Holy Spirit III

Last week we ended on this note, we said that the spirit's presence in us is established,

but his presence does not automatically ensure that we are quickened or we have a fervent,

filled up, saturated spirit life.

That's what we ended on.

We said that the spirit's presence in us is established.

That's a given.

We know that.

We are quickened, fervent, fervent in our spirit, but the Holy Spirit's presence in

us does not automatically ensure a quickened, fervent, filled life.

So what we want to do is examine why the Bible says stuff like fan into flames or stir up

or be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Why the Bible talks about that.

So we'll do part one today.

These are just some of the things that we can look at.

As to how do we go about living a life that, as the Bible says,

is fanned into flame or stirred up or is fervent or quickened?

How is it possible for a Christian who

has the Spirit of God living in him

to begin to live that kind of a life?

So we're going to look at some of the ways we can do that.

And so just start with Ephesians 5.18.

Ephesians 5.18.

A lot of Bible turning today.

If you need a Bible, just ask somebody

who looks like they've been here for a while.

What do they look like?

Usually happy.

So just check with them.

Usually happy.

And they'll provide you a Bible.

Ephesians 5.18.

Ephesians 5.18.

Now let's start at verse 15.

Ephesians 5.15 onwards.

Here goes.

Be very careful, then, how you live, not as unwise,

but as wise, taking the most of every opportunity,

because the days are evil.

Verse 17.

Therefore do not be foolish, but understand

what the Lord's will is.

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.

Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns,

and spiritual songs.

Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord.

Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

And it says in verse 18, do not get drunk on wine,

which leads to debauchery.

Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Guys, one of the first things you

need to note about Ephesians 5.18

is it's not being spoken to individuals.

It's being spoken to the body.

It's being spoken to believers in relationship

with each other.

Even the way we read the Bible, guys,

needs to change a little in the sense,

yes, you're supposed to take what is written

for individual development.

But understand the context that the Bible, often

when it says things, is saying it

to a whole body where believers are in relationship.

And it's saying to the believers, listen, guys,

be filled with the Spirit.

So it's saying to Acts 29, guys, this

is the command of the Lord, that be filled with the Spirit.

But your question should be, but didn't you, oh, God,

give us the Spirit right off the bat when we got born again?

We've been talking about that over the last two weeks.

And this is another happy tension

that we talked about last week.

On one hand, you have the full person of the Holy Spirit

resident in you.

And on the other hand, God is saying,

be filled with the Spirit.

And he's saying it to a body.

Why am I emphasizing that?

Because most things of the Spirit

happen in the context of the body.

Yes, he is resident in you.

But how did he first come on the earth?

He came upon a people who were gathered in a room in obedience

in one accord.

Acts chapter 2, verses 1 and 4.

Acts 2:1

And they were all in one accord in one place, verse 4.

And they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Cornelius' house, they were together in the house.

Acts 10, 44, the Spirit of God fell upon them.

It always happens in the context of a people.

Why?

Because what's one of the main things?

Let me ask you this question just

to check whether you remember your notes.

What is the main objective of salvation?

Salvation.

You have been given honorary superior membership at Acts 29,

just for that for a day.

Good for you, Mariam.

The reason one is saved is so that the Spirit of God

may create a people called by the name of God, who can now

begin to represent God accurately here on earth,

and that we may live the life of the future in the present.

We talked about the Obama-Romney thing last time.

Pick up the CD if you don't remember.

But the point being, guys, the Spirit of God

is so into creating a community of people

who can be called by God's name and who can represent God

accurately.

This is deep in the heart of the Spirit.

And I know I've repeated it for the last four years,

but that's how we learn that the Spirit of God

is intensely desirous of forging a people who

are called by God's name and who display the character of God

in their lives so that others can say, hmm,

so here is a group, bunch of guys,

who operate by a different set of values.

Not here is an individual.

Here is a bunch of guys who operate by a different value.

So when the Bible says be filled with the Spirit,

again, it's in the context of the body.

One of the first things we need to understand

is that if you want to be filled with the Spirit,

as in if you want to be saturated or topped up,

if you want to be topped up on a regular basis in the person

of the Spirit of God, it happens best in the context of a people

not as solo individuals.

