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Max Lucado – The Holy Who? Understanding Who the Holy Spirit Really Is · Max Lucado Daily Sermons

• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Or not. My name is Max. That's not necessary, but
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: I appreciate that. And since I was last speaking with you,
• 0:20
  Speaker 1: I've traveled quite a bit and visited a lot of
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: different churches and conferences, but no opportunity was greater than
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: the opportunities over the last month as I went over
• 0:32
  Speaker 1: to Journey and up to Fredericksburg, what was the Fredericksburg
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: campus of the Oak Hills Church, and gave them the
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: final blessing to release and celebrated also with North Central Fellowship.
• 0:47
  Speaker 1: Is it not astounding? Travis was so right last week
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: when he said this is a historic season. Three churches planted.
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: And he is also right to say now that these
• 0:59
  Speaker 1: three churches have planted and are healthy and have a
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: bright future ahead of them, What's next for Oak Hills?
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: And I love this vision that he has of keeping
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: Christ right in the center and challenging us to become
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: a church where everybody grows up so we can build
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: up others. And I can't think of a better way
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: to grow up and build up others than by studying
• 1:20
  Speaker 1: about the third person in the Trinity, the Holy Spirit.
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: And every weekend between now and Christmas Advent, Travis and
• 1:30
  Speaker 1: I are going to be discussing with you the beautiful
• 1:33
  Speaker 1: images left for us to think about and understand more
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: deeply the presence of Christ on earth today, the invisible
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: yet undeniable force of the Holy Spirit. In just a moment,
• 1:46
  Speaker 1: we're going to turn our attention to the final words
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: that Jesus spoke before he ascended into heaven. They came
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: in the form of a command and then a promise.
• 1:57
  Speaker 1: The command is found toward the end of the Gospel
• 2:00
  Speaker 1: of Luke. where Jesus told his followers to tarry in
• 2:05
  Speaker 1: the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: from on high. And then the promise just before the ascension,
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: the last words Christ spoke, you shall receive power when
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall
• 2:22
  Speaker 1: be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria
• 2:27
  Speaker 1: and to all the end of the earth. Raise your
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: hand if you could use some power today. I'm just curious.
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: You shall receive power. Just a moment. We'll pray and
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: then begin a conversation about that beautiful promise. But first,
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: I have a new joke for you. A fellow decided
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: that he should lose a little bit of weight, and
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: he told his wife, I'm not going to stop at
• 2:51
  Speaker 1: the bakery anymore. Boy, was she surprised when he showed
• 2:55
  Speaker 1: up a day or two later carrying a cake from
• 2:58
  Speaker 1: the bakery. She said, what happened? I thought you said
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: you weren't going to stop. He said, well, I drove
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: past the bakery and there in the display window was
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: this beautiful cake. And I said, Lord, I sure would
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: like to buy that cake. Am I supposed to buy
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: that cake? And I told the Lord, Lord, I'm going
• 3:17
  Speaker 1: to circle around the bakery and if there's an empty
• 3:19
  Speaker 1: parking place, that will be my sign that I'm supposed
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: to buy this cake. And the husband said to the wife, honey,
• 3:29
  Speaker 1: there was an empty parking place. It took me 10
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: loops around the bakery. But finally, there was an empty
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: parking place. Well, we're all needing guidance. And the Holy
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: Spirit is God's presence in this world to guide us.
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: And so I'm excited as we look into the future
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: and see how the Holy Spirit will guide us. Let's
• 3:50
  Speaker 1: pray together. Have mercy upon us, O Lord. Open our hearts.
• 3:53
  Speaker 1: Soften our hearts. Open our minds. Clear the debris and
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: the clutter out. Grant that we can see Jesus, just Jesus.
• 4:02
  Speaker 1: Forgive our speaker. You know, his sins are many. Through
• 4:06
  Speaker 1: Christ we pray. And all the church said, let's imagine
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: that you're going on a vacation. You're probably ready for
• 4:17
  Speaker 1: a break, and so this won't be a difficult exercise.
• 4:21
  Speaker 1: And you book a room in a mountain village. You
• 4:25
  Speaker 1: envision the clear vistas. the thin air, the wonderful walks. Besides,
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: the hotel is having an end-of-the-season package special, especially geared
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: toward people who do what you've always wanted to do,
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: and that is climb mountain trails. The first morning, you're
• 4:51
  Speaker 1: the first one up and out the door. No sleeping
• 4:54
  Speaker 1: in for you, no siree. You've got your backpack packed.
