WEBVTT 00:00:07.919 --> 00:00:11.679 You're listening to the road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:27.839 Unless we cultivate a passion for Jesus that's greater and deeper than a passion for lust, and a passion for anger, and a passion for impatience, and a passion for ourselves is not going to change. 00:00:28.160 --> 00:00:29.440 You will not change. 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:39.439 You will not change unless your passion for the Lord, your passion for Christ, and a love relationship with him is greater than your luck. 00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:44.240 And greater than your anger, and greater than your bitterness, you will not change. 00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:49.200 At The Road, our mission is to empower people to change the world. 00:00:49.439 --> 00:00:53.439 For more information on The Road, visit theroad.org. 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:58.479 We hope you are encouraged by today's message from Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:04.239 We are going through the Sermon on the Mount. 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:13.040 And you that are guests with us, we've been going through the Sermon on the Mount for actually several months, and we come to this one spot in the Sermon on the Mount that's almost like Proverbs. 00:01:13.120 --> 00:01:16.400 How many of you read Proverbs semi-regularly? 00:01:16.560 --> 00:01:18.079 Maybe read a proverb a day. 00:01:18.239 --> 00:01:21.040 Okay, that's what Liz and I do first thing in the morning. 00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:26.319 When we wake up in the morning, we wake up together, and actually it's not the first thing we do. 00:01:26.480 --> 00:01:39.439 The first thing we do is we take uh Major Dickison's blend of Peeps coffee and uh and we churn up those beans and then we put it in the French press because we can't pray until we've had coffee. 00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:42.719 But when we pray, we always start with a proverb. 00:01:42.959 --> 00:01:48.640 So today's the third, so we did Proverbs 3 today, which is one of the most powerful Proverbs in the Bible. 00:01:48.879 --> 00:01:58.159 But the Sermon on the Mount at this point in our journey in Matthew 5, latter part of Matthew 5, almost reads like Proverbs. 00:02:08.719 --> 00:02:18.159 And for you that were with us a few weeks ago, we talked about Jesus saying that he did not come to abolish the law or the Bible, but he came to fulfill it. 00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:25.840 And so the Pharisees at that time had developed an intricate system of religious laws to help people. 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:27.520 I mean, their hearts were right. 00:02:27.919 --> 00:02:32.000 If it says, do not kill, then what exactly does that mean? 00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:35.759 If it says, keep the Sabbath holy, what does that mean? 00:02:35.919 --> 00:02:43.680 And so they had developed some elaborate laws to help people fulfill the law. 00:02:43.919 --> 00:02:46.080 So they had added to the laws. 00:02:46.800 --> 00:02:54.000 Paul's the one who told us that he came, that the law was given as a tutor to lead us to Christ. 00:02:54.159 --> 00:03:06.000 In other words, we were never conditioned by God in our own flesh to be able to fulfill the law, except through the power of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit in our life. 00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:20.319 And so Jesus is now redefining, as he says, in each of these kind of proverbs that he gives us, that you have heard it said this, but let me tell you, it's more like that. 00:03:20.479 --> 00:03:23.439 And what Jesus speaks to is the heart. 00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:25.919 Because he's a heart revolutionary. 00:03:26.319 --> 00:03:27.840 He's an activist of the heart. 00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:31.759 I like to think of Jesus as an activist of the heart. 00:03:32.479 --> 00:03:35.919 Jesus is more interested in your heart than your outward behavior. 00:03:36.080 --> 00:03:37.840 Now he's interested in our outward behavior. 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:39.039 Of course he is. 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:44.479 But the only way we change from the outside is a change from the inside. 00:03:45.039 --> 00:03:52.240 And what the law taught was that you change the inside by changing the outside, and so he's challenging that system. 00:03:52.800 --> 00:04:02.800 That it's the direction of our heart, not necessarily the outward moral behavior that makes us the person that can follow Christ and seek the kingdom first in our life. 00:04:02.879 --> 00:04:06.080 So turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 5. 