WEBVTT 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:11.679 You're listening to the road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:00:12.720 --> 00:00:21.679 Church, do you realize that across the globe today, the church is being planted in unprecedented numbers. 00:00:21.839 --> 00:00:25.280 And it's unbelievable what's happening with Christianity. 00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:33.759 Stuff in Russia, China, India, stuff that's happening in South America and Latin America. 00:00:34.479 --> 00:00:40.560 Really, the only place the Spirit of God's not moving powerfully is in the United States of America and in Europe. 00:00:41.119 --> 00:00:42.320 We're jaded. 00:00:42.880 --> 00:00:48.159 We're so religious that we can't even allow the Spirit of God to live in our lives. 00:00:48.880 --> 00:00:54.479 At The Road, our vision is to raise up wholehearted disciples of Jesus Christ. 00:00:54.719 --> 00:00:59.039 For more information on The Road, visit theroad.org. 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:04.319 We hope you are encouraged by today's message from Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:22.879 We're going to do something a little different today in that over the last year, God has given me three times prophetic words from Ezekiel 47. 00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:26.799 Three times from the book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament. 00:01:34.560 --> 00:01:43.760 But today, and we'll see how far we get, I want to give this word because I feel like God's speaking something to our church this fall. 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:47.120 So look in your Bibles at Ezekiel 47. 00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:51.200 So if you have your Bible, it's in the Old Testament. 00:01:51.439 --> 00:01:52.879 Move past Daniel. 00:01:52.959 --> 00:01:56.000 As you go through, you'll find Ezekiel, Ezekiel 47. 00:01:56.560 --> 00:01:59.359 And then if you didn't bring a Bible, there may be one. 00:01:59.519 --> 00:02:06.239 They're in different slots across the back of some of the chairs, or you can even share with someone. 00:02:06.719 --> 00:02:08.639 But it's a very interesting passage. 00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:20.000 It's from what I would call the charismatic prophet, the spirit-filled prophet of the Old Testament, because of all the visions that he had. 00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:29.360 I mean, the book of Ezekiel, the very beginning, talks about stuff that some have even called UFOs and things like that. 00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:31.520 It's a very fascinating book. 00:02:31.759 --> 00:02:39.840 Ezekiel is predicting and prophesying into the future, a future day of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 00:02:40.080 --> 00:02:52.400 And in so doing, he actually takes us through several places where he talks about the fact that the people of God will someday have a new heart and a new spirit. 00:02:52.560 --> 00:02:54.719 Let me give you a little bit of background on the Old Testament. 00:02:54.879 --> 00:03:06.159 In the Old Testament, the Spirit would come upon certain anointed individuals, anointed individuals like a David or a Samuel or Ezekiel. 00:03:06.240 --> 00:03:09.360 It was very individualistic in how the Spirit moved. 00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:20.719 But with the coming of the Spirit, in the book of Acts, which is where we're going to go in a few minutes, we see the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the whole church, upon the people of God. 00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:22.560 We call it the last days. 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:31.599 We call it the Spirit outpouring, is what it's called in Joel and Ezekiel and other places. 00:03:31.840 --> 00:03:37.840 So in Ezekiel 47, Ezekiel sees a vision of the temple. 00:03:38.080 --> 00:03:39.919 So this is the temple. 00:03:40.000 --> 00:03:41.360 He sees this vision. 00:03:41.520 --> 00:03:42.800 And look what he sees. 00:03:42.879 --> 00:03:44.159 It's really interesting. 00:03:44.479 --> 00:03:51.919 We could camp here the entire time, but I'm just going to read it to you, and then we're going to move quickly to where I want to go today. 00:03:52.159 --> 00:04:00.400 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and there was water flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east. 00:04:00.639 --> 00:04:08.319 For the front of the temple faced east, the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. 00:04:08.639 --> 00:04:20.240 He brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside of the outer gateway that faces east, and there was water running out on the right side. 00:04:20.480 --> 00:04:35.519 And when the man went out to the east with a line in his hand, it's almost like he had a measuring line there with him, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters, and the water came up to my ankles. 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:41.920 Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters, the water came up to my knees. 