1 00:00:02,580 --> 00:00:07,920 - Good morning. 2 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:10,000 It's a good day to be in the house of the Lord. 3 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,920 God is already moving, He's been moving. 4 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:15,680 Aren't you glad that we have the gift of the Holy Spirit? 5 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:16,500 - Yeah. - Yes. 6 00:00:16,500 --> 00:00:18,320 And so He's gonna move today. 7 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:20,240 He's been moving, He's gonna continue to. 8 00:00:20,240 --> 00:00:22,920 Let's see that our hearts are open for a couple 9 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:25,240 other things real fast. 10 00:00:25,240 --> 00:00:27,680 Tuesday, November 19th, we are going to have 11 00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:30,440 the African Children's Choir here at Springhouse. 12 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:32,000 And we want you to be here. 13 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,720 You do not want to miss this very special event, okay? 14 00:00:35,720 --> 00:00:38,600 So we will have childcare for preschool ages. 15 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:42,880 We will be open similar to a midweek gathering 16 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:44,480 that's on a Tuesday night. 17 00:00:44,480 --> 00:00:45,560 Come and bring a friend. 18 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:47,000 This is a real special event. 19 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,640 This group travels globally and they're gonna be here 20 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:52,840 in Smyrna at our church on November 19th. 21 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:55,320 So we want you to make plans for that, okay? 22 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:57,200 After, so that's that. 23 00:00:57,200 --> 00:00:58,040 Okay, you got that? 24 00:00:58,040 --> 00:00:58,860 We good? 25 00:00:58,860 --> 00:01:01,200 Aren't you glad Pastor Barbie is back in the house? 26 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,280 - Yeah. (congregation applauding) 27 00:01:03,280 --> 00:01:07,520 - And we changed her job title to shenanigans coordinator 28 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:08,440 while she was gone. 29 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:10,580 And so we're waiting for that to get started. 30 00:01:10,580 --> 00:01:13,120 Guys, let me tell you, if you missed Thursday night, 31 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:14,560 you missed a real treat. 32 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:16,400 I want you to go back to the live stream 33 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,200 and listen to Pastor Barbie's message. 34 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:21,520 And there's two more weeks in this little mini series, 35 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:22,720 but man, it's poignant. 36 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:24,880 And I can tell that she's been on sabbatical. 37 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:28,920 Either like been through it or downloaded both sides 38 00:01:28,920 --> 00:01:31,560 of that coin, but it's real powerful and we're rich. 39 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:35,120 So I want you to download that and watch that online 40 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:37,360 and then come on Thursday if you can at six o'clock 41 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:40,080 and catch up with that series. 42 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:42,520 If you've noticed across the way in our parking lot, 43 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:45,780 we have a basketball court and it is open. 44 00:01:45,780 --> 00:01:49,520 And I just wanted to say thank you to Pastor James and Dana 45 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:53,280 for installing this basketball court for us. 46 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:58,280 It looks so professional and it was done by James and Dana. 47 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:00,640 It wasn't like we hired a bunch of people to come out. 48 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:03,240 They put it in and guys, it's been such an enhancement 49 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:04,080 to our church. 50 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:05,040 Everybody's talked about it. 51 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:06,960 Hopefully it'll be an epicenter for ministry 52 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:07,800 toward the Lord. 53 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:09,360 And so just thank you for your hard work 54 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:11,400 and your fingerprints on our ministry. 55 00:02:11,400 --> 00:02:14,040 Well, thank you for the, thank you for the Janssons. 56 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:20,360 And then I want to say we are rounding the end 57 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:23,200 and the close of our series, His Church. 58 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:24,600 And it has been a rich series. 59 00:02:24,600 --> 00:02:26,360 Who's been blessed by what the Lord's been doing 60 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:27,200 through this series? 61 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:30,280 Man, He has really been teaching me and growing me, 62 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,380 growing our family, but we are heading to this thing 63 00:02:33,380 --> 00:02:35,880 called Christmas and it's coming quick. 64 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:38,800 So today we're gonna talk about the Holy Spirit, go figure. 65 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:40,440 We've been talking about the Holy Spirit, right? 66 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:42,220 We're gonna talk about the Holy Spirit. 67 00:02:42,220 --> 00:02:45,080 And next week, Pastor Justin is gonna bring part two 68 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,420 of today's message entitled, "Wake Up." 69 00:02:47,420 --> 00:02:51,060 And so we're doing Acts 19 and 20, 19 today, 20 next week. 70 00:02:51,060 --> 00:02:55,900 And we're tag teaming the close of His Church series. 71 00:02:55,900 --> 00:02:57,980 And then the next week we're gonna talk about Thanksgiving 72 00:02:57,980 --> 00:02:59,860 and then we're gonna be into Advent, okay? 73 00:02:59,860 --> 00:03:02,380 Now there are more chapters than 20 chapters 74 00:03:02,380 --> 00:03:03,220 in the book of Acts. 75 00:03:03,220 --> 00:03:06,180 And I do encourage you to continue to read and see 76 00:03:06,180 --> 00:03:10,340 how the Holy Spirit was moving in Paul and his journey 77 00:03:10,340 --> 00:03:14,780 and all of the stories in scripture on how he utilized, 78 00:03:14,780 --> 00:03:16,460 how the Lord utilized His Holy Spirit 79 00:03:16,460 --> 00:03:17,560 to transform people's lives. 80 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:19,020 Continue to read and lean into that. 81 00:03:19,020 --> 00:03:20,860 But I wanted to give you a heads up of where we're going to 82 00:03:20,860 --> 00:03:22,920 be in the next few weeks. 83 00:03:22,920 --> 00:03:24,200 Does that sound good? 84 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:26,740 All right, with all of that, we're gonna be in Acts 19. 85 00:03:26,740 --> 00:03:30,380 Would you stand with me and would you read like you're 86 00:03:30,380 --> 00:03:34,100 cheering for the best football team on the planet? 87 00:03:34,100 --> 00:03:42,340 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road 88 00:03:42,340 --> 00:03:45,540 through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. 89 00:03:45,540 --> 00:03:48,500 There he found some disciples and asked them, 90 00:03:48,500 --> 00:03:52,260 "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" 91 00:03:52,260 --> 00:03:55,220 They answered, "No, we have not even heard 92 00:03:55,220 --> 00:03:57,280 "that there is a Holy Spirit." 93 00:03:57,280 --> 00:04:01,260 So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" 94 00:04:01,260 --> 00:04:04,000 "John's baptism," they replied. 95 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:08,500 Paul said John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. 96 00:04:08,500 --> 00:04:12,620 He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, 97 00:04:12,620 --> 00:04:14,740 that is in Jesus. 98 00:04:14,740 --> 00:04:17,900 On hearing this, they were baptized in the name 99 00:04:17,900 --> 00:04:19,660 of the Lord Jesus. 100 00:04:19,660 --> 00:04:21,980 When Paul placed his hands on them, 101 00:04:21,980 --> 00:04:25,860 the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues 102 00:04:25,860 --> 00:04:26,740 and prophesied. 103 00:04:26,740 --> 00:04:28,380 Father, I thank you for your word. 104 00:04:28,380 --> 00:04:30,620 I thank you that it is alive and active and I thank you, 105 00:04:30,620 --> 00:04:33,780 Lord, that you're going to use it to transform us today, God. 106 00:04:33,780 --> 00:04:36,200 Let the things of me fall to the ground and the things 107 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:37,540 of you stick for eternity. 108 00:04:37,540 --> 00:04:41,140 In Jesus' name, and everybody said amen. 109 00:04:41,140 --> 00:04:44,100 Well, we are in Acts chapter 19 and that surely is not 110 00:04:44,100 --> 00:04:46,060 the entire chapter, but I'm gonna be telling you 111 00:04:46,060 --> 00:04:49,220 and unfolding the story that happens in Acts chapter 19 112 00:04:49,220 --> 00:04:50,240 through the message today. 113 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:53,860 But I really wanted to focus in on these top six verses 114 00:04:53,860 --> 00:04:55,540 talking about the Holy Spirit. 115 00:04:55,540 --> 00:04:59,420 Aren't you glad that we have the gift of the Holy Spirit? 116 00:04:59,420 --> 00:05:01,640 The Holy Spirit, we have access to the gift 117 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:02,540 of the Holy Spirit. 118 00:05:02,540 --> 00:05:04,700 And one of the things that I want us to understand, 119 00:05:04,700 --> 00:05:06,500 and this is what we've been trying to convey 120 00:05:06,500 --> 00:05:09,560 over the last several months, is there is God the Father. 