Latest / Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast / #24441 - Are You Sensitive & Open to The Holy Spirit? - Acts 8:26-27

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#24441 - Are You Sensitive & Open to The Holy Spirit? - Acts 8:26-27 · Calvary Church with Ed Taylor Podcast

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Welcome to the study of God's word with pastor and author.
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Ed, Taylor recorded live at Calvary Church in Aurora,
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Colorado to learn more about the many resources available,
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through abounding Grace, Media, or to tune into our live stream
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Services. Visit us online at Calvary,
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co.'s Church or download our free
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Calvary Church app. Now, here's Pastor Ed to take us
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into our study. Open your Bibles to Acts chapter
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8, we're going to pick up where we left off last time and verse
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26. And I gave the Bible study today
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at title in the form of a question.
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And the question is this, are you sensitive and open to the
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holy spirit because if you haven't already, it's important
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to recognize How we can easily come to God with our whole
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lives, figured out and planned out, and we come to God with our
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plans. We've already figured out.
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We already know how we wanted to, to end, we know how we want
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it to happen. We have a few ideas of how to
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make things happen and we bring that to God.
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We formulated in a conversation with god and we kind of tell God
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what to do and it's not entirely bad.
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I mean I think it's we've Something in our hearts and our
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desires, but you can't come to God with things.
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Figured out. The Bible says that God's ways
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are not our ways and Isaiah 55, and we need to come and pray
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according to God's will, we want to be able to say God, what you
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have for us is what we want. It reminded me of the time, one
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of the episodes in the life of the children of Israel under the
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leadership of Joshua where they're coming into the land and
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they experienced Great victory over the city of Jericho in a
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very unusual way. And then after the victory they
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go into the city of AI. The very next city is they're
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Conquering the land and they experienced great defeat.
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And the big difference between the two is coming into Jericho.
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They were deep in prayer, receiving their plans from God
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coming into AI, they thought they had it all figured out.
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And the problem with AI is that people lost their lives.
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And there was great, defeat, a man planned his way without
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seeking God. Would you turn over to Proverbs?
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Hold you place an Axe and turn to Proverbs with me.
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I want you to see these verses in Proverbs that start in verse
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16. So Proverbs are right after the
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Psalms and it, again, this great encouraging proverb.
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A piece of wisdom for us. Proverbs 16 notice with me, in
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verse 9, the Bible already speaks to this attitude that we
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can have followers of God. We can have this, it says a
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man's heart Proverbs, 16:9 a man's heart plans his way, but
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the Lord directs his steps and how many times have our plans
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Been Changed by the Lord where he is taken an interrupted, what
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we thought would happen, how We want it to happen and he changed
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our ways. And even so is you think of this
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passage a man plans? A man's heart plans?
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As ways. So many stop with the first part
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of that verse. They stopped with their plans.
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I mean, after all, we're reading the Bible, after all, we're
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praying after all, we consider ourselves, good Christians.
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So, you know, let's just plan our ways, it's not sin, it's not
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Rebellion. But as we're making our plans,
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we have to look for the direction of the Lord, because
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it's just possible. It's very possible that your
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plans are not the ways of the Lord as good as they might be.
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And we have we make a great failure when God directs our
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steps, but we stick to our plans, we make a great failure,
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when God directs our steps and a different way than our plans and
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it's ends in disaster. You know, we can have the best
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plans in the world but they're not from God.
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You can expect two feet and difficulty and discouraging me
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show you another proverb in Proverbs Chapter 19, and verse
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21. Proverbs Chapter 19, and verse
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21. And by the way, if you choose,
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you know, as you're reading the Bible and praying every day, if
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you choose, as part of your reading plan to read one chapter
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of the Proverbs every day. There's 31 chapters.
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This is the kind of wisdom that will be sewn into your heart.
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You won't memorize every single verse and you won't remember
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everything that you read, but you're depositing wisdom into
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your heart. So the Holy Spirit can bring it
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back and this is a great wisdom, scripture in verse 21.
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There are many plans in a man's heart.
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Nevertheless, the Lord's counsel that will stand.
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So with there's a lot of things going on in our minds in our
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hearts but it's God's counsel that's unmovable.
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Let me give you another one chapter 14 in the proverbs.
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This is very common. Proverbs Chapter 14 in verse 12,
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Proverbs Chapter 14, and verse 12.
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Listen to this carefully Church, there is a way that seems right
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to a man, but the end is the way of death and there are ways in
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our lives. We just think this is the way we
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should go, but the end is going to be death.
