0:14 Uh let's read from Galatians chapter 3 vers 13 and 14. Galatians chapter 3 13 and 14. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law having become c having become a 0:32 curse for us. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree." In order that in Christ Jesus, the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles so that we would receive the promise of the 0:48 spirit through faith. Let's pray. Lord Jesus, we thank you for your love for us, for this church, the way you're building us up, Lord, week after week. and thank you for the message you have for the church today for all of 1:06 us. Lord, even as I share the burden that you have laid in my heart, I want to be your voice, a powerful voice for you. Help me Lord. I need your strength as I speak your word Lord with my human uh ability. Please help me Lord. I need 1:25 you in Jesus name. Amen. Okay. So, uh today we the last song I don't know how many people remember the last song that we sang. Standing on the promises of God. Standing on the promises of God. Why these promises are 1:44 so powerful? Uh is it is there anything power in the word itself? No. The power comes because of the one the giver of the promise. Who is the giver of the promise? Promises of God. And what is his attribute? His attribute uh is God 2:01 is not a man to lie. It says in numbers chapter 23, man's words fail. Man gives a lot of promises but uh they may not keep it all the time but God if he makes a promise he will make sure that it will come to pass in his time. Uh that's a 2:20 shity for us. That's why we can go to him and trust him and u no matter what his promises are going to be true. Um and also um it says that verse that I was mentioning numbers 23:19 God is not a 2:38 man that he should lie nor a son of man that he would change his mind. Has he said and he will will he not do it? Or has he spoken uh and will he not make it good? So when he has spoken something he will make it to pass. And then today we 2:55 I just read this verse from Galatians chapter 3 uh in 34 verse 34 towards the end there is a promise that is uh given to all the Gentiles that in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham come to the Gentiles so that we would 3:09 receive the promise of the spirit through faith. Uh this is the promise uh that I want to focus on today. The promise of the spirit through faith. Um the Holy Spirit being our birthright. Many times we heard in our uh in many of 3:25 the messages, it is the birthright of every child of God. Every member uh when we become the child of God, whoever puts their trust in Jesus, we become his sons and daughters and we enter into his God's family. So every member in the 3:40 God's family has this birthright and this is enabled. We see that in verse 13 in Galatians chapter 13. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law because he became curse for us. Jesus became a curse for us. Can you just think about 3:56 it? The God who is holy became a curse for us uh because he was paying the penalty for all of our sins. He received the punishment for all that we deserve. And as it says curses everyone who hangs on a tree. The entire world is 4:12 celebrating Good Friday and Easter. And uh for us every day we must remember the what happened on Calvary. And on Calvary Jesus exchanged his beauty for the ashes. He became a curse for us. And that enabled us all of us Gentiles the 4:28 blessings of Abraham. And one of the greatest blessing we have is to receive the promise of the spirit um through faith. Uh last week what was the memory verse we me memorized? Anyone remembers last week's memory verse? So we do commands and 4:47 promises. Commands and promises. One side we do remember commands of God and other thing is promise of God. So it is from Matthew 3:13. He will baptize us with holy in the Holy Spirit and fire. I don't know how many of you just 5:03 memorized or meditated on it. It would be good to hold on to this promise uh because Lord you said it you will baptize me with the Holy Spirit and fire. Uh being a father I know my children when I promise something to them they will always come back to me 5:19 when they were children like my eldest one when he was young he was more persistent than the others. Dad dad you said it you said you will give me this you'll purchase me this toy or do something whatever. He keeps reminding 5:32 me sometimes he puts a small note where I'm walking so that I will always remember that I promised and this is a promise in the beginning of the gospel that he will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and fire. Um um oh who is the Holy Spirit? I I don't 5:50 want to spend too much time on that. Uh we all know I I think that's a all subject by itself the trinity but father son and the holy spirit. Today we were singing the song praise the father, praise the son, praise the holy spirit. 