0:02 [music] >> Hi family. Nice to see everybody. Um, I'm so happy that we get to be here and uh I I don't know. Maybe it's my uh 10th youth gathering. I don't know, something like that. 0:21 Everyone has been better than the last. And I believe that this is going to be the best youth gathering we've ever had. So, I hope everybody has that sense of expectation and that sense of eagerness to know what the Lord is going to do uh 0:36 in us and and in our midst. I was really blessed uh as I was listening to uh Bro. Ajay and uh one of the lines that he said right at the end, you spoke about the two disciples who came to see Jesus, Andrew and the other disciple and I was 0:54 blessed to kind of use my imagination alongside Bro. Ajay uh about this maybe this brother who this disciple who came to Jesus but was maybe offended by the ordinariness of Jesus' life. That blessed me to think about because 1:10 uh the truth is that we can all be kind of offended by the ordinariness of life. And we can think that and while it's true as we heard in multiple testimonies, there's no greater adventure than the life of a disciple. Absolutely amen 110%. 1:27 There's no greater adventure than the life of of a disciple. It's also true that the daily life of a disciple can be quite ordinary and I can I I think it's very true that we can imagine that Jesus' life if the disciples came home, he said, 1:42 "Come and see." And maybe he made some dinner and he washed the dishes, they go, "So, is this it?" You know. The and it's he he was happy to do his father's will. And I can never get tired of I'm just putting my phone on do not disturb by 1:55 the way. I can never get tired of um of appreciating the Lord how he saw fit to hide Jesus' life from us. 18 years of his life, we don't know anything about. And uh you know, from the time he was 12 till the time he was 30, we know nothing 2:13 about. And yet the Lord Jesus was perfectly happy to live in obscurity. And that is a testimony in and of itself to you. Hopefully, each and every one of us living very ordinary daily lives, Jesus on the day that he was baptized, 2:30 the Father's testimony was what? "This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased." And what had Jesus done by way of sermons or miracles or anything that any historian would have found noteworthy? Other than getting lost as a child, you 2:47 know, there's basically nothing, right? And yet the Father was well pleased. And that should be a huge encouragement to all of us that the ordinariness of our lives doesn't keep our lives from pleasing the Lord. And nor nor was that a uh 3:03 nor was that you know, uh something that Jesus avoided. Jesus entered into human existence and lived a very ordinary life. It says in Hebrews that he had to be made like his brethren in all things. It says that the angels 3:19 can't give help to the sons of men, but Jesus can because he he had a passion to be made like his brethren in all things. So that he might be a sympathetic high priest. And it's because we have a sympathetic high priest that we can run to the 3:34 throne of grace with confidence because he knows what it's like to be tempted. He knows what it's like to, you know, to deal with ordinary days. Anyway, I just say that it in passing because it blessed me to think about that what the 3:47 kind of warning that I took from that is, "Don't be offended by ordinary days." Don't be troubled. Maybe that's that's the disciple we never hear from again. I don't know. Um don't be offended by ordinary days. Most of our days are quite ordinary. 4:02 That's okay. That's okay. And that's a great adventure. And the Lord wants to meet with us there and we can please the Lord even in the midst of those quite ordinary days. So, I just say that as a as a way to kind of bridge 4:15 uh from the from what we heard uh earlier this morning. If you will please turn to with me to John uh Luke chapter 24. Luke chapter 24. This is after the Lord Jesus has been raised and he's about to ascend to 4:34 heaven. And he was on the road to Emmaus with the disciples that we know. Again, two disciples. Hopefully who ended better. Um and I wanted just to start here. As I was praying about this theme, finding contentment in Christ alone. That's 4:53 that's that's the theme of our meditations over this weekend. I felt the Lord put a burden on my heart for me. So, what I want to share with you all is just what the Lord spoke to me as I as I have been seeking to find contentment in Christ 5:08 alone. And um I always find comfort in sharing what the Lord has spoken to me because I believe that is a if it's a word for me that hopefully it can be a word for others as well. So, um if you look with me at the end of 5:22 Luke 24 verse 41. It even if if we start a little bit earlier, uh it says in verse 33, he was on the road to Emmaus with the disciples and they they stop and they eat a meal. In verse 33 it says they got up that very hour and they went back to 5:41 Jerusalem and they found the 11 and they were saying the Lord really has risen and they began describing in detail what happened on the