WEBVTT 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:11.679 You're listening to the road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:00:12.960 --> 00:00:24.879 I believe that when you take communion in a proper way, you say, Lord, I just I believe that this is the body of Christ that's been broken for me. 00:00:25.199 --> 00:00:26.399 You take the breath. 00:00:26.640 --> 00:00:28.800 This is the blood of Christ that's been shed for me. 00:00:28.879 --> 00:00:30.800 In remembrance of you, I take this. 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:44.479 That the spiritual, listen, the spiritual presence, not the physical presence, the spiritual presence of God comes and you have proclaimed into the demonic world that that's what you believe. 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:46.399 And there's power in that, folks. 00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:48.159 That's worship. 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:56.240 At The Road, our vision is to raise up wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ. 00:00:56.479 --> 00:01:00.719 For more information on The Road, visit the Road.org. 00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:06.079 We hope you are encouraged by today's message from Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:01:09.840 --> 00:01:11.200 All right, we've been in a series. 00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:14.560 As you guys know, we've been going through the book of Matthew, and then I took a segue out. 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:19.760 People have said to me, Well, when we're getting back to Matthew, we are going to get back to Matthew. 00:01:20.079 --> 00:01:40.640 But because of so many prophetic words that came our way over the last six weeks or so from all these different people, some of which I know well and some I don't know well, but they were also lining up with Ezekiel 47 and John 7 and John 4, God spoke to my heart. 00:01:40.799 --> 00:01:42.000 Okay, I'm gonna take a break. 00:01:42.159 --> 00:01:45.519 How many know that sometimes your plans are different than God's? 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:52.719 Okay, so even as a pastor, I feel like God wants us to go through the book of Matthew and the kingdom of God revolution. 00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:54.719 We're gonna return to that in a few weeks. 00:01:55.040 --> 00:02:10.960 But what God's doing in our midst, and I think he's speaking to us about some of the dynamics of the early church that relate to us through the infilling and the outspilling of the Holy Spirit. 00:02:11.039 --> 00:02:16.000 How many of you know there's an infilling of the Holy Spirit, but there's also an outspilling of the Holy Spirit? 00:02:16.159 --> 00:02:18.639 You're not supposed to keep the Holy Spirit. 00:02:18.879 --> 00:02:22.479 It's not just for you to keep, it's also for you to release. 00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:26.800 The Holy Spirit's looking for people he can be released through to the world. 00:02:27.039 --> 00:02:32.000 And so what we see in Ezekiel 47 is this rising tide. 00:02:32.159 --> 00:02:34.479 And you can go back and listen to those early sermons. 00:02:34.560 --> 00:03:00.319 I won't go into it too much, except to say that Ezekiel had a vision of this river flowing out of the temple of God that was a trickle that became ankle deep, knee deep, waist deep, and to the point where he literally had to swim in this river, and this river of God, Ezekiel 47, was a prophetic word of this river actually coming to the Dead Sea. 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:02.080 Anybody been to the Dead Sea before? 00:03:02.240 --> 00:03:04.639 Okay, I've been to the Dead Sea and it's really dead. 00:03:04.800 --> 00:03:09.199 And when you get there, it's so salty, nothing can live there, and you can float in it. 00:03:09.439 --> 00:03:14.400 Even some of you can't float anywhere else, you know, you can float in the Dead Sea. 00:03:14.479 --> 00:03:16.560 It's just that thick with salt. 00:03:16.719 --> 00:03:18.319 The concentration's so deep. 00:03:18.560 --> 00:03:27.919 So it's gonna come in the latter days, this river of the Holy Spirit is gonna come down, touch the Dead Sea, and it's gonna be made into life. 00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:29.680 I mean, it's gonna be made into life. 00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:33.680 Even to the point where there's gonna be guys out there fly fishing and catching fish. 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:34.960 And it even says it. 00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:36.000 Look it up. 00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:40.080 Maybe not fly fishing, but it's gonna be a move of the spirit. 00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:43.840 And then Jesus, at the Feast of Tabernacles, stands up. 