Podcasts about holy spirit paul

Title: 13 Men Stuck Between Two Faiths Text: Acts 19:1-7 FCF: We all struggle to with the tension of the diversity and uniformity that exists in the church. Prop: Because all kind of people will receive the Holy Spirit, we must call all to repent, believe on Christ, and be baptized in His name. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts 19. In a moment we will read starting in verse 1 from the New English Translation. You can follow along in the pew bible or whatever version you prefer. Last week Luke closed out the record of the second missionary journey of Paul. As he did this, he gave record of the work as it continued in Paul's absence. Part of this work was to record an episode concerning another major figure in the work of the kingdom. Apollos the evangelist and apologist steps on the scene and heads off to Achaia to continue the work there refuting the Jews. Today, in what is obviously connected thematically to the previous episode of Apollos, Luke will record another interaction with 12 men who were also converts of John the Baptist. But this time we will see Paul address and correct their deficiencies in doctrine. In this narrative episode, we will learn a great deal about how the gospel call will be answered by a broad and diverse group of people, but the gospel effect is quite narrow and uniform. Let's look at chapter 19 verse 1. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Most High God, Father of the Nations, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, we come to You today as citizens of Your Kingdom. You have called and gathered us from the ends of the earth and granted us sight to see the wonderous truths of Your holy order. You have shone through our blind eyes to awake us to the hope of life in Your son Jesus Christ. You have plunged us into baptism, immersed us into the total work of the Godhead to save us from sin and death and free us to life eternal. You have given us your Holy Spirit to live in us and guide us in all things. Father these truths are so precious to us. Help us to see in Your word today how these truths affect how we engage our culture and even our enemies. Help our faith to be moved to action today by what You have revealed. Help us to love You more. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] It's amazing how catastrophic the smallest piece of information withheld at the worst time can be. Whether it is a navigation system failing to give an audible direction on time, or a text not coming through to inform you of the change of a meeting time or location, or the failure of a coach to give the signal to steal. In these moments, had the information been given, certain catastrophe could have been avoided and all would have gone according to plan. Today we will meet 12 men who missed, by a good 20 years, a rather pivotal piece of information regarding the most important subject that exists… the future of their eternal souls. They had 90% of the message, but unfortunately for them the last 10% was so significant, they were now caught between two faiths, seen as a heretic by one and as lacking by the other. So, are they without hope? Are they too late? Are they just victims of bad timing? Let's find out. I.) All who are genuinely part of Christ's church have received the Holy Spirit, so we must call all to repent, believe on Christ, and be baptized in His name. a. [Slide 3] 1 - While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul went through the inland regions and came to Ephesus. i. Although Luke only said that Apollos was going to Achaia, as he continues, it is clear that the capital of Achaia was Apollos' true destination. ii. We know from various other passages of scripture that Apollos made an impression on the city of Corinth. iii. While he was there, Paul comes to Ephesus by the inland regions. iv. We don't quite know when this missionary journey began. v. The best estimates are somewhere between late AD 52 and AD 53. vi. [Slide 4] Paul travels through the inland regions meaning he comes by a direct route to Ephesus. He is visiting some of the churches he planted in the first missionary journey along the way. vii. But it is clear that Paul intends to come to Ephesus and spend a good deal of time there. viii. This verse provides a clear connection between Apollos' story and what will follow. Apollos is referenced along with the beginning of the trip Luke already mentioned in chapter 18 verse 23. ix. It is obvious that the first 7 verses of chapter 19 are intended to be taken together with the previous account of Apollos. x. It is an unfortunate chapter division. b. [Slide 5] He found some disciples there 2 - and said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They replied, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” i. When Paul arrives, he discovers a group of disciples, followers, learners who appear to be believers. ii. Nevertheless, something seems off about them. So, Paul asks them if they had received the Holy Spirit when they believed. iii. The Holy Spirit's indwelling is THE sign of a person being a citizen of the kingdom of God. iv. Paul does not ask first if they believed on Jesus. He doesn't ask first if they have been baptized. He doesn't ask first if they are involved in a local church somewhere. v. The book of Acts makes it clear that the only way we really know that someone is of the Kingdom of God – is if they have received the Holy Spirit. vi. That is the sign given to us that we are redeemed. vii. Furthermore, Paul links the coming of the Holy Spirit with belief. Receiving faith in Jesus Christ for a genuine member of the church is, at least in Paul's mind, linked with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. viii. This is NOT the Spirit's work of regeneration, which happens prior to belief as we have seen in several of our book studies over the last few years. ix. That work is like a wind and happens unpredictably and without warning, like Jesus says to Nicodemus. x. But the Indwelling of the Spirit is a predictable outcome upon genuine belief. At least this is what Paul is assuming. xi. Now because these men answer in the way they do it is very obvious that they are not truly disciples of Christ. 1. There is an untranslated word in the Greek that indicates something that is in addition to in an amplifying manner. 2. In English we often use the expression “not only, blah blah blah, but also blah blah blah” in these instances. 3. The NET translators have done an excellent job expressing this efficiently by simply supplying the word “even” in the text. 4. Not only have they not received the Holy Spirit… but also we have not even heard that there IS a Holy Spirit. 5. This could mean that they have never heard of the third person of the Godhead, but because they are Jews, it is far more likely that they had not heard that the third person of the Godhead was present in this way and was available to be received by anyone or by any means. xii. Since their response obviously indicated that they were not indwelled by the Holy Spirit Paul has another question. c. [Slide 6] 3 - So, Paul said, “Into what then were you baptized?” “Into John's baptism,” they replied. i. Had their statement been either that they had received the Spirit, or that they THOUGHT they had received the Holy Spirit, we might expect Paul's question to be different. 1. In other words, the test of whether or not someone has the Holy Spirit is not what that they have been baptized into the triune God. 2. From other texts of the New Testament, we find that the true test of whether or not someone has been indwelled with the Spirit is knowledge of God on an intimate level. 3. Although assurance can be lost for a time, the New Testament makes it seem that most Christians should live in a constant awareness of the Spirit's indwelling presence. 4. Indeed, so much of the New Testament is given as a means to see, experience, recognize, or assure ourselves of the Spirit's indwelling presence in us. 5. And not only for us but also for assurance of the Holy Spirit's presence in others. 6. And His presence is greatly tied to His changing and grace giving power in us to be and do what God has remade us to be and do. ii. So, notice here Paul's immediate question following their confession that they did not realize that the Spirit was available to be received. iii. Paul immediately associates the indwelling of the Holy Spirit with baptism. iv. In Acts, while sometimes the Spirit comes before water baptism, sometimes after, and sometimes at the same time, there is a close association of the indwelling of the Spirit and baptism. v. Just as there is a close association with the indwelling of the Spirit and belief on Christ. vi. In this, Peter's message at Pentecost remains the definitive test for the normal indicative experience of every person entering the family of God. vii. As Peter puts it “Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” viii. Repentance and belief on Christ lead to the indwelling of the Spirit of God and baptism in Jesus' name proves the commitment of one who is indwelled with the Spirit of God. To Paul – all three should be present because all three are necessary, even if they are not necessary in the same way. ix. Paul has taken these men as disciples of Christ and even assumed that they were baptized members of the church. But if they haven't been indwelled with the Spirit of God… then he needs to find out more about their baptism. x. If their baptism wasn't in submission to the indwelled Spirit of God… what was it for? xi. And in this we find that they were baptized into John's Baptism. xii. Since, as we said, Luke has put the stories of Apollos and these men back-to-back, it is clear Luke wants us to see that both Apollos and these disciples were faithful Jews who had been taught from John's school. xiii. Jews baptized to prepare them with repentance for the coming forgiveness of sins through the immanent Messiah. xiv. What is also clear is that the baptism of John, including all John taught, was not enough to fully transition a Jewish persons' faith into a Messianic, New Covenant faith. It was not enough to push them to take the next step of Judaism and become a Christian. xv. The way the book of Acts crafts this whole discussion is that there are not two different faiths, Judaism and Christianity. Instead, there is True Judaism which was for the Jews to receive Jesus as their Messiah and join the church to become Christians… and there were those Jews who had rejected their own Messiah and become dead branches and cut off from their covenant promises. xvi. But in regard to these men, they are somewhere in-between. They are stuck in the Old Covenant still. They haven't rejected Christ; in fact, they are prepared to receive Him… but they have not yet understood what to receive and how. xvii. So, the real question is – are they allowed at this late hour to be admitted into the Kingdom of Christ? Is it too late for these Jews who have not yet rejected their Messiah, to receive their Messiah? xviii. We'll have to see what Paul does with them in a moment. d. [Slide 7] Summary of the Point: Luke begins this third missionary journey with the record of Paul testing the profession of a group of 12 men. In this we see Luke's point, that the Kingdom of God produces certain uniform and verifiable results to all who enter it. The very first of these is the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, which is inextricably linked to receiving faith in Christ and baptism in His name. In this we can draw the teaching that the Holy Spirit's indwelling presence is the standard by which we test if someone is part of Christ's church or not. It is not mere profession alone, nor mere baptism alone. Evidence of the Spirit's indwelling is absolutely essential. And the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit is only given to those who have repented and believed the correct doctrine concerning Jesus. And The Spirit's indwelling presence is first evidenced by obedience in submitting to baptism in Jesus' name as a picture of their faith in Christ. Since all this is true, just as Paul did, we must be sure that all who would be part of the church have received the Spirit through repentance and faith in Christ and have evidenced the Holy Spirit's indwelling through obedience first by baptism in Jesus' name. Transition: [Slide 8(blank)] So now that Paul knows the problem, what will be his tactic to deal with these men who are stuck between two faiths? Are they disqualified? If not, how will he prove to them that they lack understanding concerning the Messiah? Let's look. II.) The gospel call will be answered by all kinds of people, so we must call all to repent, believe on Christ, and be baptized in His name. a. [Slide 9] 4 - Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.” i. How does Paul engage these Jews who are on the edge of taking the next step in Judaism? ii. He engages them in what he knows John taught. He started from what they believed and knew. iii. A wonderful tactic we should emulate when we take the gospel to others. iv. John taught them to be baptized in repentance and to believe in the one who was going to come after him. v. Well John's been dead for about 25 years, and apparently, they had not heard, or had forgotten that Jesus had actually came to John to be baptized, at which point John identified Him as the one who came after. vi. Either they had not heard or had forgotten that John prophesied that the Messiah would baptize with the Holy Spirit. vii. Paul's message is – my friends, have you not heard? The One who was to come after John has come. The One who baptizes with the Spirit has come. viii. He is Jesus. b. [Slide 10] 5 - When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, i. Again, we see baptism, belief, and repentance rolled into one event. ii. Baptism is again affiliated strongly with the conversion of a person and not their preparation for conversion. We as Baptists really like to point that out. iii. They were baptized into a new and better baptism. iv. Where John's baptism was anticipatory (like many baptisms in Christendom today seem to be), Jesus' baptism is a declaration of affiliation. v. Where John's baptism was never meant to be the final baptism, baptism into the triune God is final. vi. Where John's baptism was in preparation for a hope of something to come (again like many baptisms in Christendom today), Jesus' baptism is a physical sign of that hope being fulfilled. vii. John's baptism required repentance and admission of sinfulness and desire for forgiveness, but it was not enough. You must believe on Jesus and be baptized into Him in order to be part of the church. viii. Luke recording this immediately following Apollos' experience sheds more light on what is going on here. ix. It is probably safe to conclude that even though Apollos taught rightly about Jesus in what he knew, he too was only acquainted with the teachings of John. Meaning that he too needed to receive faith in Christ and be baptized into Him. x. And even though Luke did not record such an event, because of what we see happening only a few verses later, we can reasonably assume that he too was baptized into the triune God. c. [Slide 11] 6 - and when Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. 