Sermon
HEART SMART | Part 4 | Water of the Spirit
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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[Music]
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Heat up here.
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Heat.
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[Music]
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Heat.
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[Music]
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Praise the Lord.
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>> How you guys doing today?
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>> Are we ready for the word of God?
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>> Praise the Lord. Well, hey, if you're a
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first- time guest with us, my name is
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Ben. have the opportunity to serve as
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lead pastor here. And uh we are going to
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dig into the word of God and uh really
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excited. If you're uh brand new, be
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ready to take notes and talk back to me.
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Uh because participation is better than
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observation. Would you agree with that?
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>> And so I love the new app. You can
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follow right along and and it's really
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interesting. I was checking it out. You
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can after you take your notes, you can
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share it with yourself and so you can
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open it up and save it in digital notes.
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And um I I don't write things on paper
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much anymore. How about you?
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>> All right. Well, praise the Lord. Hey,
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we're going to get dig into the word of
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God. Let me let's pray. Father, we thank
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you, Lord, for your Holy Spirit. Father,
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we thank you for life. We thank you for
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revival breaking loose on the inside.
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Lord, thank you for every person that
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got baptized today. Pray a special
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blessing over their walk with you, over
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their home, spiritual protection. But
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father, in this moment, we thank you for
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an anointing upon the preaching of your
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word, God, that we would hear you and
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receive you in fullness in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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>> Well, hey guys, we are finishing up our
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series called Hearts Smart today. And uh
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next week, we'll be kicking off a new uh
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sermon series called When in Romans. And
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so uh be ready for that. Next week we're
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going to dig in uh to the book of Romans
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and see what God has for us. Uh but
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today we're going to kick off with
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Ezekiel chapter 47. I'm going to read
Ezekiel 47 chapter mention
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from the New Living Translation and I'm
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going to read a portion of scripture and
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then we'll spend some time unpacking uh
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the text. And so Ezekiel 47 and verse
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one, it says this. He says, "In my
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vision, the man brought me back to the
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entrance of the temple." Say temple.
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>> Temple. There I saw a stream flowing
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east from beneath the door of the temple
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and passing to the right of the altar on
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its south side. The man brought me
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outside the wall through the north
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gateway and led me around to the eastern
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entrance. There I could see the water
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flowing out through the south side of
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the east gateway.
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Verse three, measuring as he went, he
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took me along the stream for 1,750
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ft and then led me across. The water was
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up to my ankles. He measured off another
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1,750
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ft and led me across again. This time
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the water was up to my knees.
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After another 1,750
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ft, it was up to my waist. Then he
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measured another 1,750
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ft. And the river was too deep to walk
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across. It was deep enough to swim, but
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too deep to walk through.
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He asked me, "Have you been watching,
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son of man?" Then he led me back along
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the riverbank. When I returned, I was
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surprised by the sight of many trees
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growing on both sides of the river. Then
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he said to me, "This river flows east
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through the desert into the valley of
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the Dead Sea. The waters of this stream
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will make the salty waters of the Dead
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Sea fresh and pure.
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There will be swarms of living things
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wherever the water of this river flows.
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Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for
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its waters will become fresh. Life will
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flourish wherever this water flows.
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Fishermen will stand along the shores of
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the Dead Sea. All the way from the
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Engeti to the Enlium.
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The shores will be covered with nets
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drying in the sun. Fish of every kind
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will fill the Dead Sea. Just as they
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fill the Mediterranean,
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but the marshes and swamps will not be
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purified, they will still be salty.
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Verse 12.
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Fruit trees of all kinds will grow along
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both sides of the river. The leaves of
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the trees will never turn brown and
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fall. And there will always say always.
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>> There will always be fruit on their
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branches. There will be a new crop every
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month. For they are watered by the river
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flowing from the temple. The fruit will
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be for food and the leaves for healing.
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We're going to continue on this journey
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talking about the heart. Uh, we're also
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going to be talking about water. Say,
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water.
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>> Water.
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>> I'm going to make you talk back to me
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today.
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Last week we looked at uh three
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conditions of the heart. The contrite,
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the convicted, the consecrated heart.
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And we said above all else, guard your
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heart. Why?
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Because everything we do flows from it.
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Everything we do flows from it.
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Everything that we do flows out of our
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heart. And so we get to guard our heart.
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We get to be sensitive and conscious of
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what we allow in and what we allow out.
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>> Everything we do flows
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from it. Say flow.
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>> Flow.
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>> Today I want to give you the most
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condition the most important condition
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of the heart. the most important
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condition of the heart and it's to be
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filled with the spirit of the living
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God.
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To be filled with the spirit of the
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living God.
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We can be consecrated. We can be set
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apart. We can have all of these other
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attributes of the heart, but if we're
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not filled with fresh living water that
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comes by the spirit, we have missed the
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mark. Amen.
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Ezekiel has this vision. It's the temple
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being filled to overflowing, running out
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the door to the barren place to the Dead
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Sea and giving life to every single
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place. But he starts with the vision at
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the temple. 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and
1 Corinthians 6 chapter mention
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verse 19.
