WEBVTT 00:00:01.439 --> 00:00:08.960 This podcast is a ministry of Grant Parkway Baptist Church, helping people go enjoy and glorify God. 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:14.000 For more information about Grant Parkway, visit GrantProkway.org. 00:00:20.079 --> 00:00:23.039 Sometimes you come to church, and I don't know how you came today. 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:26.239 Some of you may have come in today and you're like, hey, I'm not real good at this. 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:27.839 That's okay, relax. 00:00:28.559 --> 00:00:32.159 You're like, I haven't been to church since last Easter. 00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:33.200 Relax. 00:00:33.679 --> 00:00:36.640 Let me explain the whole Bible to you in about 30 seconds. 00:00:36.880 --> 00:00:41.119 The first thing that God said to the first people, Adam and Eve, was, You're free. 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:43.200 To eat of any tree in the garden. 00:00:43.439 --> 00:00:44.880 They screwed it up. 00:00:45.200 --> 00:00:47.439 Because freedom's a hard thing to handle. 00:00:47.759 --> 00:00:50.320 When you doubt the person that gave it to you. 00:00:50.640 --> 00:00:54.640 Jesus came to restore us to the freedom we were created to live in. 00:00:55.439 --> 00:00:58.799 That's why he says in John 8, you'll know the truth, the truth will set you free. 00:00:59.039 --> 00:01:01.840 He says, if the Son has set you free, you're free indeed. 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:05.120 So if you're here today and you think this is religion, you're wrong. 00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:06.400 This is relationship. 00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:10.000 And one of the byproducts of relationship is freedom. 00:01:10.319 --> 00:01:10.640 Okay? 00:01:11.359 --> 00:01:12.799 That's what it's all about. 00:01:13.439 --> 00:01:18.959 So let me voice a prayer, and then we're gonna we want God to kind of help us uh get more freed up. 00:01:19.120 --> 00:01:22.079 Now, now some of you hear that, and you're like, easy pastor, easy. 00:01:22.640 --> 00:01:22.959 No. 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:25.120 Don't easy me. 00:01:25.840 --> 00:01:30.319 I'm saying to you, you don't need to be afraid of what you were created for. 00:01:30.959 --> 00:01:31.280 Okay? 00:01:31.680 --> 00:01:32.319 Let's pray. 00:01:32.480 --> 00:01:34.079 Lord Jesus, thanks for the truth. 00:01:34.159 --> 00:01:35.200 It sets us free. 00:01:35.439 --> 00:01:37.599 God, you don't want us to live in religious bondage. 00:01:37.680 --> 00:01:44.799 You don't want us to waste our lives caring about things that you don't care about, and you sure don't want us to waste our lives saying things that you never said. 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:47.519 And so, God, we don't want to misrepresent you. 00:01:47.840 --> 00:01:55.200 And so, Holy Spirit, speak loud and clear today so we can hear, we can get better at something that we were created to experience. 00:01:55.359 --> 00:01:58.640 We pray this in Jesus' name, and everyone said, Amen. 00:01:58.719 --> 00:01:59.359 You could have a seat. 00:01:59.439 --> 00:02:02.879 If you've got a Bible, I invite you to take it and open it up to Acts chapter 8. 00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:04.079 Acts chapter 8. 00:02:04.159 --> 00:02:12.159 And while you're getting your Bible with your other uh while you're opening your Bible with your other hand, I want you to reach in your pocket or purse and pull out some paper form of currency. 00:02:12.319 --> 00:02:18.080 Uh it could be a one or a five or a twenty or a hundred if you got that tucked away somewhere. 00:02:18.240 --> 00:02:19.199 A Benjamin. 00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:22.159 Uh uh, I want you to pull it out like right now, pull it out. 00:02:22.240 --> 00:02:23.680 Yes, butch, you pull it out too. 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:24.080 There you go. 00:02:24.159 --> 00:02:25.120 Uncross your arms. 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:27.919 Even the cool people, John, ask Christopher some money. 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:29.120 Uh, there you go. 00:02:29.280 --> 00:02:31.919 Yeah, women are coming going to their husband, give me some money. 00:02:32.000 --> 00:02:32.319 Yeah. 00:02:32.479 --> 00:02:34.159 Don't give it back after you get it. 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:36.159 Uh and so I want you to pull it out. 00:02:36.479 --> 00:02:38.240 This is called contextualization. 00:02:38.400 --> 00:02:40.080 I'm gonna give you a context, okay? 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:44.159 So actually lean over, pull that bill folded out, unfold it. 00:02:44.319 --> 00:02:48.159 I know some of you are so tight that George Washington blinks the light when you open up your bill fold. 00:02:50.159 --> 00:02:51.680 What's happening? 