WEBVTT 00:00:01.439 --> 00:00:06.879 I made a pretty bold statement on this very stage a couple years ago, and some people disagreed with me, and they were obviously wrong. 00:00:08.400 --> 00:00:15.199 Because there's something that I believe with such conviction that I would I would like I'd fight for this one. 00:00:15.359 --> 00:00:23.440 And that is that the 1980s classic song Danger Zone is one of the greatest pieces of music ever written, ever, in the history of the world. 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:25.199 I don't know if you guys are familiar. 00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:27.519 How many of you have heard Danger Zone? 00:00:27.679 --> 00:00:28.000 Okay? 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:30.160 Anyone not hear that song? 00:00:30.480 --> 00:00:31.120 Never? 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:32.560 You're about to. 00:00:33.600 --> 00:00:34.640 Here we go. 00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:36.079 1980s. 00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:41.840 It was like the basically the theme song to the classic movie Top Gun, and it's it's a classic for a variety of reasons. 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:46.079 Kenny Loggins, dude, is the he's the soundtrack king of the 80s. 00:00:46.240 --> 00:00:48.079 Footloose, Kenny Loggins. 00:00:48.240 --> 00:00:52.880 Top Gun, like in the 80s, if they were gonna make a movie, they wanted a theme song, they're like, who should we go to? 00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:54.079 Kenny Loggins. 00:00:54.240 --> 00:00:55.679 Um, which is awesome, right? 00:00:55.759 --> 00:00:59.679 And and I love I love the fact that the song wastes no time in just getting there. 00:00:59.920 --> 00:01:03.759 Some songs have this buildup, and you're kind of like, ah, come on. 00:01:04.239 --> 00:01:05.280 Not danger zone. 00:01:05.439 --> 00:01:06.239 No, no, no, no. 00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:08.640 It is like a jet taking off an aircraft carrier. 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:11.920 It's like, let's just do this, okay? 00:01:12.159 --> 00:01:15.439 For example, if you've never heard it, this is the beginning of Danger Zone. 00:01:31.760 --> 00:01:32.719 I love that song. 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:38.319 It is a uh security question on one, I won't tell you which one for any of you identity thieves out there. 00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:46.879 But if you're trying to steal my identity and the question of what is your favorite song comes up, danger zone, but certain parts are capitalized, and I'm not gonna tell you which ones. 00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:48.319 So you'll never get it. 00:01:48.480 --> 00:01:49.280 You'll never get it. 00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:50.560 I love that song. 00:01:50.799 --> 00:01:51.439 I love it. 00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:56.640 Um, it's one of those songs, by the way, that like I will sing even though I really don't know the words. 00:01:56.879 --> 00:02:02.799 You have those songs where you don't really know the words, but you sing it as if you do with the same level of confidence? 00:02:02.959 --> 00:02:05.599 Like if I hear that song, I start singing right away in my car. 00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:07.359 I'm like, heaven is amazing. 00:02:07.439 --> 00:02:10.639 This and buzz and buzzm boom boom boom. 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:11.520 You know? 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:16.479 But then when like the chorus kicks in, it's like I can't sing. 00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:20.960 But if you were driving in a car next to me and you turn, you'd be like, wow, that guy is really in. 00:02:21.439 --> 00:02:24.080 Because I'm just like, hoo! I'm like all the way. 00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:25.360 I'm I'm 100% there. 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:26.879 My kids are like, shut up, dad. 00:02:26.960 --> 00:02:29.199 I'm like, no, no, no, this is a danger zone. 00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:30.000 I don't shut up. 00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:30.800 You sing along. 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:32.000 That's what needs to happen. 00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:33.360 It's a classic. 00:02:33.520 --> 00:02:34.560 I love danger zone. 00:02:34.639 --> 00:02:42.879 I have a lot of nostalgia for that song, I think, because when I was a kid, and and some of you in the room, you're gonna be a very specific segment of our demographic in America. 00:02:43.120 --> 00:02:48.960 You're like me, you're in your late 30s, and your parents had TNT on basic cable. 00:02:49.039 --> 00:02:52.800 And so you saw the movie Top Gun 35 times, like at least. 00:02:53.039 --> 00:02:54.000 Anybody else like that? 00:02:54.159 --> 00:02:55.520 You just watched that movie on repeat? 00:02:55.599 --> 00:02:58.000 Yeah, I watched that movie all the time as a kid, and I loved it. 00:02:58.159 --> 00:03:01.599 It made me want to join the military because it looked like just a blast. 