• 4:59
  Speaker 1: And your water bottle filled. And your heart is full
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: of enthusiasm. Trail guide in one hand and a walking
• 5:08
  Speaker 1: stick in the other. Oh, what fun this day is
• 5:12
  Speaker 1: going to be. But the fun is short-lived. You're only
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: a few steps up that trail before you realize you're
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: not in great shape. And the trail is steep. And
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  Speaker 1: those hiking boots are stiff. And you're already regretting that
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: you didn't pay more money to get a lighter backpack.
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: And so you step over to the side of the
• 5:37
  Speaker 1: path to catch your breath. And that's when you hear
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: the trail guide and his happy followers. You look and
• 5:46
  Speaker 1: here comes the trail guide wearing a wide-rimmed hat and
• 5:49
  Speaker 1: a very confident expression as he points out all the
• 5:52
  Speaker 1: different details surrounding the trails. The flowers, the rocks, the
• 5:59
  Speaker 1: history of the trail. And behind him come this just
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: wonderfully happy, peaceful group of people who are not carrying backpacks.
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: And they're walking with a spring in their step. And
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  Speaker 1: they're asking questions and the guide is always quick and
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: able to answer. You give serious thought to tagging along
• 6:22
  Speaker 1: and eavesdropping. But you didn't pay for a trail guide.
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  Speaker 1: Besides you're carrying a backpack. And you'd find it difficult
• 6:32
  Speaker 1: to keep up. And you would stand out. So within
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  Speaker 1: short order they are way ahead of you. After a
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  Speaker 1: couple of miles you catch up with them. And they
• 6:43
  Speaker 1: are sitting in a meadow. Eating a picnic lunch. Sandwiches. Sodas.
• 6:50
  Speaker 1: And cookies. Sandwiches. Are those homemade chocolate chip cookies? You
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: sigh and you think about that, what must be now
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: a soggy PB & J that's in your backpack. You
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: think maybe I'll stop and eat, but you've kind of
• 7:11
  Speaker 1: lost your appetite. You're so tired and you've decided enough
• 7:15
  Speaker 1: hiking for today and you turn and you descend the
• 7:18
  Speaker 1: trail and go back to your hotel and eat your
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: PB & J. The next morning you wake up with
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  Speaker 1: muscles sore and feet sore. And it takes you the
• 7:28
  Speaker 1: better part of an hour and the better part of
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: a box of band-aids. To get your blisters covered. To
• 7:35
  Speaker 1: get your boots back on. But you're going to soldier on.
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: And you select a different trail. And off you go.
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  Speaker 1: But day two is a mirror image of day one.
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  Speaker 1: The trail is steep too soon. The boots are stiff
• 7:50
  Speaker 1: too quickly. And you're thinking about giving up before the
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: sun is midday high. And once again, you hear the
• 8:02
  Speaker 1: happy guide. Once again, you hear his gaggle of enthusiastic followers.
• 8:09
  Speaker 1: You step over to the side and here they come.
• 8:12
  Speaker 1: The guide tells a joke and everybody laughs. People are smiling.
• 8:16
  Speaker 1: They're carrying on conversation. They look like they're having a
• 8:19
  Speaker 1: great time. And here you are suffering your way up
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  Speaker 1: the mountain. They pass you and get several miles ahead
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  Speaker 1: of you. And finally you catch up and there they
• 8:30
  Speaker 1: are yet again. Sitting in the meadow. Listening to a
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: nature hike. I mean a nature speech from the trail guide.
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: As he describes the history of the mountains. And they're
• 8:43
  Speaker 1: eating the most precious. delicious looking picnic lunch and you
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: even hear the trail guide say there's more homemade ice
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: cream does anybody want any oh you mumble something about
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  Speaker 1: the inequities of life and and you turn and you
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  Speaker 1: head back down the trail spend the rest of the
• 9:04
  Speaker 1: afternoon in your hotel room watching reality tv Eating your
• 9:09
  Speaker 1: peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Day three, day four, exactly
• 9:13
  Speaker 1: like days one and day two. Day five, you don't
• 9:16
  Speaker 1: even go out. You just go down to the hotel
• 9:19
  Speaker 1: lobby and you sit there. Discouraged. That's when you hear
• 9:25
  Speaker 1: someone call your name. You look up. It's the trail guide.