7 - (Now there were about twelve men in all.) i. As we've seen in each of the cases where a new group of people have come to faith in Christ, the Holy Spirit's indwelling is accompanied with the sign gifts of tongues and prophesy. ii. The same sign indicates that all these different kinds of people are joining the same church. iii. There is not a Samaritan church, a God-Fearer church, a gentile church, a Jewish church, and now a Baptistic Jewish Church. iv. All the different factions of humanity homogenize into one church who are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone and are indwelled with the Holy Spirit. v. Some may ask, “Why did the Holy Spirit come after belief and baptism and only when Paul placed his hands on them? 1. To the Jews in Acts 2, the apostles were filled with the Spirit and spoke in tongues yet we have no passage in the entire New Testament where they were baptized in Jesus' name. 2. Then they preached to other Jews who accepted the message and were baptized, but the timing of the Holy Spirit's indwelling is not mentioned there nor that they displayed sign gifts. 3. To the Samaritans in Acts 8 they accepted the message and were baptized but did not receive the Spirit until Peter and John came down and prayed that they would receive the Holy Spirit. After this, it is said they did receive the Spirit but not how that was known. We assumed it was due to sign gifts. 4. To the God-Fearers and Gentiles in Acts 10, they heard the message and in their receiving of faith, the Holy Spirit fell on them evidenced by sign gifts such as speaking in tongues. With this evidence, Peter concludes that baptism should be offered immediately since they have the Spirit. 5. Finally, here in chapter 19 we see the apostle Paul (much like Peter and John toward the Samaritans) laid hands on these twelve Baptistic Jewish after they had believed and were baptized and they received the Holy Spirit as evidenced with sign gifts. 6. So, our question is… is the lack of a pattern teaching us a lesson? 7. The lesson is that the Holy Spirit came when He wanted upon those whom He wanted and when He arrived that was a sign not only meant for the person who had just believed, but primarily for those who were already a part of the Kingdom to recognize that this new group of people could join and were now part of the church. 8. People who aren't pure Jews could be part of the church. People who weren't Jews at all but were somewhat Jewish in their faith could be part of the church. People that were neither Jewish in faith or nationality could be part of the church and finally those who were not quite Jewish but not quite Christian… could be part of the church. 9. With this, the last demarcation of human existence is toppled. God so loved the world… All kinds of different people… that He gave His only Son that ALL the believing ones in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. d. [Slide 12] Summary of the Point: Although Luke's first point was the rigidness and uniformity of the path to become part of Christ's church, his second point shows the diversity and breadth of those who will answer the gospel call. As Baptistic Jews these men were borderline Jewish heretics while at the same time being borderline Christian heretics. They were truly a group of people caught in the middle with no belonging. But just as we have seen the gospel go to the nation of the Jews who rejected their own Messiah, just as we've seen the gospel go to the Samaritans who were Jewish cultists and heretics, just as we've seen the gospel go to those who could never be Jewish like the Ethiopian Eunuch, Just as we've seen the gospel go to God-Fearers who were gentile Yahweh worshippers, just as we've seen the gospel go to gentile pagans who were polytheists, just as we've seen the gospel go to the wealthy, the powerful, the poor, the weak, so now we see the gospel go to this group who don't belong to any faith at all. Religiously ousted by the Jews and not quite Christian either. Yet they respond and come to Christ. Luke's point – is that the gospel is for all kinds of men. The gospel call goes out to all people. And it will be heard by all kinds of people. So we must be sure to call all to receive the Spirit through repentance and faith in Christ and evidence the Holy Spirit's indwelling through obedience first in baptism in Jesus' name. Conclusion: So, what have we learned today CBC, and how shall we live? Doctrinal takeaway: [Slide 13] Two points of doctrine coalesce into the funnel of the Kingdom of God. The gospel call will be answered very broadly. Men and women from all kinds of backgrounds will hear the call of God and receive faith in Christ and be baptized in His name. People coming from various religious backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, political perspectives, ethnicities, skin colors, the powerful, the famous, the weak, the deplorables and every one in between, the Lord is gathering, in the broadest possible way, His Kingdom together. But this is a funnel because as He gathers them from a diverse and broad background, He funnels them into the same narrow gate. They must receive the Holy Spirit through repentance and faith in Christ alone and that reception of the Spirit must be evidenced by obedient and submissive hearts to publicly declare with their words and actions that Christ is their Lord and Savior, first in baptism in His name and every day following by living upright and holy lives. Though we may have been very different people before we came to Christ – after coming to Christ we are all more alike than we are different. Why? Because the things that made us different before are insignificant when compared to the thing that makes us the same. Since this is true… we must call all kinds of people from various backgrounds to the exact same gospel. Repent, believe the gospel of Christ and be baptized in His name. You will receive the Spirit of God and then all the world will know you are His. Sealed until the day of redemption. But let me apply this more specifically to us today. 1.) [Slide 14] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must believe that the gospel call will be answered by people from a wide variety of backgrounds. a. Why must we love our enemies? b. Why must we love those who persecute us? c. Why must we pray for those who spitefully use us? d. Why are we not free to treat others as they treat us? e. In the political realm, in the social realm, at work, in our families – why can't we fight fire with fire? Trade insult for insult? Scream louder? Fight harder? f. My friends, in a moment, according to the will of God, His Spirit can regenerate a heart and prepare it to receive faith in Christ and with faith the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. g. Such a miracle can happen to literally any person we know who still draws breath on this earth. h. Died in the wool democrats with the most liberal agenda, wealthy autocrats, corporate stooges, porn stars, drag queens, transgender people and pundits, Mormons, Modalists, Managers, Swiss people, German people, black, white, red and yellow, bumpkins and geniuses, southerners and northerners… and yes, apparently even Ohioans – My friends the gospel call goes to all and the gospel call is received by all kinds. i. The vision of the New Kingdom is global and the Lord is gathering His church from all the nations of the earth. j. Even these 13 men, forgotten in the middle of these two religious systems., but friends they were NOT FORGOTTEN by GOD! k. He had elected them before the foundation of the world and although they were late to the party… they were given the truth and welcomed to the fold. l. You and I cannot afford to be at war with anyone on this earth. Why? m. Because even if they aren't now… they may one day be our brother or sister in Christ. n. So what does that mean for us? 2.) [Slide 15] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must take the gospel to all people. a. I'm not saying we should not fight to keep morality and godly principles as the law of the land. b. But when we are talking about actual people. Not organizations or groups… but people… we must assume that even they, if the Lord so allows, will be brought to Christ through His Word. c. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by what? The Word of God. d. And what does the Lord say about His word in Isaiah 55? It will not return to him void. It will accomplish the purpose for which it was sent. e. The Word of God always accomplishes the purpose that God sends it to do. f. We preach the word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ and we call all men everywhere to repent and believe the gospel and be baptized in Jesus' name. g. God's purpose for His Word is different for different people. For Pharoah, it hardened Him. But for you and I… it broke us. h. If the gospel call goes out to all men, then all kinds of men are being drawn with that gospel Word. i. We must faithfully give it to all. Even those who persecute us. Even those who spitefully use us. j. Don't get sucked in to fighting battles over policies and earthly issues. k. Preach the Word of God and share His gospel. l. They may hate you for it… but at least then you are doing what your Lord has required of you. 3.) [Slide 16] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that people can enter the narrow way by various gates. a. But we would also do well to remember that although the ones whom the Lord has called to His Kingdom are from a diverse background… all who come, come by a narrow way. b. In some very unimportant things, we have great diversity in the church. Music preferences, certain doctrinal convictions on dress standards, movie preferences and more. c. But listen, where it counts, in what matters… we are exactly the same. d. We believe in God the Father almighty maker of heaven and earth. e. And in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord. f. Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified died and was buried and descended into hell. g. The third day he rose again from the dead, he ascended in heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. h. From there He will come to judge the living and the dead. i. We believe in the Holy Spirit and His indwelling in all who truly believe. j. We believe in the Holy Universal Church which was predestined, called, justified, is being sanctified and will one day be glorified. k. We believe in the communion of this church known in the scriptures as the saints. l. We believe in the forgiveness of sins by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. m. We believe in the resurrection of the body in whom Christ was firstborn of many siblings. n. We believe in eternal life which is given to all the believing ones in Christ. o. This set of beliefs and all the ramifications it has on us are the core of what we are. p. So much so, that to deny any of these points sets one's profession immediately into question. q. There is no room for diversity in these things for those who have entered the narrow gate. r. And for us, CBC, we also believe in being baptized in the name of the Triune God as a picture of belief in Christ and that we will one day be raised to life eternal which begins the moment we are baptized in the Spirit. s. That those who are truly Christ's followers must follow in baptism. There is no such person in the New Testament who after receiving Christ by true faith, was not baptized shortly after if it were possible. t. My friends… doctrine matters. Paul did not tell these men… well… close enough guys. u. Instead, he preached the gospel to them. And baptized them again in the triune God. v. And they are so very glad that he did. w. What does this mean for us? 4.) [Slide 17] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must test professions of faith for evidence of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. a. Although we preach the gospel to all because all may come… b. Once a person comes, we must expect them to be more the same than they are different. c. In our hyper individualized world, we sometimes forget the communal aspect of the church. d. You cannot join us and be who you wish to be. e. The church is one body. We must function together. We must be more alike than we are different. f. This is why the Scriptures exist. This is why church discipline exists. This is why Elders exist. To ensure that we are all of one body and mind. Unified in doctrine and practice. g. We can have room for diversity in matters that the scriptures do not make plain. h. But there can be no unity when we disagree over issues to which the scriptures clearly speak. i. In this passage Paul expects the Holy Spirit to be present, and a profession in Christ and baptism in His name to be necessary. j. To this list we can add all that the scriptures plainly declare to us concerning all things most important of which being the way of redemption. k. When we find those who lack this by doctrine or practice – we must investigate and reprove, rebuke, correct, and instruct in righteousness so that they will be furnished for every good work. 5.) [Slide 18] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” God won't deny any who faithfully seek Him. a. These 13 men faithfully sought the Messiah. b. They believed John and were baptized into his teaching. c. They were simply ignorant of the Messiah's identity and mission. d. God does not forget them. He doesn't leave them behind. He doesn't say – so close… but too late. e. Our friends, relatives, those we love, and those who hate us – if they faithfully seek the Lord… He will reveal Himself to them. f. For our God is a good and gracious God. [Slide 19 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the English Puritan John Bunyan. Lord, we profess the faith, and yet care not for the dying. We profess, and yet long not for the coming of the day of God. We profess, and yet by our whole life show to them that can see how little a measure of it we have in our hearts. Lord, lead us more into the power of things. Then the virtues of Him who has saved us, and called us out of darkness into His marvelous light, will be made known to others. It is in His name we ask this. Amen. Benediction: May He who builds His lofty palace in the heavens And sets its foundation on the earth, Who calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out over the face of the land Grant you an awareness of His love that you may be always joyful, praying continually and giving thanks in all circumstances and bearing witness of this to all For this is the will of God for you. Until we meet again, go in peace.