00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:12.960 You play volleyball with your friends, uh, you have tons of downtime, you can date your instructors, apparently, and uh, you know, and like one guy dies, I won't spoil it, one guy dies, but it's an accident. 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:15.039 It was a total mouth, it shouldn't have happened. 00:03:15.120 --> 00:03:16.879 That's that's what it's like to be in the military. 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:18.800 And then I saw saving Private Ryan. 00:03:18.879 --> 00:03:24.639 And I was like, very, way less volleyball, way less, much different experience. 00:03:24.879 --> 00:03:27.280 I uh I loved Top Gun as a kid. 00:03:27.439 --> 00:03:34.000 They're actually making a sequel to it, which is totally unnecessary, and I feel very confident that it will it will only tarnish what is already great. 00:03:34.159 --> 00:03:37.759 No one watched Top Gun and said, man, I wonder what happens to Maverick later in life. 00:03:37.919 --> 00:03:39.759 No one has ever asked that question. 00:03:39.840 --> 00:03:42.319 Uh, but apparently we need a sequel to it, but whatever. 00:03:42.560 --> 00:03:43.520 I loved that movie. 00:03:43.599 --> 00:03:46.560 It made me want to be a fighter pilot for a brief season of my life. 00:03:46.639 --> 00:03:50.240 I just thought, what a cool job flying a jet. 00:03:50.800 --> 00:03:55.360 Turns out, if you want to be a fighter pilot, it's really hard. 00:03:55.919 --> 00:03:58.960 Like it's not, it's not one of those things like, what do you want to be when you grow up? 00:03:59.039 --> 00:04:04.240 Oh, I want to be like a doctor, I want to be, you know, a vet or whatever. 00:04:04.479 --> 00:04:07.520 Being a fighter pilot is is even harder than those things. 00:04:07.680 --> 00:04:12.240 Like, believe it or not, it's it's one of the hardest things you can ever do because there's there's so many things that disqualify you. 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:15.439 You're the wrong height, sorry, can't be a fighter pilot. 00:04:15.599 --> 00:04:18.560 If you're colorblind, anyone colorblind in the room? 00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:19.519 Anyone at all? 00:04:19.680 --> 00:04:24.560 Wow, we have 8.5% of the United States population is colorblind, but they don't go here. 00:04:25.360 --> 00:04:26.560 So that's good. 00:04:26.800 --> 00:04:27.279 That's good. 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:28.480 One person raised their hand. 00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:29.120 You're fine. 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:33.920 Uh like if you're colorblind, forget it. 00:04:34.160 --> 00:04:34.720 Forget it. 00:04:34.879 --> 00:04:38.399 You have to be able to swim a mile while wearing a flight suit. 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:40.480 I've never swam with a flight suit on. 00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:42.639 I also am pretty sure I've never swam a mile. 00:04:42.800 --> 00:04:44.720 So uh I just imagine it'd be harder. 00:04:44.800 --> 00:04:46.240 That's that's a difficult thing to do. 00:04:46.399 --> 00:04:51.279 Your vision, if you do not have 2020 uncorrected vision, forget it. 00:04:51.439 --> 00:04:52.399 Like you're just out. 00:04:52.720 --> 00:05:01.439 You grew up your whole life, you're like, I watched Top Gun 150 times and I want to be Maverick, and you don't have 2020 uncorrected vision, they go, pick a different dream. 00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:02.639 You're just out. 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:04.560 And it kind of makes sense, right? 00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:11.839 Like if you're gonna fly a jet that fast, okay vision, probably not enough. 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:13.920 You're like, I can see pretty well. 00:05:14.079 --> 00:05:15.279 That's not okay. 00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:18.800 You need to have you need to have perfect vision. 00:05:19.120 --> 00:05:24.800 What's really interesting is in in the modern military, your own vision, even if it's 2020, it's not enough. 00:05:24.879 --> 00:05:28.160 You you need something to assist you, to help you see things you can't see. 00:05:28.319 --> 00:05:34.000 So, for example, there's a jet in our military, the F-35, and it cost$100 million. 00:05:34.639 --> 00:05:37.040 Each one of them,$100 million. 00:05:37.439 --> 00:05:40.720 Like most sophisticated technology that has ever existed. 00:05:40.879 --> 00:05:45.439 Way, way more than air conditioning and satellite radio inside of an F-35. 00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:52.160 The helmet, the helmet for an F-35, like the helmet that the pilot wears,$500,000 for a helmet. 00:05:52.319 --> 00:05:57.439 Now, for some perspective, last year as a church, we gave away half a million dollars to people in need. 00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:02.639 Big deal for us, more than we had ever done before, and like a huge number, especially when you look at our budget, it's a big deal. 00:06:02.720 --> 00:06:03.199 That's awesome. 00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:06.480 You guys did that, those of you who give financially, you did that. 00:06:06.720 --> 00:06:11.680 In other words, we gave away one F-35 helmet. 00:06:12.240 --> 00:06:13.759 How exciting is that? 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:15.519 We gave away a helmet. 