Fellowshipping with God

about the community of the spirit last week.

And so we're gonna continue with that.

We're gonna continue with that.

And remember, there are a few different announcements

after we are done.

So as the teaching begins to close, don't tune off,

because you'll be here for at least another 10 minutes.

So guys, here's a quote I heard from this guy

called Dallas Willard, really liked it,

and I think it's something that we need to adopt.

Here's what it says.

The aim of God,

the aim of God in history,

the aim of God in history,

the aim of God in history is the creation

of an all inclusive

community

So that's the first part,

that the aim of God in history,

and this is true when you actually look at it,

God has always been trying to create

an all inclusive community,

as in not white, not black, not brown,

something that is all inclusive,

that is not all pure and no dysfunctional people.

It is all inclusive.

It is not a young crowd, it's not a young marriage church,

it's not a youth church, it's not an old church.

It's all inclusive.

It's not new songs, it's not old songs,

it's not contemporary, it's not hymns.

It is all inclusive.

So the aim of God in history is the creation

of an all inclusive community.

The third part is of loving persons,

of loving persons.

That's part of it too,

cause it can't be just an all inclusive community.

It has to be an all inclusive community of loving persons.

Fourth one, and I love this,

with himself included in the community.

With himself included in the community.

That's important too, eh?

So it's not as if this is a group of guys

that he's formed and now he goes on to form another group.

No, no, no, no, no.

When he forms a community, he very specifically says,

I'm included in this community,

and I am part of who you are.

And then he is its prime sustainer.

He's included in the community,

and he's the prime sustainer.

As in he sustains it with life.

It's his life that flows through its veins.

He sustains everything in it.

And as its most glorious inhabitant.

I want us to look at this over the next few weeks,

cause it makes a lot of sense.

The aim of God in history is the creation

of an all inclusive community of loving persons

with himself included in the community

as its prime sustainer and its most glorious inhabitant.

Towards the end of this teaching,

I'll tell you to read a passage in scriptures

and give you an idea of the theme that God has for us

for the next however many months.

We'll talk about it at the end.

Okay, anyways.

So guys, we are gonna start here.

We'll start here.

So the prime sustainer and the glorious inhabitant

in this community of believers,

and by the way, I just wanna tell you how,

and I'm not saying this because we are on camera.

I wanted to say it right away after worship

when I didn't know this was on.

I was so proud of the way we went about praying earlier on.

I was so proud of the way you guys helped

break the thing apart before we prayed with the questions

and then we're joining together and praying for leave.

That's the way we should function, man.

We gotta be people of faith,

but people who process the word of God.

No faking, no mass hysteria or mass movement.

We think things through,

but we think things through with a mind of

God and then we act in the boldness of faith.

Proud of the way you guys did it.

I'm saying me too because I'm part of this group.

Proud of the way we did it.

Really the right way to go.

Okay, so guys, the prime sustainer

and the most glorious inhabitant of this community

is the holy spirit of the Holy Spirit.

And why do I say it's the Holy Spirit?

Why not say it's Christ?

Why not say it's the Father?

Because the Holy Spirit is the spirit of Christ

and he is the spirit of the

Father.

So the prime sustainer and the glorious inhabitant

of this community is the Holy Spirit.

And why can't I say it's Christ

because wouldn't that be right?

Absolutely, it would be right.

But why not use that then instead?

Because at the end of the day,

the spirit of God is the spirit of Christ

and the spirit of the Father

and he is present in the community.

He brings the Father and Christ alive in the community.

So guys, at the end of the day, remember this,

that there can be many communities,

there can be many loving communities,

there can be many communities that function well on Earth,

but there's only one community

that functions under the rain

and rule of the Holy Spirit.

And that community is the church,

which is why we are calling it the community of the Spirit.

That's the topic for the next few weeks,

the community of the Spirit.

So that's the topic for the next few weeks,

the community of the Spirit.

So the prime sustainer and glorious inhabitant

is the Holy Spirit.

He's the spirit of Christ, he's the spirit of God.

And at the end of the day, remember,

how is Christ present in me?

Through his Spirit.

How is the Father and the Son coming to sup with me,

as it says in the book of Revelation,

through his Spirit.

It's the Spirit that makes both Jesus Christ and the Father

real and alive to me.

