:02.575 They have the gift of the Holy Spirit. 00:23:02.575 --> 00:23:05.984 And so Paul sees somebody that's not been able to walk. 00:23:05.984 --> 00:23:11.364 And so when Paul walks by and sees this man that's been struggling for years. 00:23:11.364 --> 00:23:19.900 Paul heals him, he gives this man the ability to walk and it grabs the attention of everybody. 00:23:19.900 --> 00:23:32.825 They start to think, because they healed him, that Paul and Barnabas are gods, and so they try to offer sacrifices. 00:23:32.825 --> 00:23:37.912 And they're trying to do all of these things to honor Paul and Barnabas because they've never seen this before. 00:23:37.912 --> 00:23:39.150 This guy wasn't able to walk. 00:23:39.150 --> 00:23:43.874 So they're trying to offer sacrifices and Paul and Barnabas try to stop it right away. 00:23:43.874 --> 00:23:48.472 They immediately try to stop it right away. 00:23:48.472 --> 00:23:51.344 They immediately try to shut it down. 00:23:51.344 --> 00:23:57.311 But in verse 19 it says Then some Jews came from Antioch and Niconium and won the crowd over. 00:23:57.311 --> 00:24:02.930 They stoned Paul and dragged him outside of the city, thinking that he was dead. 00:24:02.930 --> 00:24:08.273 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. 00:24:08.273 --> 00:24:11.252 The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. 00:24:11.252 --> 00:24:16.894 They preached the Gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. 00:24:17.905 --> 00:24:27.376 I believe you see the presence of the Holy Spirit in this story, because it's no longer about Paul and Barnabas, it's all about who, it's all about God. 00:24:27.376 --> 00:24:27.825 It's all about God. 00:24:27.825 --> 00:24:29.971 It's all about people learning of Jesus. 00:24:29.971 --> 00:24:40.413 They're getting praised for what they did and they shut it down because it's not about Paul, it's not about Barnabas. 00:24:40.413 --> 00:24:49.534 But then somehow, some way, paul gets stoned to a point that they think he's dead. 00:24:49.534 --> 00:24:52.732 They leave him behind because they think he's no longer alive. 00:24:52.732 --> 00:25:01.651 And Paul gets up and walks right back into the city and the next day guess what he does? 00:25:01.651 --> 00:25:04.814 He starts telling people about Jesus. 00:25:04.814 --> 00:25:08.232 That's the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:25:08.232 --> 00:25:10.111 It wasn't about Paul. 00:25:10.111 --> 00:25:14.034 If it was about Paul, he probably would have just left town. 00:25:14.034 --> 00:25:17.686 If it was about Paul, he probably would have said that really hurt. 00:25:17.686 --> 00:25:18.692 I don't want to do that again. 00:25:18.692 --> 00:25:25.753 But instead he's filled with the Holy Spirit and he knows that everything points back to Jesus and points back to God's love. 00:25:25.753 --> 00:25:31.390 And so he gets back up, he goes into the city and shares with people the power of Jesus and the love of Jesus. 00:25:31.390 --> 00:25:37.513 It's available for all people. 00:25:38.766 --> 00:25:45.615 Waiting for the Holy Spirit is important because the Holy Spirit is what makes us effective in the witnessing for Christ. 00:25:45.615 --> 00:25:52.093 Without the Spirit we cannot fully experience or live out the kingdom of God. 00:25:52.093 --> 00:25:58.270 The disciples needed the Spirit because their mission was far too great for them to accomplish on their own. 00:25:58.270 --> 00:26:12.267 They were going to carry the message of the Gospel from the ends of the earth, but they needed the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome opposition, to endure suffering and to spread the good news with boldness. 00:26:12.267 --> 00:26:13.788 We need it too, don't we? 00:26:13.788 --> 00:26:21.940 We need the Holy Spirit to overcome opposition, to endure suffering and to spread the good news with boldness. 