Gifts of the Spirit, Part 1.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] I’m also excited today because we’re starting a new series and I’ve been looking forward to this series. [0:04] We started thinking about it, talking about it last year sometime. [0:07] That’s kind of how far out we are. [0:09] We’re planning series are concerned. [0:11] But I had one thing in mind and God really got a hold of me over the past few months [0:16] and just really kind of worked into me that I don’t want this series, Breath, Life and the Spirit.

[0:24] What I don’t want is for us as a church just to come together and gain a ton of information [0:31] so that we know the right words to say, so that we know the right things to say about the Holy Spirit. [0:36] But rather, I want this next six weeks to be a time where we really not only learn about Him, [0:42] but we learn how to live in Him. [0:45] Where we learn how it is that we have what Jesus calls, and in the original language it’s periclete, [0:52] but what it means is He’s the Comforter and the Guide.

[0:57] There was that as I go through life, if I’m following Jesus, He has not left me on my own to figure it out, [1:03] but rather, supernaturally, God has come into my life in the form of God the Holy Spirit, [1:11] and He is going to supernaturally guide me to follow Jesus. [1:17] But so often, what I’ve experienced in my life personally as well as a pastor, [1:23] is that that is probably the most difficult part of Christianity for us to wrap our minds around. [1:30] It is the most difficult part for us to feel.

[1:36] Because if you’re anything like me, there have been times in your life where you have, [1:41] you’ve kind of been around other believers who it seems like they’re having this amazing experience with God. [1:48] They’re just living a life of worship, and you’re discouraged.

[1:54] You’re like, I don’t know how to do that. [1:58] How does that happen? [1:59] How do I experience the life of God in my life where it is this fluid relationship of back and forth, [2:07] and where I’m actually communing with God, where I’m speaking to Him, [2:11] and there are times when I can really feel His urgings in my life. [2:16] I can really feel Him involved in my decisions.

[2:18] When I’m praying, it’s powerful. [2:22] But oftentimes, when I pray, two minutes later, I’m like, what’s for lunch? [2:28] Or what’s going on in the other room? [2:30] Or what do I have to do today? [2:32] And I don’t think I’m alone in that. [2:33] I don’t think we like to admit that that’s how our experience often is.

[2:41] But I’ve talked to so many of you, and I know that’s where you are. [2:44] I know that if you are a follower of Jesus, you would never say, I don’t want the Spirit in my life. [2:52] I don’t want to experience this amazing relationship where the giftings of the Holy Spirit are actually something that’s tangible, [3:00] where I’m seeing it happen, where worship is meaningful, where it’s just back and forth between me and God. [3:07] I don’t think you would ever say if you’re a follower of Jesus that I don’t want that. [3:11] But rarely do we admit that we don’t have that.

[3:16] So for the next six weeks, I want to talk about what is that like? [3:21] This week and next week, we’re going to talk about the gifts of the Spirit, [3:23] and then we’re going to talk about prayer in the Spirit, something that we often avoid. [3:28] And then finally, we’re going to talk about wisdom and decision making in the Spirit the final two weeks as we wrap it up.

[3:36] But what is the life of the Spirit? [3:39] All right, let’s go to first Corinthians, chapter 12. [3:41] Let’s jump right into it.

[3:46] First Corinthians, chapter 12, verse one.

[3:50] Paul writes, now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you. [3:57] To be uninformed. [3:59] Let’s stop right there. [4:00] Let’s pray. [4:01] Father, I ask that over the next few moments that you would guide our conversation.

[4:10] You give me words and you would speak to those hearing it that I wouldn’t say anything that you don’t want me to say, [4:18] anything that contradicts your word, anything that’s too vague, [4:20] but rather that you would give me words so that we would know how to follow you, [4:24] so that we would know what it is to be with you in life. [4:29] Lord, I pray that you would create an atmosphere of worship in here this morning. [4:33] In the name of Jesus.

[4:34] Amen. [4:35] Now right there in verse one, when he says, brothers, concerning spiritual gifts, [4:38] I don’t want you to be uninformed. [4:40] I want to kind of set the stage. [4:42] I want you to know who Paul’s talking to right here. [4:44] He’s talking to the church at Corinth.