00:06:15.759 --> 00:06:19.600 You might be asking, what in the world does a half million dollar helmet do? 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:22.000 Number one, it protects your head. 00:06:22.160 --> 00:06:23.680 That's given, right? 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:25.519 But it's a lot more than that. 00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:30.480 When a pilot's wearing that helmet, they're able to see things that they could never see on their own. 00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:32.879 For example, this is some video from what it actually looks like. 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:33.600 It's really cool. 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:36.800 So it identifies friendly aircraft. 00:06:37.040 --> 00:06:38.639 It will also identify enemy aircraft. 00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:41.360 It can even tell you what country the aircraft is from. 00:06:41.600 --> 00:06:49.839 It has the ability for the pilot to toggle something that lets the pilot see through the plane, like can literally look anywhere, and the plane is no longer there. 00:06:49.920 --> 00:06:55.120 There's cameras all over F-35s and they communicate with the helmet, and so the pilot can look and see completely unobstructed. 00:06:55.360 --> 00:06:57.040 The cockpit doesn't block their view at all. 00:06:57.199 --> 00:06:59.920 It can see heat signatures, see all these different things. 00:07:00.160 --> 00:07:08.800 When a pilot is wearing a helmet while flying an F-35, they have a vision that is far beyond their own. 00:07:09.199 --> 00:07:16.480 What we've been talking about for the last few weeks is really our necessity to see far beyond what we can normally see. 00:07:16.800 --> 00:07:24.399 Because the truth is in life, I'm not talking about your physical side, I'm talking about your discernment, your wisdom, your ability to navigate life, make decisions. 00:07:24.560 --> 00:07:26.480 None of us has 2020 vision. 00:07:26.800 --> 00:07:28.319 Not a single one of us. 00:07:28.800 --> 00:07:32.560 The wisest among us does not have 2020 vision. 00:07:32.639 --> 00:07:35.519 That's why if you've ever found yourself saying, I never thought I'd be here. 00:07:35.680 --> 00:07:37.600 I never saw myself going through this. 00:07:37.839 --> 00:07:39.519 I never envisioned dealing with this. 00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:42.079 That's you admitting I don't have 2020 vision. 00:07:42.399 --> 00:07:44.240 Because I didn't see this coming. 00:07:44.639 --> 00:07:49.199 The Apostle Paul puts it this way in 1 Corinthians 13, verse 12. 00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:50.000 This is the message version. 00:07:50.079 --> 00:07:51.839 He says, We don't yet see things clearly. 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:54.959 We are squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. 00:07:55.040 --> 00:07:56.639 That's what it feels like to live a lot. 00:07:56.800 --> 00:07:59.839 We're trying really hard just to see straight. 00:08:00.160 --> 00:08:03.120 So we can navigate and make the right decision. 00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:04.959 In other words, we need help. 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:08.160 But the good thing is we have a God who does see. 00:08:08.639 --> 00:08:11.680 We have a God who has perfect vision. 00:08:12.079 --> 00:08:22.240 He has absolutely perfect vision, and we have the ability, by following Jesus, we have the ability to let God's perspective, his vision, enhance our own. 00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:28.000 He will give us the ability to discern things, to recognize things that we can never see unassisted. 00:08:28.160 --> 00:08:31.920 We just we don't have it, but God does, and God is good and he gives to us. 00:08:32.080 --> 00:08:34.799 He gives us perspective, he gives us vision. 00:08:35.519 --> 00:08:40.879 So we're talking about what would it look like for us to live this next decade that we just started? 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:49.519 What would it look like for us to live our 20s, the 2020s, as weird as that sounds to say, with God's perspective. 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:56.320 If his vision, not our own, limited vision, was what was allowing us to navigate life. 00:08:56.399 --> 00:08:57.360 That's what we're trying to discover. 00:08:57.519 --> 00:09:01.279 Last week we started talking about a word, a word we call revelation. 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:03.440 We see this in 1 Corinthians 1 21. 00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:08.399 It says, God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom. 00:09:08.720 --> 00:09:10.960 He's used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. 00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:14.639 What Paul's saying here is that God just decided, you know what? 00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:22.399 People, they're just not going to be able to understand who I am with their own wisdom. 