00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:55.039 Uh you know, expose George's and why. 00:02:55.199 --> 00:02:56.159 Pull out anything you want. 00:02:56.240 --> 00:02:57.439 I don't care what currency it is. 00:02:57.520 --> 00:02:59.919 Now, if you got it, hold it up in the air. 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:01.120 Hold it up. 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:02.159 Now bring it to me. 00:03:02.319 --> 00:03:03.599 No, I'm just kidding. 00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:07.599 I sound like TV preachers, didn't I? 00:03:07.840 --> 00:03:08.479 Bring it to me. 00:03:08.560 --> 00:03:09.759 Uh do me a favor. 00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:17.199 If you look on the right side, just to the right of the president, down towards the bottom, it says Secretary of the Treasury. 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:21.599 And then it's got a signature of somebody that you can't read their writing, can you? 00:03:21.840 --> 00:03:24.639 Like mine is a guy named Jack Lou. 00:03:24.960 --> 00:03:29.919 His penmanship is so bad, President Obama told him you need to practice writing your name. 00:03:30.240 --> 00:03:31.520 This is not good. 00:03:31.680 --> 00:03:34.879 Now, at this point, you're probably wondering, why do we have money out? 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:39.199 Okay, see, you look at your friends, kind of going, see, these churches are all about getting your money. 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:40.319 I don't want your money. 00:03:40.479 --> 00:03:42.000 I want your understanding today. 00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:52.879 We're gonna read in just a minute in the book of Acts, a guy named Philip, just an ordinary guy, named Philip, has a conversation with the Secretary of the Treasury of the nation of Ethiopia. 00:03:54.319 --> 00:03:58.400 Now, y'all are kind of like, uh, okay, I don't work with that guy. 00:03:58.639 --> 00:04:00.240 Uh here's why I tell you that. 00:04:00.319 --> 00:04:01.360 And you can put your money up. 00:04:01.439 --> 00:04:02.639 Uh here's why I tell you that. 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:10.400 Because sometimes we get around powerful people and we think about them in terms of what they can do for us instead of what the gospel can do for them. 00:04:10.639 --> 00:04:12.080 And so look at me. 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:15.439 The goal of this whole thing is God want, we're in a series. 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:17.360 If you're our guest, we're in a series called Better. 00:04:17.519 --> 00:04:18.079 Just better. 00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:21.120 And we're beginning the new year, spending a couple months looking at things we want to get better at. 00:04:21.199 --> 00:04:24.480 And today we're gonna talk about getting better at spiritual conversations. 00:04:24.720 --> 00:04:35.040 Getting better at spiritual conversations because we live in a country that says, well, there's two things people don't like to talk about religion and yes, some of you, some of you watch Fox News. 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:36.079 Religion and politics. 00:04:36.160 --> 00:04:36.480 That's right. 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:37.439 People are like, I don't want to. 00:04:37.839 --> 00:04:38.480 But here's the thing. 00:04:38.560 --> 00:04:46.560 I'm choking on the hypocrisy of that because just this past week, over two million people marched through the streets of our city in the name of politics. 00:04:46.959 --> 00:04:48.399 Some of them even made signs. 00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:51.839 Some of them hoisted their kids on their shoulders and marched down the streets. 00:04:51.920 --> 00:04:58.319 And so, if they're so brazen as to do that, I think we should just kind of step up and engage in this cultural dialogue with people. 00:04:58.399 --> 00:05:02.560 And so when I say getting better at spiritual conversations, I'm not talking about arguing. 00:05:02.720 --> 00:05:04.000 I'm not talking about Roe v. 00:05:04.160 --> 00:05:07.040 Wade, I'm not talking about he's not my president. 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:08.959 Bigger and better than that. 00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:10.639 And so much, look at me. 00:05:10.879 --> 00:05:20.000 God so believes that you can do that, and not only that, that people are gonna walk away happier that the conversation happened than they were before you came. 00:05:20.959 --> 00:05:22.800 That's what the Bible believes. 00:05:22.959 --> 00:05:24.399 That's what the Bible calls us to. 00:05:24.639 --> 00:05:25.439 Acts chapter 8. 00:05:25.519 --> 00:05:26.959 I'll start reading verse 26. 