Romans 8:14 There's one feature of the Holy Spirit's leading that I've learned from experience, one that is widely attested to in the Sacred record, and that is the spontaneity of His leading!!! When the Holy Spirit speaks to His people and desires to lead them, it will always require faith to respond!!   In the moment of suddenness, we are given a window of time to obey.  #1. We must recognise the voice of the Holy Spirit, #2. We must be willing to sacrifice, #3. We must step out in faith!! 

Drawn By The Holy Spirit: Paul 19 | Pastor Allen Nolan Sermon

Part 8 So far, the studies in this series have largely focused on the person of Jesus Christ.  Whilst Jehovah's Witnesses are monotheistic in belief, they are aggressively antitrinitarian in expression. They, like us, believe in one eternal God. The point of divergence comes however when they maintain that the singular being of God is without a plurality of persons.  The doctrine of the Trinity affirms that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society denies this truth and attacks this position throughout its written literature.  The purpose of this teaching is to address the heresy of the Watch Tower as it relates to the person of the Holy Spirit.  Jehovah's Witnesses deny the person of the Holy Spirit and instead teach that the Holy Spirit is God's active force.  Journey with us as we examine this heresy in light of Biblical truth. Download teaching notes (pdf) https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/bethesdashalom/8_The_Person_of_the_Holy_Sprit.pdf  

Pastor Nate Rusticus continues our sermon series through the book of Acts.

Through the Holy Spirit, Paul and Silas start the church in Philippi." Pastor Nate Rusticus continues our sermon series through the book of Acts. Resources: The Message of Acts, Johnson. The Book of Acts F.F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles Ben Witherington III. A Woman, a Slave and a Gentile by Tim Keller

Has a distressful situation ever created an opportunity for you? There are times when we experience situations or circumstances that are not pleasing, but could those occurrences be a opportunity in disguise. This is what took place for Paul when he arrived in Athens. Being led by the Holy Spirit Paul used his situation as an opportunity to fulfill his calling and purpose.  If you're wondering if your current situation is an opportunity invest the time to learn from Paul. In this episodvitalwe review key insights that most believers overlook when involved in a distressful situation or circumstance. Enjoy!Send us a Text Message. This podcast is a production of The Center for Biblical Coaching and Leadership. If this episode has been useful or inspiring to you in any way, please share it with someone else. Lastly, please subscribe to the show and write a review.Visit our website, tcbcl.org, to learn more about our mission and vision.

To support this ministry and help us continue to reach people all around the world click here: http://newlifecity.org/donate Presence, prayer, transformation, evangelism: These are the core values and vision of New Life City, led by Pastor Paul Martini and based in Albuquerque, NM. — Stay Connected! Website: http://newlifecity.org New Life City Facebook: https://bit.ly/2kPYzsu New Life City Instagram: https://bit.ly/2kRmmIn

CD 1612 J.  "Faith Filled Feelings - Savior Sanctified Senses" (A Recovery of Joy) WEEK #10 - 91st day of the Year - Passover SundayScripture 4 Today: “Matthew 28:6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” New Year's Theme - “REJOICE” - The joy of the Christian experience is the key theme running through this epistle. The words "joy" and "rejoice" are used 16 times in the epistle. Paul wrote Philippians at a time when he was suffering in prison (under house arrest), when he was weary and wondered if he might soon lose his life for Christ. And he wrote to people he loved. So his words to the Christians in Philippi were heavy but caring; sad but consoling; appreciative but bittersweet.This Epistle of Philippians teaches that HUMILITY mixed with HOPE overcomes HARDSHIP and results in JOY (See Psalms 118:24 & Nehemiah 8:10)Series Theme Verses:*John 15:11 (KJV) These things have I spoken unto you, that my"joy"might remain in you, and that your "joy" might be full. *Philippians 4:4 (KJV)“REJOICE” in the Lord alway: and again I say,“REJOICE”.    From these verses we see that our source of “REJOICING” comes from the Word of God on the inside of the Believer! Today being Resurrection Sunday means we as Blood bought believers have so much to rejoice about, think on that as we continue in this series! With that being said, let's go to chapter 3:8-21 of Paul's letter to the Philippians! In this section of this Epistle we will see:#1 The PRIORITY of Knowing Jesus *ReREAD Philippians 3:8-11 (KJV)  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.Note Verses 8-11 from the Greek are one long sentence!  Paul is using periodic style here about KNOWING CHRIST and the POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION!  By the Holy Spirit Paul is building momentum and urgency teaching this is what really matters in life to him and all who would come after him! Paul is leading us by the Holy Spirit up a staircase higher and higher with each word! Will you climb with us today?Paul does 3 things: #1 “COUNT” = Paul  wants to lead with command and authority himself to this truth!#2 “FOUND” = Paul wanted God's Grace by being “IN JESUS”!#3 “KNOW” = Paul wants to experience  the Resurrection of Jesus intimately!Also note in V.8 Paul speaks of the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ is by “REVELATION”! While in V.10 Paul speaks of knowing  Christ by daily “EXPERIENCE”!#2 The PURSUIT of God's Calling *READ Philippians 3:12-16  (KJV)  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high Support the show

Detta avsnitt är ett föredrag av Dr. Paul Raabe från 2024 års bibelkonferens: Prophetic Promises of the Eschatological Holy Spirit. Efter föredraget blir det ett ”eftersnack” där Kristoffer Helle, Paul Raabe och Timo Laato samtalar om föredraget. Paul R. Raabe har varit professor i gammaltestamentlig exegetik vid Concordia Seminary i St Louis, USA, och är författare […]

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. [1 hour 37 minutes]

Full of the Holy Spirit // Paul Burton

Baptism of the Holy Spirit - Paul Nichols - 02-12-23 by Border City Church

Paul shares a significant word drawing us back to the 'Source' of all that God has, His Spirit.

In this episode, Paul returns to Jerusalem after his third missionary journey to be arrested and wrongly accused. From there, we cover the next two years as he awaited his journey to Rome where he would experience shipwreck, snake bites, and a tough exhausting finish to his life. Paul would finish the race and showed us the example as one who lived out his convictions with courage.

In this episode, Paul sets out on the third missionary journey. We trace the journey only to see that things continue to get more difficult for Paul.

In this episode, Paul sets out on the second missionary journey. This time, it's Macedonia. The ride is wild. Much action takes place. Chaos and drama arise but through it all, the Gospel continues to advance.

In this episode, we follow Paul through his first of three missionary journeys where he first explodes on the scene as the greatest missionary of all time. He travels through Galatia while experiencing much hardship but accomplishes the goal God has for him.

Seize the MomentRELY - Acts of the Holy SpiritRe·ly /rəˈlī/ - depend on with full trust or confidenceTo Rely on something is to depend on it with full trust or confidence.  The early church truly relied on the Holy Spirit. Peter and John healed people, Paul and Silas were led to Macedonia, and believers came to new life in Christ.  All of these feats of the Holy Spirit didn't end with the Apostles but are still available for us today.  Join us as we work through the book of Acts and see how we too can rely on the Holy Spirit.Paul arrives in Rome under arrest and in chains.  While he is awaiting his trial, however, he isn't working on a strong defense.  Instead, he is boldly preaching and teaching about Jesus.  His life circumstances did not dictate his call, God did.  Through his reliance on the Holy Spirit Paul is able to find strength and courage even in the darkest of times.  We too can learn to rely on God's presence and listen intently to the Holy Spirit.