Why?

Because Isaiah 65, 8, and we talked about this many moons

ago, Isaiah 65, 8 says the Jews is in the cluster.

The Jews is in the cluster.

Isaiah 65, 8 says that because the Jews

is in the cluster, do not destroy the wine.

You don't make grape juice out of one grape.

I mean, you can, but it doesn't go very far.

Yeah.

The Jews is in the cluster.

And it's the same principle, guys.

The filling of the Spirit is in the context of the cluster

because of many individual grapes now being formed into one body

called the body of Christ.

So when the Spirit of God works with the people now,

it's Christ unlimited in session.

I love that phrase, Christ unlimited in session.

Guys, how many gifts can I have that are really

active on a regular basis?

How many different ways of Christ's functioning

can one person have?

It's limited.

But what if 26 to 30 people gather,

and now Christ is manifested through different people,

now you have Jews in the cluster?

Because one grape, even though he may be a fat, good-looking grape,

can only squeeze so much juice.

We had some massive grapes at Bob Cran's house yesterday,

by the way.

They were the size of potatoes.

Well, small potatoes.

And so just remember, guys, that the Jews is in the cluster,

and one person cannot contain all of Christ.

If one person contained all of Christ,

you need to bow down before that one person because he is Christ.

But when different people are together,

now the Spirit of God begins to manifest

because it's Christ unlimited in session.

Christ unlimited in session.

But then one hand represents the body of Christ.

Sorry, say that again, Marcus.

One person from that body can represent himself.

Yeah, knowing that he's connected.

Yeah, knowing that he's connected.

So when my hand shakes Jason's hand,

my hand not for a second thinks that I'm a hand shaking another hand.

No, I'm Jacob shaking Jason's hand

because the hand is so connected to the rest of the body

that the hand never sees its identity as separate from the rest of Jacob.

That is the important part.

The nose is never breathing for its own.

It's breathing for a heck of a lot of other things

that are involved in my respiratory system.

So everything then becomes connected.

Guys, like I said last week, you are getting it.

And I am so happy about that.

Not you are getting it, you've gotten it and you're adding to it.

So guys, if you want to be topped up or filled with the Spirit on a regular basis,

understand the importance of being in a body in one accord.

And become Hebron.

I don't know if you remember Hebron, that was from 2009.

Hebron is a oneness of intimate participation

where individuals recognize each other as divinely placed.

So the whole concept of Hebron is a oneness, not fake kumbaya unity,

but oneness as in understanding that we draw from one common source

and recognizing each other.

So recognizing Armin, recognizing Maximo.

And recognizing them how?

Recognizing them as divinely placed in this body.

None of you, and Pastor Mike said this when he came here,

none of you turned up here to become part of this house by accident.

Because this is a hard house to stay in by accident.

You were divinely placed.

And if you were divinely placed, my God, do I need to recognize you.

Not recognize you as, oh, Diana, you're back again.

No.

No, recognize you as in, OK, so what graces, what gifts, how is she today?

That kind of recognition.

And you do that well, too.

And when we create a place like that, it becomes an environment

that God can laugh, delight, and dance in.

It becomes an environment in which God laughs, delights, and dances.

Nothing catches him, attracts his heart, as much as a people

who have become one.

How do we know that?

Because Jesus in John 17, 21 is praying to his father.

And he says to his father, oh, God, Father, you and I are one.

And now, can you make this people one so that just as you and I are one,

they may be one with each other and with us.

He delights and dances in an environment where

that kind of oneness is created.

So if you want not to be filled by the Spirit,

and if you just want him to be resident, but you don't want

to be fervent in the Spirit, you just want to get by,

then please continue to be individualistic, independent,

and continue to cultivate an arm's length affiliation with the body.

So I want to ask you to be independent.

I want to ask you to be independent.

I want to ask you to be independent.

I want to ask you to be independent.

Cultivate an arm's length affiliation with the body.

So as my friend Ryan would put this, this is negative psychology.

So he's doing his degree in psychology.