00:04:06.800 --> 00:04:15.120 And I'm calling this the title I'm giving this today and putting this together is that love is the gold standard of the kingdom of God. 00:04:15.439 --> 00:04:19.439 Love is the gold standard of the kingdom of God. 00:04:20.399 --> 00:04:22.079 And here's my thesis. 00:04:22.399 --> 00:04:24.160 My thesis is this. 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:40.800 Unless we cultivate a passion for Jesus that's greater and deeper than a passion for lust, and a passion for anger, and a passion for impatience, and a passion for ourselves, you're not going to change. 00:04:41.040 --> 00:04:42.399 You will not change. 00:04:42.720 --> 00:04:56.879 You will not change unless your passion for the Lord, your passion for Christ, and a love relationship with Him is greater than your lust, and greater than your anger, and greater than your bitterness, you will not change. 00:04:57.040 --> 00:05:05.680 But if you develop a passion for Jesus from the heart, seeking the kingdom, worshiping Him and loving Him, and that's why we're here today. 00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:08.000 That's why you're here today. 00:05:08.399 --> 00:05:20.959 Is to impassion, to equip, and to energize and empower us to make a difference in our own heart so that what happens as we begin to passionately go after God, the lust begins to drop off. 00:05:21.199 --> 00:05:26.720 The anger begins to drop off because God's transforming us from the inside out. 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:30.399 So he begins to talk about some of these areas that we struggle with. 00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:32.079 Look at verse 33. 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:33.839 We talked about marriage last week. 00:05:34.079 --> 00:05:36.240 He now moves to oaths. 00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:46.079 Again, you've heard that it was said to those of old, Matthew 5, 33, you shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord. 00:05:46.240 --> 00:06:00.240 But I say to you, do not swear at all, neither by heaven, for it is God's throne, nor by the earth, for it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great king. 00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:06.399 Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 00:06:07.519 --> 00:06:14.480 But let your yes be yes and your no no, for whatever is more than these is from the evil one. 00:06:15.439 --> 00:06:23.519 Basically he's saying, because of the way the Pharisees had set things up, that there are higher and lower level oaths that you could make. 00:06:23.759 --> 00:06:25.199 And he's saying, forget that. 00:06:25.360 --> 00:06:33.279 Forget this higher and lower oaths, whether it be to the city of Jerusalem or to heaven or to earth. 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:36.720 Let your word be your bond. 00:06:38.240 --> 00:06:41.279 If you're gonna say yes to something, then follow through. 00:06:41.519 --> 00:06:45.360 If you're gonna say no to something, then let your no be your bond. 00:06:45.839 --> 00:06:47.519 Be trustworthy. 00:06:48.399 --> 00:06:50.720 Have you ever heard of me say, I swear to God? 00:06:50.879 --> 00:06:52.000 And they tell you something. 00:06:52.240 --> 00:06:54.639 I swear to God, and they tell you something. 00:06:55.120 --> 00:06:56.560 I don't trust any of that. 00:06:56.720 --> 00:07:13.439 I remember, I think you guys have heard me tell a story, I'll repeat it here, that uh I was in the hallway upstairs and I eavesdropped on charity back in those days, would sometimes want to sleep with Josh. 00:07:13.600 --> 00:07:30.160 So Josh and Charity were together, and Charity's telling some story to Josh, and then Josh says, now charity, if you hear people say more than once, this story is true, it's probably not. 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:44.160 So this week I was making a transaction for uh for a particular apparatus that I was purchasing, a pretty expensive one. 00:07:44.399 --> 00:08:06.879 And in this particular interaction with the salesperson who had gotten to know me and I'd gotten to know them, I said, I want these things put on this apparatus that I was purchasing, which was expensive for him to do, but he had no guarantee that I was gonna come in and literally put down the money because I hadn't done it, because he's about 45 minutes away. 00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:08.079 And I said, Here's the deal. 00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:15.279 If you'll trust me, we're in on this together, I'll come in with the check when it's done in two and a half hours. 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:16.959 And he said, Yes. 00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:18.639 And we did it. 00:08:19.759 --> 00:08:34.399 Because in our exchange and the development of the relationship where we had been making the deal, because I had made a deal based on another guy and another company's deal, and he was honoring that, he trusted me. 