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:33.759 It says, Now the angel of the Lord said to Philip, Rise and go towards the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:34.959 This is a desert place. 00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:38.160 And as he rose and he went, and there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch. 00:05:38.240 --> 00:05:45.279 By the way, a eunuch is somebody that forsakes marriage and they take on a life of celibacy to dedicate themselves to a cause. 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:50.720 And so this guy has dedicated himself to be in service to Candace, the queen of Ethiopia. 00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:52.959 And says, So this is a desert place. 00:05:53.120 --> 00:06:00.319 He rose and went, and there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who's in charge of all of her treasure. 00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:05.839 He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:08.639 And the Spirit said to Philip, Go over and join this chariot. 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:13.519 And so Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and he asked, Do you understand what you're reading? 00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:16.000 And he said, How can I, unless someone guides me? 00:06:16.160 --> 00:06:18.399 And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 00:06:18.639 --> 00:06:26.399 Now the passage of Scripture that he was reading was this: like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb before its shear is silent, so he opens not his mouth. 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:29.199 In his humiliation, justice was denied him. 00:06:29.360 --> 00:06:30.720 Who can describe his generation? 00:06:30.879 --> 00:06:32.639 For his life was taken away from the earth. 00:06:32.800 --> 00:06:36.480 And the eunuch said to Philip, About whom I ask you, does the prophet say this? 00:06:36.639 --> 00:06:38.560 About himself or about someone else? 00:06:38.720 --> 00:06:45.839 And then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this scripture, underline those four words, beginning with this scripture. 00:06:46.079 --> 00:06:47.920 He told him the good news about Jesus. 00:06:48.079 --> 00:06:52.079 And as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, See, here's water. 00:06:52.240 --> 00:06:54.000 What prevents me from being baptized? 00:06:54.160 --> 00:06:57.600 And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water. 00:06:57.759 --> 00:06:59.600 Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:03.839 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more. 00:07:03.920 --> 00:07:05.600 And he went on his way rejoicing. 00:07:06.319 --> 00:07:07.360 Just stop right there. 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:08.720 Hear that last part? 00:07:08.879 --> 00:07:10.959 And he went on his way rejoicing. 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:12.079 Look at me, beloved. 00:07:12.399 --> 00:07:18.240 It's possible to have spiritual conversations with people that are not conflictual, they're actually helpful. 00:07:18.399 --> 00:07:21.199 And people walk away and they're glad that they happened. 00:07:21.600 --> 00:07:28.240 The Bible says that you and I, that God's not has called us and equipped us to have those kind of conversations. 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:31.680 And so I want to talk to us this morning about getting better at that. 00:07:31.759 --> 00:07:36.720 There's five things from the passage I want you to see that'll help us get better at having those kind of conversations. 00:07:36.879 --> 00:07:39.680 The first one is simply this we need a sense of belonging. 00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:41.040 We need a sense of belonging. 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:45.920 And by that I mean we need a sense that our life is a part of what God's doing here in this world. 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:47.839 We started reading in Acts chapter 8. 00:07:47.920 --> 00:07:50.240 But if you have a Bible, flip back to Acts chapter 1. 00:07:50.319 --> 00:07:51.279 I want to show you something. 00:07:51.360 --> 00:07:53.519 I'll start about Acts chapter 1. 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:55.279 I'll start reading in verse 6. 00:07:55.439 --> 00:08:01.040 Now, the book of Acts is basically what happens after Jesus finishes mission here on the earth. 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:02.399 He ascends back to heaven. 00:08:02.560 --> 00:08:06.959 He lists the Holy Spirit comes to be with God's people to lead us into the truth. 00:08:07.120 --> 00:08:11.360 The book of Acts is about how the church got started and how Christianity spreads. 