Church in the Peak
Preaches, talks and audio from all three Church in the Peak sites - Buxton, Matlock and Wirksworth
Church in the Peak
Wirksworth | 07/06/26 | Baptism In The Spirit | Steve Bagnall
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Wirksworth
Steve continued our series about the fundementals of church life, looking at baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Do you use it to its full capacity?
unknownNo.
SPEAKER_00No. Oh, I mean, so you just like text and calls?
unknownNo.
SPEAKER_00So what's the point in having a smartphone?
SPEAKER_01Well it's not yet now, isn't it?
SPEAKER_00I suppose it is. Like mine, so it c it's currently recording, right? And it's gonna be my notes are on there, my Bibles on there. Um I mean, if I scroll through, I've got my banking apps on there, fantasy football, which is really important. Um I've got like some car racing game, which Helen loves me playing. What's that, sorry? My pin number is is um somewhere on there. Um I mean there's there's like five or six Bible apps, and I reckon I only use I don't know, ten percent of what these things can do. It's my work. Like everything's on here. I have four email addresses, got three email addresses for work. This is how busy I am, this is where your tithe goes, by the way. Um thanks, Alan. Um three email addresses for work, got one private email address and church suite, so we use a lot of church suite, and I still only reckon I use 10% of this. So why am I bothering boring you with smartphones? It's because we only use 10% of what's available to us. Baptism in the spirit. So we're gonna talk about baptism in the spirit. And this is the first one where because we've talked about our fundamentals as a church and what it is that we believe and what we've done previously. I mean, um, we've done salvation through Jesus alone, right? Yes, we all agree? Yes, that's lucky. Otherwise, we'd have to go back to that one. Trinity, which Andy did an amazing job, which I really didn't want. Um, what else have we done? Have we done baptism in water yet?
SPEAKER_01No.
SPEAKER_00No, we've done the Bible being God's living word for today.
SPEAKER_01Church's community.
SPEAKER_00Church's community, we've done the priesthood of all believers, we've done worship.
unknownGreat commission.
SPEAKER_00Great commission is fantastic. Yeah, what else have we done?
unknownCommunion.
SPEAKER_00Have we done communion yet? Have we done communion yet? Fantastic. Amazing. Yeah, I think so. Um but now we get to the nitty-gritty. Because most churches believe in those things. Right? Most churches believe, actually, if they don't, if they don't believe Jesus through salvation, the salvation through Jesus alone, then you know, don't go there. Um but that's what most churches believe. That's what um they believe in God's living word for today. They believe in communion, they believe in the community of believers, they believe in the priesthood of all believers, that we have direct access to Jesus. But this is where we kind of separate. And there's no pride in this, by the way, as I say this, there's no like we're better than them. It's just what we believe. Um, and we believe that baptism in the Spirit is a thing for today. We believe that the gifts of the Spirit are available for us today. Why do we know that? A, we read it, and B, we've seen it. Right? And there's no counter-argument to that. That's how we read it, and I can understand why another church would possibly read it a different way, but they cannot deny what we have seen, what we have felt. And that's where I stand, and that's where New Frontiers Catalyst stands. I was at an evangelistic conference um a year or so ago, it's probably two years ago now, and Nikki Gumble was on stage. Uh, Nicki Gumble leads, you know, an Anglican church, uh, HTB in uh in fact he doesn't now, does he? He's 100 years old. Um HTB in London.
SPEAKER_01London.
SPEAKER_00London. London. Yeah. Brompton, that's what I was thinking of, yeah. Um, which is an Anglican church, but believes in the gifts of the Spirit for today. So he's kind of like a breakaway, and Gastriet are the same. And we're seeing this flow amongst churches, amongst Anglican churches, and um because his opinion was that the the the Church of England dropped the ball on the Holy Spirit. His words, not mine. Holy sp the Church of England dropped the ball on the Holy Spirit, and that's where that and his words were that's why New Frontiers exist. That's why Assemblies of God exists. These denominations wouldn't have to exist had the Church of England led with gifts of the Spirit, and that's why HTBs exist, and that's why Gas Street exists, and that's why all the other spin-offs of the Anglican Church exist. And there's no denying that those are the churches that are thriving. Right? Good, we're all good so far. This is fantastic. Neil will kill me if I don't use this quote by Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones. If your doctrine of the Holy Spirit does not include the idea of the Holy Spirit falling upon people, it is seriously, grievously defective. This, it seems to me, has been the trouble, especially during the present century. Indeed, for almost a hundred years, the whole notion of the Holy Spirit falling upon people has been discounted and discouraged. Surely one of the prime explanations of the present state of the Christian church. Really harsh words, right? And we don't come here with pride saying, Oh, guess what we know? Actually, it should break our heart that it's not happening elsewhere. But we're starting to talk now about the differences. These are the differences, and this is the first one baptism in the spirit, Joe speaking in a couple of weeks on gifts of the spirit, and I think we've got something else afterwards as well. And this is what separates us from a wellspring, from the Anglican church in the town centre. We are no better, we are no worse, because fundamentally our salvation is paid through Jesus alone. But this is our theological difference because we see it. We see it in action.