road. They were so excited. And then in verse 36, while they were talking about this, Jesus 5:52 himself suddenly suddenly stood among them. And they were startled and terrified. And he said, "Why are you troubled? Look at my hands. Look at my feet." And then um it says in verse 41, they didn't believe it because of their 6:06 joy and amazement. And so he asked them for something to eat. And then he says, "This is what I told you." Verse 44, "This is what I told you while I was still with you. Everything which has been written about me in the 6:18 law and the writings of the prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. So, everything that you've heard and everything I told you, it's true. And I'm here as proof that it's true." That's what he's saying in verse 44. And then he says, you know, uh 6:31 he opened their mind he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. In verse 46, it says, "It's written that Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day." So, everything I've been telling you all is true. 6:42 And then he says in verse 47 Sorry, in verse 46. Or sorry, 47. Um repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all the nations. And that's what we see starting in the book of Acts, how the message of 6:59 salvation then spread Judea or Jerusalem, Judea, and to the ends of the earth. It's a fulfillment of what Jesus promised. Um but what I what I wanted to kind of focus in on is the hinge point, so to speak, because the whole history of the church 7:16 hinges on this next command. It says in verse 49, "Listen carefully. Everything I said is true, and I want to send you to to to tell others about it, but listen carefully. Don't go yet. Wait first, right? I am sending the 7:36 promise of my father, the Holy Spirit, upon you. And you are to remain in the city until you are fully equipped with power from on high. So, everything Jesus told them is true, and he wants them to go and tell others what he told them is true and was 7:54 validated by God raising him from the dead. He says, "Don't do any of that until you are filled with the Holy Spirit." And the whole as I said, the whole history of the church hinges on this. If you turn with me to Acts chapter 1, 8:14 it's interesting to see in Acts chapter 1 at the very beginning of this, uh, you know, historical book. How does it start? It actually starts with that same command. The exact same instruction, that exact same command is repeated here at the top 8:30 of Acts. It says in verse um, two, "Until the day that the Lord ascended to heaven after he had by the Holy Spirit given instruction to the apostles whom he had chosen. To these many showed himself alive after his suffering by many proofs and 8:46 proofs and unquestionable demonstrations. And he appeared to them over a period of 40 days talking with them about the things concerning the kingdom of God. While being together and eating with them, verse four, he commanded them not to leave but to wait 9:00 for what the Father had promised." He commanded them not to leave but to wait. And it's striking to me that the Lord was so insistent, even though you've been with me for 3 years, even though you've met with not only did 9:19 you see all my miracles and hear all my sermons and have lots of private conversations with me, and not only have I appeared to you in resurrected form, and you can say, "We are witnesses." Yet, that is not enough qualification to go 9:37 and build the church and to go and tell others. Don't do anything. Even if you spent years with me, and even if you seen me raised from the dead, don't do anything until you're filled with the Holy Spirit. And what the Lord 9:52 has shown me is that what is true of the church, that the the the whole history of the church hinged upon this command, don't do anything until you're filled with the Holy Spirit. The same is true of my life. All of my life hinges upon that command. 10:08 And probably many of you can testify to that. I've actually had several individual conversations with different ones of you even already, and you've told me some version of that. My life changed when I was filled with the 10:20 Holy Spirit. Right? Many of you in your testimonies, I had learned about the doctrines and I could say what the sermons were, but something changed when I was filled with the Holy Spirit, right? And what's true of the church is true of us personally. 10:36 But here's my burden for us all. This is the burden that the Lord had for me and I believe what he wanted me to share today. This is not just history. Certainly not just history of the church. We can say, "Oh yeah, on the day 10:51 of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was given." And I can tell how nothing could happen in the church until the day of Pentecost. Well, how was it in your life? The day of Pentecost happened, but you weren't victorious until when? 11:05 Until you had a personal Pentecost, right? But, do you and I see that the command stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high is not meant to just be history. It's a command for today. I have come to see 11:27 that every single day in my own little Jerusalem, so to speak, I need to hear this command. Stay. Wait until you're clothed with power from on high. That's the secret to the Christian life. 11:47 Not just the day of Pentecost 2,000 years ago. And not just the day the first time I was filled with the Holy Spirit. But the secret of the Christian life, as it says in Ephesians 5, is to be being filled with the Holy Spirit. 