121 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,220 We can get our mind around God the Father somewhat 122 00:05:12,220 --> 00:05:14,540 because he is the creator of the universe. 123 00:05:14,540 --> 00:05:15,480 He is Father God. 124 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:17,340 And we can get our mind around God the Son 125 00:05:17,340 --> 00:05:19,420 in flesh, Jesus Christ. 126 00:05:19,420 --> 00:05:22,040 But for some reason beyond those two, 127 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:24,960 when we talk about the mysterious Holy Spirit, 128 00:05:24,960 --> 00:05:26,820 we kind of get disconnected a little bit, 129 00:05:26,820 --> 00:05:28,820 but I want you to understand that the Holy Spirit 130 00:05:28,820 --> 00:05:30,200 is a person. 131 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:33,820 God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. 132 00:05:33,820 --> 00:05:36,220 And it is a precious gift, the Holy Spirit, 133 00:05:36,220 --> 00:05:39,100 he is a precious gift that's been given to us 134 00:05:39,100 --> 00:05:40,660 from Jesus Christ. 135 00:05:40,660 --> 00:05:43,100 And every one of you, under the sound of my voice, 136 00:05:43,100 --> 00:05:45,100 have the ability and the opportunity 137 00:05:45,100 --> 00:05:47,040 to have access to this Holy Spirit. 138 00:05:47,040 --> 00:05:48,560 And can I just tell you something? 139 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:51,040 I don't know how people live life without him. 140 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:55,520 I don't know how you do life without the Holy Spirit. 141 00:05:55,520 --> 00:05:57,580 It's so difficult, life is so hard. 142 00:05:57,580 --> 00:05:59,340 There are trials and tribulations 143 00:05:59,340 --> 00:06:01,220 and things that we can't anticipate, 144 00:06:01,220 --> 00:06:03,160 this broken, torn down world. 145 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:05,920 And I'll see people walk through harsh circumstances, 146 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:07,820 really, times where they're grieving, 147 00:06:07,820 --> 00:06:09,540 times when they're panicked, and all these things. 148 00:06:09,540 --> 00:06:12,040 I'm saying, "Lord, I don't know how people do it 149 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:14,700 without the foundation that's found in you." 150 00:06:14,700 --> 00:06:16,540 You have access to this God. 151 00:06:16,540 --> 00:06:19,380 Have you ever been in a situation where you needed help? 152 00:06:19,380 --> 00:06:24,700 When I put this slide up this morning in my slideshow, 153 00:06:24,700 --> 00:06:25,900 the Beatles song went in my head. 154 00:06:25,900 --> 00:06:28,060 You know the Beatles song I'm talking about? 155 00:06:28,060 --> 00:06:29,820 ♪ I need somebody ♪ 156 00:06:29,820 --> 00:06:31,260 Yeah, that song. 157 00:06:31,260 --> 00:06:32,580 I need help. 158 00:06:32,580 --> 00:06:34,780 I am learning more and more in my life. 159 00:06:34,780 --> 00:06:36,460 Every day, I don't just need help, 160 00:06:36,460 --> 00:06:38,420 I need help for the help I'm receiving. 161 00:06:38,420 --> 00:06:43,820 I need so much help in my life. 162 00:06:44,660 --> 00:06:48,380 And for some reason, I find myself in these places 163 00:06:48,380 --> 00:06:49,900 where I need help and I don't reach out, 164 00:06:49,900 --> 00:06:52,940 I don't say I need it, but boy, I need it. 165 00:06:52,940 --> 00:06:55,260 Man, have you ever heard of this cereal? 166 00:06:55,260 --> 00:06:57,180 This is called Sugar Smacks. 167 00:06:57,180 --> 00:07:01,420 Now, Sugar Smacks has changed its name to Honey Smacks 168 00:07:01,420 --> 00:07:04,220 because parents didn't wanna buy a cereal box 169 00:07:04,220 --> 00:07:05,300 that had the word sugar on it. 170 00:07:05,300 --> 00:07:06,500 So they just changed the name. 171 00:07:06,500 --> 00:07:08,260 It's the same cereal, sugar puffed. 172 00:07:08,260 --> 00:07:11,960 So when I was in high school, 173 00:07:13,140 --> 00:07:16,500 when I was in high school, I used to eat Sugar Smacks. 174 00:07:16,500 --> 00:07:18,620 Big bowls of Sugar Smacks, right? 175 00:07:18,620 --> 00:07:21,860 And I would eat these bowls before I would go to school 176 00:07:21,860 --> 00:07:25,140 and there was a particular day I'd walked into the school 177 00:07:25,140 --> 00:07:27,380 and it was about 9.30 in the morning, 178 00:07:27,380 --> 00:07:29,500 it was the second period, it was a Spanish class, 179 00:07:29,500 --> 00:07:33,700 and I walk into that class and I sit down 180 00:07:33,700 --> 00:07:35,380 and I don't know what caused me to do this, 181 00:07:35,380 --> 00:07:37,700 but I take in my hand and just kinda brushed 182 00:07:37,700 --> 00:07:42,060 against my cheek and I realized there was a Sugar Smack 183 00:07:42,060 --> 00:07:43,240 stuck to my cheek. 184 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:47,820 Friends, it was 9.30 in the morning. 185 00:07:47,820 --> 00:07:51,660 I had spoken to several people in that last two hours 186 00:07:51,660 --> 00:07:53,500 and not one person told me, 187 00:07:53,500 --> 00:07:56,100 "Kevin, are you saving some breakfast for later? 188 00:07:56,100 --> 00:07:58,340 "Kevin, you got something stuck to your face. 189 00:07:58,340 --> 00:08:00,300 "Kevin, you might wanna brush off your," 190 00:08:00,300 --> 00:08:02,780 listen, I need help in my life. 191 00:08:02,780 --> 00:08:04,780 If I've got a wild hair sticking out of my head, 192 00:08:04,780 --> 00:08:05,980 I need a friend to come and say, 193 00:08:05,980 --> 00:08:07,780 "Let me pluck this out for you." 194 00:08:07,780 --> 00:08:09,380 If I'm wearing something that doesn't make sense, 195 00:08:09,380 --> 00:08:11,720 I need a friend that'll say, "Hey, let me call you on this." 196 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:14,180 And my breath is bad. 197 00:08:14,180 --> 00:08:15,540 I need a friend. 198 00:08:15,540 --> 00:08:16,620 I need help. 199 00:08:16,620 --> 00:08:17,800 And guess what? 200 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:19,720 You need help too, 201 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:21,940 especially the person you're sitting next to. 202 00:08:21,940 --> 00:08:23,620 You need help. 203 00:08:23,620 --> 00:08:26,500 You need, we all need help. 204 00:08:26,500 --> 00:08:28,900 And if we're honest with ourselves, 205 00:08:28,900 --> 00:08:31,940 if we're honest with ourselves, though we need help, 206 00:08:31,940 --> 00:08:33,700 we internally realize it, 207 00:08:33,700 --> 00:08:35,900 but we're often adverse to asking 208 00:08:35,900 --> 00:08:37,820 or receiving help when it's offered. 209 00:08:40,060 --> 00:08:43,780 Because we say, psychologically maybe, 210 00:08:43,780 --> 00:08:44,960 I can do it myself. 211 00:08:44,960 --> 00:08:48,540 I wanna do it my way. 212 00:08:48,540 --> 00:08:53,060 I don't wanna impose or bother someone else. 213 00:08:53,060 --> 00:08:53,920 Just the other night, 214 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:55,800 I had an opportunity to jump in and help somebody 215 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:58,300 and they said no, and I was like, this is a fiasco. 216 00:08:58,300 --> 00:09:03,240 What it boils down to is pride. 217 00:09:03,240 --> 00:09:08,280 Now let me tell you something that might help you. 218 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:09,560 I wanna encourage you, this has helped me, 219 00:09:09,560 --> 00:09:11,540 and I'm not 100% on this, 220 00:09:11,540 --> 00:09:12,660 but I wanna encourage you, church, 221 00:09:12,660 --> 00:09:16,260 to reframe your thinking when somebody offers help. 222 00:09:16,260 --> 00:09:17,700 Reframe your thinking to this. 223 00:09:17,700 --> 00:09:20,440 Resolve that when someone offers to help, 224 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:24,240 God is giving you an opportunity for a deeper connection. 225 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:29,460 It may not be at all about the thing 226 00:09:29,460 --> 00:09:31,220 that you're helping with, 227 00:09:31,220 --> 00:09:35,140 but man, how many times have I missed out 228 00:09:35,140 --> 00:09:38,300 on an opportunity for a connection 229 00:09:38,300 --> 00:09:41,440 because I wouldn't let somebody jump in and help me? 230 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:44,680 Because I refused the help that was being offered to me. 231 00:09:44,680 --> 00:09:47,060 But of even greater consequence 232 00:09:47,060 --> 00:09:49,080 than not being willing to receive the help 233 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:50,660 from the people around us, 234 00:09:50,660 --> 00:09:52,640 is when we fail to understand 235 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:55,180 that you have access to the Holy Spirit 236 00:09:55,180 --> 00:09:57,600 and He will help you. 237 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:01,720 You have access to the Holy Spirit and He will help you. 238 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:06,080 So often, He is the last call that we will make. 239 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:09,160 It's like, well God, I've tried everything else, 240 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:11,860 so maybe I'll attempt to try you. 241 00:10:11,860 --> 00:10:15,580 What would happen if He was our first go-to? 242 00:10:15,580 --> 00:10:18,900 What type of change would happen in our lives 243 00:10:18,900 --> 00:10:22,920 if He was our first go-to when we need help? 244 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:26,540 Jesus, Jesus Christ, your Savior, 245 00:10:26,540 --> 00:10:29,400 promised us the gift of the Holy Spirit. 246 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:31,660 "If you love me, keep my command," says Jesus, 247 00:10:31,660 --> 00:10:33,080 "and I will ask the Father, 248 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:34,980 "and He will give you another advocate 249 00:10:34,980 --> 00:10:37,160 "to help you and to be with you." 250 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:38,960 That's the purpose. 251 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:40,900 Forever, the Spirit of truth. 