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:48.000 Again he measured one thousand and he brought me through, and the water came up to my waist. 00:04:49.120 --> 00:04:55.040 Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross. 00:04:55.360 --> 00:04:57.920 For the water was too deep. 00:04:58.560 --> 00:05:03.199 Water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. 00:05:03.519 --> 00:05:06.480 He said to me, Son of man, have you seen this? 00:05:07.439 --> 00:05:09.600 How would you like to be in a vision where you're watching this? 00:05:09.680 --> 00:05:11.439 And then the Lord asked you, Did you see this? 00:05:11.519 --> 00:05:15.360 That's almost like when Jesus was ascended to heaven and they're all standing there. 00:05:15.439 --> 00:05:19.120 It says he was lifted up into the sky, and the angel says, What are you doing? 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:20.240 What are you looking at? 00:05:20.480 --> 00:05:21.920 So of course he sees it. 00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:31.600 Then he brought him and he returned me to the bank of the river, and when I returned, there along the bank of the river were very many trees on one side and the other. 00:05:32.160 --> 00:05:39.199 Then he said to me, This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. 00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:43.439 When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. 00:05:43.759 --> 00:05:57.199 And it shall be that every living thing that moves wherever the rivers go will live, and there will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there, for they'll be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes. 00:05:57.360 --> 00:06:09.680 And it shall be, for all you that are fishermen here in the room, this is good news for you, that fishermen will stand by it from the from in Gedi, which is really close to the Salt Sea or the Dead Sea, to in Iglam. 00:06:10.079 --> 00:06:12.480 There'll be places for spreading their nets. 00:06:12.720 --> 00:06:17.759 Their fish will be of the same kinds as the fish of the Great Sea, exceedingly many. 00:06:17.920 --> 00:06:20.399 So the Great Sea being the Mediterranean. 00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:24.720 But its swamps and marshes will not be healed, they'll be given over to salt. 00:06:25.199 --> 00:06:35.279 Along the bank of the river, on this side and that will grow all kinds of trees, used for food, their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. 00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:43.759 They'll bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary, their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine. 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:44.879 That's very interesting. 00:06:45.199 --> 00:06:49.360 This is very similar in many ways to what we see in Revelation 22. 00:06:49.600 --> 00:07:03.439 So one of the things about prophecy that's interesting is there's always, in most prophetic, not always, but in most prophetic words, there is an immediate as well as a distant nature to the prophetic word. 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:15.680 So when we read Matthew 24 about the last days where Jesus is predicting the coming of the Lord in the last days, there's an immediate, and then there's a future reference in those prophetic words. 00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:18.879 And we've talked about that before here in the church. 00:07:19.120 --> 00:07:25.360 Well, in this case, it seems that, and I say it seems that because there's debate about this. 00:07:25.439 --> 00:07:31.279 There's a lot of different perspectives on what Ezekiel's seeing here. 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:48.000 But what I get from the Lord as I look at it, and as I've studied it, and listen to different commentaries and stuff, is that I believe he's prophetically speaking into the future of an outpouring of the Spirit coming to the church through the Holy Spirit. 00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:55.519 And the Holy Spirit often being depicted as water, and in the case of Jesus being like a river. 00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:57.519 Let me make a note of a few things. 00:07:57.600 --> 00:08:02.079 Number one, I want you to note that the water is flowing from the temple. 00:08:03.120 --> 00:08:04.480 Let me just take a moment. 00:08:04.720 --> 00:08:07.759 The water's not flowing from the White House. 00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:15.199 And the water's not flowing from Wall Street. 00:08:16.240 --> 00:08:19.040 It's flowing from the throne of God. 00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:21.040 Many women don't miss this. 00:08:21.360 --> 00:08:47.840 However, we define or look or prophetically dissect this passage, the main point is that the water that may start only ankle deep but becomes a great river that brings healing wherever it goes, that actually changes the Dead Sea into a bountiful sea of wildlife and fish and trees along the side. 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:50.080 Only the Spirit of God can do that. 00:08:51.279 --> 00:08:53.519 And you may be a dead sea today. 