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Or do you not know that your body is a
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temple? Say temple. Temple. Your body is
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a temple of the Holy Spirit within you
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whom you have from God. You are not your
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own.
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Oh my goodness.
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Wait a minute. I'm the temple. What in
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the world does that mean? You are the
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temple of the Holy Spirit of God within
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you.
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Jesus said in John 7 and:e 38, he said,
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"Whoever believes in me, as the
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scripture has said,"Out of his heart
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will flow rivers of living water." Are
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you guys connecting the dots this
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morning?
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Out of your heart will flow rivers of
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living water.
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Today, I want to give you three ways to
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flow. Three ways to flow. Number one is
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probably the most crucial that it flows
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in. Number one is flow in. If you
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believe in him, his spirit will flow
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into you. Again, John 7:38 says,
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"Whoever." That's a pretty wide and
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broad uh canvas statement, isn't it?
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Whoever. Are you a whoever? Amen.
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>> Whoever believes in me, Jesus says, as
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the scripture has said, out of his heart
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will flow rivers
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of living water. Romans chapter 8:9 says
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this, and man, I'm going to give you
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some scripture today. Hey, I hope you're
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using the app because I'm going to uh
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keep you on your toes with how much
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Bible I'm going to give you. Romans 8:9
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says, "You, however, are not in the
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realm of the flesh, but are in the realm
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of the spirit, if indeed the spirit of
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God lives where?"
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>> In you. You are the temple of the Holy
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Spirit.
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>> You are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
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We call it uh the indwelling Holy
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Spirit.
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The indwelling Holy Spirit. Last week we
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talked about how God has put eternity on
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the inside of every man. You guys
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remember that? That's saved and unsaved
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alike. On the inside of every living
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person, God has placed eternity. The
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interesting thing is when we believe, if
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I'm a if I'm a whoever and I believe in
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Jesus Christ, it unlocks that that
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location on the inside that God has
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placed in me that connects with eternal
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things. And the spirit of God fills me
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on the inside in that temple place, in
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that secret place, and connects with
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heaven forever more. Amen.
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>> We can't really talk about having a
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smart heart
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without seeing what makes the heart
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smart.
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>> Even the three conditions of the heart
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we looked at last week are unattainable
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without the spirit of God.
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We can't have a convicted heart if we
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don't have the spirit because it's the
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spirit that brings conviction.
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>> 1 Corinthians 1:25,
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I love this scripture. I love when the
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Bible's just plain and down to earth and
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easy to connect with. It says, "This
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foolish plan of God is wiser than the
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wisest of human plans, and God's
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weakness is stronger than the greatest
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of human strengths."
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Isn't that interesting?
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Uh God doesn't have any bad ideas, but
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essentially what it's saying is the
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worst possible idea that God could come
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up with is still infinitely better than
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your best idea on your best day.
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>> Can I get a witness?
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>> Yeah.
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We need God on the inside. The Holy
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Spirit is not my backup plan. The Holy
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Spirit is the plan.
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>> That'll preach right there.
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It's not, oh no, we've we're in trouble.
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We need to we need now we need to tap
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in. It's it's man that that's the plan.
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We wake up and we fill up and we go and
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we let the river flow through us. Amen.
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>> That's revival. That's salvation. That's
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freedom. The inddwelling Holy Spirit is
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not what some doctrines would say as a
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oneanddone experience.
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It's not a oneanddone.
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It's begins at salvation, but it's a
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flow that is available and lasts all the
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way through into eternity like a river
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that never runs dry.
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>> I think of Jesus speaking with the woman
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at the well. He's talking about uh you
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know to have this living water, this
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water to drink, you'll never thirst
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again. That's the living water of the
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Holy Spirit that's available to you.
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Ezekiel 36:27,
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God said this. He says, "And I will put
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my spirit within you."
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What a high honor to have the creator of
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the universe making the fullness of God.
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The Holy Spirit is God.
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And he says, "Hey, I connect all the
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dots here. If I believe in Jesus Christ,
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God says, I will put my Holy Spirit on
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the inside of you." Man, that's good
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news. We got to let it flow in.
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You're the temple of the Holy Spirit. So
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when Ezekiel says
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in my vision, the man brought me back to
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the entrance of the temple.
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Uh the symbolism here uh is that he
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brought me back to the core to the
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things that really matter. If I'm the
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temple of the Holy Spirit, essentially
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it would mean God brought me back to the
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heart of the issue to the things that
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actually matter because the land was
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going through a drought. The land was
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going through devastation and we
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sometimes in our selfishness, we go
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through a spiritual drought.
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We go through emotional and and
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spiritual devastation. Have you been
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there?
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And isn't that when God gets our
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attention and takes us back to the door
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of the temple,
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back to the heart of the issue, back to
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that place on the inside. See, in the
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flesh, I live from the outside in. If I
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could just get some more money, if I
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could just eat some more food, if I
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could just do this and then go there,
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and if I could just hang out with this
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person, everything will be okay. And
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we're always looking from the outside
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in. But God says there's a source, the
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Holy Spirit that's available on the
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inside. And and when he brings us back
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to that temple, it's like everything
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else just kind of pales in comparison
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and I need to get back to the things
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that actually matter. It's God.