00:08:11.519 --> 00:08:15.120 And so, but way back in Acts chapter 1, starting in verse 6, this is what it says. 00:08:15.279 --> 00:08:19.759 It says, So when they'd come together, they asked him, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? 00:08:19.920 --> 00:08:23.360 Now this is the disciples and Jesus, they're having this conversation. 00:08:23.600 --> 00:08:26.079 They said, Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? 00:08:26.240 --> 00:08:31.040 And he said to them, It's not for you to know the times or the seasons that the Father is fixed by his own authority. 00:08:31.199 --> 00:08:39.120 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all of Judea and Samaria until the end of the earth. 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:43.039 Now, there's something that happens that I don't have time to preach, but I want to just point to. 00:08:49.440 --> 00:08:52.399 Let me say this again: they want knowledge or information. 00:08:52.559 --> 00:08:54.639 Are you gonna restore the kingdom to Israel? 00:08:54.799 --> 00:08:55.679 Is this gonna happen? 00:08:55.759 --> 00:08:58.480 And Jesus says, Hey, that's not for you to know. 00:08:58.639 --> 00:09:04.399 Don't become some religious egghead who kind of has everything figured out and you're the Bible answer man. 00:09:04.720 --> 00:09:09.360 You I gotta ask yourself, would I rather have information or would I rather have power? 00:09:10.159 --> 00:09:11.360 Would I rather have information? 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:12.879 Because the disciples want information. 00:09:12.960 --> 00:09:16.639 And Jesus said, Hey, you'll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. 00:09:16.799 --> 00:09:18.159 And this is the consequence of that. 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:26.320 He says, You'll have spiritual conversations with people, not just in Jerusalem, but in Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world. 00:09:26.480 --> 00:09:28.879 Now, that's Acts chapter 1, verse 8. 00:09:29.039 --> 00:09:37.039 Now, where we started in Acts chapter 8, if you uh we started in verse 26, but if you go back to the very start of the chapter, look what happens. 00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:47.440 It says in verse 1, and there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered uh throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:55.279 Now, God told them, hey, Jesus said, You're gonna be my witnesses, you're gonna have these kind of conversations in Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth. 00:09:55.440 --> 00:10:00.399 Now, already here in seven chapters later, Acts chapter eight, what happens? 00:10:00.480 --> 00:10:02.080 God says, Hey, it's coming true. 00:10:02.240 --> 00:10:04.960 You're leaving Jerusalem, you're going to Judea, Samaria. 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:09.519 Like if you look down in Acts chapter 8, verse 4, right above verse 4, there's a caption. 00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:12.240 It says basically Philip preaches, and where does he preach? 00:10:13.759 --> 00:10:14.639 What does it say? 00:10:16.000 --> 00:10:16.639 Samaria. 00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:17.840 He has it. 00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:19.200 So what God said. 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:25.759 See, Philip has this sense of, oh, I'm I'm getting to experience what Jesus said, I get to experience. 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:31.600 I have this sense that there's you ever have this sense that there's more to this whole thing than what you're experiencing? 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:37.440 You don't need to watch late-night TV preachers that use words like destiny and breaking through to the next level. 00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:44.000 You need to just submit yourself to what God has already said and say to God consistently, I want to be a part of what you're doing in this world. 00:10:44.159 --> 00:10:46.639 Philip had that, because if not, here's what's going to happen. 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:48.879 You're going to always think the next thing is going to be it. 00:10:49.039 --> 00:10:53.840 The next promotion, the next house, the next SUV up the vehicle food chain. 00:10:53.919 --> 00:10:57.279 Then you're going to think, okay, well, when our kids get married, my kids get married. 00:10:57.440 --> 00:10:59.519 Oh, when we have grandkids, you get grandkids. 00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:03.679 They're cute in the beginning, and then they come to your house, and it looks like a bomb went off. 00:11:03.840 --> 00:11:07.039 And you have this thought that goes through your head every once in a while that says this. 00:11:07.360 --> 00:11:09.840 Is this all I'm doing is just waiting to die? 