00:08:54.240 --> 00:08:56.159 You may be the Dead Sea. 00:08:56.399 --> 00:09:02.159 You may feel dead spiritually, mentally, emotionally, maybe maritally and relationally. 00:09:03.440 --> 00:09:12.799 But when we begin to focus on the throne of God, when we begin to focus on Jesus, when we begin to fill with the Holy Spirit, that's where healing comes, gang. 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:16.159 It flows to us. 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:21.919 And many times for many of us in this room, it's only, some of you, it's only ankle deep. 00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:27.919 I mean, you're just kind of kicking the water right now because you it's the first time you've heard about the Holy Spirit. 00:09:28.240 --> 00:09:31.679 Maybe it was called, how many of you grew up hearing about the Holy Ghost? 00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:35.679 How many saw the movie The Patriot? 00:09:38.960 --> 00:09:40.080 You saw a ghost? 00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:41.440 It was a ghost. 00:09:41.759 --> 00:09:42.639 Holy Ghost. 00:09:42.799 --> 00:09:43.759 I grew up Lutheran. 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:45.279 It was a Holy Ghost. 00:09:47.440 --> 00:09:51.279 The Holy Spirit is Jesus in spirit form toward us. 00:09:51.600 --> 00:09:52.480 He's real. 00:09:55.600 --> 00:09:57.759 He's a part of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 00:09:57.919 --> 00:10:05.279 And so that Holy Spirit flowing out from the throne always starts ankle deep. 00:10:06.399 --> 00:10:12.399 But the more we grow and the more we mature and the more we walk with God, it becomes knee deep. 00:10:14.240 --> 00:10:15.519 Waist deep. 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:21.600 And there's a day coming in this church, men and women, where God's Spirit is going to so move, I believe. 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:26.799 That we're going to we're going to have to learn how to swim with the Spirit. 00:10:27.039 --> 00:10:34.559 We're going to have to learn how to breathe in the rivers of living water that God is bringing into our midst. 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:39.279 So now turn to the New Testament to John chapter 7. 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:54.480 So in John chapter 7, Jesus now prophesies of a day coming when the Spirit would be poured out upon the people of God, not just to individuals, not just to kings, and not just to prophets, and not just to leaders, but to all the people. 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:57.279 The Spirit was going to be poured out all those who believe in him. 00:10:57.600 --> 00:11:02.240 So John 7, you're probably wondering what this is. 00:11:02.559 --> 00:11:08.799 By the way, this is an old table that's been in my family for at least 75 years, as far back as I can remember. 00:11:09.360 --> 00:11:14.960 But I'm going to illustrate something in a minute that comes from the Feast of Tabernacles. 00:11:15.120 --> 00:11:22.480 So Jesus attends the Feast of Tabernacles, and on the last of the great day, when the priest would take a golden pitcher. 00:11:22.559 --> 00:11:24.399 And I didn't have a golden pitcher, I have a silver pitcher. 00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:30.480 They take the golden pitcher and they would take water from the temple and then take it. 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:35.120 And when they took it, they would take it to the pool of Salaam and they'd pour it out. 00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:42.559 And we believe that it was at this pouring out, a reminder of when water poured forth from a stone. 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:44.960 It poured forth from a rock in Moses' time. 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:46.879 When he struck that rock, the water came out. 00:11:46.960 --> 00:12:01.200 It was a reminder in the Feast of Tabernacles of the struggles of being in the wilderness and living in these, in the in the in the tabernacling in the tents during the time in the wilderness. 00:12:01.679 --> 00:12:11.840 So we believe that when the priest was bringing out this pitcher and pouring it in the pool of Salaam, Jesus stands up and look at verse 37. 00:12:12.320 --> 00:12:24.159 And on the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and he cried out, saying, If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink. 00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:37.279 He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:42.480 Remember Ezekiel 47, rivers of living water. 00:12:42.720 --> 00:12:47.039 Now look at the commentary of John in verse 39. 00:12:47.600 --> 00:13:01.440 But this he spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in him would receive, for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:05.440 So I believe Ezekiel's making a prophetic utterance. 00:13:05.519 --> 00:13:08.240 He's seeing a vision, he's prophesying to us. 00:13:08.559 --> 00:13:10.240 Jesus is prophesying to us. 00:13:10.399 --> 00:13:17.440 Other passages in Ezekiel speak of a new spirit, a new heart that he would give to those who believed in the last days. 00:13:17.600 --> 00:13:20.000 So now turn to Acts chapter 1. 