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>> Brings me back to the door
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of the temple.
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He says, "There I saw a stream flowing.
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The same spirit that once dwelled
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in a temple built by man now flows
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into living ones. Are you a living one?
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The the prophet is led back to the
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entrance and I love the descriptive uh
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language there. He starts out, he even
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gives the measurements. And he says, uh,
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first it's ankle deep,
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then it's knee deep, then it's waist
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deep, and oh my goodness, now it's too
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deep. I can't even walk anymore. I got
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to learn to swim. Amen.
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>> She's the water running under the door.
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You know, a couple years ago, we had a
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water loss in our home. Uh, it was a bit
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of an issue
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on the main level. We had of a finished
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basement and uh I'll spare you the the
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details. It came up out of the stool on
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the main level, right? It was an issue.
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>> No fun. And so everyone's hollering down
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and I'm coming down checking this thing
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out. And we're looking at it. Man,
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there's standing water everywhere. You
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know, you got to get this stuff cleaned
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up now. And then the water's still
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running out. And so we're trying to tend
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to that. And then I'm standing by the
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basement by the steps there and I hear
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water trickling coming in the basement.
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Sounds like a faucet's on or something.
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So, I go downstairs and we had the
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finished ceiling with the can lights and
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the water looks like somebody has a hose
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in my can and it's just pouring out and
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there's water all over the basement and
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I'm like, "Oh my goodness."
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So, we call the pros, right? Get the
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insurance involved and and they send out
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the crew to to dry us out and clean us
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up. And uh I don't know. I'm busy with
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life and figuring out, you know, all of
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a sudden I come back and I go into the
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basement and I'm going, "Uh, whoa." Down
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to bare 2x4s the entire basement. Like,
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we have walls and a bathroom and other
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rooms down there and stuff and you could
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just look through the entire basement.
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It's just bare studs.
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>> When you see water coming under a door,
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that's an issue.
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>> It affects every single thing that it
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touches.
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Are you guys catching this at all? When
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you allow the Holy Spirit to get in on
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the inside, it begins to affect every
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single thing in your life. And water is
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one of those things you can't slow it
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down and you can't stop it very easy.
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And so when the Holy Spirit starts
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moving, he starts getting into the
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closet. He starts getting into the
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bedroom, into the bath, he starts
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getting the Holy Spirit starts getting
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everywhere on the inside of my temple to
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clean me out, to bring life. And I think
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of that stream about flowing down to the
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Dead Sea. Man, there's there's life
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again.
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>> Life again.
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It will affect
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everything it touches.
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Number one is flows in.
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Number two is flows up.
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Flows up. I want to say this.
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God can only fill what you're willing to
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empty.
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Too often we have our temple and that's
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the the core of who we are. We know
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we're have we're a spiritual being
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having a physical experience, not the
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other way around, right? And so there's
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this core there's this inside this
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spiritual man and sometimes our temple
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is so full with worries and cares and
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selfishness and fears and doubts and all
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of these other things are taking up
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residence in the temple. And I'll say
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this, God is only able to fill what
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you're willing to empty.
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And really to open the door to the
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spirit is more of an act of surrender
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than anything else.
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I relinquish that fear. I relinquish
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that doubt. I'm going to repent of that
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selfishness. I'm going to get it out of
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there.
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Repentance is the door that opens
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for the floodgates of the spirit to
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fill.
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When you're filled with the spirit
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and drowning in the spirit, I'll say
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this, your heart can't help but look up.
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Do you know that the spiritfilled heart
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is always looking upward?
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It flows up. Say flow.
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>> The spirit isn't just a top off.
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You guys ever do that at the gas
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station?
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>> I bet there's some in here that never do
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that. You've got three miles to empty
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and you're trying to figure it out.
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I like to get, you know, about half a
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tank, sometimes a little bit more. And
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I'll go, "Oh, I've got time now. I'll
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just top it off." Right?
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Uh some of you need to write that down
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and try that sometime.
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The Holy Spirit isn't just a top off.
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It's an absolute overflow.
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It's a tsunami. It's a surge.
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That's where though he sees the water
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coming underneath the temple door. And
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and I think of that scripture, rivers of
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living water flowing out of me. Open up
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the floodgates.
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E Ephesians chapter 5 18 says, "Be
Ephesians 5 chapter mention
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filled with the spirit,
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addressing one another in psalms and
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hymns and spiritual songs, singing and
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making melody to the Lord with all your
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heart."
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Spiritfilled people can't help but sing.
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>> I've seen so many at red lights. You
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guys ever do that when you're by
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yourself? You're like cranking out. It's
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like, "Oh man, this is Brandon Lake or
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like whoever your person is and then a
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song comes on and uh you just start
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worshiping in the vehicle and then you
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forget, which is really good sometimes
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with crazy traffic and people cutting
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you off. You kind of forget everyone
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else exists and you're just in there
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worshiping and I've pulled up to some
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red lights and looked over and they're
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just like
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getting in. I'm like, "That ain't
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Metallica, man.