6:02 Holy Spirit is the uh person, third person in the trinity. And um he's God. He's equal with God. He's a person. Uh there are few verses that I'll just point out. Uh when Anrenius uh in in Acts when Anas was lying to Peter and 6:20 Peter responds this way when they say that they bought it, they sold it for this much but they said this much. And he says this Acts chapter 5. But Peter said, "Andas, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to 6:36 misappropriate the proceeds of the land? You have not lied to men but to God." If you combine these two verses together, lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God. Holy Spirit being God. Equal with Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. All of 6:50 them are equal in the Trinity. And um also in 1 Corinthians chapter 3:16, do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in you? Temple of God and the spirit of God. So God, the spirit of God being God 7:07 himself. So there should not be any question in us that who is this Holy Spirit is he equal? He is equal. He's a third person in the trinity. Um when I was born again, I did not receive a lot of teaching about this person of the 7:21 Holy Spirit. Uh I was born again. I was a Catholic. I raised as a Catholic. Um there was a little bit of teaching about the Holy Spirit. Of course, we believe in trinity. And then when I was born again, it was in a non-denominational 7:33 church. And I was uh I was very zealous um because God lifted up the burden of sin in my life and I was so happy and joyful serving God. But over a period of time and I was also attending some church like Baptist church. Uh it was 7:51 all good. The word of God was really powerful working in my life. Over a period of time, I became very dry and legalistic. There was the I saw the spiritual dryness, lacking power, overpowered by sin, defeated by sin, trying to produce something on my own. 8:06 There's not much of fruit. Uh coming to a point of frustration, need Lord, this is not exactly what I thought Christianity is about. Where is the joy? The joy is missing. The joy is missing. Then um I was also attending um a a 8:21 brethren assembly along with uh Indian fellowship which is mostly non-denominational and uh the word of god was powerful very good uh but still there was the dryness bothered me and um one of our friends uh who were from 8:36 Pentecostal background they have t they have uh uh taught us a little bit about the holy spirit and also we attended some pentecostal meetings some special prayer meetings I learned something about the Holy Spirit and the display of 8:49 uh the Holy Spirit's gifts. Uh even though uh I I saw something good in that but I was disturbed by the noise and the cows and all of that I was taken back. So I could I did not proceed going there. So at one side I see word of God 9:02 being um taught in one of some of the churches. On the other side the the Holy Spirit teaching is taking to one extent where the very manifestation was like sometime something is off here even though there are things that I can learn 9:15 and thank God uh we found CFC church uh because where this is where we found me and my wife uh the perfect balance between in the teaching of the uh word of God and also the Holy Spirit. Uh we need the word of God. We need the Holy 9:29 Spirit. Uh word of God being like a track and uh and our life uh like a train on the track uh with a steam. The steam being the power of the Holy Spirit taking us making progress in the Christian life. Um sometimes I see I I 9:44 used to hear sermons for 1 hour but they're so dry and dull and dead as dead bones. And some people speak for 5 minutes. There is anointing. There is fresh freshness in that. I know this is for from God. I know God is speaking to 9:57 me. What is the difference? Same Bible, same verses, same thing. But there is a difference in in the people. Uh there's a difference in the anointment. Where are the rivers of the living water? God has promised that one day will come out 10:09 of everyone who believes and who receives the Holy Spirit. Um yeah, so some people say, "Yeah, we already received the Holy Spirit when we were born again." Uh yeah, it is true. uh when we receive when we ask Jesus to come into our heart, it is the Holy 10:27 Spirit who comes into our lives and changes us. We were dead in our sins and trespasses. It is the spirit of God who quickened us, who gave us life. But uh today uh how is your life? How is my life? If it is defeated, if the joy is 10:42 missing, the song is gone and I feel anxious all the time, worried about all the time. There's not much of difference that I see from unbelievers. I'm not united with my wife. There's always quarreling, there's grumbling like yeah, 10:53 you received the Holy Spirit. What about the life today? So definitely I saw the need. I don't want to argue and debate with someone who says we already received the Holy Spirit. But I felt I mean during those times uh I felt I am 11:05 in need. I need the Holy Spirit. And um uh and of course we all went through there is a there's a role that Holy Spirit played as I mentioned when we were convicted of our sin. John chapter 16 says when the holy spirit comes he 11:20 will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness. It is his job. And also in the salvation Titus 3:es 5 and 6 um