June 9th, 2019
Transcription:
we are do you guys know what what holiday are we celebrating today Pentecost Sunday do you know what that is Pentecost Sunday okay yes that’s right act 2 so today I want to talk about precisely that and the role of the Holy Spirit like we we are a Pentecostal church we are affiliated with Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada and we not that we have to we want to talk a lot about the Holy Spirit especially today on the holiday like today Pentecost Sunday this is when the Holy Spirit came was sent down to the earth to be with the disciples so Jesus said be you know when right before he ascended to heaven he said that I will send you a comforter he will be with you you will be able to lean on him how many of you just you love this idea I know I love this idea even today this morning just the fact that I can lean on the Holy Spirit that I am NOT alone and I know you know we have each other we have we have best friends we have families we have spouses and and it’s absolutely incredible it’s awesome but here is just an incredible truth blessed is a person that can lean on the Holy Spirit their will allow the Holy Spirit to to lead them in their lives yes yes come on you Pentecostals yes no I definitely think that we need to try to be a little bit more joyful more enthusiastic here’s the thing I think I can prove it that we can be a little bit more of that by even saying this has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit today but how about the Raptors okay well calm down calm down I was like whoa okay but but how about those Raptors tomorrow tomorrow could be the day okay and how many of you are gonna be watching yeah I will attempt to do something crazy tomorrow I promised Sam that I will take him to Jurassic Park so on my day off tomorrow I will be and we’ll be going there in the morning I work first I will be going to Dollarama to buy some lawn chairs and then and then wait in line for like good 10 hours stand there or sit there and then I’m gonna throw them out I kind of calculated that those 10 bucks are kind of worth it not standing there for 10 hours and then when we get in I have to toss them because no one’s allowed and that hopefully we’re gonna get in but anyway it’s it should be a very interesting thing but as interesting as that is okay that doesn’t even come close to just the great truth that we have today and that is we celebrate the day when the holy spirit was sent down to this earth you see the Holy Spirit changed everything he changed everything in our lives and I think that there is so many people that are King and are followers of Jesus walking with Jesus are following him and they never tap into this amazing strength that they can have and power they can have in this walk with the holy spirit now may I just ask you who is the Holy Spirit in your life just short testimonies have you had an experience with the Holy Spirit if you can just you know maybe two three people I don’t know if we have that many that want to share to just share who is the Holy Spirit and what what kind of work is he doing in your life come on all you brave people yeah mm-hmm yeah awesome so from this I mean I gather he is your guide he he speaks right through you sometimes in the conversation that you you may not you may not even realize but he’s he’s using you know words or sentences or things that will that would impact another person anyone else yeah I think this generation definitely can can relate to this hammer analogy anyone else one more person who is the Holy Spirit in your life yeah yeah what a testimony what a testimony of God’s faithfulness and the power of the Holy Spirit you see we need to we need to realize that there is more to our Christian walk than just kind of walking and even people think oh we struggle with this and if I were to ask you how many of you struggle with things and and I think a lot of us would be like yeah I have things that I struggle with but here’s the thing the Holy Spirit you need to know that he’s available to you to take you through through the Bible says from glory to glory from from victory to victory from from in a mountain peak to another mountain peak between every mountain peaks every mountain peak you do have some valleys you do have some things that you need to go through that there are that that there are tough there are difficult today I want us to unpack this truth about the Holy Spirit a few months ago I did I did share something that was similar to this we were talking about a growing church the church that needs the holier needs to release itself to the Holy Spirit and beyond the rule of the Holy Spirit and Acts chapter 1 before we get to Acts chapter 2 but Acts chapter 1 verse 8 very famous verse it says this 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 and Samaria and to the ends of the earth this is incredible in this one verse there’s so much and when we look at this one verse we can realize that I can be a part of what’s going on in this one verse you can be a part as some of us are so involved in what this verse is talking about you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit when when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses and you are gonna be telling people about him everywhere everywhere you go now when we read our acts and please don’t raise your hand but how many of you have you read the whole book of Acts you have a big you know big picture an idea of what that book is all about it’s it’s it’s a you know compilation of great amazing stories stories of people when they were when they were going through the first steps of this baby church right when Jesus left and and and and and some of it was scary some of it was was it was unknown it was totally uncharted territory and so these are the stories and the illustrations of what happens in a person person’s life when the Holy Spirit comes and takes over when the person actually surrenders to the Holy Spirit I remember it happened in my life when I was like eleven years old then I was baptized in the Holy Spirit eleven just you know and we were praying and the Holy Spirit came on us and it was just absolutely awesome do you know that I was not able to shut my mouth about what he’s done in my life like I was I went back to school I told everyone about what happened in my life and you know what and to like so many people it totally they didn’t make sense what I was talking about what I was saying asked me if I cared absolutely not the only thing I cared about was I needed to tell people about what God did in my life and when