[4:45] And if you’ve ever read through first Corinthians, you know that this church is not what they need to be. [4:52] They’re not where they need to be. [4:53] And they’re not doing what they need to be doing. [4:56] This is a church that’s completely disunited. [4:59] They have a ton of conflict going on inside of the church. [5:03] And on top of that, a lot of the conflict is stemming from sin.

[5:08] There’s a rampant immorality where the church at Corinth is actually taking Christianity [5:14] and trying to syncretize it with pagan idol worship. [5:20] Where the gods of Corinth that were very immoral gods, they were bringing that into the worship of God. [5:27] And that’s why in the previous chapter, Paul talks a lot about the Lord’s Supper [5:32] because they were perverting the Lord’s Supper and they were actually getting drunk and being gluttonous [5:37] and actually doing temple prostitution worship with the pagans of that culture.

[5:43] But also, on top of that, this thing that was happening is that people were actually kind of picking and choosing [5:49] who do we follow in the church and what giftings can we have so that we can have power over each other. [5:55] One gifting is better than the other one. [5:57] So if I have this gifting, I’m going to lord it over these other people. [6:01] And so when Paul says, I don’t want you to be uninformed, he’s not actually saying, [6:06] I don’t think you know about the spiritual gifts.

[6:08] I don’t think you know about the Holy Spirit. [6:11] What he’s actually saying is, is I don’t think you’re living in the Spirit. [6:16] I think you’re perverting that which God has clearly informed you and that which I taught you while I was in Corinth.

[6:24] So Paul writes this in this sort of kind of an agitated way.

[6:32] Then in verse two, he says, you know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to mute idols. [6:40] However, you were led, therefore, I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says Jesus is accursed [6:49] and no one can say Jesus is Lord except in the Holy Spirit.

[6:57] There’s these two problems. [6:59] That often take place as we’re learning about the Spirit and as we’re trying to experience the worship is that oftentimes [7:06] we’re obsessed with the spectacular yet we’re completely living in the mundane.

[7:15] And what I mean by that is that quite often as we attempt to live for the Holy Spirit, [7:20] we do it either with impure motives of just trying to feel better about ourselves and trying to lift ourselves up [7:26] so that we look better. [7:27] So we boil the work of the Spirit down to an hour every week that it takes place in a Sunday morning service. [7:33] But throughout the rest of the week, we don’t expect God to do anything spectacular in our lives. [7:38] So we live in the mundane, not seeking the move of the Spirit.

[7:43] And we’re kind of so distracted the rest of the week that we kind of wait until God does something spectacular [7:51] where it’s like this undeniable miracle. [7:55] I mean, it’s almost like the seas are parted in our lives and we see God do something amazing. [7:59] And we’re like, well, if God will do that, then I’ll stop living in the mundane. [8:05] But I’m just going to wait until I see him do something because that’s going to be his sign that I need to do something with my life.

[8:13] When we do that, what it is, it’s actually the self-obsession that we have where God’s gifts actually exist for us [8:20] and the kingdom that we’re building with our lives.

[8:26] Where God is not going to be able to use his gifts to bring worship to himself, [8:31] but rather what his giftings are, are a directional path for me to just be more self-absorbed with myself. [8:38] It’s not about obeying God. It’s about him impressing me.

[8:46] God gives gifts, point number one, to further his kingdom. [8:50] Not mine.

[8:52] Not mine.

[8:59] Whenever you watch music award shows, sporting events, recently a guy walked over, [9:08] I think it’s called a trapeze or the high wire over the Niagara Falls, [9:12] and you watch these people and the first thing that they say is, I want to thank God for all these gifts he’s given me. [9:18] I mean, it can be a rap artist who clearly his music isn’t for God, [9:25] somebody who clearly doesn’t know who God is, and yet one of the first things out of his mouth is, [9:30] man, God has given me so many great gifts.

[9:33] You ever see that guy? Guy crosses Niagara Falls over high wire and the first words out of his mouth is, [9:39] I’m just so glad that God gave me the gifting to do that. [9:43] How awesome am I? [9:46] Look what God did.

[9:49] That’s our culture. [9:52] That’s our culture. Something that I don’t think God’s really that interested in the high wire. [9:58] That’s just me. [9:59] I don’t know that he would ever tell anybody to do that because one wrong step and where are you going? [10:04] Yeah, in.