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:27.360 Our ability to observe and learn, it's not enough for us to discern the things of God. 00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:28.559 Maybe a little bit. 00:09:29.039 --> 00:09:31.840 Like we can recognize, man, there must be a God. 00:09:32.559 --> 00:09:43.360 We can recognize that God must be greater than us, bigger than us, all those kinds of things, but but apart from God revealing himself to us, we would never know his name. 00:09:43.759 --> 00:09:49.600 It's one of the amazing things about Jesus is that he is God revealed to us in such a personal way. 00:09:50.559 --> 00:09:58.000 You know, I had a friend of mine that I was talking to years ago, and he had a really hard time with the idea that he needed to call God by a certain name. 00:09:58.080 --> 00:10:00.559 He's like, why can't we just acknowledge that he's there? 00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:02.240 Why can't we just say, I believe in a God? 00:10:02.639 --> 00:10:03.279 Shouldn't that be enough? 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:17.759 And I was like, well, if God wanted to be distant from us, and if God did not want to have an actual relationship with us, maybe he would be content with us just going, hey, you thing, you universal cosmic whatever you are. 00:10:18.639 --> 00:10:20.720 Can you imagine if if you're in a deep relationship with someone? 00:10:20.799 --> 00:10:23.840 I've used this analogy before, but like I I love my wife, she's awesome, she's great. 00:10:23.919 --> 00:10:33.039 If I walked up to him, was like, hey, you woman thing, like that would not go well for me. 00:10:34.159 --> 00:10:35.360 I've tried, it doesn't work. 00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:37.279 No, I'm just um it wouldn't go well for me. 00:10:37.440 --> 00:10:40.720 Like she has a name, and and and I can call her by name. 00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:42.960 Jesus is God revealed to us. 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:46.879 The simple truth is that we can never observe all there is to observe about God. 00:10:47.039 --> 00:10:49.120 We need God to reveal himself to us. 00:10:49.279 --> 00:10:51.039 We need God to reveal his truth to us. 00:10:51.200 --> 00:10:52.240 We need revelation. 00:10:52.320 --> 00:10:55.360 And thankfully, he's given that to us in a variety of ways. 00:10:55.440 --> 00:11:00.480 And so what we've been talking about starting last week was how can we experience the revelation of God in our lives? 00:11:00.639 --> 00:11:04.159 How can we live via his revelation, not our observation? 00:11:04.399 --> 00:11:06.879 And last week we started something called the chapter challenge. 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:10.960 One of the main aspects of God's revelation is his word, it's scripture. 00:11:11.200 --> 00:11:16.799 And we started this challenge for the year to read four chapters of scripture a week, one chapter a day, four days a week. 00:11:16.879 --> 00:11:21.120 In other words, if you do that, you'll be reading scripture more often than not. 00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:26.720 It's not incredibly taxing, it just takes a few minutes, and we're posting on it on all of our social media, giving you a chance to respond. 00:11:26.879 --> 00:11:35.120 By the way, I've read some of your statements and comments, and some of you are doing this for the very first time, and there's some incredibly just insightful people here. 00:11:35.679 --> 00:11:44.480 And it's reminding me that when we just open up God's word, knowing that we're not going to understand it all, some of us are coming into it just totally fresh and saying, hey, God, teach me something. 00:11:44.639 --> 00:11:45.519 He's faithful. 00:11:45.679 --> 00:11:49.679 And so it's been really awesome watching and reading what you guys are saying in response to that. 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:50.399 Keep that up. 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:53.360 And if you you haven't heard about that, go to our mobile app. 00:11:53.600 --> 00:11:55.279 If you have that, it's right on the homepage. 00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:57.200 Go to our website, it's on the homepage there as well. 00:11:57.279 --> 00:11:58.559 And just start with wherever we're at. 00:11:59.039 --> 00:11:59.840 You don't have to catch up. 00:11:59.919 --> 00:12:01.679 It's just one chapter a day, four days a week. 00:12:01.840 --> 00:12:03.519 We're gonna do that together as a church this year. 00:12:03.600 --> 00:12:08.320 And how awesome is it gonna be to see what God reveals to all of us together as we study his word. 00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:12.000 Today we're gonna talk about another aspect of God's revelation. 00:12:12.159 --> 00:12:21.919 This is one that is, it's gotta be one of my favorite things to talk about, in part because I fully, admittedly recognize every time I talk about this that I am woefully unequipped to talk about this. 00:12:22.159 --> 00:12:27.279 So every time I engage with this subject, I'm like, God help me, which is probably how it should be every Sunday anyway. 00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:29.440 Um, it's the Holy Spirit. 00:12:29.759 --> 00:12:32.000 God has given us his spirit. 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:43.279 And the Holy Spirit is one of the, I'd probably just say the main tool, you might you might say, of revelation in our lives. 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:48.480 That God wants to reveal who he is and what he plans for us through his spirit. 