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:46.319 Remember, I shared this earlier, like a few weeks ago. 00:03:46.479 --> 00:03:55.680 They would take that golden pitcher, which was represented of the water coming out of the temple when Moses hit the rock and the water came out. 00:03:55.840 --> 00:03:59.520 They came and he was gonna, they were gonna pour it into the pool of Salaam. 00:03:59.680 --> 00:04:10.319 He stands up at that feast and he says, there's going to be a new fountain flowing through all of us of rivers of living water. 00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:22.000 And then there's a postscript by John that said he was speaking of the Holy Spirit that had not yet been released into the people of God because Jesus had not yet resurrected. 00:04:22.240 --> 00:04:24.160 And so we have that spirit. 00:04:24.399 --> 00:04:38.720 So in Acts chapter 1, so turn to Acts chapter 1 if you haven't already, we see this dynamic of the early church that I believe is a manual to us of what it means to be wholehearted. 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:41.519 So I'm calling it the seven dynamics of a wholehearted church. 00:04:41.680 --> 00:04:49.040 If you've only come for the last couple weeks or you're new today, you're stepping into kind of the latter part, let me give you a quick overview. 00:04:49.279 --> 00:04:52.079 Look at Acts chapter 1, verse 14. 00:04:52.160 --> 00:05:01.120 So we talked about a few weeks ago that the first sort of dynamic of this wholehearted church was they had one accord prayer. 00:05:01.519 --> 00:05:05.120 They had unified one accord prayer. 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:05.920 They prayed together. 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:14.000 And I'm gonna say this for you that are struggling in your marriage, you that are struggling at school, you that are struggling in relationships, one accord prayer. 00:05:14.079 --> 00:05:20.800 That's the power of what John shared this morning, what we call around here having blood-stained allies in your life. 00:05:21.040 --> 00:05:27.920 These are men and women in your life that you can pray with, you can be honest with, you can be vulnerable with. 00:05:28.079 --> 00:05:30.959 Now, women are a lot better than men at this. 00:05:31.040 --> 00:05:35.680 I mean, I mean, women are like are just relational beings. 00:05:35.839 --> 00:05:48.879 And we guys are we're kind of weird in that we we love to go to work, we love to be leaders at work, and then we just become kind of sometimes like passive idiots when we get home. 00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:50.560 I mean, it's a struggle for us, right? 00:05:50.720 --> 00:05:52.800 Every guy, raise your hand if that's ever a struggle for you. 00:05:52.959 --> 00:05:54.319 And the rest of you guys are liars. 00:05:54.480 --> 00:05:56.560 Because, you know, it's true. 00:05:56.720 --> 00:06:05.759 You know, we guys, we go to work, we're all in, and then as soon as we leave work and we come home, it's like, I don't know, it's like this spirit of vegetation. 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:21.040 You know, the vegetative state starts to settle in, and by the time you get home, you're looking toward the couch, or you're looking toward ESPN, and you begin to worship at the altar of ESPN or Georgia football or whatever. 00:06:23.680 --> 00:06:24.879 It's okay. 00:06:25.120 --> 00:06:26.399 I can handle it. 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:32.879 I grew up, okay, I didn't grow up there, but I mean I spent a lot of my time in Athens, Georgia, or University of Georgia, because that's where I'm a graduate. 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:40.160 I'm telling you, I was telling my brother the other day, I said, they had 200,000 people come to that Notre Dame game. 00:06:40.399 --> 00:06:44.800 Only 93,000 got into the stadium, but 200,000 came just to hang out. 00:06:45.040 --> 00:06:46.879 That's idolatry, man. 00:06:47.120 --> 00:06:49.600 I mean, that is like a false God. 00:06:49.839 --> 00:06:53.199 And I'm glad we won, but I in some ways I couldn't care less. 00:06:53.360 --> 00:06:55.439 But yeah, a little bit. 00:06:55.680 --> 00:06:58.959 But but it's it's one accord prayer. 00:06:59.040 --> 00:07:01.040 They came, they were united. 00:07:01.120 --> 00:07:07.040 You read Acts chapter 1, it was a united church that prayed together. 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:10.160 Secondly, look at Acts chapter 2, verse 1. 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:14.399 Day of Pentecost had fully come, and they were all one accord in one place. 00:07:14.800 --> 00:07:21.120 Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 00:07:21.279 --> 00:07:24.560 There appeared to them divided tongues as of fire. 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:26.560 One sat upon each of them. 00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:29.439 One translation says it was like a wildfire. 00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:30.079 I love that. 00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:31.680 It's like a wildfire. 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:36.879 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 00:07:36.959 --> 00:07:44.319 So, number two, the second dynamic is they were wholeheartedly empowered by the Holy Spirit. 