[10:07] And let’s not blame God for that. [10:10] Maybe you just shouldn’t have done it. [10:12] It’s kind of like skydiving. [10:13] Don’t do it.

[10:15] If to feel alive, you have to risk your life. [10:18] You’re doing it wrong. [10:21] You’re doing it way, way wrong. [10:23] All right. [10:25] So quite often the way we look at the spiritual gifts is it is God’s way of giving me the best that he has right now [10:32] so that I can have heaven right now so that I can be spectacular right now.

[10:37] And so that I can say, look at how gifted I am.

[10:46] That’s not what the spiritual gifts for. [10:51] That’s not what they’re all about. [10:53] That’s not what the work of the Holy Spirit in your life is to be. [10:57] It’s not so that you can be more spectacular and more people can focus on you. [11:03] What it is, it is this way to point to God. [11:07] Notice there that it says, when you were pagans, you were led astray to mute idols.

[11:14] What Paul is really filling our minds with right there is this reality that there needs to be a change from not following Jesus to following Jesus. [11:24] And that it’s easily seen, that it’s so clear that we know that it’s towards Jesus. [11:31] And so he fills these people’s minds and he says that no one that’s filled with the Spirit could possibly say that Jesus is accursed. [11:38] Right? I mean, that makes sense. [11:40] The Holy Spirit’s not going to point away from him. [11:42] The Holy Spirit’s going to point to him.

[11:44] But then he says that no one can say Jesus is Lord except under the power of the Holy Spirit. [11:51] So what we need to understand there when we look, remember the book, the Ephesians series that we had, and it talks about the Spirit all through that, that the work of the Holy Spirit is primarily to point to Jesus. [12:04] That’s where he starts. [12:06] This is when the Spirit came into your life, what it did was is you were on this path building your kingdom for your purposes in this world for that which you can see, that which you can easily contain. [12:19] And God comes into your life through the profession of the gospel and he turns you towards Jesus. [12:26] So if you are spending your life following the false gods of this world, do not say that’s from God.

[12:38] If you’re not living to worship Jesus, when you bring him into building your kingdom, it’s the same as saying Jesus is accursed.

[12:47] Because in the end of the Bible, I don’t know if you know this or not, but this world is going to burn up and be refined. [12:53] So that means all that is tangible, all that is temporary, all that is physical, it’s gone.

[13:02] It’s accursed.

[13:06] So eternally, that which matters is that which is done for Jesus.

[13:14] And so before I can even get into the list where I’m like, okay, if you help people with cars on the side of the road, spiritual will get the help. [13:24] Before we can even get to that stuff, which I’m not going to hand out a test or anything, don’t worry.

[13:31] We have to build a foundation. For what does the Spirit even do? What does he even want? [13:37] What are the purposes of the miracles in the Bible? What are the purposes of prophecy? What are the purposes of teaching? [13:44] And we want it to be so vague and ambiguous so that we never have to come face to face with what God actually specifically wants us to do. [13:57] I want to give you one phrase. I think it’s four words. If it’s not, my math is terrible. [14:05] It’s all about Jesus.

[14:12] If you want the work of the Holy Spirit in your life, if you want to experience his power, the only ground that has been tilled by God for that to happen, [14:27] and you can’t find in Scripture anything else, any other soil that’s ready for the seeds of the Spirit to be planted in other than that, which is all about Jesus. [14:39] Because the only alternative is it’s all about you or it’s all about something in this world.

[14:46] That is not where the Spirit is going to push you because that is not where Scripture pushes you. [14:53] Because God is building a kingdom. Two weeks ago we saw where he says, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these other things God’s going to take care of.

[15:05] It’s all about his kingdom, that which he’s doing through the resurrection, that which he’s doing through the cross. [15:10] I read a verse this morning, and James and I didn’t connect beforehand, but in Psalm 63 when he says, your steadfast love is better than life.

[15:24] Do you understand the magnitude of that statement?

[15:31] That it is better to have the love of God than it is to take my next breath. [15:39] And if I don’t have this love, death is better.

[15:48] Do you grasp that? Because I struggle to in my life often times.

[15:55] I want to tell you this morning that my struggle to grasp that statement is the exact same struggle that I have with experiencing the life of the Spirit.