00:13:20.240 --> 00:13:26.000 So just keep turning to the right, keep going to the right, and you'll come to Acts chapter 1. 00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:30.559 And what I'm calling this today is the seven dynamics of a whole-hearted church. 00:13:30.799 --> 00:13:33.759 The seven dynamics of the whole-hearted church. 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:43.679 As I see the falling, the pouring out of the Spirit of God, the foundation, the ideal that I look at is the book of Acts. 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:52.080 I see this as the foundation-laying principles of what it means to be the kind of church that God wants us to be. 00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:54.879 Now let me let me just say this: who's the church? 00:13:56.080 --> 00:13:57.600 You're the church. 00:13:57.919 --> 00:14:02.879 So everything I'm about to say relates to you as an individual also. 00:14:03.360 --> 00:14:09.120 So we could call this the seven dynamics of a whole-hearted Jesus follower. 00:14:09.279 --> 00:14:12.480 The seven dynamics of a whole-hearted believer. 00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:19.279 That's why we have the whole heart advance coming up in three weeks for men up at Ponderosa. 00:14:19.440 --> 00:14:21.440 Because we're going to train for three days. 00:14:21.519 --> 00:14:22.320 We're going to equip. 00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:27.759 We're going to be together talking about how to be a whole-hearted man of God. 00:14:28.799 --> 00:14:33.600 So everything I'm about to say relates to us as individuals as well as to our whole church. 00:14:33.679 --> 00:14:35.519 So look at the very beginning. 00:14:36.559 --> 00:14:38.399 Luke is writing Acts. 00:14:38.559 --> 00:14:44.080 He's just completed the gospel of Luke, and that's what he refers to here at the beginning. 00:14:44.320 --> 00:14:50.960 The former account I made, so that's the gospel of Luke, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began to do and teach. 00:14:51.200 --> 00:15:11.840 Until the day in which he was taken up, after he, through the Holy Spirit, had given commandment to the apostles, whom he had chosen, to whom he also presented himself alive after his suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:14.559 So he rises from the grave. 00:15:15.679 --> 00:15:23.120 For the next amount of time, he is just talking constantly about the kingdom of God. 00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:25.759 For 40 days, he's talking about the kingdom of God. 00:15:26.799 --> 00:15:31.279 And you would think, okay, you've been with Jesus for three and a half years. 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:37.519 Every day, in the case of most of these people, he's teaching for 40 days on the kingdom of God. 00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:45.440 That's the theme of what we're teaching here when we get back to it after this message, the kingdom of God, as we find it in the book of Matthew. 00:15:46.480 --> 00:15:48.559 And then look what happens next. 00:15:48.799 --> 00:15:50.000 Verse 4. 00:15:50.639 --> 00:16:00.559 And being assembled together with them, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which he said, You have heard from me. 00:16:01.600 --> 00:16:04.399 Now, this promise was talking about in Luke. 00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:14.960 I'm not going to have you go back to Luke, but the very last chapter of Luke, the fourth verse before the last verse in Luke says, Tarry in Jerusalem until the promise of the Holy Spirit is come. 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:16.480 That's what he's referencing there. 00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:17.519 Verse 5. 00:16:30.240 --> 00:16:35.200 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, this part is, this is hilarious. 00:16:35.440 --> 00:16:36.720 Really makes me feel good. 00:16:36.879 --> 00:16:39.360 Because it takes me a long time to get most things too. 00:16:39.600 --> 00:16:46.159 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, saying, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? 00:16:47.519 --> 00:16:57.360 They still think that the kingdom of God is economic, political, and military. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:01.600 That Israel's going to be set free from Rome. 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:13.200 And we know from the book of Matthew, and we know in all of his preaching, Jesus has an entirely different definition of the kingdom of God and his reign and his rule. 00:17:13.279 --> 00:17:14.400 So they're still confused. 00:17:14.559 --> 00:17:19.119 Actually, people are confused today in America about the kingdom. 00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:26.960 That's why I made the emphasis that the water doesn't flow from Washington, D.C., gang. 00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:30.240 The water does not flow from Wall Street. 