So if you don't want to be filled with the Spirit,

and if you want to have a so-so existence, here's how you do it.

Be individualistic.

Be independent.

Have an arm's length affiliation with the body.

And you will have then the ability to be an anesthetized limb,

and yet you can still be the part of the body.

So just imagine that.

If my finger was under anesthesia right now,

it's still part of the body, but it experiences nothing

that the body is going through.

Many of us can render ourselves as anesthetized parts of the body

when we choose to be individualistic, independent,

and want to have an arm's length affiliation with the body.

Can't do that.

Full of the Spirit as an individual

may be the fervent expression of the life of the Spirit

is not possible till you're vitally connected to a body.

So Jacob, what does that look like?

Check your own family.

Don't you have people in your family,

sometimes even sons and daughters, and definitely

cousins, uncles, and aunts?

They turn up for Christmas parties,

and you wish they didn't come.

Because they sit there completely disconnected

from the family.

Are they blood relatives?

Yes.

Can they give you a kidney?

Yes.

But would you want their kidney?

No.

Because there's so much a part of the family, and yet they are not.

So that's what I mean by being at arm's length affiliation

with the body.

So you can be full of the Spirit of God

because you're born again, and yet not

have the fervent life of the Spirit

because you're disconnected with the body.

So Jacob, why is this so?

Why?

Because the priceless oil of the Holy Spirit

flows down from the head to the beard to the garments

and the rest of the body.

Where's that from?

Psalm 133.

Three.

Psalm 133.

Verse two, yeah.

Oh, I told one.

Psalm 133, and here's what it says.

It says, how blessed are brothers and sisters who

dwell together in unity, for they are like.

And then it goes on to talk about the oil that

flows from the head down to the beard, down to the garments,

down to the body.

The point being, why is it important for us

to understand this one accordness for the Spirit of God

to become fervent in your individual lives?

Because that is the way God has designed the body, where

the oil flows from the head, as in Christ himself,

to the rest of his body, which is the Church.

You are a part of the body.

You are not a complete microcosm in yourself.

And secondly, it talks about this in Ephesians 2 22.

Ephesians 2 22 says, we are being built together

to become a habitation in which God dwells.

Hear that, huh?

We are being built together to become a habitation

in which God dwells.

We are being built together.

We're being built together to become a habitation

in which God dwells.

People being put together to become a habitation in which

God dwells.

Where does he dwell?

In our people that have been put together

to form a habitation or a dwelling place

in which he can be resident.

So it is natural then for the Spirit of God

to be most fervently expressed in the context of a body.

Where does a bridegroom reveal himself?

Who does a bridegroom reveal himself to?

To the bride.

Be connected with the bride of Christ.

Because you can sit at home.

But I assure you, Christ will not

be revealed to you the way he is revealed

in the context of the body, because he reveals himself

fully to the bride.

And you are not the bride.

You are part of the bride.

Any questions before we move on?

What are we talking about right now?

We're talking about how we can be fervent or filled

with the Spirit.

Connect to the body of Christ, because that

has become the habitation or the dwelling of the Spirit.

And therein will you be filled and find yourself fervent.

The unity in body is this whole idea of, one,

recognizing each other, two, valuing each other,

three, understanding that you cannot survive on your own self.

See, as a pastor, and especially as a guy who's pretty gifted,

it would be very easy for me to assume

that I can do without you.

And there have been large periods of times in my life

where I have thought that I could do without anybody.

You just did your sermons in the mirror?

No.

No, I didn't do the sermons in the mirror.

But I didn't think I needed a church to be part of.

I was a good teacher, a good preacher.

I can pray and a few healings will happen.

I can be invited without being part of anything.

And years of my life have been spent like that.

My dreams were to do crusades and stuff like that on my own.

But at some point, thank God, at some point, it changed.

And I understood that my significance comes only

because I'm a part of this amazing body

called Acts 29.

Everything.

Hey, what is the evidence of the grace and gifts in me?

You.

What is the evidence of anything?

Everything in my life is so deeply connected to you.

You have no idea, guys.

Everything in my life is so deeply connected to you.

Where am I a son first in this house?