00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:48.160 You know, we don't need more of the Holy Spirit. 00:07:48.560 --> 00:07:51.040 You get it all when you get saved. 00:07:52.079 --> 00:07:56.000 But the issue is the Holy Spirit needs more of you. 00:07:56.959 --> 00:08:05.360 So as we grow, we start to surrender more of ourselves to Him, and we get more and more power. 00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:16.240 You know, you you face challenges that come into your life, and that filling that you received is not going to get you to the next level. 00:08:16.639 --> 00:08:22.399 Some of you from the Air Force Academy that are here, I see you in your uniforms around the sanctuary here today. 00:08:22.720 --> 00:08:25.279 You just entered into another world, right? 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:28.319 I mean, it is like a challenging, challenging world. 00:08:28.480 --> 00:08:32.159 Some of you who've taken new jobs and you're being challenged. 00:08:32.320 --> 00:08:37.519 Some of you that have just had a baby and your whole parenting dynamic is challenged. 00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:40.559 You don't need more of the Holy Spirit. 00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:50.480 You need to give more of yourself to the Holy Spirit so that he can fill you up and give you what you need for the design and the purposes that he has for you moving forward. 00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:53.200 So they got filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:08:53.440 --> 00:08:58.559 Thirdly, if you read the rest of Acts chapter 2, here's Peter, who denied Christ. 00:08:58.720 --> 00:09:00.720 He begins to preach the gospel. 00:09:00.879 --> 00:09:03.039 Then follow me to verse 42. 00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:05.279 Acts chapter 2, verse 42. 00:09:06.080 --> 00:09:09.279 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine. 00:09:09.360 --> 00:09:16.240 So thirdly, dynamic number three, we talked about wholeheartedly preaching the word of God. 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:20.799 How many of you know there's a lot of churches out there that don't preach the word of God? 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:25.519 You know why I started preaching the Bible chapter by chapter and verse by verse? 00:09:25.679 --> 00:09:27.679 I got tired of my opinion. 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:31.519 My opinion is not inerrant and infallible. 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:35.840 And many of you that have been with me for a number of years, you absolutely know that. 00:09:37.120 --> 00:09:50.399 But God's word is, and so one of the things that grounds us as a church, a wholehearted church, and we don't always we don't do it perfectly, but that we we go to God's word for faith and practice. 00:09:50.639 --> 00:09:55.200 We go to God's word because I lose perspective. 00:09:55.519 --> 00:09:56.799 You lose perspective. 00:09:56.960 --> 00:09:57.840 My elders lose. 00:09:58.399 --> 00:09:59.039 We just do. 00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:04.320 We're sinners saved by grace, but at the same time, we have to constantly well, I don't know about this. 00:10:04.480 --> 00:10:05.279 Well, I don't know about that. 00:10:05.360 --> 00:10:07.039 I didn't know that was gonna come up. 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:14.639 Boom, we go back to the book, and it guides us and it leads us and it speaks to us. 00:10:14.720 --> 00:10:15.600 And so we talked about that. 00:10:15.679 --> 00:10:17.200 And then look at the next verse. 00:10:17.360 --> 00:10:19.600 I mean the next word in the verse. 00:10:19.840 --> 00:10:20.639 Fellowship. 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:22.480 So we talked about that the last time. 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:27.200 That if we don't have intimacy, and John was talking about this today, intimacy with some people. 00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:32.080 Fourth dynamic is we've got to have wholehearted relationships. 00:10:32.639 --> 00:10:38.480 So we had a bunch of great friends over last night to watch the Georgia game. 00:10:38.639 --> 00:10:39.759 It was really fun. 00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:43.759 And we as believers should have some deep friendships. 00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:47.679 We should be growing in relationships, we should have some blood-stained allies. 00:10:47.759 --> 00:10:53.120 And what I mean by that is people we can be honest and we can share our heart with, we can be vulnerable with. 00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:54.480 It's the only way to grow. 00:10:54.639 --> 00:10:57.759 So let's look at the next dynamic that we see. 00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:13.279 And let me just start by saying this that when we look at the early church, when we look at these the dynamics of a wholehearted church, in my opinion, the owner's manual is a book of Acts. 00:11:13.519 --> 00:11:16.399 So the owner's manual of the church is the book of Acts. 00:11:16.559 --> 00:11:17.679 So let's read on. 00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:26.000 They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, fellowship, in the breaking of bread. 