00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:32.559 The water flows from the throne of God. 00:17:32.799 --> 00:17:39.680 And he said, it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in his own authority, but you shall receive power. 00:17:39.920 --> 00:17:42.079 Dunamis, where we get the word dynamite. 00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:54.079 You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 00:17:55.519 --> 00:17:57.200 A new kind of people. 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:01.599 A new nation of people. 00:18:01.920 --> 00:18:04.640 A new kind of kingdom. 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:08.880 A new kind of work of the Spirit. 00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:22.319 A revolution, a kingdom revolution upon the earth that would affect starting in Jerusalem, then it would go to Judea, and then it would go to Samaria, and then it would go to the ends of the earth. 00:18:22.640 --> 00:18:31.440 Church, do you realize that across the globe today, the church is being planted in unprecedented numbers? 00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:35.359 I mean, it's unbelievable what's happening with Christianity right now. 00:18:35.599 --> 00:18:43.680 Stuff in Russia, China, India, stuff that's happening in South America and Latin America. 00:18:44.240 --> 00:18:50.400 Really, the only place the Spirit of God is not moving powerfully is in the United States of America and in Europe. 00:18:51.599 --> 00:18:53.039 We're jaded. 00:18:54.079 --> 00:18:59.039 We're so religious that we can't even allow the Spirit of God to move in our lives. 00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:00.799 But across the globe, God's moving. 00:19:00.880 --> 00:19:05.119 And I believe there's a day coming, church, when God wants to do that in Colorado Springs. 00:19:05.200 --> 00:19:08.000 And God wants to do that in this church in a mighty way. 00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:10.400 And many of you are beginning to experience that. 00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:16.960 God's level of his spirit, and I don't know if we're ankle deep or knee deep or waist deep. 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:20.960 But God's spirit is rising, church. 00:19:21.039 --> 00:19:22.240 He's rising up. 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:25.599 And as we surrender more and more to him, he wants to move. 00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:32.079 So let me give you what I think are seven dynamics of a whole-hearted church or a whole-hearted person. 00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:34.480 Because what happens next is interesting. 00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:39.440 So this is the prophetic word, and then look at verse 14 of Acts 1. 00:19:40.319 --> 00:19:42.000 The end times church. 00:19:42.319 --> 00:19:50.559 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication with the women and Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. 00:19:50.720 --> 00:19:52.960 Then look at chapter 2, verse 1. 00:19:53.200 --> 00:19:59.279 When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all together, one accord in one place. 00:19:59.440 --> 00:20:00.559 Here's the first dynamic. 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:06.160 The first dynamic of a move of the Spirit in our lives is one accord prayer. 00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:08.319 One accord prayer. 00:20:08.559 --> 00:20:11.279 This word one accord is interest. 00:20:11.519 --> 00:20:20.480 It means being unanimous, having mutual consent, being in agreement, having one mind and purpose. 00:20:20.799 --> 00:20:40.160 Paul, addressing the Philippian church, said, therefore, if there's any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 00:20:40.319 --> 00:20:48.799 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. 00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:54.240 Let each of you look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interest of others. 00:20:54.400 --> 00:21:00.960 So Paul's joy was in a church that had unity, that was one accord in prayer. 00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:03.119 It was what Jesus prophesied. 00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:26.960 He said, I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they all may be one as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they may also be one in us, and that the world may believe that you sent me, and the glory which you gave me, I have given them, that they may be one just as we are one. 00:21:27.119 --> 00:21:32.799 That the goal Christ had for the church was unity, to be one accord. 00:21:32.960 --> 00:21:36.799 And men and women, God calls us to this one accord prayer. 00:21:37.279 --> 00:21:42.720 And we pray at noon on Tuesdays, and we have 24 7 prayer that you can sign up for. 00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:44.000 We come here at 9 a.m. 00:21:44.240 --> 00:21:45.279 and we pray together. 00:21:45.440 --> 00:21:51.279 Some of you come in here and you walk across the sanctuary an hour before the service praying. 00:21:51.519 --> 00:21:52.960 One accord prayer. 