we when you read about this when you read about this day of Pentecost they waited and waited and waited and finally when the Holy Spirit came on them then in this verse it talks about that you will be my witnesses so many of us need just a little bit more power and will to go and be witnesses I’ve seen so many Christians terrified of witnessing afraid of what am I supposed to say how am I supposed to say it when am I supposed to say it how do I convey what God has done it’s just we overthink it’s so much that it becomes complicated in our lives and it cannot be complicated at all Jesus changes my life so many people need to see and need to hear that just a testimony look I was lost in a month and now I’m found and III was completely in darkness now I’m walking in the light – so many people will not make sense now when we read about the day of Pentecost and even the just the sort of the definition of the Pentecost is it’s it’s a Greek word or Greek name for the Jewish feast of weeks okay so then it was named Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came but before it was it was the Jewish feast of of weeks and it came from being 50 days it occurred 50 days after Passover okay so it was already long before in the Old Testament it was the feast of weeks fifty days which what is I think seven weeks after the Passover so all the Jews were gathered in Jerusalem they they they knew that they were going to celebrate this some waited for the Holy Spirit because he was promised and then he came but the name comes from this and then because of the early Christians when the early Christians received the baptism of the Holy Spirit now now we refer to this commonly as the day of Pentecost right this this event that happened in acts acts 2 now when we look at this if there was this great promise how many of you love making promises do you like making promises just a lot of hesitation I see how many of you love when people make you promises no okay maybe this like I mean obviously if the promise is delivered then it’s a good thing right but you don’t like when people promise you something and then they don’t deliver on it or when you promise something and you don’t deliver whoa those are some hard words right there but but here’s the thing the Holy Spirit was promised long before and God is always the one that delivers on his promises once when he was eating with them he commended them do not leave Jerusalem Jesus right the promise do not leave Jerusalem until the father sends you the gift he promised okay as I told you before so Jesus encourages the disciples the people that walked with him Jesus encourages them says hey just wait are you good at waiting you could like I just wonder right I mean I just wonder if if we were there and we were told wait how many of us would give up halfway how many of us would give up like a day before cuz we don’t know how are we good at waiting often the amazing things come after a long time of waiting there’s nothing wrong with waiting patience waiting and so they were called to wait they they had a promise but now they had to wait then after doing all those things I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh or all people your sons and daughters will prophesy your old men will dream dreams and your young men will see visions in those days I will pour out my spirit even on servants men and women alike there was a promise in Jesus Jesus makes the promise we just read that he makes the promises and we even read this in in verse 7 the father alone has the authority to set those dates and here’s the thing we try to understand as much as we can we try to explain things and and often those dates and times and situations and answers like Michelle said like and they don’t come we can’t know and I wish I could tell you as Christians you will always know everything and have everything figured out and everything just given to you on the platter it just doesn’t work like that I’ve seen people who would promise other people that oh you just start following God and and you will know everything and you will know and you know what it just reminds me the devil when he was when he was tempting Adam and Eve or Eve he used like he said oh just eat this and you will know everything you will know the good and evil and also just God never promises that he knows that we are he created us and we have been created in His image but here’s one thing that we need to understand we cannot comprehend and understand everything we just can’t it just it just is not possible but God opens our eyes of understanding to certain things and the key is for you and I to be ready for this and the Holy Spirit helps us to understand certain certain you know areas in our lives and certain seasons in our lives that that it may not be the easiest or it may be just the best time of your life and there is those lessons that we need to learn from every time in our lives but I love this so when the Holy Spirit comes on you you will be my witnesses telling people about me everywhere so it just implies this this this thing that it’s not it has nothing to do with your character often people say it’s like you know what there is evangelist who’s those that are you know very you know they’re not introverts or extroverts and for extroverts it’s just so easy so they are the evangelists they go and they but there’s no there’s no mentioning of anything like that here he talks to everyone so no matter what your character is God can use you to evangelize to tell people about Jesus right like here’s a here’s a revelation God has a plan for your life wherever you are with your character with your predispositions and-and-and and whoever you are God can use you in the place you are with the people that you know and so right after that Peter explains those those events and and and and then there’s a great thing like over 3000 people get to begin to walk with Jesus to give their lives to Jesus so there’s this thing that we can know that the Holy Spirit is present with us and it in chapter 2 it says that the people that were standing there they were amazed and perplexed amazed and perplexed now here’s a proof when the Holy Spirit is doing something in your life others may not understand what’s going on do you know what I mean like others will not and so here says that all they stood there amazed and perplexed what can this mean they asked like what what can this mean so the group of disciples and and and and followers of Jesus they were they were waiting and others were we’re asking what could this mean when this happened and so Peter explained he