Paul continues our new series with a message about the promised Holy Spirit

In this episode, Erin Olson discusses Paul's second letter to Timothy, including the first chapter (2 Timothy 1), and effective ways for Christian leaders to get through tough times. Paul knew he was nearing death as he sat isolated from people in his prison cell in Rome, but he wanted to send his final words of encouragement to Timothy. Paul wanted to remind Timothy of his calling and to not give up. Paul reminded Timothy of these three things as it related to leadership during tough times. 1) Leaders have power through the Holy Spirit 2) Leaders have the ability to love even those who hate them through the Holy Spirit 3) Leaders have the ability to be self-disciplined through the Holy Spirit Paul knew Timothy needed encouragement to stay strong, but for many of you today, you need a word of encouragement as well. May this podcast serve this purpose...to encourage you. Erin's website information: For more resources, teaching notes, and to sign up to receive Erin's ministry newsletter, visit Erin Olson's ministry website, Sandalfeet Ministries, at http://www.sandalfeet.org/. Social media links:                         Facebook: @sandalfeet                         Instagram: @erin.olson                         Twitter: @sandal_feet   Subscribe to The Depot Podcast with Erin Olson: com: https://www.charismapodcastnetwork.com/show/thedepotpodcast Libsyn RSS:  https://thedepotpodcast.libsyn.com/rss iTunes:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-depot-podcast-with-erin-olson/id1542120541 Google Play:https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly90aGVkZXBvdHBvZGNhc3QubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1yre7eBaRyJjR0pHv9EcEK?si=iKqkTp7WTS21uJz4mLrghw