12:02 And every bit as much as the disciples needed to hear the command, "You're not equipped yet for the message I the mission I've called you on." And just as much as I needed to hear it before I was ever born again and filled with the Holy 12:16 Spirit, I need to hear that again today. And I want to say to you, dear brothers and sisters, you and I are unfit, no matter what our experience of the Lord is in the past, just like those disciples. We are unfit to go into 12:32 the mission of today, whatever the day may be, if we have not heard and heeded and obeyed the command to wait until you're clothed with power from on high. How am I supposed to be an effective 12:49 witness at work tomorrow? I must be filled with the Holy Spirit. How am I to overcome temptation? I must be filled with the Holy Spirit. How can I know God more deeply as a father? Hopefully, you're seeing a pattern here. 13:09 I must be filled with the Holy Spirit. How can I bear fruit as a Christian? Say it with me. I must be filled with the Holy Spirit. Every single day, I must be filled with the Holy Spirit. And you can 13:28 whatever question you have, "How do I blank?" The answer is "I must be filled with with the Holy Spirit." And I feel the Lord has said to me a thousand times, again and again and again, "You must be filled with the Holy 13:42 Spirit." And as I was thinking about our theme of how to find contentment in Christ alone, you know what the Lord told me? "You must be filled with the Holy Spirit." It's not a Pentecost isn't enough. Your private Pentecost isn't enough. Today, 13:58 if you are not filled with the Holy Spirit, you cannot find contentment in Jesus Christ. Period. So, wait until you're clothed with power from on high. And I I fear that 14:17 even though we know it's not we keep treating that command as a historical command. We keep treating it as a doctrine. We keep treating it just as testimony. And it has to be a daily command and it has to be a daily reality for us if we 14:36 are to overcome. You know, Jesus said this amazing, amazing thing, again thinking about finding contentment in Christ. You would think living with Jesus was the most content you could ever be. You know, these disciples, if anybody 14:51 could say that they could lay hold of the claim, "I have found contentment in Christ." They they they've spent years with him. But look at John chapter 16. Jesus says something shocking [snorts] to them, which you may already be 15:04 thinking. Jesus says something absolutely shocking to these disciples who have so enjoyed un- bridled, you know, fellowship with Jesus. As much as someone who hasn't been filled with the Spirit can have a fellowship with Jesus, they certainly 15:20 had it. And yet, John chapter 16, verse 5, John 16 verse 5, "Now I am going to him who sent me. And none of you asks me, 'Where are you 15:38 going?' But because I've said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. But I tell you the truth." This is the verse I was thinking of. John 16 verse 7, "I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage if I go away." 15:53 It's better for you. You know what would be better for me than living with Jesus? Is if he went away. Why? Because, he says, continuing in verse 7, "If I don't go away, the helper won't come to you. But if I go, I will send the Holy Spirit 16:11 to you. And he, when he comes, he will convict the world. He'll convict you of sin, and your need for a savior, and about righteousness, and about judgment." And so, I mean, that's an amazing thing to consider that Jesus said that to the 16:26 disciples. But it's all but it's a challenge to me to say, "Do I really believe, if I were given the choice, Jesus here with me in the flesh, or be filled with the Holy Spirit?" Would I choose to be filled with the Holy Spirit? 16:44 That's almost sounds like a trick question, right? You go, "I don't know, it'd be pretty great." But Jesus himself said, "It's better if I go away." Am Do I see that the most wonderful thing that can happen to me today is to 16:59 be filled with the Holy Spirit? Better than being in person with Jesus Christ in the body is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The one who has found contentment in 17:19 Christ alone hears Jesus say this, "It's better to your advantage that I go away." And that disciple says, "Amen. I can prove it. It is so." So, the answer to a thousand of my daily 17:40 questions is, "You must be filled with the Holy Spirit." You must be filled with the Holy Spirit. You must be filled with the Holy Spirit. Again today, the Lord asked me this recently. It's a very He asked me a couple of challenging questions that I 