it says he saved us not because of the works done by us in righteousness but according to his own mercy by the 11:39 washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our savior. It is God who has done this work through the Holy Spirit. So definitely there's a work of holy spirit when we are born 11:54 again. But my point is is that enough and let's see what uh the scriptures talks about and then we know um uh what g especially uh I want to focus on uh from acts chapter 1 um the entire world 12:12 is celebrating Easter. So let's read about what some of the events that happened after the resurrection. So Acts chapter 1. So chapter 1:3. To these he also presented himself alive. It's talking 12:31 about Jesus after his suffering by many convincing proofs appearing to them over a period of 40 days. Speaking to them uh speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God and gathering them together. 12:49 Notice this verse. He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the father had promised, which he said, you heard of me. For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy 13:07 Spirit not many days from now. There are a lot of things to think about in these couple of verses. Jesus has given the great commission. These disciples were with Jesus. They are believers. If the thief on the cross could go to the 13:20 paradise, that that means even these people are ready to go to heaven. They believed in Jesus, they got this great commission. They need to be go uh take this gospel to the entire world and be witnesses. And he's he spoke he spoke 13:34 about the kingdom of God for 40 days. Everything is good. Now he's commanding is not a suggestion. He's commanding them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait. So he got everything. He got the mission ready. Sometimes we get something some 13:49 commands we just rush to uh do what he's saying. But he's saying wait not many days. He did not tell the timeline. Not many days from now you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. But the John baptized with water but now you will be 14:04 baptized with the Holy Spirit. Not many days from now. Um and immediately look at this next verse verse six. It says when they had come together they were asking Lord is it at this time you're restoring the kingdom of Israel. So 14:18 still after being with Jesus after tell I mean this their minds are still so earthly they are think still thinking about earthly kingdom that Jesus was supposed to establish in their mindset but immediately again Jesus in verse 7 14:34 let's read slowly he said to them it is not for you to know times and or epochs which the father has fixed by his own authority it's not for you for my job to understand the timeline so this talks about a lot of many of us who seek 14:49 knowledge from the scripture from the word of God trying to decifer some timelines when we read the book of revelation these things uh the knowledge about a lot of things but Jesus again trying to take their attention back to 15:02 this topic of holy spirit in verse uh 7 he says it's not for you to know and then verse 8 but you will receive the power when the holy spirit has come upon you shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem And in all Judea, Samaria and even to 15:20 the remotest parts of the earth, you will receive power. When Holy Spirit comes into our lives, you will receive power. Power. Holy Spirit is equal to power. And um you shall be my witnesses. Not not even for preaching or anything 15:36 just to be witnesses. All of us may not have the gift of teaching and preaching, but we all need to be witnesses for Christ. Not just in Jerusalem. It starts with Jerusalem and Judea, Samaria and at most parts of the earth that is from 15:49 starting in our own homes then church and to the places of work and neighbors and everyone. Um this is a this is where Jesus stopped them wait asked them to wait commanded them to wait and thankfully these disciples waited you 16:06 know it says in verse 14 in the same chapter Acts 1:14 these all with one mind were continually continually devoting themselves to prayer along with the woman Mary mother of Jesus and with his brothers. My question is what do you 16:24 think they must be praying about now? They received a promise. They received a command. What they must be praying about something. They were all united uh were all in King James it says one accord one mind praying. I think they must be 16:38 praying. Lord you promise that you will send the Holy Spirit and they're praying and waiting the days. He did not say next like Pentecost is coming in 10 days. On the day of Pentecost you will be baptized. No, the timeline was 16:51 uncertain, but they still waited on the Lord until the Holy Spirit was given. And we see that in Acts chapter 2. And if some of them got uh like impatient and they left, they would have missed this greatest gift, the promise of the 17:07 father. He did not even say there are a lot of promises of God, promises of God. But here, look at this. What Jesus said uh about Holy Spirit. He says the what the father