00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:27.120 Communion. 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:29.840 Men and women, communion is key. 00:11:30.080 --> 00:11:33.360 We're one of those rare churches in the Protestant tradition. 00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:36.080 We do communion every Sunday. 00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:37.120 So look around. 00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:40.080 You guys look to your right or your left, and you see these tables. 00:11:40.320 --> 00:11:43.440 If you look and you turn your head all the way to the back, you'll see the tables. 00:11:43.840 --> 00:11:58.879 And we consider communion, Eucharist, we all come out of different backgrounds, to be this part, this part of worship that the church has been given by Jesus Christ in his last institution to us. 00:11:59.200 --> 00:12:02.159 I want you to think of it a little bit different. 00:12:02.799 --> 00:12:06.399 Because of 1 Corinthians 11. 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:14.000 Now you don't have to turn there, but listen to what Paul writes about what we call the Lord's Supper. 00:12:14.240 --> 00:12:15.200 Very interesting. 00:12:15.519 --> 00:12:25.600 I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the same night in which he was betrayed, he took bread. 00:12:25.840 --> 00:12:30.559 And when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, Take eat. 00:12:31.279 --> 00:12:34.480 This is my body, which is broken for you. 00:12:34.720 --> 00:12:37.519 Do this in remembrance of me. 00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:46.559 In the same manner he also took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant in my blood. 00:12:46.879 --> 00:12:51.360 This do as often as you drink it. 00:12:51.519 --> 00:12:57.519 So there's this sense, it's not just about church doing it, take it a lot. 00:12:58.240 --> 00:13:00.879 Often take communion. 00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:08.879 In the same manner, he took the cup after supper, saying, This cup is a new covenant in my blood. 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:12.159 This do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. 00:13:12.399 --> 00:13:28.000 For as often as you eat this bread and drink, and this is really key, for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till he comes. 00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:29.919 Now, stop there. 00:13:30.320 --> 00:13:38.559 If you're taking notes, I want you to write, or if you have your Bible open, I want you to write Ephesians 3.10 over on the side. 00:13:38.799 --> 00:13:47.840 Right next to your Bible, right there where it talks about fellowship in Acts 1, put Ephesians 3.10 and 1 Corinthians 11 right there on the margin. 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:49.200 Here's why. 00:13:49.679 --> 00:14:04.240 It's my conviction that when we take communion with what Paul has told us in 1 Corinthians 11, and we're proclaiming the death of Christ, what we're doing is we're proclaiming the cross of Christ. 00:14:04.399 --> 00:14:05.440 Guess what that is? 00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:08.000 That is spiritual warfare, gang. 00:14:08.480 --> 00:14:09.759 That is spiritual warfare. 00:14:09.919 --> 00:14:10.399 And here's why. 00:14:10.559 --> 00:14:23.279 Because in Ephesians 3.10, it says that the church has been called to proclaim, listen, the manifold wisdom of God to principalities and powers. 00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:40.000 So when we take communion, we are proclaiming to demons in the fourth dimension, we're proclaiming to Satan in the fourth dimension that we believe, we put our trust in the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ every time you take it. 00:14:40.320 --> 00:14:44.320 And it doesn't mean that the bread becomes the body of Christ. 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:45.360 Some teach that. 00:14:45.519 --> 00:14:48.799 It doesn't mean the blood becomes the blood of Christ. 00:14:49.039 --> 00:14:56.159 It does mean, though, and there's a difference between consubstantiation and transubstantiation, but we're not going to go there right now. 00:14:56.320 --> 00:14:59.840 It means the spiritual reality of the presence of God does come. 00:14:59.919 --> 00:15:01.440 That's what I believe. 00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:17.759 I believe that when you take communion in a proper way, and you say, Lord, I just believe that this is the body of Christ that's been broken for me, and you take the bread. 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:21.360 This is the blood of Christ that's been shed for me in remembrance of you. 