Speaker 1: 0:00

What's up? Free Church so good to see you. Thank you, ethan, for leading the team this morning. There you go. It might be me. Thank you guys. Thank you, ethan for leading the team this morning on the news. Come on, give it up for Ethan, one of our great leaders in our church here. Thank you for the energy and effort you put into making every week happen.

Speaker 1: 0:28

Easter just two weeks away, easter's on 420. Jesus is going to be high and lifted up and the church said amen. I love free church. Come on, if you can't laugh in church, where can you laugh at right, if you can't have fun in church? My man's got a lion's hoodie on. Give it up for him. On the right side, a lion's hoodie on. Welcome to church, sir, glad you're here. I better get the biggest amen from that hoodie tonight. Amen.

Speaker 1: 1:16

We've been talking about this overflow right, overflow of just the blessings of God. The overflow of it's always been about the overflow. Jesus is always preaching about the overflow of that. That. It's always been about the overflow. Jesus is always preaching about the overflow. He never wanted anyone just to have enough, just just enough. He wanted to have an overflow. He wanted you to have more than enough, an abundance of what you can do, abundance of joy, abundance of faith, abundance of so that it wouldn't just stay with us, it would be for others. Even when, even when the for others, even when the church began, even when the church started, it was for the purpose of an overflow. It wasn't just to stay with the 500 initially saw Jesus, or the 120 that stuck it out for the 10 days. It was to be for those who are far off. That's what the promise was. It's for your children and to all those who are far off. So the overflow is when we get something here to take it for those who are far off. That's what the promise was. It's for your children and to all those who are far off. So the overflow is when we get something here to take it where we go next, it's always the plan of God. The Bible says that a merry heart does good like a medicine and that when we come to church, man, if you get joy, you get a merry heart. It does more for you than anything you can get at CBS. A merry heart is good like a medicine. So, hey, I hope you laugh today, I hope you lean in today, because I know it'd make you a whole lot better.

Speaker 1: 2:29

Our pastor preached last week. He talked about that the Lord gives seed to the sower. That if I will put into action, if I'll do something, if I'll take what God has given me and sow it, that God's going to continue to allow those things to stay in there. I mean, there's pipes running all through this building, water pipes running all through this building, and you open up one of those water pipes, though the water may be not flowing at that moment, the pipe will be wet because the water flows. And we are to be conduits or pipes of the blessings of God, because, you know, I don't have to worry about not having blessing because I'm allowing blessing to flow.

Speaker 1: 3:08

I'll always have the blessings of God saturating my soul. I'll always have the cause. I'm going to be a conduit of it, cause if you're no longer a conduit of it, if you're no longer a river, you become a reservoir and as long as water stays still, it becomes stagnant. Then it becomes unhealthy. That's the problem with water across the globe. It's because water's not flowing, they tend to go back to the well that doesn't flow with fresh water and they end up getting something a disease from the stagnant water that grows on it. And so God says I don't want my people to be stagnant. When people come to you, I want them to get fresh water, water that's alive water, that gives them life to their soul. So I need this to flow through me, a constant flow.

Speaker 1: 3:54

And so when we give, when we give of our time and our talent and our resources, when we give that we're never more like God. For God so loved the world that he gave you Right. God, for God so loved the world that he gave Right. You can't be like God and be stingy. You can't be like God and not willing to give. That's the love language of heaven, for God so loved the world that he gave. And we have to understand that the ability to give or the willingness to give is not about an amount, is not ever about an amount. It's about an attitude. Right, because it doesn't matter how much I give or the increase in that I give If I give it with the wrong attitude, for God loves a Cheer.

Speaker 1: 4:39

There you go, you're good, you're reading your Bible, congratulations. But like it's more than just words. God says no, I want this to get reading your Bible, congratulations. But like it's more than just. It's more than just words. God says no, I want this to get in your heart, and if you do it with the right attitude, you do it from a great place. You do it from the place that I've placed. Put you in a place of blessing, not for a blessing but to be a blessing, as our pastor preached last week that God's going to do something, and so I truly believe that our misconceptions of God keep us away from him more than our mistakes. Our misconceptions Like if we don't have the right mindset, if we don't have the right attitude we don't have our misconceptions will keep us away from the things of God, not our mistakes. It's the way we think.

Speaker 1: 5:23

Because you can think about this there's two men in the Bible we're coming up on Resurrection Sunday and there's two men in the Bible that, towards the end of Jesus' time is that they made the exact same mistake, both of them, one's named Judas, the other name's Peter. Same mistake Judas denied God, denied Jesus, betrayed him. How many people know a guy named Judas? I don't know any of them. I don't know a guy named Judas. If you do, stay away, don't let him do your taxes. Anyways, Just kidding. Anybody know a person named Peter. You know a person named Peter. You know a person named Peter. You heard him. Yeah. Yeah, if not Spider-Man, stick with it. But, like Judas, betrayed Jesus. He sold him 30 piece, turned him over, walked away from him.