17:53 want to share with you all. He asked me and perhaps it would be valuable for you to ask yourself as well. The Lord asked me, "Jeremy, are you tired of that answer?" The Lord said, "I have keep telling you you have to be filled with the Holy 18:09 Spirit. Are you tired of that answer? Are you want Are you hoping for some other answer?" That's a really challenging question to me. Am I tired of that? And uh the Lord encouraged me, "Never tire 18:27 of being reminded that I must be filled with the Holy Spirit. I should never get tired of that reminder. It's a precious reminder. It's an incredible gift. We need reminders every 24 hours." You know, Hebrews 3, it talks about 18:41 there's this passage where it talks about the people who did not enter the promised land because of unbelief and hardness of heart, right? And then yeah, we can actually look there. Hebrews 3. Speaking here about the the the 18:55 necessity of being reminded. In Hebrews 3, there's this passage from 19:13 verse 7 to verse 11 that says, you know, uh "Today, if you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as they did in in the rebellion at Meribah, in the day of testing in the wilderness. Your fathers tried me by testing me, and 19:27 they saw my works for 40 years, and I was angry with that generation. I said, 'They always go astray in their heart. They didn't know my ways.'" As it says in the amplified, I like this, it says, "They didn't become progressively more intimately acquainted 19:42 with me." "So, I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest." And then it goes on in verse 12 to say, "Take care." Why is it telling us that? Why is it warning us that some didn't enter his rest despite being provided for for 40 years? Take 19:57 care that there not be in any one of you, brothers and sisters, a wicked unbelieving heart that refuses to trust in the Lord, that turns away from the living God." And then it says, "But encourage one another every day, as long as it's still 20:10 called today, so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." So, we need uh what we see here is we need we need reminders every single day. Every single day, I need to be reminded that I need to be filled with the Holy 20:25 Spirit. And I should be very I should I should be radical towards any attitude toward oh, that that again, that reminder I I already know that. Tell me something I don't know. I should be very uh wary of that attitude creeping up in my 20:44 heart. Because I'm in danger of falling away from the living God. I'm in danger of of an evil unbelieving heart that turns away, as it says in verse 12. So, that's the first question the Lord asked me, "Are you tired of that answer? 20:58 You must be filled with the Holy Spirit." The second question that the Lord asked me is, "Have you grown tired of asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit?" It's one thing to I'm tired of being reminded, but it's another thing to say, 21:10 have I have I grown weary in asking the Lord to fill me with the Holy Spirit? And the first thing that I The Lord spoke a couple of things to me on this point, but the first thing is, don't grow weary. We'll talk about why in a second, but 21:22 the first thing is, did you know it's a command to keep asking the Lord for the Holy Spirit? Do you know we're a command? So, why should I keep asking the Lord? There There's lots of reasons. One is because he commands it. 21:37 And if you haven't seen clearly that the Lord commands us to keep asking, please look with me at Luke chapter 11. He's speaking to them about persisting in prayer. We can go to uh verse nine, Luke 11:9. I'm reading the 21:57 Amplified Bible, but it says it it says the same thing in the NASB in the margin as well. So, the way I'm reading it, it may not look exactly the same in your Bible, but really listen to this. Luke 11:9. So, I say to you, really take 22:11 this into your heart. This is a command of Jesus Christ. Ask and keep on asking, and it will be given to you. Seek and keep on seeking, and you will find. Knock and keep on knocking, 22:28 and the door will be opened to you. We have an absolute command of the Lord Jesus Christ to keep on seeking, and keep on asking, and keep on knocking. So, 22:48 when the Lord asked me, have you grown tired of asking me for the Holy Spirit? The first thing is, you aren't you aren't taking this seriously as a command. You are commanded to keep on seeking. Take it seriously. You're commanded. But 23:02 the explanation for why is in the next verse, verse 10. Because everyone who keeps on asking receives. And because everyone who keeps on seeking finds. And because the reason I command this to you is because to him who keeps on knocking, the door 23:18 will be opened. So why am I commanded to keep on seeking? Because the promise, the amazing promise that we have is those who keep on seeking will definitely find. And then if you look at verse 13, here's the big promise, verse 13. If you being 23:35 evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask him. That's an incredible promise. I hope we can all take that promise to 23:52 the bank of heaven. How much more will the Holy Spirit be given to those who ask and keep on asking to be filled. So don't grow tired of asking. Definitely not. Why Why might we grow tired of asking? 