Who is the one who inhabits the Holy Spirit?

Who is the one who inhabits this body?

Yes, it is Christ, but through whom?

The Spirit.

It is he who inhabits this body.

He is our prime sustainer.

He is our glorious inhabitant.

And there can be tons of communities, guys,

but at the end of the day,

there's only one community on the face of the Earth

that operates or functions under the rain

and the rule of the Holy Spirit.

Just one community.

And who are we talking about?

We're talking about the God of the universe.

I mean, the same Spirit who hovered over Mary.

The same Spirit, you know,

the word used in Genesis was brood.

The same Spirit that was brooding over the waters

as God spoke light and there was light out of chaos.

The same Spirit who was brooding over Mary.

And Christ was conceived.

This same Spirit now broods over this body, man.

And the moment this body begins to open its womb

to the work of the Holy Spirit,

what is conceived will be pure God.

Think of that.

Think of that of us as body and of us as individuals.

When the Spirit of God broods over us

and he broods over us, how do we know?

In James chapter 4, it says,

James 4 · chapter mention

the Holy Spirit yearns jealously over you.

Yearns jealously over you.

Like a mother yearns over her little baby,

so the Holy Spirit yearns jealously over you.

And when he broods like that over you or over this body,

what happens is the moment you open your womb to him,

as in saying, Holy Spirit, I yield my womb to you.

I yield myself to you.

Then the Spirit of God produces something in us

that is pure God.

Pure God.

There's no mixture.

What happens with us, guys,

is we are not fully convinced that the flesh profits nothing.

John 6, 63, the flesh profits nothing.

The Spirit gives life.

I am not always convinced that the flesh profits nothing,

so most of the things that are sometimes birthed on earth

are a mixture of flesh and Spirit.

But the flesh profits nothing.

Guys, no one can have an effective life.

I know you know this, but it's worth repeating.

No one can have an effective life or ministry

without God's Spirit working in them like a flow of water, man.

Not even trickles, eh?

If my life is to be effective here on earth.

If my life is to be...

If our ministry as a people is to be effective here on earth,

then it is important that the flesh begins to withdraw

because it profits nothing,

and the Spirit of God has tremendous flow.

Hey, you understand now why it says in Zechariah 4, 6 or 4, 7

that it's not by might, as in, nor by power,

but by my Spirit.

Jacob, it's not by might, it's not by a mental prowess,

it's not by your caliber, it's not even by your gifts.

It's not even by your spiritual gifts.

Because one can have spiritual gifts and begin to walk in that

instead of walking in the character and the purity of God.

I know I've said this before,

but gifts are not a sign of your maturity, character is.

Not by might, not by power, but by the Spirit of God.

And then John 6, 63, you guys, never forget that.

I mean, write it on your foreheads.

Yesterday I was at a barbecue, it was Bob Kran's 65th birthday.

And so after the barbecue, I went to pick up Derek,

and we went to White Spot.

And because there were people we didn't know,

I had this sticker on my shirt saying,

my name is Jacob.

And so I go up to White Spot,

and the lady is looking at me like,

what's wrong with you?

And she perhaps thought that I could not speak.

And so, and worse, I'm standing there and I'm saying...

Because I wanted her to know that there's two of us,

because Derek was behind me, so I said...

I said, two.

And she's looking at me all the...

And she's then quickly going...

And the worst thing is, Derek didn't tell me.

So now we are having cheesecake,

and I suddenly see that it says my name is...

It says Jacob.

And Derek's saying, yeah, I knew it,

but I thought perhaps you wanted people to know.

Didn't say my birthday is July 17th.

No, it didn't say my birthday is July 17th,

because I'm not into publicizing my birthday.

Yeah.

Guys, so, John 663, flesh profits nothing.

Right it down, eh?

Write it down on your forehead or stick it on your shirt.

Flesh profits for nothing.

The spirit gives life.

Got to remember this, eh?

Because if we don't remember these things,

we will not be able to practice it, man.

Got to remember these things.

You know, Graham Cook writes about some of the decisions

that have changed the destiny of he and his friends and his people.

And I just want to read them out to you, eh?

Especially in the light of all that's happening in Saskatoon

and what we prayed for earlier today.

Look at what he's saying.

And I pray, God, that over the next few weeks

I'll take excerpts from this and present it to you.