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:53.440 Now, when I say that, I recognize that there's some of you in the room that are like, oh no, this is one of those weird churches. 00:12:53.679 --> 00:12:54.559 Like, I get it. 00:12:54.639 --> 00:12:56.240 Like, we talk about things like the Holy Spirit. 00:12:56.320 --> 00:13:01.919 There's a certain, some of you are maybe here for the first time and you're like, dang it, I thought this was one of the normal places. 00:13:02.159 --> 00:13:04.559 Um we are normal most days. 00:13:04.720 --> 00:13:06.320 But uh, but here's the deal. 00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:12.000 I I was listening to a pastor talk about this um not that long ago, but it really hit me. 00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:19.679 He was talking about electricity and how you don't have to understand the complexities and the mystery of electricity to be able to benefit from its power. 00:13:19.840 --> 00:13:20.879 I was thinking about my kids. 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:24.799 I've got four kids, and my three-year-old, for example, Judah, I love I love Judah so much. 00:13:25.039 --> 00:13:26.960 Judah does not understand electricity. 00:13:27.440 --> 00:13:28.399 He doesn't. 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:30.320 But he uses it all the time. 00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:36.080 You know, he'll come into a room, he'll flip on the switch, and he benefits from the power of electricity. 00:13:36.399 --> 00:13:38.559 He doesn't understand it, it's a mystery to him. 00:13:38.639 --> 00:13:40.159 It might as well be magic. 00:13:41.039 --> 00:13:45.519 But I think we have to understand that that there are certain things about God that are always gonna be mysterious. 00:13:45.759 --> 00:13:58.480 And if we have a certain kind of faith, a certain kind of approach to God, I don't care if you've been following God for 20 years or you're just thinking about it, if you have an approach to God that says, I'm not okay with the mysterious, you're just gonna miss out on most of God because he is mysterious. 00:13:59.679 --> 00:14:04.080 But but don't don't cut yourself off from the power of the mystery of God. 00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:08.399 Because God's mysterious wonder is it's amazing. 00:14:08.639 --> 00:14:11.519 And he's real and he's powerful, and he's supernatural. 00:14:12.159 --> 00:14:13.600 He's supernatural. 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:20.320 And and we're gonna miss him if we if we aren't comfortable with the idea of of a supernatural God who speaks to his people. 00:14:20.960 --> 00:14:24.000 So the Holy Spirit, yes, the Holy Spirit is kind of a weird topic. 00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:33.279 Like you're telling me that that there's like a spirit of God that like comes and lives inside of us and like messes with us and makes us into the yep, that's exactly what scripture teaches. 00:14:33.519 --> 00:14:34.240 How does that work? 00:14:34.320 --> 00:14:35.120 I have no idea. 00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:37.039 Uh so the message is done now. 00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:37.759 Let's go. 00:14:37.919 --> 00:14:53.360 Um, but here's the deal I think that the the better we understand this, the more familiar we are to the best of our ability with who the Holy Spirit is, how the Holy Spirit works, and what we need to do in response to the Holy Spirit, the better equipped we're gonna be to live this life that God has for us. 00:14:54.320 --> 00:14:58.559 The simple truth is we are supposed to be different, those of us who follow Jesus. 00:15:00.320 --> 00:15:04.000 And we're supposed to be different because of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:07.759 Jesus makes us a promise in John chapter 14. 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:12.799 Verse 16, he says, I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate who will never leave you. 00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:15.840 He is the Holy Spirit who leads into all truth. 00:15:17.279 --> 00:15:20.159 When Jesus talks about the Holy Spirit in the Bible, he's so practical about it. 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:20.639 I love it. 00:15:20.799 --> 00:15:25.600 Jesus talks about the Holy Spirit like someone trying to sell you a product that does a lot of different things. 00:15:25.840 --> 00:15:31.679 I mean, it's it's really, he's like, he's always saying stuff like the Holy Spirit's gonna come, the Holy Spirit's gonna guide you, teach you, remind you of all the things that I've said. 00:15:31.840 --> 00:15:34.480 The Holy Spirit will give you the words that you need for certain situations. 00:15:34.639 --> 00:15:39.279 I don't know if you've ever been in a situation where you're like, I have no idea what I'm gonna say when I get there. 00:15:39.759 --> 00:15:44.480 The Holy Spirit actually is promised to us as someone who will give us the words that we need in those situations. 00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:48.879 The Holy Spirit, it literally, Jesus talks about the Holy Spirit as if he's listing off features. 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:52.480 The Holy Spirit is promised to us by Jesus. 