Sunday Service

Here, I Am to Worship here. I am to bow down here. I am to say that you're my daughter. All together. Lovely, all together. We're all together. Wonderful to hear. I am to worship. Here I am here. I am to say that. You're my God. Altogether. Lovely. All together. We're all together. Wonderful to Here. I Am to Worship here. I am to bow down here. I am to say that. You're my God. All together one day.

I guess it's super church time. Do we have anybody know? Okay, it's not super search time. Y'all get to stay here.

You know, it's not that bad a deal guys, if you're here listening to a pastor it was when I was five years old and I was listening to a pastor preached, a message that it's stirred, my heart enough to at the end of the service when there was the altar call and I went rushing forward and asked Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior five-years-old. You guys can hear and respond believe me. Let's pray in, get started.

Oh gracious. Father in Heaven, how we thank you that you are the mighty one who is on the throne of the Kingdom has come to this earth and it is growing day by day. As we respond to you. We pray that your spirit would be here in power and strength. As the words that you place on my heart, brought to mind, may you touch my heart and each heart here and may you guide my heart to that. As I do speak, I would speak not in my power and strength. But in yours for you alone are the one that changes hearts and lives. Lesson this oh Lord, in Jesus name. Amen. Well, we are battling through that the process of the warrior path and what it takes to truly be a warrior in this world for the Living God. And for the sake of Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Savior just want to present to you a little scenario. If somebody to work come to you and say disaster is coming to powers and the only way to save yourself is to get in to get to the top of Agnes pass and you have one hour to do it. How would you do it? I don't think any of you would start out walking that direction cuz you'd never make it as an hour with you. You wouldn't try running it either cuz it still wouldn't make it and some of you might hop on a bicycle, it's a boy. I could really power up there. You still wouldn't make it. None of us would make it in our own power, would we? We would have to get in a vehicle.

That could take us up there within that hour span of time. And I present that to you, just as a snare to recognize that when we are living life here on this Earth, we need a power to get us through to the end and Beyond. Because you and I are Eternal creatures. We're not just living here on this Earth and that's the end of it. There is life, beyond the grave, some to an eternal existence of joy and happiness without pain and suffering and others do it. Existence of pain and suffering for all eternity.

and if you truly believe that understood that you do everything in your power, To get to the place where there is joy and happiness and no pain and suffering, wouldn't you? Many of you have taken that step? And I praise the Lord for that. But you know what? Not one of you has the power and strength to make that step. Not one of you. I didn't have the power to do that, and that's when I wrecked it, when I told you about going forward and receiving Jesus Christ, as my Lord and Savior, I was gaining that power to do it. You see that power is found in the spirit of God. For the spirit is the one that has the power and the strength to change life. Your life and my life. It is through the power of the spirit is Jesus called creation into existence that it came. And it is with his power that you have life and his what is his power that some of you are walking in that life and that's trying, but I want you to recognize that we are, we have the potential to be powerful people forgot, but you cannot do it in of yourself. It must be because you are operating in God's strength and God's power and the spirit of God working in you that you make a difference.

Sometimes we get really complacent with life and say, you know, I'm having a good time. I'm not struggling with this. God has given me all kinds of abundant things to keep me happy and joyful in all that I do. I don't need to take any special step to honor him and serve him.

But God says, I want you to take that in you, and so, we're going to take a look at that today. Remember, we've been going through the book of are a few chapters in Acts. We started in chapter 3 and we're in chapter 4. Now, we'll start with verse 8. That begins this. Look at the Spirit and the importance of it. To give you the scenario Peter. And John were walking up to the temple and they were going through a gate. And there was a man, sitting lame as they entered into the temple area. We're entering into the temple area and he was begging for. Money. And a Peter and John looked at him and he looked at them like okay, they look like they're ready to do something for me. Give me something and they and Peter said, well, we'll get to that. but he raised the man up through the power of the spirit. And there was rejoicing and then gave Peter a chance to speak. And after he spoke, he got thrown into jail and now he's out again and he's standing before the Sanhedrin talking to them about what happened. And so here's we begin in verse 8. It says, then Peter filled with the Holy Spirit said to them rulers and Elders of the people.

Okay, notice that Peter, this man who literally fled from the cross. is now standing before the people that Pause, Jesus's death and stand boldly and firmly and power plate. And the only difference between the Peter before the cross in the Peter, after the cross was the Peter, now had the spirit of the Living God in him and was giving him power and strength and wisdom to speak. If you're saying that, you know why, there's some things I cannot do. That's wrong to think that way because you can do whatever God has called you to do. But you have to look to him first.