Look at what he's saying.

Look at how we need to adopt this.

We have decided that reading the book of Acts

without living the book of Acts is unthinkable.

These are some of the decisions they made together.

That we have decided that reading the book of Acts

without living the book of Acts is unthinkable.

Guys, if we are a community of the spirit,

if we are a spirit people, then things have to change.

His group of people.

Remember, good questions, Diana.

That was a good question, though.

To all our million viewers who are watching from all over the world,

that was Diana.

There will be regular interruptions like this.

We have learned to live with this.

You may as well begin.

But feel free to ask again.

Second, we have decided that believing in his presence

without seeing it manifested in signs and wonders is hypocrisy.

Let me say that again.

We have decided that believing in his presence

without seeing it manifested in signs and wonders is hypocrisy.

We should write this into our constitution, man.

We have decided that hearing about the Holy Spirit

without experiencing him is silly.

We have decided that hearing about the Holy Spirit

without experiencing him is silly.

Guys, if there are any of us here who have not experienced the Holy Spirit

and his gifts and his ways and his words,

come and talk to me.

Otherwise, I will be very happy to answer your questions.

I will be very happy to answer your questions.

I will be very happy to answer your questions.

I will be very happy to answer your questions.

I want to say something nasty about that theology, but I won't.

We have decided that believing in healing

without seeing people healed is absurd.

We have decided that believing in healing

without seeing people healed is absurd.

We have decided that believing in healing

without seeing people healed is absurd.

There's something seriously wrong.

Come.

On one hand, I'm saying this can't be.

On the other hand, I'm saying we have to press in to see how this can happen.

I'm hoping that this can happen.

I'm hoping that I stick with this and that the Spirit of God,

because this has to be a work of the Spirit.

The flesh profits nothing.

I pray, God, that over the next few weeks and months,

that we are able to do better than where we are at.

Amen.

We got to, guys.

We have decided that believing in deliverance

without people being delivered is absolutely ridiculous.

We have decided that believing in deliverance

without seeing people delivered is absolutely ridiculous.

This gap cannot exist.

We've decided to be Holy Spirit-filled,

Holy Spirit-led,

and Holy Spirit-empowered.

Anything less doesn't work for us.

Shout Amen if it's from your gut, eh?

Yeah.

We have decided to be Holy Spirit-filled,

Holy Spirit-led,

and Holy Spirit-empowered.

Anything less does not work for Acts 29.

It does not work for us.

Either this is the community of the Spirit,

or this is the community of Jacob.

And Jacob's flesh profits you nothing.

Some of you have better flesh than me.

Who me, Lord? Who me, Lord? No, no, don't ask.

We are a community.

We are a community of the Spirit.

Anything less is not enough, guys.

We have decided to be the ones telling the stories of God,

not the ones hearing about God.

We have decided that we will be the ones

who will tell the stories of God,

not the ones hearing about God.

Nothing wrong in hearing other people's stories.

That's not what this line is saying.

But we've decided that we will not be the ones

who just hear about God.

We'll be the ones telling the stories of God.

And the last one for today.

We've decided that living saved, but not supernatural,

is living below our privilege

and short of what Christ died for.

Let me say that again.

We have decided that living saved,

but not supernatural,

is living below our privilege

and is short of what Christ died for.

These are the high standards we are going to set, man.

And we are going to start walking towards it.

And the Spirit of God is going to meet us

and by His work, His surgery, His ways of doing things,

over a sustained period of time, you're going to change, guys.

Because anything else is absurd, ridiculous, not civilized.

And a waste of time.

The scariest thing that can happen to good churches is stagnancy.

Where we like, where we've gotten,

because we are far ahead of everybody,

within a two-mile radius, perhaps.

What's a two-mile radius?

So guys, for these things to happen,

to begin with today, just want to focus on two things.

For these things to happen, let's start with just two things.

One of them is, I must cultivate relationship

and I must cultivate fellowship.

Yes, right on.

I must cultivate relationship and I must cultivate fellowship.

Now here's the difference, guys.

Relationship is blood-based.

As in, I am located in the unconditional love

that the Father has for the Son.

Just listen to that line.

See, we are supposed to, if we want to become all that we said

we need to become by the Spirit,

we need to cultivate relationship and fellowship

because this is where we need to start.