00:15:52.639 --> 00:15:56.639 And it's not just promised to us in the sense that it'd be a good thing for us to have. 00:15:56.799 --> 00:16:03.279 Jesus lets us know that we absolutely 100% cannot live the life that he's called us to live without the Holy Spirit. 00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:10.639 In fact, really interestingly, Jesus tells his disciples to never leave the city that they're in. 00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:14.559 After he raises from the dead, he tells them, Why don't you go to the whole world? 00:16:14.799 --> 00:16:18.320 Go to the whole world, baptizing all nations in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:22.799 But then he says, But do not leave Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit comes upon you in power. 00:16:22.879 --> 00:16:27.519 Don't even think for a second that you can do what I just asked you to do without the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:16:27.679 --> 00:16:31.759 You don't have it within you, but the Spirit will give you the power you need. 00:16:31.919 --> 00:16:35.360 I mean, he tells his disciples, don't think for a minute you can do this without the Holy Spirit. 00:16:35.519 --> 00:16:36.080 Wait. 00:16:36.320 --> 00:16:41.840 And they do, and the Holy Spirit comes upon them in power, and it's it's what starts the movement of the church. 00:16:41.919 --> 00:16:43.440 It's powerful and it's amazing. 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:47.279 But Jesus lets us know that no, the Holy Spirit is not an optional add-on. 00:16:48.720 --> 00:16:51.519 The Holy Spirit is a necessity. 00:16:52.000 --> 00:17:05.599 And I want to say this, and understanding that there's a variety of us in the room from a variety of different backgrounds and places and and even a status in terms of how you think about God, where you're at, I would be a fraud as a pastor. 00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:16.640 If I really believe the teachings of Jesus and I really believe the scriptures, I would be a fraud if I tried to convince you that you can live for God apart from the Holy Spirit. 00:17:17.680 --> 00:17:21.920 I would, I would, all I would be doing would be setting you up for frustration and failure. 00:17:22.160 --> 00:17:24.960 And I think there's actually many who have left the church for that very reason. 00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:31.680 I think there's many in America who have left the church because they were told to live a certain way and do this and do that, and they tried to do it in their own strength. 00:17:31.839 --> 00:17:41.599 They were challenged, they were chastised, they were looked down upon when they weren't able to do it, but no one ever told them about the power of God, ready there, waiting to help them do anything that God would have us do. 00:17:41.759 --> 00:17:46.400 And so all that breeds is religion, and religion is just you trying really, really hard to do stuff to make God happy. 00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:47.039 That doesn't work. 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:51.440 Jesus came to abolish religion and give us a relationship, give us his spirit. 00:17:51.680 --> 00:18:02.400 But if I stood here and I tried to convince you that, hey, you should do this, you know, do this because it's what God says to do, but I didn't tell you that the Holy Spirit was going to equip you and empower you to do it, I would be a fraud. 00:18:02.640 --> 00:18:04.720 And I would literally be setting you up for failure. 00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:08.079 So it's necessary. 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:11.279 The Holy Spirit's presence in our lives, it's necessary. 00:18:11.440 --> 00:18:14.400 Without the Holy Spirit, we're just we're trying hard. 00:18:14.799 --> 00:18:19.759 And I'm sure a lot of us have lived trying really hard, and trying hard is not enough. 00:18:20.079 --> 00:18:21.039 We need help. 00:18:21.279 --> 00:18:23.119 And the Holy Spirit's our helper. 00:18:23.759 --> 00:18:26.000 So what I want to do is answer three really simple questions. 00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:29.279 Well, hold on, three very complicated questions as simply as possible. 00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:31.759 And this is gonna be, we're gonna cover a lot of ground in a lot of ways. 00:18:31.839 --> 00:18:39.359 Today's kind of like an overview of the Holy Spirit, but it's important for us to have a working knowledge of the Spirit's work in our lives if we're gonna do this, okay? 00:18:39.440 --> 00:18:42.319 If we're gonna live with God's perspective and his vision. 00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:43.839 So, number one is who is the Holy Spirit? 00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:45.519 Number two, what does the Holy Spirit do? 00:18:45.680 --> 00:18:47.200 Number three is what is our part? 00:18:47.359 --> 00:18:48.960 What do we do in response? 00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:50.640 And number one, who's the Holy Spirit? 00:18:50.880 --> 00:18:52.000 Holy Spirit is God. 00:18:52.160 --> 00:18:59.759 And that gets confusing because when we say God in church in English, most of the time God for us is shorthand for God the Father. 00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:02.480 We just kind of cut off the Father part, most of the time. 