And the question for each of us, are we really seeking the spirit to guide us and give us wisdom in the things we do. Now, the spirit of God Came Upon Peter and all the others that were 120, people that were sitting in an upper room praying and asking God to guide and bless them. And all of a sudden, the Holy Spirit came into their midst and they had tongues of fire over their heads. Now, you may have a tongue of fire over your head. We just can't see it. But that was evident there. And then they went out into the streets and they began speaking in languages. They couldn't they didn't know two other people and telling them about Jesus Christ. Peter had an opportunity been to speak to this crowd and 3,000, people came to know him. Let's read the scenario. X180 Jesus says, says to them before he goes into heaven, but you will receive power. When the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my Witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth. Do you have that power in you? If you don't believe you have that power and then in you, then you need to begin to re-establish your faith in Jesus Christ. Because that's spirit is in everyone who has received Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior. So you have the same power It was in all of those followers of Jesus Christ at the birth of the spirit in this world in the lives of people in this world, scuse me. The call is there and God wants us to be operating that power. In fact, through scripture, it talks about, you know, you need this for your lives and this needs to be establishing you're alive. Rather than worldly issues. When we were going through new staff training with campus Crusade for life, they have a verse that that they used to describe how you are to operate in this world. It's found in Ephesians 5:18 and it says, do not get drunk on wine. In other words on things of this world, you know, it's not just speaking about wine but anything in this world which leads to debauchery. In other words, it takes you away from God. But then it says, instead be filled with the spirit, in other words, the spirit is, what's going to make a difference and how you operate in this life. If you have the spirit operating and you and your are seeking the spirit day by day, You know, you rise in the morning and when you pray, you ask that the spirit of God, guide, you and give you wisdom and understanding in this life. if you're not asking for that power, then life is going to be pretty dull in terms of your spiritual walk. But if you're looking for the spirit to operate in your life, Lookout cuz God's going to move, he's going to make a difference. He's our Helper and that's one of the main themes of Jesus when he was talking to the disciples just before he went to the Cross, he wanted them to understand that he was going to give them something that would give them power. Give them wisdom and understanding. We have them strength and energy to face the trials of life. All of these things. And so he was talking about the spirit in chapters 14 in and 16. In chapter 14, he says in verse 16 and I will ask the father and he will give you another Advocate to help you to be with you. Forever. Imagine that. Okay? The spirits not leaving you. So, if you know, Jesus Christ as your lord and savior, if you've taken him by faith, that spirit is active in your body. Now, the big question is, are you listening? Are you listening to him work in your life?

Because Christianity can be pretty dull if you're not. You know, and you might say, well, I went to church, you know, I was just Dad and didn't get much out of it. Well, are you seeking God to guide? You are you seeking the power of the spirit in your life? It does make a difference.

When the people of Israel move back out of Babylon, back to Israel to rebuild the Temple. One of the guys in charge was, well, be guy in charge was the rubble. You know, he was the leader and he was to guide them. And one of the people that came along with him was the prophet Zechariah and he ministered through that early. To the people there. And one of the things that he says, to the rubble in Zechariah 4:6 gives me. So he said to me, this is the word of the Lord to zerubbabel's. Not by might nor by power. But by my spirit says the Lord Almighty In other words, you're surrounded by people that don't want you to build that temple. They're working against you, they're conspiring to make sure you don't get it done. And if you're relying upon yourself to make the difference in building that Temple, it's not going to happen and they were relying on themselves. If you remember the story they built the the the base of it. And then it took him, 20 more years to get it done. Why? Because they started depending upon themselves rather than on the spirit. And here is Zakaria trying to encourage them that hate. If you're going to get it done, you got to trust God to be your strength. In the spirit. Okay, so let's go to the focus of the spirit because the spirit does have a focus for your life and my life and we find out an ax for 9 to 11 if we are being called to account today. For an act of kindness shown to a man who is lame and are being asked how he was healed. Then know that you and all the people of Israel. It is the name of Jesus, Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead that this man stands before you healed. Jesus is a stone you Builders rejected, which has become the Cornerstone.

You see the focus of the spirit of the Living God is Jesus Christ. He exalts Jesus Christ in every way he can. First of all, he wants to exalt Jesus Christ in your life. And you can say, while I received Jesus Christ, as my Lord, and Savior in that school and everything else. But that's not where the spirit once. That's where he starts, he has a desire to change your life and my life more completely into the image of Jesus Christ.