Where am I a servant first in this house?

Where am I the grace gift that I operate in this house?

Where am I a father in this house?

Where am I a part of a body in this house?

Where do I get my immunity and authority

from when I go out from this house

because I belong to a body?

Where am I a part of the bride of Christ in this house?

Where does my significance come from?

Where does my significance come from?

This house.

Where do I have sons in this house?

Where did I find my father in context?

This house.

Where do I return to?

This house.

Which vineyard provides me?

This vineyard.

Where do I sow?

This house.

Where do I come and report things?

This house.

Who do I yearn for with great desire?

You.

Why am I under pressure about a place not appearing yet?

Because I don't carry on in my bag,

but I sure want the best for us.

Everything in my life is connected to the body

that I belong to.

And as you go, so I go.

As I go, so you go.

Amazing, eh?

This is a shift, guys, which took time.

That sounded hollow.

Yes, I know, Sue.

But I'm glad you did.

2013 will go well for your sister.

The second, guys, I was just telling you

how I'm involved in this house.

Try to cultivate the same way of thinking.

Try to cultivate the same way of thinking.

Who am I submitted to?

This house.

Can you believe that?

Who am I submitted to?

I'm not submitted to anybody else.

I'm not even submitted to Eddie first.

I'm submitted to this house first.

Why?

Because this is the father's house of which I'm a part.

Who in the world has the right to discipline me?

This house.

And we've set up systems so that if I am in error,

this house has the ability to approach me and correct me.

And if I don't listen, it has the ability

to go to others to come and correct me.

Who am I submitted to in all the world?

This house.

Who can I be disciplined by?

This house.

Amazing.

I haven't been pressed for only this week about this house.

I have a friend who's not with any of you about this question.

And he said, if I ever went to church,

it would be this place.

So he's been doing it for a few years.

Glory to God, man.

Glory to God.

Awesome.

Awesome.

Reflecting his character.

Another way we can be filled with the Holy Spirit

is from Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

Notice what they did after they got baptized

and became believers.

Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

Acts chapter 2 says, verse 42.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

Let's start at verse 41.

Those who accepted his message were baptized,

and about 3,000 were added to their number that day.

And then look how they went about doing things.

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching

and to fellowship and to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders

and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.

All the believers were together and had everything in common,

selling the possessions and goods they gave to anyone

as had need.

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.

They broke bread in their homes and ate together

with glad and sincere hearts, praising God

and enjoying the favor of all the people.

And the Lord added to their number daily

those who were being saved.

Guys, there's a fourfold pattern for filling.

And what I mean by that is once you have become a believer,

keep these four things center.

Apostolic teaching or the doctrine in the church,

fellowship or participation, as we just mentioned,

the breaking of bread.

And for those of you who have lost that practice,

start again.

We talked about that.

I mean, when was the last time you

broke bread at a restaurant or in an airplane

or in your house or with your children?

When was the last time?

These are practices that we begin

to ignore after a season.

Heidi, the day before yesterday or three days ago,

when she went to visit Robert in hospital in Germany,

one of the things she decided to do

was go and break bread with her wife and husband.

And just before she entered the room,

the doctor came and revived him out of his sleep.

He was sleeping, and so he was able to partake in it.

And the breaking of bread is a mechanism of healing,

as we've spoken and taught here before.

The point being, guys, these are four things

that the church was instructed in.

And what happened was joy happened, growth happened,

favor happened, and the spirit of God

created a culture in which neither Elimas the sorcerer

nor Ananias and Sapphira could thrive.

We create a culture of the spirit

in which things that are not of the spirit

find it very hard to thrive.

One of the things I always tell Eric

is build a house where people are beginning

to understand the body and beginning

to connect with each other, and it'll be very hard for wolves

and sheep's clothing to come in.

You won't have to worry about who's a wolf,

because the sheep know each other so well that they can

smell a wolf a distance away.

So creating a culture of the spirit

through one apostle's doctrine, or the apostle's doctrine

is basically the doctrine that is taught, fellowship,

as in we already talked about fellowship,

as in we already talked about participation

in each other's life.