Speaker 1: 6:25

After seeing all the miracles, after seeing everything that Jesus has done, after seeing the way here Jesus preached, bringing people close, judas was a part of all that and he betrayed Jesus. And then Simon Peter Same thing. Even Jesus called Simon Peter Satan. He called Judas friend. Even Jesus called Simon Peter Satan. He called Judas friend. But Simon Peter denied Jesus to his face, turned and walked away from him to cuss at people.

Speaker 1: 7:00

But the Bible says that he made his way back to Jesus. He was one of the first people to claim the resurrection of Jesus, one of the first ones to witness an empty tomb. And here's the story. You read it Judas always called Jesus Rabbi. Judas always saw Jesus as just a teacher. Where Simon Peter called Jesus, lord Judas recognized him as a a teacher. Where Simon Peter called Jesus, lord Judas recognized him as a good teacher. Simon Peter recognized him as the Resurrector of his soul.

Speaker 1: 7:32

And if we just have an idea of Jesus as a good teacher and he never becomes Lord. We'll never realize that when I do make a mistake, I can come back and I can be restored and I can have a calling and a ministry beyond that. Because the alternative is, judas, that I go take my own life, that I go do what I want to do under my own timing. And I'm telling you today I'm going to talk to you about the overflow of the Holy Spirit and what I need you to do is remove all the misconceptions, move all those and lean into what God's going to talk to you today, because I know that the Holy Spirit is alive and is real and is powerful and is for us today and if you can see it today, if you can receive it it today.

Speaker 1: 8:25

The bible says that we're to be witnesses and I'm telling you for the next two weeks, if we can be those witnesses in our community, more people will come to easter service because you invite them. Eight out of ten people will come. That odds are great. Come on, roll with that. For the next two weeks, let's pack these two services on easter sund Sunday and let's see what God does. God provides his spirit in abundance so we can be overflowing with the fruit of the spirit for others. God provides his spirit in abundance so we can be overflowing with the fruit of the spirit for others. I wanna stand with you and read these two verses of scripture we're gonna pray. I'm gonna preach.

Speaker 1: 9:20

I have the incredible privilege of preaching about the Holy Spirit today and the fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit. The unfortunate thing is I have 25 minutes to do it in. I need 25 days. I do so. See you tomorrow. No, just kidding Gosh. You guys came in. You guys ready to roll today? Come on, acts, chapter 19. Thank you, just kidding Gosh. You guys came in. You guys ready to roll today? Come on, acts, chapter 19. Thank you, pastor Chuck. How many love our pastors, our pastors? Thank you, pastor. I love Pastor Chuck. He is, he's a leader, he's a voice in my life, he's a friend too. He's a friend and I thank he's a friend too. He's a friend and I thank God to have friends like Pastor Chuck.

Speaker 1: 10:09

And we just sat down with I brought my son with me, silas, on the front row. We sat down at a restaurant last night with our sons and we watched basketball. I mean, we were done eating long before the game was over. We were watching basketball and I'll just say say the last shall be first, because when we started our bracket on the first day I was losing. But guess who's winning now? Come on, I do have the Gators winning it all, but yeah, so we'll see what happens. So me and my wife are tied. Both two teams are in. I have the Gators winning it all, but yeah, so we'll see what happens. So me and my wife are tied. Both two teams are in. I have the Gators winning, she has the Cougars winning, so we'll see what happens. We got a little side bet going on. It's just between us.

Speaker 1: 11:00

Acts, chapter 19. I'm sorry, acts, chapter 19, verse number one. It says while Apollos was at Corinth, paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? They answered what a lot of people say today no, we've not even heard. There's a Holy Spirit. So let's remove any misconceptions. We all have mistakes.

Speaker 1: 11:40

And for the next few minutes, help me preach what I believe God wants to share with us about the Holy Spirit. And for the next few minutes, help me preach what I believe God wants to share with us about the Holy Spirit and I believe over the next two weeks, the fruit and gifts that can come from even just a few minutes listening about the Holy Spirit will be far better beneficial for those in your life than anything else you could give them. Let's pray, god, I love you. I thank you for our church today. God, Thank you for what we feel in this place.

Speaker 1: 12:07

God, it's not just about showing up on Sunday. It's the preparation from Monday through Saturday, that the energy and effort and the time and all that's gone into it, God, to make this place a house of worship, to entertain your power and entertain your presence in this place, so lives can change in just a few minutes. God, this is a delivery room of new life. This is a delivery room of so much potential. This is a delivery room of promises that have been burning and just growing inside of so many people here today. So I pray the Holy Spirit would just saturate us and allow what's in us, god, to come out into this world and help make a difference in the lives of those we love the most. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen, amen, high five, two people as you're seated, so I believe most people have understanding of God, the father. Right, because you have one, you have a father. We preach, you know, every Sunday we preach about Jesus Christ, the son of God. But very few people have an understanding about the Holy Spirit and what he's doing. But I do believe that it's growing. I do believe more and more, really wanna be about the Holy Spirit and understand the Holy Spirit and not misunderstand it or not allow what I don't know to keep me from moving in what I do know.