00:21:53.119 --> 00:21:56.240 I can't tell you how important that is in a marriage. 00:21:57.119 --> 00:22:01.519 How important it is in a marriage that you learn to Pray together. 00:22:02.079 --> 00:22:10.799 Liz and I years ago figured it out through a whole bunch of problems and a whole bunch of issues in our life that we had to start praying together. 00:22:11.519 --> 00:22:17.039 To begin to pray together as a couple, to pray with your kids, one accord. 00:22:17.119 --> 00:22:20.880 It builds unity in our hearts when we pray together. 00:22:21.119 --> 00:22:27.759 Something about inviting the throne room of Christ into our atmosphere and into our present situation. 00:22:27.920 --> 00:22:36.400 Something about lifting our eyes into that throne room where the river, which may only be a trickle for some of you right now, he starts to move. 00:22:36.480 --> 00:22:39.519 And as we start to wade into it gets deeper. 00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:41.839 One accord prayer. 00:22:42.000 --> 00:22:52.960 The early church started with one accord prayer, that unanimity, that unanimous coming together that they had at that time, in which they trusted God. 00:22:53.440 --> 00:22:55.599 God, we don't know what you're gonna do. 00:22:56.240 --> 00:23:00.559 The very end of Luke, he says, tarry in Jerusalem until the Spirit comes. 00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:02.640 And so they don't even know what they're waiting on. 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:10.480 In chapter one, it's just something about a promise of the Spirit, but they're waiting together. 00:23:11.680 --> 00:23:18.880 Think what would happen in our city if we as churches could work together. 00:23:19.519 --> 00:23:21.440 I mean, it'd be amazing. 00:23:22.640 --> 00:23:34.640 But we become so religious about our own particular doctrinal stance that we can't spend time and we can't fellowship with those that aren't exactly the same way we are, right? 00:23:35.440 --> 00:23:40.880 I'm reading a great book by Eric Metaxis called Amazing Grace. 00:23:41.839 --> 00:23:44.960 And it's and it's on the life of William Wilberforce. 00:23:45.039 --> 00:23:47.200 How many saw the movie Amazing Grace? 00:23:47.440 --> 00:23:49.680 Man, if you haven't seen that, you need to see that movie. 00:23:49.759 --> 00:23:51.279 It's a fantastic movie. 00:23:51.519 --> 00:23:54.720 But Metaxis really captures the Clam 7. 00:23:54.880 --> 00:24:05.039 The Clam 7 were this group of seven men and women that came together to work with Parliament to end the slave trade. 00:24:05.279 --> 00:24:07.920 And for over 25 years they labored and they labored. 00:24:08.160 --> 00:24:14.000 Actually, we and Wilberforce labored to the point of almost complete nervous breakdown and exhaustion. 00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:23.519 But they were from different political parties, and they came together and they prayed and they strategized and they eventually ended slavery. 00:24:23.599 --> 00:24:35.440 And I don't know if you know this, but by the 1940s and 50s, for you that are older, and I've heard this from many of you that are that are older, when you were in school at that time, William Wilberforce was very well known. 00:24:35.519 --> 00:24:40.160 In other words, in your schools in America, you studied about William Wilberforce. 00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:41.599 You don't anymore. 00:24:42.240 --> 00:24:44.160 But here's what, this is my point. 00:24:45.039 --> 00:24:51.440 When you study Wilberforce, when you study what happened in England, when I mean it was just a horrific time, in England, horrific time. 00:24:51.599 --> 00:24:52.880 With slavery, horrific. 00:24:53.200 --> 00:24:54.319 And here's the thing that's amazing. 00:24:54.480 --> 00:24:57.920 In England, most people didn't even know about slavery. 00:24:58.160 --> 00:25:01.519 There were hardly any slaves in England. 00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:10.880 Where the slave trade was prolific was with the sugar plantations down in the uh, where we would call the Bahamas in that area today. 00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:13.359 Just horrific conditions. 00:25:13.599 --> 00:25:19.039 But what you had is you had child prostitution, no laws for workers at that time. 00:25:19.119 --> 00:25:23.279 And so is as Wilberforce got really saved at 26 years old. 00:25:23.440 --> 00:25:33.680 I mean, he's an up-and-coming star, but as he begins to follow Christ, he begins to shift gears toward reaching the poor, ministering the poor, he called it the reformation of manners. 00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:35.039 The reformation of manners. 00:25:35.200 --> 00:25:41.200 What he meant was to bring a reformation, a kingdom of God revolution to England. 00:25:41.440 --> 00:25:42.319 But here's my point. 00:25:42.480 --> 00:25:46.720 My point is this how they worked together. 00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:49.119 How they work together. 00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:50.480 Let me encourage you. 00:25:51.200 --> 00:26:02.319 If you spend the majority of your time listening to broadcasts that are constantly ripping the other side of the political lot, I want to encourage you to be careful. 