Breaking a bread, renew it, guys, renew it.

And don't do it in hidden enclaves.

Do it publicly.

Go to a restaurant and order bread and grape juice

and let people see how you are a people who

keep proclaiming the death and the life of Christ.

Do it at your home with your children

so that your children have no sense of a mystified meal

that you have in church.

Demystify it completely.

Tell them what it is about.

Practice it between husband and wife at your home.

Practice it sometimes alone if you have a need, especially

a need for healing.

Practice it.

It's not a pastoral privilege, nor is it gender-based.

And the fourth one is prayer, which we've talked about.

But just keep these four distinctives together, right?

Hunger and practice it, hunger and practice it,

because you will find that it will result in signs and wonders.

It will result in joy.

It will result in favor.

It will result in growth.

And it will result in sufficient fear in your friends,

a good kind of fear.

Practice it.

Apostolic doctrine.

How do you practice apostolic doctrine?

Do what Anne Osmond sometimes does.

Writes the notes, takes them home, prints them out,

reads them over and over again, practices them,

reads it again, practices them.

Or do what Jacob does.

Matt was asking me yesterday in the car,

when he stepped into the car and started the car,

he started hearing me through the speakers.

So he started laughing and saying,

so you listen to yourself in your car, do you?

And yes, I do.

Why?

Because I've got to learn what I teach.

And half of what I teach is not in my notes.

So I've got to learn.

So just remember that, guys.

Apostolic doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread.

So is breaking of bread magical?

No.

It's a recounting of the benefits of his death.

A recounting of the benefits of his death.

That's what you do every time you break bread.

You're saying, I remember what you did for me, Jesus.

Yeah.

And fourthly, prayer.

Moving on.

The next thing that will cause the fervency of the Holy

Spirit in you, and this is important to us guys,

is you can be filled through worship.

Filled through worship.

Be continually filled with the Holy Spirit.

You know, do you know that in Colossians 3, 16 and Ephesians

5, 18, what Paul is saying is, listen,

teach, admonish, and speak to one another

in all wisdom with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.

I didn't know that, man.

Turn to Colossians 3, 16.

Colossians 3, 16.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you

richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom

as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude

in your hearts to God.

Worship is even used not just as a method of singing to God,

but to actually teach and to correct.

Singing with gratitude in your heart.

Remember, gratitude in your heart is good,

but the Bible very clearly says, sing.

Let me repeat it.

Songs are a method of great wisdom from God used to correct,

to worship, and to teach.

That's why some of the songs that we write

have great teaching value.

Why do you think you have a generation that

wants to escape to heaven every day?

Why?

Because all their songs are about,

we have a mansion in heaven in the street by and by,

and one day we will disappear in the sky.

And so if you sing that for 40 years,

that becomes your theology.

So just remember that.

Songs are used to teach, and then it says,

sing with gratitude in your heart, sing.

One of the places where there's a fervency of the spirit that

takes over your heart is sheerly through worship.

Sheerly through worship.

Was there singing and worship before the earth was created?

Yes.

The angelic hosts engaged in that.

Was there singing and worship in the book of Exodus

when Israel was led through out of Egypt?

Yes.

Miriam's song is proof for that.

Was there singing in the tabernacle

that David constructed?

Yes.

Is that tabernacle being restored now?

Acts 15 says yes.

Was there singing in the time of Jesus?

Yes.

We hear about that in the Mount of Olives.

Was there singing in the New Testament church?

Hey, Paul actually writes songs in some of his letters.

Is there singing in the book of Revelation?

Absolutely.

Is the book of Revelation a picture of the church today?

Yes.

So should there be singing with gratitude and worship

in the church?

Yes.

Does singing involve opening our mouths?

Hmm.

Has God given everyone brilliant voices?

No.

Does that mean they don't sing?

No.

Make a joyful noise.

You have no idea of the joyful noises

that were coming out of people at caroling yesterday.

And it used to get worse when we attempted to harmonize.

But it was so much fun.

Yeah.

And I love what it says in Ephesians 5.17.

It says, do not be a fool or unwise,

but understand the will of God.