unknownGood.
SPEAKER_00This is going brilliantly. You have it, Caroline. Yeah, it's fine. Taha! Acts 1, 4 to 5. Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you'll be baptized with the Holy Spirit. As Christians, we can be guilty of living the same way that we use our smartphones. Using only a percentage of what it allows us to do. I'm not promoting smartphones here, by the way. I don't like work for Samsung or iPhone. That's just no. In fact, use your use your use your phones less. Holy Spirit more. As Christians, we've been guilty of living the same way spiritually. We're genuinely saved. Our sins are forgiven, our names are written in heaven, we belong to Jesus. But have we experienced the fullness of what God intended for us through the power of the Holy Spirit? Baptism of the Spirit. Not merely a theological discussion. This is about how God empowers us, empowers ordinary believers to live extraordinary lives. Now, one of the biggest questions is if I receive the Holy Spirit when I'm saved, why do I need baptism in the Holy Spirit? Big question. So let's begin with what every believer should know. Holy Spirit is present in salvation. We had this conversation in the car, didn't we, a couple of weeks ago actually, and it was um it is confusing. It is confusing because the Holy Spirit dwells in us from salvation. Romans 8.9. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Christ. Holy Spirit is the one who changes our hearts. Holy Spirit is the one who opens our hearts for us to allow our acceptance of Jesus and who Jesus is. No one can become a Christian without the work of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1 13 to 14. When you were believed, when you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. Holy Spirit dwells in us from salvation. When we repent, place our faith in Jesus, Holy Spirit comes to dwell within us. He regenerates us, he makes us spiritually alive, he seals us as God's children, he assures us that we belong to Christ. This means every genuine believer has the Holy Spirit. We should never create two classes of Christians, those who have the Spirit and those who do not. Every believer has the Spirit living within them. But the question is not whether the believers have the Spirit. The question is whether there is a distinct experience of empowerment that follows salvation. Everyone with me?
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Good. Strap yourselves in. I'm going to do my testimony in the middle of this lot as well, so get yourself then I want a coffee. The question is whether there is a distinct experience of empowerment that follows salvation. And the answer throughout the book of Acts is yes. The difference between life and power. A helpful way to understand this is to think about the difference between life and power. At salvation, the spirit gives us life. At spirit baptism, the spirit gives us power. You've talked about a rabbit hole this morning in it, actually, and I get stuck down rabbit holes. Because when I was first saved, this isn't something I believed. Anyone else? Well, you've all believed in power that gives us. Yeah, you didn't? No fine. You can be honest and real, it's fine. When I was saved. Oh, let's do my testimony now. Right, fine. Um so I I um I grew up in Birmingham. Um, thankfully, I've done everything I can to get rid of the Brummy accent. Does anyone think I've got a Brummy accent? Oh, where was the guest from? Whatever.
SPEAKER_01I've been stronger, but I can still hear it. Yeah, fine, okay.