And he does. So as you allow him to do the work, but if you're stealing the spirit in your life, by not pursuing that understanding and knowledge of Christ, you're not going to grow, you're going to sit there as a baby Christian, your entire life. It requires us to desire that in our lives. Back to John chapter 15, it says verse 26. It says, when The Advocate comes whom I send to you from the Father, the spirit of Truth who goes out from the father, he will testify about me. In other words, the spirit is going to continually point to Jesus Christ, and the need to have him in your life and working in your life. That's his job.

and he's pretty good at it, but, you know, we have to accept it, you know, it's When you go to a classroom and you are to study whatever you're studying you have to be involved in it and the more you're involved in the more participation you have and the activity you have in that subject, probably the better, the grade you will receive, right? Well, this is the same way with Jesus Christ and allowing the spirit to guide you and understanding him. He wants you to pursue him. He is the power. Acts 3:6, then Peter said, silver and gold, I do not have. But what I do have I give you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Walk. In other words, the power that is given to Peter and John and this is the power of healing. Don't you wish you had the power of healing, you know? That would be wonderful to go around in to kill everybody. You knew that was suffering. Unfortunately, most of us don't have that power, but Peter did. And so through the power of the spirit and the name of Jesus Christ, that man was raised. And there was gladness and cheering on the crowd, not so much the Sadducees and Pharisees.

But Jesus Christ is the center. He's the center of our lives and he's the center of everything that occurs in our universe. Colossians Paul writes this letter in the first chapter of Colossians, he exhausts Christ in a magnificent way. It's one of the key passages, if you want to know who Christ is, and what he is doing is a great passage. But in verse 16 of chapter one, he says these words for in him, all things were created things in heaven and on Earth, visible and invisible, whether Thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things have been created through him. And for him, Now think about that a little bit. Anything was created to glorify Jesus Christ. Including you. You were created to glorify Christ. But if you try to go out and do it in your power and strength, what's going to happen? You're going to stumble and fall and nothing will happen. But if you are responding to the spirit of God, living in your life and doing the things that draw you close to him. Yes. You will have a great difference in this life. First of all in your own life and then in the lives of others who you communicate with, as you go through out your days, God is the center. Jesus Christ. Is the center of your life.

And you are empowered by the spirit to operate in that thing about Paul, you know, Paul was quite a worker for the sake of the Gospel, wasn't he wrote 13 books of the New Testament? That's quite a bit of work. That's half the books at, but he was operating sometimes in his own power, he wanted his own way, in a sense and he prayed to God, to take away an illness, or something that we he was suffering with, and he prayed three different times. And ask God, hey, just relieve me of this so I can perform better And then God came to him and 2nd Corinthians 12:9 and said to have buddy. Said to me, my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness. And then he says, therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses. So the Christ power May rest on me think about that a little bit gone to asking you to step up to the plate and be involved in the growth of your life and the connection to others to help them know the truth. In other words, he's called you to be ambassadors for the kingdom of God in this world.

How are you doing? The question is, are you relying upon your strength or you were saying, Lord, however, you want to use me, however, you want to use me, use Me For Your Glory. and that's the power of the spirit and The Guiding Light that we have as we seek him. When we do that, we are truly Warriors for the sake of the cross. That's the warrior path. He finishes it off Peter, finishes it off with this statement. One. We use all the time about. How we come to know him in these things Acts 4:12 it says salvation is found in no one else for. There is no other name under Heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. No other name. No other way. It is through Jesus Christ. And that's what the spirit points to the spirit wants us to recognize Christ. As our all, in all the spirit, wants to record have us recognized the ability for each of us to be able to Proclaim Christ to the world. You know, you every one of us kind of steps out in fear and that since you know you want me to tell somebody else supposed to Spirit is working on you. Even now to say, hey I have somebody in your life, that doesn't know, Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and I want you to be the one to step up and talk to them about Jesus Christ. Is there a little fear there if you've thought of somebody? If somebody has come to your mind. Probably. But who's the power? Who's the strength in your life? He can make a difference in other people's lives. If you are humble enough to allow him to do it and he desires to do that.

Peter, you know, he mainly focused on his message to the Jews but there was a time when he was actually called To Worship the Gentiles and he wasn't really ready to do that. So God gave him this vision of of all kinds of different animals. He was supposed to eat the Peter said, no, I don't need any of that stuff because you know, it's wrong. And God says what I've made, right? It's okay. And he went through that Vision then and eventually people Gentile showed up at his door and God said go with them. So he went with him and he was ministering to these Gentiles speaking the word of God to them. And he says these words, the next 1043, all the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in Him receives, forgiveness of sins through his name. In other words, he was talking to Gentiles that kind of shocked him. Something he wasn't really wanting to do. And yet, here he was doing something that he didn't really want to do and it made an enormous difference. What happened? Well, as he was speaking to these people, even before they stood up and said, yeah, we believe the Holy Spirit and heard each of them and they began speaking in tongues and praising God,

And it shocked Peter. Would you love to be shocked by the work of God in your life? It did shock Peter. You see, they had to come to the point where they recognize what Peter was saying, was the truth for them. That. They needed Jesus Christ as their lord and savior that he came to Earth and he lived and he died for their lives and he rose again so that they can have an eternal life through him. But is the power of the spirit working through Paul that infected, those people. And that's why the spirit Came Upon them because the spirit, recognize their belief in Jesus Christ, And that's the difference in their locks. It's a difference in your life. Is the spirit operating in you?

It's not by things that you can do, as I began the process. I said, you know, how, how would you get to the top of Agnes bass? Could you do it on your own? Know you couldn't you need something else. Something else has to be operating in your life and the Bible refers to this multiple times. And if Asians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9, it says for it is by Grace. You have been saved through faith and this is not from yourself. It is a gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast. In other words, your faith is the only pathway Who gives you that faith? Where did that phrase come from? Did it come from the words that were spoken to you? Those words. We're given by the spirit to inspire your hearts to be drawn, to make that decision to get up and say yeah, I believe. It is the guidance of the spirit that brings you to that point.

And you come to believe.

There was a guy episode in Paul's life, is he's going around and God, let him to Phillipi. It's another story but in Phillipi, he's been ministering to the people in the church in Philip eyes, beginning to grow and he has this Galvez following him. She's a demon possessed and yet there for, she's following around and eventually Paul and got tired of it. And he cast the demons out of her and she lost the power to predict the future and different things like that. And so the people that own the gal, we're really upset with him. And so they went to the authorities and they brought Peter and Paul and had them whipped, thirty-nine lashes, beaten and thrown into prison. Will God rescued them from prison as they were singing and praying, and rejoicing at night an earthquake came and it broke their bonds broke, open the door and the Jailer who was supposed to keep track of them, and make sure that they stayed in prison game. Saw the door open was going to kill himself. They say, don't do that. We're all still here. And then he comes because he has been overwhelmed by the messages going out. I don't know whether it was the message as he listened to them singing in his prison in their prison cells or whether it was heard from the message that Paul headed and Silas had given as they went through. But he came to understand that what they had was the truth and he asked him what do I have to do to be saved? And they reply I believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved you and your household.

In other words,

what change is there live? Changed his life was the recognition that there was something more powerful than what he had ever seen in this life and is found in two men that were beaten almost to death.

But empowered by the spirit of the Living, God to present the Gospel of Truth.

And so the question goes out to each and every one of us, you know, if we're wanting to walk the

The path of power and strength of the warrior path that we've been talking about, you need something besides yourself. You need the spirit operating in your life. and I say that to say, Sometimes, most of the time, I believe our church today in the United States is operating under their own strength and power, taking their own desires and their own hard to make a difference in their lives. Rather than trusting in the power of the spirit to move and make a difference. We've seen some activities happening in our country this year where that may be changing, that people are started operating in the power of the spirit than that lives are changing. I hope that occurs and I hope that it occurs here. and the reason I hope for that and I want us to be more desirous of being a warrior for Christ, is that we have a lot of people outside these walls that do not know, Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Some of them are your family members. Some of them are your dear friends that you've had for 30 40 50 years and they don't know Christ.

And you have the opportunity to reveal Christ to them. Are you operating in your power or the power of the spirit to change their lives?

The call is for us to

make a whole, look what God already has given you. The spirit is in you Are you using in? Are you allowing him to be molding and changing your life? First of all, more into the image of Christ because that gives you the courage and strength to move ahead. And secondly, to speak and act as true believers of Jesus Christ. Let's pray.

Our Father in heaven. We thank you that we can gather together into worship you and to know you father, help us to be resolved to step up and take that step of face so that we truly can grow as Warriors for Jesus Christ. Not just accepting what you've given us, and just enjoying However, we think we can enjoy life.

Lord help us to be bold. To be faithful and true to you. May you guide us in this, in Jesus name? A man, shall we stand? You know, is we saying if you are

Sweet love. I'm all alone. I Need My Sweet Lord.

I need my sweet. I see you there.

I want to know. Do I have run? I need my sweet.

And these are the words. I need my sweet.

Today.

Step out for Jesus Christ. May you bless them in this? As I know the spirit is just moved in their hearts right now. To bless them and encourage them and pray that they would be able to carry that throughout this week. May you touch each of our hearts that we would truly be faithful Warriors for the sake of Christ. In the precious name of our Lord, our Mighty Savior, Jesus Christ. We ask these things. Amen.