00:26:21.940 --> 00:26:32.295 And the good news is is that the promise of the Holy Spirit was not just for the New Testament church, but it was in fact for us as well. 00:26:33.144 --> 00:26:35.010 Verse 38, acts 2,. 00:26:35.010 --> 00:26:35.613 You know this. 00:26:35.613 --> 00:26:43.872 Peter replied each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. 00:26:43.872 --> 00:26:46.791 Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 00:26:46.791 --> 00:26:53.330 This promise is to you, to your children and to those far away. 00:26:53.330 --> 00:26:57.311 All who have been called by the Lord are God. 00:26:57.311 --> 00:27:10.167 The gift of the Holy Spirit is for all, it's for all of us, it's for each and every one of us, and so I wanted to end this way as we kind of wrap up this series. 00:27:11.932 --> 00:27:16.592 I told you from the beginning the Holy Spirit is something that we sometimes don't talk about. 00:27:16.592 --> 00:27:18.660 Sometimes we just kind of overlook it. 00:27:18.660 --> 00:27:23.693 Sometimes we just don't talk about it because it makes us uncomfortable, because we don't know a whole lot. 00:27:23.693 --> 00:27:43.195 We don't like to do things that are uncomfortable, but hopefully over the last few weeks you've been made aware of who the Holy Spirit is and the work that he does in your life, and so I wanted to leave you with just a few things that you can do, hopefully, to encourage and to see how the Holy Spirit is working in your life. 00:27:43.195 --> 00:27:54.374 The first one some of these are real simple and you can jot these down, if you want, on your outline is to pray, spend time in prayer, asking God to reveal who he is and to guide you through the Holy Spirit. 00:27:54.374 --> 00:27:55.757 I don't think we do that a whole lot. 00:27:55.757 --> 00:27:58.613 How often do we pray for the Spirit to help us? 00:27:58.613 --> 00:28:13.846 Hopefully you do, but that's one of the things that we can do as we try to partner with the Holy Spirit to make an impact for the kingdom is we can regularly pray, we can spend time in the Word, hopefully. 00:28:13.846 --> 00:28:32.904 One thing that you've recognized at least something that I've recognized over the last few weeks is that the Holy Spirit is all throughout Scripture, whether it's the Old Testament or the New Testament or the Gospel, the Holy Spirit is talked about an awful lot, and so, hopefully, spending time in a Bible study would help you experience and see the Holy Spirit work in your life. 00:28:32.904 --> 00:28:35.048 Seek fellowship. 00:28:35.048 --> 00:28:57.355 We have for years, woody did a great job of training us and teaching us to be in community, and for years we've pushed and wanted you to be a part of a community, because I believe it's in the community that you start to see the fruits of the Spirit and it's through other people that you can see how God has worked in their life and working in their life. 00:28:57.355 --> 00:29:03.519 And so seek fellowship, and I wanted to share this with you. 00:29:03.759 --> 00:29:04.942 This was left on my desk a few weeks ago. 00:29:04.942 --> 00:29:05.605 I wanted to share this with you. 00:29:05.605 --> 00:29:13.098 This was left on my desk a few weeks ago by my first grade teacher, which is kind of cool Sheila Launder. 00:29:13.098 --> 00:29:15.913 If any of you know, she's sitting over there, I won't point at her. 00:29:15.913 --> 00:29:19.613 Sheila taught me in first grade, which is really cool. 00:29:19.613 --> 00:29:21.030 It's like a full circle moment. 00:29:21.030 --> 00:29:23.273 She's still teaching me things today as well. 00:29:23.273 --> 00:29:44.946 She left this on my desk and it talks about one of the ways that we can experience the Holy Spirit and learn about it is through reflection on a daily basis, and so this is a Devo I think that she was doing in one of her Devo books, but I want to read this to you, and this is an activity that hopefully, maybe, will help you see the Holy Spirit working in your life. 00:29:45.367 --> 00:29:48.207 It says to look back over your last 24 hours. 