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That's CC Wininance or something.
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There's something going on in that
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vehicle where they're praising God. Man,
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you can't help but praise God. Amen.
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>> When you get filled up, you start
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flowing up.
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For the spiritfilled Christian, praise
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is a reflex. No matter what's happening,
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I just praise God anyways because I'm
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full of the spirit. John 4:23, Jesus
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said, "True worshippers
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will say,
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>> will." True worshippers will worship the
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father in spirit and truth for they are
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the kind of worshippers the father
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seeks. Let's put that on our checklist
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that I want to be so full of the spirit
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and worshiping God in spirit and in
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truth. I want to be worshiping in such a
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way that the father seeks me out.
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That's awesome.
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As I'm seeking him, he's seeking me.
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And the Bible says without the spirit,
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we don't even know how to pray. Romans
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8:26 says, "The spirit helps us in our
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weakness. We don't know what we ought to
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pray for, but the spirit himself
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intercedes for us."
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We got to get full of the spirit. And
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it's interesting that when we see the
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infilling of the Holy Spirit, the
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influence of the Holy Spirit. See, Jesus
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opens the door to the Holy Spirit, but
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the Holy Spirit is always drawing us to
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the father through praise, through
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prayer,
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drawing us up.
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Not only will you aim up, but you'll
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also grow up. Say, grow up.
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Jude 1:20 says, "But you, beloved,
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building yourselves up in the most holy
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faith and praying in the Holy Spirit."
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You know, our spiritual maturity, we
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talk about the fruits of the Holy Spirit
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that get developed in our life. That's
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under uncction of the Holy Spirit. We
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talk about uh the gifts of the Holy
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Spirit, being able to flow with God and
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be used by God.
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always uh aiming towards being a
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blessing and the spirit is uh almost
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opposite to gravity. Gravity is the
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thing as we all know that keeps our feet
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on the floor. And we know the old
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saying, what goes up.
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>> Yeah.
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In the spiritual realm, when we're full
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of the spirit, it changes the flow. It
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begins to flow up. And so, what goes
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down must go up.
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>> Ain't that good? Yeah,
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>> man. Life just starts happening and I'm
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I'm full of the spirit and the enemy
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wants to play around a little bit and
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something crazy happens, all this stuff
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and man, it doesn't affect me like it
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does uh when I'm without the spirit.
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Because when I'm without the spirit,
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those things affect my emotions. They
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affect my thoughts. They start to weigh
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me down. But when I'm full of the
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spirit, there's already this upward flow
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of praise and prayer. And as it comes
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in, I just cast my cares upon him
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because he cares for me. I just begin to
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praise God. Anyways,
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the psalmist said, "You anoint my head
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with oil and my cup overflows."
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My cup overflows. Ezekiel said in verse
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5, he said, "And the river was too deep
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to walk across." It was deep enough to
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swim, but too deep to walk through. Let
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me say this. when God shows up, when you
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get filled up, uh sometimes you have to
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relearn how to do life
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because from the time of birth, we're
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born with a sin nature and we learn to
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walk emotionally.
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You guys catching this?
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>> And uh man, we kind of get these
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patterns and these rhythms of how we
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walk. Sometimes the older we get, the
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more ingrained they get. Now, you ever
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have we talk about uh this where you've
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had uh things that you say that really
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pushes my buttons,
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right? And have you ever been in
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emotional or mental state that that you
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can feel it coming? Like if they uh say
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that thing or if they do that thing or
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whatever, you start to feel that same
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pattern that's been uh consistent in
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your life, you can feel it brewing that
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I'm going to react in a certain way.
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That's walking. And and sometimes when
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we get full of the spirit uh we no
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longer have the opportunity to walk
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which is the good news because when that
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same thing happens and I'm hearing the
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same I remember having this experience
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man I got full of the Holy Spirit and I
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used to have a real anger issue. I used
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to fight oh my goodness.
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Yeah. And I would know and I used to
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actually even was known for warning
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people. One more word I'm going to hit
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you.
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>> This was back in the 90s. You get away
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with stuff. can't do that today.
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But I would know and it was just an
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honest thing. Man, I remember uh being
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saved and delivered and full of the
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spirit. And I heard that same thing and
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there was almost in the back of my mind
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I could feel I could hear that going,
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man, I this guy could frustrate me. But
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there's this overflowing joy of the Holy
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Spirit that says it doesn't affect me. I
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no longer have to walk. Now I'm floating
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in the Holy Spirit.
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We have to learn to not walk and learn
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to swim. We have to kind of retrain
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ourselves emotionally sometimes because
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we're caught up in the spirit. I just
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snorted. I've never done that while I
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was preaching.
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Need to go preach at the KIC church
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trying to get trying to get some air.
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Thank you, Lord.
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Stick with me, folks.
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Sheesh.