252 00:10:40,900 --> 00:10:42,100 The world cannot accept Him 253 00:10:42,100 --> 00:10:44,600 because it neither sees Him nor knows Him, 254 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:46,840 but you know Him, for He first lived in you. 255 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:49,360 He lives in you and He'll be in you. 256 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:53,920 We have been given access to this incredible gift. 257 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,240 You know, when somebody gives me a gift at Christmas, 258 00:10:57,240 --> 00:10:58,940 if I leave it in the package and set it down, 259 00:10:58,940 --> 00:11:00,840 never touch it, it's worthless. 260 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:02,960 Doesn't matter how expensive, how wonderful the gift is, 261 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:04,120 you have access to this gift. 262 00:11:04,120 --> 00:11:06,060 What are you doing with your gift? 263 00:11:06,060 --> 00:11:07,620 What are you doing with your gift? 264 00:11:07,620 --> 00:11:11,460 So Paul here has entered the town of Ephesus. 265 00:11:11,460 --> 00:11:14,040 And what he's really trying to do, 266 00:11:14,040 --> 00:11:17,160 what he's looking to do is introduce the Holy Spirit 267 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:20,600 because he rides up on this conversation with the Ephesians 268 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:23,720 and he says, "Whose baptism did you receive?" 269 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:25,620 And they say, "We received John's baptism." 270 00:11:25,620 --> 00:11:28,420 Well, John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. 271 00:11:28,420 --> 00:11:30,080 And can I tell you, every one of us 272 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:32,400 need to get to a point where we repent, 273 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:36,000 where we recognize who Jesus Christ was and is, 274 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:37,200 and we repent. 275 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,600 But guys, there is more to the story beyond that. 276 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:43,440 See, here's the thing, we get our salvation. 277 00:11:43,440 --> 00:11:46,860 We get our salvation, that gift of salvation, 278 00:11:46,860 --> 00:11:49,360 and it gives us the opportunity to go 279 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:51,560 and be with God in eternity, 280 00:11:51,560 --> 00:11:54,300 but there's still this life that we're living, right? 281 00:11:54,300 --> 00:11:56,480 There's still, we don't get holy amnesia 282 00:11:56,480 --> 00:11:57,920 when we give our life to the Lord. 283 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:00,580 It's not like we forget everything that we've done, right? 284 00:12:00,580 --> 00:12:04,100 But as we've been talking about week after week 285 00:12:04,100 --> 00:12:06,200 is that you've been given an eternity. 286 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:07,860 There's an eternity ahead of you. 287 00:12:07,860 --> 00:12:11,840 And your life here on earth is about the size 288 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:14,000 of this red part of this rope. 289 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:15,740 And what you do with this determines 290 00:12:15,740 --> 00:12:17,340 what happens with the rest of it. 291 00:12:17,340 --> 00:12:21,100 But here's the thing, you don't have to wait 292 00:12:21,100 --> 00:12:23,240 to this point right here 293 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:25,440 to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit. 294 00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:29,260 You can have a relationship, 295 00:12:29,260 --> 00:12:32,120 and you might even dare say you need a relationship 296 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:34,200 with Him during this part. 297 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:36,640 It's the only way you can survive. 298 00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:38,240 It's the only way that you can get through. 299 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:40,720 It's the only real way that you can fulfill 300 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:43,100 and complete His purpose for your life 301 00:12:43,100 --> 00:12:46,160 is that you have a relationship with Him right here. 302 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:50,080 But we've been given this glorious eternity from Jesus. 303 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:53,520 We need His Holy Spirit to help us navigate the waters 304 00:12:53,520 --> 00:12:55,560 until we get on the other side. 305 00:12:55,560 --> 00:12:57,000 So Paul has entered Ephesus, 306 00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:59,280 and he's talking to them about the Holy Spirit. 307 00:12:59,280 --> 00:13:01,760 And they don't know that they have access 308 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:04,020 to the Holy Spirit 'cause they don't know the Holy Spirit. 309 00:13:04,020 --> 00:13:06,500 And I often say, and as I said before, 310 00:13:06,500 --> 00:13:09,340 I don't know how people live life without the Holy Spirit. 311 00:13:09,340 --> 00:13:11,360 So Paul has entered Ephesus, 312 00:13:11,360 --> 00:13:14,380 and Ephesus is a place where demonic activity 313 00:13:14,380 --> 00:13:15,660 is taking place. 314 00:13:15,660 --> 00:13:17,700 And it included evil spirits, 315 00:13:17,700 --> 00:13:21,380 it included sorcery and witchcraft and the like. 316 00:13:21,380 --> 00:13:24,080 And the Ephesians were particularly committed 317 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:28,160 to their goddess, Artemis. 318 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:29,480 Did I say that right? 319 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:30,880 Artemis, yeah, Artemis. 320 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:34,540 This is the temple of Artemis here. 321 00:13:34,540 --> 00:13:39,360 And in fact, this temple is one of the seven wonders 322 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:40,960 of the ancient world. 323 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:44,760 Now the Ephesians were completely committed 324 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:48,480 to this goddess Artemis and worshiping her 325 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:51,400 and worshiping this god and practicing sorcery 326 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:55,300 and being involved with supernatural activity. 327 00:13:55,300 --> 00:13:57,220 Do you know that supernatural activity 328 00:13:57,220 --> 00:13:59,080 can take place in it not be the Lord? 329 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:03,180 Okay, supernatural activity can take place 330 00:14:03,180 --> 00:14:04,020 in it not be the Lord. 331 00:14:04,020 --> 00:14:08,060 They were tapping in to the perverted use 332 00:14:08,060 --> 00:14:11,320 of supernatural activity, which doesn't include the Lord. 333 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:13,520 And so they were engaged in these things. 334 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:16,860 So having Paul arrive on the scene 335 00:14:16,860 --> 00:14:19,920 and talk with them about the Holy Spirit, 336 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:21,560 we look at his introduction, 337 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:23,720 Paul's introduction of the Holy Spirit 338 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:26,640 and he's walking upon people who have a touch point 339 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:29,000 with activity that's supernatural. 340 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:31,000 And I believe that that's important 341 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:33,160 because of what's gonna happen here, okay? 342 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:36,280 Now, these are people who knew about the way. 343 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:38,920 They knew about the way, 344 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:41,720 but they didn't have a relationship with the way. 345 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:44,000 Do you know there's a difference 346 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:45,640 between knowing about Jesus 347 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:48,920 and having a relationship with him, knowing about the Lord? 348 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:50,760 You see, here's the thing. 349 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:52,800 I believe that there are some people 350 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:58,480 who when it comes to walking life and living for the Lord, 351 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:01,400 it is basically tied down to I go to church, 352 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:03,360 I give a little money, I serve here and there, 353 00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:05,520 but Lord don't mess with any of my life. 354 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:09,440 Can I tell you that he wants the whole thing? 355 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:12,120 And he has a better plan for the whole thing 356 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:15,440 than you ever will have in your life. 357 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:17,120 But Kevin, I've gone way too far. 358 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:18,120 I'm towards this. 359 00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:19,760 I mean, you don't know the destructive things 360 00:15:19,760 --> 00:15:20,600 that I've done. 361 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:22,120 Do you know that he knows how to take the destructive path 362 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:23,480 and make it beautiful? 363 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:25,440 He knows how to take ashy situations 364 00:15:25,440 --> 00:15:26,400 and make them beautiful. 365 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:28,280 You've not gone too far that he can't get in 366 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:31,920 and redeem something and change something and course correct. 367 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:35,720 This is the Holy Spirit of God we're talking about here, 368 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:38,400 the person of the Holy Spirit. 