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:36.159 And I trusted him. 00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:40.240 Jesus is saying, let your yes be yes and your no be no. 00:08:41.679 --> 00:08:51.360 And so instead of making elaborate oaths about everything or trying to grandstand, which the Pharisees were doing, can you be trusted? 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:54.720 So that's the question, men and women, can you be trusted? 00:08:55.279 --> 00:08:58.799 Do you follow through with your commitments? 00:08:59.039 --> 00:09:01.039 It's a kingdom law. 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:06.960 You it's amazing how well things can go for you when people trust you. 00:09:07.679 --> 00:09:12.799 It's amazing how hard it is to get anything done when people don't trust you. 00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:13.440 Hello? 00:09:13.840 --> 00:09:15.200 You guys know what I'm talking about? 00:09:15.360 --> 00:09:22.720 And you have blown it, every one of you in this room, including this pastor right here, we have said things and not followed through. 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:36.240 But the kingdom principle is may God be transforming us over time as we mature that our yes would be yes and our no would be no. 00:09:36.639 --> 00:09:40.879 And I can tell you guys, man, I love this church. 00:09:41.519 --> 00:09:46.879 I mean, so many of you are involved in so many areas of ministry in this body. 00:09:47.039 --> 00:09:53.440 There was a big group down here on Saturday night just getting everything ready for the open house. 00:09:53.679 --> 00:09:58.080 And on another night, there was a large group here getting something ready for another event. 00:09:58.320 --> 00:10:07.039 And the amount of yeses and no's that go on and the follow-through where people keep their promises is amazing. 00:10:07.519 --> 00:10:22.000 And the greatest promise of all, church, the greatest promise of all is when you stand before an audience of people, or maybe it's a justice of the peace, and you said, I do. 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:34.399 It's the greatest oath, it's the greatest promise we've ever made, is to say we're going to love that person through highs and lows, through good times and bad times and hard times. 00:10:34.720 --> 00:10:37.039 That's why marriage is so powerful. 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:44.639 That's why at the nucleus of culture, it's the nucleus of society, and Satan is doing everything he can to destroy it. 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:47.679 And many of you have been divorced. 00:10:48.720 --> 00:10:50.559 And now you're remarried. 00:10:51.360 --> 00:10:53.360 Hopefully you've learned, right? 00:10:53.759 --> 00:10:54.960 Hopefully we've learned. 00:10:55.120 --> 00:10:59.120 And that commitment, make that commitment true. 00:10:59.679 --> 00:11:00.480 Stay in it. 00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:08.320 I think that's why what he's saying follows the commands and the admonitions about marriage. 00:11:08.480 --> 00:11:09.919 Look at verse 38. 00:11:10.240 --> 00:11:12.480 So now he slightly switches gears. 00:11:12.720 --> 00:11:15.759 You've heard that it was said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. 00:11:15.840 --> 00:11:20.799 And let me just say this: the way this was framed by the Pharisees was you were obligated. 00:11:21.039 --> 00:11:27.919 It was an obligation that if someone did you wrong, you needed to make them pay. 00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:30.399 That was the way it had been framed at that time. 00:11:30.480 --> 00:11:34.320 So you've heard that it was said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. 00:11:34.960 --> 00:11:40.159 But I say to you, to not resist an evil person. 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:47.360 But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:50.480 I don't like this part. 00:11:51.519 --> 00:11:54.240 This part right here is a little bit difficult. 00:11:54.559 --> 00:11:57.919 By the way, all of this is impossible in your own power. 00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:02.080 So instead of hating them back, love them back. 00:12:02.240 --> 00:12:02.960 That's the point. 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:09.919 Can you love someone who is who has literally physically struck you? 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:12.399 Can you turn the other cheek? 00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:16.720 That is impossible without the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:12:17.120 --> 00:12:18.080 He continues. 