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:35.840 I take this, that the spiritual, listen, the spiritual presence, not the physical presence, the spiritual presence of God comes and you have proclaimed into the demonic world that that's what you believe. 00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:37.840 And there's power in that, folks. 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:39.360 That's worship. 00:15:39.600 --> 00:15:41.200 That's praise and worship. 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:42.720 That's worship to the Lord. 00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:48.399 We have the communion elements in our great room in our home. 00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:53.440 This past week we took communion together as a family. 00:15:54.320 --> 00:15:57.519 You can take communion anywhere, anytime. 00:15:57.759 --> 00:16:03.200 I would challenge you to even have an altar, even have a coffee table or something like that, a special place. 00:16:03.279 --> 00:16:04.960 Maybe put a cross there or something like that. 00:16:05.120 --> 00:16:09.679 Have a dish and put the elements in there and come together as a family. 00:16:09.919 --> 00:16:15.360 Or as a small group, a life group, or a D group, or a whole heart group. 00:16:15.440 --> 00:16:19.120 Come together and you guys take communion from time to time together. 00:16:19.279 --> 00:16:23.679 That's what Jesus gave us to proclaim spiritually. 00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:28.720 So I see, so I think, I think communion is militaristic in a way. 00:16:29.919 --> 00:16:32.559 It's a militant worship. 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:36.559 And I'm going to talk about that as I get into some other things here this morning. 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:43.679 It's militant because there's demonic powers constantly putting pressure on you. 00:16:44.159 --> 00:16:46.960 At work, at home, in your marriage. 00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:49.440 You know, how many of you're moving along? 00:16:49.519 --> 00:16:50.480 It's been a good day. 00:16:50.639 --> 00:16:57.759 You had a good breakfast, you're ready to start your day, and out of nowhere, you get this sexual, lustful thought. 00:16:57.919 --> 00:16:59.120 Anybody like that? 00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:05.119 Out of nowhere, you start thinking about something that happened 25 years ago and it makes you angry. 00:17:05.279 --> 00:17:06.960 Anybody know what I'm talking about? 00:17:09.119 --> 00:17:10.720 Where does that come from? 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:17.440 Demons, man, I'm telling you, they're alive and well on planet Earth and they're moving. 00:17:17.519 --> 00:17:29.039 And that's why when you proclaimed and you made a statement today that you're going to stand on God's word before he started serving, you are speaking that into the fourth dimension. 00:17:29.279 --> 00:17:46.000 When we take communion together, when we eat the bread, when we drink the cup together, it's worship, it's inviting the presence, the spiritual presence of God, and you're proclaiming the manifold wisdom of God to the darkness. 00:17:46.240 --> 00:17:48.240 It's spiritual warfare. 00:17:49.200 --> 00:18:00.160 I love it when couples that I'm marrying want to do communion together as their first act together in the wedding ceremony, they take communion together. 00:18:00.799 --> 00:18:06.880 I feel his presence almost every time, you know, because the wedding ceremony itself is so biblical. 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:08.160 It's so beautiful. 00:18:08.319 --> 00:18:18.000 It's such a metaphor used in scripture of God the Father's love for his church and for his bride and the groom and the bride, they take communion together. 00:18:18.160 --> 00:18:19.519 It's powerful. 00:18:20.400 --> 00:18:23.519 And so he says, first of all, I see there's three things that I see in communion. 00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:26.079 Number one, he says, in remembrance of me. 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:31.920 So when we take communion, it's remembering the past of what Christ did at Calvary. 00:18:32.160 --> 00:18:35.279 And then he says, There's a new covenant in my blood. 00:18:35.519 --> 00:18:36.640 So it's present. 00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:39.359 We have a new covenant. 00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:44.720 That new covenant is that you're now his sons and his daughters. 00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:50.079 There's no wall, there's no dividing wall as there was in the temple. 00:18:50.319 --> 00:19:00.240 That shroud, that huge curtain has been ripped from top to bottom, and we can come into intimacy with God. 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:02.240 It's a new covenant. 00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:08.799 And then he says, as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, what does he say? 00:19:09.039 --> 00:19:12.480 You're proclaiming the Lord's return. 00:19:12.640 --> 00:19:13.759 That's future. 