SPEAKER_00Um so and I I grew up um we started life in Nigeria, so my family worked over there, came back to Sutton Coalfield just outside Birmingham, um, and my parents divorced when I was sort of 12-13. I was I wasn't spoiled, but I was we we were never short of anything before that time. And then uh 12-13, my parents got divorced. My dad had been having a long-term affair, it was it was um uh heartbreaking actually, and he was living in Dubai, so that made everything really difficult. Mum really, really struggled financially, mentally. I became um a husband figure at 13 years old, really. And you know, I didn't really rebel in my teenage years. Um I was a fairly good student. Um, as you can tell, I was really sporty. Um too many laughs. Um so I played played a high level of football, played golf and whatever else I could get my hands on, and um then went to uni um and then I started to rebel because I think because I was so um because I've held back during my teenage years, all of a sudden I had this sort of freedom. And I was I was you know partaking in drugs before that. Drug culture to me was as normal as going to the pub. So that's the life that I kind of grew up in. That's what the cities were like. Going out and that sort of clubbing scene, rave scene, drugs were as normal as a pint of beer. Um, and you know, if that surprises anyone, come and speak to me. But I promise you that's that's how life was. Um and it's all fun and games on a Friday night until it wraps you and takes control of your whole life. But so I um met someone, we had a wonderful son, Logan. I managed to ruin that relationship very quickly. Um, and my 20s are left with shame, regret, embarrassment. Um, my 20s were awful. Um, and I left a trail of destruction behind me wherever I went. Drugs had really took a grip in my life, um, and I was an addict. And I I think even before 30, though, I didn't admit it. I'm kind of carrying it, I was holding down jobs. So I thought, you know what I'll do, I'll go to Australia. So I worked in recruitment and in in the back of a recruiter magazine that used to come every month to the office. At the back of it, there was a picture of Golden Sands and saying, Do you want to come and work in Australia? And I thought, you know what, why not? I've got nothing to lose. So I did, and believe it or not, they give you a visa for recruitment. It I don't know why. Um and I did, and I got there and I met the same group of lads that I was hanging around with here, the same sort of thing. You know, they say you can't run away from your problems, you can't, right? I promise you, you can't. I was on the complete other side of the world, and um I faced the same things. If anything, my behaviours were worse, my actions were worse. And it was 2014, I came back, so I'd done four years there, my visa would have run out. I came back, and I remember feeling it on the flight back. Um my ex had got remarried during that time, so so when I when I returned, I was very much in the way. They were happy for me to be in Australia out of the way, and life came crashing down, and I made a decision. There is no point me being here, I had no value to anyone or anything. There was no point me being on this on this planet. So I made the decision to take my own life and I planned it, and I um let the lease run down on my flat, I got my affairs in order, as they say in gangster film. So I closed my bank account and threw out my passport, and I kind of made everything ready for me to not be here the following day. Um got in a car with a belly full of paracetamol, 220 paracetamol, or whatever it was, and half a bottle of something, and then um picked a quiet road that I know going out from Birmingham to Stratford as one of these sort of low metal railings that you can kind of drive through. Um, in my head, I like to think this is the most exciting crash ever, but it I think I'm just getting it from films. Um, I don't remember the crash, so I just turned left down this sort of embankment, um, crashed into a tree. There was only really scrapes and scars from the from the crash, but um liver damage was the potential issue from the amount of paracetamol. So obviously I did I survived, yay. Um I woke up in a in a hospital in Birmingham, but I still didn't really want to be here. I'd made this decision, right? I'd made this decision that I don't add any value. My thinking was that any pain that I would cause by doing this actually paled in comparison to the pain that I was causing people long term. Um, and that was my genuine, clear thought process. Um so I had a decision to make, and then but I'd pushed all my friends and family away, I closed my bank account, I had no money, I had nothing. So I was homeless. I was homeless and an addict. And thinking about that, thinking about that life, is just mental. It's like I'm talking about someone else now. So this is January 2015, so just over 11 years ago, I was a homeless drug addict. Um, and then uh I think it was a couple of policemen pointed me towards um a hostel in Birmingham, so I ended up in this big hostel, 98-bed hostel. You wouldn't wish it on your worst enemy. It was a bail hostel, so people were coming out of prison and they spent time there from some horrific crimes. These weren't sort of lads that I'd hung around with before. This wasn't the world that I'd been in. It was you know prison walls where cigarettes were currency. I had to wake up, I had to make some decisions, and during that time I had something called cognitive behavioral therapy, CBT, um, which was a real start for me of understanding some of my triggers and why I made some of the decisions that I made. Um, even as simple as, and I go back to this one quite a lot, um, when I was sort of 14, I'd see posts come through the door. I'd associate that with stress from my mum. So in my 14-year-old head, if I hid that post, she wouldn't get stressed.
SPEAKER_01Ta-da!