[16:07] That the Holy Spirit, the work of the Spirit in my life may not be better than mundane if I never come face to face with the reality that a relationship with God is better than my next meal. [16:25] It’s better than my house. It’s better than standing before you right now. It’s better than my job.

[16:35] It’s better than having the love of my son. It’s better than having the love of my wife. [16:42] It’s better. And everything else stands as a counterfeit version of the love of God in my life.

[16:53] But there are so many competing, mute idols that often times I struggle to even desire to be in his presence. [17:03] To even desire them. [17:06] I’m adamant about building my kingdom.

[17:10] I’m adamant about that which is temporary. [17:15] I’m adamant about the things that are right in front of me. [17:19] Then I am with God.

[17:23] Jesus deals with that in John, Chapter 16.

[17:27] In John 16, starting in verse 7, Jesus says, Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. [17:35] It is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you. [17:43] But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. [17:51] Concerning sin because they do not believe in me. [17:54] Concerning righteousness. [17:56] Because I go to the Father and you will see me no longer.

[18:00] Concerning judgment because the ruler of this world is judged. [18:05] Did you catch the beginning of that?

[18:08] I don’t agree with Jesus on that typically.

[18:13] Jesus says, It’s better for me to go away so that the Holy Spirit can come to you. [18:18] And he’s going to be the one that helps you. He’s going to be the one that leads you. [18:22] Because let’s be honest, if Jesus was right in front of me, if Jesus would actually share a couple of meals with me, wouldn’t that be easier?

[18:32] Because then I wouldn’t even need faith. [18:35] Because I’ve got Jesus. He’s right there. Want to meet him? Come on over. [18:40] We’re having coffee at three. [18:42] Wow, how simple would that be? But that is not how God designed it to be. [18:46] Because that would not take faith and God is glorified through faith.

[18:51] God is glorified by that. [18:53] Because it’s how he wants to build his kingdom.

[18:56] He wants to actually come into my life and he actually wants to be a part of me. [19:01] He actually wants to nudge me. He actually wants to push me. [19:05] He actually wants me to have faith enough to say, God, you’ve been specific and I trust what you’ve given me. [19:10] So I’m going to read it. I’m going to ingest it. [19:13] I’m going to spend time using faith and praying and believe that you actually hear me. [19:18] That you’re actually interested in that which is going on in my life.

[19:21] That you actually want me to obey you. [19:24] You actually want me to use something other than that which is physical so that I can experience something that I’ve never seen. [19:33] It’s the same type of faith that believes there’s a heaven.

[19:37] I’ve never seen it.

[19:40] I believe that I will. [19:43] I haven’t yet.

[19:45] And what do I base that on? [19:48] I base it on the belief that Jesus rose from the dead, right? [19:52] I don’t see him do that. [19:54] But if he didn’t, I’m in trouble.

[19:57] Praise be to God, he did. [19:59] And then he revealed it to me. [20:02] It’s not about what I want God to do. [20:06] It’s not about what I think he should do. [20:09] It is about what he has said he did do and what he has said he’s going to do and what he has said I do about it.

[20:18] And we tiptoe around that quite often. [20:21] But here’s the key. [20:22] If your life isn’t lining up with his word, don’t expect to experience his life.

[20:35] Jesus says it’s better.

[20:38] Because when I do live by faith, I experience him in ways that I’ve never experienced before.

[20:47] Secondly, this morning, experiencing the gifts of the Spirit necessitates a life that requires the power of the Spirit.

[20:56] Experiencing the gifts of the Spirit necessitates a life that requires the power of the Spirit.

[21:04] Paul says there at the end of verse 3, if I could just get that back up. [21:10] He says that, and no one can say Jesus is Lord except in the Holy Spirit. [21:18] Okay, so I want to start real easily with you. [21:21] If you don’t think the Holy Spirit is working in your life, Paul makes it so clear right here. [21:28] The foundational move of the Spirit and evidence that he is active in your life is a trusting in the work of Jesus. [21:35] The belief that he is God and that he died for your sin and rose to win victory over sin and death to reconcile you with God is the work of the Spirit and the basis for every other work which exists to point to that for you and others.

[21:51] Do you believe in Jesus? Do you trust in him? Have you given your life to him?

