WEBVTT 00:00:04.830 --> 00:00:06.953 Welcome to the Lone Star Church podcast. 00:00:06.953 --> 00:00:15.050 Pastors CF and Nicole Rady are here to share the Word of God with you each week, helping you grasp the fullness of God's plan for your life. 00:00:15.050 --> 00:00:17.908 We hope you'll be blessed by this week's message. 00:00:17.908 --> 00:00:24.010 If you live in Northwest Missouri or Southern Iowa, we invite you to join us in person on a Sunday morning. 00:00:24.010 --> 00:00:31.429 For more information about us, visit our website at lonestarchurchorg or find us on Facebook, instagram or YouTube. 00:00:35.561 --> 00:00:37.209 And so we know when we get born again. 00:00:37.209 --> 00:00:42.783 And it's so important, right, I go back often and think about John chapter 3. 00:00:42.783 --> 00:00:44.784 I go back often and think about John chapter 3. 00:00:44.784 --> 00:00:46.908 Anyone remember growing up? 00:00:46.908 --> 00:00:51.152 If you're right, I told you my age, I'm 53. 00:00:51.351 --> 00:00:58.421 And so, right, if you grew up in the 70s and the early 80s right, I see a few of you out there. 00:00:58.421 --> 00:00:59.383 There used to be. 00:00:59.383 --> 00:01:07.450 There weren't all these sporting events on TV, right, we only had three channels, four maybe, but two of them were right. 00:01:07.450 --> 00:01:20.566 Channel 2 and Channel 9 were both ABC and around here you had KQ2 out of St Joe and Channel 9 out of Kansas City, and so you didn't see every sporting team on TV every week. 00:01:20.566 --> 00:01:26.346 In fact, the Chiefs weren't very good, and so their games would be blacked out because it wasn't sold out if it was home, and so you'd watch other people. 00:01:26.346 --> 00:01:44.453 Well, there was this guy back in the late 70s at least, when I remember in early 80s and he would go to ball games all around the country and he'd wear this rainbow Afro wig and he held up a sign that said John 316, and he'd sit behind the goalposts where they kicked extra points and field goals and he would hold that sign up. 00:01:44.453 --> 00:01:50.371 He had a beard, he looked like a crazy hippie guy and he had this rainbow Afro wig sticking out like this. 00:01:50.371 --> 00:01:52.230 Every time they'd get ready to kick. 00:01:52.230 --> 00:01:57.420 He knew the cameras were looking and he'd hold up, hold up, john 316. 00:01:57.420 --> 00:02:03.087 Well, what's amazing is they found out how many people got affected by that sign because people that didn't know. 00:02:03.087 --> 00:02:06.132 They'd go back and be like I wonder what John 3.16 is. 00:02:06.132 --> 00:02:10.383 In fact, tim Tebow, quarterback for the University of Florida, won a national championship and a Heisman. 00:02:10.383 --> 00:02:15.862 He put John 3.16 on his eye black and they said coming into modern times. 00:02:15.862 --> 00:02:19.512 They said within an hour of people turning on that game. 00:02:19.512 --> 00:02:31.769 I can't remember how many millions of people googled John 3.16, which is For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. 00:02:31.849 --> 00:02:37.532 It's in that passage in John 3 when Nicodemus came to Jesus and said hey, how does someone get to heaven? 00:02:37.532 --> 00:02:38.817 How do you get to heaven? 00:02:38.817 --> 00:02:41.203 And Jesus said you must be born again. 00:02:41.203 --> 00:02:44.349 And then Nicodemus was wondering how do you get born again? 00:02:44.349 --> 00:02:46.093 It didn't make sense to his natural mind. 00:02:46.093 --> 00:02:51.167 He knew he'd been born from his mother, but he's like how can a man climb into his mother's womb? 00:02:51.167 --> 00:02:55.872 And Jesus basically taught him it's a spiritual rebirth. 00:02:55.872 --> 00:03:02.651 And then we know Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5, 17,. 00:03:02.651 --> 00:03:03.331 Old things pass away. 00:03:03.331 --> 00:03:05.862 17, right, old things pass away. 00:03:05.862 --> 00:03:06.866 Behold, all things become new. 00:03:06.866 --> 00:03:09.088 He talks about we're a new creature in Christ Jesus. 00:03:09.088 --> 00:03:12.043 So here's the amazing thing when you get born again. 00:03:13.286 --> 00:03:16.252 I've been teaching on identity in Christ on my radio program. 00:03:16.252 --> 00:03:19.781 When you get born again, the old you die, in fact. 00:03:19.781 --> 00:03:21.967 Here's what's amazing, thank you, lord. 00:03:21.967 --> 00:03:23.251 Here's what's amazing. 00:03:23.251 --> 00:03:27.592 Paul teaches so much on his identity in Christ Jesus. 00:03:27.592 --> 00:03:47.409 And when you get born again, paul right, if you remember Paul, his name was Saul, saul of Tarsus, and his job was he hated Christians and he would go around literally drag men and women out of their homes for believing in Jesus and teaching on Jesus. 