369 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:40,880 So we have access to the Holy Spirit 370 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:42,520 and we get to be in relationship with him. 371 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:44,440 Now, I'm not an investor, okay? 372 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:45,560 I'm not an investor, 373 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:47,040 but there are people here who are investors 374 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:50,920 and good investors will only invest in people, places 375 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:53,920 and things that yield a good return. 376 00:15:53,920 --> 00:15:55,080 Like that's what investors do. 377 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:57,640 They find opportunity to invest in things 378 00:15:57,640 --> 00:15:59,280 that are peaceful places or things 379 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:01,560 that are gonna yield a big return. 380 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:02,400 Now here's the thing. 381 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:05,840 Have you ever invested in someone, 382 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:09,840 resource, energy, time, 383 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:12,280 to find that the return is little to nothing? 384 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:16,960 Now sometimes the Lord will call you to that type 385 00:16:16,960 --> 00:16:18,080 of relationship. 386 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:22,640 But ordinarily we want to invest where there's reciprocation. 387 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:26,760 And I wanna encourage you that if you are investing 388 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:31,400 and pouring into a relationship with someone 389 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:35,000 and all they do is take and draw from you, 390 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:37,400 and I'm not telling you to lay that relationship down 391 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:39,320 because the Lord may have put that relationship 392 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:41,880 in your path, but what I am telling you is recognize it 393 00:16:41,880 --> 00:16:43,320 for what it is. 394 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:45,480 Because sometimes you will end up pouring out 395 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:49,080 all that you've got to one place 396 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:51,400 and you're not being filled up by the Holy Spirit 397 00:16:51,400 --> 00:16:52,880 and by the things that He has for you, 398 00:16:52,880 --> 00:16:54,320 people in your life that He has for you, 399 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:58,120 to speak into your life and to fill you up. 400 00:16:58,120 --> 00:16:58,960 So here's the thing. 401 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:01,640 We serve this God who's not only interested 402 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:04,680 in yielding a return, but His return, 403 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:07,960 His return goes unrivaled and unparalleled. 404 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:10,760 There is no greater relational investment 405 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:13,120 than the one made with the Holy Spirit. 406 00:17:13,120 --> 00:17:15,560 There is no greater relational investment 407 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:17,840 that you can make than the one made with the Holy Spirit. 408 00:17:17,840 --> 00:17:20,160 Because when you make an investment here, 409 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:21,520 then you're making an investment 410 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:24,280 in every other relationship you have in your life. 411 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:28,440 Every other relationship is affected by the investment 412 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:30,960 that you're putting in this relationship. 413 00:17:30,960 --> 00:17:35,240 There's a story when I was in college 414 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:38,080 and man, my calendar was just this crazy. 415 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:39,520 I just was doing all types of things. 416 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:41,480 And there's this group of friends that I would roll with 417 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:43,280 and they wanted me to come over and hang out with them. 418 00:17:43,280 --> 00:17:44,200 It was around Christmas time. 419 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:45,760 They were at a Christmas party. 420 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:48,960 And I just basically had stood them up multiple times, 421 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:51,080 honestly, just because I had other things, 422 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:53,500 either more important things I needed to do, I thought, 423 00:17:53,500 --> 00:17:55,600 or my calendar was full or whatever it was. 424 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:57,000 And they invited me over to this party 425 00:17:57,000 --> 00:17:58,120 and man, I started to feel bad 426 00:17:58,120 --> 00:18:00,240 'cause I hadn't hung out with them in a very long time. 427 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:02,560 And so, what I did is I went to the store 428 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:05,800 and I bought some really big gifts, really, really big gifts. 429 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:07,920 And what I decided, I'm gonna go over to the party. 430 00:18:07,920 --> 00:18:09,760 I'm just gonna drop these gifts on the doorstep 431 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:10,600 and I'm gonna leave. 432 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:13,040 And so I did, I went out, got some big gifts, 433 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:15,880 I wrapped them, they were beautiful, put them on the thing. 434 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:18,960 And then I looked at my phone, 435 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:23,480 30 minutes, an hour, three hours. 436 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:26,920 Well, maybe, surely they haven't gotten these gifts yet 437 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:28,280 'cause I mean, surely they would text me, 438 00:18:28,280 --> 00:18:30,600 "Thank you," or something like that, you know? 439 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:33,440 Well, the next day, 'cause I'm thinking, 440 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:35,280 does somebody steal it off the porch, what's going on? 441 00:18:35,280 --> 00:18:37,680 The next day, I just texted the group. 442 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:39,960 I said, "Ho, ho, ho." 443 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:43,560 And one of the girls in the chat responded with one phrase. 444 00:18:43,560 --> 00:18:48,560 She said, "Presence, CE, not presence, TS." 445 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:53,560 And it stabbed me right through the heart. 446 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:56,520 Kevin, I don't care what you can give us, 447 00:18:56,520 --> 00:18:58,040 what we want is you. 448 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:01,000 And can I tell you, the Holy Spirit wants you. 449 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:03,120 He wants you. 450 00:19:03,120 --> 00:19:04,720 He's not concerned so much 451 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:07,000 about what you can produce for Him. 452 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:08,960 He's not concerned about your, you know what, 453 00:19:08,960 --> 00:19:11,800 your righteousness is compared to filthy rags. 454 00:19:11,800 --> 00:19:13,480 God, I did this, I did this, I did this, 455 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:14,760 look at all of these things I did, 456 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:16,000 I'm bringing it to you, God. 457 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:16,960 Here's my gift to you. 458 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:18,560 And you know what He says? 459 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:19,400 I want you. 460 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:23,760 More than any of that, I want you 461 00:19:23,760 --> 00:19:25,680 because I have some things to share with you. 462 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:28,720 I have some truths to speak over you. 463 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:31,880 For that insecurity or that identity 464 00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:33,920 that you're struggling with, those cracks and crevices, 465 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:35,360 when that person lied to you, 466 00:19:35,360 --> 00:19:36,920 do you know that the Spirit of truth 467 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:39,560 will combat all lies in your life? 468 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:41,480 The Spirit of truth will come in 469 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:44,800 and infiltrate those places that the world has tainted. 470 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:46,640 And He will do a mighty work 471 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:48,440 and He will redeem those places 472 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:50,240 so that you're walking on a firm 473 00:19:50,240 --> 00:19:53,080 and sure and strong foundation in Him. 474 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:56,120 Because you are a son and a daughter of the most high God. 475 00:19:56,120 --> 00:20:00,240 The Holy Spirit should not be a checklist item 476 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:02,320 on Sunday morning when you need a miracle. 