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:18.240 Because when you live disconnected from a bigger purpose than just a paycheck, it will eat a hole in you every day of the week. 00:11:18.480 --> 00:11:20.879 So when I say we get better at these, how do we get better? 00:11:20.960 --> 00:11:22.720 The first thing is we have this sense of belonging. 00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:23.759 Philip had this. 00:11:23.840 --> 00:11:25.200 He had this sense that you know what? 00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:30.080 Jesus said, Hey, you're going to receive power, not just information, but power. 00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:40.080 And this is gonna this is gonna empower you to have spiritual conversations, not just in religious places like the church, like Jerusalem, but Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth. 00:11:40.240 --> 00:11:42.399 Why am I beating you over the head with this? 00:11:42.639 --> 00:11:52.320 Because Philip, Acts chapter 8, he has this conversation with the Samaritan where we jump in, he's having a conversation with a guy from Ethiopia, the uttermost parts of the earth. 00:11:52.639 --> 00:11:55.679 He is getting to experience what Jesus talked about. 00:11:55.840 --> 00:11:59.759 Ask yourself, would you like to fill your life with synced up with God's purposes? 00:11:59.919 --> 00:12:01.519 Or do you feel like it's synced up? 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:02.879 Or do you feel like, you know what? 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:08.320 I go to work, I make a paycheck, got a pretty good gig, it's not hard, I enjoy it. 00:12:08.480 --> 00:12:11.600 Money's kind of piling up, my my my money market. 00:12:11.679 --> 00:12:14.080 I mean, Donald Trump's got the thing over 20,000. 00:12:14.159 --> 00:12:15.200 Are you kidding me? 00:12:16.399 --> 00:12:18.320 If you're not careful, look at me, beloved. 00:12:18.720 --> 00:12:24.000 You can succeed at everything you prefer and fail at the one thing that God requires. 00:12:24.240 --> 00:12:27.840 And that's that you and I be people who know how to have these kind of conversations. 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:31.200 So it helps us get better, number one, is this sense of belonging. 00:12:31.360 --> 00:12:34.399 Number two is to be we need to be tuned in to what God is saying. 00:12:34.559 --> 00:12:36.559 Look at the verse 26. 00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:42.399 Now the angel of the Lord said to Philip, Rise and go towards the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. 00:12:42.559 --> 00:12:43.600 This is a desert place. 00:12:43.759 --> 00:12:49.519 Now, when the Bible says, go to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, there's two roads that go from Jerusalem to Gaza. 00:12:49.679 --> 00:12:51.279 How does Philip know which one to go? 00:12:51.440 --> 00:12:55.279 Because if he goes to the wrong one, he misses this guy altogether. 00:12:56.080 --> 00:13:03.279 Ask yourself, have you ever had the experience of knowing that you sense God wanted you to do something and you did it? 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:09.039 You just you just kind of like, yeah, I think God's leading me to do this and you did it, and you're like, yes, that was God. 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:10.240 Has anybody ever had that experience? 00:13:10.320 --> 00:13:11.360 Can I see your hand? 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:13.039 Now let me ask you this question. 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:23.200 Did that feeling come because this angel, this person with big wings on their back and this luminous glow about them, come in your bedroom and say, This is what you're going to do now. 00:13:23.440 --> 00:13:24.399 Get ready. 00:13:24.720 --> 00:13:26.320 No, you had this sense. 00:13:26.399 --> 00:13:27.200 Now, what do you mean? 00:13:27.360 --> 00:13:29.200 The Bible calls it walking in the spirit. 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:32.799 When I say that you need to have a, you need to be tuned into what God is saying. 00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:36.799 I had this conversation uh with my children one time. 00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:41.840 I used to have it a lot with my oldest because she would always get in my truck and start pushing buttons on my radio. 00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:44.159 And I was like, Don't ever touch a white man's radio. 00:13:44.240 --> 00:13:44.879 What are you doing? 00:13:45.039 --> 00:13:47.360 And she's like, Oh, Dad, you're killing my jam. 00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:49.679 I'm gonna kill something else if you don't stop that. 00:13:49.840 --> 00:13:54.799 And I just said one time out loud, hey, you know, radios used to have knobs. 