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The Bible says in Proverbs chapter 3 verses five and six to
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trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean.
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Not Not on your own understanding, acknowledge Him
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in all your ways and what he will direct your path.
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So I ask you again, are you sensitive and open to the Holy
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Spirit? We drop in coming back to Acts
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chapter 8. Now we drop into a Time by way
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of review of excitement and difficulty mixed.
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In the early church we're in their early years of the
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churches birth and life and formation.
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And you remember in Acts chapter one, Jesus told them.
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Wait in Jerusalem, the spirit of God will come upon you.
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You will be my Witnesses. And where did he say?
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He gave the location, he said in Jerusalem, Judea Samaria, which
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surrounds Jerusalem and then to the uttermost parts of the
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earth, that's the will of God for the church.
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But up to chapter 6 and 7, the church basically stayed in
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Jerusalem. And they became in some ways
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comfortable. They weren't necessarily in any
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kind of rankle rebellion, or, you know, just massive
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Disobedience, but they also weren't like on fire in
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obedience either they stayed in Jerusalem when they were very
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clearly told that the ministry would go beyond Jerusalem but
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they stayed and so you can find in this is something
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interesting. Like, you can be doing the right
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thing and still have my God. Still have more for you.
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You don't have to be in a massive place of rebellion for
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God, to turn your life around, he can turn your life around
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when you're doing something. Well, when you're on the way
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obeying God and that's one of the early churches.
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So, what happened, Steven Steven?
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The person was serving the widows.
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He had this occasion to stand before the religious rulers.
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They lied about them. They made false accusations
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against him. He defended them with one of the
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most articulate, clear presentations of the history of
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Israel. And the Gospel of Jesus Christ
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pointing to the resurrection of Jesus.
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And what did they do? They killed him, they murdered
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him. That was his reward and in that
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we are introduced to a man who was watching it all Saul and it
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was through Saul through his persecution of the church that
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God stirred up their comfort and ease as they were settling down.
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God. God wanting them to rise up and
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he allowed the persecution to come.
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And he allowed Stephen to be stoned and he allowed Saul to
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come against the church. He allowed it to happen and he
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used it remember anything. God allows God, uses, nothing is
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wasted and sometimes God will give us this gentle little push
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to get us going. To move us forward.
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Sometimes it's gentle, sometimes it's dramatic.
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And so part of the persecution sent, one of the results of the
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persecution, we learn Philip was sent to Samaria, and he was
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faithful ministering to a people group that was an outcast
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considered, well beyond the gospel, in the eyes of the Jew,
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but not in the eyes of God. God had a plan for Samaria and
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he sent Philip to Samaria. And you know what the gospel,
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did it broke out in Revival. The Samaritans embrace the
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gospel because God loved the Samaritans, and God was using
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Philip so much, so that there was even this fake believer.
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We learn his name. We learn, we met him last time.
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His name is Simon, he was a fake believer, a make believer and
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God uses Peter with the gift of discernment to bring that out.
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And now with that in mind, come to verse 26, our attention.
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Now in chapter 8 is back. Back to Philip in the midst of
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Revival. Now, an angel of the Lord spoke
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to Philip saying, arise and go toward the South along the road,
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which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.
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This is Desert, so, he arose and went and that will be the focus
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of our time today. Those simple truths in the life
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of Philip, the first thing I want you to, Notice in his life
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is that he is a great example, of a yielded vessel.
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He is yielded to the will of God Phillip is just open.
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If we were to put words to what yielded means and what it means
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to be open to God, we would probably use words like this.
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You probably on the lips of Philip and his family, and his
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prayers would be something like, you know what, God, whatever you
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have for me. I'm open.
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I will go wherever you want me to go?
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I will say whatever you. Me to say, I will do whatever
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you want me to do. I'm open.
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I'm not married to anything on this Earth.
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I'm married to you. I am your bride Jesus.
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And I'm just want what you want in my life.
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I'll go to a place. You don't want me to go.
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I'll do things that make me uncomfortable.
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I'll do things that may or unfamiliar to me, whatever it
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is. And so, Philip goes to the area
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of Samaria and there's a Revival and in the middle of this,
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Revival in the middle of such great.
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Things Comes This angel with a message and the message to
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Philip is get up and leave this revival.
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It's time to go. Now, I want you to stand back
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for a second and just consider how hard these words must have
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been to hear in the midst of something.
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Wonderful and great in the midst of Mike.
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This is what I was born for. This is what I want.
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I want to See cities, transformed.
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I want to see lives change. I want to see family safe, I
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want to see deliverance and power, and signs, and wonders.