SPEAKER_00Of course, we know there's a much bigger issue around that, and that created a lying culture in my teens and into my 20s. Lying was much easier. If I lie, I'll protect people, right? Yeah, that doesn't work. And CBT was a big, a big, big change for me, a big start for me. So I then left the hostel, went to a big high-rise flat in Birmingham. Again, awful, you can imagine the scene. Um studio flat. So, I mean, it was probably half the size, if not even half the size of this, with your bed and your kitchen and everything in the same room. And they said, Go to a place called Birmingham City Mission, go there for a food parcel. Alright, fine, okay. So I went down there for a food parcel, got my couple of bags of tins and packets and whatever else, and something made me ask that day, do you need any volunteers? And something made them say yes. And it's really strange. I look back on that day a lot because that day was the start of a massive journey. So it gave me a sense of purpose. I worked on their van, I went and collected furniture, delivered furniture to those in need. I was surrounded by good people. These weren't people that I'd been involved in previously in my life, and they didn't judge me at all. You know what? They didn't even evangelise too hard. A year later, Easter 2016, so just over, literally just over 10 years ago now, I was I was with them at an evangelistic conference, an Easter conference they were doing, a three-night event uh at church in Birmingham, and there was a man on stage called John Blanchard. Um, I don't know if you've read any of his books, sort of fierce evangelical, and um he was talking about this man called Jesus. I can't tell you what he said, and I gave my life that night. Easter 2016. So I know, yeah, we should celebrate it. I know, you know, amen. That's why we're doing testimonies over the next few weeks, and um I've given this story a million times at men's groups and in different churches around Birmingham, and I'm sure most people here are bored of hearing it as well, but it's how God works, and it's incredible. I then ended up running the homeless project that I'd come through. Um, I was out speaking about my testimony and preaching very early on, and and speaking about the work that Birmingham City Mission does, and I was sort of thrust into it. God changed me immediately. A friend of mine said at the time of my salvation, a friend of mine who'd recently become saved as well, that every time I can't swear actually, because it's being recorded. Um every time he tried to do life himself, he messed it up, so he may as well just give it to God. I I use that line every single day. I use that line every day with the lads that come to church, with the with the homeless lads with the addicts. Every time I tried to do life myself, I messed it up, so I may as well just give it to God. And it was surrender was easy for me, right? I think Kev, you've been there as well. Surrender was easy. We've had this discussion where I didn't have anything. Surrender was easy because I didn't have anything. I praise God that I hit rock bottom. You know, it was the best I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but it's exactly what I needed. There is a joy in hitting rock bottom because then surrender is the easiest thing in the world. It's like, well, I haven't got anything else. You can have everything. So I I praise God for that. And I think about you know, families with a with a you know a nice house and a nice car on the drive and a couple of kids and life looks good, and actually it's going to be harder for them to surrender than it was for me, right? We need to pray for them harder. I knew I was a sinner. Someone explains that Jesus died for your sins, fine. I know I'm a sinner. Like none of my actions in my 20s and early 30s were good. So I praise God for that. And then, of course, uh met Helen, yay. Got married, job came up at the church, and that's my life since, and now I stand in front of you. You're talking about baptism in the spirit. It's mental.
SPEAKER_01What a change.
SPEAKER_00It's mental. Like, it is mental. When you when you really piece it together, when I say these things out loud, it's insane how God took a wretch like me, saved me, and changed my entire life. Thanks, Kev. I need you. You can come. It's good, no one else is whooping.
SPEAKER_01That makes your testimony. That makes your testimony more powerful. Which your testimony makes it more powerful because of the way you came from.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I agree. I mean, I don't want to, you know, I I think every testimony is important, right? But Neil often pushes me up and says, like, do yours.