00:13:55.039 --> 00:13:57.600 And she was like, shut up. 00:13:58.000 --> 00:14:00.720 And I went, and she said, How'd you find anything? 00:14:00.960 --> 00:14:14.799 And I said, You had to take your thumb and index finger, and very delicately you had to tune that bad boy in to where you got because just because the big little orange indicator thing was was real like fat and thick, and you could just one little nanomove and be, oh, that's too far. 00:14:14.879 --> 00:14:17.120 But you had to just dial it in to where you just right there. 00:14:17.279 --> 00:14:24.559 Anne had five little buttons, and you could pull the buttons forward, pull them out, and then push them in, and that locked in your presets. 00:14:24.720 --> 00:14:27.519 And she goes, Are you serious? 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:29.279 And I'm like, Yeah, yeah. 00:14:29.360 --> 00:14:33.200 So when you get in here and start pushing buttons, I flash back to those days. 00:14:33.279 --> 00:14:34.960 And and you you just didn't do that. 00:14:35.039 --> 00:14:39.759 And I said, Ann used to cars did not come with FM radio in them. 00:14:40.159 --> 00:14:42.799 And she was like, shut up. 00:14:43.279 --> 00:14:48.000 I said, Yes, serious XM satellite radio hasn't been here forever. 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:50.399 What did y'all listen to? 00:14:51.039 --> 00:14:52.480 Automatic for the people. 00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:53.919 Music is free. 00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:58.799 She's like, so you just had to listen to the commercials and everything? 00:14:58.960 --> 00:14:59.440 Mm-hmm. 00:14:59.919 --> 00:15:00.320 Yeah. 00:15:00.720 --> 00:15:02.159 Now, why am I telling you that? 00:15:02.320 --> 00:15:11.440 Because when I say, hey, you need to be tuned into what God is saying, I'm saying to you, uh, let me tell you this, and I'll give you two pictures because we fall into one of these categories, these pictures, okay? 00:15:11.600 --> 00:15:16.080 When I'm saying you gotta be tuned in, the Bible calls it walking in the Spirit, being synced up with what God. 00:15:16.399 --> 00:15:18.320 You should get up every morning and make sure. 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:20.879 How do you know you're tuned in to what God is saying? 00:15:22.159 --> 00:15:28.639 Because what we usually do is we don't tune in, we just play the songs we like to listen to, and then we hope God likes what we're doing. 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:31.120 Let me give you two pictures of what I'm talking about. 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:33.840 When I talk about being synced up and tuned in. 00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:36.399 And by the way, uh, before I do that, let me just say this. 00:15:36.720 --> 00:15:38.320 How do I know this is what God's saying? 00:15:38.399 --> 00:15:38.960 There's two roads. 00:15:39.039 --> 00:15:39.840 How do you know which one? 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:41.519 There's four ways God speaks, okay? 00:15:41.759 --> 00:15:46.240 Traditionally and typically speaking, there's four areas and ways that God speaks to us. 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:47.200 Let me listen for you. 00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:51.679 His word, prayer, spiritual authority, and circumstances. 00:15:52.159 --> 00:15:53.279 Let me say those again. 00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:56.399 His word, that's where God speaks the loudest. 00:15:57.200 --> 00:16:01.039 He speaks through prayer, he speaks through spiritual authority. 00:16:01.440 --> 00:16:04.480 That's pastors, teachers, youth pastors, that kind of thing. 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:07.440 Your mom and dad, uh, and then circumstances. 00:16:07.519 --> 00:16:10.480 Now put a put a put a little star by circumstances, okay? 00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:16.879 Because uh let me say this the spirit of God never tells the people of God to do anything that violates the word of God. 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:18.480 Let me say that again. 00:16:18.639 --> 00:16:22.639 The Spirit of God never tells the people of God to do anything that violates the word of God. 00:16:22.799 --> 00:16:28.240 I had a friend of mine that called me one night, loud music in the background, and I said, Man, are you like at a club or something? 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:36.559 And he said, and I quote, no, no, I was driving down Highway 59, and the Holy Spirit told me to come in the Colorado Club and witness to some of these women. 00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:42.320 What? 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:45.120 I I I thought I did not hear what I just heard. 00:16:45.200 --> 00:16:48.000 By the way, the Colorado Club is a fabric-free environment. 