Speaker 1: 13:40

In Genesis, the very beginning, we find the Holy Spirit. Most people don't see this. If you've ever. We find the Holy Spirit. Most people don't see this. If you've ever wondered about the phrase Holy Spirit, it helps us start at the beginning.

Speaker 1: 13:53

In the Greek it's the word ruach, the Spirit of God. So in Genesis 1, verse 1, in the beginning, god created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty and darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Ruach of God was hovering over the waters. The spirit of God was hovering over the waters. In the Hebrew, ruach or in the New Testament Greek, the pneuma. It's the same. It's the spirit of God and what we find here is that the spirit of God was hovering over chaos. The spirit of God started hovering over something that was without form, something that was erratic, something that wasn't working well. And when the Spirit of God hovered, that Spirit brought wholeness, that Spirit brought oneness. That Spirit brought something better than what it was already. When God's Spirit comes over chaos, it corrects it, and so here's what we have today.

Speaker 1: 14:53

We have a lot of people who are walking this world chaotically, walking this world in darkness, and it's only the spirit of God, it's only the Holy Spirit that's going to bring comfort in the middle of our chaos. In the middle of our chaos, god's spirit Ruach in Hebrew hovers over, signaling the potential to bring life and beauty. It refers to God's personal presence, but it's also the Hebrew word for wind. It's the same or breath, or representing energy and vitality. That's what that word means. That means that word is powerful. When you know the Holy Spirit and understand the role in your life, it will seem like a wind in your sails, some of your Christian life. You feel like you're paddling or rowing hard and the whole thing seems like work. Maybe you just need a relationship with the Holy Spirit. I'll say this and it's not in my notes.

Speaker 1: 15:52

But when we started our church in 2016, we had to pull a 26-foot trailer totally stocked full of stuff for a church. So literally, our church was in a 26-foot trailer. I bought a truck or I leased a truck initially to pull this trailer. Yeah, that truck didn't work. It was like a S10. No, it's not gonna pull this trailer. Yeah, that truck didn't work. It was like a S10. No, it's not gonna pull that trailer. So I had to go actually buy. I had to go get a Ford F250, two ton, be able to pull this trailer. This is a big truck, massive, four wheel. It should be able to move a house. Right, this is what it was doing.

Speaker 1: 16:29

It snows in our neighborhood in Royal Oak. Big pile of snow everywhere. School's out and everyone's trying to get out of their driveways. I got my big truck, no problem. I can't get out of my driveway. There is Honda Civics going down my street and I can't even get out of my driveway. I have the biggest truck in the neighborhood and it's stuck. I finally get it moving out of the driveway, but it gets stuck in the street because you know how they come over and plow. They plow you in your driveway you have a pile this big and it's all ice. Finally I slammed through that. But I get stuck in the street and people are literally people are digging out my truck and the neighbors are and they're like why are you stuck? I said I have no idea why I'm stuck. I'm looking in the manual. I got it on four-wheel drive. I got everything. I'm stuck. I finally look in the manual. I'm like there's wheel locks on my truck and I have to go out there and I have to turn them to get it to operate in four-wheel drive.

Speaker 1: 17:29

Here's the thing A lot of you have the Holy Spirit in you. It's just not active. You're stuck. It's there. You're like why am I stuck? Everyone's like I don't know why you're stuck. Why are you stuck? I'm trying to dig you out. You should be able to move down the road, just like I'm moving down the road, but the Holy Spirit is not active in your life. When we leave this building today, we're going to get hit with the wind. Right, you're going to get hit with the wind. When you walk out here we're in the windy city it's going to hit you right in the face. You're not going to see it. You can't see it, but it's powerful and real. Just because you can't see something doesn't mean it's not there.

Speaker 1: 18:23

You do this every day, hopefully multiple times a day, first thing I do when I leave this place hey, truth, why do you do that, robbie? Well, because I'm told there's some invisible things on my hands, things that I cannot see. And well, you can't see them. Why would you wash your hands? Why would you do that? Well, because I know that if my hands, what's on my hands? I know there's germs. I can't see them, but I know they're there, I know they're alive and real, and I know that the transference of germs can also cause somebody to be sick, or myself to be sick, and I don't want to go have lunch when I have germs on my hands. So I'm going to wash the germs off my hands. You see, you're like, but you can't see. But you're doing, you believe it in your heart, you know it to be true and today, when you leave here, I want you to know that the Holy Spirit is real, that the Holy Spirit is true, and you operate your life in such a manner. Maybe let me just show you this here. You got those slides for me, the first slide there. You ever see this. You ever see Baskin-Robbins? Yeah, you know what Baskin-Robbins is known for, how many flavors 31,. Do you see the 31 in the B&R? Oh, yeah, yeah, hey, guess what? It's been there forever. It's always there. You just didn't know it until I told you the Holy Spirit's there Next, throw the next one up.