• 9:31
  Speaker 1: He calls your name yet again and says, where have
• 9:33
  Speaker 1: you been? We've been looking for you. Don't you know
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: that the package you purchased included me? We carry your
• 9:48
  Speaker 1: backpack up the trail so you don't have to. We
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: prepare a gourmet picnic so you don't have to carry food.
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  Speaker 1: And you can ask me any questions want there's no
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: question I cannot answer when it comes do you not
• 10:03
  Speaker 1: know did you not know this is all included in
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  Speaker 1: your package you could have been with us each and
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: every day and you just groan the main character in
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  Speaker 1: that story You're looking at him. I did that. I
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  Speaker 1: did that. I didn't know. I didn't know what was included. Consequently,
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  Speaker 1: I carried a load I was not intended to bear.
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  Speaker 1: And I missed out on a few feasts. If only
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: my oversight had just involved a mountain village vacation. But
• 10:52
  Speaker 1: mine was far more severe. I missed out on the
• 10:57
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit. I became a Christian when I was barely
• 11:06
  Speaker 1: into double-digit years. I was a Sunday school teacher's dream
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  Speaker 1: come true. I hoisted that backpack of good works and
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  Speaker 1: earnest desires and high morality into And sincere achievements. And
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  Speaker 1: I set off to memorize every passage I could memorize.
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  Speaker 1: Obey every command to come out of the pulpit. I
• 11:33
  Speaker 1: resolved to never tell a lie. Always believe. Pray more.
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  Speaker 1: Do more. Give more. If there was ever anyone earnest
• 11:47
  Speaker 1: about ascending that mountain of spirituality. You're looking at him.
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  Speaker 1: I'm not sure if a 14 or 15 year old
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  Speaker 1: can suffer spiritual burnout, but I don't know what else
• 12:02
  Speaker 1: to call it. Because within three or four years, I
• 12:06
  Speaker 1: just threw in the towel. I gave up. I couldn't
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  Speaker 1: do it. I was exhausted. Blame some of it on adolescence.
• 12:20
  Speaker 1: Immaturity or raging hormones and that guilt that comes. But
• 12:27
  Speaker 1: blame most of it on the fact that I didn't
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  Speaker 1: know I had a helper. I didn't know. Somehow I
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  Speaker 1: missed that. I really don't remember the congregation where I
• 12:42
  Speaker 1: grew up in our small town. I don't remember anyone
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  Speaker 1: talking about the Holy Spirit. But I don't blame the congregation.
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  Speaker 1: I owned a Bible. I could have read the Bible.
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  Speaker 1: But had you asked me, Max, tell me about the
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  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit, my answer would have been something like, the
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  Speaker 1: Holy who? Can you relate? My hunch and my experience is,
• 13:21
  Speaker 1: ask most Christians, who is God the Father? We get
• 13:25
  Speaker 1: that image. Describe God the Son. We can relate. But
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  Speaker 1: if you want to see somebody hymn and haw and
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  Speaker 1: search for words and duck their eyes, ask them, tell
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  Speaker 1: me about the Holy part of the challenge is just
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  Speaker 1: in the term, spirit, spirit. Mystical, ethereal, hard to wrap
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  Speaker 1: our mind around the spirit. I do recall an encounter
• 14:02
  Speaker 1: with the Holy Spirit. If we could fast forward about
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: four or five years, I was a senior in high school, 1973,
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  Speaker 1: and the most wonderful thing happened. an evangelist showed up
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  Speaker 1: in our small town. Not just any evangelist, but an
• 14:22
  Speaker 1: evangelist from a far-off country called California. He was a
• 14:31
  Speaker 1: convert from the Jesus movement that was sweeping the country.
• 14:37
  Speaker 1: Some of you may recall the Jesus movement. And he
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: showed up in our little town, Who knows how he
• 14:46
  Speaker 1: from L.A. ended up in our little town. But he did.
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  Speaker 1: Driving a school bus that had been painted to look
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: like a bouquet of flowers. He had long hair. He
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: wore bell-bottom jeans. And he stood on the top of
• 15:04
  Speaker 1: his school bus in our school parking lot holding a
• 15:08
  Speaker 1: megaphone talking about Christ. And he had a team of folks.