00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:51.919 I say it like that with your kids in the room. 00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:55.519 And so I heard blurred music in the background, and I said, Come again. 00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:56.639 What did you say? 00:16:56.799 --> 00:16:58.000 He goes, Yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:16:58.080 --> 00:16:59.679 I need you to bear down in prayer. 00:16:59.759 --> 00:17:02.399 I'm gonna bear down on your neck if you don't get out of there. 00:17:02.639 --> 00:17:04.079 You're in the Colorado Club. 00:17:04.160 --> 00:17:05.599 The strip club Bob 59. 00:17:05.759 --> 00:17:06.880 Yeah, yeah, the Lord told me to cut. 00:17:07.200 --> 00:17:09.920 No, Bob, he did not tell you to come in here. 00:17:10.319 --> 00:17:12.160 Some of y'all remember Bob, don't you? 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:14.480 Yes, that's that Bob, Ronnie. 00:17:14.640 --> 00:17:15.519 That Bob. 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:17.599 I love me some Bob. 00:17:17.839 --> 00:17:22.720 Bob, Bob was always about, I was just like, Bob, you're in the Colorado club. 00:17:23.039 --> 00:17:23.599 What's your name? 00:17:23.759 --> 00:17:24.240 Destiny. 00:17:24.319 --> 00:17:25.680 I'm better name's Destiny. 00:17:25.759 --> 00:17:26.000 Yeah. 00:17:26.079 --> 00:17:27.279 You need to pray for destiny. 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:31.599 You need to pray for me because I'm gonna drag come down there and drag you out of there and beat you half to death, okay? 00:17:31.759 --> 00:17:32.480 Get out of there. 00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:33.279 Now why? 00:17:33.440 --> 00:17:37.279 Because the spirit of God doesn't tell men to go witness to strippers in a strip club. 00:17:38.160 --> 00:17:41.359 See how easy your flesh always wants to make it about you. 00:17:41.839 --> 00:17:47.759 Hey, so but to my friend's credit, he walked out and got in the parking lot and he said, You know, I just need you to pray for me now. 00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:49.920 And I said, I'm not mad at you, but come on. 00:17:50.079 --> 00:17:57.359 That's why I say put a star by circumstance, because the Spirit of God never tells the people of God to do anything that violates the word of God. 00:17:57.519 --> 00:18:01.920 To be tuned in to what God is saying prepares you to be a part of what God's doing. 00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:03.279 Let me say that again. 00:18:03.440 --> 00:18:08.640 To be tuned in to what God is saying prepares you, like Philip, to be a part of what God's doing. 00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:09.759 Let me give you two pictures. 00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:10.960 I have a dog at home. 00:18:11.039 --> 00:18:12.720 It's supposed to be a Manchester Schnauzer. 00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:13.680 I don't know what it's got in it. 00:18:13.759 --> 00:18:14.880 It's got some other stuff in it. 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:17.119 That dog, because I live right over here. 00:18:17.200 --> 00:18:26.400 There's people in my neighborhood, they have dogs, and they apparently have them trained and stuff because when they walk, they have a little harness on them and they have a little strap around their muzzle, and it's all nice and everything. 00:18:26.480 --> 00:18:29.839 And their dog, I mean, their dogs don't walk, their dogs prance. 00:18:30.079 --> 00:18:31.920 It's just like ride beside them. 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:33.519 I mean, they're never out of sync with them. 00:18:33.599 --> 00:18:35.359 They stop, they don't have to say anything. 00:18:35.519 --> 00:18:36.559 The dog just stops. 00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:39.039 They start walking, the dog gets up and walks. 00:18:39.200 --> 00:18:44.640 My dog, you open the front door, and from the time you open the front door to the time you get back, he chokes himself. 00:18:44.799 --> 00:18:49.599 He just runs to the end of the he runs up and down the fence. 00:18:49.759 --> 00:18:50.720 He runs in the road. 00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:57.200 So if you see me dragging that dog out of the road and going, get him on the sidewalk, they know you can't train that dog. 00:18:57.279 --> 00:19:02.400 And the whole time it's like, one lady said, You shouldn't abuse that dog. 00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:03.920 I'm not doing anything. 00:19:04.079 --> 00:19:05.599 I'm just holding him on. 00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:10.160 That dog just, and then we get him on the other side, like three blocks away. 00:19:10.319 --> 00:19:11.759 The dog says, Still in the grass. 00:19:11.839 --> 00:19:13.039 I need some sick of it. 00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:14.559 I can't walk anymore. 