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:08.240 And so last week, for example, I was reading from John chapter 17, and Jesus prays to God. 00:19:08.319 --> 00:19:10.559 And I had said earlier that Jesus is God. 00:19:10.720 --> 00:19:20.079 And so you have Jesus who's God praying, God, and a person, an awesome person at our church who's been part of this place for a long time, loved this guy, he came up to me afterwards and said, Who is Jesus talking to? 00:19:20.319 --> 00:19:23.359 If he's God, how is he praying to God? 00:19:24.160 --> 00:19:25.359 Is he talking to himself? 00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:26.720 That's what the person asked. 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:31.920 And I said, Yes, sort of, but also no, but kind of yes. 00:19:33.279 --> 00:19:37.839 And he was like, Sweet, now I know all I need to know, and that helps that cleared everything up for me. 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:38.480 That's what he said. 00:19:38.559 --> 00:19:39.039 No, not at all. 00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:41.359 He kind of looked at me and I was like, all right, here's the deal. 00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:44.880 Um, let's look at Genesis chapter 1, verse 26. 00:19:46.319 --> 00:19:47.440 First chapter of the Bible. 00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:53.599 God said, Let us make human beings in our image to be like us. 00:19:54.400 --> 00:19:56.000 Notice that it's all plural. 00:19:56.400 --> 00:19:58.160 Well, who's God talking to there? 00:19:58.319 --> 00:20:02.559 Let us make human beings in our image to be like us. 00:20:03.759 --> 00:20:10.720 The basic doctrine of our faith is that God is three persons, one God, not three different gods, three persons, one God. 00:20:10.880 --> 00:20:18.640 God the Father, and usually in church, when we say God, mostly people are referring to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:23.920 That is why when we baptize someone, we baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:27.279 All three are God, but all three are distinct. 00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:28.640 Simple, you know? 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:34.880 And I used to joke that the day that shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in one became a thing, that would be our analogy. 00:20:35.039 --> 00:20:36.000 That'd be like, here it is. 00:20:36.160 --> 00:20:39.440 In fact, I remember being in college and I was in a class and someone brought this up. 00:20:39.519 --> 00:20:43.039 And at the time, shampoo plus conditioner was like a new thing, right? 00:20:43.119 --> 00:20:44.400 I'm dating myself a little bit. 00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:47.759 Young people, there was a time when you had to have three different bottles. 00:20:48.000 --> 00:20:49.440 I never used three bottles. 00:20:49.599 --> 00:20:54.880 Megan, when she married me, was appalled to find out that I just, whatever was there, I just, it's probably gonna work everywhere. 00:20:55.039 --> 00:20:56.400 And uh, she's like, Really? 00:20:56.559 --> 00:20:59.039 I was like, it's all soap, you know. 00:20:59.519 --> 00:21:03.519 Turns out women are way uh way more into hygiene than men, and that was not enough. 00:21:03.599 --> 00:21:06.000 So all of a sudden I've got this system and I'm gonna use this stuff. 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:08.640 But shampoo, conditioner, body wash in one. 00:21:08.880 --> 00:21:11.200 I said in college, I'm like, one day they're gonna make that. 00:21:11.279 --> 00:21:15.680 It's only a matter of time until someone figures out how to get that body wash in there, and there's the Trinity. 00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:16.720 There it is, right there. 00:21:16.880 --> 00:21:19.359 One thing that's three things, but one thing. 00:21:19.599 --> 00:21:20.400 We're good. 00:21:20.640 --> 00:21:25.359 But but in actuality, the thing that reflects that the most is us. 00:21:25.839 --> 00:21:26.720 It's us. 00:21:26.960 --> 00:21:30.880 Because we are made in God's image. 00:21:31.279 --> 00:21:33.519 So, show of hands. 00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:36.559 How many of you within the last week have talked to yourself? 00:21:37.039 --> 00:21:37.359 Okay? 00:21:38.319 --> 00:21:40.640 Bunch of crazy people in the room, right? 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:44.079 How many of you have have argued with yourself? 00:21:44.319 --> 00:21:45.039 Anybody? 00:21:45.759 --> 00:21:48.400 Now you have to have some humility and self awareness for this one. 00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:51.119 How many of you have lied to yourself recently? 00:21:51.440 --> 00:21:54.160 I'm like, I swear, this this time it's gonna be different. 00:21:54.319 --> 00:21:59.839 This time, I'm gonna do it, you know, I'm gonna I'm gonna be at the gym every day, and I'm doing it this year is different. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:00.480 Right? 00:22:01.200 --> 00:22:03.119 Well, it's interesting that you talk to yourself. 00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:04.720 Go back to my friend's question. 00:22:04.799 --> 00:22:06.880 When Jesus prayed, was he praying to himself? 