said you need to listen carefully listen carefully that’s the first thing that we need to do right just listen those listening come easy to us you know it’s I don’t know for some it comes easier than for others but it’s generally easier for us to to start to express ourselves we want to even and like think of the conversations that you have with other people it’s so easy to be talking but to be quiet and listen it’s a whole different ballgame like different different animal to just be patient and to listen to allow another person to explain themselves and and and and and and what they mean and what they want to convey but Peter says listen so Peter stood stood up forward with the 11 other disciples and shouted to the crowd listen carefully all of you fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem make no mistake about this he has something to say I believe that when the Holy Spirit comes into your life you will have a lot to say and not just that you will be talking talking talking that no no no but when the time is right you will have things to say and those things will be profound that’s what it means to depend on the Holy Spirit that we just don’t talk talk talk talk talk talk but to know when to talk and when not to talk and in our in our everyday life he helps us with that but he also helps us when we witness when we talk to others about Jesus he gives you the words to say don’t be intimidated with the fact that you’re gonna walk up to a person and you will not know what to say if you have the Holy Spirit in you he will tell you what to say you will be amazed that you will open your mouth and there will be things that are gonna be coming to you and and they will be like oh wow that’s exactly what I needed to hear that’s what it means to just totally depend on the Holy Spirit when Solomon had dedicated the temple this is what he said when when Solomon finished praying fire flashed down from heaven and burned up the burned offerings and sacrifices and the glorious presence of the Lord filled the temple so there is this there is this this thing that that talks a lot about you know fire so like it it talks about the day didn’t know what like what was that like they were like fire as sort of flames of fire like you know tongues and they could understand what they were saying those that were baptized in the Holy Spirit and they were asking what could that mean and in the Old Testament it just there’s so many examples of when the presence of God came there was fire there was there was just this amazing thing that that purified that purged that changed people changed generations change groups of of people when Elijah was coming up against the 450 prophets of Bale on Mount Carmel what what happened the fire came and just consumed everything and after that people fell on their faces now then Peter says what you what you see was predicted now now what you see was predicted long ago before the prophet by the Prophet Joel and I just read that verse it is profound because to understand prophecy right like I mean it talks about your young men and young women your daughters and your sons will prophesy with you no others will see visions and dream dreams and things like that here’s the thing okay to prophesy it’s not only it’s not always – the prophecy has like it may not have it’s not always to do something with the future the prophecies also God has foretold some things and when the person comes and witnesses tells people about Jesus that’s already prophecy and so when you go and you speak to someone about Jesus what Jesus has done in your life what he can do in their life you are you you you are witnessing but you’re also prophesying so we need to understand in this context that prophecy is not limited to just some future events but it’s also speaking for God now let me ask you a question how many of you how many of us speak for God we speak for God I pray that our minds will be open and we will understand this this fact that every single one of us if you have Jesus in your heart you can speak for God you can go and you can spear for speak for God God can speak through you now I asked you what who is the Holy Spirit in you in your life and and there is this the Holy Spirit came to equip and empower this early church which is it which is really really important to equip and empower those people needed to know just like we need to know today that that we are not just dependent on our own abilities the Holy Spirit today and just listen to this and let’s get let’s just get excited about this just like we got excited about the Raptors look the Holy Spirit can come and empower you today empower you give you power he he can equip you so maybe you feel like you’re not equipped to do or certain things or certain thing in your life or to live your life maybe you’re facing something that he can equip you to walk through it you know when you go and play a sport you go to a like a sports check or something and you buy some equipment so you can be protected you can you’re good player you can do some same thing with our spiritual walk the holy spirit is a is wanting to equip you to do what you’re supposed to do and we need to begin to believe that you’ve been called to some supernatural things you you have not been called to some just oh just a regular thing and we’ll just survive or with just you know I will see what its gonna be in the year or five years or ten years just so we can just you know just stick with it and and know you’ve been called to to excel and exceed and to be victorious and the Holy Spirit comes and he wants to empower you to do that and equip you to do that and to give you every every piece of you know equipment and every tool that you need to accomplish that life is completely different when you walk around equipped right it’s it’s just totally different when you have all the equipment needed to accomplish something so and first you know seven chapters we see a witnessing group they were witnessing in Jerusalem the first chapters describe all that stuff and the power and the the energy that those young believers had it and it’s just it’s just incredible I can’t shake it off my mind but you know when the person comes and gives their lives to Jesus they are just so full of enthusiasm do you remember when you gave your life to Jesus I mean nothing mattered you just want it to go and witness and tell people and do things for God and and and and just and you wanted that to be contagious yes you you remember I remember that then somewhere along the lines just you know stuff happens life happens and we lose the enthusiasm