24:10 As I have looked at my own life, one reason I find, if I'm really honest, that I grow tired of asking, this is a moment of vulnerability, but is because I'm not finding. And that 24:31 is not okay. We must All of our asking must result in finding. And part of the reason, if I'm honest, that I get tired of asking is because I'm not finding. And I want to talk about that. Why that might be. Why Why 24:47 might we not find? But it's important to realize in any part of our life. Why has God appointed you to live where you live? Think Think about anything you might be asking why about in your life right now. And let's all stand up for 1 second. 25:04 Just stand up. Just stand up. Cuz we have like we have an after-lunch slump. It's just good just to We just reach up and just like, you know, wave at the, you know, ceiling and pat your neighbor on the back. Pat your neighbor 25:15 and you got to like do a turn or something. I need it. If I need it, I know you need it. Okay. Okay, you can sit down. That's fine. Okay. Um So, think about what you ask why about in your life right now. What do you ask why about? Why does my 25:35 boss da da da? Why does my mom da da? Why does my If If those of us who have children, why does my child da da da? Why does, you know, right? Sham mentioned visa situation, right? There's all sorts of things. Right? Why? 25:49 What is the reason for every boundary that the Lord Cuz your boss is a boundary. Your child is a boundary. Your visa situation's a boundary. Your thing that you wish was different is about, you know, if you're Maybe you're too 26:02 tall, you wish you were shorter. Maybe you're too short, you wish you were taller. Whatever, right? Why? Do you know that there's an answer in the Bible to every why question? Do you know that? This is so important, family, to 26:17 realize. This is one of my favorite I'm about to show you one of my favorite verses in the entire Bible. Are you ready? Are you excited? I'm excited. This is the answer and but I really I want you actually get to the point where 26:29 you have your right now you have a why question. You have some question about why. I'm work I'll I'll give you my tip. I'm working on a book. My publisher hasn't sent me the cover. Okay, we're in like we are definitely in like I need the 26:45 cover cuz I can't do my job so AND I'M GOING, "WHY HASN'T THE PUBLISHER SENT ME THE COVER?" I can generate a thousand covers while I'm talking with Gen AI. Why haven't they sent me one? Doesn't make any sense, right? Okay, but I'm just It's a 26:58 stupid example of get an actual why in your mind because it will help you interact with this verse in a better way. What is an actual why in your life? Something that you are that you find yourself asking. And then, once you have 27:12 that, don't turn until you do, but then you can turn to Acts. Hopefully, everybody has a why. An honest question. In verse uh chapter 17, Acts chapter 17. Paul is speaking here to religious 27:34 people who don't know God, but he's trying to kind of draw them to the Lord. And look with me Acts 17 verse 26. >> [clears throat] >> He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on the face of the earth. And he, God, determined their 27:53 appointed times and the boundaries of their lands and territories and parents and bosses and publishers and heights and shorts and You see that there? He He determined and appointed the disappointing situation and the confusing visa and put your why there. 28:12 This was so they would what? Say it with me. Seek God. If perhaps they might grasp for him and find him. So, why is my publisher not sending me my cover? So that I might seek God. But 28:32 importantly, not just seek, seek and find him. Why the visa situation? Isham Isham is a part of our church, so I feel comfortable just like, you know, using his example. Why But it's just cuz it's the one I can remember, you know. Why 28:50 anything? So that I might seek and find God. It's so important for all of us to realize that. And you know what? I can I can make a 100% prediction for you. When you go back home on Monday or Tuesday, there's going to be some 29:09 situation that you say why about. Why? Why is my flight delayed? Why is there turbulence? Somebody posted about turbulence yesterday. Why anything? It has been divinely determined to bring about your continued seeking and finding 29:26 of God. Everything in your life has been appointed. The times and boundaries of your habitation and boss and parents and children and height and visa and book cover and anything else. So that you might seek for and find God. 29:44 That's why. And that really helps me in my life I I think of this verse probably five times a day, you know. And then but then you know what I have to do? I have to seek God. And I have to find him. I have to wait in Jerusalem until I 30:03 am clothed with power from on high. And all of my whys are an opportunity for me to hear that I need another Pentecost. And dear brothers and sisters, all of your whys are appointed to remind you you need another Pentecost. 