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  Speaker 1: Who traveled with him. And he spoke not just about.
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  Speaker 1: What we must do. He spoke about what God had done.
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  Speaker 1: He got grace. And then. He spoke about the Holy Spirit.
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  Speaker 1: It's been so long. I can't begin to recall his
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: exact words. But the sentiment I do recall. And that
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: is that God has not left you by yourself. He
• 15:48
  Speaker 1: has not left you as an orphan. And when you
• 15:51
  Speaker 1: say yes to Christ, He moves in. And He takes
• 15:55
  Speaker 1: up residence in your life. And the same power of
• 15:58
  Speaker 1: Christ is now the power that can be in you.
• 16:01
  Speaker 1: I don't know how, but I had never heard that.
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: The invitation was given to go to small group conversations
• 16:10
  Speaker 1: in homes around our city. boy I signed up the
• 16:14
  Speaker 1: address I was given took me to a trailer park
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: on the far side of town here I am an
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: 18 year old the only spirit I've experienced came out
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  Speaker 1: of a liquor bottle and went up and I knocked
• 16:29
  Speaker 1: on the door I didn't know the people but boy
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: were they friendly they welcomed me in we all sat
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: on the floor like hippies we opened the Bible and
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: And this person who traveled with the evangelist gave a
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: Bible study about Jesus and also the promise of the
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit. At the end of that Bible study, we prayed.
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  Speaker 1: And I heard people praying in a language I'd never heard.
• 17:07
  Speaker 1: After the prayer, I was asked, would you like to
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: pray in that language? I said, yes. And so I
• 17:16
  Speaker 1: was prayed for. Nothing happened. I didn't. Nevertheless, it was
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: an unforgettable evening. And I left with the distinct impression
• 17:28
  Speaker 1: that these people don't struggle their way up that trail.
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: They don't look tired. It's like they know something. It's
• 17:38
  Speaker 1: like they know someone that I don't. You might expect
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: my story to take a dramatic turn right here. Maybe
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: include something like when I exited the trailer park, I
• 17:53
  Speaker 1: was struck by a bright light and Damascus Road moment
• 17:56
  Speaker 1: and another Saul became another Paul and I began writing
• 17:59
  Speaker 1: epistles and none of that happened. None of that happened.
• 18:04
  Speaker 1: The truth is, I went back to my old life.
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: And it would be another two or three years before
• 18:12
  Speaker 1: a dear friend would convince me. That God's grace is
• 18:16
  Speaker 1: big enough for a prodigal like me. And I decided
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: to try the trail one more time. Went to seminary.
• 18:29
  Speaker 1: Went through a stint on the mission field for several years.
• 18:34
  Speaker 1: And then when I turned 33, I ended up here
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: at this church. If you think That trail was steep
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: for a youngster. Let me tell you something. That trail
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: was steeper for this minister. Boy, I was earnest again.
• 18:59
  Speaker 1: I was resolved. I was determined. I was going to
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: prepare for every sermon. Visit every sick person. Organize every committee.
• 19:11
  Speaker 1: Solve every problem. deal with every cranky member I was
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: trying my best but after about two or three years
• 19:23
  Speaker 1: the wheels just came off I could not sleep how
• 19:33
  Speaker 1: does somebody lose the ability to sleep It's the easiest
• 19:37
  Speaker 1: thing in the world. I used to fall asleep all
• 19:39
  Speaker 1: the time. Here I was, 33, 35 years old. I
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: couldn't fall asleep. I'd lie there in bed. Everybody else
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: in the world was asleep. My wife was asleep. My
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: three daughters were asleep. Our dog was asleep. I think
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: the goldfish was asleep. Everybody I knew was asleep. But
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: I could not fall asleep. My mind was racing, racing
• 20:03
  Speaker 1: like a Ferrari at a time trial. I cannot tell
• 20:12
  Speaker 1: you how many Sunday mornings I stood before this church
• 20:15
  Speaker 1: having had maybe an hour of sleep. It's a wonder
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: my sermon didn't put me to sleep. Here's what would happen.