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:25.360 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 00:12:25.840 --> 00:12:29.600 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him too. 00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:36.320 Give to him who asks of you, and from him who wants to borrow from you, do not turn away. 00:12:36.720 --> 00:12:51.919 So there was a law at that time in the culture that if a Roman soldier came with a backpack, he could pick a Jewish citizen, anybody he wanted, and make them carry that pack for one mile. 00:12:52.080 --> 00:12:53.840 And they would have all been aware of that. 00:12:54.080 --> 00:12:58.240 He says, No, don't just do one mile, do two miles. 00:12:59.120 --> 00:13:01.039 What's he talking about? 00:13:02.000 --> 00:13:05.120 Men and women, he's talking about being the kingdom. 00:13:05.840 --> 00:13:07.360 Be the kingdom. 00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:11.519 Bring the kingdom into your job. 00:13:11.759 --> 00:13:14.960 Bring the kingdom into your relationship with your boss. 00:13:15.200 --> 00:13:18.399 Bring the kingdom into your marriage. 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:31.360 Let this passionate love for God be greater than your anger, be greater than your lust, be greater than the obligations that you're forced to do. 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:33.279 Be the kingdom. 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:43.039 Who knows what God wants to do in that circumstance and in your family and in your job and in situations you are if you become the kingdom. 00:13:43.360 --> 00:13:45.440 It's radical stuff. 00:13:45.759 --> 00:13:46.159 Right? 00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:48.080 I mean, this stuff is radical. 00:13:48.799 --> 00:13:50.320 I can't do it. 00:13:51.200 --> 00:13:56.399 You can't do it unless God does it through us. 00:13:57.360 --> 00:14:02.240 You've heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. 00:14:03.039 --> 00:14:17.519 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. 00:14:19.039 --> 00:14:22.799 Go back to the first part of chapter 5. 00:14:22.879 --> 00:14:24.480 Look at verse 11. 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:29.120 We talked to you, we went through the Beatitudes and we talked about verses 3 through 12. 00:14:29.279 --> 00:14:37.440 Verse 11, it says, Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:49.360 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 00:14:51.039 --> 00:14:54.879 So there's some kind of a reward system that I don't get. 00:14:56.000 --> 00:14:58.080 But it's all through scripture. 00:14:59.120 --> 00:15:01.600 Men and women, there's some kind of a reward system. 00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:04.480 God sees our heart. 00:15:05.519 --> 00:15:15.120 Even when you're driving, I've gone from preaching to meddling. 00:15:17.919 --> 00:15:20.000 That guy who cuts you off. 00:15:20.960 --> 00:15:43.360 There's some kind of a reward system that I don't necessarily understand, of which God sees that when we bless those who cut us off, or those who persecute us, or those who hurt us, and we choose to bless them, even if it's not exactly the way we're reading it here, but there's something within you that asks you a blessing upon them. 00:15:43.679 --> 00:15:46.960 My prayer, because it says pray here, is God get them. 00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:50.159 But it's not supposed to be that way. 00:15:50.480 --> 00:15:57.679 But as God is transforming us from the inside out, and we're all on this journey together, you're gonna get rewarded. 00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:03.679 And I'll just tell you, most of the time you do not get rewarded in this life. 00:16:04.799 --> 00:16:09.360 And every one of us had been deeply, deeply hurt at times. 00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:18.879 I mean, really, if you haven't been stabbed in the back, if you haven't been ripped off, you're not living enough. 00:16:19.759 --> 00:16:21.519 You're not loving enough. 00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:25.360 Because love and living means we take risk, right? 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:27.039 It means we take risks with people. 00:16:27.120 --> 00:16:29.360 It means that we give our heart to others. 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:31.919 When you get married, you give your heart to that person. 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:35.440 When you're dating, you're starting to give that heart to that person. 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:38.879 Don't give your whole heart while you're dating. 00:16:40.080 --> 00:16:41.440 Guard your heart. 