And relationship is blood-based.

As in, God has established relationship through blood.

Relationship is blood-based in that I am located

in the unconditional love that the Father has for the Son.

What an odd way of saying it.

I'm not saying I am located in the unconditional love of the Father.

I'm saying I am located in the unconditional love

that the Father has for the Son.

I'm located in that.

I have a blood-based relationship.

I am located in the unconditional love that the Father has for the Son.

Guys, relationship is basically placement.

Placement in God.

Relationship is placement in God,

my placement in God and his placement in me.

Relationship is placement in God

and happens solely by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

That's how it works.

So know this, that God takes care of relationship.

We don't have to do anything to get into the presence of God.

Let me say that again.

God takes care of relationship.

We don't do anything to get into the presence of God.

But we must do everything to stay there.

We don't do anything to get into a relationship with God.

We must do everything to stay there.

Important, guys.

So God takes care of relationship.

We take care of fellowship.

I'll explain it. You'll see how wonderfully it works.

Fellowship is basically the practice of staying in relationship.

Fellowship is the practice of staying in relationship.

It applies to one-on-one human relationships,

but right now I'm talking about God and us.

So here's what we're saying.

Two things we need to cultivate.

One, cultivate relationship.

Two, cultivate fellowship.

How do we cultivate relationship?

We'll get to that in a moment.

But first I want to define relationship and fellowship.

Relationship is placement.

Placement in the unconditional love the Father has for the Son.

Relationship is placement that is obtained solely by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Relationship is blood-based.

Blood was spilled and we become co-heirs with Christ.

He's our elder brother.

But fellowship is the practice of staying in the relationship that we have with the Father.

Guys, when you read the story of the prodigal son,

you'll see both the presence and the absence of relationship and fellowship.

I mean, just think of it for a second.

The prodigal thought that he had damaged his relationship with the Father.

But he hadn't because the Father was waiting every day

because the relationship he had with his son was intact.

Why was the Father happy when he saw his son coming?

Because he knew that broken fellowship would now be restored.

It's the same problem with the church, man.

We think often when we mess up that it is our relationship that is damaged.

When we don't see God behaving a certain way,

we think that his relationship with us is undone.

No, no, no, man.

Relationship is placement in God because of what Christ has done.

It is blood-based.

He takes care of it.

Odd thing is both the sons in the prodigal story

didn't have fellowship with the Father

and they thought that they didn't have relationship with the Father.

While the Father was one who had a relationship with the prodigal

and with the older brother.

What he didn't have with the prodigal was fellowship.

Why was he happy?

Because at last broken fellowship was being restored.

The Father ran to the son because he had always carried the sorrow of broken relationship.

The Father celebrated and said,

bring the calf out because fellowship had been restored.

The relationship was never in doubt.

The relationship was never in doubt.

On the Father's side.

The relationship was never in doubt.

Both sons didn't understand relationship or fellowship.

That's often the plight of the church.

Often the plight of the church.

Some of us need to take note of this.

You're maintaining relationship with God through obedience.

Some of us in this church,

and there are times when I do it,

we're more aware of it than some of you.

Some of you in this church are maintaining a relationship with God through obedience.

There's another word for it.

It's called legalism.

Obedience is the evidence of a relationship and fellowship.

Obedience is not the origin of relationship and fellowship.

Some of us are trying to maintain a relationship with God through obedience.

Obedience.

Obedience is the evidence of relationship with God.

Obedience should not be the origin of a relationship with God.

It should not be the fuel that fires up the relationship with God.

Obedience should be the evidence.

As in, because I love him, therefore I will obey.

Not, I will obey so that he can love me.

The moment you obey so that he can love me, he can do this for me, he can answer my prayer,

he can do that or he can do this.

The moment you do that, you're stepping into a place called legalism.

Your relationship once you are the son born of God is never in question, guys.

It cannot be damaged.

But what can be broken again and again and that which needs to be restored is fellowship with God.

And the Spirit of God does this. He empowers fellowship.

But know this, that some of us try to maintain a relationship with God by obedience.

When God is saying, I like that but it ain't good enough.

I want fellowship and out of fellowship should come your obedience

because you no longer do anything for me because you are afraid of me or because you want things.

Obedience is the natural evidence of your relationship with me.