30:23 You must be filled with the Holy Spirit. Not once, not 2,000 years ago, not 5 years ago, not last week, today. And the most wonderful thing that can happen today is if you're filled with the Holy Spirit. 30:39 That's why the Lord XYZ, whatever it is. That's why. Because he knows what you need is to seek and find him. And so he appoints boundaries to produce seeking and finding. And this is part of his loving design. And it's 30:57 so important to see this is part of God's love. And what has convicted me is if I were truly finding and being filled I would not grow tired of seeking and asking. Right? I mean, it just imagine just like 31:15 let's let's just take an imaginary trip. We're going to a resort together, okay? This is a very special resort because everybody gets a bell, okay? You get a bell and whenever you ring the bell, you get your favorite food. If it's a Krispy 31:27 Kreme donut, you get you get a Krispy Kreme donut. If it's, you know, biryani, you get biryani. If it's, you know, you know, salmon sashimi for, you know, whatever it is, right? You ring the bell and you get it, okay? Would you hate being hungry at that 31:43 resort? This is a trick question, right? No, of course not. Yeah, it's awesome. I got a bell, you know, you know, and what if a what if a buddy started complaining to you about about the service at the at the resort? What if a buddy started 32:00 complaining? What would you say? You're not ringing the bell, you know, are you not getting your biryani, you know, you're not getting your sushi or your Krispy Kreme or whatever it might be, right? And this is so it is so important. If you're 32:14 really finding, you don't grow tired of seeking. The reason I tire of seeking is because I'm not finding. If I were finding that which my soul longed for in all of my seeking, I wouldn't be so bothered by these things that 32:31 cause me to seek. And it's so important to see that ringing the bell, so to speak, asking the Lord to be filled with the Holy Spirit is the point of my life. The point of my life is to grow in my 32:50 longing to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Jesus said it's better for you if I go away. The very best way I can be find and and preserve contentment with the Lord Jesus in my life is to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The point of my life, don't get tired of 33:09 seeking. Love seeking. Love finding. Maybe it's because we haven't seen that the Lord himself values us. That that that we don't value it. Um if someone were to ask you, imagine that one of your friends ask, "Hey, when Jesus returns, what's he 33:27 looking for?" What would you say? When Jesus returns, what is he looking for? I wasn't intending for you to ask out or answer out loud, although I welcome it. But I want you guys I want everybody to actually think about it. 33:46 What is What would you say to your friend? And and importantly, family, do you have a verse for it? If you don't have a verse for it, yeah, I would encourage you, find something that you have a verse for. And there may be there may be you know, different 34:01 things, but I want to encourage you to look with me. There is a verse in Luke 18. This is one thing. If your friend asks you, "When the Lord returns, what's he looking for?" Luke 18 and verse 8, Jesus says the answer. He 34:19 says, "I tell you" And this is the middle of the story, which we'll we'll go back to in a second, but just look with me at the end of verse 8. "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" Will he find faith on the earth? Someone 34:33 said faith. You get you get a special bonus prize later. Yeah. Will he find faith on earth? But then importantly, hopefully so so he's looking for faith, but hopefully all of us now are asking ourselves, wait, what kind of faith? 34:47 What do you mean by What does faith mean? If If the Lord Jesus is looking for faith when he returns, how do we define it? What kind of faith? And actually And that's that's where the the parable here is so valuable cuz Jesus saying this in 35:01 the context of a parable. He's not just It's not just a random exhortation to faith. He's actually He's defined it in this parable. And in the parable in the in the preceding seven verses, it says in verse one, Jesus was telling the 35:13 disciples a parable to make the point that at all times they ought to pray and not give up and lose heart. What kind of faith? At all times they ought to pray and not give up and not lose heart. And he speaks here about the 35:27 persistent widow who's demanding justice against her oppressor. And then it says, in verse seven, will not our God avenge his elect who cry out to him day and night? Will he He delay longer over them? I tell you, he will surely bring 35:46 about justice quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find this kind of You could So, if you want to substitute words in, what is