and it’s not the enthusiasm for the sake of enthusiasm but it’s this empowerment and this this this equipment that the Holy Spirit gives you I mean no disrespect to anyone but I recall a conversation between a young believer and the and and believers that were in faith for a while and that young believer said like I’m so happy and enthusiastic about what God has done in my life and somewhere along the lines it was like look at me draw some excitement from me because I am just full of energy for the for God and and and and just the Holy Spirit is leading and it’s and it’s amazing how with time you know the older people in faith can just kind of write and it just it and we need to do everything to stay on fire for God stay on fire for God allow God to change your life change every situation be full of faith and everyday life and with the Holy Spirit that is that is what the Holy Spirit wants that he would equip you to walk through things that are difficult to to see things were well no one else sees godly things you will see positive things that God can turn this around then we see that they were witnessing in Judea and Samaria then the witnessing to the Gentiles it was inconceivable that to those to the to the Jews and to those young Christians that God would be interested in Gentiles just they couldn’t even wrap their heads around that because God was supposed to be for you know those better ones and and those those selected all of a sudden they see that God is and the Holy Spirit is moving and in the lives of the Gentiles people that have you know professed no God or professed false gods and and now the Holy Spirit is doing work and then they couldn’t understand that the Holy Spirit and what God and his if ice was for all people and then we see that they went to the ends of the world of the world now the power of the holy spirit okay Ephesians 6:12 we need to always remember this for we are not fighting against you remember flesh and blood we’re not fighting against flesh and blood enemies but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world against mighty powers in this dark world and against evil spirits in the heavenly places this is what we are fighting against let me just wrap it up with this if you want that power of the Holy Spirit if you want the Holy Spirit to be relevant well how do you how do you receive it how do you get the Holy Spirit in your life and the power well first thing is remember I just what that could mean how is this possible first is faith faith we need to have faith and I know faith is just this you know this word of just you know faith you know we said all have faith it’s so powerful faith is so powerful we need to come and pray we need to know that prayer changes things secondly there was obedient now we are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit who is given to us to those who obey Him now obedience is just so crucial do you like this word obedient obedience God wants us to be obedient to him here’s the truth that we need to understand the more obedient you are the more power you have in your life the more submitted you are to the Holy Spirit the more freedom you have in your life so ask the Holy Spirit those questions how how am I to be submitted to you how can I have the fullest of this on this day of Pentecost the last thing I want to say that those those believers were united in prayer United in prayer I want to challenge all of us look Sunday’s are so important and I I I was going to say that but you know I and with love I was like Sunday’s are very very important to be here on Sunday is so crucial to be part of what God is doing here at the branch is so crucial Sunday’s are important Wednesdays are important we grow together we get to know each other better we get to know God better it is so important to be here to be ready to be can I even be as bold as this and I wonder if there will be at least one Amen to be even on time preach it I’m zipping you guys preach it those things are important to be united and proud to be together to be to be as one body to be here on time to be early to be to get involved too it just it shows God I’m not knocking and they’re one please understand but but I think it’s important when God sees wow this child of mine man right on time ready ready to worship ready and even before leading by example United in prayer I I want to encourage all of us and the time we get together for prayer let’s me and it’s here’s how it works okay as a pastor as a leader or our leadership and I gotta tell you the leadership of this church is absolutely awesome and with with no no lifting anyone on the pedestal but I just want to show you that the leaders that we have okay care I challenged the leaders to hey let’s fast for three days just water for three days and pray and let’s get together it’s six o’clock in the morning here every day for three days when you think about it three days now but it is it’s three days of no food just water and prayer at 6 o’clock in the morning every time do you know that those leaders of yours have been faithful faithful sacrificial and I’m just saying that not to put them on the pedestal because they are the biggest servants here but but they care they believe that just the great things and the great days of the branch of our church are still ahead but we need to tap into this power of the Holy Spirit he will guide us he will tell us like even this event the garden thing let’s let’s can we be radical and just believe that God is going to just do something amazing even through stuff like this vegetables and growth and I don’t know what to call it you know just stuff that grows out of the ground which is amazing but God uses this to connect people to God to the Holy Spirit to God so how about we be radical and and from from this day from today I’m not gonna ask you to fast until that garden walk but how about every day we pray enthusiasm you running through the church how about we commit to this there every day from now till June 22nd which is what – three weeks – we pray every day for a great harvest and that the Holy Spirit would allow us to be witnesses for him can we commit to this can we pray for that one day for this one event but but not only for that but just everything that is going on on the 19th we’re gonna have a barbecue outside – to wrap up our Wednesday nights and and and I’m hoping that people in the neighborhood here will see things will come and say hello and get a burger or something and just being witnesses let’s bow our heads I think I went over my time you’ve been gracious to not say anything