Speaker 1: 20:01

Throw the next one up. You know this one, right? Amazon. Oh, you see the little arrow. It means because we have everything from A to Z. Oh, you see the little arrow. It means because we have everything from A to Z. Oh, yeah, you wonder why. It's because I have everything from A to Z. Is there another one? Maybe there's another one? Oh, you know that one, right? You know the arrow and the X, the EX, you know the arrow means we're moving forward. You seen that one before. Oh, you can't see the E and the X. The EX, you know the arrow means we're moving forward. You've seen that one before. Oh, you can't see the E and the X. You can't see the arrow. Some of you are coming to church for the first time, like you're going to be telling people more about these slides than you about to sermon. Put a scripture up there or something.

Speaker 1: 21:07

In the biblical narrative, god's Ruach empowers individuals for specific tasks. For example, joseph receives the ability to interpret dreams. That only comes from God's Ruach, from God's spirit. Bezalel gains artistic skills and begins to build furniture for the holiest of holies, the tabernacle. Prophets attain insight into historical events from God's perspective. That is only by the spirit of God. This empowerment illustrates the spirit's role in fostering creativity, wisdom and prophecy. So we have to know that God's spirit, we look at it in the wind. Wind is unseen, it's unpredictable, it's powerful and it's refreshing as a story progresses. Despite the good world God created, god's spirit created the world, and the human wrongdoings begin to displace some things, begin to mess things up, begin to throw the world into this upside down way of doing things.

Speaker 1: 22:14

And so the theme of empowerment, transformation, continues with Jesus, whose baptism marks the beginning of new creation, jesus's life and teachings and resurrection seen the acts of power of God by the spirit of God. So the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives in you. So, after Jesus's death, his followers received the Holy Spirit. He says hey, I've got to go, but I'm not leaving you without help, I'm sending a comforter, which is the Holy Spirit. Okay, I'm going to get in this and that Holy Spirit is going to be with you always, even though, as God manifests in the flesh, I'm still limited in the human form. But when I go away, the comforter's coming, the holy spirit, and he's going to give you this deuteronomy power, ultimately to be witnesses, ultimately to share the gospel, only to tell others about me. That's the initial part. The second part is eternal life, and then everything else in between. We're going to talk a little about it. So, ultimately, I get the power, I'm going to be a witness, and then I'm going to go to heaven. And that's not the end, though. There's a lot of stuff in between that we have to talk about, and so this is what begins, this, this, this part of the Holy Spirit.

Speaker 1: 23:32

The word baptism is used with the Holy Spirit. In fact, in some places in the Bible it's called baptism in the Holy Spirit or baptism with the Holy Spirit. This doesn't mean getting submerged with water, though that is baptism. The word baptism, biblical text, means to be immersed in. So initially, we're baptized in the body of Christ. You come in here, we say Pastor, chuck and I we do this at the end of service If you'd like to give your life to Christ. I want you to raise your hand. We welcome you to the family of Christ.

Speaker 1: 24:03

The Bible says that you cannot do that without the help of the Holy Spirit, that the Holy Spirit reveals that to you, and so that is the initial baptism. That is a gift that is free. That is something you cannot do. That is what Jesus Christ finished on the cross. He did that for you. Nothing you've done.

Speaker 1: 24:19

So here's I'm coming to church. I'm filled up. That is the spirit of God living inside of me. I'm littering Spirit of God living inside of me. This is it. This is you. You are filled. You're here today. Jesus is your savior. You have the Holy Spirit inside of you. The Holy Spirit is with you today. Okay.

Speaker 1: 24:40

Now the second part is is that the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 12 and 13, for you're all baptized, got it. We're all baptized by one spirit into one body. Get it. We're all baptized by one spirit into one body. Get it. Okay, we're there. That's what I just said. And then Galatians 3 and 26,. For all sons of God, through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized, immersed into Christ, have clothed. You've put on something. You've done something more than just add a belief system, more than just going to church. This is a part of who you are. You have clothed yourself with Christ. You wear him every day. That's your first step in your spiritual journey. Is that initial yes to him A real, authentic, passionate relationship with God?

Speaker 1: 25:23

Water baptism is a separate experience from your salvation experience. So, in other words, you don't have to be water baptized to be saved, but those who accepted his message were baptized. Jesus was baptized. Why not you? I can't walk on water, I can't turn water into wine, but I can be baptized like Jesus was.

Speaker 1: 25:51

And it's a public declaration of the private decision. Because here's what Acts 2.41 says those who accepted his message were baptized. Matthew 10.32. Why is it important to be water baptized? Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge before my father in heaven. So why is the public declaration so important? Is because jesus going like hey, look at what this guy did, this is awesome. Look at he's going public. He shared me with others through water baptism, and it's baptism in the holy spirit. So we have to get this.

Speaker 1: 26:30

So so, initial baptism, second baptism being baptized in water, then this one baptism in the Holy Spirit. Remember, the disciples received the Holy Spirit when they got saved. But I want you to go to Jerusalem and wait, because I'm going to immerse you in it. This is you Holy Spirit. But if I take this same glass and I throw it into a swimming pool, that's the difference being immersed in the Holy Spirit.

Speaker 1: 27:04

Being immersed in the Holy Spirit, Not just being filled, but being immersed in the Holy Spirit. And that's what God wants for all of us. I think I give you my life, jesus. I say yes to you. You're my Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit's in me. And I've been water baptized. And if you've not been water baptized, that needs to be your next step, that needs to be where you go next, and then you need to be immersed in the Holy Spirit. I need to be immersed in the overflow of the Holy Spirit. I want to be immersed because there's so much benefit if I am immersed into the Holy Spirit. Can we track him? Are we good Pastor Matthew? It's another experience where he clothes you or immerses you in his power. I can show you tons of places, but for the sake of time I'll show you one. Remember they're preaching all over the place.

Speaker 1: 27:50

Philip went down to a city in Samaria Acts 8,. Acts 8, verse 5, and proclaimed Christ there. Bible says but when they believed first baptism, you believed. You believed Jesus Christ, philip, as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God. In the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized in water, both men and women. When the apostles can you on? When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that revival's going on, they're having church on Sunday, samaria accepted the word of God. They sent Peter and John to them. Now here. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them. Keep reading this is still the same story. They had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.

Speaker 1: 28:37

The overflowing power of the Holy Spirit is in our lives to produce two things. Why do I need to be immersed in the Holy Spirit? Why do I need to be immersed in the Holy Spirit? Why, and I want you to know it's a gift. All you have to do is God. I want to be immersed in your Holy Spirit why, and I want you to know, it's a gift. All you have to do is God, I want to be immersed in your Holy Spirit.

Speaker 1: 28:55

And the Bible says if you ask, he will do it. Because he explains it this way If you ask your father, who is an earthly man, to give you a gift, he'll give you that gift, right. If you ask for a bread, does he give you a rock. You ask for an egg, does he give you a serpent? No, then how much more does your heavenly father in heaven know how to give you good gifts when you ask? And so when you ask, he will do it. When you, I want to be immersed in your spirit, then he will do it. And the reason why he wants to do that is because here's what happens he gives you two things Number one is the fruit of the spirit and number two is the gifts of the spirit. The fruit of the Spirit and number two is the gifts of the Spirit. Gifts is one, not all, maybe more than one. Fruit of the Spirit is all, not just one.

Speaker 1: 29:42

You missed that, didn't you? A lot of you are like I got joy, but that long-suffering thing I ain't got that. That would be me showing up to your house. You asked me to bring a fruit salad. And I walk into your house with a fruit salad and there's just apples in it. You're like what is going on? But some of you are walking around this world with just one of the fruit of the Spirit, and it's wrong. You're supposed to produce all of them, all of them, all the fruit of the Spirit, all the fruit of the spirit, all the fruit of the spirit. And we're going to get there. I told you this is a lot, man.

Speaker 1: 30:22

Imagine walking down an open road lined with fruit trees on either side. The sun is bright, the road is dusty. You see a bursting with right, delicious fruit. Some branches hang so low with the abundance that the fruit falls right into the hands of the travelers passing by. Yet other trees stand barren, no fruit at at all, their leaves green but offering nothing to hungry passersby. And some trees have fruit, but it's rotten and foul, dropping useless to the ground.

Speaker 1: 30:39

So let me say this we should produce the fruit of the Spirit, we should produce that in our lives, that should be produced when we're submerged in the Spirit of God, that the fruit should be produced and that the fruit should be produced, and that the fruit of the spirit, this joy or long suffering, we're going to get impatience, all these things that the fruit of the spirit is never meant for you. The fruit was never meant for the tree. The fruit was meant for someone passing by. The fruit's not meant for you. The fruit is meant for your coworker. The fruit's not meant for you. The fruit is meant for your coworker. The fruit is meant for your family members yet to come to church. The fruit is meant for someone else. And so if that's true, then I have to make sure that I'm standing next to a tree that's actually producing fruit. Some of you are standing next to trees that don't have any fruit and you're wondering why you don't have any joy. Because they don't. It was never meant for the tree, it was always meant for the passerby.