So today's passage, which you just heard read — Galatians Chapter 5, verses 16–26 — includes some amazing facts about the Holy Spirit, and my goal in this sermon is to tell you seven of them. I wanna tell you seven facts about the Holy Spirit so that you might have more of his power in your life, and so that we might have more of his power in our church. And if you just heard me say that I have a seven-point sermon, you heard me right. We should get started. Let's pray:Father, this morning I want to preach about your Holy Spirit, and I want us to hear about your Holy Spirit, in the power of your Holy Spirit. We ask for his power in Jesus's name, amen. Okay, for point #1, I want to start with caveat. It's simply that: 1. The Spirit-filled life is the Christian life. And the reason I want to start here is because I don't want to give the impression that anything we're talking about today is some kind of far-fetched, super-spiritual, unrealistic ideal. It's not. There are four verbs in this passage related to the Holy Spirit:Paul commands us to “walk by the Spirit” (verse 16)He says we are “led by the Spirit” (verse 18);He says we “live by the Spirit” (verse 25)Hey says we “keep in step with the Spirit” (also verse 25)And this walking and living and being led by the Spirit, and this keeping in step with the Spirit, all of that is what makes a life that is filled by the Spirit. What Paul describes here could be summed up as the Spirit-filled life. And we shouldn't think of the Spirit-filled life as something way out there that we hope to reach one day if we just work hard enough! But actually the Spirit-filled life is the life that is yours by faith in Jesus Christ right now. To be a Christian is to have the Holy Spirit; and to live the Christian life is to live by the Spirit. So I want to be clear that this passage is for every single one of us in here who trust in Jesus, no matter where you are in your faith. This is about the Christian life. #1: The Spirit-filled life is the Christian life.2. The Holy Spirit empowers the church to walk the road of love. I want you to see the connection between verse 16 and the verses that come before it, which we looked at last week. Last week we talked about the dichotomy that emerges in Chapter 5. It's like there are two different roads — the road of strife and the road of love — and we, as the church, must choose the road of love. We walk down the road of love. We, through love, serve one another. But HOW do we do that? How actually do we love others? The answer is the Holy Spirit. Look at verse 16:Verse 16 starts with the little phrase “But I say,” and when Paul uses this phrase it carries the idea of more like “This is what I'm saying!” Paul uses this phrase to emphasize something he's about to say in relation to what he's said before it. So think back to last week. I want you to hear how this is all connected. Last week, to paraphrase Paul, he says, Don't walk down the road of strife, but walk down the road of love —What I'm saying is this: walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Did you hear that? Verse 16 explains what came before it. How we walk down the road of love is to walk by the Spirit. Our passage this week continues the dichotomy that emerged last week, except now we're not looking at two roads, but two ways: the flesh or the Spirit. The road of strife and dissension and conflict is traveled by the flesh; but if we're going to walk down the road of love, it's going to be by the Spirit … who produces the fruit we see in verse 22. But for now I just want you to see the connection between this week and last week. All that we talked about last week concerning the road of love — not indulging the flesh, through love serving others, embracing the depths of love — all of that is empowered by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers the church to walk the road of love. 3. The Holy Spirit empowers individuals for the corporate good. Now, I'm basically gonna skip this point for the sake of time and because I wrote a letter to you about this on Friday, in the email. (So far less than 45% of you have read it, so go check that out.) But in short, we need to know that when Paul talks about the struggle between the Spirit and the flesh, he's talking about a struggle in the individual members of the whole church. We each as individuals must battle our flesh and fight our sin, and when we do that effects good for the whole church. The Holy Spirit empowers individual members for the good of the corporate body.4. The Holy Spirit makes evident in us a deep, historical struggle.Verse 17:For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep YOU from doing the things YOU want to do.So there's a struggle here between the Spirit and the flesh, and before we keep going let me explain a little bit more about what the word “flesh” means. I realize the word “flesh” is kinda like Christian jargon. If a small group of us as Christians got together today and someone said, “I'm really battling my flesh,” we'd all get what that person means; but if you say that same sentence tomorrow in a work-meeting, people will probably recommend you see a dermatologist. What Christians shaped by the Bible mean by “flesh” is not what most people mean, so then what do we mean? When Paul uses the word “flesh,” what's he saying?Well, ultimately the context has to determine the meaning. … And sometimes the word “flesh” can just refer to physical existence in this life. This is how Paul used the word in Galatians 2:20. He says: “And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God…” Paul is talking about his physical life in this world; “flesh” means his bodily life here. But then there are other times when Paul uses the word “flesh” to mean our sinful, fallen nature — that's what he means in Galatians 5, and that's how we use the word “flesh” most of the time. Our flesh is our sinful nature, and this is actually part of a central theme in all of Paul's letters.This is a super dense topic; there are several big books written about this, but I'm gonna try to explain it to you in about five minutes, okay?So I need you to track with me here … or bear with me here.Central to Paul's TheologyIt's important that we understand that “the flesh as sinful nature” — and the conflict between the Spirit and the flesh — that is fundamentally a historical conflict.The Bible teaches us that this world, because of Adam's sin, is fallen. The world is broken and under a curse, and we as humans are also broken and under a curse. We are sinners. We are part of this fallen world, under Adam. Well, when Jesus came to save us, he came into this world as the true and better Adam. Jesus came to create a new humanity for a new world — and that new world is his kingdom that will ultimately be experienced in the new creation to come. So:in Adam you have fallen humanity in the order of the old world. then in Jesus you have new humanity in the order of the new world. The old world is current, the new world is future … Except that when Jesus was crucified and then raised from the dead, that's when the power of the old world was broken, and the power and life of the new world invaded this old world. Jesus was raised from the dead and ascended, and he sent his Holy Spirit to fill his people. And the Holy Spirit is the power and life of the new creation at work in this old creation. The Holy Spirit is the resurrection power of Jesus here now — and WHERE IS HE here now? IN YOU.The Holy Spirit is in you who trust in Jesus. So the new world, the new creation, has overlapped into this current world, and the overlap is happening in us. The Holy Spirit makes us new creatures in Christ so that we are no longer under the old humanity that's of the old world; but now we are under the new humanity that's of the new world.That's what Paul is saying in verse 18 when he says, “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” The law was part of the old age. It was part of the order of the old world. Same thing in verse 24. Paul tells us the fruit of the Spirit and then he says “against such things there is no law.” He means in our new humanity, under the order of this new world, we're not governed by the law and its demands, but we are led by the Spirit.Now we belong to Jesus. Through faith in Jesus we are declared righteous by God; we are saved from the wrath to come; we have a bright and glorious future.Not Yet PerfectedBut here's the thing: we still live in this old world for now, in these old bodies. We have our flesh — our sinful, fallen nature.We are spiritually resurrected and made new, but we are not yet perfected — because our full, consummated redemption will be the redemption of our bodies at the end-time resurrection when Jesus returns and makes all things new.Until then, there's the overlap. There's a struggle. The struggle, fundamentally, is historical. It's a struggle between the new creation and the old creation — there are two worlds, two humanities, in conflict; the old is passing away, the new is taking over — and that struggle gets played out mainly in us.The struggle in you — the struggle in us — between the Spirit and the flesh is actually the frontlines of a deep, historical, cosmic struggle between the new creation and the old. And I just think that's something we should know. Because we've all felt the conflict here. Now you know where it's coming from. This is central to Paul's theology: The Holy Spirit makes evident in us a deep, historical struggle.5. The Holy Spirit is our answer to the flesh. So there is a deep, historical struggle going on here, but where the rubber meets the road for us, personally, is that we still have the capacity to sin, and we still do sin. Although we are new creatures in Christ, although we are part of a new humanity in Christ, there are still are times when we we THINK and/or THINK and/or DO things that are sinful. Sometimes we think or speak or do wrong.Anybody have any idea what I'm talking about? We all get this. There's a conflict in here:The desires of the sinful nature in me, verse 17, are against the desires of the Holy Spirit in me;and the desires of the Holy Spirit in me are against the desires of the sinful nature in me;— because they are opposed to each other. The Holy Spirit and my flesh are each trying to hinder the other.That's the struggle, and put this way, it might sound like the Spirit and the flesh are just trading punches. We might think that the Spirit and flesh just go back and forth with even hits.But that's not