477 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:04,680 He doesn't want your stuff, He wants you. 478 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:08,840 The Holy Spirit really begins to show up 479 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:10,480 and show out here in Ephesus. 480 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:12,560 Remember I told you that they had been messing 481 00:20:12,560 --> 00:20:14,200 with supernatural. 482 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:16,000 Well, it says in verse 11, it says, 483 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,880 "God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 484 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:21,940 "extraordinary miracles through Paul 485 00:20:21,940 --> 00:20:24,800 "so that even handkerchiefs and aprons 486 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:27,160 "that had touched him were taken to the sick 487 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:28,760 "and their illnesses were cured 488 00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:30,760 "and the evil spirits left them." 489 00:20:30,760 --> 00:20:33,520 Some of you have seen that type of thing 490 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:35,040 attempt to be done on TV. 491 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:39,600 Some of you may have sent in 1995 to get your healing. 492 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:42,960 Mastercard, Visa card, accepted, okay? 493 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:43,960 Here's the thing. 494 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:47,560 You cannot take places in Scripture 495 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:49,160 and just plop them somewhere and just say, 496 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:51,760 "We're gonna apply this wherever we want." 497 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:54,040 If the Holy Spirit wants to move the way He wants to move, 498 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:54,860 He'll do it. 499 00:20:54,860 --> 00:20:57,480 And you actually can't stop it. 500 00:20:57,480 --> 00:20:59,720 He'll do what He's gonna do. 501 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:02,780 But in this moment where we see this extraordinary move 502 00:21:02,780 --> 00:21:05,600 of God, I believe it's because these people 503 00:21:05,600 --> 00:21:08,040 already had a touch point with the supernatural 504 00:21:08,040 --> 00:21:10,240 and God said, "I'm gonna show out way bigger 505 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:12,000 "and way badder than anything else 506 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:13,600 "that you guys have ever seen." 507 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:16,300 So much so that you just have to touch a napkin 508 00:21:16,300 --> 00:21:17,240 and you're healed. 509 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:23,040 Because God is out to get the glory for Himself. 510 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:26,080 He's out to get the glory for Himself. 511 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:28,860 So it's not a license for us to just say, 512 00:21:28,860 --> 00:21:30,220 "Okay, this is happening here, 513 00:21:30,220 --> 00:21:33,640 "so we must insert it into what we're doing." 514 00:21:33,640 --> 00:21:36,840 There were people there who needed to know Jesus 515 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:40,880 and I believe the Holy Spirit was operating above and beyond 516 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:43,120 so that this could be true. 517 00:21:43,120 --> 00:21:44,760 The primary job of the Holy Spirit 518 00:21:44,760 --> 00:21:47,160 is to point people to Jesus. 519 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:49,440 The primary job of the Holy Spirit, 520 00:21:49,440 --> 00:21:52,020 when the Holy Spirit moves on your behalf, 521 00:21:52,020 --> 00:21:54,120 when He provides that miracle, 522 00:21:54,120 --> 00:21:56,780 when He provides the touch, when He heals, 523 00:21:56,780 --> 00:21:59,840 when He does those things, all of those things, my friends, 524 00:21:59,840 --> 00:22:01,560 are for Jesus to get the glory. 525 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:03,200 It's for the sinner in on Christ. 526 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:04,640 It's all to point to Him. 527 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:07,160 He is the center. 528 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:09,080 He is the focus. 529 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:14,080 He is the one who gets the glory and the credit, amen? 530 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:17,520 The Holy Spirit's job is to point people to Jesus. 531 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:20,160 So everything we're doing, if the Holy Spirit's involved, 532 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:22,960 it should be a conduit to point people to Him. 533 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:26,480 So some of the Jews in this passage, 534 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:27,720 they start going around 535 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:30,600 and they start casting out evil spirits, the word says. 536 00:22:30,600 --> 00:22:32,960 And it mentions seven sons of Scaeva, 537 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:35,040 which there was an issue here 538 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:36,700 because when they went and started 539 00:22:36,700 --> 00:22:39,640 to cast out the evil spirits, this is what they were doing. 540 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:42,840 They said, we're gonna cast out this evil spirit 541 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:46,180 in the name of the Jesus that Paul believes in. 542 00:22:46,180 --> 00:22:53,640 Be healed in the name of the Jesus 543 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:56,920 that Paul's talking about, right? 544 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:00,440 In other words, they did not identify themselves 545 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:05,040 in any way, shape, or form with a relationship with Jesus, 546 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:08,440 yet they were using His name, right, 547 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:10,520 to cast out the evil spirits 548 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:11,720 that were happening in the thing. 549 00:23:11,720 --> 00:23:16,280 Here's the thing, the evil spirit jumped out and said this. 550 00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:17,600 I know Paul. 551 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:20,720 I know Jesus. 552 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:21,960 I don't know who you are. 553 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:25,400 Can I tell you, your enemies know who Jesus is. 554 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:26,520 Your enemies know who, 555 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:28,240 your demons, they know who Jesus is 556 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:30,240 and they shudder at the name of Jesus. 557 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:32,240 But let me tell you, this evil spirit said, 558 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:34,280 you know what, you don't lay claim to Jesus. 559 00:23:34,280 --> 00:23:35,120 I don't know who you are. 560 00:23:35,120 --> 00:23:35,960 You know what it says? 561 00:23:35,960 --> 00:23:38,800 He jumped on them and beat the snot out of them. 562 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:43,720 They ran out of the house naked and bloody. 563 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:46,440 These are people who were casting out, 564 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:48,320 remember that scripture that said, 565 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:51,240 some people will cast out demons in my name 566 00:23:51,240 --> 00:23:54,200 and the Lord Jesus say, I have no idea who you are. 567 00:23:55,200 --> 00:23:58,000 I hope nobody understand my voice is in that population. 568 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:01,800 Do you have a relationship with the Holy Spirit? 569 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:06,520 Do you have a relationship with the Holy Spirit? 570 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:12,080 The Holy Spirit will never empower you 571 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:14,040 to do anything in your own name. 572 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:17,400 The Holy Spirit empowers you to do things 573 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:19,560 in the name of Jesus. 574 00:24:19,560 --> 00:24:20,560 In the name of Jesus. 575 00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:21,400 That's where we get to say, 576 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:24,240 I'm gonna lay my hands on you in the name of Jesus. 577 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:26,520 The Holy Spirit is the one who's working through you. 578 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:28,320 It's not, you're just a vessel. 579 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:30,560 You're willing, you're walking in obedience. 580 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:31,760 And guess what the Lord loves? 581 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:33,720 He loves an obedient child. 582 00:24:33,720 --> 00:24:41,880 If you don't know Jesus, you don't know the Holy Spirit. 583 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:44,360 You can't know the Holy Spirit 584 00:24:44,360 --> 00:24:46,520 without first knowing Jesus. 585 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:49,520 And I pray that everyone here has been introduced 586 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:51,440 to the savior of the world. 587 00:24:51,440 --> 00:24:54,720 And if you haven't, man, today's the day of salvation. 588 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:56,720 Today's the day that would transform your life 589 00:24:56,720 --> 00:24:58,360 for all eternity. 