SPEAKER_01It resonates with a lot of people.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it does. And and exactly, like, you know, for me, speaking to the couple with the nice house and the nice car, you know, it's not the same thing. You know, it's it's there's there's people more, there's people better at speaking to them. Me speaking to the addict and the homeless guy, absolutely, I've been there, and I know exactly what you need, and it's Jesus. Um, so thank you, Iris. Thank you, Iris, as well. So Kev and Iris get a star. Ooh, that's such a good question. Because thank you, and this is amazing, it's so interactive. Um because Birmingham City Mission is an interdenominational charity, but probably more evangelical, probably solely Jesus focused, but there were people within there that were that would have been from sort of charismatic churches, if that makes sense. So I was a sponge during that time and I wanted to know everything. I cannot pinpoint a moment, and this is really interesting, and same for salvation, because some people can't pinpoint a moment. Um, in fact, this isn't in my notes at all. But what I go back to, and I was really pleased actually, in fact, we're just going freehand now. Um the other week we did a prayer ministry training course. Were you there actually? Yeah, some people were there, weren't they? And um and it was fantastic, and I was really pleased. So, Phil, one of our other elders, Phil spoke on um evidence of baptism in the spirit. And some people were like, Is it tongues? Is it tongues? Because I think that's what you kind of get within the charismatic Pentecostal church. It's got to be tongues, right? Otherwise, you know, you can't be baptized in the spirit. I don't speak in tongues. Uh I think I've done it twice, three times. Um I don't practice speaking in tongues. Uh, I have no issue with it. It's a gift that's available to us. Joel will be speaking more into the gifts in a couple of weeks. Um, but his answer was brilliant. His answer goes back to Galatians, that actually you'll know them by their fruit. And it really pleased me to hear his answer and how that verse impacted my life so much. Much. Um, so you you know the the fruits of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Thanks everyone. And I didn't have any of those before. So when I reflect on when I was baptized in the spirit, I think about that verse because I didn't have I might have had a temporary joy, might have had a temporary peace, maybe a little bit of patience, maybe some kindness, definitely no self-control, and no goodness. So when I think about when my baptism in the spirit happened, I think about that because he changed all that in my heart. I am none of those things without the Holy Spirit. Um, and this is a really honest, open conversation. This is really good, actually. We can do this in a little church setting, can't we? Because some people say you have to be slain in the spirit, you have to be lying on the floor shaking. I don't agree. Because, well, actually, should we do the rest of the preach and find out more? When Neil listens back to this, he'll be mad. Spirit gives us at salvation, the spirit gives us life. At spirit baptism, the spirit gives us power. Jesus himself made this distinction. The disciples were already believers before Pentecost. They had followed Jesus, they had confessed him as Lord, and they had seen him resurrected. In John 20, 22, Jesus breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit. Yet after this, Jesus still told them to wait for another experience. Acts 1.8. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses. Notice that Jesus did not say you will receive salvation. He did not say you'll receive forgiveness. He did not say you will become children of God. They already were. Instead, he said they would receive power. The purpose of spirit baptism is empowerment. Why did Jesus tell them to wait? Think about the disciples. These men had spent three years with Jesus. They had watched blind eyes open, they had seen storms calmed, they had watched the dead raised. If anyone was qualified to change the world, it was them. But Jesus said, wait. Why? Because knowledge without power is not enough. Good intentions without power is not enough. Even sincere faith without power is not enough for the mission God has given his church. Jesus knew they would face opposition, he knew they would face persecution, he knew they would face impossible situations, they needed supernatural empowerment. So they waited, and everything changed. Acts 2, 1 to 4. When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. The sound of rushing wind filled the house, tongues of fire appeared, the disciples were filled with the Spirit. The church was born in power immediately, boldness replaced fear, courage replaced hesitation, confidence replaced uncertainty. Peter's perhaps the greatest example. Weeks earlier he denied Jesus three times. A servant girl questioned him and he fell apart. After being filled with the Spirit, Peter stood before thousands and proclaimed Christ boldly. What changed? Spirit's power. Same Peter, same personality, same background, different power. That's what the Holy Spirit does. That's the evidence in the book of Acts. Throughout Acts, we repeatedly see believers receiving the Holy Spirit after conversion. The Samaritans in Acts 8, the Samaritans believed the gospel. They were baptized in water, yet Peter, John, and came and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit. Why? Because there was a distinction between their conversion and this empowering experience. Saul. Saul encounters Jesus on the Damascus road. He believes. Yet a few days later, Ananias lays hands on him so that he may be filled with the Holy Spirit. Paul would later become Paul, one of the most powerful ministers in church history. He wrote more than half the New Testament that we read today. Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? That question itself suggests there was an expectation of a distinct experience beyond conversion. Paul prayed for them and they received the Holy Spirit. Again and again in Acts, we see the same pattern. Salvation and spirit empowerment are closely connected, but they are not always identical experiences. What's the purpose of Spirit Baptism? Many people are focused on manifestations and gifts, but Jesus gave us the primary purpose in Acts 1.8. You will receive power and you will be my witnesses. Spirit baptism is not primarily about having an exciting experience, it's about coming, becoming an effective witness. This is good. Thanks, Kev. Holy Spirit empowers us to share Christ boldly, pray effectively, serve faithfully, love sacrificially, stand firm under pressure, operate in spiritual gifts, advance God's kingdom. Holy Spirit does not make us spectators, he makes us participants. Some argue spirit baptism is only for the first century church, but scripture never says that. Peter's message on Pentecost says the opposite. Acts 2, 38, 39. Repent and be baptized, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, for all whom the Lord our God will call. Promise is not limited to one generation. It was for future generations as well as the church. It was for future generations as well. The church today faces many of the same challenges the early church had. We need wisdom, we need boldness, we need spiritual power, we need discernment, we need courage, we need everything the Holy Spirit provides. The mission has not changed, therefore, the empowerment has not become unnecessary. Holy Spirit is not an optional extra. I put this into AI. Does anyone use AI? Well, you're definitely not using your phones to its fullest. The analogy that came out is the Holy Spirit is not an optional extra. Imagine buying a car and deciding never to start the engine. You sit inside, you admire it, you appreciate it, but you never go anywhere. This isn't my words. Many believers are trying to live the Christian life of their own strength. They are exhausted, frustrated, discouraged. The Christian life was never meant to be lived by human effort alone. God never intended us to rely on our own power. The Holy Spirit is God's answer to human weakness. Praise AI. Am I joking? I'm joking. No, don't no. It's killing the planet. But I appreciate it for that. I thought it was a really good analogy. Helen loves an analogy. Zechariah 4, 6. Not by might nor by power. But by my spirit, says the Lord Almighty. The church was born by the Spirit. It grows by the Spirit. It fulfills its mission by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is for ordinary people. If you have any misconceptions that it's for spiritual superstars, you are wrong. It's for fishermen, tax collectors, former persecutors, ordinary men and women. God delights in taking ordinary people and filling them with extraordinary power. The qualification is not perfection, the qualification is hunger. Amen. Those were my I use that one. Thanks. Cheers, everyone. Jesus said in Luke 11 13, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him? Notice the simplicity. Ask. Not earn, not deserve, not achieve, ask. Holy Spirit is a gift from a loving Father, being continually filled even after Pentecost's believers were filled again. Acts 4.31. After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. These were the same people who had already experienced Pentecost. Yet they were filled again. This teaches us something important. Christian life is not meant to consist of one powerful moment years ago. God wants ongoing encounters with His Spirit. We need continual refreshing, continual strengthening, continual empowering. Ephesians 5.18 says, be filled with the Spirit. In the original language, it says keep on being filled. What's the conclusion? The Holy Spirit comes with us at salvation. That is biblical, that is essential, that is wonderful. But scripture also teaches empowering work of the Holy Spirit for ministry, witness, and spiritual effectiveness. Salvation gives life, spirit baptism gives us power. Salvation makes us children of God. Spirit baptism equips us for the mission of God. Salvation prepares us for heaven. Spirit baptism empowers us for earth. God has not called us to struggle through the Christian life, relying solely on our own abilities. He's given us his spirit, the same spirit who empowered Peter, the same spirit who empowered Paul, the same spirit who empowered the early church. And the same spirit is available today. So if you're hungry for more of God, ask. If you desire greater boldness, ask. If you want power to serve, ask. If you want to be used by God in a deeper way, ask. Don't settle for a splash when God is offering a river.
SPEAKER_01Swim it. Oh, so good.
SPEAKER_00Should we pray? I think we'll wait for a couple of weeks. I was going to make it, there's a few people missing this, we're going to make it sort of a call, but I think actually when when um when Joe speaks in a couple of weeks and speaks specifically on gifts of the Spirit, open your hearts that day and be prepared to receive that day and let's see what gifts God's got available to us. But today we're just going to close. Thank you. This has been fun. I've had a really good morning actually. I've got my new cardigan on. I'm happy. Thank you. Jesus, thank you for saving us. Thank you for giving us your spirit. Fill us afresh. Baptize us in your spirit. Lord, we want to live lives for you. It's such revelation, actually, that salvation is for eternity, but spirit is for power here on earth. Lord, we thank you. May we stop using 10% of what you offer us. There's so much more available. We thank you that we're saved. We thank you for our eternity is promised. And we joyously look forward to the day when we get there, but there's a life here on earth first. There are struggles and woes to overcome, and there's people to bring along for the ride. Lord, we can't do any of that without the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. And as we dwell on this word today, and as we think over the next couple of weeks, and we look forward to Joe's talk about the gifts that are available to us. Lord, we pray that you are stirring our hearts and stirring our souls. You are so good and we are so blessed. We are so thankful to know you intimately. To continually learn more about what you have to offer us. And we apologize again and again when we fall short. Knowing that our Saviour forgives us time and time and time again. We serve a great big God and we are so grateful. We bring everything to you, this whole church to you, what's about to happen over the coming weeks to you, in your precious son's name. Amen. Amen.
SPEAKER_01Thank you so much.