[22:01] You’ve experienced the Holy Spirit.

[22:07] I don’t know about you, but that’s a relief.

[22:12] Paul is saying I don’t have to part the Red Sea. Okay, good.

[22:19] Paul says if you say Jesus is Lord and you believe it, guess what? You’ve got the Holy Spirit. [22:28] Oh, praise be to God. For so long I looked for it elsewhere.

[22:36] For so long I begged him to do something that he never did because I was struggling to believe it. [22:44] Then there was a point in my life where studying in college, I’m going through 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and the Holy Spirit said, see, there I am. [22:56] Do you trust him? Do you love him?

[23:01] I did that for you, Steve.

[23:05] Don’t claim that you were smarter than anyone else. [23:07] Don’t claim that you had something figured out that nobody else had because if it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t believe in Jesus.

[23:16] I think sometimes our obsession with the spectacular.

[23:20] We’ll see next week. He does do the spectacular, but our obsession with the spectacular discourages us from finding him where he is.

[23:33] In that same text in John chapter 16, we’re going to see in a minute that the Spirit always drives to Jesus, never drives you anywhere else. [23:41] And I think sometimes we don’t want the spectacular because it’ll point to Jesus. [23:45] Sometimes I think we want the spectacular because we’re saying, God, I don’t trust you. [23:50] God, I don’t trust you.

[23:52] God, I don’t know. [23:54] It sure would make me feel better about myself if I would see something crazy.

[24:00] I don’t know what that is in your life. [24:03] Maybe you’re like, God, make the clock go backwards for a minute if you’re real.

[24:09] A couple of you chuckled because you’ve done that. [24:12] All right. You like tried to use the force or something like if I could just make that styrofoam cup.

[24:19] God’s real.

[24:23] Meanwhile, God’s saying, yeah, that’s not how it works. [24:27] No, I’m not Yoda.

[24:32] God’s not a little green guy. Sorry.

[24:37] But we’re looking so much for the spectacular. [24:39] We miss out on what is that spectacular when Jesus tells us the disciples, you’re going to see greater works than I’ve done. [24:46] And then in John 16, 12, if I get that up just real quick, I just want to read 16, 12. [24:49] He says, I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. [24:54] You can’t even bear the things that I’m going to do through the work of the Spirit. [24:58] Why does he say that?

[25:00] I mean, we’re talking about a God who parted the Red Sea. [25:04] We’re talking about a God that sent frogs and locusts and all sorts of crazy plagues to a city so that Pharaoh would let them leave. [25:16] We’re talking about a God who sent his only son to be a human being conceived by a virgin. [25:24] I don’t know if you know this or not, but that doesn’t happen.

[25:27] Right? If she goes to your high school, she’s lying. [25:32] She did something wrong. Okay.

[25:37] I don’t know.

[25:41] But then Jesus has the audacity to say, hey, by the way, there’s some things you’re not ready for yet. [25:47] And the disciples, these guys are Jews. They know the stories. [25:51] They got to be like, you know, the stuff we believe happened, right? [25:54] I mean, a whale or a big fish rather swallowed a man and he lived in there. [26:00] And you’re saying there’s something I’m not ready for? [26:03] Jesus says, absolutely, because I haven’t died for your sin.

[26:05] I haven’t risen from the dead yet. And you haven’t experienced baptism of the Spirit. [26:10] Because God’s saying, I am not going to go throughout history just doing all these awe-inspiring things. [26:16] But rather, I’m driving you somewhere else that’s going to take even more faith. [26:20] And that is the faith to follow a man who died and rose from the dead. [26:24] And give all of your life from that which is physical towards that which you have not seen yet you believe is absolutely eternal. [26:32] That is a bigger work.

[26:37] It’s bigger. And Jesus says, I’m going to do that.

[26:42] But here’s the thing.

[26:45] Quite often, we have a bigger relationship with the mundane than we do with that spectacular God.

[26:58] Okay. I want to set the stage for you there. [27:02] What I mean is, is that quite often, we want the Spirit to move, yet we’re not tilling the soil.

[27:12] My neighbor has this garden. It’s not a big garden, because I live in Midlothian. [27:17] There are no big gardens in Midlothian. Rarely do we have backyards.