actually what Paul says. Look at verse 16. Now verse 17 is describing the struggle, but it's actually verse 16 that tells us the answer to the struggle. Because of this struggle in verse 17 — because this struggle exists — Paul says before it in verse 16: “Walk by the Spirit, and you will by no means gratify the desires of the flesh.”The answer to this struggle — the way that we're not just stuck in a back and forth battle — is that we can actually walk by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit can lead us. Paul says “Walk by the Spirit” and then that comes with the promise: “and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”These words are important: Notice that Paul doesn't say the sinful flesh will disappear. The flesh is still there, and it still has its desires, but if you walk by the Spirit you will not gratify those desires. You will not give in, as it were. And Paul means that in the strongest possible terms. This is an emphatic negation. In the original, it's like Paul is saying you most certainly, absolutely will not!Paul says, Hey, look, there's a struggle in each of us. And it's the struggle of two worlds colliding. It's a deep, historical struggle. But, it's not an even match. If you walk by the Holy Spirit, you will absolutely not gratify the desires of your sinful flesh. Yes, there's a struggle, but the Holy Spirit is the answer to the struggle!What this means for us as Christians, practically, is that when it comes to our struggle against the flesh, it's not like the outcome is still undecided on who wins. It's not like we need something else, or we're waiting for something else. We have the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is the answer to the flesh. And #6 …6. The Holy Spirit produces in us a new character.So the Holy Spirit is not just holding back our flesh, but actually, the Holy Spirit is applying his new creation power in our lives. He is effecting new qualities to emerge in our character, called the fruit of the Spirit. Paul names: love, joy, peace,patience, kindness, goodness,faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.And while it's true that there are certain personalities that might correlate with certain of these fruit, it's important that we know the fruit of the Spirit are not personality traits. These are not natural behaviors. That list of natural behaviors in verses 19–21. Paul calls that list the works of the flesh, and it's really just a sampling of the kinds of sins in the world. We know it's not an exhaustive list because at the end of the list in verse 21 Paul says “and things like these.” So there's a lot of sin in the world, from sexual immorality to jealousy, from sorcery to division, from orgies to envy and more — and any one of these sins, Paul warns us, will condemn you to hell.But the fruit of the Spirit, that's something very different. The Spirit's activity and power in our lives actually changes our character, like, verse 22:Love, joy, and peace — There's the new capacity to truly love. At the foundation it's always love for God because he first loved us, and then it's to love others, and loving others is what Paul has in mind here. And he mentions love first, I think, because it's the source for all the other fruit. Love is the true non-negotiable.And then we have this joy that anchors us. Joy doesn't mean that everything is pie-in-the-sky, but it means that we have a glad contentment that knows, no matter what, God is for me.And peace — that's like the melody of our souls, because we're not hustling anymore. We're not starving for something out there, because we know in Christ we're whole.In verse 22 there's also patience, kindness, and goodness — Patience includes forbearance and long-suffering, but I think's more than that. Patience doesn't just mean that we put up with stuff, but it means we have such a confidence in God that we don't try to do God's work for him. We know how to wait.Kindness — do you say hey to people when you pass them? Do you smile at other human beings? Kindness means you have a friendly heart. And no, again, this is not a personality trait; it's the fruit of the Holy Spirit in your life. The Holy Spirit produces in us a disposition that is warm toward other people.Goodness — the word goodness here is the idea of generosity. It means you give. It means your first impulse is not to grip down and say “Mine” but it's to say, “There.”There's also in verses 22 and 23 faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control — Faithfulness means you are reliable and consistent, not just in your discipleship, but in your relationships;Gentleness is humility. It means you're not rushing into the room swinging your elbows, but you're attuned to the people who are around you and to the moments you encounter.Self-control is last, I think, because it's like the command center for all the other fruit. Self-control is how you wisely harvest and manifest the different fruit at the time that matters. That's important, right?Don't think of the fruit of the Spirit as character that's random and unpredictable — we don't sit back and think: I really hope I get a patience apple today! That's not how it works. We don't just passively wait for the fruit to show up, but we want it and we're praying for it. We are passive in the sense that the Spirit produces the fruit, but we're also active in that we harvest the fruit and use it and show it. As the fruit grows in us, we grow in the fruit. And that brings us to verses 24–25, and to the seventh and final point.7. The Holy Spirit applies to us the power of the cross.Verse 24:And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.Have y'all ever heard people talk about “life verses” before? The idea is that there's a verse or a statement in the Bible that's so clear and helpful about God or the Christian life that you take the verse, memorize it, and come back to again and again; it becomes kind of like a banner over your life. The Book of Galatians has several verses that could be that. We looked at Galatians 2:20 several weeks ago. Paul says:I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. And the life that I now life in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Think about that for the next 50 years! There's also Galatians 6:14, which we're gonna look at on Easter Sunday. This book has several great, potential “life verses,” and I think Galatians 5:24–25 could be one.What Paul says here in these two verses basically encapsulates the effect of the gospel in our lives. Look at this:Your Life-Change MomentFirst, notice how verses 24–25 are connected to the fruit of the Spirit in verses 22–23. Paul tells us the fruit of the Spirit, and when he says: “against such things there is no law.” Remember he's saying that the fruit of the Spirit are part of a different kind of living. Like we've talked about, they're part of a new world, not the old world. And then verse 24 comes next as an explanation. It's like Paul is saying:Hey, the fruit of the Spirit is not part of the old way of life (they're not of the flesh) but they're part of the new way of life (they're of the Spirit) — what I mean is that those who belong to Jesus have crucified the flesh …Paul is saying, the reason, Christian, you bear the fruit of the Spirit and not the works of the flesh, is because the flesh has been crucified. The way verses 22–23 are possible is because verse 24 has happened. Paul means here precisely what he said in Galatians 2:20. The flesh, the “old you,” was crucified with Christ. Because by faith you are united to Jesus, when he died on the cross your old self died with him. And that is actually what changed your life. Behold the CrossI love to hear the stories of God's work in people's lives. I love testimonies. Because everybody who trusts in Jesus has some story of how it happened. Somehow, there was a conversion, whether it was gradual or dramatic. At some point every Christian went from not believing to believing, and with that, oftentimes, there's life-change. We were doing this thing or operating that way, but now, because of Jesus, we have changed. That's why it's called conversion, because there's a change. And I love those stories.Well this morning, I wanna suggest to you that the real life-change moment for you, Christian — though you come to experience it today — the real life-change moment happened to you two-thousand years ago on a Roman cross when Jesus died in your place. That is what makes the difference in your life. See, your conversion, your trusting in Jesus, your being united to Jesus by faith, what's happening there is that Holy Spirit is opening your eyes and giving you new life to embrace what Jesus has already done for you! Our old self was crucified at the cross of Christ, and now we live by the Spirit who makes us understand the cross of Christ! Galatians 5:24–25 is repeating Galatians 2:20 but from the perspective of the Holy Spirit's work.The main work of the Holy Spirit in your life is to make you see the glory of Jesus. The Holy Spirit makes you look at the cross and see there the wisdom of God and the power of God and love of God. The Holy Spirit makes you look at the cross and say, “Because of that, it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” And Christ lives in me — Christ lives in you — by the Holy Spirit who makes the cross of Christ wonderful to us. That's what living in the Spirit and keeping in step with the Spirit is about. The Holy Spirit applies to us the power of the cross — which is where, Christian, your life was changed. The cross is your new-life origin story. Which means this: the Spirit-filled life is the cross-centered life. Which means: the Spirit-filled life is the cross-centered life is the Christian life.Church, I want you to know that the cross of Jesus Christ is your everything. Jesus died for you. He died for your sins. He took God's wrath in your place. The old you is no more. The Holy Spirit tells us the cross is where your new life begins.That's what we remember here at the Table.The TableAll that we've been talking about really does lead to this moment.Because this morning as we receive the bread and cup, I want to invite you to glory in the cross of Christ. We're gonna sing the song “There Is a Fountain,” which is a song that was written 250 years ago to help us revel in the cross. And if you do, if the cross is your hope, if you trust in Jesus, this bread and cup is for you. Take and eat and drink, and, by the Holy Spirit, behold the wonder of the cross.