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: I'd finally just climb out of bed and work my
• 20:27
  Speaker 1: way over downstairs to our study. My eyes were too
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: tired to read anything. And so I would do really
• 20:36
  Speaker 1: the thing that turned out to be the saving grace
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: for me. I would pray. I would pray. Crumpled, dejected
• 20:44
  Speaker 1: figure I was there on my knees and the couch,
• 20:47
  Speaker 1: my pajamas. But just asking the Lord, can you help me?
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: Can you help me? Was that the season that I
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: began to discover this trail guide, this dear friend, the
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit? Sort of. But I think it would be
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: better to say that was the season that he discovered me.
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: That he found me. Little by little. I began to
• 21:17
  Speaker 1: sense an inner strength. This power that Jesus promised. Again
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: it was not. At least in my case. It wasn't
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: a sudden downpour. But it was kind of like a sprinkle.
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: A spring shower. And he began to draw me to himself.
• 21:35
  Speaker 1: I began to rest better. I began to sense his leading.
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  Speaker 1: As I would. Be in conversations. The Bible seemed to
• 21:46
  Speaker 1: come alive. Even the words seemed to come alive. I
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: had a conviction about what to talk about on Sundays.
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: And when I didn't have a conviction, I knew who
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: to talk to about it. That's been three decades now.
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: I no longer call the Holy Spirit the Holy Who.
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: I do like to call him my unfailing friend. And
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: I have come to learn that he is the great
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: ally of the saints. The great champion of the cause
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  Speaker 1: of Christ. That he lives to reveal Christ to us.
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  Speaker 1: To intercede for us. He is our comforter. He is
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: our advocate. He is our guide. He seals the saints.
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  Speaker 1: And He's leading us day by day, closer and closer
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: to the day that we see the manifestation of the
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: Trinity in the return of Christ. And I believe that
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: God wants all of us to nourish and nurture a
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: vibrant relationship with the Holy Spirit. This was the promise
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: of Jesus. If you'd like to fill in blanks, this
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: is your cue. This is the promise of Jesus. Before
• 23:18
  Speaker 1: he ascended into heaven, he gave his followers that command
• 23:22
  Speaker 1: and that promise. That command was to tarry in the
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: city of Jerusalem. Just wait here until you have been
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: endued with power from on high. And then he gave
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: them this promise. You shall receive power when the Holy
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: Spirit has come upon you. And you shall be witnesses
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: to me in Jerusalem and all of Judea and Samaria
• 23:43
  Speaker 1: and to the ends of the earth. These men had
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: been with Jesus for three years. They had walked in
• 23:48
  Speaker 1: his shadow. They had witnessed the miracles. They had seen
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: him command demons to flee and bacteria to scatter. They
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: had heard every single sermon. They had witnessed the death
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: of The burial and now the resurrected Christ. They had
• 24:06
  Speaker 1: spent 40 days in the presence of the resurrected Christ.
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: Yet Jesus said you're not ready yet. You're not ready yet.
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: Even with three years. In the greatest seminary in the
• 24:20
  Speaker 1: history of the world. They were not ready. He refused
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: to send them out. Apart from the power. The promise.
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: And the presence. Of the Holy Spirit. spirit i wonder
• 24:35
  Speaker 1: if his word has changed i don't think so you
• 24:41
  Speaker 1: shall receive power when the holy spirit has come let
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: me ask you it again who could rate who could
• 24:48
  Speaker 1: use a little more power power to get out of
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: bed in the morning power to move on with life
• 24:54
  Speaker 1: power to make the right decisions Power to say no
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: to those inner voices of regret and fear and anger.
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  Speaker 1: Power to move into that place that God wants you
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: and me to be. Power in which we're living out
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: of the hope. More optimism. More faith. More joy. More energy.
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: We seem to level out in life. To get stuck
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: in life.
• 25:20
  Speaker 2: It isn't.
• 25:20
  Speaker 1: It is not God's will for your life that you
• 25:24
  Speaker 1: lead an anemic, exhausted, fatigued life. His vision for you
• 25:33
  Speaker 1: includes the deposit of the Holy Spirit in your life,
• 25:37
  Speaker 1: doing for you what a hand does to a glove,
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: reaching up, causing strength, making victories happen, giving hope where
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: there was nothing but fear. Jesus said you shall receive
• 25:54
  Speaker 1: power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. Now
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: maybe you have all the power you need. Maybe you
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: view life like a springtime stroll on a downhill path.