00:16:42.799 --> 00:16:44.799 When you get married, give it all. 00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:50.240 But not before that, because there's a good chance you might break up. 00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:53.200 And by the way, there's a lot of fish in that pond. 00:16:54.159 --> 00:16:55.360 Not just one. 00:16:57.200 --> 00:17:01.600 But as we give our heart to people, as we love people, we are gonna get hurt. 00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:06.319 We are gonna be, we are gonna be defraught, we are gonna get stabbed in the back. 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:11.359 So what do we do with that that pain and that hurt? 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:13.039 That's really the essence here. 00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:22.480 The gold standard of the kingdom is love, or the gold standard of the enemy is bitterness. 00:17:23.440 --> 00:17:28.640 And some of you are way, you're still carrying that weight of bitterness. 00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:32.640 And my challenge would be come on Thursday night. 00:17:32.880 --> 00:17:34.160 Come to the worship night. 00:17:34.240 --> 00:17:36.240 Let's let's release bitterness. 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:38.960 God did that in my life. 00:17:39.200 --> 00:17:42.880 He released supernaturally bitterness over some things that had happened to me. 00:17:43.119 --> 00:17:44.480 He can do that in your life. 00:17:45.440 --> 00:17:49.839 And some of you are still carrying the weight of bitterness, and it's not yours to carry anymore. 00:17:50.480 --> 00:17:51.359 Give it to him. 00:17:52.000 --> 00:17:53.279 Surrender it to him. 00:17:55.359 --> 00:17:59.680 And let his power and love flow through you in a fresh new way. 00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:03.119 I say to you, love your enemies. 00:18:03.839 --> 00:18:07.519 Bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you. 00:18:09.119 --> 00:18:14.240 By the way, next week we're gonna talk about the things done in secret. 00:18:14.640 --> 00:18:17.519 I'm gonna call it a secret history with God. 00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:23.200 And in the whole rest of the beginning of chapter six is talking about a secret history with God. 00:18:23.359 --> 00:18:25.039 That's what he's alluding to here. 00:18:25.200 --> 00:18:39.680 There's a secret history with God where we do good to those who hate us, and God sees it, nobody else may see it, nobody else may notice it, but God does. 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:45.119 That releases his blessing in your life. 00:18:45.440 --> 00:18:49.200 Verse 45, that you may be sons of your father. 00:18:50.079 --> 00:19:00.400 I would circle sons of your father in heaven, for he makes his son rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. 00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:04.559 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? 00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:08.000 Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 00:19:08.400 --> 00:19:13.279 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you more than others? 00:19:13.599 --> 00:19:16.400 Do not even the tax collectors do so? 00:19:16.960 --> 00:19:21.119 Therefore you shall be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect. 00:19:21.920 --> 00:19:27.200 Three times in chapter 5, Jesus uses a radical term. 00:19:27.359 --> 00:19:28.319 You ought to write that down. 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:37.200 The most radical term used in the Sermon on the Mount, which is Matthew 5, 6, and 7, is Father. 00:19:38.319 --> 00:19:42.240 He's calling God his Father. 00:19:43.200 --> 00:19:55.519 An endearment, a relationship of a relationship with God the Father that Moses never knew, that David never knew, that Ezekiel never knew, that Elijah never knew. 00:19:55.680 --> 00:20:00.000 This is rocking the world, the religious, pharisaical world of the Jews. 00:20:00.240 --> 00:20:02.880 He's calling God his father. 00:20:04.240 --> 00:20:07.920 And he's going to use it a dozen times in chapter 6. 00:20:08.240 --> 00:20:11.519 Men and women, God's your father. 00:20:13.200 --> 00:20:15.839 And he says to each one of you, you're beloved. 00:20:17.440 --> 00:20:18.640 You're beloved. 00:20:19.759 --> 00:20:27.599 And his heart yearns for a personal, vital, growing, dynamic relationship with him. 00:20:28.400 --> 00:20:30.799 That's the point of the Sermon on the Mount. 00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:34.480 That's the point of the kingdom values that he's speaking of. 00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:37.119 That we can't, this is impossible. 00:20:37.599 --> 00:20:44.400 It can't be done without a personal, growing relationship with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. 00:20:44.640 --> 00:20:49.920 So turn in your Bibles to Romans, Romans chapter 8. 