00:19:14.079 --> 00:19:18.400 He said, Every time you take communion, you're saying, Christ, we believe Christ is coming back. 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:22.480 We believe in the second coming of Jesus Christ. 00:19:22.720 --> 00:19:24.240 That's worship. 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:37.519 And so it appears from everything that we've read in history and we see in Scripture that the early church, every time they got together, which seemed to be daily, they took the Eucharist. 00:19:37.599 --> 00:19:40.000 They took the communion together. 00:19:40.319 --> 00:19:41.920 Look at verse 46. 00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:53.599 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. 00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:55.279 Now look at verse 47, man. 00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:57.599 Underlying this, this is good stuff. 00:19:57.920 --> 00:20:08.240 Praising God and having favor with all the people, and the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. 00:20:08.720 --> 00:20:12.160 Now, don't turn there, but let me read Luke 24. 00:20:12.240 --> 00:20:15.680 Let me read the last few verses of Luke. 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:17.039 You guys understand? 00:20:17.359 --> 00:20:21.440 Luke is the same author of Acts. 00:20:21.920 --> 00:20:27.119 So Luke is writing about the history of Jesus. 00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:38.319 And then part two of Luke, we can say it's Luke part two, is after Christ has risen from the grave, he starts teaching us from the book of Acts. 00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:39.839 So it's the same author. 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:44.079 So Luke 24 is the bridge into Acts chapter 1. 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:44.880 Here's what he says. 00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:45.920 I love this. 00:20:46.640 --> 00:20:50.640 And he led them out, meaning Jesus, as far as Bethany. 00:20:51.039 --> 00:20:53.839 He lifted up his hands and he blessed them. 00:20:54.160 --> 00:21:02.640 Now it came to pass while he blessed them that he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:12.480 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. 00:21:12.720 --> 00:21:13.119 Amen. 00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:14.559 That's the end of Luke. 00:21:15.839 --> 00:21:16.559 Get it? 00:21:16.799 --> 00:21:19.599 So this is a really important sixth dynamic. 00:21:19.920 --> 00:21:22.240 Whole-hearted praise and worship. 00:21:22.559 --> 00:21:24.720 Whole-hearted praise and worship. 00:21:24.880 --> 00:21:28.480 So they sit there, they're going like, where's Jesus going now? 00:21:28.799 --> 00:21:30.160 What's he doing? 00:21:30.400 --> 00:21:31.920 And he blesses them. 00:21:32.079 --> 00:21:35.759 And then whoosh! He heads up to heaven. 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:39.599 That's a pretty, pretty interesting, you know, scene. 00:21:40.319 --> 00:21:42.400 And this angel says, Why are you looking up into heaven? 00:21:42.480 --> 00:21:44.960 I was gonna say, Angel, didn't you guys have any better lines than that? 00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:47.599 I mean, that's Jesus, like he ascended up. 00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:48.799 Why aren't you looking up? 00:21:48.880 --> 00:21:49.920 That's what I would have said. 00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:58.240 But they, you know, they see that, and instead of being discouraged, instead of being discouraged, they're pumped. 00:21:58.559 --> 00:21:59.359 Something's coming. 00:21:59.440 --> 00:22:07.759 He just Said to them, which is picked up in Acts chapter 1, the promise of the Spirit is coming soon. 00:22:07.920 --> 00:22:09.440 And they were worshiping. 00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:14.319 And then it says here in Acts chapter 2, after 3,000 get saved, they're worshiping. 00:22:14.559 --> 00:22:18.240 The power, you guys, of praise and worship. 00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:20.640 It's a key dynamic. 00:22:22.079 --> 00:22:31.119 It's one of the most exciting things we can have in our life is learning the power and the presence of praise and worship in our life. 00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:34.319 We get to worship. 00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:38.880 We get to worship on Sunday morning together. 00:22:39.200 --> 00:22:40.160 We get to. 00:22:41.119 --> 00:22:42.960 There may be a day. 00:22:43.839 --> 00:22:47.920 There may be a day in our lifetime where you can't do it anymore. 00:22:49.119 --> 00:22:51.119 And the church will be outlawed. 00:22:51.920 --> 00:22:54.240 But right now we get to do it. 00:22:55.119 --> 00:22:56.720 And it's not about you. 00:22:58.480 --> 00:23:00.319 Worship's not about you. 00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:01.839 It's about him. 00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:04.640 It's not how much you get out of it. 