His Harvest is Ready

Twice As Nice

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Pr. C.A. Murray

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Series Code: HHR

Program Code: HHR000010


00:23 I'm asking you to go with me to the book of John.
00:25 The gospel is written by John.
00:27 What book did I say?
00:28 John, Chapter 14, and we're going to read
00:32 a rather lengthy reading to try and set the stage
00:35 for what we want to talk about.
00:37 I'm in John 14, beginning at verse 14.
00:41 John 14:14, we're going to read all the way down to verse 21.
00:46 Give you a second to find it.
00:47 John chapter 14, the gospel of John, St. John 14,
00:52 and I'm beginning with verse 14.
02:17 Can you say Amen?
02:18 Powerful text of scripture!
02:21 Christ is saying many, many things
02:24 and we want to walk our way through them.
02:27 First of all, Christ promises us another helper.
02:32 Got one helper, his name is Jesus,
02:35 but Jesus promises us another helper making it twice as nice.
02:42 Can you say amen?
02:43 That's where the title comes from.
02:45 We have two helpers.
02:47 We have Jesus, and we have another helper,
02:51 the Greek here calls it the allos paraklatos,
02:55 or the allos paraklaton.
02:57 That's the word that is translated; another helper.
03:01 The King James translates that; another comforter.
03:06 Comforter, helper; pretty much the same thing.
03:09 The Bible says allos.
03:10 It uses the word allos.
03:12 It's a very interesting Greek word.
03:14 It's opposite is heteros.
03:18 Allos means another of the same kind.
03:22 Heteros means another of a different kind.
03:27 We hear: heterosexual or heterogeneous,
03:30 another, but of a different kind.
03:32 Allos means another of the same kind.
03:35 Christ says I'm going to send you somebody.
03:37 It's going to be somebody else, but he's of the same kind.
03:41 Can you say amen?
03:42 Same as me; thinks like me, acts like me, talks like me,
03:46 carries the same message as I do.
03:48 I'm going to send you somebody else, but it's going to be
03:51 of the same kind.
03:52 Then he calls it the paraklatos.
03:54 That is the word that is translated; helper.
03:57 Para meaning standing alongside or working inside.
04:02 You hear the word parasite.
04:04 A parasite is something which goes in and lives off of you.
04:08 Well, the paraklatos is something that goes in
04:11 and helps you, lifts you up, doesn't make you weaker
04:15 like a parasite, but indeed, makes you stronger.
04:19 Christ is saying something important here.
04:21 He is saying, I am going to go away, but I'm going to
04:25 leave you somebody else who's like me,
04:29 who will stand beside you and work in you and help you.
04:35 Can you say amen?
04:36 I'm not going to leave you an orphan.
04:38 Christ says that I don't have any stepchildren.
04:40 I don't have any foster children.
04:43 I'm going to send you somebody special
04:45 who's going to work with you, who's going to help you,
04:48 who's going to work alongside you, and who's going to help
04:51 to lift you up.
04:53 This he calls the allos paraklatos.
04:56 I'm going to send you somebody to help you on the way to glory.
05:01 We can thank God for that.
05:02 It's a new kind of helper.
05:05 He'll have the same personage.
05:06 He'll have the same mission.
05:08 He'll have the same calling.
05:10 He'll have the same goal.
05:11 He'll have the same objective.
05:13 He'll teach the same things.
05:15 He'll preach the same things.
05:16 He'll show you the same things.
05:18 He'll live out the same things.
05:20 He is going to be a little different in function and role
05:23 but the same things I teach you this new helper
05:27 is going to teach you the selfsame things.
05:28 Can you say amen?
05:29 This new helper is not going to invent anything new.
05:33 On the contrary, John 14:26 tells me that he's going to
05:38 teach and preach the same things that Jesus taught and preached
05:42 not going to invent anything new, in fact, Christ says
05:45 he will testify of me.
05:48 In John 14, Jesus himself ties it all together
05:52 with a beautiful cord.
05:53 He says, this new helper is going to have the same mission.
05:57 He's going to teach you about lordship.
06:01 He's going to teach you about victorious living.
06:04 He's going to teach you about commandment keeping.
06:06 He's going to teach you the gospel of truth.
06:09 He's going to teach you how to live victorious in Christ.
06:13 He will be the presence and power of the Most High God.
06:19 Christ here, shows us that this new helper will work
06:24 hand in hand with Jesus and God the Father in our salvation.
06:31 Jesus doesn't say flatly, you know, Keep My commandments,
06:34 and then wipe His hands and ride off into the sunset.
06:39 Look at how he follows it up.
06:40 He says, Keep my commandments if you love Me,
06:45 and I'm going to give you some help.
06:47 Can you say amen?
06:48 Christ doesn't say, just keep my commandments, just do it.
06:51 He says, No, no, if you love me, keep my commandments,
06:55 and I'm going to give you some help to do what I ask you to do.
06:59 This isn't going to be part-time help.
07:02 This is not going to be occasional help.
07:05 This is not going to be off and on help.
07:07 This is going to be full-time life long help from within
07:12 that will assist you in victorious Christian living.
07:16 Christ says, Do it and I'll give you help to do it
07:22 to make sure that you do it, and that you do it successfully.
07:26 Pretty soon, He says, the world is not going to see Me,
07:29 but you'll see Me, you will.
07:32 Don't look in Bethlehem anymore.