00:03:47.409 --> 00:03:49.393 And he's doing that. 00:03:49.393 --> 00:03:59.448 And you get in the book of Acts and all of a sudden he's on the road to Damascus, right, and a light shines from heaven and God Jesus speaks and he says why do you persecute me, saul? 00:03:59.448 --> 00:04:00.991 And he says who are you, lord? 00:04:00.991 --> 00:04:05.781 And then he's struck blind and he gets born again and then he changes his name to Paul. 00:04:05.781 --> 00:04:17.781 And all these writings Romans 1 and 2, corinthians, ephesians, galatians, colossians, philippians all these writings and other books he wrote 1 and 2 Timothy all these books that he wrote. 00:04:18.483 --> 00:04:21.127 He talks about who his new self was. 00:04:21.127 --> 00:04:25.014 In fact, he says things like this he says I died on the cross with Jesus. 00:04:25.014 --> 00:04:31.769 He goes it's no longer I who live, but it's Jesus living in my body through me. 00:04:31.769 --> 00:04:33.923 What's he talking about? 00:04:33.923 --> 00:04:34.987 My old self is gone. 00:04:34.987 --> 00:04:39.663 That old guy that used to go and drag people out of their houses, that guy's gone. 00:04:40.384 --> 00:04:53.089 I'm a new creature in Christ Jesus, and so the first thing you have to understand when we're talking about growing up spiritually, the first step you have to take to spiritual growth is to get born again, and it's the most important decision you'll ever make in your life. 00:04:53.089 --> 00:04:55.346 It's more important than who you marry. 00:04:55.346 --> 00:05:00.610 It's more important where you live, more important what your job is, more important than your major in college, more important than the car you drive. 00:05:00.610 --> 00:05:02.242 More important than anything in your life is getting born again. 00:05:02.242 --> 00:05:05.766 Receiving the car you drive, more important than anything in your life is getting born again, receiving Jesus as your Lord and Savior. 00:05:05.766 --> 00:05:06.927 Here's the amazing thing. 00:05:06.927 --> 00:05:08.209 The Bible tells us it's a gift. 00:05:08.209 --> 00:05:13.795 We're going to talk about spiritual gifts here in a minute and then talk about the gift of the Holy Spirit. 00:05:13.795 --> 00:05:22.341 But it's a spiritual gift, it's freely given and I say it many Sundays when we give an invitation. 00:05:22.362 --> 00:05:25.225 I say it like this it's not about joining a church, it's about joining a family, his family. 00:05:25.225 --> 00:05:44.725 Right, we are a local church, but when you get born again, you're not only a part of this church, you're part of his family, and old things have passed away and the problem with most people they'll get born again and because there's no teaching and there's no growth, they stay in that baby stage, right, and the baby stage is cute and it's sweet. 00:05:44.725 --> 00:06:06.473 Right, she was holding that baby and it's like, oh, look at that little guy, but at some point he's going to start to cry and he's going to need change and he's going to need fed and he's going eh, right, look, I've had three of them in my house. 00:06:06.473 --> 00:06:14.487 They're sweet and they're cute, but they're needy and they can't do anything for themselves. 00:06:14.487 --> 00:06:28.309 Sometimes you just look at them, just right, you don't say it, but you're just like it'd be really nice if you could just pop that pacifier back in your own mouth, especially when they're real little right, they can't even grab it. 00:06:28.309 --> 00:06:35.396 You're just like, oh my gosh, I told Nicole one time because our kids love their pacifiers, especially the oldest and the youngest. 00:06:39.500 --> 00:06:43.052 I was like would it be bad if we just taped, because when they're little they can't even grab it. 00:06:43.052 --> 00:06:45.175 At least they get to a certain age they can pick it back up. 00:06:45.175 --> 00:06:51.007 Just maybe an elastic band just to keep it in there Because it's and then drive. 00:06:51.007 --> 00:06:57.312 Especially when you're driving and they're in the rear facing, you've got to reach back and try to you get pulled over by a cop. 00:06:57.312 --> 00:06:59.644 Is that duct tape around your kids? 00:06:59.644 --> 00:07:01.029 It is, sir. 00:07:01.029 --> 00:07:05.002 He was crying and he needed it, right, but that's it. 00:07:05.084 --> 00:07:06.850 But the thing is you've got to get born again. 00:07:06.850 --> 00:07:08.567 Jesus said you must be born again. 00:07:08.567 --> 00:07:13.165 If you want to see heaven, if you want to know that you're going to heaven when you die, you must be born again. 00:07:13.165 --> 00:07:21.050 It's not just about being a good person, it's not just so many people and I've said this at funerals before. 00:07:21.050 --> 00:07:30.942 I am always grateful to be able to speak at a funeral, especially of a dear saint in the Lord. 00:07:30.942 --> 00:07:34.250 Someone I know was born again and I've spoken numerous of those. 00:07:34.612 --> 00:07:41.084 But I also, sometimes, as a pastor and, having pastored almost 23 years, get called by funeral homes to do funeral services to people I don't know. 00:07:41.084 --> 00:07:42.730 I'll never forget the first one. 00:07:42.730 --> 00:07:44.584 It was someone from out of state and they wanted to be buried. 