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:06.799 It's about what he gets out of it. 00:23:07.519 --> 00:23:08.880 Because it's about him. 00:23:10.640 --> 00:23:13.839 From time to time I meet people and say, well, I don't really get into your worship. 00:23:14.079 --> 00:23:15.599 And I go, that's fine. 00:23:15.920 --> 00:23:17.279 Because it's not about you anyway. 00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:20.079 I don't really care what you think about our worship. 00:23:20.640 --> 00:23:21.599 I don't. 00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:23.839 Because worship's about him. 00:23:24.799 --> 00:23:26.799 It's what he gets out of worship. 00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:31.200 And sometimes we have a great worship set and sometimes we don't. 00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:34.720 And sometimes we're off key and sometimes we're on key. 00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:37.920 And sometimes we get the sound right and sometimes we don't. 00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:40.319 But I'll tell you this. 00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:45.839 If your heart's right, God gets blessed by your worship. 00:23:46.880 --> 00:23:48.400 And we're not Hillsong. 00:23:50.559 --> 00:23:51.680 We're not Bethel. 00:23:53.920 --> 00:23:58.559 And I actually don't really think it matters how you worship. 00:23:58.799 --> 00:24:01.759 What matters is that you worship. 00:24:02.720 --> 00:24:04.640 And God looks at our hearts. 00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:10.960 When we go into any setting where we're going to worship, be all in, folks. 00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:12.480 Be wholehearted. 00:24:12.720 --> 00:24:14.319 Look at Acts chapter 16. 00:24:14.400 --> 00:24:15.599 I love this passage. 00:24:15.839 --> 00:24:20.559 In this passage, we see the power of praise and worship. 00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:22.640 And I want to emphasize that this morning. 00:24:22.880 --> 00:24:25.039 There's power in praise and worship. 00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:28.559 There's power in having our hearts right before the Lord. 00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:31.200 And you know, we studied Revelation a few years ago. 00:24:31.279 --> 00:24:33.279 We went verse by verse through all the Revelation. 00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:35.039 And remember Revelation 4? 00:24:35.200 --> 00:24:36.559 What's happening in Revelation 4? 00:24:36.720 --> 00:24:39.440 Revelation 4 is a picture of heaven. 00:24:39.599 --> 00:24:47.359 So if you've got little kids and they ever ask you what's heaven like, dad, say, let's go and see what the Bible says heaven is like, and they take you to Revelation chapter 4. 00:24:47.519 --> 00:24:53.039 And so in Revelation chapter 4, it is a praise and worship conference. 00:24:53.279 --> 00:24:54.799 Constant, 24-7. 00:24:55.119 --> 00:25:00.480 And it is loud and it is big and it is expressive. 00:25:00.720 --> 00:25:01.680 Read it. 00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:03.920 Because you know, here's the deal. 00:25:04.079 --> 00:25:13.359 You go to my house, you come to my house, and you come into my living room, you come into the whole family living room, we got that living room the way we like it, not the way you like it. 00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:18.559 And so we come to your house and we go to your living room, you got your living room the way you like it. 00:25:18.640 --> 00:25:25.839 And I know enough from visiting as a pastor, you don't sit down in nobody's living room until they tell you where to sit. 00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:29.119 Because usually the place I pick is where the man sits. 00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:30.160 Not good. 00:25:30.480 --> 00:25:31.359 That is not good. 00:25:31.519 --> 00:25:34.319 So everybody's got their layout the way they like it. 00:25:34.480 --> 00:25:35.519 They've got it set up right. 00:25:35.599 --> 00:25:36.799 That's your living room. 00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:38.400 That's your prerogative. 00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:39.920 That's your house. 00:25:40.079 --> 00:25:42.000 Some say it's your castle. 00:25:42.960 --> 00:25:44.720 Well, Jesus has a living room. 00:25:44.880 --> 00:25:45.839 God has a living room. 00:25:45.920 --> 00:25:50.400 And in Revelation chapter 4, he shows us what he likes in his living room. 00:25:50.559 --> 00:25:54.480 What he's most comfortable with in his living room is praise and worship. 00:25:54.640 --> 00:26:01.599 So when you begin to worship the Lord, what you're doing is you're lining yourselves up with what's already happening up there. 00:26:01.759 --> 00:26:04.319 That's what's happening in heaven, is praise and worship. 