07:34 Don't look in Nazareth, Bethany, Capernaum or even Jerusalem.
07:39 Christ says, My new residence, My new address,
07:45 My new post office box is gonna be in here.
07:51 I'm not going to be walking the streets of Palestine anymore,
07:55 but through the power of this new helper I plan on taking
08:01 up residence inside your heart.
08:03 Can you say amen?
08:05 As long as you keep the welcome mat open, Jesus says,
08:10 I will stay with you, through My Holy Spirit, forever.
08:15 Praise God.
08:16 Let's demystify, let's demythologize this entity
08:24 known as the Holy Spirit.
08:27 We're going to do a lot of text hopping so I want you to
08:30 limber your fingers up.
08:31 We're going to go through a lot of texts in the word of God.
08:34 First of all, you'll note that the Bible does not say it,
08:39 and I didn't say it, I said He.
08:42 The Holy Spirit has and is a personality.
08:47 What did I say?
08:48 The Holy Spirit has and is a personality.
08:52 Let's go to the word of God.
08:53 I'm in the book of 1 Corinthians
08:55 What book did I say?
08:56 1 Corinthians chapter 2, we're going to begin our reading at
08:59 verse 9, 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 9.
09:44 Can you say amen?
09:45 So the Holy Spirit knows the things of God and as such
09:50 is able to show us and teach us the things of God.
09:54 Anything that we really know about God, we know
09:58 through the agency of the Holy Spirit.
10:00 None of us have seen God.
10:04 Amen.
10:06 How do we know about God?.. through the Spirit of God!
10:11 Through that person of the godhead
10:13 which teaches us about God.
10:15 That's how we know about God.
10:17 That's how we understand about God.
10:20 That's how we communicate with God...
10:22 through the Spirit of God, through this third person
10:25 of the godhead.
10:27 Number 1: The Spirit has personality.
10:29 If you're writing, write that down.
10:31 Very important.
10:32 He also has knowledge.
10:34 When we read and study and meditate on the things of God,
10:39 and that light shines in your soul, that is evidence
10:44 of the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
10:48 It is.
10:49 Sometimes you're listening to a sermon.
10:51 You feel a little tingling down in the pit of your stomach.
10:54 You know? You know what that is?
10:56 Spirit of God.
10:58 It's the pricking power of the Spirit of God.
11:02 Sometimes when I'm preparing a sermon,
11:03 and my wife knows this to be true,
11:07 I'm writing and sometimes I have to get up and walk around
11:09 and I shake myself.
11:11 You read something in the Bible.
11:14 I had an old friend, a Methodist pastor, who used to say you get
11:19 slapped by the Holy Ghost.
11:21 Sometimes when you are studying you read something that just
11:24 hits you right where you live.
11:26 You got to put the Bible down and just get up and walk around.
11:29 I'll be writing something and
11:32 all of a sudden I'll be in the bedroom.
11:33 Irma's like, what are you doing in here?
11:34 I gotta walk, gotta walk, gotta walk.
11:37 God will give you something that touches right where you live.
11:40 It just thrills your soul and for me I gotta get up and shake;
11:43 just gotta walk around a little bit.
11:45 That's the power of the Holy Ghost.
11:46 The Holy Spirit will do that for you.
11:48 Sometimes you go to church and your feeling just like
11:51 you've been run over by a forty ton truck.
11:54 As you get in church the one song you need to hear
11:59 is the song that somebody sings that day, Amen.
12:01 The one sermon that you need to hear preached
12:03 that's the sermon the pastor preaches, and it's like
12:06 that service was tailor-made for you.
12:09 You come out praising.. you know as you're in church it's just...
12:13 my favorite writer, Ellen White calls it spiritual heat.
12:16 You get in there and the heat just turns up and you start
12:19 feeling good about the Lord and you feel good about the church
12:23 and you feel good about being a child of God.
12:25 It's just something comes over you and you're just...
12:28 you just can't... you're just squirming in your seat
12:30 cause it's just good, good, good, good, good!
12:34 That's the Spirit of God quickening your soul.
12:38 It's a little hug from the Lord.
12:40 The Spirit teaches and it educates and it makes
12:43 you glad to be a child of God.
12:48 So when the word does get in it is carried
12:52 on the wings of the Holy Spirit.
12:55 Can you say amen?
12:57 So, now let's go on.
12:58 Number 3: The Spirit has will.
12:59 Now what did I say?
13:00 The Spirit has will.
13:02 I'm in the book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 12.
13:04 1 Corinthians, chapter 12 and verse 11.
13:21 Now I put that text in there for this particular reason;
13:24 so that you don't walk away from here believing that the Spirit
13:27 is some sort of inanimate force.
13:30 This is not Star Wars.
13:32 This is not, "May the Force Be With You".
13:34 The Spirit has a mind, it has a personality, and it has a will.
13:39 That means it goes where it wants to go.
13:42 In other words, listen to me folks, you don't use the Spirit
13:46 the Spirit uses you.
13:50 Amen... Amen.
13:53 The Spirit goes where it wants to go.
13:56 I'll tell you something.
13:57 The Spirit, like Jesus, does not go where it is not
14:02 wanted or invited.
14:09 God is not gonna kick your door down.
14:16 You gotta want Him in.
14:20 Now He'll hear your faintest cry.
14:22 If you make a little peep; He's right there.
14:25 but He's not gonna kick your door in.
14:27 No sir, you gotta ask Him.