590 00:24:58,360 --> 00:25:00,640 And I would invite you into a relationship with this. 591 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:04,040 God, I'd love to talk to you after this is over about that. 592 00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:08,240 And so the people hear what's gonna happen, 593 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:10,520 what happens to these seven people. 594 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:15,080 And the word tells us that they were seized with fear. 595 00:25:15,080 --> 00:25:16,320 Would you say fear? 596 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:20,880 They were seized with fear so much so 597 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:24,120 that it says those who believe began to come forward 598 00:25:24,120 --> 00:25:25,920 and confess things that they were done. 599 00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:28,040 They were so shocked about what happened 600 00:25:28,040 --> 00:25:29,960 that they just started confessing their sin. 601 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:34,160 Oh, oh, I did this, I did this, I did this, I did this, 602 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:35,000 I did this. 603 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:36,360 And not only are they confessing it, 604 00:25:36,360 --> 00:25:39,480 the word tells us that they brought all of their scrolls 605 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:43,080 in this witchcraft practice, all the, and they burnt them. 606 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:45,960 Here's the thing, friends, we can get along 607 00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:48,600 and butt along the road of confession, 608 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:50,960 but boy, when it comes to getting rid of the vices, 609 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:53,480 that's another whole, that's another whole level. 610 00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:56,320 I did this wrong, I did this. 611 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:58,400 You know what, I'll even go as far as say, 612 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:02,440 we can become so accustomed and comfortable with confession 613 00:26:02,440 --> 00:26:07,320 that we forget that the next step is there waiting for us. 614 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:09,560 Guess what, you're not supposed to do it on your own strength. 615 00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:11,320 The Holy Spirit is inside you. 616 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:12,760 I confess that I did this. 617 00:26:12,760 --> 00:26:15,520 Now get rid of what's keeping you going back there. 618 00:26:15,520 --> 00:26:17,640 And guys, sometimes that's a relationship. 619 00:26:17,640 --> 00:26:20,120 (congregation murmurs) 620 00:26:20,120 --> 00:26:22,280 Because you're allowing somebody to speak into your life 621 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:24,760 and motivate you in a direction that is opposite 622 00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:29,040 of walking and looking like the one you say you believe in. 623 00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:33,480 So it says they were seized with fear, 624 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:36,920 but what was the fear, where was the fear coming from? 625 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:38,960 Guys, I don't believe the fear was coming 626 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:41,880 from the Holy Spirit. 627 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:44,840 The fear was coming from, they just saw seven guys 628 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:47,520 get beat down in their bloody and it freaked them out. 629 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:50,160 So they're like, oh, I don't want any part of that. 630 00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:53,840 Listen, fear is a motivator. 631 00:26:53,840 --> 00:26:55,000 It is a motivator. 632 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:56,600 And guess what, here's the great thing, 633 00:26:56,600 --> 00:26:58,320 God can use the motivation. 634 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:01,280 Can I just tell you something? 635 00:27:01,280 --> 00:27:03,240 Hey, we're not gonna play that. 636 00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:04,560 Y'all look at this later. 637 00:27:04,560 --> 00:27:06,360 All right, go ahead, next. 638 00:27:06,360 --> 00:27:08,520 Love will always triumph fear. 639 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:12,620 Love will always triumph over fear. 640 00:27:12,620 --> 00:27:14,240 Y'all wanna see that video now, don't you? 641 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:15,760 Don't you? 642 00:27:15,760 --> 00:27:17,280 We'll post it. 643 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:21,580 Love will always triumph over fear. 644 00:27:21,580 --> 00:27:26,040 What is God's motivation? 645 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:29,240 As a third grade child, I was told to put my hand 646 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:33,120 on an open flame, to feel how hot it was, 647 00:27:33,120 --> 00:27:34,840 to see how long I could keep it there. 648 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:37,000 And then when I moved back, the person said, 649 00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,120 that's how hot hell is, and if you don't know Jesus, 650 00:27:39,120 --> 00:27:40,440 that's where you're going. 651 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:43,160 And now go tell everybody else 652 00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:45,000 that they're going to that same place. 653 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:47,560 God does not use fear tactics in that way. 654 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:48,560 God is a loving God. 655 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:50,800 He loved the world so much that he gave his one 656 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:53,640 and only son that whoever believes on him 657 00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:55,440 will have everlasting life. 658 00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:58,480 He loves you, he loves you. 659 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:02,920 His motivation to change our lives is bathed in love. 660 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:04,600 It's not bathed in fear. 661 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:06,320 It's not bathed in fear. 662 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:09,080 But that candle got me saved. 663 00:28:13,680 --> 00:28:15,140 But love changed my life. 664 00:28:15,140 --> 00:28:18,480 Love changed my life. 665 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:25,000 Can I tell you, we've said this before here, 666 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:26,860 you cannot defeat your demons 667 00:28:26,860 --> 00:28:28,800 if you're still enjoying their company. 668 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:33,520 You cannot defeat your demons 669 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:35,020 if you're still enjoying their company. 670 00:28:35,020 --> 00:28:36,980 People who work in the business 671 00:28:36,980 --> 00:28:39,600 of identifying counterfeit money, 672 00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:41,760 there are people who are employed all across the States, 673 00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:44,600 their job is to identify counterfeit money. 674 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:46,960 Do you know that it would stand to reason 675 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:48,760 that those people would study 676 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:50,120 what counterfeit money looks like? 677 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:51,680 They would just be able to know the ins and out 678 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:53,920 of what a counterfeit dollar bill, $5 bill, 679 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:56,040 whatever it is the counterfeit money looked like. 680 00:28:56,040 --> 00:28:58,760 Do you know that they do not spend time 681 00:28:58,760 --> 00:29:00,300 with the counterfeit money? 682 00:29:00,300 --> 00:29:03,400 They spend time getting to know the real deal. 683 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:06,480 Because the closer you are to the real deal, 684 00:29:06,480 --> 00:29:09,200 the easier it is to sniff out the counterfeit. 685 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,440 And if you stay close to the Holy Spirit, 686 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:14,440 if you stay close to this God Almighty, 687 00:29:14,440 --> 00:29:15,760 if you get to know his voice, 688 00:29:15,760 --> 00:29:17,520 the counterfeits can come all day long, 689 00:29:17,520 --> 00:29:20,220 but you're gonna be able to identify them very quickly, 690 00:29:20,220 --> 00:29:23,760 very easily, because you know the real deal. 691 00:29:23,760 --> 00:29:27,400 You know the real deal, you know who the real God is. 692 00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:28,920 The Holy Spirit will give you the strength 693 00:29:28,920 --> 00:29:30,600 to come and clean up and get rid of things 694 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:32,920 that cause you to stumble. 695 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:38,880 I remember when COVID hit the scene in 2020, 696 00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:42,440 I am so thankful that God had a plan for the plan. 697 00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:47,320 I was in Florida, I was on a vacation with Sherry in Florida, 698 00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:51,080 I had my phone off and COVID hits the scene. 699 00:29:51,080 --> 00:29:54,320 And can I tell you, my phone was blowing up. 700 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:56,180 I had it off, I never had my phone off, 701 00:29:56,180 --> 00:29:57,020 I had my phone off. 702 00:29:57,020 --> 00:29:59,320 I turned it on and it's message after message 703 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:01,320 after message after message. 