00:26:04.400 --> 00:26:07.039 And you're lining yourself up with God's will. 00:26:08.400 --> 00:26:19.440 I mean, he could be up there just studying the scriptures, and that would be the indication from John when he was on the Island of Patmos when he had the vision, is he's just, God's just studying the Word. 00:26:19.920 --> 00:26:21.839 He is the Word, okay? 00:26:22.079 --> 00:26:25.759 So he has created an environment where it's praise and worship. 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:28.240 He loves to be blessed. 00:26:28.720 --> 00:26:34.079 And so in the Old Testament, worship meant being prostrate. 00:26:34.799 --> 00:26:37.519 It had the idea of kneeling before the Lord. 00:26:37.680 --> 00:26:42.559 It also had a sense of kissing the king, kissing the Lord. 00:26:42.799 --> 00:26:48.480 In the New Testament, it even becomes more intimate because the veil's been ripped and we have intimacy with the Lord. 00:26:48.640 --> 00:26:51.039 And so worship is the presence of God. 00:26:51.200 --> 00:26:52.880 It's the person of God. 00:26:53.039 --> 00:27:10.400 It's the person of Christ in our life where we take our mind off of ourselves and our jobs and our marriages and stuff like that, and we focus in on Him, and we're lining ourselves up with the throne room, the living room, the throne room of heaven. 00:27:10.640 --> 00:27:15.440 He comes down in his presence because our heart is right. 00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:20.720 You say, Well, Steve, many times when I sing those songs and stuff, I don't feel like my heart's right. 00:27:20.799 --> 00:27:21.839 That's okay. 00:27:22.240 --> 00:27:23.839 Just keep doing it. 00:27:24.079 --> 00:27:24.960 Keep doing it. 00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:28.480 He makes it right by doing it in our lives. 00:27:28.799 --> 00:27:31.200 He changes us through that. 00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:36.160 So in Acts chapter 16, Paul and Silas are in jail. 00:27:36.240 --> 00:27:37.440 They're in prison. 00:27:37.759 --> 00:27:46.160 And at midnight, instead of commiserating over their pain and their persecution, they're doing something dramatically different. 00:27:46.319 --> 00:27:48.720 Look at verse 25 of Acts 16. 00:27:48.960 --> 00:27:54.880 And at midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. 00:27:56.000 --> 00:27:58.480 And the prisoners were listening to them. 00:27:58.799 --> 00:28:09.680 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosened. 00:28:09.759 --> 00:28:10.880 Now here's what's happening. 00:28:11.119 --> 00:28:17.599 When they begin to praise the Lord, when they're worshiping the Lord out of their circumstances, this is what I believe is happening. 00:28:17.839 --> 00:28:28.880 The presence of God lined up with heaven is released over their circumstances and it drives back darkness. 00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:36.079 And in this case, it actually came forth and was manifested in the form of an earthquake. 00:28:36.319 --> 00:28:42.640 Because there was an earthquake in the fourth dimension that became an earthquake in the three-dimensional world. 00:28:43.039 --> 00:28:51.519 Now turn to the left in your Bibles to the Old Testament really quick to 2 Chronicles. 00:28:52.160 --> 00:28:55.039 So go back almost to the beginning. 00:28:55.599 --> 00:28:59.920 Go to 2 Chronicles, and I want you to look at chapter 20. 00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:02.160 So look at 2 Chronicles 20. 00:29:02.400 --> 00:29:04.559 Really interesting passage. 00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:06.640 This is about Jehoshaphat. 00:29:08.160 --> 00:29:12.000 Jehoshaphat is surrounded by enemies. 00:29:12.240 --> 00:29:13.440 Look at verse 1. 00:29:13.680 --> 00:29:23.200 It happened after this that the people of Moab and the people of Amon and others were with them besides the Ammonites came to battle against Jehoshaphat. 00:29:23.359 --> 00:29:25.359 Now Jehoshaphat's the leader of Israel. 00:29:25.680 --> 00:29:34.000 Then some came and told Jehoshaphat saying, A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, from Syria. 00:29:34.799 --> 00:29:38.160 And they're in Hazazon Tamar, which is in Geti. 00:29:38.799 --> 00:29:40.960 Now look, I love verse 3. 00:29:41.279 --> 00:29:43.599 Jehoshaphat feared. 00:29:44.160 --> 00:29:46.240 He feared, he was scared. 00:29:46.799 --> 00:29:48.400 But, look what he says next. 00:29:48.640 --> 00:29:51.839 He set himself to seek the Lord. 00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:57.279 Now, there are times in our life, you guys, where fear is going to get all over you. 00:29:57.440 --> 00:29:59.839 You are so fearful about your finances. 00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:01.839 You're so fearful about a relationship. 00:30:02.000 --> 00:30:05.279 You're so fearful about what some of your friends at school are saying about you. 00:30:05.519 --> 00:30:14.880 Fear starts to grip you, and you have got to stand up and set yourself before the Lord to get wisdom from Him. 00:30:15.519 --> 00:30:17.920 I think that deserves at least one amen. 00:30:19.519 --> 00:30:22.480 You've got to set yourself up. 00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:27.599 This guy, here's the worship fearfully. 00:30:28.480 --> 00:30:30.400 Worship fearfully. 00:30:30.559 --> 00:30:40.000