• 26:08
  Speaker 1: You whistle and chuckle and. You've never grown weary and
• 26:12
  Speaker 1: you're never tired. You have more energy than you can need.
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: My goodness, if you could bottle up this energy and
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: sell it, you'd be rich. You just don't need any power.
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: If that's you, then I have a great book on
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: honesty I'd like to recommend. But if you know what
• 26:29
  Speaker 1: it's like to be weary, then I think you're going
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: to learn and love and cherish this invitation to nurture
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: a relationship With the Holy Spirit. And discovered the vigorous life.
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: That happens. Do you know the pictures. Of the spirit.
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: As you read about the Holy Spirit. From beginning to end.
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: From Genesis to Revelation. He appears early in the book
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: of Revelation. I'm sorry early in the book of Genesis.
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: All the way at the end of the book of Revelation.
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: He appears in the presence of metaphors. And pictures. Windows
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: into his personality. Remember the Holy Spirit inspired scripture. And
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: so he's describing himself. And he describes himself like the
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: dove of peace. Who calms the chaos. He describes himself
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: as the ultimate companion. Who continues the work of Christ.
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: He describes himself as the anointing oil of heaven. Preparing
• 27:33
  Speaker 1: us for good works. He describes himself as the one
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: who seals the saint for eternity. Protecting us. He describes
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: himself as the breath and the wind of God. He
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: even describes himself as tongues of fire that settle down
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: upon the disciples. The cloud by day and the fire
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: by night that guides us through life's decisions. The beautiful
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: picture of the Holy Spirit is the river of living
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: water that flows from within those who come to Christ.
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: He is the gift giver who gives the church everything
• 28:07
  Speaker 1: the church needs. And on and on these metaphors go.
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: Each weekend, between now and Christmas Advent, we're going to
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: look at a different picture and just see what the
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit is telling us about Himself. I don't want
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: you to miss a single weekend. I really don't. And
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: I want you to bring everybody you know. Everybody you know.
• 28:30
  Speaker 1: Everybody needs to bring about 20 people. I don't want
• 28:34
  Speaker 1: you to miss a single weekend. If you have any
• 28:36
  Speaker 1: trips planned, cancel them right now. Watch online if you're
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: not here in person because it is a season for
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: our church to be blessed with the fresh wind of
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit. Aren't we ready? Aren't we ready? We
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: live in a weary world. We live in an exhausted time.
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: And I believe it is time for the church to
• 29:04
  Speaker 1: once again be that quorum of people Who walked through
• 29:08
  Speaker 1: life following the lead of the Holy Spirit. Not shouldering
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: the backpacks of performance and growing weary. Doing what we
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: were never intended to do. I'm thinking a few feasts
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: might await us as well. Now as we step into
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: this series. If I can encourage you to do something.
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: Could I encourage you to unthink some of the things
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: we think. About the spirit. Unthink some of the things.
• 29:40
  Speaker 1: we think about the Spirit. For some reason, this topic
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: of the Holy Spirit is a petri dish that grows oddities.
• 29:57
  Speaker 1: There are two extremes. And odds are you have been
• 30:01
  Speaker 1: exposed to one of the two extremes. One extreme comes
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: from those who use the topic of the Holy Spirit
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: as an opportunity to spiritually show off, to strut. And
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: their spiritual gifts are like merit badges. I can do this,
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: I can do that. Oh, you can't do this? Well,
• 30:23
  Speaker 1: then I'm better than you. And they make a living
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: out of making those of us who don't have what
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: they have feel unspiritual. It's like they sense that they're
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: supposed to have a backstage pass to the Holy Spirit
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: that none of the rest of us have. They're all
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: buddy-buddy with the Holy Spirit. Too bad you're not. That
• 30:45
  Speaker 1: doesn't edify the church. I do not believe it reflects
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: the heart of the Holy Spirit either. That might be
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: one extreme. And then on the other extreme, Maybe these
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: could be called the Holy Spirit police. The self-deputized hall
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: monitors of the supernatural. And whenever something happens that they
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: can't explain, then it can't be from God. Am I
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: making any sense? They clamp down. If it can't be
• 31:26
  Speaker 1: touched or felt or smelled or heard, then it's really
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: not from God. That's an extreme as well. Somewhere in between, folks,
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: is a healthy saint. And he or she has a
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: childlike heart and believes that a good God is alive
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: and well on planet Earth. At the same time, they
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: have a high regard for Scripture. And they realize the
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit inspired Scripture. This person has a hunger for
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: every spiritual blessing and a desperation for all the help
• 32:11
  Speaker 1: that God will provide. And this person has a reverence
• 32:16
  Speaker 1: to trust God to deliver what he or she needs
• 32:20
  Speaker 1: at the right time. And the result is a balanced, sustaining,
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: life-giving relationship with the Holy Spirit. If that describes you,
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: then you and I are in the same company because
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: that sure describes me. Not too long ago, I was
• 32:40
  Speaker 1: driving from point A to point B and I looked
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: down and I was about to run out of gasoline.