[27:22] And it’s a small thing. But during the spring, I noticed that he didn’t just go out there and start throwing seeds.

[27:30] He just go out there. And what did he do? He went out there and he started tilling the soil. [27:33] He takes this rake and he’s raking the soil. He takes this weird thing. I don’t even know what it is. [27:38] And the soil is all churning up. And then he goes to this compost pile full of stuff I’ll never touch in my life, because I’m a germaphobe. [27:44] I mean, that’s disgusting, folks. How dare we? [27:48] But he takes that. He spreads it all out. I’m like putting gas masks on. I’m like, I don’t even want to know what’s going on in that.

[27:57] And he gets it ready. And then he does this seed. He does something. He irrigates, agitates, flusterates. I don’t know what it is. [28:06] But then he finally gets the seeds in there. And it looks like a big hump of dirt.

[28:13] Then the rains come and the sun beats down on it. And now he’s got tomatoes and things growing. [28:19] I don’t even know what half of it is, because I don’t eat anything that’s green. [28:22] I believe in the Brown rule that the browner my plate, the better.

[28:27] My doctor says I have a strange vantage point there, and it’s going to kill me. [28:33] But I asked him, have you eaten squash?

[28:40] No. No, no. That’s part of the curse, you know. [28:45] That which is good for me feels like it’s going to kill me, and that which tastes great, it’s going to kill me. [28:51] All right. It’s a hard life I live, folks. [28:55] All right. I went to Kings of Minya with a youth group, and they had fried Oreos.

[29:00] What a great country.

[29:06] God bless America.

[29:10] I didn’t eat any, because I was too embarrassed that they’d be like, that fat guy’s eating fried Oreos. [29:15] But I wanted to. [29:18] Secretly I’m on the Internet. How do you make the batter? [29:21] No one will see me at home.

[29:25] All right. Back to the Holy Spirit.

[29:29] But what I mean by that is he has to cultivate before any growth is ever going to happen. [29:37] You cannot show me a miracle in Scripture that did not necessitate man to move.

[29:46] In Joshua, the sun stands still, but Joshua and the army of Israel marched all night on obedience to what God has revealed for it to happen. [29:57] Peter says, can I come to you, Lord? And Jesus says, if you want to walk on water, you got to step out of the boat.

[30:05] When God sends these great things, when God moves in these great ways, we see people who are cultivating environments for God to move. [30:19] Before the Spirit comes in Acts chapter 2, they prayed for 10 days in the upper room.

[30:29] God can do whatever he wants, but he wants us to respond to him before he does it.

[30:38] God can do whatever he wants, but he wants us to respond to him before he does it.

[30:45] Because he wants to see faith.

[30:49] Faith is not the power, it’s the God who the faith is in that’s the power.

[30:54] And if my life does not necessitate the power of God, then why do I think I’m going to experience the gifts of God?

[31:11] Notice what he says back in 1 Corinthians 12. [31:14] Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. [31:18] And there are varieties of service, but the same Lord. [31:21] And there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all and everyone. [31:26] To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. [31:31] I want you to focus on one thing in this, because our time is going fast.

[31:38] There’s varieties of gifts, there’s varieties of activities, to each has been given. [31:43] But what’s the one thing that’s all in common?

[31:46] It’s the same God.

[31:49] It’s the same God. [31:51] It’s the same God.

[31:55] In other words, we all have different gifts, praise God. [31:59] We all have different gifts. We all have different lives. [32:03] What Paul is saying there, because he’s dealing with the church, he’s pointing them in all different directions.

[32:10] What he’s saying is that all those gifts, all those activities, all those things that you’re going to be doing, [32:16] all those gifts that I’ve given to each one of you, for them to be truly from me and for me, [32:24] they’ve got to be pointed in the exact same direction. [32:28] Exact same direction. [32:29] Look back in John chapter 16 right quick. [32:31] John chapter 16, he says, I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

[32:39] When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. [32:43] As Francis Schaeffer says, the scripture is the source of true truth. [32:48] All right? You’re like, isn’t there a difference? [32:50] There’s all types of combating truths in this world that claims to be true, but there’s only one true truth, and that’s God’s truth. [32:58] For He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come. [33:07] He will glorify me, for He will take what is mine and declare it to you.