I love him, therefore I will.

Not, I will first.

I love him, therefore I will.

Or I will because I love him, however you want to phrase it.

But obedience should be the evidence of fellowship and relationship.

And it's easy to spot a, you know, when someone is lacking in fellowship with God in the way they pray.

You can hear how they pray and you'll know.

You can hear, you can see how transparent they are and you'll know.

You'll see the way they go about doing God works and you'll know.

You'll see the way they engage with others and you'll know.

You'll hear their stories and you will know.

You'll see the way they talk about their life and their work.

You'll seezzo.

You'll hear their stories and you will know.

You will see the change or the lack of change in their lives and you will know.

That here is someone who is born of God but is trying to maintain relationship with a list of things I should do and should not do.

And it's not coming out of open fellowship with the Father that the Spirit can bring to pass.

And out of that comes evidence of obedience which you don't even think of obedience.

You don't even think of this whole idea of to obey is better than sacrifice because it's not a sacrifice anymore.

Like I've said many times before, nothing is a sacrifice when you like somebody.

No cost is too great to pay when you like somebody.

Obedience costs, no longer will obedience cost suddenly because you're doing it out of tremendous fellowship.

Wow, what a way to live.

Guys, some of these truths are so hidden and yet so true that it's a shame that it hasn't been spoken of before.

People talk about how obedience is costly.

True, you will pay the cost upfront or you will pay many times over later.

But obedience is no longer costly when you are doing it for someone you love

because you do it with such joy that you will empty your pockets and say, take, how much more do you want?

For the joy that was set before him, guys.

It's vital that we understand this if we want to become this community of the Spirit.

So, God abides in relationship, we abide in fellowship.

God abides in relationship, we abide in fellowship.

He's taken care of the relationship thing.

It cannot be damaged.

I mean, look at your own children.

What can Ryan do to break his relationship with L'Orient and Marcus?

Nothing.

But what can Ryan do to break fellowship with his father?

Many things.

But relationship?

Nothing.

Amazing, eh?

God abides in relationship, we abide in fellowship.

He maintains the relationship, we maintain the fellowship.

How do we do that?

Even that we do by his own spirit, man.

Because the flesh profits nothing.

This is why, guys, the only thing that is demanded of us in terms of relationship is that we secure ourselves in his heart towards us.

That's all.

We secure.

How do we stand in the relationship that is established?

By securing ourselves in his heart attitudes towards us.

What are his heart attitudes?

Just go over them.

Abounding in love.

Abounding in love.

As in, this is a God of unadulterated goodness who is continuously thinking of you.

His heart attitude towards me.

Unadulterated goodness.

What can I do today to do something good for Jacob?

What else?

Go back to the heart attitudes we talked about some moons ago.

Embarrassingly lavish overwhelming kindness.

An expansion of the word mercy.

Embarrassingly lavish overwhelming kindness.

Is this who God is towards you?

These are heart attitudes of God towards you.

You remember these and you will be secure in what he has already established called relationship.

What else?

Come.

Comfort and rest.

Comfort and rest.

The way we explained it was, come, walk here by my side and see what I'm doing.

What else?

Guys, go over them.

Guys, you think I remember this because I taught it?

No, no, no.

I remember it because I go over it.

Faithful as in the words used were unflinchable, unstoppable, I will back you up kind of faithfulness.

Then there was another one.

Way opening, I go with you son, favor.

There were so many.

Eleven heart attitudes.

Okay, here it goes.

Unadulterated goodness full of son remembering love.

Anger free, I am for you discipline that leads us into abundance.

Embarrassingly lavish overwhelming kindness.

Oh, the next one is so cool.

Exceeding great reward and shield.

Come, walk here again compassion.

Power of his word faithfulness.

Way opening, I go with you son, favor.

See what I'm doing closeness.

White as snow purity.

Unstoppable presence and deep jealousy of the spirit.

And the last one and you can add many more is Jacob enjoying, I am pleased with you laughter filled God.

These are God's heart attitudes towards you.

Established when he said, I am blood related to you.

This is the part.

iPhone 6 is coming.

Derek likes me but not that much.

Guys, so these are the heart attitudes of God towards me.

So what do I need to do?

I need to cultivate fellowship and the Holy Spirit is the empower of fellowship.