Don't be drunk, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking,

singing, and submitting.

And don't be a fool in this.

Don't be unwise in this.

Is that settled now, guys?

We don't need to go over that again, right?

May you make an attempt, wherever

we are low in any of these, may we make an attempt to pull it

up.

The next one, thirst-inducing outflow.

Acts chapter 4, verse 24.

Acts 4:24

Acts chapter 4.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

Who made the coffee today?

Sue, you did it?

I did.

And it's good?

Yeah.

I made it.

Acts chapter 4.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

Acts chapter 4, verse 24, and then 29 to 31.

Acts 4:24

Acts chapter 4.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

When they heard this, they raised their voices together

in prayer to God.

And look at verse 29 to 31.

Now, Lord, this is what they prayed.

Now, Lord, consider their threats

and enable your servants to speak

your word with great boldness.

Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs

and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting

was shaken.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit

and spoke the word of God boldly.

Guys, refilling, when you ask God to fill you again,

the question you need to ask is, are you already

doing what you need to exhaust what you have?

Stagnation inhibits filling, while outflow induces thirst.

Stagnation inhibits filling, while outflow induces thirst.

I'll say that again.

Stagnation inhibits thirst or filling,

while an outflow is absolutely necessary to induce thirst.

So here are these guys praying that, oh, God, here's

what we want of you.

We want you to give us bold preaching.

Why were they praying that?

Because they had been boldly preaching

and were being threatened.

And then they asked, oh, God, may healings happen.

But healings were already happening,

and now they were being threatened because of that.

Miraculous signs and wonders.

Stretch out your hand to do miraculous signs and wonders,

but it was already happening.

The point being, guys, if I stagnate

in terms of what the Spirit of God wants to do through me,

then I am not able to induce thirst to ask

for more in a sense of speaking.

John 7, 37 and 38.

Here's what Jesus is saying.

Jesus is saying, out of you shall

flow rivers of living water.

Well, then let it flow a little.

He didn't say, and in you shall be an ocean of living water,

which would have sounded as holy, too.

I mean, it would have sounded tremendously popular.

In thy belly lieth an ocean of living water.

No, he said, out of thy belly shall flow rivers

of living water.

There's an outflow, and an outflow induces thirst.

So we can't all be Billy Graham's and all

the other names that go around doing stuff.

True.

But where do you start?

Give me some place where some water is leaking.

At your work, in your family, at home, in Kenya, in Burnaby,

somewhere where there's an outflow.

Guys, an outflow will make you want more, guys, want more.

Until I take that step, I'll never

be able to come to a place where I can induce thirst.

Many times, I want more to happen,

but I don't want to be able to do that.

Many times, I want more to happen through my life,

but I'm scared to take that extra step to begin.

Really.

There are so many things I want to happen through my life.

And many of those things, I want an assurance

that it'll happen before I will step out.

So as long as I don't step out in that area,

I cannot induce thirst.

I'm sufficiently afraid.

Example.

Example.

There are so many times where I go to a place, and I see cripples,

and I see this and that and the other.

And I just want the Book of Acts to come alive through my life

and people to be restored.

I want God to be shown off.

I don't mind getting a little bit of the glory, too,

but I want God to be shown off.

But in the process, I realize that when I approach them,

I skirt around it, man.

I have progressive prayers like, may you get better in six months,

or just avoid the whole thing.

Why?

Because I don't want to look like a fool,

but there is no outflow without looking foolish, guys.

So let me add the whole equation together.

Stagnation inhibits thirst.

Outflow induces thirst.

But it is impossible to be someone who operates an outflow

without being foolish.

These are the things that are not in my notes.

It is impossible to be someone who has an outflow through him

unless you choose to be foolish.

Peter was foolish.

In the middle of a stormy lake, he steps out of the boat.

I mean, that's the height of foolishness.

On one simple word, come.

Is that why we call it foolish?

It is, but in certain things, God has already spoken.

You will do greater works in this.

My cry is, Father, how come not?

Which is why we came up with that whole theme of showtime

for 2013, that we will have a greater expectancy for signs

and manifestations.

We will hear the voice of God, and we will show his nature.