00:07:44.584 --> 00:07:57.247 Their family was buried back in Darlington they're outside of Albany and so Brian called me and asked if I would do the service and I said yes, and so I'm like is there family I can talk to? 00:07:57.247 --> 00:07:59.252 I always like to know a story. 00:07:59.252 --> 00:08:01.184 And he's like, really, they don't have any family. 00:08:01.184 --> 00:08:04.531 They have like some third cousins that live here. 00:08:04.531 --> 00:08:08.463 And I'm like the obituary and they're like, yeah, they propose an obituary. 00:08:08.463 --> 00:08:10.189 So I'm reading the obituary there's no mention of church. 00:08:10.189 --> 00:08:16.447 And not that there has to be, but there's no mention of church, there's no mention of God, there's all this other stuff that they did in their lives. 00:08:16.447 --> 00:08:28.358 And so I'm talking to Nicole as I'm preparing and I'm like Nicole, I don't know if this person's in heaven or not. 00:08:29.040 --> 00:08:33.645 We all like to think that everyone that dies just automatically goes to heaven, because God's loving and he's merciful and he is and he made a way for everyone to go to heaven. 00:08:33.645 --> 00:08:34.649 But that way is Jesus. 00:08:34.649 --> 00:08:36.847 Jesus said I am the way, the truth and the life. 00:08:36.847 --> 00:08:39.609 No one comes to the Father except through me. 00:08:39.609 --> 00:08:42.240 And so I'm praying about it. 00:08:42.260 --> 00:08:51.750 And I call one of our instructors, tony Cook, who's written a book on funerals and grieving and things, and he said CF, he goes when you do that service. 00:08:51.750 --> 00:08:57.235 He said you never want to mislead people and say, because here's what we want to say, we want everyone to feel better. 00:08:57.235 --> 00:08:59.856 We want to say things like this we know they're in a better place. 00:08:59.856 --> 00:09:01.160 Can I tell you something? 00:09:01.160 --> 00:09:02.243 I didn't know he was in a better place. 00:09:02.243 --> 00:09:06.452 I hoped he was, but I didn't know. 00:09:06.452 --> 00:09:08.144 So I wasn't going to just lie. 00:09:08.144 --> 00:09:09.629 Why do we do that? 00:09:09.629 --> 00:09:12.870 Why, when you're going through a visitation, well, we know they're in a better place. 00:09:12.870 --> 00:09:18.461 Well, if we have no knowledge, sometimes we say that just because we're like, well, I hope they're not in hell. 00:09:18.461 --> 00:09:23.288 Right, we don't want to say that and upset everyone, but that is always our hope. 00:09:23.288 --> 00:09:26.754 We hope better for people and I've said this at funerals. 00:09:30.940 --> 00:09:47.682 So many people believe that at the end of your life, that there's a scale, one of those balance scales, and here's all the good, decent things you've done in your life and here's some of the bad things you've done in your life and we think that if the good just somehow outweighs the bad by a little bit, well, surely God, who is rich in mercy and grace, surely I can get to heaven. 00:09:47.682 --> 00:09:49.027 If just I had a little more good. 00:09:49.027 --> 00:09:50.851 I never killed anyone, I never really. 00:09:50.851 --> 00:09:57.927 I mean a couple pieces of candy when I was little and I did break some of those finger things, those finger traps at places when I was little. 00:09:57.927 --> 00:10:00.753 I'm confessing today. 00:10:00.753 --> 00:10:05.129 I used to go in there and you do it and you try to take it out and you're like rip and just throw it in there. 00:10:05.129 --> 00:10:08.921 Hope your mom didn't see Right. 00:10:08.921 --> 00:10:10.826 But I've never really done anything real bad. 00:10:10.826 --> 00:10:12.530 So surely I'll go to heaven. 00:10:12.530 --> 00:10:15.951 Well, no, jesus said I'm the way, the truth and life. 00:10:15.951 --> 00:10:17.500 No one comes to the Father except through me. 00:10:17.500 --> 00:10:22.590 So this whole spiritual growth thing starts with getting born again, most important decision you'll make in your life. 00:10:22.590 --> 00:10:25.801 But then, when you get born again, there's more. 00:10:26.121 --> 00:10:27.765 So let's go to Ephesians, chapter 4. 00:10:27.765 --> 00:10:29.009 Praise the Lord. 00:10:29.009 --> 00:10:31.092 Ephesians, chapter 4 and verse 11. 00:10:31.092 --> 00:10:35.307 I've got quite a bit of information to give you. 00:10:35.307 --> 00:10:40.910 I would encourage you to write these Bible verses down so you can go back and look at them, just in case we go a little quicker. 00:10:40.910 --> 00:10:46.485 If not, you can go back and watch the live stream and catch some of these things. 00:10:46.485 --> 00:10:48.639 Ephesians 4.11,. 00:10:49.000 --> 00:10:55.774 And Paul says and he, jesus, he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers. 00:10:55.774 --> 00:11:01.307 So we have these five ministry gifts, in which a pastor is one of them, but we have the other ones. 00:11:01.307 --> 00:11:03.081 Well, why did Jesus give those? 00:11:03.081 --> 00:11:11.053 For the equipping of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying or building up of the body of Christ, which is us as believers, till we all come to unity. 00:11:11.053 --> 00:11:12.998 How many know God wants unity of the faith. 00:11:12.998 --> 00:11:16.043 Jesus didn't come back for five bodies. 00:11:16.043 --> 00:11:20.277 Right, we are his body as born-again believers. 00:11:20.277 --> 00:11:26.659 When Jesus returns, he's come back for a body, the body of Christ, not just lone star body, but the body of Christ, all believers together. 00:11:26.659 --> 00:11:29.907 Well, what's funny is so often the body of Christ. 00:11:29.907 --> 00:11:33.243 We were like I don't like that hand, let's throw it over there. 00:11:33.243 --> 00:11:35.759 That foot kind of bothers me. 00:11:35.759 --> 00:11:37.465 I don't agree with him, let's throw it over there. 00:11:37.914 --> 00:11:42.844 It amazes me how much the church struggles with unity, how much Christians struggle with unity. 00:11:42.844 --> 00:11:44.835 Well, what is unity? 00:11:44.835 --> 00:11:46.979 Unity isn't all kumbaya. 00:11:46.979 --> 00:12:13.465 Oh, we just all get along all the time I have mercy for my wife because it's the wife of a pastor, right, what most people publicly see is the better side of me in life, right, the guy preaching and teaching and doing those things or I've done other things within the community and people see that guy all the time. 00:12:13.465 --> 00:12:23.618 I mean, I'm not always under the anointing, I'm not always that guy, and people will come up to her 28 years, oh, it must just be heaven on earth. 00:12:23.618 --> 00:12:25.020 Being married to Pastor Sia. 00:12:25.020 --> 00:12:27.788 Oh, it's just got to be the greatest thing in the world. 00:12:27.788 --> 00:12:29.080 He must just be that way. 00:12:29.080 --> 00:12:33.102 All the time I'm like, yes, that's right. 00:12:33.102 --> 00:12:36.663 But right, there's got to be some unity. 00:12:37.075 --> 00:12:42.187 And how many know, unity isn't always perfect agreement, even amongst the churches. 00:12:42.187 --> 00:12:57.215 I told someone I was talking to someone I was serving Friday at the Resound Fest and I was talking to one of the musicians from one of the bands and he was talking about some things and he said you know, and he said this and he goes. 00:12:57.215 --> 00:13:05.201 I used to follow this minister, but now I don't really agree with that and this I said okay, I said, well, here's what I know. 00:13:05.201 --> 00:13:21.923 We're all going to get to heaven as believers and I'm pretty sure we're all going to realize there's at least a little bit of our doctrine that was probably not exactly 100% correct, but I believe, if I'm preaching Jesus and I'm preaching the Bible, that God will overlook some of my little mistakes. 00:13:22.855 --> 00:13:27.486 I know you may have thought you arrived at a perfect church and it has a perfect pastor. 00:13:27.486 --> 00:13:28.918 This is not a perfect church. 00:13:28.918 --> 00:13:37.599 I'm not a perfect pastor, and if it was a perfect church when you arrived, it is no longer a perfect church, but that's just the truth of it. 00:13:37.599 --> 00:13:46.820 Right, we are imperfect people and I've been doing this for 23 years and I was off. 00:13:46.879 --> 00:13:51.023 I often think you know anyone that comes to church just believes Pastor CF is always going to be perfect. 00:13:51.023 --> 00:13:57.604 Well, he's always going to do this and he's always going to call me in the right and he's always going to have the right word and he's always going to be attentive and he's always going to do this. 00:13:57.604 --> 00:14:00.764 Look, we strive to do our best, but we are not perfect. 00:14:00.764 --> 00:14:17.495 But we're looking for perfection, right and unity, unity of faith, knowledge of the Son of God that we're attaining to be like Jesus, who was a perfect man to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ Verse 14, that we should no longer be children. 00:14:17.495 --> 00:14:20.578 Paul's getting a little rough with them, right, quit being children. 00:14:21.379 --> 00:14:22.081 What happens to children? 00:14:22.081 --> 00:14:24.764 They're tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of doctrine. 00:14:24.764 --> 00:14:25.705 The trickery of men. 00:14:25.705 --> 00:14:28.287 Kids are easily tricked, right? 00:14:28.287 --> 00:14:31.269 Kids are really like hey, look at that, took my thumb off. 00:14:31.269 --> 00:14:32.511 Right. 00:14:32.511 --> 00:14:40.077 They're like oh, my gosh, you took half your thumb off. 00:14:40.077 --> 00:14:41.503 No, they're kids, right, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. 00:14:41.503 --> 00:14:41.864 Now verse 15. 00:14:41.884 --> 00:14:42.907 But speaking the truth in love. 00:14:42.907 --> 00:14:46.828 I know we're supposed to speak the truth, but it's supposed to be in love. 00:14:46.828 --> 00:14:48.115 You know what children never do? 00:14:48.115 --> 00:14:49.880 They never speak the truth. 00:14:49.880 --> 00:14:51.244 In love, they always speak the truth. 00:14:51.244 --> 00:14:54.840 Right, go up and talk to a kid hey, little guy, how are you doing? 00:14:54.840 --> 00:14:56.364 You got bad breath? 00:14:56.364 --> 00:14:58.456 Right, kids will tell you the truth. 00:14:58.456 --> 00:15:03.384 You got a lot of nose hair, appreciate that. 00:15:03.384 --> 00:15:07.956 But they never speak it in love, right? 00:15:07.956 --> 00:15:11.083 You as a Christian, you as a mature Christian, should learn to speak the truth. 00:15:11.144 --> 00:15:15.663 But in love, right, there's a way to tell someone hey, man, what's going on? 00:15:15.663 --> 00:15:16.899 Hey, you got broccoli in your teeth. 00:15:16.899 --> 00:15:26.426 Right, there's a way to do it nicely and kindly, that we would do what Grow up in all things into him who is the head Christ. 00:15:26.426 --> 00:15:31.783 So these ministry gifts were given to help us do what help us to grow up, help us to mature. 00:15:31.783 --> 00:15:33.187 We shouldn't just stay babies. 00:15:33.187 --> 00:15:38.947 And so today is not only my birthday but, more importantly, it is pentecost sunday. 00:15:38.947 --> 00:15:44.677 So we're going to talk about pentecost a little bit in light of growing up, because it is part of how we grow up. 00:15:44.677 --> 00:15:52.943 So we were called right to get born again, but then we're also called to grow up, and the Holy Spirit is going to help you do that. 00:15:53.664 --> 00:15:57.861 So Jesus teaches a lot on the Holy Spirit and we're going to look at a couple verses here. 00:15:57.861 --> 00:15:59.966 Let's go to John, chapter 14. 00:15:59.966 --> 00:16:03.879 We'll go back here to John 14. 00:16:03.879 --> 00:16:13.999 Jesus, right before he left this earth, taught a lot about the Holy Spirit, and in John 14, I'm going to run through a few of these just for time's sake. 00:16:13.999 --> 00:16:39.123 Verse 16, jesus said and I will pray to the Father and he will give you another, the Greek word another, there is another one just like me, another helper, comforter, right, other words they use use there that he may abide with you forever the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him, but you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 00:16:39.123 --> 00:16:41.455 I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you. 00:16:41.455 --> 00:16:44.880 So jesus says, look, I'm leaving, but I'm not leaving you alone. 00:16:44.880 --> 00:16:49.809 That God's going to send another one just like me, and that is the Holy Spirit. 00:16:49.809 --> 00:16:56.639 And so Jesus is giving them all this knowledge and he says the Holy Spirit won't just be with you, but he'll be in you. 00:16:56.639 --> 00:17:09.355 And we know Jesus later, right after he dies on the cross and is resurrected dies on the cross and is resurrected. 00:17:09.355 --> 00:17:13.690 You go over to John, chapter 20. 00:17:13.690 --> 00:17:16.361 Let's look over there in John 20. 00:17:16.361 --> 00:17:19.768 In verse 22, john 20, 22,. 00:17:22.275 --> 00:17:24.960 So this is after Jesus was resurrected on the cross. 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:27.544 And Jesus comes in in his glorified body. 00:17:27.544 --> 00:17:29.667 And he told them right about his body. 00:17:29.667 --> 00:17:30.288 Here are the holes. 00:17:30.288 --> 00:17:38.057 And when he said these things to them, he breathed on them and said to them receive the Holy Spirit. 00:17:38.057 --> 00:17:39.198 And so the Holy Spirit. 00:17:39.218 --> 00:17:44.981 In the Bible we have these metaphors that are used talking about the Holy Spirit. 00:17:44.981 --> 00:17:52.969 When Jesus got baptized, remember, the Holy Spirit came down upon Jesus like a dove, and then God said this is my son, whom I am well pleased. 00:17:52.969 --> 00:17:57.451 So, jesus, how many of you know if Jesus needed the anointing of the Holy Spirit on his life to do things. 00:17:57.451 --> 00:18:05.299 How many of you think maybe we not the only begotten Son of God need the Holy Spirit in our lives? 00:18:05.299 --> 00:18:07.765 So the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus there after he got baptized here. 00:18:07.765 --> 00:18:09.107 He breathed on them. 00:18:09.107 --> 00:18:16.916 So we see, breath right. 00:18:16.936 --> 00:18:26.721 Nicole of first service was talking at the end of service and she mentioned that just as God breathed life into Adam, jesus is breathing eternal life into these believers and said receive the Holy Spirit. 00:18:26.721 --> 00:18:27.603 So what do we know? 00:18:27.603 --> 00:18:29.056 These people are now what? 00:18:29.056 --> 00:18:29.818 Born again. 00:18:29.818 --> 00:18:35.824 You could not get born again before Jesus died on the cross, the sacrificial death, and was raised triumphantly. 00:18:35.824 --> 00:18:37.068 Why? 00:18:37.068 --> 00:18:38.434 Because Jesus said I'm the way, the truth and the life. 00:18:38.434 --> 00:18:40.259 No one can come to the Father except through me. 00:18:40.259 --> 00:18:42.476 Well, he had to pay that price before you get born again. 00:18:42.476 --> 00:18:47.064 So everyone prior to Jesus' death, burial and resurrection, none of those people were born again. 00:18:47.064 --> 00:19:00.124 They were believers, they were righteous people, they were people that served God, but they weren't born again, which is why and there's a whole thing to that what Jesus did after he got resurrected and went to those people that were in Abraham's bosom. 00:19:00.124 --> 00:19:02.381 But here he says receive the Holy Spirit. 00:19:02.381 --> 00:19:05.298 So if Jesus breathed on them and said receive the Holy Spirit, what do we know? 00:19:05.298 --> 00:19:07.642 They now had the Holy Spirit on the inside of them. 00:19:07.642 --> 00:19:11.346 Okay, so the Holy Spirit is now on the inside of them. 00:19:11.967 --> 00:19:13.689 Let me go see where I want to go next. 00:19:13.689 --> 00:19:21.932 Just here, for time's sake, praise the Lord. 00:19:21.932 --> 00:19:28.101 Let's go over to Mark, chapter 2 and verse 22. 00:19:28.101 --> 00:19:28.761 Thank you, lord. 00:19:28.761 --> 00:19:30.645 Are you with me this morning? 00:19:30.645 --> 00:19:40.854 Praise the Lord. 00:19:41.414 --> 00:19:42.378 So, jesus, again, we talk about metaphors. 00:19:42.378 --> 00:19:44.026 Another metaphor for the Holy Spirit is new wine. 00:19:44.026 --> 00:19:50.238 Jesus says no one puts new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine bursts the wineskins. 00:19:50.238 --> 00:19:54.500 The wine is spilled, the wineskins are ruined, but new wine must be put into new wineskins. 00:19:54.500 --> 00:19:56.750 Again, if you're not paying attention, you just think. 00:19:56.750 --> 00:19:58.970 Why is Jesus talking about wineskins? 00:19:58.970 --> 00:20:01.234 He's talking about spiritual truths. 00:20:01.234 --> 00:20:02.385 What's he saying? 00:20:02.385 --> 00:20:03.434 He says what's he saying? 00:20:03.434 --> 00:20:11.067 He says you can't put the new wine of the Holy Spirit into an old, corruptible spirit. 00:20:11.067 --> 00:20:12.730 What do you need? 00:20:12.730 --> 00:20:19.423 You need a new spirit, born again, recreating the image of God, to be able to receive the new wine of the Holy Spirit. 00:20:19.423 --> 00:20:21.327 So what's he saying? 00:20:21.327 --> 00:20:25.685 People that aren't born again can't have the Holy Spirit on the inside of them. 00:20:25.685 --> 00:20:27.797 It wouldn't work. 00:20:29.221 --> 00:20:36.701 So now we go to Acts, chapter 1, and we see here in Acts chapter 1, this is just before Jesus ascends to heaven. 00:20:36.701 --> 00:20:45.926 So Acts 1 4 being assembled together with them. 00:20:45.926 --> 00:20:47.089 Jesus commanded them. 00:20:47.089 --> 00:20:49.497 Do you know? 00:20:49.497 --> 00:20:51.545 There's a difference between a command and a suggestion? 00:20:51.545 --> 00:20:58.801 You ever suggested something to someone and then you command something of someone. 00:20:58.801 --> 00:21:00.307 There's a difference. 00:21:00.307 --> 00:21:01.479 Jesus commanded them. 00:21:01.479 --> 00:21:01.721 Why? 00:21:01.721 --> 00:21:03.942 It's very important what I'm asking you to do. 00:21:03.942 --> 00:21:05.025 He told them what? 00:21:05.025 --> 00:21:09.538 Wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father which he said you've heard of me. 00:21:09.538 --> 00:21:11.202 Look at verse 5. 00:21:11.202 --> 00:21:13.748 For John truly baptized with water. 00:21:13.748 --> 00:21:17.203 But you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. 00:21:17.503 --> 00:21:20.721 So it confused them a little bit and they said, oh, is he talking about restoring the kingdom? 00:21:20.721 --> 00:21:23.939 And Jesus told them in verse 7 that it's not the time for that. 00:21:23.939 --> 00:21:26.566 But look at what he says in verse 8 here in Acts 1. 00:21:26.566 --> 00:21:28.410 That it's not the time for that. 00:21:28.410 --> 00:21:30.295 But look at what he says in verse 8 here in Acts 1. 00:21:30.295 --> 00:21:34.536 But you shall receive power. 00:21:34.536 --> 00:21:35.096 Everybody say power. 00:21:35.096 --> 00:21:40.915 You shall receive power when, when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be with my witnesses in Jerusalem, judea, samaria and the ends of the earth. 00:21:40.915 --> 00:21:46.900 So he gave them the great commission at the end of the gospels, told them to go into all the world, preach the gospel to all creatures. 00:21:46.900 --> 00:21:48.905 Those who believe shall be saved, those who believe not shall be damned. 00:21:48.905 --> 00:21:50.582 And these signs shall follow those who believe. 00:21:50.582 --> 00:21:53.876 And he says you're going to heal people, you're going to cast out devils. 00:21:53.876 --> 00:21:55.622 He says you're going to speak with new tongues. 00:21:55.622 --> 00:21:58.576 They're in Mark 16, starting in verse 15. 00:21:58.576 --> 00:22:03.548 And here he says you need power to do what I've told you to do. 00:22:10.194 --> 00:22:11.837 What's amazing is in Acts 1, jesus gives this command to 500 people. 00:22:11.837 --> 00:22:15.224 We're going to skip over to Acts 2, the first few verses here. 00:22:15.224 --> 00:22:27.261 On Acts 2, the day of Pentecost you know how many people followed his command? 00:22:27.261 --> 00:22:27.943 120. 00:22:27.943 --> 00:22:30.574 500 people decided we did this for a few days. 00:22:30.574 --> 00:22:32.076 Right, it went on. 00:22:32.076 --> 00:22:35.391 I believe it was 40 days from when he commanded and when he went up to heaven until the day of Pentecost, which is what we celebrate today. 00:22:35.391 --> 00:22:39.444 And so now we get to Acts, chapter 2, verse 1. 00:22:41.556 --> 00:22:46.875 It amazes me how controversial the Bible can be, even amongst believers. 00:22:46.875 --> 00:22:53.147 How controversial the Bible can be even amongst believers. 00:22:53.147 --> 00:22:57.678 It amazes me how controversial the Bible can be even amongst believers that we just want to be like. 00:22:57.678 --> 00:23:01.575 Well, I'd like to pick and choose what parts of the Bible I'd like to believe. 00:23:01.575 --> 00:23:04.423 Why do you think so many people struggle with this? 00:23:04.423 --> 00:23:11.084 With Pentecost, the enemy is a what A deceiver. 00:23:11.084 --> 00:23:14.284 And the enemy has tried to make Pentecost weird. 00:23:14.284 --> 00:23:17.124 The enemy has tried to make Pentecost odd. 00:23:17.124 --> 00:23:20.325 The enemy has tried to make Pentecost a dividing line amongst believers. 00:23:21.075 --> 00:23:27.343 Well, here's what people people ask me often about what type of pastor I am, what type of church we are, and this is what I always tell people. 00:23:27.343 --> 00:23:29.301 I said well, at Lone Star, this is what I know. 00:23:29.301 --> 00:23:40.440 I said we believe in the Bible, the whole Bible, every word in it, from Genesis to Revelation, and we just want to love people and preach the word, and teach the word and do what God wants to do and follow the Holy Spirit. 00:23:40.440 --> 00:23:42.486 I said that's just it. 00:23:42.486 --> 00:23:44.721 I'm not throwing parts of the Bible out. 00:23:44.721 --> 00:23:48.556 I I'm not throwing parts of the Bible out. 00:23:48.556 --> 00:23:49.076 I'm not marking parts out. 00:23:49.076 --> 00:23:49.998 I'm not going to omit parts of the Bible. 00:23:50.018 --> 00:23:52.060 There are a lot of parts of the Bible that are very controversial. 00:23:52.060 --> 00:23:58.730 There's a whole lot going on in our world today that, if you were to believe the biblical truth of it, that it's controversial. 00:23:58.730 --> 00:24:08.031 What's amazing is it wasn't controversial even to the general world 10 years ago. 00:24:08.031 --> 00:24:08.654 It was no controversy. 00:24:08.654 --> 00:24:15.866 I'm always going to walk in love, I'm always going to act in love, but I'm never going to retreat from the truth of the word. 00:24:15.866 --> 00:24:19.098 I mean, they're just truths. 00:24:19.381 --> 00:24:27.243 That 10 years ago, 10 years ago, if I were to tell you and I would say, hey, you know what, in 2025, people are going to believe men can have babies. 00:24:27.243 --> 00:24:31.844 If I went in the time machine back 10 years ago and I told say hey, you know what, in 2025, people are going to believe men can have babies. 00:24:31.844 --> 00:24:45.624 If I went in the time machine back 10 years ago and I told you that you'd be like you're ridiculous, even if you were a buck heathen, right, I stopped you on the road and you're rolling out of a bar, right, got a beer in one hand and a Marlboro in the other. 00:24:45.624 --> 00:24:48.119 You're kicking a dog. 00:24:48.119 --> 00:24:51.704 And I said people are going to believe that men can have babies. 00:24:51.704 --> 00:24:52.880 Oh, I don't believe that. 00:24:52.880 --> 00:24:55.700 Not even people coming out of church. 00:24:55.700 --> 00:24:56.502 It's anyone, right? 00:24:56.502 --> 00:24:57.840 No one would have believed that. 00:24:58.734 --> 00:25:00.342 But it just shows you how the enemy works. 00:25:00.342 --> 00:25:01.537 He's a deceiver. 00:25:01.537 --> 00:25:06.176 And how he works is he says well, the way you think is old. 00:25:06.176 --> 00:25:11.461 It's old fact and it's not inclusive and it's not in love. 00:25:11.461 --> 00:25:14.403 No, it's the truth in love and there's a way to present it. 00:25:14.403 --> 00:25:14.742 How many know? 00:25:14.742 --> 00:25:17.305 You can present the Bible in a very angry fashion. 00:25:17.305 --> 00:25:32.084 You can present the Bible in a way that you don't want to talk to trans people or homosexuals or people that are sinners or any of that, and you're all horrible people, you're all going to hell. 00:25:32.084 --> 00:25:33.029 Well, is that truth? 00:25:33.029 --> 00:25:33.554 Yes, is that truth in love? 00:25:33.554 --> 00:25:35.542 No, I want all those people to get born again. 00:25:35.542 --> 00:25:37.182 I want them all to come to repentance. 00:25:37.182 --> 00:25:42.279 There's no controversy in the word. 00:25:42.279 --> 00:25:43.304 It is what it is. 00:25:43.304 --> 00:25:43.905 It is truth. 00:25:45.214 --> 00:25:48.721 And so here, the day of Pentecost had fully come, the day Jesus had told them to wait for. 00:25:48.721 --> 00:25:54.246 They were all in one place and one accord, and suddenly there came a sound from heaven. 00:25:54.246 --> 00:25:57.483 Anyone that says what happened on the day of Pentecost is from the devil. 00:25:57.483 --> 00:25:58.576 Where did the sound come from? 00:25:58.576 --> 00:26:02.084 Did I write Acts, chapter 2, verse 2? 00:26:02.084 --> 00:26:03.227 I did not. 00:26:03.227 --> 00:26:05.817 It's in the Bible as of a rushing, mighty wind. 00:26:05.817 --> 00:26:07.903 Another metaphor for the Holy Spirit is wind. 00:26:07.903 --> 00:26:09.307 We saw breath with Jesus. 00:26:09.307 --> 00:26:16.701 It filled the whole house where they were sitting and there appeared unto them cloven tongues, right, divided tongues of fire and one set upon each of them. 00:26:16.761 --> 00:26:17.743 And this is where you start to lose. 00:26:17.743 --> 00:26:35.502 Some people Like, okay, look, I was okay with Jesus on the cross, the empty tomb and the whole born again thing, but now you've got tongues of fire sitting on people's heads, right? 00:26:35.502 --> 00:26:38.095 I don't know about this. 00:26:38.095 --> 00:26:43.339 Well, I just tend to believe everything in in the, the scriptures there, for a reason. 00:26:43.339 --> 00:26:46.328 And if jesus said it's something they needed, how many believe it's something we still need? 00:26:46.328 --> 00:26:51.105 And so what happened when those tongues of fire set upon their head? 00:26:51.105 --> 00:26:52.788 Look at it. 00:26:52.788 --> 00:26:58.787 They were all filled with the holy spirit, began to speak with other tongues. 00:26:58.787 --> 00:26:59.608 The Spirit gave them utterance. 00:26:59.608 --> 00:27:01.157 They began to speak in. 00:27:01.157 --> 00:27:07.726 What we know and we see later, and we don't have time to get into today, is a spiritual language from the Holy Spirit. 00:27:07.726 --> 00:27:15.023 Now, the first thing we need to ask ourselves is who gave the utterance? 00:27:15.023 --> 00:27:16.326 Look at the Scripture. 00:27:16.326 --> 00:27:18.444 The Holy Spirit gave the utterance, but who did the speaking? 00:27:18.444 --> 00:27:22.287 The Holy Spirit gave the utterance, but who did the speaking the believers did? 00:27:22.406 --> 00:27:28.544 This is one thing that hangs up a lot of people that desire to get filled with the Holy Spirit, just like they did on the day of Pentecost. 00:27:28.544 --> 00:27:33.665 They think that it's somehow just like a ventriloquist, that the Holy Spirit just comes in you and he makes you talk. 00:27:33.665 --> 00:27:36.019 No, he doesn't make you do anything. 00:27:36.019 --> 00:27:38.767 If God is going to make you do anything, first thing he'd make you do is get born again. 00:27:38.767 --> 00:27:40.320 Second thing he'd make you do is pay your tithes. 00:27:40.320 --> 00:27:42.446 He doesn't make us do anything. 00:27:42.446 --> 00:27:48.980 He doesn't make us do anything, but he gives the utterance Jesus in the Gospel of John. 00:27:48.980 --> 00:27:57.560 We didn't look at it, but Jesus said when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, he said out of your belly or out of your heart, your innermost being, rivers of living water will flow. 00:27:57.560 --> 00:28:00.604 It's going to bubble up on the inside and flow right out of you. 00:28:01.324 --> 00:28:04.988 Well, here they allowed the Holy Spirit to give them mutterings and they all started praying in other tongues. 00:28:04.988 --> 00:28:06.169 We know the story. 00:28:06.169 --> 00:28:07.230 They spilled out into the streets. 00:28:07.230 --> 00:28:08.371 People are like, ah, they're drunk. 00:28:08.371 --> 00:28:14.560 Someone's like, no, they're not drunk, it's only 9 in the morning. 00:28:14.560 --> 00:28:17.825 And then Peter, these this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel. 00:28:17.825 --> 00:28:19.708 These are not drunk, as you suppose, right. 00:28:19.708 --> 00:28:26.578 And then he went and preached and they went from 120 to 3,120 in one message. 00:28:26.578 --> 00:28:33.577 How many believe the Holy Spirit could do that at Lone Star, that we could go from 120 people to 3,120. 00:28:33.577 --> 00:28:34.861 You say, where would we put them? 00:28:34.861 --> 00:28:35.582 We'd figure it out. 00:28:35.582 --> 00:28:38.527 That's what happened. 00:28:38.527 --> 00:28:39.749 How did it happen like that? 00:28:39.749 --> 00:28:46.681 Well, it didn't happen like that from just let's just silently pray no, no, silent prayer, right, but it happened. 00:28:46.681 --> 00:28:50.547 They allowed the Holy Spirit to get involved in what they were doing and they got filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:28:50.567 --> 00:28:52.289 So let's continue here in the book of Acts. 00:28:52.289 --> 00:28:53.596 Thank you, lord. 00:28:53.596 --> 00:28:56.362 Let's go to Acts, chapter 8, verse 12. 00:28:56.362 --> 00:28:58.184 I'm going to read three more passages. 00:28:58.184 --> 00:29:03.378 Acts 8, verse 12. 00:29:03.378 --> 00:29:06.465 Praise the Lord, stick with me just here for a few minutes. 00:29:06.465 --> 00:29:10.878 You can indulge me, it's my birthday. 00:29:10.878 --> 00:29:12.060 Acts, chapter 8, verse 12. 00:29:12.121 --> 00:29:15.486 It says but when they so, philip is the evangelist. 00:29:15.486 --> 00:29:16.548 We talk about spiritual gifts. 00:29:16.548 --> 00:29:17.729