14:29 When you ask Him, He'll come a running', I guarantee you.
14:32 Now, come a runnin' is kind of a southern Illinois thing.
14:35 Those of you who are from New York I don't usually say that.
14:38 I don't say come a runnin'.
14:40 It's startin' to slip and I heard Pastor Pinero say
14:42 ya'll a little while ago.
14:43 Being an east coast guy from Puerto Rico, his language has
14:48 elevated a little bit.
14:50 He's including ya'll in there.
14:51 I heard myself say ya'll the other day.
14:53 It does come out; you tend to pick up from your surroundings.
14:57 The Spirit has will.
14:59 We don't use the Spirit, the Spirit uses us.
15:02 Let's go on.
15:03 The Spirit also has a mind.
15:05 What did I say?
15:06 The Spirit has a mind.
15:07 I'm in the book of Romans, what did I say?
15:09 Romans chapter 8 and verse 27.
15:12 Romans 8:27.
15:29 So the Spirit has a mind.
15:32 It operates, it thinks, it helps, it encourages,
15:36 it lifts up; the Holy Spirit has a mind.
15:40 It is not just a force.
15:41 It is a personage.
15:44 It is the third person of the godhead.
15:47 Well, what else does the Spirit do?
15:49 Number 5: The Spirit loves.
15:55 Amen. Well God loves.
15:58 God so loved that He gave.
16:00 Jesus loves.
16:02 The Bible says, 1 John 4:8, "he that loveth not knoweth not God.
16:05 "For God is love. "
16:07 So it should not surprise us that the Spirit loves.
16:09 Let's go to the book of Romans.
16:10 What book did I say?
16:11 I'm in Romans chapter 15 and verse 30.
16:16 Romans 15 and verse 30.
16:36 The key word there is the love of the Spirit.
16:40 God loves you. Praise the Lord.
16:43 Jesus loves you. Praise the Lord.
16:46 Spirit loves you. Praise the Lord.
16:49 God the Father loves you.
16:52 Holy Spirit loves you.
16:54 Jesus sure does love you. Amen.
16:56 Amen. So the Spirit loves.
16:58 The Spirit talks and also enjoys fellowshipping with us.
17:04 I'm in II Corinthians chapter 13 verse 14.
17:08 II Corinthians chapter 13 and verse 14.
17:24 This is Paul's sort of sign off.
17:26 He's saying may the communion of the Spirit be with you.
17:30 Do you know what else the Spirit does?
17:32 It binds us together. Amen.
17:35 One of the greatest things about being a Christian
17:38 is being with other Christians.
17:40 Amen. When heart to heart and breast to breast
17:46 with those who love the Lord like you do.
17:49 We go to work and we go to different places
17:51 and we have to associate with those who don't love the Lord
17:55 and we are called to shed our light in the lives of
17:59 those who don't love the Lord;
18:01 but it's nice to come together
18:02 with people who think like you do. Amen?
18:05 Who love the Lord like you do.
18:07 Who worship God like you do.
18:10 Who care about the Lord like you do.
18:13 The Spirit binds us together.
18:15 It helps us to unite our hands,
18:18 but it also helps us to unite our hearts. Amen.
18:22 Amen. That's why when somebody else does good
18:24 or gets something good I rejoice with them.
18:28 Amen. You get a brand new car and bring it to church.
18:33 I rejoice with your new car.
18:36 If I need a ride home I expect to get a ride
18:44 in your new car. Amen.
18:46 That's what the Spirit does.
18:48 It makes us one in the Lord.
18:50 Amen. I enjoy going to potluck at people... you know I like
18:54 potluck at church.
18:56 I really, really, really enjoy going to people's house
19:00 after church for dinner.
19:02 I do. I like potluck.
19:05 There's something about going to somebody's house after church
19:08 and eating dinner.
19:10 Maybe it's because I didn't grow up in an Adventist home.
19:13 When I went home, since my family was not Christian,
19:17 I basically had to go in a room by myself, all those years,
19:20 and try to keep Sabbath holy, myself.
19:23 My family were football watchers.
19:25 They were football watchers.
19:27 They... Everybody had their own TV.
19:30 Sister had a TV in her room.
19:32 Mother had a TV. Father had a tat.
19:33 No one could watch TV together,
19:35 because they all watched TV differently.
19:37 My sister liked to scream and throw things at the TV.
19:39 My father likes it perfectly quiet when he's watching TV,
19:41 so they couldn't watch together.
19:42 My mother didn't watch it with either of them
19:44 because she liked it sometimes quiet and some...
19:46 so when I came home on Sabbath I had three TV's in the house
19:49 all of them had on football.
19:50 Sister screaming... Daddy... paying attention...
19:53 and my mother running back and forth, cooking and watching TV
19:55 at the same time, so I had to go in my room to stay away from TV.
19:58 Now, as an adult, when I pastored,
20:01 and someone invited me home to a Sabbath afternoon meal
20:05 where it was quiet and they're praising the Lord
20:08 and they're is Christian music on.
20:09 That is just the ultimate for me; has always been.
20:12 I love going to Sabbath, so if you ever invite me to
20:14 Sabbath afternoon dinner.
20:15 I'm not going to turn you down.
20:19 No way.
20:22 Amen.
20:24 So the Spirit binds us together is my point, Amen.
20:28 Let's go on. The Holy Spirit can be grieved.
20:31 This is an important one.
20:33 The Holy Spirit can be grieved.