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Uh, no more walking. Now we need to
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swim. You know, years ago in ministry, I
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had a friend of mine that uh came up
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through the ministry, came up through
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and was working with us in ministry and
-
and um name was Malcolm. He's a black
-
guy, man. I loved there there was a
-
season that Malcolm was with me
-
everywhere we went and we just kind of
-
did ministry stuff together, going to
-
this and going to that and all this
-
stuff. Well, Malcolm um I brought him
-
from the city and we were in the
-
country, right? And so we were known for
-
having 36 lakes within six miles of our
-
town. And so a lot of our events
-
involved water.
-
Malcolm did not swim. And Malcolm was
-
afraid of water. And so he'd be on me.
-
Pastor Ben, why are we always doing
-
stuff at the lake? So we'd have guys
-
that would be out there uh playing in
-
the water and all this stuff. And and
-
Malcolm always he'd always dress with
-
with his with his uh swim trunks on and
-
all this stuff, but he never wanted to
-
go in the water. I mean, he really had a
-
fear of water. And so I'm that guy. I'm
-
always pushing like Malcolm just get
-
your get your feet in the water, right?
-
And so he'd get out there a little bit
-
and he'd get up get up to his knees.
-
He'd be out there a little bit and then
-
the guys would start splashing and you
-
see Malcolm get this fear and he's like
-
getting right out of the water like I
-
ain't doing this thing, man. Right.
-
>> And he had this fear
-
of water. Can I say this? When you don't
-
know how to swim, the temptation is to
-
play it safe.
-
>> Oh my gosh. And when you get full of the
-
spirit and you've never flowed in that
-
way to speak a prophetic word to let God
-
use you in the gift of healing or all of
-
these other things to have joy in the
-
midst of chaos to be able to speak peace
-
in the middle of a storm when when
-
you're stepping into that the temptation
-
is man I've never flowed like this
-
before and I don't really know how to do
-
this and can I tell you Christian to
-
come on in the water's just fine.
-
>> I almost started preaching.
-
>> Thank you Lord.
-
Come on in. The water's fine.
-
We don't need to walk. We need to learn
-
to swim.
-
And I believe my experience with the
-
Holy Spirit is the goal is that it gets
-
too deep to walk.
-
That's the goal of the Holy Spirit is to
-
fill us to overflowing.
-
And so from ankle deep to deep, how do
-
we get there? I think of uh Paul talking
-
in Corinthians. He says, "I planted,
-
Apollos watered, but God brings the
-
increase."
-
Surrender that helps open the door.
-
Humility brings grace. Right? We have
-
all of these things, but it's God at the
-
end of the day. It's God that brings the
-
increase.
-
So, number one, it flows in. Number two,
-
it flows up. And number three, it flows
-
out.
-
John 7:38
-
Jesus said, "Whoever believes in me, as
-
the scripture has said, out," say,
-
"Out."
-
>> Out of his heart will flow rivers of
-
living water. Out of his heart will flow
-
rivers
-
of living water.
-
So, not only do we get filled with this
-
living water, but this living water will
-
flow out of us like rivers, bringing
-
life to everything that it touches.
-
Ezekiel 47, he says, "As the river flows
-
out, catch this, it makes the salty
-
water fresh."
-
You guys heard about the Dead Sea?
-
I'm I'm leaving for Israel tomorrow, by
-
the way.
-
Yeah, if all goes well, I was looking at
-
the news and uh there's some stuff going
-
on. So, we'll see what God's up to. But
-
the plan is right now we're going I get
-
I get to float in the Dead Sea. You guys
-
know that nothing can live in that
-
thing. It's just too salty and uh it's
-
so there's so much salt that you can
-
just lay there and float on water. Yeah.
-
If my back was feeling better, I could
-
see I was see if I can run across water.
-
I want to walk on water. See if this
-
stuff can hold me up.
-
Yeah, nothing can live there. And when
-
that river flows, Ezekiel said it makes
-
the salty water fresh. And then he says
-
the fruit trees, says fruit trees of all
-
kinds will grow on both banks. Their
-
fruit will serve for food. Catch this.
-
And their leaves for healing.
-
Once the river of God flows, it makes
-
dead things come alive.
-
What's our culture?
-
We're saved. We go to church. And then
-
we complain about all the unsaved people
-
that are evil.
-
Wait. Oh man, it got really quiet in
-
here really quick. Yeah. Rather than
-
being the light shining in a dark place
-
like a city on a hill. Right. to know
-
that the same spirit that rose Christ
-
from the dead now dwells in me and out
-
of my heart will flow rivers of living
-
water that God is calling me to go to
-
the dead places to go to the dark places
-
just to speak a word of life to speak a
-
word of encouragement everything the
-
water touches comes to life everything
-
changes when you allow yourself to to
-
let the Holy Spirit flow out of you
-
whatever it touches
-
it brings life Fruit is a byproduct of
-
the river. Healing is a byproduct of the
-
river. Life is a byproduct of the living
-
water, the river. All because we let the
-
water out. He doesn't fill you just to
-
fill you.
-
I've been in some circles of
-
Christianity many years ago that it was
-
like just us Christians. We'd get filled
-
with the Holy Spirit and it was just
-
just for us. We'd have these amazing
-
meetings, but for year after year after
-
year, it was the same us.