But I've got to be foolish.

Foolishness helps outflow happen.

Guys, go home, and think of this.

Where am I holding back?

Where am I holding back?

Why am I so afraid?

When will I begin to take a step?

Not to stand on a soap box and preach on number three road.

It's too busy there.

You might get knocked out.

But do things that are within your present capacity

and keeping credit.

Do things that are within your present capacity and keep increasing it, but a step at a time

step at a time

Today I'm going to be doing something at the end of this

afternoon for which for me will be a step out of

my my

normal ways of functioning

Now you're all thinking what's it gonna be what's it gonna be?

Stew in it

The next thing you want to do if you want the fervency or the filling of the spirit in you is very simple

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit do not grieve the Holy Spirit

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit what I mean by that is do not vex him do not

Don't cause him

The grief is not that he gets sad because like I said, we've painted the Holy Spirit to be so super sensitive

It's like one of those

Plants that you touch and the leaves shrivel up. The Holy Spirit is not like that

Like I said last week or I don't know where it's oh, I said it in Vernon. He's

someone who is

irreprete irreprecibly full of laughter and who's raring for a fight now that is his nature

That's not someone who if you touch him shrivels up

But when we say do not grieve the Holy Spirit what we mean is one don't

Don't provoke or agitate him and how do we provoke agitating him by testing?

Him or what do we mean by testing him it means to attempt to

Prove

Attempt to prove what that means is okay. Show me you really love me

Give me this if you really love me

If you really love me, you would do this for me. Oh God. You don't really love me. I'm leaving. I'm leaving

Attempting to

Force God to prove himself over and over and over and over again

Oh if God was really good, he would have done that for me

Oh if God says he's my father then how come he is not provided for the last two months and it goes on and on

Agitates and provokes God it tempts God and Israel did this in the desert in the end

God said I'm exasperated with you guys ten times. You've provoked me in the desert. You've tempted tempted me

You've a saved my character. You've saved me to see if I'm really God and ten times I obliged but stop it now

That grieves the Spirit of God

The second thing that grieves us and that's in that's in

Psalm 78 was 17 and 18

The second way we grieve the Spirit of God is by resisting him

By resisting him resisting him is

When you know he's saying something to choose not to to just keep resisting saying no not right now other important things

Not right now. Not right now won't work out

Sorry not right now resisting him in Act 751 Act 751

Stephen is speaking to the Israel to the Pharisees and other Israelites

And he says to them you guys are stiff neck like your forefathers

And you've continuously resisted God meaning every time he tries to make an attempt to bring it you say not now

Oh, no, no, no not ready to accept just resistance and the last one and

This is almost an increase in intensity the last one is rebellion

Rebellion is not just resistance rebellion is defiant disobedience that grieves the spirit

And I've done all three at different points in my life

Rebellion is not resistance rebellion is defiant disobedience

And you find that in Isaiah 63 10 very very clearly says that the Holy Spirit was resisted by the Israelites

Isaiah 63 10

These three are the things that grieve the spirit guys and you can understand why you as a father would be grieved

Along the same lines if your child did this

Any questions since Diana has left the room I can ask

Diana must be quite famous in many different parts of the world wherever they listen to our CDs

because she gets a mention once every three or four weeks

Next one

Next one guys is a father focused view and where I'm going with this is going to surprise you a little

See

And we are talking about the fervency of the spirit in us

And I don't think you'll hear this in too many places that this can bring about the fervency of the spirit on one hand guys

There is only one father

That Jesus made visible

And that is the father

There is only one father

That Jesus made visible no man can be a father

Let me say that again on one hand there is only one father Jesus made him visible and no man can be a father

But what God does here on earth is that he substitutes his fatherhood

He substitutes his fatherhood. Let me say that again

Starting again because it's important to understand this I'm glad you're listening Jason

There is only one father and that is the father that Jesus made visible the heavenly father and no man can be a father

In terms of who he is. Well, one of the things God does on the earth is he

Substitutes and he says represent me

Or in other words God comes into a family

Through a representative figure who substitutes for him God comes into a family through a representative figure

Who substitutes for him? That's how he creates households on the face of the earth

God

Comes into a family through the representative figure

Who substitutes for him?