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And in the very middle of that, the answer was, it's time to get
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up and go and what made it harder?
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Or what could have made it harder?
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Is he wasn't given the whole story.
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He wasn't told what he was going to, he wasn't told everything
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that's unfolds. We're reading the Bible, you
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know, you have to dismiss you have to step back and Pauses you
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reading the Bible sometimes, because we know what's going to
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happen. He's going to meet these
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Ethiopian eunuch is going to get saved, is going to.
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Like we know how it happens but like Phillip has no idea.
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What do you mean, leave and you want me to go where from Samaria
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to Gaza? Now, we haven't talked about
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this in a while because it's been a while since we've been in
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chapter one. But remember the book of Acts
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was written by Luke to a man named Theophilus.
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And I think this is a little insight that remember, that Luke
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is writing to someone. Not only did it.
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Theophilus then. But to us now that where he is
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being called to was another place of isolation and aloneness
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and he just wants you to know. Hey, by the way I'm calling you
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to the deserts, he was sent to the desert from a place of
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Revival. You know, we often use desert as
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a time of Baron that the time of emptiness.
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We he doesn't know where I mean, he doesn't know exactly what's
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going to happen. All he knows is he's been given
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Direction and he's has to leave to the South to the desert.
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This This old Gaza. This old Philistine City.
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Referring to the deepest darkest desert.
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Now, Phillips faithfulness. You know what's happening here?
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What why would God, why would God call someone out of a great?
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Wonderful time and some are especially to a place where
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nobody wanted to go to Philip went there and great.
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Revival broke out. Why would God do that?
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I believe this is an example of God.
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Testing his faithfulness. Testing is faithfulness, if I
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was delivering this Bible study to a group of pastors and Elders
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Church Planters. I would remind them that along
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the way their call to Ministry is going to be tested.
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They're called a ministry will be tested, like, Philip here.
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He's in the midst of Revival. It's everything.
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You would want to see and it's like, God saying, are you
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willing to leave all of this for nothing?
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Are you really to lay all this down for me, just to step out on
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my voice? Did you think that the step of
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Faith would be just to move somewhere and never leave?
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Or did you think the step of Faith would just to be settled
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down comfort? And he's never take steps of
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Faith again, or, or how about this.
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Will you serve one or even at this point is even know?
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Are you willing to serve zero? Just just me.
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Just if you just know me is that enough?
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You. As you would to be in the middle
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of Revival. Are you willing to serve when
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nobody sees you? Nobody knows, you, are you
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willing to follow me? Even when things look and sound
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absurd. You know, if I was teaching
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pastors, here this is where all kinds of church growth methods
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and seminars. And you know, guys are just so
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caught up in the external instead of just knowing God, God
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will take care of his church. And I think it, I know you're
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not pastors or elders, but listen, as you follow Jesus, God
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will take care of the things in your life.
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It's not so important, I think would pastors I tell them.
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Like it's not so important like that, people know your name like
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there, there's a big difference between people knowing your
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name. Now understand this, it's
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inevitable, people are going to know your name.
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If you introduce yourself to someone, they're going to know
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your name. If you teach the Bible to more
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than a couple people, they're going to know your name.
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So knowing your name is not the issue.
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There's a difference between people knowing your name and and
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this and this is a very clear distinction.
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There's a difference between For knowing your name and you
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wanting people to know your name.
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There's a big difference between the two and that's a big heart
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issue because I'm telling you right now the Bible is clear.
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God will share his glory with no man and God will share his glory
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with no woman and no child. Nope, I mean a silly as it
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sounds. I don't know why I need to say
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this, but I will no one is greater than Jesus Christ.
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Nobody cares. Nobody should care about the
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vessels that God chooses to use all glory and honor and power
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belong to Jesus. And there's a big difference and
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don't think it just happens to pastors.
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Don't think it just happens to teachers and Bible teachers.
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It's like I want people to know my name, I want.
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No, no, it doesn't matter. Your name will come and go but
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the name of Jesus Christ saves Souls changes lives.
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And so maybe it's just a heart check for you and for me today,
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yeah of course. People are going to know your
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name. Of course.
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You're going to communicate yourself with your name.
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Yes. Yes, yes.
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But is it because you really want people to know your name,
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you're just going to find the fickleness of people would
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discourage you very quickly and people forget your name and
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people come and go. But the Of the Lord stands and
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here Philip, I don't know what test is happening.
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There could be a lot of different ways, but it was a big
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call. This was a big call in Phillips
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lie. And I don't want you just to
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associate this call. Being open sensitive and open to
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the Holy Spirit. I don't want you just to
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associate it like to moving to another place.
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Then you'll miss the whole point of the passage.
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This was the call of faith. For Philip that is his, this was
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God, working in his life to move, you know, fulfilling Acts
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1:8. This can be lived out on a lot
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of different ways, it may not be a call to move.
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To a different physical location.
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It could just be a called to move into some kind of
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practical. Christian service.
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It could be a call to move across the street and talk to
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your neighbor. It could be called to move to
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talk to your coworker or your boss.
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It could be called to move to extend forgiveness.
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It could be a million different things but when you receive the
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call to arise and go, you have no other choice than to do what
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he does here in verse 27, you need to arise in, go, he arose.
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Who's and went now. I hope you like to write in your
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Bibles. You should buy highlighters
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different colors, we have them downstairs, you can get them
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different places. I hope you ride in your Bibles,
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right? However, you do on your app, on
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your phone. But next to verse 27, don't miss
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this, this is foundational in the health and the vitality and
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the power of the Church of any generation.
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And it's these two words, immediate obedience, You don't
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have a verse in between. You don't have a verse in
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between a Philip hearing and considering instead, the Bible
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is clear that he heard and obeyed.
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Because I found over time, it's very easy to talk myself out of
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obedience. It's very easy to rationalize
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Away, Great Steps of Faith. And before, you know, it, you
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have talked yourself. Out of great things God has
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said, go, you heard him right? The first and then over time, it
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just completely is in a place where you no longer want to obey
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and then it passes, then it passes, then it passes, then it
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passes, then it passes, and you just don't want that for your
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life immediately. It obedience and the difficulty,
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of course, is that he wasn't given the whole picture.
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He wasn't given every step. God's will comes one step at a
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time. Not three steps at a time.
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Not five steps at a time. Not 100 steps at a time.
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God's will comes one step at a time.
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Hearing God here in this message from the angel, he was just
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given, you know, in this case He was given one step in the
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direction to go, but he doesn't know what's going to happen.
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He doesn't know what to look for.
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He doesn't know anything, except it's time to go.
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And this is the direction I want you to go.
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That's all he has. God step comes God's will comes
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one step at a time. I would go so far to say that
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there isn't a second step until you take the first.
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There is no Second Step. Well.
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Okay. Okay.
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If I do this then what will happen here and then what will
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happen here? And what about that?
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And how about this? None of those are going to be
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answered until you take the first step.
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That's something to be discovered.
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The life of faith is a life of discovery.
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What will you do at? I won't take these big Steps of
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Faith until I understand. You won't get understanding
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until you take the step of Faith.
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Are you with me? Amen, Church.
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Hello, anybody with me today? You're not going to get full
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understanding, then you would be living life by understanding.
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That's not what the Bible teaches.
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Well, you know, God would just explain it to me.
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Well, then you'd be living life a Life by explanation.
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That's not what the Bible teaches.
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Well, you know, if God will just give me everything.
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What's it going to look like in five years?
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Well, then you be worth living by your Five-Year Plan.
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The Bible says that we live by faith and Faith requires, you
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not to know everything NG then, it wouldn't be faith.
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If you knew everything, then it wouldn't be Faith.
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You wouldn't have anything to trust God for.
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He's not going to give you all the steps just like here, it's
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discovered, it's a life of Discovery.
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I don't know how many people you've ever talked to everyone
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that's ever anyone that's ever said this to you, but this say
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something like, you know, Christianity is so boring.
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Nah man. You don't got, that's not true.
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Christianity is not boring at all.
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It's exciting. And vibrant and scary and
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exciting. And that I say exciting already.
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Yes, it's exciting twice. It's amazing to follow the lord.
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But he's only gave you one step at a time, which leads us to.
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Another question is, probably one of the most popular
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questions that I get as a pastor and that, is this, how do I know
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the will of God? How can I discover the will of
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God? And we make it so much harder?
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Like, some kind of mystical weird.
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We need an angel to visit, we need to be up in the mountains,
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all by ourselves and then maybe somehow we make it So
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complicated. So let me give you a couple of
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things. If you're taking notes that will
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simplify how to discover the will of God for your life.
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And all of this is predicated upon you being a born-again
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believer in full relationship, with Jesus Christ filled with
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the Holy Spirit, and it will help you.
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If you read the Bible and pray every day, you'll be a lot
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farther along with discovering, the will of God in your life, if
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you would just read the Bible. And pray every day.
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But here number one, if you're trying to discern, whether
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something is the will of God in your life, number one is it
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according to God's word because if it's not according to God's
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word, I can say, I don't care what it is.
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I don't care how you explain it. I don't care how you put
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lipstick on, it doesn't matter how you try to make it come to
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me. I had a young lady come up last
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night and she was so excited. She said, I think from your
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Bible study God has given me the word.
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I'm going to get married. I'm gonna get married.
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Married and so I needed to ask her a few questions that that
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may not be the will of God for her life.
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So she's all excited. And here she comes to head to
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blow it for her, but sure, she is.
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I can't just let that slide. My very first question is, are
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you a Believer? A born-again Believer?
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Yes, then the next question is is he a born-again believer?
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And she has at a little bit, she's always a new believer.
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And I said, okay, then here's my recommendation before you see
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this, as the grand answer, for all the rest of your life, I
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believe you guys should do premarital counseling.
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There's a series of circumstances in her life that
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she shared with me, that I won't share with you, but I gave her
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that direction because yes, marriage is according to God's
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word. But not always did you know that
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marriage is according to God's word but not always.
24:41
And you want to be able to walk through the pathway is it
24:44
according to God's word if it is green light.
24:47
Number two, if it's according to God's word, green light number
24:50
two. Do you have a courage a boldness
24:56
or even with the Bible would say a peace that passes all
25:00
understanding. To move forward with what God
25:04
has placed upon your heart. Now, let me just clarify here
25:07
because I've met it. I met people even personally
25:10
eye-to-eye and very serious times.
25:13
It will come to me and say I have a piece about it, but they
25:16
have a piece about Sin. You can't have a real God piece
25:20
about Sin. Did you know that that's
25:21
impossible? It's absolutely 100% impossible.
25:27
When you what you're about to do is sinful and it's wrong.
25:30
You cannot have a piece. About that, you may have talked
25:33
yourself into it, you may have listen to other people's advice,
25:37
you maybe copping some bad attitude to a bad decision so
25:41
you can justify it the rest of your life but it is impossible
25:44
for you to have a piece over a sinful wrong decision.
25:49
So the piece that I'm talking about is a peace that God gives
25:52
for you to be bold and taking the next step of faith in
25:56
obeying him. And if you have a piece about it
25:59
and you have boldness and courage that God is remember
26:01
what I think it Philippians Paul said that God both Works in you
26:04
to will that's the desire and to do but listen for his good
26:13
pleasure. So you want to discern the will
26:15
of God God will give you the boldness and the strength to
26:18
follow through. So it took not according it's
26:21
not sinful. So it's according to God's word.
26:23
God has given you a boldness in a piece and then thirdly you
26:25
want to look for you want to look for are the circumstances
26:30
of your life lining. Yup.
26:32
To go forward in this step of Faith, are the circumstances
26:35
lining up. Now, some of you might be new to
26:37
Christianity. Some of you may not even have a
26:39
relationship with God today. So I'm going to use a phrase
26:41
that Christians use all the time and I want to explain it to you.
26:44
So you realize because we have you know you could say we have
26:47
language of the Bible and we have language we could call it
26:50
christianese if you will and we say all these things a lot of
26:54
Christians understand and sometimes people outside of the
26:57
church outside of Faith, don't understand.
26:59
So what we would say do we, do you?
27:02
Open or closed doors. And that's a Christian phrase
27:06
that describes what I'm saying. Here are the circumstances
27:09
lining up and it's a great word picture by the way.
27:12
I mean, a closed door, that's locked, like, just in your house
27:15
or a here in the building. If the door is closed and
27:17
locked, it says something to you.
27:19
You know what? It says you can't come in.
27:22
That's it. You can't come in unless you
27:24
have a key. You can't go through that locked
27:27
door. That's the key.
27:28
That's why it's locked, it's closed and locked, it is.
27:32
Act access will God will do that.
27:33
Sometimes he will close doors to restrict your progress.
27:39
And he uses circumstances the exact opposite.
27:42
If the door is open that in invites you to come through,
27:46
come on in the doors are open and we use that language, you
27:49
use those word, pictures all the time.
27:52
And so is it according to God's word is God giving you a
27:54
boldness and courage to step through it and are the doors.
27:57
Everything lining up the only thing that's left its there's
28:00
not a fourth one, you know, I'm not going to make it complicated
28:02
and if we did have a fourth one who wouldn't be and then God
28:05
explains your rest of your life to you.
28:07
So you can take the step. Evade, that's not going to
28:10
happen. Otherwise it wouldn't be a step
28:12
of faith. And it's going to be
28:14
challenging. You might even find people along
28:17
the way, don't understand you. That's why it's a piece that's
28:19
past, surpasses all understanding you might even
28:22
have what? He's somebody come with you and
28:23
say and they take out their phone and you're like, what are
28:25
you doing, man? Don't text or having a
28:26
conversation? No, let me get my calculator out
28:28
because what you're saying is here to do, it'll never Mac.
28:32
It'll never happen. You're going to go broke.
28:34
You're gonna be bankrupt. You're like hey bro.
28:37
I don't know how God's going to take care of the money but I
28:39
know God's going to take care of me.
28:41
It's a piece of passes, all understanding people want to
28:45
explain things away. I think, you know, Pastor Byron
28:48
and Emily came to us from the mission field.
28:50
They've been on the mission field in Ukraine for many, many
28:53
years and any missionary that's that will that that feels a call
28:57
to step out and move around the world.
28:59
So all their stuff there. Always people that come, that
29:02
will say what are you thinking? They don't understand.
29:05
Why would you do that? Don't sell your stuff, put it in
29:08
storage. So when you it's like, no, I
29:10
don't plan on coming back. Back, I'm gone.
29:14
This is God's call on my life. If I come back, we'll start
29:17
over. But this is God's Will.
29:19
And then you'll have people just don't understand, they're not
29:21
walking in faith. They're not walking in trust,
29:24
you know, the people on television.
29:26
All the weird stuff of Faith. It's wrong.
29:28
They used. They just so they walking in
29:30
faith is following the leading of the Holy Spirit.
29:35
Are you guys here? Still here.
29:37
It's so quiet today. I know the snow bums everyone
29:42
out. I get it.
29:42
It bums me out too, but walking in faith.
29:46
Walking in faith is following the Holy Spirit.
29:51
It's not following some pastor and what he has to say and what
29:55
he tells you it's following the Lord and any pastors not leading
30:00
to the Lord, get a new pastor. He's not truly a Shepherd or an
30:05
Under Shepherd, anyone drawing attention to themselves.
30:10
I mean, let's be honest. It Philip he's a human.
30:12
I can think of many excuses. He could come up with.
30:15
Come on God. I'm in the middle of revivals.
30:17
Why you sent me to some area? Come on, God, you're sending me
30:21
to the desert. Come on.
30:23
God, what's next? Come on.
30:24
God, I'm not called to Gaza heard that a thousand times are
30:28
not called to Gaza. Come on, God, I don't
30:30
understand. Come on, God, give me more
30:32
information. And then we always have that
30:35
Christian part. Well God, I hear you.
30:37
I'm going to do it. I'm gone.
30:38
But let me pray about it. What do you need to pray about?
30:42
You heard my voice. I sent you an angel.
30:47
What do you want? I want a little bit more
30:50
information. I want to protect my comfort and
30:54
I know we're removed so many years from Philip, but this
30:57
heart is still in the church today.
31:01
I think back of the last few years of challenges in the
31:05
western church and the church around the world but in the
31:08
Church of the u.s. have been super challenging, God,
31:13
revealing things in our heart and one of the greatest
31:16
Revelations, I think for the church at large is a lack of
31:20
worshiping. The one true God, imagine that
31:23
being a faithful churchgoer. But worshipping, comfort and
31:27
ease. We look at the Old Testament.
31:29
We think of all these weird idolatrous practices but
31:33
idolatry is Alive. And Well in the 21st century The
31:37
Bible says, to seek first, the kingdom of God, not our comfort,
31:41
you are not the central focus of life.
31:46
Life is not to you, and for you, and unto you life is for Jesus,
31:53
to Jesus unto Jesus, he alone has all power and authority.
32:00
He alone that can change the world doesn't surround you.
32:04
I know that you know again we come gather every weekend
32:07
because we need to be reset you're going to walk out the
32:10
doors. And the world's going to keep
32:11
telling you the world is going to say you're the center, you're
32:14
the center. You're the most important.
32:17
Take care of yourself, protect yourself, pamper yourself.
32:20
It's all about self and it's just so discouraging to look at
32:25
self so much. Because we fall, so short of
32:30
God's ideal. At times, it's there's graceless
32:35
nasai Among Us at times. There's unforgiveness at times,
32:40
there's a lack of Mercy. Why?
32:42
Because we're so focused on self.
32:46
So Phillip is getting this call as we do, I think of the last
32:51
few years, you know, even in the last few years, I was just
32:53
thinking about. I've been walking with the Lord
32:54
for 31 years, delivered from a radical life of sin.
32:59
I mean, just the life of self-destruction and destruction
33:02
of everyone else. But after 30 years of walking
33:05
with the Lord, he still revealing new things and I
33:08
wonder what God has revealed to you in the last three years.
33:11
But I mean, real bona fide things that will lead me to grow
33:15
in Grace and One of them was all this about steak taking steps of
33:18
faith and change. I've been sharing with you for
33:22
years that I love change. I love to see change.
33:26
I love to move forward and change.
33:28
I love to test things, and even if we fail, it's okay, let's
33:32
try. Let's try, let's try.
33:34
I love change. But the last three years is
33:37
challenging, as they've been God.
33:39
Revealed something to me about me, that I needed to learn.
33:43
And I can learn any other way, and it was just this, Simple
33:46
truth. I love change.
33:50
When I'm the one making the change.
33:58
I don't like change when it's imposed upon me.
34:03
I don't like it at all. and, you know, there's a lot of things
34:06
that God was showing me but as a pastor He was giving me an
34:10
empathetic heart for us as a church because you often are the
34:14
responders to changes at the Lord lays on my heart.
34:18
And I always want to present them and I want to walk with us
34:20
and lead and I don't want it to be abrupt or disruptive in any
34:24
way, like humanely, but God is just adding an empathetic part
34:28
to My pastoral Ministry to remind, you know, Ed the way
34:31
you're feeling right now, that's how the church feels.
34:34
Like ah, yes and I put you in a position.
34:38
Ed to make changes and I want you to make those changes.
34:42
But we as the language of ministry as a not, it's us, it's
34:47
not me and you it's us. We are the church.
34:51
And I wonder what changes gods are wanting, and what things
34:54
God's wanting to reveal to you, you get caught up in all these
34:58
areas when you don't make, you know?
35:00
Again, the last three years, if you haven't learned, if you
35:02
haven't learned this revealed, how much, and let's say it, I
35:07
don't know who you are in particular, but you're listening
35:09
to me right now and it's revealed how much?
35:12
CH you idolize your comfort and ease and the luxury in your
35:17
life. And God will have none of it.
35:22
It will not last forever, God will disrupt it.
35:27
So that your singular priority and focus will be worship of God
35:32
and you can even have things that are good.
35:35
Take priority over. Jesus, it's not even necessarily
35:39
sinful stuff. Like, you can have priorities,
35:43
you know, that take your eyes and your mind and your focus
35:47
away from the Lord, and it's just not as hard for us.
35:52
And I think that's where Philip is in some ways in his own life.
35:55
It's different because we're all different And God is calling you
36:00
to take one step at a time. If you obey Step 1, God will
36:04
give you step two. Well then can I have three four
36:07
and five? No.
36:10
Because you need to obey 2 to get 3 and 3 to get 4 and so much
36:15
stagnation. Happens in the Believers life
36:20
because you don't obey step one there.
36:22
I can't believe God's not doing anything in my life.
36:24
I can't believe everybody has all this stuff, walk of faith
36:27
and I don't, I don't have that. Guess, I don't hear from the
36:29
Lord. Oh, you hear from the Lord, very
36:31
well. You just need to go back to what
36:33
you heard and Obey it. When you arising, oh, you're
36:37
never going to meet the Ethiopian eunuch and and have
36:40
the gospel go back to Ethiopia until you leave some area.
36:46
Immediate obedience. And the title of our study
36:51
today. Are you open?
36:52
Are you sensitive and open to the Holy Spirit?
36:55
Well let's just use some opposite words instead of
36:58
sensitive. Let's ask this, are you stubborn
37:02
and closed to the Holy Spirit? How's that for a title?
37:08
Are you just stubborn? You know some people.
37:09
They were stubbornness like a badge.
37:11
All I'm just stubborn. Well repent then.
37:15
Don't be so stiff. Necked stubbornness is not a
37:18
good attribute to have because then you're going to be stuck in
37:22
your way. And God's way will be set aside
37:28
and Phillip were learning. And really, this is the story of
37:31
every True Believer, except it's just really highlighted and
37:34
Phillips life here. Philip was just open.
37:39
It reminded me. I want to show you this and then
37:41
we'll close in Genesis chapter 24.
37:45
In Genesis chapter 24, I want you to turn there.
37:47
Would you go back with me? We're not there or in our
37:49
midweek Bible study were studying through Genesis now but
37:52
we're not in this chapter yet. It's the testimony of Eliezer.
37:57
The servant of Abraham who was given this impossible task.
38:01
Go find the exact woman for my son to marry.
38:07
There is a woman I want you to find And her.
38:10
And he does by taking the step and heading off and being led by
38:16
God, when he comes back in Genesis 2040 listen to his
38:20
testimony notice in verse 27, Genesis 24 and I want you to see
38:26
this because I quote it so often I want you to know the address
38:29
Genesis 2427 Eleazar is testimony blessed.
38:33
Be the Lord God of my master Abraham who has not forsaken his
38:37
mercy and his truth toward my master and then Mark This as,
38:41
for me, being on the way, the Lord led me to the house on my
38:47
Master's brother. On the way, you got to get
38:50
moving, you got to go forward in obedience.
38:54
Small things being faithful hungering and thirsting for his
38:59
right. Knowing that God has a direction
39:04
for your life. As Believers are, highest goal
39:07
should be to know. God don't be.
39:10
So can if you would just desire to know, God as much as you want
39:14
to know, his will as much as you want to know the next step, as
39:18
much as you want politics to change, as much as you.
39:22
If you would just want to know God that much, radical change.
39:26
Would come to your life, almost immediately.
39:30
But you're losing out. Because you have all these
39:34
tributaries of the River of Life.
39:38
Sucking dry the empowerment of the holy spirit in your life.
39:43
Our highest goal. Is to know God.
39:46
Why to know him is to know his will for your life.
39:52
You say Ed? Did you just make that up?
39:55
No, Jesus taught us that in John 17:3 in his high Priestly
40:01
prayer. Remember what Jesus said he says
40:03
this is eternal life that they may know you the only true God
40:08
and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
40:12
That's eternal life to know God. Not to know the Bible as much as
40:18
you know. God, not to note theology as
40:20
much as you know, God not to be the best prayer or server or
40:24
giver, but to know, God, his character and his nature and to
40:30
follow him. When you know, God, you'll be
40:33
able to drown out all the lies. And again, in the last few
40:38
years, if you haven't recognized this, I'm going to tell you
40:41
again from my spiritual position of leadership.
40:45
I want you to understand this. Some of you already seen it, but
40:47
some of you haven't these last three years have shown us how
40:51
there are just so many voices, and opinions, and theories
40:58
begging for you to align yourself with them.
41:03
And each little one takes you away from the purity of the
41:06
Gospel. Even if they might have good
41:10
truth, some kind of part of Truth to them.
41:12
They're not the Lord. How is that theory you've held
41:15
on to helping you to worship? God better?
41:18
How is that YouTube guy that you're following now, help, you
41:21
worship? God better?
41:23
How is it that that opinion that you had passed on to you at a
41:28
family dinner? How is that helping?
41:30
You know, God more because if it's not then it needs to take a
41:36
subordinate position if not be Eliminated from your life all
41:40
together. Philip isn't a place of Purity
41:45
in the midst of Revival sensitive and open to the Holy
41:50
Spirit and he follows through. And even a greater thing is
41:55
going to happen. So church, I beg you.
41:58
You guys listening from afar wherever you're listening to me.
42:01
I beg you on the authority of God's love and care for you.
42:06
To be sensitive and open to the Holy Spirit.
42:11
Wait on the Lord. and he will renew your strength, but as
42:16
you're waiting act on what he tells you, So that you can
42:22
continue step-by-step to honor God with your life, give them a
42:26
chance, give them a chance Church.
42:29
Don't just settle for religious activity, but step into the
42:35
dynamic of being led by the spirit being open to the spirit
42:39
and will see the fruit of this step of faith and Phillips, like
42:42
the next time we're together. So father, we pray for a fresh
42:48
Repentance. Perhaps rededication, or as will
42:54
sing in a moment, a res or render.
42:58
We need your help God. Because even things that we are
43:03
involved in right now have replaced the dynamic of just
43:07
following you. And we're sorry.
43:11
Developing us a Godly sorrow God.
43:15
That we might respond to you. We might grow in you.
43:21
And we might find our son, our sum and substance in the days
43:26
that we have living life in that Dynamic, obedience following you
43:32
in Jesus name. Amen.
43:35
Amen list. We pray that you've been
43:38
encouraged by this Bible. Study delivered live from the
43:40
sanctuary of Calvary Church for prayer.
43:43
Call us at 877, 30 Grace, that's eight 77304. 7223 to listen to
43:53
this message in its entirety or to join us for our live stream
43:56
Services. Visit us online at Calvary Co
44:00
dot church or download our free Calvary Church app be blessed as
44:04
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43:53
in its entirety or to join us for our live stream Services.
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Visit us online at Calvary Co dot church or download our free
44:02
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