Speaker 1: 31:47

So the Bible begins to talk to us about these trees, about how we're this tree, and then he talks about trees that don't bear fruit. He just tosses them away, and I don't want God to ever throw me away because I'm not bearing fruit, because I have this incredible opportunity to bear fruit, because I'm immersed in the Holy Spirit, and if I'm not bearing fruit, that means I'm immersed in something else. Let me just say this If I take a cucumber and I plunge it into pickle juice and I leave it there for five seconds, does it turn into a pickle? No, it has to be immersed for a long time. Some of you are just barely dip it in, some of you just barely hanging on. I'm telling you you got to be immersed in this, you got to go all in deep, you got to go into the overflow of him. So overflow will come from you.

Speaker 1: 32:37

The prophet Joel said this. He said it shall come to pass afterward that I'll pour out my spirit on all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesy. Your old men shall dream dreams. Your young men shall see visions, even the male and female servants. In those days I will pour out my spirit. Everyone's going to receive this. It's not just for a few, this is for everybody. This is Joel speaking back. I understand prophets had it. I understand certain people had it, but no, there's going to come a time that it's going to be for everybody. It doesn't matter what region you come from, it doesn't matter what gender you are. It's for everybody. And I'm telling you today it's not for a guy with a microphone standing on a stage, it's not for Ben and Priscilla leading us in worship, it's not for Pastor Matthew or Pastor Chuck. No, this is for everybody. The Holy Spirit is for you. The Holy Spirit needs to dwell in you for the sake of humanity, to be poured out on all people. This was a revolutionary statement. This was something that was so far beyond their mind of thinking.

Speaker 1: 33:30

And so, after Joel, we fast forward 800 years to the morning. In Jerusalem and around AD 33, the son of God, jesus Christ, has died for our sins, risen from the grave before ascending to heaven, he told his disciples wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit. They waited and prayed, about 120 of them together, not knowing exactly what to expect. Then, during the Jewish festival of Pentecost, the promise of Joel came bursting into fulfillment. 50 days after the resurrection, about one week after Jesus', ascension, his disciples are gathered in an upper room early in the morning. Perhaps they're singing psalms, discussing Joel's prophecy, wondering when it will happen. Suddenly they hear it. The Bible says the sound of his rushing in the upper room early in the morning. Perhaps they're singing psalms, discussing Joel's prophecy, wondering when it will happen. Suddenly they hear it. The Bible says the sound of his rushing, mighty From heaven. It fills the entire house. Tongues of fire appear on each of them. A holy windstorm shakes the house. You see fire on your friends, but not burning them, it's igniting something within them.

Speaker 1: 34:28

The scripture says in Acts 2 when the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting and divided tongues as the fire appeared on them and resting on each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. This first evidence of a gift of the Holy Spirit was them speaking in tongues, many languages. People gathered all around began to hear the impossible. They wouldn't have missed it. They heard this loud wind. They began to see, they began to partake, began to look on at what was happening. This astounding thing. He was ordinary, and Galilean Disciples are speaking in many languages, the native tongues of the visitors, parthian, egyptian, roman, more.

Speaker 1: 35:13

Each listener hears God being praised in their own tongue. It's beautiful chaos. Some are amazed, some are perplexed, some are skeptical and got jokes. Oh, they're just drunk. That's nine o'clock in the morning it's the third hour of the day. They were drunk on something new, a new wine. No, I'm gonna stay here long, but, man, you ever see somebody who's drunk? You know they're drunk, man. They're bold, they're outgoing, they're generous Everybody gets one. I think there's a correlation there, there's something if we get drunk on the right thing, that we'll be a little more bold, A little more outgoing, a little more generous.

Speaker 1: 36:17

Anyways, the Holy Spirit has filled Simon Peter with holy boldness, begins to speak to the people, begins to preach this message. Remember didn't allow his misconceptions of God, didn't have a misconception, didn't allow his mistake to keep him from God. He had the right mindset of who God was and was able to fulfill the prophecy of Joel and preach the message in Acts. And this is what he uttered to the prophet Joel. It's what Simon Peter said, and on the last days it shall be God declares that I'll pour out my spirit on all flesh and your sons and daughters shall prophesy. God's spirit was now overflowing freely. You see, it was limited. In the Old Testament, few people would have the spirit of God upon them. But now the spirit of God is for all of us and people can experience the mighty miracle works of God.

Speaker 1: 37:01

And on the day of Pentecost, peter continued to preach the scriptures of the crowd was cut to the heart and cried out brothers, what shall we do? Peter's reply how we receive this gift of the spirit personally. He replied repent, turn from your sin, but, more importantly, turn to God. See, people, don't preach that enough. It's not just about turning away from something, it's about turning to somebody. He says and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the giviness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Speaker 1: 37:27

Remember, it's a gift. It's a gift of the Holy Spirit. You don't have to beg for it. You don't beg for a gift. It's a gift. It's free for you. You just have to receive it. Receive the Holy Spirit. God's not going to bust down the door of your life to come invade it. No, god, I want you in. I want the Holy Spirit to saturate every part of my being. I wanna operate in ways that I only can operate through you, oh God. So the Spirit of God is like a river of living water, and that Spirit of living water will flow into the garden of our life and produce those fruits that we all need.

Speaker 1: 37:59

The fruits are found in Galatians, chapter five. Can I read them? But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness for everybody. Self-control Somebody like I just don't have any self-control. It's fruit of the spirit. It's all the fruit, it's everything that's in there. That's what you get when you submerge yourself into the Holy Spirit. That's what should be producing out of our lives, this life-giving fruit that comes from God, the life-giving fruit that every one of these, every one of these declaratives, every one of these words, every one of these things this world needs now more than ever.

Speaker 1: 38:43

Those nine attributes, don't you know? Those nine attributes are the character of Christ. Why do you think they're there? That's the character of Christ. The Holy Spirit is building the character of Christ in all of us. With the keys he come.

Speaker 1: 39:04

The nine quality Paul lists can be grouped as follows Love, joy, peace. These reflect our heart centered on God and trust in his goodness. If you're taking notes, take notes now. Love, joy and peace reflect the heart centered on God, patience, kindness and goodness. These flow out in how we treat others with grace, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These mark a life of integrity and self-mastery under God, love, joy and peace, patient kindness and goodness. What a beautiful harvest this is. It's never meant for the tree, it's meant for others, this hungry, hurting world. So the Spirit produces Christ-like character in us for the sake of others. That's not all. The Spirit also distributes gifts to believers Special abilities to serve and build up others. If the fruit is about who we're becoming character, gifts are about God's work through us ministry. Both are crucial, meant to complement each other. So the gifts of the Spirit.

Speaker 1: 40:19

The apostle teaches us there's many gifts of the Spirit, only close to 27 gifts of the Spirit. Now, there are varieties of gifts, 1 Corinthians 12 says, but the same spirit. And there are varieties of service, but the same Lord. And there are varieties of activities, but in the same God who empowers them all and everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the spirit for the common good. Again, any time the gift of the spirit is evident, whether it's speaking in tongues, the gifts of prophecy, gifts of healing, there's gifts of generosity that go beyond. There's these gifts Anytime.

Speaker 1: 40:53

That gift is made, evident in any situation, and it merely goes against the gift if it brings a spotlight to the one performing the gift, goes against the gift If it brings A spotlight to the one performing the gift, because the gifts were always to honor God and shine a spotlight on him. But if my gift in some way Is spotlighting me, it's not right. I'm telling you that A lot of people are being used in the gifts and they're getting the glory, not God. God gets the glory for the gifts shown, for the common good on me is not common good on God is common good. So the fruit of the Spirit is for others to be nourished by our character. The gifts of the Spirit for others be helped by our service. Don't get it miss. This is so important. The fruit of the Spirit is for others to be nourished by our service. Don't get it. This is so important. The fruit of the spirit is for others to be nourished by our character. The gifts are for service.

Speaker 1: 41:55

Paul lists include gifts like wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues and interpretation of tongues. Gifts you should have all the fruit, but you might not have more than one gift. You may have 10 gifts, I don't know, and those gifts may not always be active. You may not always be speaking in tongues and you might not want to do that. When you're checking out at Target. It'd be weird. Let me just say this the Holy Spirit isn't weird, you are.

Speaker 1: 42:34

The Bible says the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet. That means that I'm in control of it, and so we need both. We need the fruit and the gifts. We need them both. Some Christian might just chase gifts and neglect the fruit. Here's what happens. It results in a powerful ministry moments, but broken character. Others emphasize fruit but ignore gifts, resulting in loving people but maybe not stepping into the power of God that offers to serve and reach others. We need both. So here let me show you this. This is. I wrote this out this week, so I think you got another graphic right. Ethan, please have that graphic. It's like the most important graphic, okay, so it's kind of oversized, I don't know if you can shrink it, but all right, there's scriptures above it. So the left side is the left side you're looking at is fruit, the right side is gifts. So here we go, and the scriptures above it just show where these are.

Speaker 1: 43:34

About being Christ-like character, developing us, about doing abilities for ministry given to us. Go ahead, take pictures, listen, grows gradually as we bide in Christ, like fruit in a garden, give instantly, as the Spirit wills, like tools for a task. Are we good? We tracking? All right For all believers, every Christian to exhibit all the fruit increasingly varies among believers. We don't all have the same gifts, thank God, meant to bless others through our attitude and behavior? Meant to serve others through our actions and roles? Why is it so important that I'm immersed into the Holy Spirit? Is that I need this fruit to form in my life so I can build and help others? Why do I need to be immersed in the Holy Spirit? So the gifts of God can be active in my life, so I can serve and help others. The keys can come if they want. He's coming. All right, there he is. I want them to know. I'm closing. I may not be done, but I'm closing so you can see how fruit and gifts are together. Right, we good. There's clarity in that. We got that.

Speaker 1: 44:49

We need both the Spirit's character and his power. The Spirit's character, fruits of the Spirit, the power, the gifts of the Spirit. Without the other, we're incomplete. You're destined to live a supernatural life, not a natural one. Numerous times in scripture we're encouraged to find fulfillment in Christ and the Holy Spirit, not from common things or cultural things, but from holy things, embrace the person of the Holy Spirit.

Speaker 1: 45:16

So here's what we have to do we all have to remove the barriers that are in the way. Number one remove the barriers. Remove all barriers in your life. God has more steps in your spiritual journey, but it'll be you you that'll keep it from happening. God has a lot for you. Some of you need to be water baptized. Some of you need healing in your marriage. Some of you need to take steps in your spiritual journey. Some of you need to step into and maybe spiritual journey. Some of you need to step into and maybe be a part of a connect group, a small group. Some of you need to join the serve team there's. So we put up barriers in our life and God's saying if you'll just remove that, there's so much more I have for you.

Speaker 1: 45:58

See, I think a lot of people, a lot of people, have gifts. They just never know it. Have gifts they just never know it. They didn't discover it. You're stuck in snow and you've got a four-wheel drive truck that can pull a trailer and you're stuck. Well, how do I find that? I got my manual out and began to read how to do it, began to read it, began to discover it. I actually had somebody who had the same truck out. He says, hey, let me find your mail. Started helping me with my truck. See, some of you are stuck and the reason why you're stuck is you're not in the manual and you didn't go find somebody who's already seen the evidence of the gifts of God work in their life to help you discover yours. Amen, remove the barriers.

Speaker 1: 46:47

Simon Peter says repent, change your mind, change your heart, change your direction. Growing up my pastor would tell me this. He said in the Australian army they would say a word we, when we're marching in our army, we say about face, right, our military, the Australian Army, they don't say about face, they say repent. That's the word they use. Walk in a different direction.

Speaker 1: 47:17

Want to change your direction? Be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins. Get all that stuff out of the way and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children. To all who are far off, even the many, the Lord, our God, shall call the second. You can do it. You can do this.

Speaker 1: 47:43

Request the gift of the Holy Spirit. God, I just, I wanna be saturated in the Holy Spirit. I wanna be immersed in it. If you pray Holy Spirit, whatever you have for me is good. I want I immersed in it. If you pray Holy Spirit, whatever you have for me is good. I want I'll take it all. Trust that everything that God has for you is good. Don't filter through it. Don't filter through it, god, I just give it all. Don't talk yourself out on what God wants to give you. I don't want normal Christianity, I want supernatural Christianity. Normal's not enough. Normal's what the world does. I want supernatural. Don't filter it through. Well, I don't get it, or that seems weird, or that seems strange. Why does that happen? Just say, lord, if you have something for me, I'll take it. It's a good gift, I promise. And finally, number three receive him. Or one more receive him by faith.

Speaker 1: 49:00

There's a prophecy in Ezekiel. Let me just walk you through it. There's a prophecy in Ezekiel and the Bible says that he's a man with a measuring line in his hand. He measured 1,000 cubits and then it threw water. Here's what happened, and you can follow through along as I'm going. Just know that I'm telling the story and they can see it on the screen. I'm not gonna read it, it'd take too long.

Speaker 1: 49:17

The Bible says there's waters and they're not ankle deep Right here I don't know if you've ever been to the pool or the ocean or anything you just go on ankle deep, the waves are crashing, you're in the water, but you're not submerged. You're just at your ankles and just barely wet. You can feel the temperature of the water, but the water's not controlling you. Then it goes up to I believe it's the knees. Right, it goes up to the knees. What is that like? I'm halfway in. Even the prophecy in Revelation talks about being halfway in, halfway out. This, this, this, this. I'm good here. This is in God. Oh, this is up here.

Speaker 1: 50:15

I go to church on Sunday, but I still like to party on Friday. These are Jesus's. This is to the waist right Now for some. You know that's everything. You know. I'm giving you my future, I'm giving you this, but I still want to control things. I still want to control a little bit. I still want to have my hands on those things.

Speaker 1: 50:56

And finally he measured to a river that he could not cross. All of a sudden, he's submerged totally into the water. And I'll tell you this. There's some of you that your ankle your knee, your waist, but God says I want you to be totally submerged in this. It gives us a beautiful picture of what it feels like to go in all in a spiritual journey. I'm inviting you to take more steps to worship more freely, to start serving, to get water baptized, to step into things of God. I'm inviting you on this journey. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Ultimately, you remove the barriers, you request the Holy Spirit and you receive it by faith, so that you can finally relate to him daily. I pray that the Holy Spirit will overflow in your life. Stand with me this morning.