20:34 I'm in the book of Ephesians.
20:36 What book did I say?
20:37 Ephesians chapter 4, verse 30.
20:39 Ephesians 4 and verse 30.
20:41 Let's read the word of God.
20:51 Powerful text. God is saying in His word, don't grieve
20:56 the Spirit of God.
20:57 Don't fight against the Spirit of God.
21:00 It is the Spirit of God that pricks your conscience
21:03 and affirms for you that what God is telling you,
21:07 what you're reading in the word is true.
21:09 So when you read it, for God's sake, do it.
21:14 Amen. If you don't you are wearying, you are fatiguing,
21:19 you are grieving the Spirit of God.
21:21 You're pushing back, you're fighting against
21:24 the Spirit of God, because it's the Spirit's job
21:27 to convict you of sin.
21:30 When you come to church and you're feeling comfortable don't
21:33 don't get mad at the preacher for stepping on your toes.
21:36 The preacher just preached the word.
21:38 It's the Spirit that quickens.
21:40 So if your toes are a little tight in your shoes,
21:43 not my fault; Holy Ghost.
21:47 Amen.
21:49 Don't grieve the Spirit of God.
21:53 Don't fight against the Spirit of God.
21:55 Work with the Spirit of God.
21:56 Allow it to teach you and move you from grace to grace
22:00 and strength to strength and victory to victory.
22:04 By the way, let me say this.
22:06 When you blow up and get out of control
22:08 the Spirit of God takes a step back.
22:15 One of the things the Spirit of God gives you
22:17 is commitment and control.
22:20 You commit your life to Jesus.
22:22 Holy Spirit seals the commitment and gives you control.
22:24 So you're not like a runaway freight train.
22:28 Got a short temper?
22:30 The Holy Spirit lengthens your fuse.
22:36 If you walk around all day like you're sucking on a lemon
22:40 and mad at everybody and everything.
22:42 You need to check your Spirit quotient.
22:44 You need to pull over and get a fill-up.
22:49 The Holy Spirit lengthens your fuse.
22:52 It makes you nicer and sweeter to be around.
22:55 Let me add this, this is not in the Bible,
22:57 this is my own personal exogenous.
23:00 I think when you get the Spirit of God you actually look better.
23:07 Makes you better looking.
23:09 Amen. Certainly makes you smile more.
23:12 You always look better when you smile.
23:14 So it makes you look better. Amen.
23:21 This text, before I leave it, is an important text.
23:27 We don't want to be fighting against the Spirit of God.
23:30 We want to work with the Spirit of God for our own salvation.
23:33 Now, as such, the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit can be insulted.
23:39 Did you know that?
23:40 It can be insulted.
23:41 Let's go to the book of Hebrews. What book did I say?
23:44 I'm in the book of Hebrews chapter 10, and verse 29.
23:47 Hebrews 10:29.
24:18 Powerful text. Powerful text.
24:21 The text that precedes it says back in the days of Moses
24:26 you could be condemned, out of the mouth
24:30 of two or three witnesses.
24:31 Three people come together and say, He did it.
24:36 You're condemned.
24:38 The Bible is saying, back in the day two or three witnesses
24:42 could condemn a person.
24:44 How much more are we worthy of condemnation if we reject
24:52 the power and presence of God?
24:55 If we reject God's offer of salvation and His promise
25:01 of the Spirit to help us get saved... if we reject that,
25:07 we lose our salvation and we insult the Spirit of God.
25:18 This ladies and gentleman is a very powerful text.
25:22 It's one of those pit stop texts that we find in the word of God.
25:27 It's one of those.. check engine light.. kind of texts.
25:31 You know what I mean.
25:32 When the engine light comes on you need to pull over
25:34 and check your engine immediately because you
25:36 could get stranded on the road.
25:38 This is a text like that.
25:39 The Bible is saying, if you cast away your salvation,
25:44 if you neglect your salvation, if your don't work
25:47 with the Spirit you're in bad shape.
25:51 Amen. The Spirit is there to help you get out of this world
25:55 and into the next.
25:57 If you just push away the Spirit it's gonna be bad for you.
26:04 Don't reject Jesus and don't insult the Holy Spirit.
26:10 When you read something in the word of God and the Bible
26:13 pricks your conscience and tells you this is the way, walk in it.
26:18 Dare I say, get walking NOW!
26:21 Amen! Don't wait, don't hesitate, don't vacillate,
26:26 don't consider, don't stutter, don't stumble.. GET GOING...
26:31 and do the will of God, Amen.
26:34 The Spirit will help you to do the will of God.
26:39 So then, the Spirit can be lied to.
26:46 What did I say?
26:49 The Spirit can be lied to.
26:52 I'm in the book of Acts.
26:54 What book did I say?
26:56 I'm in Acts chapter 5, and I want verse 3.
27:02 I'm turning to Acts 5, and verse 3.
27:24 Now this is a very powerful statement, and I suggest you
27:27 read that whole chapter.
27:29 Ananias and Sapphira sold a piece of land.
27:32 They told the church we're bringing the price of the land
27:37 to the church for the work of God.
27:41 They weren't asked to bring it. they weren't forced to bring it,
27:46 They were in no way arm-twisted to bring that money.
27:51 They volunteered to bring it.
27:53 They made a covenant.
27:55 We're gonna sell it. We're gonna give it to the cause of God.
27:58 Somewhere along the line, somebody came up with the idea
28:04 let's keep some for ourselves, and give the rest to the Lord.