has promised promise of the father. If my dad has given this promise 17:23 just because I now I am his son and I don't want to miss it. I want to get it. I want to get fullest. I want to get everything that he has promised. And we see the work of the holy spirit later on. Um in acts of the apostles it's 17:36 actually acts of the holy spirit. Jesus said it is advantage that I go back to the father so that you will receive the holy spirit because everything that you see in acts of the apostles the disciples did it through the power of 17:49 the holy spirit you see the holy spirit working time and again time and again uh and you see the references uh for example uh when Peter uh Peter stood up and spoke for a few minutes it's not a biggest sermon uh until before they were 18:06 baptized with the holy spirit in acts chapter knew they were fighting about who is number one. They're thinking about the earthly kingdom. Once the Holy Spirit came, they became one and they started speaking in tonesues was the the 18:17 tongues of fire came upon them and they started speaking in tonesues and praising God in their own in different tongues and people were confused and then Peter who stood up and spoke this sermon and it is not a long sermon as I 18:31 said it's a short sermon but the verse that says uh in uh chapter 2:37 now when they heard this they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and rest of the apostles, brethren, what shall we do? This is the work of the 18:45 Holy Spirit. Uh they were pierced because every word that Peter spoke was spoken with the power of the Holy Spirit. And again, Peter and John one day they went to pray and there was a lame man and the lame man wanted healing. And Peter and John said, 18:59 "Silver and gold have I done but in the name of Jesus rise up and walk." If they were not filled with the Holy Spirit, probably they would have given some silver and gold and he would have been a leper all the time. And it is holy 19:10 spirit who separated Paul and Barnabas for his mission. It is the holy spirit who told Philip go and follow this hun and teach him about the scripture and then it is holy spirit who uh helped him to get baptized and then he and then 19:24 took philip to a different place. Time and again time and again we see the work of the holy spirit coming again and again throughout this book of the acts of apostles. I I highly recommend please read them read this book and you'll be 19:38 blessed. And even in chap Luke 24:49 Jesus was actually reminding again I behold I am sending the promise of my father upon you but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from a from on high. You must be 19:56 clothed with power on high. You are going to a battlefield. You know how much how many battles they had to go through. They were beaten for preaching the gospel. But they said no none of these things are going to stop. It is 20:08 like they come rejoicing when they were beaten and they say uh it's like we cannot stop preaching about what we have received. Uh see it's in chapter 4 verse 20 for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard when they 20:23 were beaten. This is what the response is because they were filled with the Holy Spirit. There was so much boldness. If we are afraid all the time, we are fearful. My dear brothers and sisters, let's seek the filling of the Holy 20:35 Spirit and uh so that we can serve God in his through his power. Um think about even in Acts chapter 6, there was a dispute about the food distribution when the church was growing between some uh group of widows against other group of 20:50 widows. And uh Acts chapter 6, please turn to Acts chapter 6 and um chapter 6 chapter verse one and talks about this complaint about the food distribution and the 12 the 12 disciples summon the congregation and said it is not 21:06 desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. They were given a mission to preach the word and teach the word. They said we cannot uh focus on food distribution but select among the brethren select among you 21:20 seven men of good reputation full of the spirit and of wisdom whom we may put in charge for this task for distributing food. They needed people full of holy spirit and wisdom. Think about it and we do a lot of things in the church. Uh we 21:37 are uh we have a lot of responsibility singing starting with ushering singing uh Sunday school memory verses everything leading children's memory verse uh if people who distributed food needed the power of the holy spirit and 21:52 that was their qualification you go to a job description they say these are the qualifications the qualification is full of holy spirit and wisdom how much more we need when we do a lot of things for the lord uh and all these things Why what enabled 22:08 the Holy Spirit to be given to us? Uh it's uh it is Jesus because Jesus died for us. He became a curse for us and when he went back that enable until then and he was he was reminding his disciples so many times in John chapter 22:24 14, John chapter 16, he talks about the spirit of uh truth. He says you'll obey my commandments but I will give you a helper. He will abide you with uh with you forever. Let's uh open John chapter 14 quickly. I want to point out few 22:39 verses there. Um uh John chapter 16 verse 7. But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, 22:58 the helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And it says when he comes, he will convict the world of sin and all that. And um I have many more things to say to you. Verse 12. But you cannot bear them now. But 23:12 when the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own initiative. But whatever he hears, he will speak. And he will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify me for he will 23:28 take of mine and will disclose it to you. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Jesus. He will disclose what he heard. He will take the things of Jesus and he will disclose to us. Uh what an important ministry and what an 23:43 important role holy spirit plays in our lives. Um and again uh chapter 14 also verse 16. I will ask the father and he will give you another helper that he may be with you forever. That is the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive 23:59 because it does not see him or know him but you know him because he abides with you and will be with you. Um there's so many things that so many promises about the Holy Spirit um we see in the scripture if you carefully read them. 24:19 Um so what is the application for us and then um so there is another verse that I want to focus on Ephesians chapter 5 this in the New Testament Ephes Ephesians chapter 5 verse 18 and we all know this verse we heard it so many 24:38 times um verse 18 in the second part it's a not Even actually the full verse verse 18 uh the let me read the full verse and do not get drunk with wine for that is dissipation but be filled with the 24:58 spirit. Some translations actually says be being filled continuously being filled. Uh and then we see some of the verses. Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your 25:15 heart to the Lord, always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father, and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. I see these are the uh these are the characteristics of a 25:29 spiritfilled man. He has a song. He's singing hymns and praising uh making melody in your heart to the Lord. If the song has left in our lives uh no matter how many years we have been Christian, if the song is missing, the joy is 25:43 missing. Brother and sister, let's go back to this verse. Be filled with the Holy Spirit and uh always giving thanks in all things. If we are struggling to give thanks in all things, I'm I'm going through a lot of trials. Um be filled 25:58 with the Holy Spirit, subject to one another. If there is a spirit of rebellion in us, we're not able to subject to the authorities. We're not wife and husband not able to uh be subject to one another. The answer is here. Go to God. Be filled with the Holy 26:12 Spirit. It is the promise of the father. The father has given this promise. Let's claim this promise. And then rest of the Ephesians chapter 5 talks about family life. Uh talks about the wife and husband relationship. Talks about 26:24 children. Talks about masses and slaves. It talks about the spiritual battle. talks about the armor of God. All of that enabled through being filled with the Holy Spirit. Um so I I cannot uh emphasize enough in the short time I 26:40 have but I want to take you again to one of the chapter Luke chapter 11. Uh Luke chapter 11 again there's a beautiful description about the Holy Spirit. And I was as I was meditating God was speaking to me more uh from this 26:57 chapter Luke chapter 11. It says uh let's u read from beginning it says Jesus was praying in a certain place and after he had finished one of his disciples said to him Lord teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples. Jesus was a 27:17 praying man as we see and disciples saw Jesus praying all the time and they were Lord Lord teach us how to pray and they came to the right person and then he said when you pray and then he talks about the Lord's prayer we all know I'm 27:32 not going to deep into that uh but I want to focus on the verses uh from five onwards he says let's read slowly suppose then he said to them suppose one of you had a friend and goes to him at midnight and says to him, "Friend, lend 27:49 me three loaves, for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey and I have nothing to set before him. Nothing. I have nothing." And from inside he answers and says, "Do not bother me. The door has already been shut and 28:06 my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything." I tell you even though he will not get up and give him anything because it is he's his friend yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him 28:23 as much as he needs. Just focus on this uh phrase as much as he needs. So I say to you ask and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be open to you. For everyone everyone who asks receives. He 28:43 who seeks finds and to him who knocks it will be open. Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son or for a fish he will not give him a snake instead of a fish and Jesus is saying will he? Question mark. Or if he is 29:02 asked for an egg he will not give him a scorpion. Again question mark. will he? If you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly father give the holy spirit to 29:21 those who ask him. And why these two uh things are linked? Uh I see a connection here. When Jesus was praying and disciples went to uh Jesus and asked teach us to pray and he prayed this prayer and when he explained here I know 29:39 what he was praying about also he was praying to be filled with the Holy Spirit because he knows the ministry he has he's he's uh walking on this earth he's a man he needed to be filled with the Holy Spirit and he's talking about 29:53 his father he has seen this quality right father will give as much as he needs it's not like his friend but because of your persistent persistence uh because of your persistence he will give as much as you need but go and ask 30:08 him and uh he's comparing you fathers many of you are fathers many of us are fathers or fatherly figures if someone one of my child comes and ask give me fish or take this snake I would not do that in my wildest thought to my 30:23 children I will give not one fish more than one fish and egg if he asks Ask for egg will I give you a scorpion will I give something harmful no when see God Jesus is Jesus knows the father more than anyone he revealed the father to us 30:39 and he's saying this is how the father operates when we go to him do you think he will give something evil to us no you evil fathers give the good gifts how much more our loving heavenly father the promise of the father holy spirit the 30:53 promise of the father and look at this expression as much as he needs Growing up in India, we had a water problem. So sometimes the water tanker comes or the the municipality gives the water connection only for few hours. 31:08 Then we bring every little tumbler, every small bucket to fill. So as much as we have so many tumblers, you have so much water. The water is connection is there. But all I need to do is bring if there is rain coming and I want to fill 31:22 my uh buckets of water like I'll just go and bring as much as I can. It's not the limitation of the rain. It's a limitation of myself. Be being filled with the Holy Spirit. As I deny my flesh, as I crucify my flesh, as I give 31:35 more room, empty myself of the fleshly deeds, God will keep me filling. As Ephesians 5:18 said, fill be filled with the Holy Spirit. May this be our prayer. Lord, you said ask. I'm asking. You are my good father. This is a promise that 31:48 you have given to me. And you told your disciples, do not even go. You cannot do nothing. I can do nothing apart from you. Apart from you, I can do nothing. But I can do all things through Christ. It is not by by might by power but by my 32:01 spirit. Uh the Lord says uh how much more Joel 2:28 uh this is a wonderful there's so many promises about uh pouring out of holy spirit. He says in the last days I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and daughters shall prophecy slaves 32:18 every single one. There is no distinction. The promise of the promise given to Abraham is come true. the every gentile, everyone is eligible. It's your birthright. The devil, the enemy has cheated us, has blinded our eyes. It is 32:33 this is what it is. Uh you know, you have to just obey. We have to just uh read the word. Yes, that's all true. But where is the power? The power Jesus said the power comes from the Holy Spirit. Go I it's advantageous that I go to him, go 32:48 to my father so that he will send the Holy Spirit. What a beautiful thing to think what happened in acts chapter 2 when the holy spirit came upon them they became one in the church we have uh we are coming from different cultures the 33:01 only way we can become one is that individually we being filled with the holy spirit that the becoming one becomes easy and when Peter is speaking he's the tongue for the body of Christ no one is saying oh why is he getting 33:13 prominence no everyone is backing him up and when Peter spokes so many people 3,000 people repented and they for all baptized. Uh that's how the word of God pierces into our hearts when spoken with the power with authority. Uh may the 33:29 Lord help us not just this is not just for anyone but all of us we have opportunities to encourage one another through our fellowship through prophecy uh children's words. All of us we need the power of the Holy Spirit. This is 33:41 this is not an option. This is not a suggestion. Jesus said it is good to have holy spirit. We are commanded uh we are commanded to wait and uh for this promise of the father. Let's claim let's go back to him. Father you promised. 