[33:12] All that the Father has is mine, because I said that He will take what is mine and declare it to you.

[33:21] It’s all about Jesus.

[33:28] All who follow Jesus, our final point today, are gifted by the Spirit to live the plan of Jesus. [33:37] In verse 7, he says that each is given the Spirit for the common good.

[33:44] What is the common good? The common good is Jesus.

[33:49] The common good is Jesus. [33:52] Anything that distracts you from Jesus, anything that’s going to lead you somewhere other than Jesus, [33:58] anything that’s going to lead you to be more obsessed with that which you have in this world, [34:05] other than that which He has for you in His worship, is not from the Spirit. [34:12] Here’s what I mean by that. Sometimes I think we’re afraid to ask God for the Spirit to work in our lives. [34:21] Because I think sometimes we’re afraid of what He’s going to ask us to do.

[34:26] I think we’re afraid of what He’s going to ask us to sacrifice.

[34:30] I think we’re afraid of what He’s going to ask us to change.

[34:37] So what do we do? We do the same thing that the Church of Corinth did. [34:41] When we get uncomfortable, we run back to those mute idols. [34:45] We’re led astray. We try to make every excuse in the world about it. [34:52] Because we don’t really want the work of the Spirit, because if we wanted the work of the Spirit, we’d change our work in this life.

[35:03] The first work of the Spirit is faith. [35:05] But that begins a journey in which I desire to grow in my life for God. [35:12] You have to till the soil. You have to get it ready. But how do you do that? [35:16] Because we have this great deception in this life.

[35:21] My life is a circle. Everything that I can fit into my life can fit into that circle. [35:26] So what this world convinces me that I have to do is that I have to fill that circle up.

[35:33] If there’s any free time, if there’s any free resources that I have, I’ve got to find something in this world to pour it into.

[35:42] How much money do you have? Okay, I’ve got this.

[35:48] Well, then I need a house that costs exactly that much.

[35:54] Do we have $5.50 left over a month? Okay, not the Toyota, the Lexus. [36:01] Whatever I can fit in this circle, in this life, I’ve got to fit it all. I’ve got to cram it. [36:09] Full! [36:11] To where in this culture, what we’ve done is we’ve taken that circle and we’re like muffin-topping that bad boy.

[36:18] All right? I make $50,000 a year, but I really got to spend $75,000. [36:23] Newsflash, that’s going to get old real quick.

[36:28] And you’re like, why are you talking about that? What does that have to do with the Holy Spirit?

[36:34] Is there any room for the Holy Spirit in your life? [36:38] That’s what I mean.

[36:42] Because when we fill our lives up, when we overextend ourselves,

[36:50] we don’t have time for that which God has clearly said, this is where the Spirit will till the soil of your soul.

[37:04] Do we need the Spirit?

[37:08] Or are we doing all right without Him?

[37:13] Friends, margin in our lives, which I mean is not filling that circle with everything in this world. [37:20] Margin in our lives doesn’t exist so that we can have more leisure or so that we can just have a giant 401K so that I have all this stuff. [37:29] Margin in our lives exists so that we can cultivate the work of the Spirit in our souls. [37:35] So that we can till the soil of faith in our lives. [37:39] And when I see a people that I’m surrounded with so thirsty for God,

[37:47] when David writes in the Psalms, when he says, as the deer pants for the water, so my soul thirsts after you God, [37:54] he’s not doing a nice little thing about God. [37:56] What he’s saying is, God, I have filled my life with so much that has nothing to do with you [38:02] that I don’t even know what it’s like to experience you anymore.

[38:09] And I don’t want to be vague and I don’t want to be ambiguous just so that I don’t offend anyone. [38:14] But frankly, the biggest thing that most of us need to change in our lives is how obsessed we are with material wealth, [38:23] material success, and filling our lives with everything that our neighbors who don’t believe in Jesus are filling their lives with [38:29] to the point where there’s nothing left for God.

[38:35] And then in the morning I say, God, if you’re going to do something, do it right now. [38:39] Malachi 3, let me start reading. Well, I got nothing. Well, the Spirit’s not going to move in my life.

[38:47] I’ve said it before, but Rick Warren says, spiritual growth is impossible so long as we spend three hours watching television and three minutes reading the Word.