-
It was the same us. And it was a type of
-
uh doctrine that would really not permit
-
you to go into the dark places.
-
My pastor wouldn't go into a restaurant
-
that served alcohol.
-
So, we had to go to Cracker Barrel with
-
him and his wife for date night.
-
>> Yeah. He'd be all upset cuz they're
-
serving Pap's Blue Ribbon at at Cracker
-
Barrel. Now, first time I saw I was
-
like, "Oh, my pastor's not having that."
-
But you don't go to those places. You
-
don't listen to that music. You don't do
-
those things. And God began to shift me
-
over the years to say, "Man, I got an
-
evangelistic uh piece on the inside of
-
me that somebody's got to hear about
-
Jesus." Amen.
-
>> And if anyone needs the touch of the
-
living water, it's the dark places. It's
-
the places that are dead. When are we
-
going to get past the us for and no more
-
holy huddle mentality of of Christianity
-
and get out and tell somebody about
-
Jesus?
-
>> You were filled up so he could flow out.
-
>> You can write that down.
-
>> You were filled up so he could flow out.
-
And I want to say this. The direction of
-
your worship determines the direction of
-
your witness.
-
When your heart flows up in praise, your
-
hands naturally flow out with purpose.
-
People don't need stale, stagnant water
-
of yesterday.
-
You guys know that moving water is
-
living water.
-
People need a fresh revival of the
-
living
-
water of God today.
-
>> Jesus said this in Matthew chapter 10
Matthew 10 chapter mention
-
and verse 8. When G when Jesus sent out
-
the disciples, he told them, catch this,
-
freely you have received. Freely give.
-
Freely you have received. Freely give.
-
Freely you've received the word of God.
-
Freely you've received the spirit of
-
God. Freely you've received the fruits
-
of the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the
-
Holy Sp.
-
Now freely give.
-
The church is a multiplying organism,
-
not a pond.
-
water. When we talk about it, what do we
-
call it sometimes? We call it a body of
-
water.
-
A river is known as a moving body of
-
water. Uh, man, I'm so thankful my
-
back's doing better.
-
I've been doing physical therapy. Man,
-
they put me on this intense track three
-
days a week. The other day I was five
-
hours just at the doctor doing physical
-
therapy and and injections and all this
-
craziness. And and man, my physical
-
therapist, he's like a little pitbull.
-
He reminds me of Esau. He's got red
-
hair. Little dude, you can tell he works
-
out like all the time. He's super cool,
-
man. We actually sparked up a good
-
friendship. But he's always pushing me,
-
pushing me, pushing me. And he's really
-
He's kind of young. And I'm like, "Dude,
-
I am no kid anymore. You need to, you
-
know what I mean? I'm just like he keeps
-
pushing me." And and he tells me, "No,
-
the more that you sit, the the more that
-
you're going to hurt. But if you get up
-
and get moving and start moving those
-
muscles and moving those joints and all
-
this stuff, it actually gets the blood
-
flow and it brings life and it starts to
-
heal."
-
>> I was thinking about moving water and
-
living water. Well, when we are able to
-
get the spirit of God moving through us
-
out into the dark places, into the dead
-
places, it brings life. Stale water
-
isn't really good. You know, we have uh
-
in my in our yard, we live in a
-
subdivision, but we have over 60 like 60
-
trees I counted at one time, which is
-
amazing until this time of year when it
-
comes leaf cleanup time, and I'm just
-
like I'm my back's been hurting. I'm
-
just like, there's so many leaves.
-
But we have a, you know, a lawn mower
-
and a little wagon that kind of goes
-
with a little plastic wagon, you know.
-
And uh my uh normal thing is when I park
-
the wagon, I flip it up. It's got the
-
little tilt thing cuz I don't want water
-
collecting in it, right? And so this
-
summer I went out and man, I've been
-
noticing that our mosquitoes were just
-
like crazy this year. And usually
-
they're not that bad. And so a few weeks
-
of this I'm just out there. I'm just
-
like flipping out cuz I hate mosquitoes.
-
Anyone else? Right. I don't think they
-
came from God. I think they flew out of
-
the pits of hell to suck our blood.
-
Yeah. I'm out there having an exorcism.
-
Get out of here, devils.
-
So, I go back and the wagon was kind of
-
back behind the trailer was back behind
-
there and I looked and it had been
-
absolutely full of water and it was just
-
ucky. It had all the green, all the
-
nasties in it. And I'm from the country
-
so I know what I'm looking for. And I
-
said, "Let me check this thing." I
-
started looking in there and you could
-
see all the little squiggies cuz you
-
guys know mosquitoes lay eggs in there
-
and that's where they come out. I said,
-
I flipped that thing up and no more. No
-
more mosquito. Do you guys know that
-
still still water is stale water and
-
stagnant water and it breeds disease
-
>> and sickness.
-
Just because you got filled yesterday
-
doesn't mean that you're good for today.
-
>> Out of my heart will flow rivers of
-
living water. Say, "Keep it moving."
-
When the spirit moves through you,
-
let me put it this way. When you're
-
moved by the spirit, whatever you touch
-
brings life,
-
get caught up in the rivers of God.