00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:10.720 See, you you have a body, and your body is you. 00:22:11.920 --> 00:22:15.519 You also have a mind, you have an intellect, and that is you as well. 00:22:16.319 --> 00:22:18.000 You need both of them to really be you. 00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:20.319 If one goes, the other goes with it. 00:22:21.200 --> 00:22:23.599 You also have a spirit, and your spirit is you. 00:22:23.680 --> 00:22:28.880 Now, if I was talking to someone who said I don't believe in the whole spirit stuff, okay, well, then you have a body, you have an intellect, and you have emotions. 00:22:29.119 --> 00:22:40.000 And they're all you, and they're kind of indiscernible in the fact that they're all you and they they kind of collide together to make you who you are, but at the same time they're distinct because sometimes you'll actually have conversations, even arguments between them. 00:22:40.240 --> 00:22:45.039 Like if you're like me, when your alarm goes off in the morning, your body is going, stay in bed. 00:22:45.599 --> 00:22:47.119 It's awesome in here. 00:22:47.359 --> 00:22:48.240 It's awesome. 00:22:48.480 --> 00:22:51.680 It's comfortable, you know, it's soft, it's warm. 00:22:51.839 --> 00:22:57.200 There's a beautiful woman lying next to you, and you know, if you rolled over to kiss her right now, she'd push you away and say, What are you doing? 00:22:57.519 --> 00:23:00.640 You know, like that, because you know, in the morning, bad breath, that kind of thing. 00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:02.799 And uh, but it's awesome, stay here. 00:23:02.960 --> 00:23:04.000 Why would you leave here? 00:23:04.240 --> 00:23:09.680 But my mind is like, you gotta get up, you got things to do, you gotta get up, you gotta, you know, if you stay here too long, you're gonna be late. 00:23:09.759 --> 00:23:13.119 And I have this little argument with myself every single morning. 00:23:13.519 --> 00:23:19.920 There have been times where my spirit has known the right thing to do, and my mind is like, that's gonna be hard. 00:23:20.160 --> 00:23:22.160 That's I don't I don't wanna do that. 00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:28.160 I just don't, I don't want to have that conversation, I don't want to go through that, but my spirit knows it's what the Lord wants to do. 00:23:29.839 --> 00:23:34.000 So the thing is we're kind of like God, just a way more dysfunctional version of him. 00:23:34.480 --> 00:23:36.960 Because he's not fighting with himself and he's not arguing with himself. 00:23:37.039 --> 00:23:40.480 He lives in harmony within himself, but he is three persons, one God. 00:23:40.640 --> 00:23:42.319 We are in many ways like that. 00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:55.440 So the important thing for us to understand is the Holy Spirit is is God, and if we're not comfortable with experiencing the Holy Spirit, then we're gonna miss God because he is the Holy Spirit. 00:23:56.720 --> 00:23:57.759 So, who's the Holy Spirit? 00:23:57.839 --> 00:23:58.480 The Holy Spirit's God. 00:23:58.559 --> 00:23:59.440 What does the Holy Spirit do? 00:23:59.519 --> 00:24:06.400 The Holy Spirit partners with us, partners with us to empower us to be the people we're we're meant to be. 00:24:07.039 --> 00:24:09.039 There's certain things that the Holy Spirit produces in us. 00:24:09.119 --> 00:24:10.720 We see this in Galatians chapter 5. 00:24:11.519 --> 00:24:19.039 Verse 22 the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 00:24:19.759 --> 00:24:22.880 These are the things that the Holy Spirit produces in our lives. 00:24:23.839 --> 00:24:32.559 Now, one of the challenges we have as individuals and collectively as the church is that's the stuff that's supposed to be growing in us. 00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:37.039 That's what we should be seeing develop in and of ourselves. 00:24:37.279 --> 00:24:40.960 Not in and of ourselves, but his spirit were in ourselves through the power of the Holy Spirit. 00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:50.880 And so what happens is if we're we've been a believer for a long time, let's say you've been following Jesus for years and you don't have any more love, you don't have any more joy, you don't have any more peace or any of those things, that becomes a problem. 00:24:51.039 --> 00:24:52.079 You're like, what's wrong? 00:24:52.559 --> 00:24:54.319 What some and there's a disconnect somewhere. 00:24:54.400 --> 00:24:55.039 That's what that means. 00:24:55.119 --> 00:25:03.039 If I'm not growing in those those areas, and it's not like all of it at once, you know, it's not like every day, wow, I'm way more self-controlled than I was yesterday. 00:25:03.920 --> 00:25:09.519 But over time, if I can't see any discernible growth in those areas of my life, something's off. 00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:12.799 Because I promise you this, the Holy Spirit's doing his part. 00:25:14.079 --> 00:25:14.640 Something's off. 00:25:14.720 --> 00:25:16.880 And that becomes, I think, a big disconnect with the church as a whole. 00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:25.440 Because if the world looks at the church and doesn't see love and joy and peace and patience and kindness and goodness and gentleness and self-control, the world sees all that stuff is missing. 00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:27.839