00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:16.960 And I'm like, because you're fat. 00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:18.160 You eat everything. 00:19:18.319 --> 00:19:18.880 You're fat. 00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:19.440 Get up. 00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:21.039 That dog can't walk. 00:19:21.279 --> 00:19:23.039 The dog's got like leukemia. 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:26.960 I'm like, you sound like Jabba the Hutt. 00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:28.480 Get up and walk. 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:32.480 And so I have to pick the dog up and carry it back. 00:19:33.039 --> 00:19:35.440 A dog can walk maybe two blocks. 00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:38.000 I passed a lady that's got the golden retriever. 00:19:38.160 --> 00:19:40.559 It's hair is better than my wife's hair. 00:19:40.799 --> 00:19:43.519 It's like, do you like, do you get a flat iron out of it? 00:19:43.599 --> 00:19:44.880 And my wife's got beautiful hair. 00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:50.720 But it means it's like flat ironed, it's glowing with this magnetic sheen coming off of it. 00:19:50.799 --> 00:19:52.880 And that dog just walks right beside him. 00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:55.599 And I'm carrying the dog going, can't you be that way? 00:19:56.240 --> 00:19:57.440 Don't you feel bad? 00:19:57.599 --> 00:20:02.400 And he's like, maybe when we get back, you can give me a treat. 00:20:03.200 --> 00:20:05.680 What have you done to deserve a treat? 00:20:06.480 --> 00:20:08.400 Now, why am I telling you this? 00:20:09.039 --> 00:20:15.200 Because those are two pictures, and everybody in this room falls on one of those two pictures in the way you relate to God. 00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:17.920 The Bible even talks about it. 00:20:18.240 --> 00:20:18.960 Psalm 32. 00:20:19.039 --> 00:20:23.440 He says, Don't be like the horse and mule that requires bit and bridle, or it will not stay close to you. 00:20:24.319 --> 00:20:28.720 Beloved, here's why you need to you see in Philip that this man was kind of tuned into what God was saying. 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:30.160 He says, Hey, go down to the road. 00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:31.519 Philip knew exactly what road. 00:20:31.599 --> 00:20:32.400 There's two options. 00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:34.480 He wasn't like, uh, which one's it gonna be? 00:20:34.640 --> 00:20:39.839 He knew exactly, hey, this is where the spirit is leading me today. 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:42.160 And also notice this mark this in your Bible. 00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:45.759 It says right there, this and the latter part at the very end of verse 26. 00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:47.279 This is a desert place. 00:20:48.319 --> 00:20:49.519 This is a desert place. 00:20:49.680 --> 00:20:50.480 Look at me. 00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:54.160 Sometimes the Holy Spirit leads you to places other people aren't going. 00:20:55.440 --> 00:20:59.519 You can't look around and see what everybody else is doing and take that as a sign of what God's doing. 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:08.079 Sometimes, just because it's hard, just because it's desolate, just because it's it's dank, doesn't mean that God's not saying, hey, I'm calling you to this. 00:21:08.480 --> 00:21:11.200 So see, we get better because we how do we get better? 00:21:11.279 --> 00:21:12.799 We need to be tuned in to what God is saying. 00:21:12.960 --> 00:21:14.559 Thirdly, we need to never assume. 00:21:15.119 --> 00:21:16.400 We need to never assume. 00:21:16.960 --> 00:21:17.839 How do you mean? 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:19.599 Listen to this guy. 00:21:20.319 --> 00:21:21.759 Latter part of verse 27. 00:21:21.920 --> 00:21:22.559 It says this. 00:21:22.640 --> 00:21:26.319 Well, verse 27, Philip rose and went, and there was an Ethiopian. 00:21:26.480 --> 00:21:28.319 Listen to the way the Bible describes this man. 00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:34.960 An Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all of her treasure. 00:21:35.279 --> 00:21:37.039 He had come to Jerusalem to worship. 00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:41.279 He was returning, seated in a chariot, and he was reading from the prophet Isaiah. 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:42.559 Now stop right there. 00:21:42.799 --> 00:21:45.680 What does the Bible tell us about this man so far? 00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:46.240 Okay? 00:21:46.559 --> 00:21:47.920