00:29:48.207 --> 00:29:50.751 What has God been doing in your life? 00:29:50.751 --> 00:29:57.210 Where was he in that disappointment you faced, or that bright idea that popped into your head? 00:29:57.210 --> 00:30:00.357 What divine appointments did he arrange today? 00:30:00.357 --> 00:30:05.156 How might he have wanted to reveal himself and his goodness in each situation? 00:30:05.156 --> 00:30:09.630 Have wanted to reveal himself and his goodness in each situation? 00:30:09.630 --> 00:30:27.134 The answer to those questions may convert discouragements into encouragements, closed doors into open ones, distractions into directions, and it will probably reveal his presence in a new way, and so one way that I think we can experience the Holy Spirit and understand how he's working in our life is to reflect on a daily basis. 00:30:27.134 --> 00:30:28.631 What is God doing in my life? 00:30:28.631 --> 00:30:31.614 What opportunities did God give me today? 00:30:31.614 --> 00:30:34.034 What opportunities did God put in front of me that I took? 00:30:34.034 --> 00:30:37.809 What opportunities did he put in front of me that I walked away from? 00:30:37.809 --> 00:30:45.549 I thought that was a really interesting read as well, and so those are just a thing, and then just a couple things to remember as we end our series. 00:30:46.085 --> 00:30:48.073 The Holy Spirit is already present. 00:30:48.073 --> 00:30:51.734 As a believer, the Holy Spirit dwells within you. 00:30:51.734 --> 00:30:54.292 The Holy Spirit works through you. 00:30:54.292 --> 00:30:57.691 He empowers you to live a life that reflects Christ's character. 00:30:57.691 --> 00:31:05.230 Remember, the Holy Spirit's purpose is to point to Jesus and Jesus points back to God's love, and it's a full circle moment. 00:31:05.230 --> 00:31:12.612 And the Holy Spirit continues to work in our lives today, just like he did in the past. 00:31:12.853 --> 00:31:13.645 Let's pray, father. 00:31:13.645 --> 00:31:15.952 We thank you so much for your love, god. 00:31:15.952 --> 00:31:17.589 We thank you for the way that you work in our life. 00:31:17.589 --> 00:31:28.753 God, we're thankful for Jesus and we're thankful for His love and just interaction that we get to read about, of how he cared for people and how he desired to be in relationship with other people. 00:31:28.753 --> 00:31:40.449 And, god, I pray that we can be like that, that we can go out into the world and seek relationships, relationships that will point to you, that we can love people and show them your love. 00:31:40.449 --> 00:31:51.436 God, we're thankful for the gift that You've given us in the Holy Spirit and, god, although it doesn't always make sense and sometimes we don't understand it, god, we're thankful for the gift that you've given us. 00:31:51.436 --> 00:32:02.327 We're thankful for things in this life and the way that you work that point back to you and we're thankful for all of those things. 00:32:02.327 --> 00:32:10.593 God, I pray that we will be people that wait with expectation and depend on you and your Holy Spirit, and that we will be people that will step into the mission knowing that we are in the power and the presence of God. 00:32:10.593 --> 00:32:12.037 Thank you for your love. 00:32:12.037 --> 00:32:14.413 It's in your Son's name we pray, amen. 00:32:15.588 --> 00:32:25.468 And so I said from the beginning that I didn't have all the answers to the Holy Spirit and I didn't know it all either, but hopefully there's been an awareness of the Holy Spirit and what he does in your life. 00:32:25.468 --> 00:32:28.675 I used that example at the very beginning. 