The Holy Spirit is the empower of fellowship.

So even in terms of fellowship, it's God who then helps me enter into fellowship.

So let's just look at that and then we are done.

And then you guys have to stay for at least 10 minutes.

So don't begin shutting down.

Okay, guys, why do we call the Holy Spirit the empower of fellowship?

Let me write that down.

Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit.

The empower of fellowship.

The empower of fellowship.

Pardon?

Absolutely.

Guys, the Holy Spirit is the one in whom and by whom I share the life, the love and the grace of the Father and the Son.

If the Spirit of God wasn't there, at this moment if the Spirit of God wasn't there,

I would not know how to experience, indulge in, be engaged in the life, the grace,

or the love of the Father.

This is why in Romans 5 it says,

and God has poured the Spirit of God into you so that you may know the love of God.

This is why it says in Romans chapter 8 that the life of God is brought to you by the Spirit.

Romans 8 · chapter mention

This is why it says in the book of John that the Spirit of God is the Spirit of truth and grace.

He is the only one through whom and by whom I can experience the truth, the life, the grace and the love of the Father.

We don't realize what an important role he plays because he doesn't show off.

Please remember the Holy Spirit isn't grieved very easily.

I was listening to someone on TV saying,

and we did this and we should not do this because the Holy Spirit is very gentle,

and if you grieve him he just goes away.

No man.

Yes he is represented as the dove.

Yes he is gentle.

But remember he is fierce.

He is who wars.

He is Lord Sabaoth.

He is the one who goes and takes care of the enemy.

Does that sound like gentle dove?

No, suddenly it sounds like fire man.

So what I am trying to say is don't always seem as dove.

That's just a part of who he is.

It's like saying Jesus is always lamb.

No, no, no, no. Jesus is also lion.

Yeah.

Guys, depend on the Spirit of God.

You and I have no idea how much the work of the Spirit can change our hearts.

Just this morning I was struggling with an issue that exposed the condition of my heart

and I am thinking to myself, Father you have got to change this

because I can try and change it with my thinking.

I can learn scriptures but that ain't going to change it.

You have got to change it.

Look forward to times when your condition is going to change.

You have got to change it.

Look forward to times when your condition is exposed

because till your condition is exposed you cannot change.

Churches have become places where people come to have their wounds bandaged

and their shoulders massaged but not have their conditions exposed.

Go to a massage therapist then.

But our condition should be exposed

and the Spirit of God does it gently

but then he also has the ability to now work and change that condition.

Every time a certain condition is exposed

and you realize to your shame that oh shucks your heart is jealous

or your heart is envious or your heart is proud or your heart is angry.

Go to the Spirit and say Spirit of God I can learn the scriptures

but can you begin changing so that the Word and the Spirit can work together.

For what did Jesus say?

That the words I speak to you are Spirit and life.

Life it's got to be a collision of both guys

and this week we are going to trust him.

We are going to trust him because he is the only one who can bring to me the love, the life, the grace and the truth of God.

Only him man.

You know the thing that was lost in the garden besides our true character.

Okay, yeah we know that our image was distorted, that our true character was changed.

So while it is true that we lost our true character

another thing that was lost in the garden was the presence of God guys.

The same Adam who used to know the abiding presence of God

no longer knew the abiding presence of God.

And you must understand that one of the things the Spirit of God has brought back is presence.

Let me say that again.

I'll repeat it two times, three times.

One of the most important things that the Holy Spirit has brought back into a people and into my life is presence.

The presence of who?

The presence of God.

One of the most important things that the Spirit of God has restored to this man and to these people is presence.

The presence of God.

I mean if you ask someone who's lost a loved one

photos don't do it.

Momentos don't do it.

Letters don't do it.

Videos don't do it.

Skype won't do it.

What do you hunger for most when someone you love is far away?

Presence.

Matt's been away two days and she's been looking at the photos

because she would rather have him here than in Montreal or Quebec, sorry.

Right?

Yeah.

The point being guys, the one thing that we had absent in our life has been restored by God.

And at the end of the day, we have a lot of people who are not here.

The point being guys, the one thing that we had absent in our life has been restored by God.

And at the end of the day, what is the definition of fellowship?

Fellowship is an awareness of presence.

Fellowship is an awareness of presence.

To walk in the presence of God is what fellowship is.