33:54 Father you said you will give me the holy spirit. Give me I'm in need. I cannot do anything. I cannot not just min nothing. I want to be a godly husband. I want to be a godly father. I want to be a fully functioning member of 34:06 Christ. I want to do your will. I want to serve you. Fill me with your holy spirit. Give me the power from on high just as you promised and the father will give because it is the his promise he will fulfill. May the Lord help all of 34:23 us. Thank you, brother Sarin. Um I guess what I hope right now for everybody is like just there's a longing to be filled with the spirit of Christ, the Holy Spirit. Is that nod? If that's kind of what's in you, you can shake your head if it's not 34:42 what's in you. And that's what I that's what I have right now is just a Lord of more desires as SE walked us through the scriptures. He started in Galatians with that that promise and I'll come back to that, but then took us 34:55 through to the beginning of Acts and just you see the awesome power of the Holy Spirit immediately. Uh first of all, Jesus promising it. Listen, I'm I'm going to go to my father, but I'm going to give you the Holy Spirit, and you're going to 35:12 experience power. Are you experiencing power in your Christian life? I mean, I think most of us focus on the most Christians, I think, focus on the cross cuz on the cross, our sins are forgiven. Jesus took the punishment. He became the 35:24 curse on the tree and uh you know, my sins are forgiven. But then there's a higher level where we say, I don't just want my f sins forgiven. I want to live a life of overcoming sin and I hope each of you are there. But I recognize the weakness of my flesh 35:41 and I see that I need power. Well, where does that power come from? And then you're stirred. You say, "I need you to fill me and give me power to overcome sin. I hate sin." I hope you've declared war on sin and you hate 35:54 it. and you see that you need his presence and his power coming into you and filling you and giving you power to put your flesh to death. But there's still a higher level. There's still a higher level even than that that the Holy Spirit comes 36:10 upon you with power. When I was 13, I was 12 years old, 12, 13 years old. And I grew up in Oklahoma and it was so boring in Oklahoma. And I remember one sum one summer I had a relative that from a an exciting city that said, "Why 36:25 don't you come spend the summer with me?" And so I was excited, right? I get to leave boring Oklahoma and get to go stay in this. I'm not going to tell you the city, but it's an exciting city. And there was so many things to do when 36:39 you're a kid from from a a country town and you get to go to a big city. And then, you know, so I'm there about a week or two and then uh my my relative tells me, "Hey, your dad's going to come get you in the morning." I was like, 36:54 "Oh, okay." And I thought, "Well, maybe something's at home." So, my dad drove up, drove all the way to this big city, uh the next day, picked me up, and took me home. And uh I, you know, wasn't sure what happened, but you know, I was 12 37:09 years old. So years later, that relative told me, I'm now I'm in my 20s. And my relative told me, they said, she said, "You were too much for us. We couldn't wait till you left. In fact, we actually called your parents and told them to come get you because we 37:28 were we were done with you." In other words, and to some degree, I'd become a curse to that family. And it bo it it bothered me like anything, you know, that I was such so miserable to be around that they couldn't wait till my 37:41 dad came and got me and took me back to boring Oklahoma. But in two days, in two days, Josh, Amber, and Zimry are going to go to Africa. We're going to go to Africa. And I pray, if you want to pray for our family on this trip, here's what you can 37:58 pray. You're welcome to pray for travel mercies. Pray that those planes don't crash. Please, if you if you the Lord leads you to pray for that, pray for that. And pray that we don't get sick. That's fine, too. But beyond that, pray 38:11 for us that we will be a blessing to every family of the earth that we meet. That we wouldn't be a curse. That when we get there, they're not waiting for us to leave. That they they that were a blessing. that the Holy Spirit of Christ 38:28 has done such a work on us that it's a joy for for them that we're there. And then then that's how we should pray for each other in this church, right? We pray that when we when when each of us go different places that that's what's happening. Lord, anoint 38:46 them. Let your spirit come upon them. We we're knocking again. They're traveling again. Lord, make them a blessing, not a curse. And God wants to do it. Let me read that verse. This is what G this is what Sarin started with. Galatians 3:13. Christ has 39:04 redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, cursed is everyone who hangs on the tree. Christ bore the reproach of my sin. But it doesn't stop there. Verse 14. That the blessing of Abraham might 39:20 come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus. that we might receive the promise of the spirit through phrase. I am as gentile as they come. I'm not Jewish. I have no right to claim the promise of Abraham. Abraham had tremendous faith and God 39:39 honored it and said, "Through you and your descendants, I