28:14 When you make a promise to God,
28:19 God holds you accountable for that promise.
28:24 Are you listening to me?
28:25 That's promise made must be promises kept.
28:30 When we sin... all sin really is against God.
28:40 There is no such thing as a victimless crime.
28:45 For ultimately, all sin is against God.
28:50 You remember back in Genesis 39?
28:52 Potiphar's wife cast her eyes on Joseph
28:56 and day, after day she said lie with me, lie with me,
28:59 lie with me, lie with me.
29:00 What was Joseph's response?
29:03 His response was, how can I sin and do this great wickedness
29:11 not against you, not against Potiphar,
29:15 not even against myself.
29:17 Ultimately, I will be sinning against God.
29:22 Joseph knew the reason he had that job, the reason
29:28 he was in Egypt, the reason everything he touched
29:32 turned to gold is because God was with him.
29:36 He also realized that if he turned his back,
29:40 and slept with that woman, his sin was not against Potiphar
29:45 or against the riches, or even against self,
29:48 it was against the God who put him there,
29:50 and he couldn't sin against God.
29:52 So, ultimately, every time you sin it's against God,
29:56 and against the Spirit of God, which tells you don't do that.
30:01 You've got to shut your brain down.
30:04 You've got to turn against the Spirit in order
30:06 to go ahead and sin.
30:08 Your sins are against God.
30:09 There are no victimless crimes.
30:11 God is a victim every time we sin.
30:14 The Bible says in Hebrews that when we sin
30:17 we crucify Christ afresh, and put Him to open shame.
30:21 Every time we sin, we say Christ
30:26 your blood is not strong enough for me.
30:28 You didn't shed enough blood for me.
30:32 You saved the whole world but, you can't save me.
30:35 So the Bible says you crucify Him afresh
30:37 and put Him to open shame.
30:39 So every sin, ultimately, is against God.
30:41 God is a victim and so are you.
30:43 There are no victimless crimes.
30:46 Every sin is against the Lord Himself.
30:51 Let's go to Matthew, chapter
30:54 Matthew 12:31.
30:56 The Holy Spirit can be sinned against.
30:58 This brought us to the point that we just made.
31:00 I'm in Matthew, chapter 12, and verse 31.
31:03 I'll turn to it with you, and give you a moment to find it.
31:05 Matthew 12 and verse 31.
31:10 Matthew 12:31.
31:17 Let's read the word of God.
31:19 "Therefore, I say to you, every sin and blasphemy"
31:23 "will be forgiven him, but the blasphemy against the Spirit"
31:26 "will not be forgiven. "
31:27 We can blaspheme and sin against the Holy Spirit.
31:31 We can!
31:32 We can sin against that very power that's trying
31:36 to keep us from sinning,
31:38 something you don't want to do.
31:39 Now, we've looked at various aspects of the Spirit.
31:44 Now we need to find out where is He.
31:47 Where is He and what's He doing?
31:49 Let's go to the book of John.
31:50 What book did I say?
31:51 Gospel is written by John.
31:52 I'm in chapter 16, and verse 7.
31:57 John 16:7 and we'll read...
32:20 Christ is saying, I've got to go but, when I go,
32:22 I'm going to send somebody else.
32:24 I say somebody else not something else.
32:27 I'm gonna send Him here to be with you
32:30 so that you're not left comfortless.
32:32 In other words, where is the Spirit?
32:34 He's right here with us ladies and gentleman.
32:36 He's here with the people of God.
32:39 He is a comfort to the people of God.
32:41 He walks alongside you and points out the right way,
32:44 and keeps you from going the wrong way,
32:46 and protects you, and comforts you when you are sad,
32:49 and celebrates with you when you are glad,
32:51 and puts His arms of love around you,
32:54 and encourages you as you walk to glory.
32:56 Even on those days when you're not feeling so good,
32:59 when you're feeling alone and sad
33:01 you've got a constant friend a constant comforter and
33:04 His name is the Holy Spirit.
33:06 Can you say amen?
33:08 That's why I'm so glad I'm never alone.
33:10 You know we're never, ever alone.
33:13 You've got a guardian angel. Amen.
33:16 You've got God Himself in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
33:20 None of us should ever walk around with that...
33:22 mmmm.. nobody knows the trouble I've seen.
33:26 Nobody loves me.
33:28 Nobody cares about me.
33:30 Feet hurt, headache, can't seem to get anything accomplished...
33:37 I'm all by myself.
33:42 No, you're not.
33:44 You've got God with you in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
33:48 That's why Christians ought to be happy people.
33:54 The Bible says, Let no corrupt communication
33:56 come out of your mouth.
33:58 Amen, only say those things which lift...
34:02 You know listen, when I ask you how you're doing,
34:04 I don't want to hear every ache and pain you've got.
34:07 Not really!
34:11 Nor should you always tell me every ache and pain you've got.
34:15 If you do end it with this.
34:19 I still got Jesus. Amen.
34:22 Yeah, end it with... because it's the truth.
34:26 With all you got, you still got Jesus. Amen.
34:31 You're not alone and you have brothers and sisters
34:34 who love you, and you have a name written in the book.
34:37 Life, you'll forgive my pejorative English,
34:40 ain't so bad when you got Jesus. Amen.
34:45 Yeah, life's not perfect but, it's a lot better off
34:49 than it would be if we didn't have Jesus to turn to.
34:53 So we've got the Lord.
34:55 Let's go to Acts, chapter 1, verse 5.
34:57 Acts chapter 1, verse 5.
34:59 First book of Acts, chapter 1, verse 5.
35:03 Give you a second to find it and then we'll read
35:05 the word of God together.
35:06 Acts chapter 1, and verse 5.
35:09 Powerful text... Here we go, word of God.
35:11 The word of God says, Acts chapter 1 and verse 5.
35:14 "For John truly baptized with water but you shall be baptized"
35:21 "with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. "
35:26 This, of course, we realize as we moved into Acts,
35:29 we're moving into a brand new dispensation of the Spirit;
35:33 when men and women came forth filled with the Spirit of God
35:37 and in love with the Holy Spirit.
35:41 Now, let's go down to verse 8.
35:43 Acts chapter 1, and I want to pick it up at verse 8.
35:48 Love this text.
35:51 This is a great one.
35:52 "But you shall receive power. " Amen.
35:57 Now there are two words in New testament translated power.
36:00 One is exousia, the other is dunamis.
36:03 Dunamis is the root word we get dynamite from.
36:07 Dunamis is the physical ability to get the job done.
36:10 Dynamite, that's power. This is dunamis.
36:14 Dunamis is the physical ability to get it done.
36:17 The other word exousia, in the Greek, is translated authority.
36:22 God is saying you get authority and power.
36:29 In other words, you get the right to tell the devil
36:33 to get lost. Amen.
36:36 You get the right to tell him that, in Jesus.
36:39 Here's the problem, the devil is not afraid of you.
36:42 Nothing about you that the devil fears.
36:45 Make funny faces... the devil doesn't care.
36:48 Nothing about any of us that the devil fears.
36:51 The devil fears our boss. Amen.
36:56 You don't say in the name of CA Murray... take a hike.
37:05 The devil, you know what he says to that?
37:10 Doesn't scare him at all.
37:13 You say, In the name of Jesus of Nazareth leave me alone!
37:20 He takes off.
37:24 You get the power to become a son of God.
37:29 You get the right to become a son of God.
37:32 You get the authority to become a son of God.
37:35 You get the vacuum cleaner to blow the devil
37:39 out of your house, off your doorstep, out of your family,
37:43 and off your job.
37:44 I've got a leaf blower, that I use to blow leaves at my house.
37:49 The Holy Spirit is like that leaf blower.
37:52 The devil comes, turn on the thing and blow the devil away.
37:57 Amen. You get the right and authority to tell the devil
38:00 leave me alone, I'm trying to serve the Lord.
38:02 Get off my case and let me serve my Jesus. Amen.
38:07 It also gives you the power to witness for the Lord.
38:10 As much as I'd like to believe that my screaming
38:13 helps convert people.
38:14 I realize that no matter how loud I talk
38:17 that's not going to convert anybody.
38:19 Amen. No, it is the power of God that quickens.
38:27 It's the Spirit that quickens.
38:28 So when you preach, when you teach you do so
38:32 with the assurance that all I've got to do
38:34 is get the word out there.
38:36 God will do the rest.
38:39 I can't convict anybody.
38:40 I can't convert anybody.
38:42 I can't change anything.
38:44 All I can do is preach the word and then the Spirit adds power
38:49 to the word, pushes into your heart and changes your life.
38:53 They say, Oh, Murray you did a good job.
38:57 You preached hard, but when I get on my knees at night
39:00 I've got to say thank you Jesus for taking my mean words
39:04 and turning them into ministry.
39:07 If any heart is converted, if any life is changed it's not me.
39:13 It's the Spirit of God.
39:15 Any pastor who is a real pastor who knows the Lord will
39:18 tell you the same thing.
39:19 We just get up and shout and scream.
39:21 The Bible calls it the foolishness of preaching.
39:25 Through the foolishness of preaching lives are changed.
39:29 Why, because the Spirit of God changes lives.
39:34 Amen, and Amen.
39:37 Now, why is He necessary?
39:38 We're in the book of Acts, let's stay there.
39:40 I'm in Acts chapter 1 and verse 11.
39:43 Acts chapter 1 and verse 11.
39:46 Who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing
39:54 up into heaven?
39:55 "This same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven"
39:59 "will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven. "
40:05 So Jesus is in heaven and He has left for us an ambassador;
40:11 The constant witness to His presence here.
40:15 The Spirit is the emissary of God.
40:18 He is the ambassador of God.
40:20 The nuncio, dare I say, of God.
40:23 He lets us know what is going on in heaven on our behalf,
40:27 and keeps us in touch with heaven.
40:31 Can you say, Amen?
40:32 It's like a cell phone, dare I say.
40:35 Always got it with you and you can check in with heaven
40:39 anytime you want.
40:40 Can you say, Amen?
40:41 Direct line! You don't have to go through an operator.
40:44 You don't have to go through any kind of switchboard.
40:47 You open up and you talk to Jesus through the Spirit, amen.
40:51 Gonna come to a really sharp text in just a little bit.
40:54 Acts 2:4, what book did I say?
40:56 Acts, chapter 2 and verse 4.
41:11 Now, I could spend a lot of time talking about tongues.
41:14 But, Pastor Hal Steenson, down at 3ABN
41:17 does it so much better than me.
41:18 We have a program called Heaven's Point of View;
41:21 that deals with the whole issue of tongues.
41:24 There's some wonderful material that you can get from 3ABN
41:27 that deals with tongues and that is a series of sermons
41:30 in and of itself.
41:31 Sufficed to say, the Spirit is concerned about evangelism.
41:35 The Spirit gave the utterance of tongues so that the word of God
41:40 could be understood by other individuals.
41:41 The Spirit doesn't give things just for confusion;
41:44 just so people can get up and make noise and show off.
41:47 The Spirit has a purpose.
41:48 The Spirit's purpose is to lift up Jesus.
41:51 Whatever the Spirit does it does so to lift up Jesus.
41:54 If there is somebody in the audience
41:55 that doesn't understand Jesus, doesn't know Jesus
42:00 and needs to hear about Jesus and really wants Jesus.
42:03 The Spirit's job is to get Jesus to that person.
42:06 That's what the Spirit did on that day.
42:08 You got a bunch of people sitting around,
42:10 can't speak the language, can't understand what's going on,
42:12 but need to hear the word of the Lord.
42:14 The Spirit says okay, I'll take care of that.
42:16 The Spirit did the translation and they heard God's word
42:19 in their own language. Praise God.
42:20 The Spirit has a purpose and that is to lift up Jesus.
42:25 Now, it is also heaven's God.
42:27 I love this text, John 16:13.
42:29 What book did I say?
42:30 Gospel of John, chapter 16 and verse 13.
43:03 The Holy Spirit's job, what it wants to do,
43:06 is lead you into the truth about Jesus Christ.
43:10 It's to guide you on this road to glory
43:14 so that you need not get lost.
43:16 A lot of these people have... as a matter of fact my
43:18 pastor and friend, John Lomacang has one of these GPS units.
43:22 It's a little satellite unit that will direct you anywhere
43:26 you want to go and Danny Shelton was telling me
43:29 the other day that he was following John
43:32 someplace they were going.
43:33 Pastor Lomacang said follow me I got my little GPS.
43:38 They kept going around and around and around and around
43:42 and Danny began to say to himself, something's wrong.
43:44 John said stick with me the unit says just one more block.
43:48 They made a turn and a dead alley, dead end or something,
43:51 and the GPS unit had led him wrong.
43:54 They don't often do that but occasionally they do.
43:58 You can't always trust your satellite GPS unit.
44:02 The other day, Irma and I were going someplace
44:06 on the other side of Chicago.
44:07 We got the MapQuest directions, got them on the computer,
44:11 wrote them out and followed them to the letter
44:14 and got hopelessly, hopelessly lost.
44:19 So we got out the map and we fingered our way and found it.
44:24 Sometimes even these modern devices can lead you astray.
44:28 Praise God, the Holy Spirit will never lead you astray.
44:34 You can follow it, you can trust it and it will lead you
44:37 safely and safely and safely and gently home.
44:41 Alright, the Holy Spirit shares heaven's love.
44:43 I'm in the book of Romans.
44:44 What book did I say?
44:45 Romans, chapter 5 and verse 5.
44:48 Romans 5:5, I'm moving along.
45:07 Amen, one of the Holy Spirit does is make you love people.
45:15 Amen, amen, it makes you love.
45:19 The Holy Spirit makes you a loving person.
45:21 It makes you lovely to be loved and it makes you a lover
45:24 of other individuals.
45:25 You know I'm going to go down here, this is Pastor Bacchus.
45:28 He's sitting right here, come Pastor Bacchus.
45:30 I love Pastor Bacchus.
45:34 I just met him.
45:35 He's a nice guy.
45:37 I want to invite him over to dinner.
45:39 He's a nice guy.
45:40 I really love him.
45:42 I love Pastor Sylvester.
45:43 Standing right there, Pastor I'm going to come over and hug you.
45:47 Praise the Lord.
45:49 Pastor brought his members out with him tonight.
45:51 Praise the Lord.
45:53 The Holy Spirit makes you feel it.
45:56 When you meet somebody who loves the Lord
45:57 it doesn't take you long to warm up to them.
45:59 Like answers to like.
46:02 You just like people.
46:04 Praise the Lord.
46:05 Amen, you just like people.
46:08 Praise the Lord, had dinner at his house last Sabbath.
46:12 His wife is a great cook.
46:14 The Holy Spirit does that.
46:17 Amen, there's something that runs from breast to breast
46:22 to breast of those who love Jesus.
46:24 You can't help but love people who love the Lord.
46:26 You can't help yourself.
46:27 You end up hugging people you barely know, shaking their hand,
46:31 eating their food.
46:37 So the love of God is shed through the Holy Spirit
46:40 and moves from heart to heart of those who love the Lord. Amen.
46:43 Love that text and love that idea.
46:45 Let's go to verse 27, I think I want Romans 5...
46:50 Yes, Romans 5:27.
46:56 Let me find it, here we go.
47:02 No, I want Romans 8, my 5 looks like an 8.
47:12 That's what I want. I want Romans 8:27.
47:15 Romans 8:27
47:18 "Now he who searches the hearts knows what the mind"
47:22 "of the Spirit is, because he makes intercession"
47:27 "for the saints according to the will of God. "
47:29 So the Spirit of God makes intercession for us.
47:32 He's helping us out.
47:33 He loves us just that much, amen.
47:36 Now, let's go down to verse 28.
47:43 Oh, I know what I want to do, let's go back to verse 26.
47:48 Here we go, verse 26.
47:49 I got so excited that I skipped a text.
47:51 Here we go, Romans 8:26.
48:15 The Holy Spirit takes your prayer and dresses it up,
48:20 and adds exogenses and urgency and efficiency and effectiveness
48:28 and takes your prayer to present it before God the Father.
48:32 The Spirit takes your little weak petition and makes it
48:35 strong, it reads what's going on in your heart
48:38 and takes that burden and lays it before the Lord and says,
48:41 Lord, this little sister really needs a blessing from You,
48:45 really needs a word from You, really needs a touch from You.
48:49 Lord, can You do something for her?
48:51 She loves You and she cares about You and she sacrificed
48:54 for You, and Lord You got to help her.
48:59 So it adds groanings which cannot be uttered.
49:02 The Spirit helps your prayer, because the Spirit wants
49:04 to see that you get what God knows you need to get.
49:07 Amen. Alright.
49:10 Now, Holy Spirit reveals.
49:11 Running out of time, it's getting away from me.
49:12 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 10.
49:14 What book did I say?
49:15 1 Corinthians chapter 2, and verse 10.
49:30 So I say again, when you read the word of God,
49:33 or you hear the word of God preached and something begins
49:35 to work its way down into your soul.
49:37 That is the Spirit of God revealing the deep things
49:40 of God to you and through you.
49:44 The Holy Spirit converts.
49:47 I'm in the gospel of John, chapter 3 and verse 6.
49:53 John 3, verse 6, and I hope that you've gotten an opportunity
49:56 to write all of these down.
49:59 If not we will put them on the website so that you get
50:02 these references.
50:03 John 3:6
50:22 Flesh cannot inherit the kingdom.
50:25 We must be born again.
50:27 It's an old doctrine, but a good one, and a solid one,
50:31 and that new birth experience is occasioned by the entrance
50:37 of the Spirit of God in our lives.
50:40 That's what makes the change,
50:43 amen, comes from the acceptance of the Spirit.
50:46 John 6:63
50:49 A great series of texts are found here.
50:51 What book did I say?
51:14 Praise God!
51:15 There is life in these words.
51:19 Because the Spirit is in these words.
51:23 Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
51:29 So when they spoke and they wrote it wasn't their words,
51:33 wasn't their thoughts alone, it was the Spirit of God
51:38 writing through them.
51:40 When you take these words into your life you are taking in the
51:44 Spirit of the living God, amen.
51:47 It's live food and it will grow up in you and make you
51:53 a live Christian in the Lord.
51:56 Amen. I say again, no matter how much I preach, I can't convert;
52:01 the Spirit of God does the converting.
52:03 How do I get it?
52:05 Here's the recipe.
52:06 Zechariah chapter 10, verse 1.
52:24 The Bible is using some terms here.
52:27 Rain here is the Spirit;
52:29 the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
52:31 Ask for it, amen.
52:34 God is not stingy.
52:40 God's not stingy.
52:42 You ask. You get.
52:45 Remember two or three nights ago we preached give all
52:48 get all God.
52:49 You give all, guess what?
52:52 You get all!
52:54 So if you want the Spirit,
52:55 ask, the Bible says He is more willing to give good gifts
52:58 to His children than earthly parents are to their own.
53:01 So if you want the Spirit ask for it and God will give it.
53:06 You want to be saved.
53:07 Ask for it, God will give you salvation;
53:10 through His agent the Holy Spirit.
53:13 Let's go to the book of Hosea.
53:14 What book did I say?
53:15 Hosea, there in the Old Testament tucked away
53:17 there we'll find the book of Hosea.
53:19 Got it, Hosea chapter 6, and verse 3.
53:41 God's waiting; God wants to give you the Holy Spirit so bad
53:44 it is just... you couldn't believe how bad the Lord wants
53:47 you to have His Holy Spirit.
53:49 When Christ says, If you love Me keep My commandments.
53:51 He's just, He's waiting for you.
53:52 It's like a bank account.
53:55 You are starving to death and you have a billion dollars
53:59 in the bank and God is saying please, just write a check.
54:04 You got the money.
54:06 I'll put the money in the bank for you.
54:07 Just write a check.
54:09 And the check can't bounce put in as many zeros as you want
54:13 and it will not bounce.
54:15 God is waiting to give us the Holy Spirit.
54:18 Acts chapter 2:38 Got to go fast.
54:21 Acts 2:38
54:35 Just stop fighting God and work with Him.
54:37 Now, real fast, Matthew 7:20.
54:43 Galatians 5:22,I'm going real fast.
54:45 Galatians 5:22 gives us the fruit of the Spirit.
54:48 This is very, very important.
54:54 Let's go on fruit of the Spirit;
54:55 these things are all part of the fruit of the Spirit.
54:58 The reason I make a difference is because we get stuck so much
55:02 on the fruit of the Spirit and what we need to have,
55:06 rather the gifts of the Spirit, and what we need
55:09 are the fruit of the Spirit.
55:11 If the Spirit comes into your life you will have the fruit,
55:14 ladies and gentleman.
55:15 The love, the joy, the peace, the longsuffering,
55:19 the gentleness, the meekness, the temperance, the mercy;
55:22 all of those come with the Spirit of God.
55:26 So that in 1999 you are one way, in 2000 you're better
55:31 and in 2007 you're even better because the Spirit is working
55:34 with you and cleaning up your life.
55:36 That's the job of the Holy Spirit.


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Revised 2014-12-17