This is what we are called to cultivate.

A people or an individual, one individual in this church, if this week can walk 24 hours

in the awareness of the presence of God brought to us in very real terms by the Spirit of God,

you will find a ridiculous change in the way you live.

Just 24 hours.

Jesus did it with the same limitations.

Do you see now why Jesus said, it's expedient that I go away?

Because if I go away, I can send the Holy Spirit.

Because Jesus' presence, I mean, what if he was living in Surrey?

Because that would be the place he would choose to live.

I won't say why.

Don't worry, Rosalind, I didn't say Delta, I just said Surrey.

So let's assume Jesus lived in a certain city.

Richmond.

The rest of us would not be able to live in the same city.

We would be living in the same city.

Richmond.

The rest of us would not know his presence, man.

We'd have to Skype or do FaceTime.

What I'm trying to say is, you can see now why John 16, 7 makes sense.

It is good that I go away.

It's expedient that I go away.

Because if I go away, I can be with you forever.

What a crazy sentence, eh?

If I go away, I can be with you forever.

So, guys, understand this, that right from the beginning, right from the beginning of time,

the Father has always wanted to be relationally and personally present in my life.

In our lives, in the lives of the people.

God has always wanted to be personally present.

No, no, not some kind of an emissary.

Can you see why Moses said what he said?

God said, I will send an angel with you.

Go, Moses, I'll send an angel with you.

And what does Moses say?

I ain't going if you're sending an angel.

If you don't come, I'm not moving.

Guy had sense, man.

We seem to like that.

We are happy if the pastor comes along, or the husband comes along,

or the father comes along, or the brother comes along.

It helps when someone comes along with you, eh?

Don't get me wrong.

We'll talk about fellowship between us another day.

Because there's strength when someone comes with you.

But above and beyond that, we've got to be like Moses saying,

I've got to know your presence.

I'm not going to settle for anything less.

And I know I don't need to,

because the Father is personally present, and relationally present,

by His Spirit in my life and in us as a people.

And the only thing that He has desired and I now begin to desire,

is this thing called fellowship, which is awareness of presence.

That's the definition of fellowship.

And we can cultivate it, guys.

You know His heart's attitude towards you.

We can cultivate this.

God's empowering presence at the end of the day

is fellowship of the Holy Spirit. That's what it means.

Nothing can take the place of presence, guys.

Nothing.

Nothing can take the place of presence.

And not just presence for a two-hour Sunday meeting.

Worship was great fun today, but that is not where it ends.

Your life has been wonderfully invaded by the living God Himself.

Wonderfully invaded.

I mean, I've seen these movies where nations are set free by a certain army,

and people line up on the streets and they clap as they're finally set free.

I'm talking about that kind of setting free,

where you've been wonderfully invaded by the Holy Spirit.

Wonderfully invaded by the Holy Spirit.

So God yearns that you flourish in the intimacy of fellowship

with Father and Son throughout this week.

Let me say that again. God yearns.

God yearns. Vernon! God yearns!

Focus on my face.

Okay.

Brother, would you just look into the camera

and speak to the people out there?

Sorry.

Oh yeah, sorry.

I got carried away by the moment.

So this is what it feels like to be on TV, huh?

This face doesn't need it.

You both will be sitting outside with Jawad.

Okay.

Pardon?

God yearns for me to flourish in the intimacy of fellowship

with the Father and the Son through this week.

I'll say that again.

God yearns for me to flourish in fellowship with the Father and Son.

I mean, those verses, we only use them during salvation, eh?

If you accept the Lord in your heart, then the Father and Son will come and sup with you.

No, man, that was supposed to happen after.

I stand at the door and knock if you let me in.

I, the Son and the Father will come and sup with you.

This is what we're talking about.

This week, God yearns to have the intimacy of fellowship flourish in your life.

With whom? With the Father and the Son.

Spending time with you this week by the Spirit.

Guys, this is how a community can engage in the process of total transformation, eh?

From inside out.

Then we'll be called the community of the Spirit.

We'll have to change the name, not Church on Main, Community of the Spirit.

Even the guys from across will come over.

Yeah, there's a place across that's selling weed, so, when they'll come across.

Just in case you thought it was another Baptist church, it was not.

Remember guys, the flesh profits for nothing.