will make you a blessing to all the nations." You can go read it in Genesis, Genesis 123, I think. Go read that promise. But how do I, a gentile from boring Oklahoma, stand 39:53 up and claim the same promise? If God didn't promise it in his word, it would be sheer arrogance of me. But I instead I ask for prayers from you and say, "Hey, I'm going to be traveling. Me, a gentile, I'm going to be traveling. Pray that the Holy Spirit 40:11 would come upon me and I would be a blessing. I want to go up higher. I don't want to be miserable to be around. And I want to be I want to bless others. And it's not just because I want to. It's because this the scriptures 40:26 promise that. And it's not just when I when we travel far places. It's when we when we get up and we go to work tomorrow. Dear brother or sister, have you ever knocked on the door and said, "I got to go to work tomorrow. Lord, would you anoint me with 40:42 your Holy Spirit so that I am a blessing?" And again, it may be some some cases, it might be like Bonoy's message last last week. In some cases, you may be not be a blessing because you're you're a reproach because of the cross of Christ. 40:56 In other words, you may not always be a blessing because they they don't like the message of the cross. They don't like the message of Jesus. That's fine. I can handle that. But I don't want it to be because of me or because of my lack of 41:09 power. When we go, dear brothers and sisters, as the body of Christ, when we go anywhere, we need his anointing and we need his power so that we can be a blessing and fulfill this promise. And so all we're doing, it's not arrogance. All we're doing in faith 41:25 is saying, "Lord, you said that Gentiles like us can be a blessing to all the families of the earth." You told Abraham that, and then in Jesus, you said that that can even be us as spiritual descendants of Abraham. Do you believe 41:38 that? Is your heart stirred as as Sarin shared all those verses from Luke and from Acts and from John where you're like, "Oh, wow. This is available." Are you reminded like I I don't know that I ask enough. I don't know that I really value his Holy Spirit 41:55 enough to go ask him. Maybe I I I remember like a couple weeks ago I I knocked and I said, "Hey, I want I want your spirit." But I I've kind of forgotten to keep asking, to not give up and keep asking until you make me a blessing. Somebody 42:10 that used to be such a miserable curse in Christ can be filled with his spirit and bless others. That's every one of us in this room if we if we have the faith to believe it. And if we'll keep going to him and saying, "I'm not experiencing 42:26 yet. Not yet. Not yet." And this is a way that we can continue to pray for each other and continue to knock and continue to ask and continue to seek until it becomes an absolute reality that we we're blessed because we haven't seen the physical body of Jesus. 42:43 We're we were not witnesses of his resurrection. But here's what we can be witnesses of the power of the Holy Spirit in our life. And if you have love for others and if you have power in your life, you can be a witness of that and say, "God did it. 43:01 He took somebody like me and made me somebody like him." Amen. Let's bow our heads together. Heavenly Father, we come to you through the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the 43:19 now risen savior, who once emptied himself of everything, came as a man, experienced all the temptation and and suffering we did we did do on this earth and yet never once sinned and revealed his awesome power through a resurrected 43:37 life. And heavenly father, we thank you that we have forgiveness in Christ Jesus. And we thank you that you're giving us victory over sins and sanctifying us in different areas of our life. But Lord, we want this promise. Lord, we want to be a blessing 43:53 to everybody that we meet on this earth, every family. And Lord, we know that the answer is in your spirit. And Lord, we thank you that Jesus when he left sent a helper. And Lord, forgive us for not valuing it and not taking it seriously 44:09 and maybe knocking a few times and then giving up on asking. But Lord, as my brother shared and as our spirits are stirred, we ask again. Lord, fill us up. Show us any obstacle, anything that's in the way of rivers of living water beginning to 44:27 flow. Lord, those of us that are just experiencing a trip trickle of water, Lord, remove the blockage. Remove any stones, anything, whether it's unbelief or whether it's any sin or any weight. Lord, let's clear it together and let your spirit fill 44:46 us so that we can truly bless others and fulfill the promise that you want to accomplish through us, Gentiles. Lord, you're so good. Your ways are good. Everything you do is perfect. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for the resurrection. Thank you for the 45:04 Holy Spirit that wants to come and give us the power to live godly lives and to bless the world around us. And thank you dear father for your tremendous patience and love towards us. We pray all these things in your precious name. Amen.