00:32:28.675 --> 00:32:40.950 When you buy a Honda or when you're car shopping and you decide that you're looking for a specific car, you start reading about it, you start looking them up, you start researching about it. 00:32:40.950 --> 00:32:43.336 Then you start seeing only that car. 00:32:43.336 --> 00:32:49.109 Right, you look up a Honda Odyssey and you think you want to buy a Honda Odyssey, and then you drive down the road. 00:32:49.109 --> 00:32:49.431 Guess what? 00:32:49.431 --> 00:32:51.296 You see Honda Odysseys. 00:32:51.296 --> 00:32:59.189 And that's hopefully the goal of this whole series is that we could become aware of the Holy Spirit and now that it'd be something that we see in our everyday life as well. 00:33:00.609 --> 00:33:26.458 There's a land that is fairer than day, and by faith we can see it afar, for the Father waits over the way to prepare us a dwelling place there. 00:33:26.458 --> 00:33:39.109 In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore. 00:33:39.109 --> 00:33:54.800 In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore. 00:33:54.800 --> 00:34:23.340 To our bountiful Father above, we will offer our tribute of praise For the glorious gift of His love and the blessings that hallow our days. 00:34:23.340 --> 00:34:36.101 In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore. 00:34:36.101 --> 00:34:53.304 In the sweet by and by, we shall meet on that beautiful shore. 00:34:55.786 --> 00:34:57.853 Father, let your kingdom come. 00:34:58.864 --> 00:35:01.394 Father, let your will be done. 00:35:01.394 --> 00:35:08.675 On earth as in heaven Right here in my heart. 00:35:08.675 --> 00:35:12.847 Father let your kingdom come, father. 00:35:12.847 --> 00:35:20.333 Let your will be done On earth as in heaven, right here in my heart. 00:35:20.333 --> 00:35:24.623 Give us this day our daily bread. 00:35:24.623 --> 00:35:26.889 Forgive us. 00:35:26.889 --> 00:35:33.516 Forgive us as we forgive the ones who sinned against us. 00:35:33.516 --> 00:35:45.559 Forgive them and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 00:35:45.559 --> 00:35:49.110 Let your kingdom come. 00:35:49.512 --> 00:35:53.239 Father, let your kingdom come, father. 00:35:53.298 --> 00:36:02.614 let your will be done on earth as in heaven, right here in my heart. 00:36:02.614 --> 00:36:06.759 Father, let your kingdom come, father. 00:36:06.759 --> 00:36:15.894 Let your will be done on earth as in heaven right here in my heart. 00:36:15.894 --> 00:36:19.615 Give us this day our daily bread. 00:36:19.615 --> 00:36:20.869 Forgive us. 00:36:20.869 --> 00:36:27.630 Forgive us as we forgive the ones who sinned against us. 00:36:27.630 --> 00:36:39.802 Forgive them and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 00:36:39.802 --> 00:36:43.476 Let your kingdom come. 00:36:43.476 --> 00:36:45.202 It's yours. 00:36:45.826 --> 00:36:50.237 It's yours, all's yours, all, yours all yours. 00:36:50.666 --> 00:37:07.112 The kingdom, the power, the glory are yours, it's yours, it's yours, all yours, all yours, forever and ever. 00:37:07.112 --> 00:37:17.028 The kingdom is yours, it's yours, it's yours, all yours, all yours. 00:37:17.028 --> 00:37:33.800 The kingdom, the power, the glory are yours, it's yours, it's yours, all yours, all yours, forever and ever. 00:37:33.800 --> 00:37:39.847 The kingdom is yours, father, let your kingdom come. 00:37:39.847 --> 00:37:53.242 Father, let your will be done On earth as in heaven, right here in my heart, father, let your kingdom come. 00:37:53.242 --> 00:38:10.519 Father, let your will be done on earth as in heaven, right here in my heart on earth, as in heaven right here in my heart amen. 00:38:10.579 --> 00:38:11.460 God bless you everybody. 00:38:11.460 --> 00:38:12.362 Have a good week. 00:38:12.362 --> 00:38:13.706 Have a safe new year. 00:38:13.706 --> 00:38:16.168 Tell somebody about jesus this week. 00:38:37.264 --> 00:38:38.284 We're not going to be here. 00:38:38.284 --> 00:38:39.585 I really forgot, thank you.