[38:58] That’s a quote that changed my life because that’s what I was expecting God to do for a long time.

[39:09] Guys, I don’t know about you, but I want to experience the work of the Spirit in my life.

[39:15] But so often, that soil’s so hard because it’s in a drought.

[39:21] We need Him to rain down. [39:25] But He’s telling us, I’ve revealed what life is supposed to look like, and I know where some of you are. [39:30] I know you’re 100,000, 200,000 in the hole, and you’ve got to work three jobs for it. [39:36] And so that causes stress, which causes sin to come into your life, where you’re disobedient because you’re upset at God at what He’s done. [39:42] I’m not saying it’s going to be easy. I’m saying it’s going to be hard. [39:47] But Jesus said so. When He says, take up your cross and follow Me, He’s saying sometimes it’s going to feel as hard as it did when I was carrying that cross to Calvary.

[39:58] It could take years. It could take months. But as you are prepping that soil, guys, God has made promises.

[40:09] Jesus says, follow Me, I’ll make you fishers of men.

[40:13] Follow Him, and He will change your life. [40:17] Maybe not this week, maybe not next month, but there comes a point where you just kind of realize, I’m experiencing God.

[40:30] That first week when you’re trying to pray, and we’re going to talk about that in two weeks, but guess what? [40:35] You’re going to be thinking about lunch. You’re going to be thinking about those shoes you want. Maybe that’s just me.

[40:45] But it’s an endurance race. It’s not a sprint.

[40:49] Paul says not that I’ve already gained, but I press forward to the prize in Christ Jesus.

[40:57] Everything that God did in the Old Testament through the work of the Spirit moved Israel towards the birth of Jesus. [41:01] And everything that God does in Jesus and after Jesus is to point us to Jesus. [41:06] We have to begin to change and cultivate our lives in a soil in such a way that the Word has expressed that I’m growing as a disciple. [41:15] And as I’m growing as a disciple, what I’m experiencing is that it’s reproducing in those around me because they’re seeing a hope that they’ve never seen before. [41:23] And I’m communicating that which I’m saturated with. You ever struggle to talk about God? It’s because we don’t know him that well. [41:31] So I don’t spend much time with him.

[41:36] Does my life require a move of the Spirit?

[41:41] In other words, if the Spirit never moved, would anything change?

[41:50] If I’m okay without the Spirit and I’m moving in a life that doesn’t have the Spirit and doesn’t need the Spirit, guys, you need to change.

[42:01] You’ve either saturated your life with this world so much that your belief in Jesus is wavering or you’ve never believed in him.

[42:11] This morning I want you to know that that initial work is that which is most important.

[42:22] Are you following Jesus?

[42:26] What I mean by that is, as he reveals in his Word, is that the trajectory of your life.

[42:36] If not, turn from your sin. Believe in Jesus and be saved forever.

[42:45] Friends, God wants us to experience his Spirit, but we have to build lives that require it. [42:53] Thanks be to God, we don’t do it alone. That’s why the church exists. That’s why groups exist. That’s why his Word exists. [43:02] That’s why prayer exists. God wants into your life.

[43:09] But you have to be willing to let him change your life.

[43:14] As the band comes up, every week we look at the finished work of Jesus. [43:20] That which the Spirit is moving us towards in communion.

[43:26] The broken body, the shed blood of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. [43:30] If in your heart you believe his Word, that he took your sin to the cross, that he died for a debt that you owe, to pay a price you could never pay. [43:46] And that he rose again. Then you are ready for the path of the Spirit.

[43:55] If you don’t believe that, today is the day of salvation.

[44:01] Today is the day that you encounter the Holy Spirit and your life is changed forever.

[44:07] Over the next five weeks we are going to unpack, more specifically every week, what the Spirit is going to do in your life. [44:13] Each week is going to build on the next. So I want you to commit to six weeks. I want you to do it.

[44:21] But if you are in here and you don’t know him, oh these next six weeks are going to be so good for you if you will just trust him. [44:30] I am going to be right up here, there are going to be those in the back. [44:33] If you want to believe today, while others are reflecting on the Lord’s Supper, you can meet him for the first time. [44:41] And have a meal with God for the first time ever.

[44:46] If you have trusted Jesus, the table is open. If not, I want to tell you how it can be open.