Rev. Paul Turner preaching on Fire of the Holy Spirit at Estuary Elim Church - Ashingdon.

This is last installment in this series designed to provide a launching point as we move to learn about each of the gifts of the Holy Spirit Paul sets forth in I Corinthians 12. Understanding, experiencing and moving in the gifts the Lord, Himself, made available to us through His death on the Cross is what He chose to work through to bring souls into His kingdom. These gifts are essential to His Great Commission. Mark Biteler

Pastor Paul explores how God has provided all the necessary tools, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, to enable us to fulfil the plans God has for our lives.  Support this podcast

Acts 26:1-15

Acts 25:1-27

A.C.T.S: A Church That Is Filled With The Holy Spirit // Paul Finn by Level10 Church Winchester

A.C.T.S: A Church Empowered By The Holy Spirit // Paul Finn by Level10 Church Winchester

Acts 13:1-12

I do not know if you have ever said it out loud but you might have thought it at some time. I know I have. I have thought that surely I must be one of the worst sinners in the world. God must have made a mistake saving me because look how much I have failed Him and everyone around me. I have been trained as a pastor, graduated seminary with a Masters of Divinity degree, and yet I could not have been more undivine. God blessed me with an amazing wife and four incredible children.  He gifted me with spiritual gifts that made me successful in the ministries He called me to. Yet, I turned from all His blessings to dive headfirst into the deep end of shit filling the pool of sexual sin. I would climb out and try to wash it off, repenting and confessing only to find myself eager to dive in once again. Surely I must have been one of the worst pastors ever, having been given a great upbringing, strong education, and abilities in ministry but I faded into phoniness because I became addicted to sexual sin. To everyone who feels that way I am afraid you have to stand in line because the Bible tells us who the worst of all sinners was. It was the Apostle Paul.  Under the direction of the Holy Spirit Paul writes to Timothy; “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life.”  Pardon me but I chuckle when I think about the moment Paul wrote down those words calling himself the worst of all sinners. I wonder if he didn’t have second thoughts about that confession and wished that it could not be in this letter.  Little did he realize that it would be recorded for all time and be read by billions of people. He says he was a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a violent man.  Indeed he orchestrated the stoning to death of the Stephen and went around seeking out and punishing Christians believing he was doing the will of God. And I think he cherished doing it thinking he was doing God’s will. He believed he was the “worst of all sinners,” and I would imagine he felt godly sorrow for the things he had done to the first generation (1G) of Christians. However, I am not sure how that stacks up to some of us who have become addicted to sexual sin but my point is that God loves to save those who are the worst of all sinners.  But do you know why?  We are told this in 1 Corinthians 1:27-29. “But God chose  the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,  so that no one may boast before him.  It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” I love the fact that in that first line where we read that God chose the “foolish things” in this world that the Greek word in “moros” from which we get the word “moron.”  Very much unlike the NFL draft, God was not looking for the best players or the best people. He was looking for the weak and lowly morons to be on His team. I know many sexually broken Christians who are doubting their salvation thinking that they have not measured up to what God was hoping them to become so surely He doubting His draft picks. Nothing could be further from the truth. He picked the worst and weakest of all sinners so that … now listen to this…: He would be glorified by turning garbage into gold!!!  Nobody can say to Him; “Sure, you had all the # 1 draft picks so it is no wonder you will the Superbowl or the World Cup. You chose all the best players.”  No,

Ephesians 4:30 - And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Transcript:Are you sealed with the Holy Spirit? Paul says in Ephesians Chapter four, Verse 30. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.Paul says that the part of the work of the Holy Spirit is to seal you. That's the idea of a signet ring and hot wax to put a seal on something, and the Holy Spirit claims you belong to God, if you're a Christian -- if you have obeyed the gospel.Have you obeyed the Gospel and put Christ on in Baptism today?For more from the Collierville Church of Christ, visit www.colliervillecoc.org. Subscribe to Admonition on Youtube: Subscribe on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3syE1ogS5LPeEsnAfgnYrg?sub_confirmation=1Sign up for a daily devotional by Email: https://cozort.org/freeLeave a comment for the host of Admonition: https://cozort.org/contactWatch more of Aaron's videos about Salvation, the Gospel, the good news, the gospel message salvation, and in-depth studies of the books of the Bible by visiting https://cozort.org, and Collierville church of Christ. This video is a production of Collierville Christian Radio, the Collierville church of Christ, and the Gospel Broadcasting Network. Aaron Cozort is the preacher for the Collierville church of Christ. The Collierville church of Christ meets on Sundays morning and afternoon at 575 Shelton Road, Collierville, TN 38017.To learn more about the Collierville church of Christ, visit colliervillecoc.orgNot currently a subscriber to Admonition? Sign up for this daily video devotional by Email: www.colliervillecoc.org/daily or www.cozort.org/free.