-
That's what I think Jesus meant when he
-
said, "Go into all the world and preach
-
the gospel to every creature." I think
-
that's what he was talking about is is
-
man, get get it moving and get the Holy
-
Spirit moving. It's not done by
-
intellect or human standards. It's done
-
by the spirit, by the river of God. And
-
I'll just say this for uh the American
-
church. It's time to start flowing
-
again. There is a wave of revival moving
-
across this land. People are getting
-
caught up in the spirit. There is
-
something happening. And I want to be
-
part of it. Amen. I want to be I want to
-
be caught up in that river of God. And I
-
want to see young people get saved and
-
households get delivered. Ah, I want to
-
be I want to be part of the river, the
-
living water of God.
-
>> It's time to start flowing again.
-
There are places
-
sometimes in our lives or in our
-
churches that have been stopped up.
-
Oh man,
-
get all stuffed up and stopped up that
-
God wants to open up. I want to close
-
with this scripture in Genesis chapter
Genesis 26 chapter mention
-
26
-
and verse 17.
-
It says, "So Isaac," say Isaac,
-
>> Isaac,
-
>> Isaac departed from there and encamped
-
in the valley of Guerrar and settled
-
there. And Isaac dug again the wells of
-
water that had been dug in the days of
-
Abraham his father, which the
-
Philistines, catch this, had stopped up
-
after the death of Abraham. And he gave
-
them the names that his father had given
-
them.
-
But when Isaac's servants dug in the
-
valley and found there a well of spring
-
water, the herdsman of Gerrar quarreled
-
with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The
-
water is ours."
-
So he called the name of the well Ess.
-
Because they had contended with him.
-
Then they dug another well, and they
-
quarreled over that also.
-
So he called its name Sitna,
-
and he moved from there, and dug another
-
well, and they did not quarrel over it.
-
So he called its name Rhobath,
-
saying, "For now the Lord has made room
-
for us, and we shall be fruitful in the
-
land."
-
And give you a little framework.
-
There was a drought in the land. This is
-
part of the Middle East known as the
-
coastal plains. It's just south of Gaza
-
uh because of recent events. Probably
-
most of us know where the Gaza Strip is.
-
It's just a little bit south and west of
-
that
-
famine going on.
-
Some of us are experiencing a spiritual
-
famine in our own lives.
-
We know the principles of God.
-
But we're not moved by the spirit like
-
we once were. We couldn't say it's a
-
flood of the spirit flowing through us,
-
giving life to everything.
-
There's a famine going on. And Isaac
-
knows where his father Abraham had dug
-
the wells in past seasons.
-
Goes and redigs. Say redig.
-
redigs the wells of his father Abraham.
-
Do you know that we've had some revivals
-
in this world?
-
Some of you in this room are a product
-
of the revival in the 70s, the Jesus
-
movement.
-
Been pockets of revival all throughout
-
history.
-
Man, I see Bill Glover back there
-
shaking his head.
-
That's right.
-
It's time to redig the well
-
of our fathers.
-
Revival doesn't happen by accident. Did
-
you know that?
-
It's not, oh, God wanted to bless this
-
people with revival and now this people,
-
they they're not going to get it. Do you
-
know that repentance,
-
surrender, and a chasing after the
-
things of God opens up the floodgates of
-
God?
-
I picture Isaac standing there, man.
-
They're in drought. They're in
-
devastation. And he goes, "I know there
-
used to be water here. I'm going to go
-
to that place and I'm going to dig a
-
well." And he begins to dig and all of a
-
sudden the water comes up. The herdsmen
-
are there, man. They're there's these
-
opposition. These Philistines come. Man,
-
you got to watch those Philistines.
-
They say, "Whoa, that's that's our
-
that's our water. You guys go." And so
-
he says, "All right, all right. Well, I
-
know where another one is, so I'm going
-
to go redig another. Well, same thing
-
happens
-
at at that point. I don't know if you've
-
ever dug in and really chased it,
-
fasting and praying. I'm seeking God for
-
this thing, and it's like I I get this
-
momentary breakthrough and it's like the
-
enemy comes, sweeps in and just takes it
-
from me.
-
That doesn't stop Isaac. He says, "I'm
-
going to dig again." So, he goes
-
another, man, the enemy comes in on the
-
second one. And that doesn't stop. He
-
says, "I know we're another one. I'm
-
going to go dig again." Say, "Dig
-
again."
-
>> I think God has us in this season that
-
it's time to dig again. It's time to get
-
back in that temple of the Holy Spirit
-
to really do a a heart check and a self-
-
evvaluation and say, "Man, man, is am I
-
am I flooded? Am I overflowing with
-
living water? Is it flowing out of me?
-
Or do I need to dig again?
-
[Music]
-
I just want the Holy Ghost.
-
I want the Holy Spirit flowing through
-
me in such a way that affects everything
-
that I touch.
-
Think about this, man. Isaac could have
-
fought these guys and said, "Oh, no. We
-
dug this well." You know what Isaac
-
decides to do with the fresh spring? He
-
decides just to bless him with it.