faith? Persistently asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This is a parallel ish passage to Luke 36:04 chapter 11, which we already looked about, where Jesus is also speaking about persistence in prayer. And in verse 13, we saw he says, how much more will your father give the Holy Spirit to those who keep on asking for the gift of being filled with the Holy 36:18 Spirit. And so, what can we say that the Lord is looking for when he returns? Those who keep asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And why is that helpful to me? Because if I really see the Lord values that so much, 36:35 I would take it I would prioritize it more. I would take it more seriously. I would fight the tendency to give up and to lose heart. And Jesus it appears that he he doesn't think that many people are going to have that kind of faith. That's why he says, 36:51 "Will this It's It's actually a question. Will he even find this kind of faith? This kind of persistently keep on seeking? Keep on asking? Keep on knocking?" I think the Lord knows there's going to be a lot of people who are just tired of 37:07 asking. To the point that in Luke 18 he goes, "I wonder if what if when I return if I even going to find anybody who's What does it say in verse 7? Crying out day and night. So why have the have as your boss or 37:26 your parent or your whatever situation, whatever boundary has been appointed to you, why has it been appointed? Because the Lord loves to see faith persistently, consistently seeking and finding the Lord. If I find I am searching and not 37:47 finding, this is a This is how I'll I'll wrap. If if I'm finding that I am searching and not finding, there are two reasons I think that may be. One is from uh Jeremiah chapter 29. 38:06 Why Why might I not be finding in my searching? Jeremiah 29 and verse 13. 38:29 Then you will seek me and you will find me when you search for me with all your heart. So if I'm searching and not finding, perhaps what that shows me is I'm not searching with all my heart. And so I need to repent of half-hearted 38:54 seeking of the Lord. I need to repent of, you know, of a prayer that says, I'd like to be filled with the Holy Spirit, but I don't have to. That's a half-hearted prayer. It sure would be nice. Is being filled with the Holy Spirit a nice to have or a must 39:09 have? It's a must have. But do I pray and seek and expect like it's a must have? If I examine my prayer life, do I pray and ask the Lord for the Holy Spirit like it's a like like being filled with the Holy Spirit is a nice to have? I have been convicted 39:29 that that has been the case in my life before. It's I mean, I you know, I we looked at Luke 24 and Acts 1 where he says, "Wait in the city until you're clothed with power." And what is the person who searches in a half-hearted way? They go, 39:47 "I have been here for like a couple of hours in the you know, metaphorically. I can't really wait any longer. I got to get out there." Never mind the fact that I haven't been filled. Not unlike what we heard of Saul earlier. 40:09 The other reason that I may be searching and not finding is James chapter 1. >> Leave verse six. 40:42 You must ask in faith without doubting. For the one who doubts is like a billowing wave of the sea that's blown and tossed by the wind. Such a person, the person who asks while doubting, ought not to think or expect he will 40:56 receive anything at all from the Lord. So, why might I be searching and not finding? Because I don't really believe that the Lord will give me the Holy Spirit. I believe that these are the two primary reasons that we seek for and do not find 41:15 the fullness of the Holy Spirit because either we are half-hearted, unlike Jeremiah 29, >> [snorts] >> or we don't really believe that God wants to fill. We don't really believe Luke 11:13, that if we being evil know how to give good 41:32 gifts to our children, our Father in heaven will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. We don't really believe. We aren't seeking with all our heart or we aren't really believing. And we need to repent. If that's the case, if either of those 41:49 is the case, my dear family, we need to repent. We need to tell the Lord, "I wasn't searching with all my heart. I was happy. I I tarried in Jerusalem for a bit, but no Pentecost, and I had to get on with 42:08 my day." Or I didn't really believe that you would give me the Holy Spirit. I didn't really believe you would fill me with the Holy Spirit. We need to repent. We need to confess that to the Lord. I want to end with the really great 42:29 promise that each one of us can when we think about this what what I've been sharing about today. The absolute necessity of being filled with the Holy Spirit. And not getting tired of hearing the Lord say, you must be filled 42:46 with the Holy Spirit. And not tiring of asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And not being satisfied with not finding when I know that all of the boundaries of my life have been appointed so that I might seek and find, right? I'm kind of 43:01 reminding you of