What was our spiritual and mental state before we were regenerated by the Holy Spirit? Paul paints a dismal picture of ‘the rest of the Gentiles’ in Eph.4:17-19, which corresponds with his more lengthy discussion of the state of the whole world, as recorded in Romans 1-3 (See especially Rom.1:18-31). So it is a wonder that anyone at all has been saved out of that mess! Of course, if it was left to each one of us to find our way to Christ and be saved, none of us would have made it! But God broke into our darkness, just like He did in Gen.1:1-3, and Isa.9:2, and spoke into our hearts (2 Cor.4:5-6). Thank’s be to God for the Reformers’ Slogan: “Post Tenebras Lux“, which means “After Darkness Light“!Now that we have “Seen The Light”, we can’t continue to live and walk the way that we used to. We are a ‘New Man’ with ‘New Ways’, and a ‘New Creation’ (Eph.4:20-24 cf. 2 Cor.5:17; Eph.2:10; Col.3:10). The post Ephesians 4 Part 4 – A New Man, A New Way, and a New Creation! appeared first on Living Rock Church.

How do you truly live a life filled with the Holy Spirit? Paul teaches to speak truth, make melody, always be grateful and yield in obedience. Preached at Chase Oaks Church. Used by permission.

Pastor DJay Martin teaches on Acts 25 & 26 with the message entitled “Paul Before Kings” as he continues our current sermon series “The Acts of the Holy Spirit: Constant Listening for Discernment.”Paul stands trial before the new governor Festus, is given an audience with King Agrippa, and appeals to Caesar.

Pastor DJay Martin teaches on Acts 23:12-24:27 with the message entitled “Paul Before Rulers” as he continues our current sermon series “The Acts of the Holy Spirit: Constant Listening for Discernment.”"A secret plot to assassinate Paul prompts the Roman tribune to send Paul to Felix the Governor. Paul spends two years in prison with Felix, speaking often with him, always testifying of Christ."

Baptism In The Holy Spirit | Paul Nyamuda by Go Church SA

Pastor DJay Martin teaches on Acts 18:1-18 with the message entitled “Paul in Corinth: I Was with You in Weakness” as he continues our current sermon series “The Acts of the Holy Spirit: Constant Listening for Discernment.”

Pastor DJay Martin teaches on Acts 17:22-34 with the message entitled “Paul in Athens: Feeling in the Dark” as he continues our current sermon series “The Acts of the Holy Spirit: Constant Listening for Discernment.”

Mike Gensler teaches on Acts 17:1-15 with the message entitled “Paul and Silas in Thessalonica and Berea” as he continues our current sermon series “The Acts of the Holy Spirit: Constant Listening for Discernment.”

Mike Morby teaches on Acts 16:16-40 with the message entitled “Paul and Silas in Prison” as he continues our current sermon series “The Acts of the Holy Spirit: Constant Listening for Discernment.”

Justin Boyer (Pastor of Teaching at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship) teaches on Acts 16:1-5 with the message entitled “Paul and Timothy: Spiritual Friendship” as he continues our current sermon series “The Acts of the Holy Spirit: To the World.”

Josh Hostetter teaches on Acts 14:21-28 with the message entitled “Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch” as he continues our current sermon series “The Acts of the Holy Spirit: To the World.”

We all need a guide. Yes the Holy Spirit is our ultimate guide. But who introduced you to the Holy Spirit? Paul the apostle speaks about remembering what you have learnt and from whom you have learnt it. He also encourages his disciples to do the things that they learnt, received, heard and saw him do. Imitate me as I imitate Christ.

Part 21 – What Is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit? There is perhaps no other subject matter that has made for greater debate amongst Evangelicals and about which more varied opinions have been held, than the topic at hand in this 21st teaching part.  For some, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues; for others, it is a second work of sanctification whereby one now receives the power to ‘live’ a holy life.  Some would argue that this supernatural phenomenon ceased in the first century and therefore, although this experience is recorded in the book of Acts, it is no longer one that can be experienced today.  One group argues that the baptism of Holy Spirit is not an experience subsequent to salvation but is rather synonymous with receiving the Holy Spirit at conversion.  Another group argues that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is an experience that is distinguishable and distinct from salvation, coming after the initial experience of being born-again.  What are we to make of all these contravening statements?  Where is one to go to try to clear things up and to shed light on this important topic?  Thank God that as Christians, we do not have to resort to speculation, we have the Word of God upon which any experience might firmly be placed.  However, being able to look at the Bible objectively can be very difficult, not least if one belongs to a denomination that has a party line that must not be crossed.  In this teaching, we shall seek as best as possible to lay aside preconceived ideas and in so doing, come to the Bible afresh in order to obtain answers to the question at hand, ‘What is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?’ Download teaching notes (pdf) http://traffic.libsyn.com/bethesdashalom/21_What_Is_the_Baptism_of_the_Holy_Spirit.pdf

The post 05/22/18- Bishop Campbell- Weekly Reflection: Pentecost, outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Paul’s letter to the Galatians, what makes a life worth living, successful life, Pope John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI, Mary Queen of Scots, execution, “In my end is my beginning”, courage, education of young, death, prepare for our new creation, all flesh will fail appeared first on St Gabriel Catholic Radio.

Paul discusses our value of the Ministry of the Holy Spirit and challenges us to put what we have learned into practice.

Jesus Only Pentecostals, aka Oneness Pentecostals derive this name from the position they take concerning baptism.  Not only do they hold to the heresy of baptismal regeneration but they hold to an exclusive form of it, namely that baptism by immersion in the formula of “in the name of Jesus” is the only valid formula for baptism.  They also hold that unless one is baptised with the Holy Spirit, evidenced by speaks in tongues then one cannot be saved!  Once again, we seek to explore these teachings and compare and contrast them with the Bible. Download notes (pdf) http://traffic.libsyn.com/bethesdashalom/5f_Oneness_Pentecostals_Pt6.pdf

This teaching follows on from part 2 in continuing to look at the heresies taught by the Watch Tower concerning the person and deity of Jesus Christ.  In what sense was Jesus worshiped?  Was His resurrection bodily or spiritual?   We also explore in this teaching what Jehovah's Witnesses teach and believe about the Holy Spirit.  Is the Holy Spirit a person or simply God's active force?   Download notes (pdf) http://traffic.libsyn.com/bethesdashalom/2c_Jehovahs_Witnesses_Pt3.pdf

2011-04-03-1800 Pastor Loran Livingston is the speaker this evening April 3rd, 2011 in the 6:00 service. Scripture: Acts 9:15 Topic: Evangelism Notes: - How do you know you are filled with the Holy Spirit?- Paul was an angry religious zealot; during period of blindness his religious spirit was broken and he was made a fit vessel of Jesus Christ.- We don’t love sinners the way servants of God must; we’re upset with those who threaten our own lifestyle rather than the effects sin is having on people.- We have too much religion; we have our own plans- You’re not filled with the spirit just because you speak in tongues- You know you’re filled with the spirit when you see a dying world and your heart breaks and all you want to do is make sure you show them who Jesus is.- Instead of being angry at gays and homosexuals, realize the same devil has control of them that had hold of you.  People are victims of sin.- Many people have not been fortunate enough to have grown up as I did...- Without prayer my heart does not bleed for sinners; ask God for that burden.- Religion doesn’t make you love God or people.- The only reason we exist is to be Jesus Christ on this planet.  Am I a soul winner?