00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:03.839 It's not good for your heart. 00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:08.079 The reason I say that is because I is one of them. 00:26:09.039 --> 00:26:20.640 And I can tell you right now that it's been really refreshing to begin to think in terms of loving God with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and my neighbors, myself, even with those who I have differences of opinion politically. 00:26:21.119 --> 00:26:29.680 We are not going to get anything done in this country if we don't come together at least one accord on something that we believe in. 00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:31.839 And you may say, well, that's super hard right now. 00:26:31.920 --> 00:26:32.880 That's true. 00:26:33.200 --> 00:26:34.559 No doubt about it. 00:26:34.880 --> 00:26:40.480 But every great movement, there was a unified beginning of one accord prayer. 00:26:41.039 --> 00:26:45.920 And so, church, may we be a church that has one accord prayer. 00:26:46.079 --> 00:26:50.319 Because when we get one accord, God moves. 00:26:50.480 --> 00:26:51.680 Look what happens next. 00:26:52.000 --> 00:26:55.519 Acts chapter 2, verses 1 through 4. 00:26:55.759 --> 00:27:12.079 And when the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place, and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 00:27:12.400 --> 00:27:20.160 Then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 00:27:20.400 --> 00:27:21.680 And they were all filled. 00:27:21.759 --> 00:27:23.359 So you see the difference now? 00:27:23.519 --> 00:27:30.160 It's not that one particular priest or prophet or leader is filled. 00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:39.839 Everybody, the 120 up there in the upper room, they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 00:27:40.079 --> 00:27:49.119 The second dynamic of a wholehearted disciple, the second dynamic of a wholehearted church is empowerment with the Holy Spirit. 00:27:49.759 --> 00:27:59.440 Now I don't have a ton of time to unpack this because I got the other points to get to, but when you get saved, when you come to know Christ, when you give your heart to Christ, you receive the Holy Spirit. 00:27:59.680 --> 00:28:03.519 You receive the Holy Spirit when you put your faith in Christ. 00:28:03.759 --> 00:28:07.039 Ephesians 1:14 is clear about that, 12 through 14. 00:28:07.519 --> 00:28:21.359 But this is speaking of something else, because we know in John that when Jesus rose from the grave, there was a point where he's with his disciples, and he blew on them and he said, Receive the Holy Spirit. 00:28:21.599 --> 00:28:22.720 Receive the Holy Spirit. 00:28:22.799 --> 00:28:24.000 So they had the Holy Spirit. 00:28:24.160 --> 00:28:25.359 This is subsequent to this. 00:28:25.519 --> 00:28:33.440 This is an empowerment of the Spirit of God, a release of the Spirit of God, of the Spirit of God taking control. 00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:35.759 Now here's what's interesting. 00:28:36.400 --> 00:28:43.279 If we look at Acts chapter 1, 1 through 8, and then we have the entire book of Luke before that. 00:28:43.519 --> 00:28:44.400 Listen now. 00:28:45.279 --> 00:28:46.079 Think about this. 00:28:46.240 --> 00:28:49.519 The disciples had been with Jesus 24-7. 00:28:51.279 --> 00:28:55.680 They've probably heard every message that he spoke that's recorded in Scripture. 00:28:56.880 --> 00:29:03.839 They've ate with him, they slept with him, they've hung out around the fire with him, they've seen every one of his miracles. 00:29:04.319 --> 00:29:08.000 I mean, wouldn't you wouldn't that be the coolest thing to have been a part of that? 00:29:08.160 --> 00:29:11.279 And yet he says to them, You don't have what it takes. 00:29:12.079 --> 00:29:19.200 You've heard me teach, you know my teaching, you know about the Bible, you know about Judaism, you know about the Old Testament. 00:29:19.359 --> 00:29:22.640 Some of them had probably had memorized big, huge portions of it. 00:29:22.799 --> 00:29:33.039 You've seen me do miracles, you've seen all, but you don't have what it takes for the kingdom revolution that I want to do until you get filled with the Holy Spirit. 00:29:33.839 --> 00:29:35.599 That's crazy, man. 00:29:36.480 --> 00:29:37.920 That's crazy. 00:29:38.319 --> 00:29:46.160 To be filled with the Holy Spirit is the key to what God's called every one of you guys to do in this room. 00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:54.319 Now, I'll just tell you that I believe very few of us are called to the ministry as we consider it vocational ministry. 00:29:55.440 --> 00:30:02.319 But every one of us are called to the ministry and whatever the talents and gifts that God's given you to be at in your job. 00:30:02.480 --> 00:30:04.079 You are a missionary there. 00:30:04.160 --> 00:30:10.240 And have you ever, how many of you struggle with fear and doubt when you're at work about your Christian faith? 