-
I dug it. I did all the hard work, but
-
if you guys that Adam, you just go ahead
-
and have it.
-
keeps that pattern. Can I say this? God
-
blessed us to be a blessing. And you
-
don't have to get a resume from somebody
-
before you bless them.
-
Well, I don't think they deserve a
-
blessing.
-
I'm sure Jesus said that in his
-
ministry.
-
>> No, he didn't.
-
The living water flows through us to
-
bring life to the dead places. Bless and
-
do not curse. Jesus even says to bless
-
your enemy. If he forces you to walk a
-
mile, just hey, I'll walk with you, too.
-
If he smacks you on the cheek, man, I'm
-
so full of the Holy Spirit. Hey, I've
-
got another one. If that'll make you
-
feel better, you can smack that one,
-
too.
-
Try that when you're unsaved.
-
Full of the Holy Spirit, full of that
-
living water.
-
Somebody takes your coat, say, "Hey,
-
man. I've got a shirt, too. If you're
-
cold, I'll give you my shirt. I'm
-
willing to be cold for you. That's the
-
heart of Christ. And that's the heart of
-
the living water. Bless and do not
-
curse. Let that living water flow
-
through you and bring healing to
-
everything that you touch.
-
Or Hoboth
-
is what Isaac named that third location.
-
He said, "Now the Lord has made room for
-
us and we shall be fruitful in the
-
land."
-
You know that Rahoboth is not a place
-
but a posture. It's the heart saying, "I
-
will keep digging
-
until the water breaks. I'll keep
-
digging until the Lord makes room for
-
me." It's time for us to get back in the
-
temple and to dig deep. Isaiah said
-
this. He said, "With joy, you will draw
-
water from the wells of salvation.
-
[Music]
-
Let's
-
stand to our feet all over this house.
-
I'll ask the worship team to come.
-
2 Corinthians 9 and verse 8
-
says, "And God will generously provide
-
all you need." That's a good scripture
-
just by itself, isn't it? God will
-
generously provide all you need. then
-
you will always have everything you need
-
and plenty left over to share with
-
others.
-
I got so much joy, man. I'm going to
-
smack some joy on you. I got so much
-
peace when I walk in the room, man. I'm
-
just going to spread the peace wherever
-
I go. Yeah, you can be caught up in
-
emotions and chaos, but but I've got
-
I've got something on the inside of me
-
that that affects everywhere that I
-
walk. I've had men of faith. I remember
-
years ago having men of faith walk into
-
the room and you could sense something
-
as they enter and I'm going, man, he
-
just it makes me feel good. There's
-
something awesome about that. He's got
-
the peace of God and the strength of God
-
and the anointing of God that entered
-
the room with him and shifted the
-
atmosphere. I've watched men step onto a
-
pulpit and the entire atmosphere of the
-
church changes because they're full of
-
the Holy Spirit and the living water is
-
flowing through them. You have
-
everything you need, plenty left over to
-
share with others.
-
Spirit of God, it flows in for renewal.
-
It flows up for relationship.
-
And it flows out for revival.
-
>> Are you willing to be part of the
-
revival today?
-
>> Let's pray. Father, I thank you, Lord,
-
for your spirit. I thank you for the
-
call to action, God, that that it's not
-
about how hard we work and and how all
-
these different efforts that we do, but
-
Father, I'm thankful that it's just a
-
heart of surrender that receives you in
-
fullness.
-
And Father, today we lift our hands and
-
we lift our heart. And father, we ask
-
ask you to fill us to overflowing,
-
Father, that we would be the revival in
-
the land, God, that we would be what you
-
use to bring life to the dead places and
-
fruit to the trees, Father, and healing.
-
>> We lift our hands, Lord, and we say,
-
"Send us."
-
Father, I pray for those in this room
-
that have never been filled by your
-
spirit.
-
Lord, I pray that today is the day of
-
breakthrough.
-
Father, I pray that today is the day
-
where they're filled to overflowing.
-
[Music]
-
Thank you, Lord.
-
Saints, would you just put your hands
-
out in front of you in a posture of
-
receiving from God?
-
And if that's you this morning, you're
-
saying, "Man, I I'm stirred. I I I I've
-
never I'm not I'm not there, and I want
-
to receive God in fullness." Would you
-
just say this with me? Did you say,
-
"Father in heaven,
-
>> Father in heaven
-
>> through the blood of Jesus Christ,
-
>> the blood of Jesus Christ,
-
>> fill me with your spirit,
-
>> fill me with your spirit
-
>> to overflowing.
-
>> I want to be used by you
-
>> for revival,
-
for freedom, for peace.
-
>> So I receive your spirit.
-
>> I receive your spirit
-
>> in fullness.
-
>> In Jesus name in Jesus.
-
>> Amen.
-
>> Praise the Lord." We're going to
-
transition into worship. And uh if you
-
need prayer for anything, there's not a
-
lot of room up here, but we don't want
-
to uh squash that. If you need prayer
-
for anything, I'm going to ask you to
-
come right over to this side and and our
-
elders will pray with you.
-
[Music]