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: I only had 10 miles left. I found a convenience store.
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: I whipped in there. I got out. I put the
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: nozzle in the tank and I set about doing all
• 32:54
  Speaker 1: the things we do at convenience stores. I went in,
• 32:57
  Speaker 1: I bought a soda, I thought about buying a hot dog,
• 32:59
  Speaker 1: then I remembered what's in hot dogs, and I chose
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: not to. I made a stop in the men's room,
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: and I talked to the lady. I recognized the lady
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: who works here. Well, it's a delightful time. I went out,
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: and I washed the windshield, and I emptied some trash
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: out of the car. And I went, and I took
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: the nozzle up, and I put it back, and I
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: drove off, and I looked down, and it said, nine
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: miles left. Now... I'd like to say it probably just
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: clicked off too quickly. But knowing my attention span, odds
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: are pretty high I put it in there and forgot
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: to squeeze it. I did everything except the one thing
• 33:40
  Speaker 1: I needed to do to get some power. Does that
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: describe any of us? We do everything. Folks, we're doing
• 33:49
  Speaker 1: good things. We're raising families. We're working. We're pursuing careers.
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: We're doing our very best to be good citizens. That's awesome.
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: But are we doing the one thing, the one thing
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: that God has promised? He said you shall receive power
• 34:04
  Speaker 1: when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. May we
• 34:08
  Speaker 1: pursue a relationship with the Holy Spirit. And let's begin
• 34:13
  Speaker 1: by receiving the invitation that comes from Jesus Himself. He said,
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: if you then, being evil, know how to give good
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly
• 34:24
  Speaker 1: Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?
• 34:29
  Speaker 1: All we've got to do is ask. And so, Lord,
• 34:32
  Speaker 1: we do. We ask. You don't have to be new.
• 34:41
  Speaker 3: You don't have to stay close. As long as you're
• 34:47
  Speaker 3: somewhere out there. That's enough for me.
• 34:57
  Speaker 4: I don't need to hold you near me. Don't need
• 35:01
  Speaker 4: promises to keep. Just the thought that you are breathing.
• 35:06
  Speaker 3: Somewhere in this world I see.
• 35:10
  Speaker 4: Even if I'm not beside you. Even if you're never near.
• 35:17
  Speaker 4: I don't need forever.
• 35:19
  Speaker 3: I just need you to exist. You don't have to
• 35:23
  Speaker 3: stay with me.
• 35:39
  Speaker 4: You don't have to feel the same Just as long
• 35:43
  Speaker 4: as you're still out there Calling softly through my days.
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: You don't have to look my way.
• 35:52
  Speaker 4: You don't have to be my home It's enough to
• 35:57
  Speaker 4: know you're living In a world I'm.
• 36:01
  Speaker 3: Not alone.
• 36:06
  Speaker 4: I won't chase you through the distance Won't disturb your
• 36:10
  Speaker 4: chosen life. I'll just keep you in my silence like
• 36:15
  Speaker 4: a star that shines at night.
• 36:19
  Speaker 3: Through the dark and through the blue.
• 36:27
  Speaker 2: I still think of you. You don't have to be
• 36:36
  Speaker 2: my home. It's enough to know you're living.
• 36:40
  Speaker 3: In a world I'm not alone.
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: Still alive.
• 37:28
  Speaker 2: You don't have to stay with me You don't have
• 37:32
  Speaker 2: to feel the same Just as long as you're still.
• 37:37
  Speaker 4: Out there Calling softly through my days You don't have
• 37:43
  Speaker 4: to look my way You don't have to be my
• 37:48
  Speaker 4: home It's enough to know you're living
• 37:55
  Speaker 3: In a world I'm not alone