704 00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:02,920 Most of the message is saying, 705 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:04,840 you need to shut the school down. 706 00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:06,760 Things are going, the world is over. 707 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:08,640 I mean, just the craziest, just one, 708 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:13,640 everybody's opinion, fear, fear, fear, fear. 709 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:18,920 Do you know I am so grateful that I was away 710 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:22,320 from everybody here in my life, 711 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:27,460 because I said, Holy Spirit, what do you want me to do? 712 00:30:27,460 --> 00:30:30,280 And he spoke to me. 713 00:30:30,280 --> 00:30:34,520 Do you know that the Holy Spirit, if you know his voice, 714 00:30:34,520 --> 00:30:36,280 100 people might tell you to go right, 715 00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:37,640 but he may be telling you to go left, 716 00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:40,240 and it's not a problem at all for you to turn 717 00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:41,880 and go the direction he's told you to go, 718 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:43,880 because you know his voice. 719 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:46,000 You know his voice. 720 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:47,580 And if you know his voice, you don't have to worry 721 00:30:47,580 --> 00:30:49,220 about what anybody thinks or anybody says, 722 00:30:49,220 --> 00:30:50,680 because you know he's gonna sustain you, 723 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:53,720 he's gonna cover you, he's gonna provide for you. 724 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:58,280 And he will give you favor in the midst of your obedience. 725 00:30:58,280 --> 00:31:00,760 And so it says, in this way, the word of the Lord 726 00:31:00,760 --> 00:31:05,300 spread widely and grew in power. 727 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:09,900 When those people were giving up all of those things, 728 00:31:09,900 --> 00:31:16,240 God can use a tumultuous situation and get glory from it. 729 00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:18,620 But then this man, Demetrius, shows up. 730 00:31:18,620 --> 00:31:24,600 Now, Demetrius, he really loved the goddess Armatus, 731 00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:28,040 I keep saying that name, Artemis, Artemis. 732 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:30,800 He really loved this goddess, Artemis, 733 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:35,800 because he made silver shrines to this goddess, 734 00:31:35,880 --> 00:31:37,680 and it was his place of employment. 735 00:31:37,680 --> 00:31:39,120 It was his livelihood. 736 00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:41,840 In other words, it was his couch and the big screen TV, 737 00:31:41,840 --> 00:31:44,440 just in time for Sunday football or Monday. 738 00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:46,640 It was the pool in the backyard, the hot tub. 739 00:31:46,640 --> 00:31:49,220 Like everything, it's the food in the fridge, 740 00:31:49,220 --> 00:31:52,280 it's the comfortable car, it's the shoes. 741 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:54,680 Like he's got all of this going on, right? 742 00:31:54,680 --> 00:31:57,760 And so Demetrius is there, and Demetrius has got 743 00:31:57,760 --> 00:31:59,680 all this going on, he's saying, "Wait, whoa, whoa, whoa, 744 00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:01,840 "wait a second, wait a second." 745 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:03,660 When you're talking about the way, 746 00:32:03,660 --> 00:32:07,460 like it's pulling people away from investing 747 00:32:07,460 --> 00:32:11,580 into me capitalizing off of the goddess that I serve, okay? 748 00:32:11,580 --> 00:32:16,580 And so Demetrius begins to stir the pot. 749 00:32:16,580 --> 00:32:18,860 You know anybody who's ever stirred the pot? 750 00:32:18,860 --> 00:32:22,100 Know anybody who's ever stirred the pot? 751 00:32:22,100 --> 00:32:24,880 So he begins to stir the pot and interject things 752 00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:29,880 that causes confusion, causes a great deal of confusion. 753 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:34,880 Sometimes we're okay with the idea of the Holy Spirit, 754 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:36,680 but we don't want them to come in and really mess up 755 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:37,920 what we've got going on. 756 00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:41,920 In other words, God, tell me what to do. 757 00:32:41,920 --> 00:32:42,760 I'll do anything you tell me to do, 758 00:32:42,760 --> 00:32:45,360 just don't take this and this and this away from me. 759 00:32:45,360 --> 00:32:47,640 Don't mess up my schedule here, don't mess up what I want, 760 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:49,800 don't mess up my job, my comfort. 761 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:54,640 God would never tell me to put that pretzel dog down. 762 00:32:54,640 --> 00:32:58,640 He just would never tell me to put that pretzel dog down. 763 00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:03,080 He would never tell me to stop eating ice cream. 764 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:05,880 I mean, it's a blessing. 765 00:33:05,880 --> 00:33:08,940 I mean, he provided the job to get me in my freezer 766 00:33:08,940 --> 00:33:11,220 to provide the ice cream. 767 00:33:11,220 --> 00:33:14,580 He would never tell me not to eat the bowl of ice cream. 768 00:33:14,580 --> 00:33:19,260 We can reason our way into anything, right? 769 00:33:19,260 --> 00:33:26,220 The Holy Spirit wants to infiltrate your life 770 00:33:26,220 --> 00:33:27,520 so you look more like Him. 771 00:33:28,520 --> 00:33:30,480 Can I tell you, may I tell you, 772 00:33:30,480 --> 00:33:31,920 this may be something that you've believed 773 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:33,560 because somebody's told you this, 774 00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:36,880 I don't believe that the Holy Spirit, His job, 775 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:38,920 is to make you have a great life. 776 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:41,520 He's there to change your life. 777 00:33:41,520 --> 00:33:44,200 He's there to change your life. 778 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:48,040 We're not here to live as people in the world 779 00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:50,120 who have the biggest and baddest and wonderful things 780 00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:51,360 and we're so comfortable. 781 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:53,240 We're here to be ambassadors to a kingdom 782 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:56,560 that's everlasting, ambassadors to a king 783 00:33:56,560 --> 00:33:58,520 that doesn't belong to this world. 784 00:33:58,520 --> 00:34:01,000 And we belong to His kingdom. 785 00:34:01,000 --> 00:34:05,840 Ergo, we do not serve a God of confusion. 786 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:08,720 We do not serve a God of confusion. 787 00:34:08,720 --> 00:34:13,440 And so they started to say, "Great is Artemis! 788 00:34:13,440 --> 00:34:14,800 "Great is Artemis!" 789 00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:16,880 And they overshouted so loud 790 00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:18,760 that Paul could not get in the way. 791 00:34:18,760 --> 00:34:19,600 He couldn't keep preaching. 792 00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:21,040 Just, "Great is Artemis!" 793 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:23,680 To us in our culture, it's great is my job, 794 00:34:23,680 --> 00:34:26,080 great is my retirement, great is my best, 795 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:29,320 great is my bank account, great are my clothes, 796 00:34:29,320 --> 00:34:32,640 great is my lifestyle, great is my preferences. 797 00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:38,520 And so we shout louder so we can dull out 798 00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:41,600 the distraction of hearing the truth. 799 00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:43,600 There is only one way truth in life 800 00:34:43,600 --> 00:34:45,800 and it is Jesus Christ. 801 00:34:45,800 --> 00:34:48,120 It is Jesus Christ. 802 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:50,920 The word tells us God is not the author of confusion 803 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:53,360 but of peace. 804 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:56,040 Can anybody use some peace today? 805 00:34:56,040 --> 00:34:57,800 Can anybody use some peace today? 806 00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:01,920 And so I believe, Brad come on up here. 807 00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:07,080 I believe that the Holy Spirit is like a life jacket. 808 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:10,760 I want you to imagine for a second, 809 00:35:10,760 --> 00:35:12,720 by the way, he just got married last week. 810 00:35:12,720 --> 00:35:13,800 (audience cheering) 811 00:35:13,800 --> 00:35:15,800 He and his beautiful wife. 812 00:35:15,800 --> 00:35:16,640 Yeah. 813 00:35:16,640 --> 00:35:20,920 I want you to imagine that 814 00:35:20,920 --> 00:35:25,880 you're in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. 815 00:35:25,880 --> 00:35:27,360 I'm not talking about like, you know, 816 00:35:27,360 --> 00:35:30,080 the middle of the surfing waves where you see the beach. 817 00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:32,600 I'm talking about the middle middle of the Atlantic Ocean, 818 00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:33,940 nothing around, okay? 819 00:35:33,940 --> 00:35:36,920 There are moments in our life guys 820 00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:40,120 where we are in an ocean sized problem. 