00:20:50.559 --> 00:20:52.640 Turn to Romans chapter 8. 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:56.079 Everything I've said is impossible. 00:20:56.400 --> 00:20:57.039 Right? 00:20:58.799 --> 00:20:59.440 It is. 00:21:00.960 --> 00:21:03.599 But how do we become perfect as he is perfect? 00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:04.960 And that word means mature. 00:21:05.039 --> 00:21:06.400 How do we become more mature? 00:21:06.559 --> 00:21:10.079 How do we grow up before we grow old? 00:21:11.200 --> 00:21:12.400 Romans 8. 00:21:12.720 --> 00:21:15.440 Look at verse 11. 00:21:15.519 --> 00:21:19.200 I want to give you three truths that enable us to live the kingdom. 00:21:19.440 --> 00:21:22.000 Three truths that enable us to live the kingdom. 00:21:22.160 --> 00:21:22.960 Verse 11. 00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:24.720 Romans 8, verse 11. 00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:31.039 But if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you. 00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:32.480 Now let me just stop there. 00:21:32.720 --> 00:21:40.319 If you do not have a personal surrendered life to Christ, the Spirit of the living God does not dwell in you. 00:21:42.559 --> 00:21:44.640 The Spirit of God is not in you. 00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:46.079 You can't do this. 00:21:47.839 --> 00:21:50.160 Impossible without the Spirit of God. 00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:56.720 If you've given your heart to Christ, if you surrender to Christ, and you can do that today. 00:21:58.720 --> 00:21:59.519 Little addendum. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:07.680 Is for probably the last four to five weeks, every week people have come forward up here and received Christ for the first time. 00:22:07.839 --> 00:22:09.039 It's exciting. 00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:19.839 But if you open your heart to Christ and surrender to Him, a decision that I made when I was 18 at the University of Georgia, and man, I was full of religion. 00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:24.160 I had a PhD in religion. 00:22:24.480 --> 00:22:26.319 My dad was a pastor. 00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:29.759 My mom led everything else in the church. 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:32.559 I was in the church nine months before I was born. 00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:36.480 I was baptized at six weeks in a white dress. 00:22:39.519 --> 00:22:41.920 I still got PTSD from that. 00:22:43.599 --> 00:22:48.000 But at 18, I truly gave my heart to Christ. 00:22:48.319 --> 00:22:51.119 And when you do, the Spirit of God comes in. 00:22:51.359 --> 00:22:53.920 So this is what Paul's talking about. 00:22:54.240 --> 00:23:02.240 He says, if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, that's for the believer, the person who's given his heart to Christ. 00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:13.279 He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through the Spirit who dwells in you. 00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:20.720 So you can be empowered with the Holy Spirit, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. 00:23:21.039 --> 00:23:29.279 This passage to me is one of the most powerful passages in the Bible for healing, for physical healing. 00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:33.440 Because it gives life to your mortal bodies. 00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:43.119 I can't tell you the hundreds of people through the years that I've had a relationship with who gave their heart to Christ, began to follow Christ, and the headaches went away. 00:23:43.359 --> 00:23:45.440 And the depression went away. 00:23:45.680 --> 00:23:47.440 And the cancer went away. 00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:50.319 Hundreds of people. 00:23:51.039 --> 00:23:53.759 Nobody even prayed for them to get healed. 00:23:54.000 --> 00:24:00.880 But because they were filled with the Holy Spirit, they were learning to walk in the Spirit, they were dealing with stress in a totally different way. 00:24:01.039 --> 00:24:03.359 The Spirit of God was living in them. 00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:10.000 The enemy and his grip was broken over their physical, emotional, and mental faculties. 00:24:10.240 --> 00:24:11.519 Isn't that exciting? 00:24:11.839 --> 00:24:14.079 Give your life to Christ today. 00:24:14.400 --> 00:24:20.480 Come to Jesus, He'll transform you from the inside out. 00:24:21.119 --> 00:24:22.079 Verse 12. 00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:27.279 Not to the flesh to live according to the flesh. 00:24:27.440 --> 00:24:30.079 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. 