00:30:11.359 --> 00:30:14.720 Wow, man, you guys are really anointed because like nobody raised their hand. 00:30:14.880 --> 00:30:15.839 Everybody's like. 00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:21.680 I struggle with it too. 00:30:21.839 --> 00:30:22.720 We struggle with that. 00:30:22.880 --> 00:30:33.279 And so this filling of the Holy Spirit took a guy like Peter, James, and John, who is fearful. 00:30:33.599 --> 00:30:41.359 They're hanging out up in the upper room, scared of the Romans, scared of the Jews at that time, and they get filled with the Holy Spirit and they're transformed. 00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:43.839 Completely transformed. 00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:51.039 Look at chapter 2, verse 17, as an explanation of what is happening here. 00:30:51.119 --> 00:30:54.079 And this comes from the Old Testament, from the prophet Joel. 00:30:54.400 --> 00:31:02.400 He says in verse 17, and it shall come to pass in the last day, says God, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. 00:31:02.880 --> 00:31:05.759 Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. 00:31:06.160 --> 00:31:11.119 So, first of all, it says that everybody's gonna get the filling of the Holy Spirit who wants it. 00:31:11.279 --> 00:31:14.000 Then he says, Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. 00:31:14.160 --> 00:31:16.000 It's gonna go beyond gender. 00:31:16.240 --> 00:31:22.400 Your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams, it's gonna go beyond age. 00:31:22.720 --> 00:31:28.480 And on my men's servants and my maidservants, I will pour out my spirit in those days. 00:31:28.559 --> 00:31:33.039 That means it's gonna go across class, because he's talking about slaves there. 00:31:33.279 --> 00:31:36.799 And I'll show wonders in the heaven above and signs in the earth below. 00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:58.960 So God's spirit moving is not unlike that picture that they would take there on the great feast, the Feast of Tabernacles, where Jesus came, and he made his pronouncement that there's a day coming when out of you, every one of you, will be rivers of living water. 00:31:59.200 --> 00:32:03.039 And they would take that golden picture and they'd pour it. 00:32:04.240 --> 00:32:10.400 And so some of us are probably like right there, ankles with the spirit. 00:32:11.039 --> 00:32:20.880 Keep coming, keep coming, keep coming, because God's spirit will move as you give more and more control of your life to Him. 00:32:21.599 --> 00:32:23.599 So really the issue is control. 00:32:24.079 --> 00:32:29.519 Ephesians 5.18 says, do not get drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit. 00:32:30.559 --> 00:32:33.759 So when he uses the idea of wine, it's the idea of control. 00:32:34.079 --> 00:32:35.920 Who's in control of our lives? 00:32:36.160 --> 00:32:49.119 And for some of us, this upper area here is still got still got the porn, still got the little lady or the little guy on the side that we're messing around with. 00:32:50.559 --> 00:32:57.759 But God's spirit, if you will continue to surrender Him, church, God's Spirit wants to continue to fill you up. 00:32:57.920 --> 00:33:00.480 And I don't like the word spirit-filled. 00:33:01.279 --> 00:33:03.839 I like the word spirit spilled. 00:33:04.079 --> 00:33:06.880 Because when God's Spirit comes, he wants it to be like this. 00:33:07.200 --> 00:33:10.559 He wants it to spill out of our lives. 00:33:10.960 --> 00:33:12.559 He wants it to spill out. 00:33:13.200 --> 00:33:15.519 This is what the river's all about, gang. 00:33:15.680 --> 00:33:16.640 Is that right there? 00:33:16.880 --> 00:33:25.359 God's spirit spilling out of our lives where we look, we sound, and we act differently from the world. 00:33:25.519 --> 00:33:35.119 If we have more and more of our church, spirit spilled, we'll rock this nation for Christ. 00:33:35.279 --> 00:33:49.519 And we'll quit depending on Washington, and we'll quit depending on what's happening on Wall Street because we'll know that the water of the Spirit that's becoming a river is flowing from the throne of God in our lives. 00:33:49.759 --> 00:33:54.079 Are you filled to spilled with the Holy Spirit today? 00:33:54.480 --> 00:34:04.880 It doesn't matter your gender, it doesn't matter your educational background, it doesn't matter your socioeconomic background, God will fill anyone who wants it. 00:34:05.119 --> 00:34:09.039 Anybody who desires it, he'll fill them with his Holy Spirit. 00:34:09.119 --> 00:34:11.840 And he wants to so fill us up, church. 00:34:12.320 --> 00:34:15.039 He wants to so fill us up, church. 00:34:15.840 --> 00:34:16.880 We spill out. 00:34:17.360 --> 00:34:18.400 We spill out. 00:34:20.880 --> 00:34:25.280 You've been listening to The Road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:34:25.679 --> 00:34:28.400 We hope you have been blessed by today's message. 00:34:28.559 --> 00:34:32.480 To connect with us further, visit theroad.org. 00:34:32.639 --> 00:34:36.480 If you are walking through a difficult time, we want to pray for you. 00:34:36.719 --> 00:34:43.679 Go to theroad.org, click on the ministries tab, and go to our prayer page to send us your prayer request. 00:34:44.000 --> 00:34:51.840 Thanks again for tuning in today, and be sure to listen to the next edition of The Road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt.