Participants: Pr. C.A. Murray
Series Code: HHR
Program Code: HHR000010
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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. |
Revised 2014-12-17