00:24:30.480 --> 00:24:36.240 But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 00:24:37.359 --> 00:24:41.200 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 00:24:41.359 --> 00:24:44.480 So number one, the Holy Spirit empowers us. 00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:49.200 And number two, we're children of God and we're now led by the Spirit. 00:24:49.359 --> 00:24:50.880 We're led by the Spirit. 00:24:51.200 --> 00:24:54.880 I went and saw the best movie yesterday morning. 00:24:55.039 --> 00:24:58.319 By the way, best time to go to a movie is about 9.40 in the morning. 00:24:58.559 --> 00:25:06.079 And we went and saw the new movie Harriet about Harriet Tubman and her work in the Underground Railroad. 00:25:06.240 --> 00:25:07.279 Oh, fantastic. 00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:08.559 Here's what was cool about it. 00:25:08.799 --> 00:25:10.640 There had to be Christian script writers. 00:25:10.880 --> 00:25:14.240 First of all, the script was excellent. 00:25:14.480 --> 00:25:23.680 Second of all, they really emphasized the visions and the dreams that she had led by the Holy Spirit in getting slaves out of the South. 00:25:23.759 --> 00:25:25.920 It was amazing, amazing story. 00:25:26.160 --> 00:25:29.039 And we went and researched it, totally accurate. 00:25:29.119 --> 00:25:31.759 It's so funny because, okay, this is so funny. 00:25:31.920 --> 00:25:48.079 There's this one point where she gets to Philadelphia, a free state, and she's being interviewed by this guy who's a part of the abolitionist movement, another black guy, and they're sitting there talking, and then she talks about, he's asking her, tell me about any injuries you got when you were a slave. 00:25:48.240 --> 00:25:53.839 She talked about getting hit in the head with a two-pound weight, and you can see the scar between her eyes. 00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:59.839 And she said, Ever since that, I've been having um dreams and visions from God. 00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:03.119 And then he writes in his ledger, brain damage. 00:26:08.559 --> 00:26:10.960 That's the way the world looks at you guys. 00:26:13.119 --> 00:26:15.279 You feel a brain, you're brain damaged. 00:26:17.519 --> 00:26:19.440 Man, I want to be brain damaged. 00:26:20.799 --> 00:26:23.119 I want to be led by the spirit. 00:26:24.559 --> 00:26:30.319 I want to know supernaturally what's going on so I can have wisdom in making decisions. 00:26:30.400 --> 00:26:31.200 How about you? 00:26:31.519 --> 00:26:33.119 I can't do that without the spirit. 00:26:33.200 --> 00:26:35.680 And you can't do that if you don't give your heart to Christ. 00:26:36.720 --> 00:26:37.599 So that's number two. 00:26:37.680 --> 00:26:39.920 So number one, we're empowered with the spirit. 00:26:40.240 --> 00:26:42.640 Number two, we're led by the spirit. 00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:44.079 Verse 15. 00:26:44.400 --> 00:26:57.279 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage, you gan to fear, but you re received the spirit of adoption by whom we now cry out, Abba Father. 00:26:57.599 --> 00:27:00.400 That's what Jesus is talking about. 00:27:00.720 --> 00:27:03.599 He's saying, you can't love your enemies in your own power? 00:27:03.759 --> 00:27:04.799 Impossible. 00:27:05.119 --> 00:27:06.880 You can't turn the other cheek. 00:27:07.119 --> 00:27:08.240 Impossible. 00:27:09.279 --> 00:27:12.240 You can't deal with your struggle with anger and lust. 00:27:12.480 --> 00:27:13.519 Impossible. 00:27:13.839 --> 00:27:23.920 But if you'll come into a relationship with Abba Father, if you'll let me live my life through you, it is possible. 00:27:24.720 --> 00:27:29.039 By Jesus, we say it, all things are possible. 00:27:29.200 --> 00:27:30.079 Say it out loud. 00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:31.519 All things are possible. 00:27:32.720 --> 00:27:34.480 All things are possible. 00:27:35.599 --> 00:27:36.799 Through Jesus. 00:27:37.039 --> 00:27:38.000 Not by you. 00:27:38.240 --> 00:27:39.279 You can't do it. 00:27:39.519 --> 00:27:46.880 But through Christ, all things are possible through a growing intimacy with God the Father. 00:27:47.119 --> 00:27:50.400 That's what Jesus is talking about in the Sermon on the Mount. 00:27:52.400 --> 00:27:56.799 You've been listening to The Road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:27:57.200 --> 00:27:59.920 We hope you have been blessed by today's message. 00:28:00.079 --> 00:28:03.920 To connect with us further, visit theroad.org. 00:28:04.160 --> 00:28:08.000 If you are walking through a difficult time, we want to pray for you. 00:28:08.160 --> 00:28:15.279 Go to theroad.org, click on the ministries tab, and go to our prayer page to send us your prayer request. 00:28:15.519 --> 00:28:23.359 Thanks again for tuning in today, and be sure to listen to the next edition of The Road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt.