Author: Pastor Tim

That being said Romans 11:29is always a challenge before us

“for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (never withdrawn)”

Satan has the power he has because when God created him as Lucifer, a powerful angel of God given freewill which he chose to use to rebel against God. He gave him certain gifts that even those he has not taken from him…fortunately God did not give Satan dominion over the earth, man did and God was able to take that back.

The gifts are to be used for God’s purposes but can be misused

1 Corinthians 12:4,7

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all…. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.

I want to start with the “least” of the gifts because generally speaking tongues can be the cause of the greatest division when people talk about the gifts…

1 Corinthians 14:4 “The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself,” (ESV)

Kowloon Walled City BBC Documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JchVQMuxRVA

Another Documentary done by another group called Jackie Pullinger – The law of love https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0QfoluAZ44

So what is this tongues and prayer language thing I’m talking about

1 Corinthians 12:7-11

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

1 Corinthians 14:1-5

Let love be your highest goal! But you should also desire the special abilities the Spirit gives—especially the ability to prophesy. 2 For if you have the ability to speak in tongues, you will be talking only to God, since people won’t be able to understand you. You will be speaking by the power of the Spirit, but it will all be mysterious. 3 But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them. 4 A person who speaks in tongues is strengthened personally, but one who speaks a word of prophecy strengthens the entire church.

5 I wish you could all speak in tongues, but even more I wish you could all prophesy.

Romans 8:26,27

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.

I have seen primarily there are two ways people respond to asking for a prayer language.

“If God wants to give me one I’m open but no one’s going to make me say anything!”

Two scriptures come to mind Isaiah 55:8,9

My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.

“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.

9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so my ways are higher than your ways

and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

1 Corinthians 1:27-29 

Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.

The other response I have seen is people coming hungry, saying God I don’t fully understand this but if this is a gift you have for me then I want it

If we pray in tongues, I believe it prepares us to move in the other gifts more easily.

I believe anyone who wants all that God has for them should begin seeking the gift of tongues…does everyone receive it? Apparently not…

1 Corinthians 12:29-31

Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? 30 Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? 31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

 1 Corinthians 14:18

“I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you”

I mentioned Jackie Pullinger earlier… 

Jackie Pullinger said. She found it embarrassing. She had been in Hong Kong for two years with no good results or success. She decided one day to start praying in tongues fifteen minutes a day by the clock (those were her exact words). Every day for fifteen minutes by the clock. “I felt nothing,” she said Absolutely nothing. “But that is when we began to see conversions of the addicts on the streets.” She linked the two together. And they kept increasing thereafter. I believe God honors those who will accept such a stigma.

Scriptures that may help you understand tongues better.

Mark 16:15-18, Acts 2:3,4, Acts 10:44-46, Acts 11:15, Acts 19:1-7, Romans 8:26, 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, 1 Corinthians 14:1-40, Jude 1:20

1 John 4:13

God gave us His Spirit as proof that we live in Him and He in us.

As I read the scriptures and understand who the people of the first century church were, it would seem that every person who was a Christ-follower was filled with the Spirit

Why was it necessary for every believer to be filled with the Spirit

Their world was in bondage with people all around bound by confusion, fear, control. People had no understanding they were in darkness and needed the light

– by the power of the Holy Spirit they were able to change mind-sets setting people free from their bondages of sin or religion…they were able to stand against the greatest government known, to bring a message that transformed the culture to where within 300 years even Caesar gave his life to Christ

Acts 17:6 they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also…”

I have mentioned over the last few weeks that Jesus came preaching the Kingdom of God, not religion, but instead a relationship with God that sets us free from the bondages of this world.

1 John 3:8b “….But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil”

As we look around our world don’t you see the brokenness, families destroyed, hopelessness, fear, confusion, jealousy, fighting for power and control, so much anger and hatred with road rage, facebook, government…religion, the world is a powder keg waiting to go off…I took this from a news report from last week

“There is certainly a mental health crisis growing in our youth in America. Suicide rates among the young, especially those between 15 and 24, have climbed rapidly in recent years. Levels of anxiety and depression among young people are also up. The reasons for this growing epidemic are numerous and many researchers are studying the problem. But it is clear that if we honestly target the actual problem things can be done.” 

There is a need for the church to move in power and to live out what we believe in our world

Do you think this is what God wants? Why doesn’t He do something about it? He already has! He has won the dominion of this earth back from the traitor who stole it from Adam and Eve

In my opinion two things have happened, first many deny the role of the Holy Spirit for today so they deny the power to be the people of the kingdom, or second, the Holy Spirit has become a bless me club or a show, that has nothing to do with the Father’s heartbeat for the world…Jesus won the dominion of the earth back from Satan for whoever is willing to enter the Kingdom of heaven and because of our sin being obliterated we can now become a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19) the Holy Spirit now lives in us rather than just visiting or is around us, as long as we don’t grieve or quench Him 

This is why (just as a review)

1) God created man and gave him dominion over the earth, empowered by the Holy Spirit, one kingdom on earth ruled by man under God’s authority. 

2) Man sinned surrendering his authority to Satan, creating a second kingdom here on earth

3) God came to earth in the flesh born as a baby to take back this dominion 

4) Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God, explained the Kingdom, showed us the power He wants to give us, so the Kingdom of darkness may be destroyed in the hearts of men, 

5) God cannot dwell with man if they are still covered in sin

6) Jesus went to the cross to take on all of our sin so that we could have relationship with God the way he did with Adam and Eve

7) As we accept the forgiveness of our sins we become an open door for the Holy Spirit with power to dwell in us with the same power Jesus had, so we might destroy the works of the enemy and bring people out from darkness, bondage, slavery, into freedom and light!

John 14:12 I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.

Then Jesus goes on to talk about the Holy Spirit

We are empowered by God to make this all happen, if we are filled with the Spirit.

John 14:17 “…But you know Him (the Holy Spirit), because He lives with you now and later will be in you.”

The message of the Kingdom of God is the greatest message, the life, death and resurrection of the King of kings so that we could live in 

Freedom from worry, fear, anxiety, sin, failure! 

We can restore the hope to our friends, families and communities if we will choose to be filled with the Holy Spirit and allow him to do the work in us and be in us as I described last week

Why? How? Once again, let’s go by what Jesus said here is what He said

Luke 22:29 “I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom,” (ESV)

Jesus is saying we have been given a royal assignment as Children of God, heirs of the Kingdom, a mandate to function with the authority of the King to establish the kingdom here on earth. The Holy Spirit fills us with the power, wisdom, guidance, strength, gifts, and fruit to accomplish this purpose and we are assigned a title in the Kingdom

2 Corinthians 5:16b-20 “…At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! 17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 18 And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. 19 For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. 20 So we are Christ’s ambassadors;God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!”

We are new because of Christ, the old is gone, the Kingdom of darkness has been broken off of us, we have been brought back to God’s original intent as part of the Kingdom, but he has given us an assignment, as members of the Kingdom we are his ambassadors to the Kingdom of darkness, not our country but one the Father has sent us to…what is an ambassador?

An ambassador is a political appointee whose job is to represent and speak for his or her home government before the rulers of other countries. In the eyes of those rulers, the word of an ambassador is the word of the government that he or she represents. Good ambassadors never speak their personal opinions, but only the official policies of the government that appointed them.

Let’s take a look at how Jesus functioned as an ambassador of the father and a King at the same time and what it means to us  

1) An ambassador is one who is sent by the king to represent the King in the nation to whom he is sent

John 20:21,22 Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.” 22 Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

We are no longer citizens of this world but aliens to it and are called to bring the light, truth, hope, salt, and freedom to this alien world

2) Committed only to the state’s interests;

John 5:19

So Jesus explained, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.

Paul tells us talking about the body of Christ and using the example of soldiers that no one entangles themselves in the affairs of this world in order to accomplish pleasing people….we are ambassadors of the King only  

3) Embodies the nation-state or kingdom;

John 14:9,10

Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me.

You were made in God’s image created for his purpose, called from darkness into his glorious light to reflect Him, greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world

4) Is the responsibility of the state;

Luke 23:46

Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”

Jesus told us not to worry or be anxious, we are more valuable than the sparrows and he cares for them

5) Totally protected by his government;

John 19:10,11

“Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?”

11 Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above.

The psalmist has written he is our strength and our shield (Psalm 28:7), our very present help in time of trouble (Psalm 46:1), Isaiah said the Lord is our rear guard and our protector (Isaiah 52:12) we are completely protected by the Lord (Psalm 91)

6) Never becomes a citizen of the state or kingdom to which he is assigned;

Luke 4:5-8

Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. 6 “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. 7 I will give it all to you if you will worship me.” 8 Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say,

‘You must worship the Lord your God

and serve only him.’”

1 Peter 2:9,10 “…for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”

7) Can only be recalled by the king or president;

John 5:30

I can do nothing on my own. I judge as God tells me. Therefore, my judgment is just, because I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.

We may feel abandoned or that we are out on our own sometimes but we never are, 

Romans 8:38,39 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

8) Has access to all his nation’s wealth for assignment;

Luke 12:31,32 

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need. “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.”

The Father’s riches are not in limited supply, the earth belongs to him 

Philippians 4:19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

9) Never speaks his personal position on any issue, only his nation’s official position

John 6:38 

For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

The Bible is our constitution in this kingdom of heaven and when we start teaching things that are not in God’s word then we begin to build our own kingdom not God’s. 

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

10) His goal is to influence the territory for his kingdom government.

Matthew 28:18-20

“Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you.”  

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

This is who you are, or at least part of who we are called to be in order to change the world. Like Adam and Eve we can’t accomplish the things of God without the in-filling of the Holy Spirit. We can’t function as ambassadors without the power of the Kingdom.

Why are people around you depressed, overwhelmed, lost, addicted, broken, afraid, angry, out of control, because they are looking for what you have, do you have the power to give it to them, to help them from their darkness into His marvelous light?

Will you begin to choose to believe you are His ambassador with all the right and privileges that affords; will you begin to change you thinking to think this way?

Today is the day to start!

Next week I’m going to talk to you about the power you have at you disposal to be His ambassador

Basically, all of my life I have been on a quest for the real versus the fake…someone once did a study on renewal and revivals and they came up with this statistic

70% is real 20% is flesh and 10% is evil

I wonder at times if that is the way it is in the church not just revivals. For years it drove me nuts, why fake it, why let the flesh grab hold of it or why let wounds, jealousy, envy or whatever overwhelm us when what God has for us is so very real.

From George Whitefield to John Arnott it has been tough for those leading the move of God to separate out the good from the bad without hurting some of the good in the process.

Jesus dealt with this in this parable Matthew 13:24-30

Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.

27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’

28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.

“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.

29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

Why start out a teaching like this?

For years the church has been criticized for its hypocrisy but see as we now are beginning to understand the Kingdom. We can look around and begin to see what is wheat in our lives and in our church and what are weeds. We must sort out the weeds in our lives and trust that as the Lord has us.

Let’s begin our journey together

Luke 3:16

John answered their questions by saying, “I baptize you with water; but someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

John 14:16,17

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you. (Amplified version)

In order for us to explore what is real versus what is fake we need to understand who the Holy Spirit is….

I started with these two scripture passages because they tell us something about the Holy Spirit that impacts us as we are “baptized in the Holy Spirit”

Water versus fire

Water cleanses but basically leaves everything intact. John was prophetically comparing his baptism, a baptism of repentance and cleansing, with what Jesus would do as people receive the Holy Spirit

Fire burns away all of the impurities; fire changes us; fire purifies us! It is an inward action of purification. You are changed and transformed by fire. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit changes peoples hearts even further than conversion, you burn with the presence of the Lord as the disciples felt on the road to Emmaus “didn’t our hearts burn” motives are changed, you now understand the Father’s heart because the Holy Spirit lives within you as you practice His presence in your life.

The Jesus said I will send “another helper, comforter, advocate, intercessor, counselor, strengthener”

– this suggests that He is the first…

– The word “another” means one just like me, of the same essence, one identical to me

In the first 15 verses of John 14, Jesus is explaining to the disciples his unity with the Father, that they are one in essence when you see me you see the Father….then basically says when you see me you see the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit doesn’t act differently from the Father or the son and same with the other twoso when you see someone claiming to be full of the Holy Spirit and it is disruptive or distracting from what the Lord has already been doing it is a pigeon not the dove (we will talk about that next week)

When a person is filled with the Holy Spirit they have been given a gift that the Old Testament saints yearned for but could not have.

This is the Holy Spirit. If we know the real the fake will never have an opportunity to deceive us. Here are 7 keys we need to understand about the Holy Spirit

1) Is God – He is a person equal as Jesus is a person and The Father is a person. He is not an “it”, a mood, an influence. He is God just as Jesus is and the Father is. He is different than the other two but in total and complete unity with them.  He is personal and if you are baptized in the Holy Spirit He fills you and will lead, guide, and speak truth to you always

2) Is the Spirit of truth and leads to the truth– as we have seen from earlier in John 14 and then also in 

John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth…”

God cannot lie (Hebrews 6:18, Titus 1:2). The Holy Spirit is incapable of error he will always guide you into what is true. You will want to live the truth, uphold the truth, love the truth and follow the truth because one of the signs of the failure of the last days is that people even in the church will not want the truth 2 Thessalonians 2:11,12. A sign the Holy Spirit is reigning in you is you desire to walk in and love the truth regardless of anything else. Jesus said in John 14:6 He is the way, truth, and life.

As it is impossible for God to lie, it is impossible for the Holy Spirit to mislead us in anyway including theologically. The one who wrote the scripture would never lead us into something that is not scriptural

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

If we are moving in the Holy Spirit we will clearly walk in the truth always

3) The Holy Spirit convictsJohn 16:8

“And He, when He comes, will convict the world about [the guilt of] sin [and the need for a Savior], and about righteousness, and about judgment: 9 about sin [and the true nature of it], because they do not believe in Me [and My message];”

The Holy Spirit will always keep you on the right path, correcting each step of the way to make sure we fulfill our calling always. There are so many distractions that would want to take us away from where we could or should be. It is his job to convict, not yours or mine, but His and He does a wonderful job sometimes too well 

4) The Holy Spirit gives us clear and direct guidance – Philip and the Ethiopian

Acts 8:26, 29-31 As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.” Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.

The result the Ethiopian came to Christ. There are many other cases where the Holy Spirit instructed people where to go, when to go, and he will show us when we have it right and when we have it wrong.

Philippians 3:15

Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. (ESV)

We need to always understand and follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance

5) The Holy Spirit intercedes for us– we know Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father ever interceding for us, we have talked about that much in the last days but the Holy Spirit also prays for us Romans 8:26,27

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

This is Paul praying in the Spirit but it is the Spirit of God praying through him. It is the one time we can be assured we are praying exactly God’s will. Satan has no clue what we are praying

6) The Holy Spirit shows himself through various gifts– Paul gives us a list of the gifts given by the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28-30.Paul also instructs us to seek the best gifts 

1 Corinthians 12:31 “But earnestly desire the best gifts….”

Which means according to the need at the moment or long term there is a hierarchy of gifts and we should seek the best. Romans 11:29 tells us the gifts and calling can not be taken away which means neither our worthiness nor our unworthiness to use these gifts limits the gifts which should give us pause because neither our maturity, immaturity nor spirituality are indicated by the gifts (DON’T LOOK AT THE GIFTS AND ASSUME SPIRITUAL MATURITY) 

Then what do we look at for spiritual maturity?

7) The Holy Spirit shows himself through fruit – 

Galatians 5:22,23 – But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

The gifts do not show how spiritual or how obedient a person is to the Lord but the fruit always does. If we have anger, bitterness, pride, envy, jealousy and many or any works of the flesh the fruit will be gone and so will the Holy Spirit. The fruit flows out of being in the word of God and prayer. When it is not present you can be sure the Holy Spirit is not either. 

If we live in and understand the real, we will never accept the fake. We’ll look at the real versus fake Holy Spirit attitudes and activity in more detail next week!

Isn’t salvation enough? Didn’t I get it all already?

And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 1 John 4:13

Matthew 3:11

I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Can you tell if a person has the Spirit of God living in them or not?

What are the signs?

They are a really good person

They are kind, loving generous

They do good things

This list could go on and on but these things are not necessarily a sign of someone having the Spirit of God

In a good situation, when someone is having a “good day” practically anyone can be like this but what if they are having a bad day, what if life crashes in all around them, how are they then?

Yes, we are all human, we have issues we need to overcome but a person who is filled with the Spirit of God has access to all of the gifts, wisdom, insight, understanding, power, and fruit of the Spirit

When we came to Christ what some would call conversion, redemption, salvation, being born again, the Holy Spirit did come to be with you however you were not sealed, in-filled, baptized in the Holy Spirit whatever word you want to use.

The sealing, in-filling, baptism in the Holy Spirit, is a conscience act that generally follows conversion where he comes in us…let me give you some examples

John 20:19-23

Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Acts 8:14-16 – Samaritans come to Christ

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. 15 As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Acts 19:1,2 – Believers in Ephesus

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers. 2 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them.

“No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

This was conversion, giving them the Holy Spirit so they might believe as Romans 8:9

But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)

AND 1 Corinthians 12:3

So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.

Apart from the Holy Spirit coming to us and being with us we can’t even accept Christ as Lord and walk in salvation….but I said the in-filling was a conscience act each of these groups decided they wanted the Holy Spirit in them

Jesus said this to the disciples Acts 1:8

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Then in Acts 2:4

On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

The Samaritans– Acts 8:17

“Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.”

The Ephesians– Acts 19:3-6

Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked.

And they replied, “The baptism of John.” 4 Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.”

5 As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied.

In each instance they were called believers before they received the in-filling, sealing, baptism of the Holy Spirit, then either through wind or the laying on of hands, they received the Holy Spirit with power.

Just one more instance to make it clear…Paul has a dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, Syria he is a religious persecutor of Christianity however, I believe his hearts desire was to follow God in truth and purity. God saw that in him and corrected his path. He was blinded and God speaks to a faithful man of God in Syria to trust him to go to his new brother Saul

Acts 9 10-11, 17

Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord!” he replied. 11 The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there, ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. He is praying to me right now. 

17 So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Why did they need this power? Do we still need it today?

What did Jesus say?

John 14:16,17 (amplified version)

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.

You have heard me say the word “another” means one identical to Jesus, the same as Jesus

Jesus had just been explaining to the disciples how he and the Father are one and now he tells us he and the Spirit are one and we can do the things Jesus did as we learn to trust him and go from having him with us to having Him in us…so He will be all the things in us that Jesus was to the disciples when He was with them. Remember the world is in darkness (ignorance) and the only way for them to get free is to know the Truth and the Holy Spirit is that truth gives us that truth and…

John 14:25,26

I have told you these things while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things. And He will help you remember everything that I have told you.

The Holy Spirit will teach you about everything Jesus did.. 

– how he acted and reacted, 

– he will show you how to overcome the world, set men free 

– flow in the gifts, live in the fruit 

– See people the way Jesus saw them 

– have the father’s heartbeat for the world

– have His passion to see the world changed 

– live in the Kingdom of Heaven on earth

There is so much deception in the world so much that people believe is in the Bible but is not so much that people do not even understand. Jesus spent 3 and ½ years on earth explaining though parables, direct testimony, and teaching miracles signs and wonders about the Kingdom, the power of God, his desire for people to be free and His heart to empower people to break others free…He spoke to the masses, was intimate with a few, we have the word of God as our love letter but Jesus did many more things than are written in the word and we need the power, infilling sealing of the one who is just like Him living in us to continue His heart beat, the Father’s heart beat on earth. 

John 16:12-15

There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’

The Father’s heart breaks for the world. He had a relationship with us in the beginning and gave us the power to have dominion over the earth we surrendered that to Satan then Jesus came and showed us the Father’s heartbeat, what was possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. He paid the price to give us the power back to take back dominion of the darkness (ignorance) in the lives of men. The antidote to ignorance (darkness) is truth. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth.

To accept his message as mere fire insurance from hell is not the Gospel it is safety for you but still leaves a world in bondage. He says receive the Holy Spirit to teach us to handle the power to release the Kingdom in the lives of men and women everywhere! 

If God has offered us this power, we need to understand He believes we need it and if he believes we need it then we should believe we need it too!

…so the questions is will you have your heart broken for what breaks his heart and receive the power to bring the Kingdom to everyone you know or will you be satisfied with fire insurance?

If you are filled with the Holy Spirit is this what you see in your life?

If you are not do you want this? I am not going to have us pray for you this week…I need you to begin to think and pray about what you want

Next week the real versus the fake

Colossians 1:13

For He has rescued us and has drawn us to Himself from the dominion (kingdom) of darkness, and has transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son,

Paul shared Jesus words on the road to Damacus with King Agrippa at his defense

Acts 26:15-18 “And I (Paul) said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But get up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a minister and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 17 rescuing you from the Jewish people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion (Kingdom) of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.’

There are two kingdoms a Kingdom of darkness and a kingdom of light…a kingdom of Satan and a kingdom of God (heaven)

God is love, 1 John 4 tells us that….God created mankind because a natural outgrowth of love is to give itself and share itself so God created man and created a Kingdom for mankind to rule over a reflection of His domain and kingdom

Genesis 1:26,27

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them.

Before we go any further allow me to point out a couple of things man both male and female is created in the image of God

That word “image” here is not referring to a physical likeness, but is translated from the Hebrew words tselem and demut, both meaning essential nature, copy, characteristics, and essence. This denotes that man as a spirit being is an expression of God’s moral and spiritual nature and his attributes make him “god-like,” and place Him above and beyond all earthly creation. In essence, man was created by God in the god-class and was given the responsibility to exercise that quality as God’s agent, ambassador, and emissary on earth. 

We were created to rule in a kingdom that God had established here on earth, giving us an essence like his, through the Holy Spirit. Notice God says, “let them have dominion…” Mankind was given dominion over the earth, under God’s dominion

But mankind fell and walked away from the Kingdom and his dominion (inherent authority given by God) they turned over to the adversary.

Satan was then given His own dominion for the first time and it became the kingdom of darkness

What do you think of when you hear the phrase “kingdom of darkness?”

Visions of demons, vampires, ghosts, werewolves, utter evil?

While the demon and evil may be partial, it is because of what the word really means as used in these context

“ignorance” – it is a lack of knowledge, it is being blind, not knowing the truth, bondage…Those in the Kingdom of darkness are controlled by their ignorance, their lies, their blindness, their bondage by all kinds of things

Hosea prophesied this

Hosea 4:1, 6

Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land;

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.

Let’s contrast the two Kingdoms very simply

King of Light, and realm (heaven) – Jesus

John 18:36,37

Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

King of darkness and realm (earth) – Satan

John 12:31

Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.

Power  – Jesus – real power

1 Corinthians 4:20 For the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.

Power – Satan – Illusion

John 8:44

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Destiny of those – in the kingdom of light

Romans 8:14-17 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

Destiny of those in the kingdom of darkness

Matthew 8:12

while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

That is why Jesus said the end would not come until this Gospel of the Kingdom is preached to the whole world

Ignorance keeps people in 

– the brokenness in this world

– trapped in lies and far away from the freedom of the truth

– if they remain in that kingdom they will spend eternity alone, with their regret, in hell

But…..Jesus came to bring the Kingdom of heaven for now and the future and here is his plan

Luke 4:18,19

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

By himself he did all of this because he did only what the Father led him to do by the power of the Holy Spirit

In the kingdom of darkness people are in bondage because of their ignorance and Jesus proclamation here is freedom, the launching of the Kingdom of heaven by the Spirit of God being upon Him…

How does the Spirit bring you to freedom out of ignorance?

John 14:15-17

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.

Truth overcomes ignorance, truth is light and life ignorance is the Kingdom of darkness

Ladies and Gentlemen that should empower you to know, no matter how intelligent, powerful, wealthy, influential a person is, they are in darkness apart from the Spirit of Truth and you have the Spirit of truth in you

By now you may be thinking, this kingdom of heaven thing is only for the pastors, elders, missionaries and other special people, 

Remember Romans 8: 14-17 from earlier Paul says

– All who are led by the spirit of God are His children (in the Kingdom of God/heaven)

– Not slaves but children of God

– Heirs of the inheritance, the Kingdom of God

If you are a child of God through accepting Jesus Christ as Lord then you are in the Kingdom….what did Jesus say about those who were in the Kingdom?

Jesus was answering a concern about who John the Baptist really was

Matthew 11:9 – 11

But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You,

Who will prepare Your way before You.’ 11 Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Jesus was saying John the Baptist was the greatest of all of the prophets, greater than Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Daniel, greater than them all but the least in the Kingdom of heaven (God) will be greater than He was. To destroy the ignorance that kept men and women in darkness

The Kingdom is what Jesus preached, it is what he released it is made up of Children of the King which is everyone who believes that Jesus Christ is the Lord and savior, so most of you in this room can be greater, have more power, advance God’s Kingdom more so than John

Jesus through the establishment of the Kingdom of heaven (light, God) launched the fulfilled prophecy of Isaiah 9:2

The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.

Why is the understanding of the Kingdom so important? Last verse

Matthew 24:3, 14  “As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”………. “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

It is the Kingdom, the power that sets men and women free, the way of overcoming life we should be living the truth we need to walk in, believe and not be afraid to share with others…you are an ambassador of the Kingdom and can move in power if you understand one thing…which we will begin to talk about next week

Wasn’t Easter great? We celebrated with family, friends, and food. We celebrated with eggs, chocolate and baskets…most importantly we celebrated together last week, with Jesus death, resurrection, and celebration of life.

If I were to ask you why the Good Friday and Easter story were important what would you say?

– Jesus blood wiping out our sin

– destroying the power of the enemy

– we can make it into heaven/have relationship with the Father

– Jesus proving he was God so we might believe

– Jesus overcoming death so we don’t need to be afraid of it

If you thought any of these things you would be right

Why did he do it? Why did the Father want Jesus to do it?

Why did he shed blood to eliminate our sin?

John 3:17

God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

Jesus went to the cross to fix an age-old problem…let’s take a look

Genesis 1:26-30

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. 30 Also, to every beast of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food”; and it was so.

Man was given dominion over the earth and everything on it, They were made King (because they was given dominion a kingdom is a “King’s dominion) and priest (because there was no one between them God they had clear relationship with God) of the earth….how was that possible

Genesis 2:7tells us how man was created and if we are not careful we will miss something very important

“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

This is God pouring out life into man filling him with the Holy Spirit as well. Here is how we know…

The interesting part of this is the Hebrew word for spirit. We almost get a little spooky talking about the Holy Spirit, but the Hebrew word behind spirit is ruach, and it means “air in motion.” It is the same word for “breath.” It also means “life.”By resemblance to breath and air in motion, it means “spirit.” That’s where we get the translation, and the Hebrew word contains all those different meanings.

When man was created in order to function as a king on the earth and reign over his dominion he had to do it by being filled with the Spirit of God….we don’t have the power to overcome the flesh or the enemy without the Spirit activated in our lives.

The earth was mankind’s domain not the enemies

You may be saying, didn’t I receive the Holy Spirit when I was saved?

Yes, would be that answer just like the disciples did as they began to believe Jesus was really who he said he was after his resurrection

John 20:19-23

Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

They were not filled with the Holy Spirit but instead received him so they might fully believe in Jesus as the Son of God, Son of Man, God in the flesh but Jesus said this in Acts 1: 4-8

And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; 5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. 8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

What? Didn’t they receive the Holy Spirit in John 20?Yes but they weren’t filled with the Holy Spirit. The miracles they performed were done under Jesus authority and just like Moses, Elijah, Elisha, David and Daniel, they had limited access to the Holy Spirit, because they were still carrying their sin but because of Jesus death on the cross they now have full access.

Didn’t you say Adam and Eve were filled with the Holy Spirit?What happened?

Genesis 3:7-10

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”

10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

They turned from trusting God and became afraid and ashamed…they lost the dominion, power, and authority…they grieved the Holy Spirit so much that he no longer filled them nor could he because of sin ruling their lives. Let me give you an example of how this lost dominion affects us physically and we see it in the world today

Instead of man having dominion over the plants of the earth the plants through alcohol, drugs, and tobacco and other means now have dominion over man

Jesus death on the cross, obliterated our sin, it no longer exists, in fact when we sin we are going against our own nature as those who are in Christ

Going back to Acts 1 we see even after the resurrection those closest to him still didn’t get it, they were looking for a limited dominion, ruling over a piece of ground but God, through Christ death and resurrection is restoring His Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. It is not about a piece of ground but bringing people into freedom, hope, life, and love.

How does this happen, the kingdom of heaven being restored on earth? Because the Holy Spirit can empower us to be who we need to be!

John 16:5-11

But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. 6 Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. 7 But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. 10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. 11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.

As Jesus was among them, He was filled with the Holy Spirit (see Luke 4:1) and the Spirit was limited to one but because Jesus took back the dominion of the earth given to Satan by Adam and Eve, he could proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven on earth and re-release the Holy Spirit on the earth to empower you and I to establish and proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth…remember Jesus teaching the disciples to pray…Matthew 6:10

Your kingdom, come,

your will, be done,

on earth, as it is in heaven.

For the kingdom to be established the dominion has to be re-established, it was the in-filling of the Holy Spirit that granted Adam and Eve the dominion

Jesus death on the cross, took back the dominion and the power for each of us to establish and function in the Kingdom…but there are two kingdoms…which one are you in? 

Are you understanding today that we are meant to live as part of a Kingdom?

The Kingdom is not a kingdom about land but it is a Kingdom that is eternal!

We are called to be Kings and priest in this Kingdom, and bring others into it!

The Kingdom was lost but Jesus made it possible for us to gain it back

We need power to be in the Kingdom and the Holy Spirit provides that power as he did for Adam and Eve!

Next week

Where is the real Kingdom?

The last word – surprise!

We have covered all the last words from Christ on the cross

– He forgave

– Through the terrorist on the cross we learned that he just loves us for us

– With Mary and John we learned that he is always with us and our with-ness is important to remind others of His love

– it sound like Jesus being forsaken was a bad thing but in reality God had a better plan as he does with us so often if we will choose to trust him

– being faithful in the little things causes great things to happen

– He completed the task so we could have relationship with the Father and begin to live out the Kingdom of God on earth

Today is a day of surprises in so many ways…People all over Jerusalem were caught off guard that early Sunday morning…the ladies whom came to the tomb (I’ll talk about them later) Peter and John as they came and then all of the disciples…God loves to surprise us and especially those who don’t feel they are as important to God James (called the less) was one of those

James the less – Christopher

Luke 24:35-49 tells the story James just shared with us

Everyone was surprised! But why? Jesus had told them over and over again that he must die and then rise from the dead but when we grieve, when we are hurting it is hard to see possibilities, especially when we feel small, as if we are not as important as other people.

 In first century Israel the testimony of a woman was virtually worthless. It was a patriarchal society so whatever a man said was golden and whatever a woman said was less than half the value of a man’s word. But that is not God’s way of thinking because in the beginning he created mankind (both male and female) made in the image of God…in Israel in a court of law a woman’s testimony was worthless…but here is what God did

John 20:1,11-16

Early on Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.

Mary was standing outside the tomb crying, and as she wept, she stooped and looked in. 12 She saw two white-robed angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the foot of the place where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” the angels asked her.

“Because they have taken away my Lord,” she replied, “and I don’t know where they have put him.”

14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”

She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

16 “Mary!” Jesus said.

She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).

The first person to see Jesus alive was a woman, someone who’s testimony would be worthless someone who was surprised by Jesus being alive….she had come to add spices to his body for burial but in his love…he didn’t care about position, or power he looked at the heart and he met Mary someone who would seem worthless to their society but he always makes those who feel worthless to see their value

In John 20:2it says this

She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, “They have taken the Lord’s body out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have puthim!”

Why Peter? 

Mark 16:1-8

Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. 2 Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 3 And they said among themselves, “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” 4 But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away—for it was very large. 5 And entering the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a long white robe sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed.

6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid Him. 7 But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”

8 So they went out quickly and fled from the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Peter had betrayed Christ, he had denied that he knew him and had any relationship with him…he was afraid of what might happen to him if he admitted to being a friend of Jesus’.

How much lower can you feel than knowing that you betrayed your best friend, you had turned your back on him at their time of need

There are things we have all done, things we feel have separated us from God, maybe not so much that we are afraid of going to hell but why should we deserve to have God do anything for us. Others are so much more important to God than we are but that is because we are looking through human judgment, human eyes not the eyes of the one who loves us the most.

Jesus made it a point to tell Mary…tell all of the guys and especially Peter…surprise Peter….Jesus died for you too and He is alive again for you too…His love for you is not conditional instead is unconditional

Romans 8 tells us that nothing can separate us from God’s love

Peter was in great overwhelming pain feeling at his lowest point thinking how he could ever be forgiven and that His friend whom he thought was the Messiah was now dead…the pain would have overcome him

Mary Magdalene was at the cross and watched him die, held his mother in her arms and wept with her too

She may have been there as Joseph of Arimathea laid Jesus in his tomb and she wept again

Still in unbearable pain she makes her way to the tomb only to find his body stolen her pain is multiplied

CS LEWISauthor who you may know from the Chronicles of Narnia, wrote in the book, the problem of Pain

“God often chooses to move more through the windows of pain in our life than any other time”  

If you are walking through some valley of pain right now, even though everyone is here to celebrate Easter Sunday with their smiles on, you may be crying inside…Remember Jesus made a habit of surprising people in their pain, in the middle of their deepest valleys…

Martha and Mary were in a valley of pain, then surprise Jesus showed up and raised Lazarus…John 11:1-45

A woman condemned to death for committing adultery then surprise instead of death Jesus gave her abundant life and love John 8:1-11

A woman with no hope, in the pain of rejection by her community fitting in nowhere..surprise Jesus shows up and accepts her, loves her and frees her John 4:1-42

A man feels valueless, worthless, been an invalid in both body and mind his whole life…surprise…Jesus makes him whole in mind and body John 5: 1-15

Do you need a surprise this morning? Do you feel like James, that you are less that anyone else or are battling some thing that is so overwhelming in a few minutes we are going to invite you to receive prayer

I want us to notice something else here about this woman whose testimony would have been unimportant in a court but whom Jesus found as valuable…Mary was once again the first to see him but let’s look at the discourse again

John 20:14-16

14 She turned to leave and saw someone standing there. It was Jesus, but she didn’t recognize him. 15 “Dear woman, why are you crying?” Jesus asked her. “Who are you looking for?”

She thought he was the gardener. “Sir,” she said, “if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and get him.”

16 “Mary!” Jesus said. She turned to him and cried out, “Rabboni!” (which is Hebrew for “Teacher”).

For some reason Jesus was unrecognizable at first…The jesus you may have been taught about maybe he is unrecognizable as the real Jesus

….uncaring just someone who started the world and has more important things to do than to worry about your little life

….maybe he is a vengeful wrath-filled God who is just waiting to punish you at any moment that you fail

….maybe he is frail and weak like the Jesus portrayed in so many of the Easter movies that he has no power help himself let alone you and your problems

If you thoughts about Jesus are any of these you would be wrong. Jesus told us in John 10: 3,4 His sheep know His voiceso….

Yes, he is the same God who was at creation and through him everything was created (1 Corinthians 8:6) but… 

– Psalm 139 tells us he cares about you so much so that he knows the number of hairs on your head, every time you sit down every time you stand up 

– he is actively involved in your life because Romans 8:34 Tells us he is always praying for you!

Yes he is the judge of the world and he has every right to judge us, condemn us for our sins, and send us to hell, but… 

– the reason he went to the cross was so that no one needs to go to hell (2 Peter 3:9) 

– Lamentations 3 tells us His mercies on us are new every morning. 

– He showed us by the story of the woman caught in adultery, the Samaritan woman, and Zacchaeus that… 

– he has no desire to destroy us because of our sin but instead wants us to be free and walk in the destiny he design us for from the beginning of time. 

– He went to the cross for our freedom from sin not to condemn us of it.

Yes, he is gentle and meek but… 

– he is also the mighty warrior, the king of Kings and Lord of lords 

– he came with power to destroy the works of the enemy in your life and my life and he came not just as fire insurance from hell because he is the door and the gate to the Kingdom of heaven 

– he took back all the authority Adam and Eve had been given by God but they gave to Satan. He then gave it to us so that we could live as part of the kingdom of heaven here on earth full of peace, love, joy and righteousness and bring destruction to the enemies plans for people in this world as we recognize our place in the Kingdom we become overcomers and conquerors over everything.

If you are feeling less today, like Mary like John, let Him surprise you come today and allow someone to pray for you and introduce you to the one who loves you the most and allow Him to show you.

If you are in some pain today, some dark valley, there is no need for you to stay there…the plans God has for you and has had for you since the beginning of time have been for your good, to give you a hope and a future according to Jeremiah 29:11

If you have thought of God as this vengeful, neglectful, or weak and uncaring God, he knows you and he is the one who loves you the most in fact Jeremiah 31:3 says he loves you with an ever lasting love isn’t it time you allowed him to show you how much he loves you

Trust is a tricky thing for many in our culture it is something that must be earned…as Christians because of needing to truly love as defined in 1^stCorinthians 13 and what Paul said to the Philippians 4:8 we are to think about what is good lovely and noble in all things which means we should come to a place of trusting until proven otherwise

But our world has been so corrupted and many have been so wounded and often we put onto others what we have felt from the start…we have failed so we assume others will fail us, we have been prejudicial and judgmental so we assume others are toward us. We have wounded others so we expect others to plan on wounding us…As Christians we have to begin to make the choice to trust the Lord in all things…Jesus sent two of his disciples to do a task. What was it like for them

Two disciples – Video

In case you are not familiar with the story here is the way it reads in scripture

Matthew 21:1-11

As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”

4 This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,

5 “Tell the people of Jerusalem,

‘Look, your King is coming to you.

He is humble, riding on a donkey—

riding on a donkey’s colt.’”

6 The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.

8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,

“Praise God for the Son of David!

Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

Praise God in highest heaven!”

10 The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.

11 And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”

As they got over their “trust issues” they found themselves part of something very big that would be remembered for over 2000 years they trusted the Lord and set up for his triumphal entry into Jerusalem that would initiate what we would call the passion week the last week of Jesus life, a week of intensive teaching, love and horror…their trust in Jesus words would establish the beginning of the end and lead to Jesus complete trust in His Father when at the cross he uttered this last words

Luke 23:46

And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.

When Jesus said these last words it was as if a fuse of dynamite had been lit that would destroy the Kingdom of darkness….At this moment Jesus was saying all that I have done, I’ll I have come to do, all that we planned from the beginning of time, I have completed and now I am trusting it all into your hands Father….I am trusting that the way has been made for all of man kind to understand our plan if they will choose…that the whole world could be in your hands and that nothing would any longer separate us from mankind if they will choose

Matthew gives us a little more detail and a little more insight…because while this sounds like an ending it really was a beginning…

Matthew 27:50- 61, 28: 1-8

Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. 51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, 52 and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. 53 They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people. 54 The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

55 And many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for him were watching from a distance. 56 Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee. 57 As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, 58 went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. 59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. 60 He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. 61 Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.

Early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to visit the tomb.

2 Suddenly there was a great earthquake! For an angel of the Lord came down from heaven, rolled aside the stone, and sat on it. 3 His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. 5 Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen. Come, see where his body was lying. 7 And now, go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and he is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there. Remember what I have told you.”

8 The women ran quickly from the tomb. They were very frightened but also filled with great joy, and they rushed to give the disciples the angel’s message

Wow all of that happened because Jesus put his life into the hands of the Father

Amazing things happen when we choose to put our life completely into his hands…we tend to do it in times of difficulty and trouble and when we reach a point of maturity but often until we get to that place, we place our life in him and then we begin to make decisions that are not lead by him but by us and we take our lives back until a crisis happens or struggles come, or we just begin to miss Him

Jesus had been faithful with everything…he had lived a sinless life for over 33 years although he had been tempted in every way, he never cheated on his taxes, never looked at something on line that he should have, he never fudged the truth in any way, he never drank too much, never got a DUI, never lied to his parents never did anything that would disqualify him from being the perfect, sinless sacrifice for all sins, mess ups, hang ups he made our complete payment in full for all of that and then He trusted his life into the hands of his Father

Jesus hung on the cross suffering dying for 6 hours completed everything the scriptures said about him….in fact his entire life was the fulfillment of hundreds of references and prophecies from the Old Testament written over one thousand years…In fact even these last words were prophetic which we will talk about in a minute

Jesus was trusting that His Father would complete the task that he would not leave his body to decay, that laid in a borrowed tomb in three days he would be raised from the dead…that finally death, hell, the grave, and Satan would be defeated once and for all…

Why????? so that all who believed in Him would be able to receive forgiveness and start a relationship with the Father through Jesus

Jesus had full confidence in His Father to complete the task that is why Luke records it this way

Luke 23:46

Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!”

It was a shout, a proclamation, a victory yellnot a whimpy whisper of a defeated individual but a proclamation of total victory…Jesus wasn’t thinking, “I hope I made the right choice he was making a proclamation of defeating every foe….He was doing exactly what He said he would do in John 10: 9-11, 17-18

Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.

“The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. 18 No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.”

Jesus was proclaiming I am the only way to heaven, I am willing to do whatever it takes for my family including surrendering my life…the Romans can’t take it from me, the Jewish leaders can’t take it from me, Satan doesn’t have the power to take it from me, I lay down my life willingly into the hands of my Father

Jesus completed His part of the rescue mission by putting His life into the hands of his Father even in that he was quoting an Old testament prayer that every Jew would incorporate into their evening prayers

Psalm 31:5a psalm of David when Saul was chasing him

I entrust my spirit into your hand.

Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God.

Then it goes on to say 15,16

My future is in your hands.

Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.

16 Let your favor shine on your servant.

In your unfailing love, rescue me.

These words from the cross were the words prayed everyday by Jews as they were preparing to rest at night…they wanted to make sure before they fell asleep that even their subconscious they wanted to make sure that were in right standing with God should anything happen while they slept, they were placing their lives everyday into the hands of a loving God

Much like the prayer we have learned to pray

Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, If I should die before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take….

It your hands do I commit my Spirit

Jesus was once again giving us an example of how to overcome, how to succeed in this life

Every day many are in battles they can’t seem to win let me challenge you with something radical place your life into the hands of the one who loves you the most

Every day you are facing fears, worries and anxieties they have become such apart f your life that you just accept them as a fact of life…they don’t have to be place these old familiar friends into the hands of a loving God

Everyday you are believing for your dreams, hopes to be fulfilled, God has placed them in your heart, mind and spirit how about placing your life in the hands of the one who gave them to you

Can you trust all of these things in the hands of a loving God?

How do you know you are? Are you worrying, are you battling having peace? Are you losing sleep? Are you losing joy?

If any of these things are others are going on chances are, they are in your hands and not His!

Commit then into His hands today! 

After 6 hours on the cross, meeting the needs of everyone else Jesus said these words…”It is Finished” but what was finished what did he mean…when something is finished it generally means something new is about to begin….someone who understood that better than anyone else was one woman who got a new beginning from Jesus

John 8:2-11

“…early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. 4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” 6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and  wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. 9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

A new start for her?…let’s hear from her

Adulteress – Charlee

Do you understand the way Jesus looks at you?Religion demands justice but relationship demands mercy…judgment demands death but love demands freedom

Do you understand that for yourself?God is love and his first desire is relationship, love and mercy…he is a God of justice and judgment too but only if we won’t receive love and mercy. If we walk in love, freedom and mercy so will he for us but if we walk in judgment, and justice so will he.

Jesus went to the cross to take the crushing weight of mankind’s sin. He knew when he was moving in forgiveness with the woman that soon he would be taking on everyone’s sin on the cross…

His mouth is parched from dehydration, he called for a drink as he is wrapping up his purpose on earth

John 19: 29,30

A jar of sour wine was sitting there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. 30 When Jesus had tasted it, he said, “It is finished!” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

IT IS FINISHED!

In English it is three words but in Greek it is one word but it means “it is finished and will forever remain finished and there is nothing that can happen to unfinish what Jesus just finished!”

Jesus was finishing what was in His cup…here is what I mean. Remember when Jesus was in the garden the night he was betrayed, he was praying..

Matthew 26:39

He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

We don’t hear the Father’s response but I am sure it was something like this…I’m sorry my son  but you have to finish this cup it is the only way that we can rescue humanity from the consequences of their sin

Jesus was overwhelmed at this point so much so that he was sweating drops of blood his soul was filled with sorrow and the conversation continues

Matthew 26:42

…. “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.”

The answer would have been the same, the only way to save humanity would have been to drink all of the cup of the sin, shame, and suffering that comes from the cross….This was not a surprise to Jesus it was what he had come to the earth for, He longed for mankind to be back in relationship with the Father to know his love and he knew he was the only one who could pay the price for mankind’s sin what we call “redeem” us from the kingdom of darkness.

The cup was all of the wrath of God for mankind’s sin, all of the demands of the enemy because mankind had surrendered their authority to him, and all of the sin of mankind….

You have heard it said “you are what you eat and drink”

Jesus took it all on to become sin for us

2 Corinthians 5:21

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

The one who had never sinned took on all of our sinso the Father and the enemy would see the sacrifice and know that our relationship and our authority was reestablished and the enemy no longer has any rights over us and we now have complete access to the Father because of the blood of the Son

Jesus took the full cup of sin, the wrath of God and the curse that was proclaimed over mankind because of Adam and Eve’s rebellion.

Galatians 3:13,14

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Jesus became this curse on a tree for you and I, we did not have the right to salvation or to come to God at all but when Jesus took on the very curse that keep us separated from the Lord even the curse of the law which could not be fulfilled by the works of man….He was able to proclaim…”It is finished” the curse, the rule of sin, the rule of the law…freedom has come when you accept Jesus as your Lord and savior by accepting the work He did on the cross…

As you have heard me say many times Christ work on the cross obliterated our sin so when we accept Him our sins are no longer held against us because they no longer exist and at the same time we can receive the promise of the Holy Spirit which we will talk about in a few weeks but to be quick empowers us, guides us, convicts us, leads us and so much more

Colossians 2:14,15 

by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.(ESV)

See the enemy has no right to triumph over you his power is made null and void because of the crossas our sins have been forgiven and that is the only right he has to triumph over us

When Jesus said it was finished he meant it was finished….we may face battles but the enemy has no right to win…we may face struggles but the enemy has no right to overcome…he is a nonentity as long as we choose surrender to Christ….IT IS FINISHED

Jesus established a way for us to remember that it is finished 

The Psalmist writes Psalm 23:5

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;”

This table the cup and the bread is a reminder to us to come to him to ask for forgiveness because he has already taken on our sin.

It is Jesus pouring out his body and blood and reminding us that if we choose to accept it, it is finished

If not, we will continue to struggle with our sins…

Today I want you to genuinely take time to think, God have a really let go of my

Bitterness

Fear

Anger

Greed

Unforgiveness (have I truly forgiven others)

Insecurities

Does my language reflect you

Does my heart reflect your heart in my attitude toward others of different races, cultures, genders, economic status, ages, 

Let’s take a moment to ask the Lord so that as we come to this table we are accepting what Jesus did for us with a pure heart

Let’s take a moment too to ask…have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior…have you accepted what He did on the cross as a real price that he paid for your sins….coming to church doesn’t save you…it should help you to grow but it is a personal thing between you and Jesus

Heads bowed eyes closed please reflect on your heart…are you coming to this table fully ready….are you coming having your heart pure because you have dealt with your sin…second are you coming to this table know Jesus is your Lord and savior that you have accepted him and the price he paid on the cross

Some times it is the small things that have a great impact…the first time a baby laughs or says Dadda or Momma.

A quick word or action of kindness by a stranger when needed

A hug at just the right time

It doesn’t have to be large to be significant today’s word is like that

John 19:28,29

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!” 29 Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on hyssop, and put it to His mouth.

“I thirst” what a seemingly insignificant phrase from the cross but it’s meaning is so much deeper than it seems

In fact, it may have sent Matthew to think about another significant moment where a drink was needed

Matthew 10:42

“And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.”

Why was that important? Here is Matthew to share his take on it

Matthew – Roy

How is something simple like a glass of water an act of love?

Before we get to Jesus, those of you that have had children and those who were once children (This should then include everyone)

Remember a nightly ritual that happens in many homes

The story is read, teeth are brushed, prayers are said all tucked in then “I need a drink, or can I have a drink?

A little insignificant cup of water is the evening’s final act of parental kindness, bringing peace to the child…it would seem to be an insignificant act but as the child grows it is a small act of kindness that brought great comfort and a sense of love to the child.

Notice the way this verse reads from John 19:28

John 19:28,29

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, “I thirst!”

The Gospel of Mark tells us that this was about the 6^thhour of the day. Jesus had been hanging on the cross from 9am and now it is 3Pm.

For the first 6 hours 

– He talked to his Father about us

– He talked to a terrorist about heaven

– He talked to his clos friend about caring for His mother

– He felt the agony of abandonment for us in its fullness

After he had taken care of all the needs of others he now look to have his need met.

As Jesus was going to be nailed to the cross he was offered wine mixed with Myrrh which was a concoction to help to numb the pain Mark 15:23 but he refused

This act of Jesus thirst has great significance

Jesus placed all the needs of others above his own…think how our families, schools, government, this church would be if we all chose to follow His example always…even just taking time to be aware of the needs of others would make a dramatic change in our environment

Paul wrote this to the Philippian church and it is a great example of what Jesus did on the cross

Philippians 2;3-5

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,

Jesus could have played the “God – card”he could have chosen not to feel the pain, agony, hunger or thirst but instead he felt it all not escaping one moment of the suffering so he could relate to even the most horrid situations we go through

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

There isn’t any pain, rejection, suffering you can go through that he can’t empathize with you, he understands while he was totally God, he was at the same time totally man feeling all the pain that we could possibly imagine and he did it for you and I so we would know that he understands…he felt the intensity of the pain and rejection on the cross as we continue on in Philippians we see that to be true

Philippians 2:5-8

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Thirst came a result of the blood loss and dehydration making his mouth and throat parched and nearly impossible to speak…Jesus didn’t escape this suffering but felt it completely so we might know that He understands but he is also desiring to end our thirst.

John 7:37-39

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

He cried out in Thirst knowing that His suffering was soon to be over but earlier in His ministry knowing this point would come wanted us to know that we need not ever thirst because of what He would do on the cross. Because of his death, resurrection, and ascension he would be able to release the Holy Spirit to fill all men and women so they would be thirsty never again….in a few weeks we will be talking about the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

To further prove He was the messiah, the anointed one, the God man in the flesh he had to thirst…

Two messianic propheciesthat stand out that show us who Jesus is, words spoken centuries earlier

Psalm 22:15

“My strength has dried up like sunbaked clay.

My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.

You have laid me in the dust and left me for dead.” NLT

Psalm 69:21

But instead, they give me poison for food;

they offer me sour wine for my thirst.

These two little words, “I thirst” once gain helped fulfill two of the hundreds of prophecies Jesus was showing to the Israelites so they might recognize him as the Messiah for the world (God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3)

Remember the cup of water we talked about in the beginning, the one given to nearly every little kid in history before bedtime? This little bit of drink that Jesus was given enabled Him to prepare to speak the last few words he would to finish the task he came to accomplish on earth.

It was just a little thing, something seemingly insignificant but powerful enough to change the world.

If all you have is faith that you seem to think is little or insignificant, think again…everything given to the Lord has significance…two simple words impacted the world, fulfilled prophecy, and prepared for something greater

You applying your little faith to your life and the lives of other can do the very same thing

As you are daily being faithful to the call of God on your life

As you are daily being faithful to God’s leading and guiding

As you are daily being faithful to pray for your kids, your parents, church family

As you are daily being faithful in the reading of the word

As you are daily being faithful to believe that God will come through for you

None of these things are little or insignificant but they may seem like it from the world’s perspective but they are the things that truly change the world