821 00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:44,320 The storm is rolling, we're in it deep. 822 00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:48,120 And now I believe that you're a pretty fit guy. 823 00:35:48,120 --> 00:35:49,920 I think you probably could swim a bit 824 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:54,840 but there are gonna come a point when you wear yourself out 825 00:35:54,840 --> 00:35:58,460 because you're trying to get there by yourself. 826 00:35:58,460 --> 00:35:59,300 So what do you need? 827 00:35:59,300 --> 00:36:00,360 You need? 828 00:36:00,360 --> 00:36:01,200 I need help. 829 00:36:01,200 --> 00:36:02,440 You need help. 830 00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:03,580 He needs help. 831 00:36:03,580 --> 00:36:08,040 But the Holy Spirit is like a life preserver. 832 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:10,440 It's like a life jacket because here's the thing. 833 00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:13,760 When he puts this on and he's in that ocean, 834 00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:16,680 he can continue to try to swim as much as he wants. 835 00:36:16,680 --> 00:36:19,000 He can continue to do it in his strength, 836 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:21,040 but still he's gonna wear himself out. 837 00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:23,320 Even if he has the wife preserver on, right? 838 00:36:24,600 --> 00:36:29,600 It's not until he concedes to the life preserver 839 00:36:29,600 --> 00:36:34,840 that he's able to rest, he's able to calm, 840 00:36:34,840 --> 00:36:36,480 he's able to breathe. 841 00:36:36,480 --> 00:36:40,680 It saves his life. 842 00:36:40,680 --> 00:36:44,040 You see, the life preserver, the life vest 843 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:45,760 does all the work. 844 00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:47,000 You just have to hold on. 845 00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:51,000 Are you holding on to the Holy Spirit? 846 00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:54,840 Or are you floundering around trying to swim 847 00:36:54,840 --> 00:36:56,880 through the depths of your issues, 848 00:36:56,880 --> 00:36:59,840 the depths of your insecurity, the depths of your fear, 849 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:03,840 the depths of your needs not being met, 850 00:37:03,840 --> 00:37:07,920 the relational stuff going on, whatever it is, 851 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:11,280 are you trying to swim and do it all by yourself? 852 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:13,580 'Cause I'm gonna tell you, you're gonna drown. 853 00:37:13,580 --> 00:37:18,280 But here's the thing, here's the problem. 854 00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:20,240 We have access to this Holy Spirit, 855 00:37:20,240 --> 00:37:23,680 and so many of us wait until we're in that type of situation 856 00:37:23,680 --> 00:37:25,120 to reach out to him. 857 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:30,200 And I wonder how many crises would be diverted 858 00:37:30,200 --> 00:37:33,100 if we would have listened to him when we were on dry land. 859 00:37:33,100 --> 00:37:39,100 But here's where I see the Spirit of God moving in my life. 860 00:37:39,100 --> 00:37:41,620 See, what we want is, God, I'm struggling 861 00:37:41,620 --> 00:37:43,440 in this area of finances. 862 00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:45,680 What I want you to do is snap your finger, 863 00:37:45,680 --> 00:37:48,320 and I want you to put me in a place of abundance 864 00:37:48,320 --> 00:37:49,440 in two seconds. 865 00:37:49,440 --> 00:37:50,760 And guess what? 866 00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:53,880 Extraordinary miracles happen, he can do that. 867 00:37:53,880 --> 00:37:55,440 But here's been my experience. 868 00:37:55,440 --> 00:37:59,460 He says, "Kevin, this is what I'm gonna do. 869 00:37:59,460 --> 00:38:04,460 "I want you to lean on me in that ocean of despair. 870 00:38:04,460 --> 00:38:06,800 "I don't want you to kick, I don't want you to scream, 871 00:38:06,800 --> 00:38:11,140 "I don't want you to holler, I want you to rest on me. 872 00:38:11,140 --> 00:38:12,260 "I'm gonna keep you in that ocean, 873 00:38:12,260 --> 00:38:14,060 "I'm keeping you in that spot, 874 00:38:14,060 --> 00:38:15,880 "because what I want you to do is I want you 875 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:18,540 "to open up your eyes and see what I'm about to do." 876 00:38:19,540 --> 00:38:23,300 I want you to see how I'm going to take your bad situation 877 00:38:23,300 --> 00:38:24,260 and I'm gonna make it really great. 878 00:38:24,260 --> 00:38:25,660 Because here's the thing, all of a sudden, 879 00:38:25,660 --> 00:38:29,760 out of nowhere for Brad, a helicopter comes by 880 00:38:29,760 --> 00:38:34,100 in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, out of nowhere. 881 00:38:34,100 --> 00:38:36,060 And there he is. 882 00:38:36,060 --> 00:38:40,620 And they send down a rope and they pull him up 883 00:38:40,620 --> 00:38:44,500 and they save his life, right? 884 00:38:44,500 --> 00:38:48,260 Now, I bet you, Brad doesn't come into church 885 00:38:48,260 --> 00:38:49,980 the next Sunday and he doesn't walk in and he says, 886 00:38:49,980 --> 00:38:51,900 "Guys, I gotta tell you a story. 887 00:38:51,900 --> 00:38:54,820 "I was so good, I put on a life jacket. 888 00:38:54,820 --> 00:38:58,140 "I swam and held myself above that water 889 00:38:58,140 --> 00:39:00,280 "and I got myself back to life. 890 00:39:00,280 --> 00:39:02,380 "That helicopter came out of nowhere." 891 00:39:02,380 --> 00:39:03,740 You know what he's gonna do? 892 00:39:03,740 --> 00:39:04,580 He's gonna come here and say, 893 00:39:04,580 --> 00:39:07,300 "Guys, I gotta tell you what God Almighty did. 894 00:39:07,300 --> 00:39:08,900 "Because in the midst of my storm, 895 00:39:08,900 --> 00:39:11,420 "where it seemed perilous and nobody was around, 896 00:39:11,420 --> 00:39:12,620 "nobody was there to help, 897 00:39:12,620 --> 00:39:14,500 "a helicopter came out of nowhere 898 00:39:14,500 --> 00:39:16,540 "and I know it was my God Almighty. 899 00:39:16,540 --> 00:39:19,540 "I rested in him, I trusted, I leaned on him 900 00:39:19,540 --> 00:39:21,300 "and he pulled me out of the muck of my heart 901 00:39:21,300 --> 00:39:23,620 "and he set me on my way." 902 00:39:23,620 --> 00:39:24,460 Why? 903 00:39:24,460 --> 00:39:26,380 Because the primary job of the Holy Spirit 904 00:39:26,380 --> 00:39:28,260 is to give who glory? 905 00:39:28,260 --> 00:39:29,860 Jesus Christ. 906 00:39:29,860 --> 00:39:31,620 Jesus Christ. 907 00:39:31,620 --> 00:39:33,580 Do you have access to the Holy Spirit? 908 00:39:33,580 --> 00:39:36,580 When you're accessing him, are you telling what's happening? 909 00:39:36,580 --> 00:39:38,900 Are you sharing with others the miracles 910 00:39:38,900 --> 00:39:40,620 and how he's moving in your life? 911 00:39:40,620 --> 00:39:42,900 Because he is constantly moving, friends. 912 00:39:42,900 --> 00:39:45,500 He's constantly moving. 913 00:39:45,500 --> 00:39:47,340 And so here's the invitation this morning. 914 00:39:47,340 --> 00:39:48,900 Thank you, Brad. 915 00:39:48,900 --> 00:39:50,660 Here's the invitation this morning. 916 00:39:50,660 --> 00:39:56,060 Who needs to make room? 917 00:39:56,060 --> 00:40:01,060 Who needs to get out of the way and make room? 918 00:40:01,060 --> 00:40:04,180 There are people here who need a life jacket. 919 00:40:04,180 --> 00:40:06,940 You're drowning, you're literally drowning. 920 00:40:06,940 --> 00:40:10,580 You're here, you're smiling, but you're drowning. 921 00:40:13,220 --> 00:40:16,260 And the very God I look up, I love looking up at the stars. 922 00:40:16,260 --> 00:40:18,020 It's one of my favorite things. 923 00:40:18,020 --> 00:40:19,780 Anybody else like looking at stars? 924 00:40:19,780 --> 00:40:24,380 I go, "God, how majestic is your name?" 925 00:40:24,380 --> 00:40:29,260 I believe he breathes just, and beauty comes out. 926 00:40:29,260 --> 00:40:34,100 That same God is literally in the place this morning 927 00:40:34,100 --> 00:40:37,100 and he says, "Child, don't leave here 928 00:40:37,100 --> 00:40:38,340 "the same way you came." 929 00:40:38,340 --> 00:40:41,060 I've got a life jacket for you. 930 00:40:42,260 --> 00:40:44,740 Come, let me save your life. 931 00:40:44,740 --> 00:40:46,740 It might not look exactly like you thought it would. 932 00:40:46,740 --> 00:40:49,500 Let me, can I save your life today? 933 00:40:49,500 --> 00:40:51,260 Can I give you an answer to that question 934 00:40:51,260 --> 00:40:54,260 that you keep asking for, that thing you keep believing for? 935 00:40:54,260 --> 00:40:58,420 Would you trust me just a little bit more? 936 00:40:58,420 --> 00:41:02,220 Because I see you, I've not forgotten about you. 937 00:41:02,220 --> 00:41:04,300 Would those who are gonna minister 938 00:41:04,300 --> 00:41:06,020 come forward this morning? 939 00:41:06,020 --> 00:41:08,180 And I just challenge all of us, 940 00:41:08,180 --> 00:41:11,220 if there's anything inside you, 941 00:41:11,220 --> 00:41:12,860 (gentle music) 942 00:41:12,860 --> 00:41:15,100 some of you need a reminder that God's faithful. 943 00:41:15,100 --> 00:41:16,660 So you've lost, something has happened. 944 00:41:16,660 --> 00:41:18,540 Even this week, something's happened to you 945 00:41:18,540 --> 00:41:19,900 and you just, you're going, 946 00:41:19,900 --> 00:41:23,420 "God, I did everything you told me to do. 947 00:41:23,420 --> 00:41:25,680 "I did all of these things and God, 948 00:41:25,680 --> 00:41:27,460 "I just don't understand." 949 00:41:27,460 --> 00:41:29,480 And he gets away, he says, "I want to help you. 950 00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:30,620 "I want to be with you. 951 00:41:30,620 --> 00:41:32,140 "I'm walking with you, I see you." 952 00:41:32,140 --> 00:41:34,860 Come, come, get your life jacket. 953 00:41:34,860 --> 00:41:36,740 Get lean on me. 954 00:41:36,740 --> 00:41:38,580 Would you stand with me this morning? 955 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:44,580 Today could literally change everything. 956 00:41:44,580 --> 00:41:48,460 Come, you can take some space in this altar space 957 00:41:48,460 --> 00:41:50,740 or you can agree with one of these people here 958 00:41:50,740 --> 00:41:52,540 who have access to the same God you do. 959 00:41:52,540 --> 00:41:54,420 Let's worship and pray together.