everything I've been mentioning. There's a great promise that we can grab a hold of in Luke chapter 12 that I want to close with. And it's especially intended for the person who's maybe doubting. Luke chapter 12 and 43:31 verse 30 two. Don't Look Luke 12:32. Do not be afraid little flock because it's your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. I hope every one of us 43:51 can really take that promise to heart. It's your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Don't doubt whether the Lord wants to fill you with the Holy Spirit. It makes God happy to give you the kingdom. And the enemy wants to bring in all 44:09 sorts of suspicion or unbelief or doubt or fear. And we have to have the sword of the Spirit. We have to have a sword to fight the attacks of the enemy. This verse is a great sword. I shared with you two of my favorite verses in the entire Bible today. 44:26 The Acts 17:1 and then this one. And the Lord brings these verses to my mind all the time and they're swords. And the Lord it's I I I can hardly even put them back in the scabbard. They need to be I need to be like Nehemiah and the builders. It's 44:39 all I all of my building I do with these swords in my hand. And one of these swords that I almost always carry in my hand that I want to give to you my brothers and sisters is don't be afraid. It makes God happy to give you the Holy Spirit. 44:56 It's so important that we are rooted and grounded in that truth. And so if you will, we can just close. Just turn one last page back. Go back to the promise that we went to in Luke 11. I want to read it again. Let's close with this. Luke 11 45:16 verses 9 and 10. So I say to you that remember this is a command and a promise. Ask and keep on asking and it will be given to you. Seek and keep on seeking and you will find. Knock and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to 45:33 you. Because everyone who keeps on asking persistently receives. And everyone who keeps on seeking persistently finds. And everyone who keeps on knocking persistently the door will be opened. How much more verse 13? 45:53 Will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and keep on asking him? Every bit as much as the church's history hinged upon waiting in Jerusalem until they were filled with the Holy Spirit. And every bit as much as your personal history 46:10 hinged upon your being filled with the Holy Spirit. So also does today in your being fruitful, in your coming to know God more, in your overcoming temptation, in your overcoming discouragement, it hinges upon you hearing the same command of the 46:28 Lord. Wait until you are clothed with power from on high. We need to hear this command. We need to heed the command. We need to be those who not only seek but find, who receive what has been promised. Bless you. Let's pray. 46:50 Dear Father, we trust that you spoken to us in the way that you want. Lord, thank you for meeting with us and speaking to us, for uplifting our hearts. Lord, you've given such incredible promises to such undeserving sinners like us. And 47:07 we can't thank you enough. Lord, I pray that you would not let anyone in this room uh persist in half-hearted seeking, persist in fearful seeking, grow tired of seeking, grow tired of being encouraged to seek, but that we would hear the command 47:25 to seek, to be filled with the Holy Spirit, that we would see the the clear necessity, the absolute uh must of being filled with the Holy Spirit, that we wouldn't be satisfied with a doctrine, that we wouldn't be satisfied with a 47:39 with a testimony or with a history, but that we would long for an experience of present reality of being filled with the Holy Spirit. And Lord, help us in all of the appointments in our lives, in all of the disappointments in our lives, 47:54 help us to always bear in mind that the boundaries of our habitation the habitation have been appointed that we would seek for and grope for and definitely find you. Lord, we want to say amen to every boundary that you've 48:08 appointed. We want to say thank you for protecting us from being independent, from being content. Thank you for stirring up every longing after you, Lord. We pray that you would do it many more times in our lives and that we 48:22 would in finding you, we would have all the more reason to praise you and to rejoice in the fullness of your power and the fullness of the peace and joy and rest that come with the spirit's indwelling. Lord, I pray that every 48:35 single one of us, every single brother and sister here will be satisfied with nothing less than the portion which you have promised, Lord. You promised us it's better that you went away that you might send the Holy Spirit. I pray that 48:47 each of our lives would be a testimony. This is a better life. It's a better life than the disciples could live. We get to live today. Lord Jesus, make it a reality. Don't let it be a theory, Lord. Let it be reality in each and every single one 49:00 of our hearts, our homes and our churches, Lord. Be glorified, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. >> [music]