The Spirit gives life.

You know, I love this line. I don't know where I got it from, but it's somebody else's line.

It says, I must become a holy habitation where God is active without restraint.

I must become a holy habitation where God is active without restraint.

Without restraint.

Well done, Rob.

I must become a holy habitation where God is active without restraint.

So, guys, tell me something.

What are some of the ways you'll practice the awareness of God's presence in the person of the Spirit this week?

How are you going to practice it? Tell me.

Take a moment to think.

Vernon, you can think too.

How are you going to practice an awareness of the Holy Spirit's presence in your life this week?

How? How are some of the ways?

Think for a moment.

How are you going to do it?

How are you going to do it?

Yes.

The first thing I would do is start my day by speaking to God.

Start your day by speaking to God?

Marcus, I'm not asking you. I'm asking everybody now.

Don't we do that anyways?

No.

No way. Okay.

Then that is a good thing to do.

Well, I didn't mean that I don't do it.

That's why Marcus I said I'm not talking to you.

Because otherwise it would sound like I'm saying, oh, so you don't, eh?

Is it possible to be praying without being conscious of the awareness of God?

Good point. It's possible to pray to God without being conscious of His presence.

That's why I said, guys, many things are replacing presence.

Bible reading can replace an awareness of His presence.

Praying can replace an awareness of His presence.

It's like when some of you husbands and wives are walking together,

but you don't know that until He steps on your foot, you don't know He's there.

Kamal, when you do it, it hurts, man.

Okay. Any other?

Focus.

What do you mean by focus?

My problem is focus. I get sidetracked easily.

Yeah.

So I gotta keep cleaning my mind.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

The idea is I gotta focus on my focus.

Yeah. Guys, if you have a hundred dollar note in your wallet, which I'm sure all of you do,

and it...

Wait till Heidi makes her announcement.

If you have a hundred dollar note in your pocket,

and it falls out of your wallet and starts flying down the road, what do you do?

Chase it and get it back.

And then as you're putting it back in your wallet,

a gust of wind comes and it flies out again.

What do you do?

Chase it.

Chase it.

And then just as you're putting it in your wallet, someone comes and bumps you,

and the hundred dollar flies out again. What do you do?

Ah, forget it. Three times, let it go.

No one does that.

You still go and get it back.

Focus requires that every time my mind wanders, I go back and...

Get it.

Be aware of his presence 24-7.

And when the focus begins to drift, you come back to it,

and you'll find that the frequency of not being aware lessens.

What else?

Give thanks, yeah.

I hate quoting Oprah, but gratitude helps us become aware of...

And then we'll be giving out 40, 50...

No, forget it.

Yeah, gratitude helps me become aware of...

I mean, yesterday, because of Leif's situation, I was so aware of him.

Even when Leif died, I was so aware of the fact that here is someone I need to praise

because his ways are just and pure and perfect.

Gratitude does enlarge my heart towards the presence of someone.

Go ahead.

Yeah.

What else?

Guys, some scriptures, learn them.

They are powerful.

One of the scriptures everybody has heard if you've called me this week

is the flesh profits nothing.

The spirit gives life.

I worm it into any conversation, regardless of whether it is relevant or not.

Life.

It doesn't matter.

You may be talking about baking cake, and I'll say the flesh profits nothing and the spirit gives life.

Why?

Because I so want to keep repeating it so that it is processed in here.

That's one other way.

Explain.

Yeah.

Giving time to hear God, writing it down, emailing somebody with the little things that God is doing.

Emailing somebody with the little things God is doing.

And then here's another one.

Team up with somebody.

Find somebody else that you can jive with on this.

So let's say Rosalind teams up with Ruth and says,

I'm going to do this.

I'm going to do this.

I'm going to do this.

I'm going to do this.

I'm going to do this.

I'm going to do this.

I'm going to do this.

Rosalind teams up with Ruth and says, hey, Ruth, this week,

whenever the Spirit of God tells me something or whenever I do something prompted by the Spirit of God or whenever he does something,

I'll just call you and I'll just talk to you about it because I want this to become so manifest in my life.

And Ruth does the same with Rosalind.

Whether it's a teaming up.

These are different ways, guys.

You've got to try it, regardless of whether you're going to Toronto or whether you're staying put.

Got to try it.