And that's how he creates households on earth guys

Think of this I'll think of this for a second just so you know that this applies all across the board

You see that with Jesus Jesus was the only begotten son of the father

He was born of a virgin without any sexual agency of a man

He was born of a virgin who was pregnant without the agency of a man yet

He was placed in the care of a substitute father in Joseph and

Because of that he drew his family line from Judah

You see it guys

There is only one father that Jesus made evident to us

No one can replace him

No one can take his place

But God works here on earth through this principle of substitution where he says go represent me

So God enters families through this principle of representation where he

Substitutes himself and creates households and this is what he did with Jesus

Even with Jesus the begotten son of the father who was born through a virgin who became pregnant without the agency of a man

Was still placed in the care of a substitute father whose name was Joseph so that

Jesus could now draw his lineage from a tribe or a family called Judah

Which was important cause prophecy had to come to pass the Levi's were being replaced replaced by the tribe of

Judah the priesthood had changed

As so now

It's the same thing guys and this is so vital for fervency in the spirit

I'll talk about that some more before we move on to the last one

There's no ownership in fathers and sons in a household

There's only stewardship by the way your children are still you just so you know

You are stewards over your children, too

Ryan has been lent to Marcus and

Laurie and

He was put in their charge to be stewarded over

Josh and Becca have been

Given Eli so that they can steward him through these times and brought to a place your stewards over your children

In a house to there's no ownership there's only stewardship because all sons belong to the heavenly father

And he doesn't own me

Anyone in this house who says that Jacob I am your son. I don't know you own you

All I can do is convey the grace the love the correction and the will of the father to you all I can do is

Convey the grace the will the correction and the love of the father to you

So Jacob why are you bringing on fathering in terms of fervency of the Holy Spirit simple guys fathering is a

a means of

reconstituting or

Repositioning you spiritually

To

It's a means of expanding your capacity

To

Three

It's a means of stirring up things

Stirring up things of the spirit in you

Fathering is a means towards one reconstituting and positioning you

spiritually

Second it's a means of expanding your capacity

Third it's a means of stirring up things in the spirit in you you see really

It's a means of expanding your capacity

It's a means of stirring up things in the spirit in you you see really

You

read about this in

1st Corinthians 4 15 to 17 when Paul talks to his son Timothy and he says you may have many guardians you may have

10,000 guardians, but you only have you you do not have many fathers, and then in

Secondrrrrr everybody one-six. He says to Timothy Remember

how I

laid hands on you had stirred up the things of the Spirit in you 2nd Timothy 1 6 guys this

This radically happened to me when Eddie came into my life.

This has radically happened to some of you.

I mean, one guy I can call right now and ask him to speak

would be Jason.

It's radically transformed his life.

It's completely reconstituted and repositioned

him spiritually.

You've heard him talk about it.

It's expanded his capacity.

And it stirred up things of the spirit in him.

And I can say the same for many others in this room.

This is not a recruitment thing, man.

I'm not out collecting sons.

You know that.

But the point being, guys, this is such a priceless way

of stirring up such fervency in you

that it's almost irreplaceable.

Irreplaceable.

Some of you have already, I want to put it this way, guys.

You don't have to receive me as your father.

But you need to see that Acts 29 is a family.

And I'm the father of the family,

even if I'm not your father.

Let me read that again.

Because not for a second do I assume that everybody sitting

here has gotten the hang of fathers and sons.

But I want to put it this way.

You don't have to receive me as your spiritual father.

But you need to see that we are a family.

And I am the father of this family,

even if I'm not your father.

Because if you don't even see that, you won't benefit

from this house at all.

Begin there and move on from there.

Some of you have already come to that place.

Some of you will come to that place,

where you will see me both as the father of this family

and your spiritual father.

And when you do that, the Spirit of God

will reconstitute you and ready you.

Because in Luke 1, 17, it says, the hearts of the father

shall turn towards the sons, and the hearts of the son

shall turn towards the father.

Disobedience, skepticism, and evil will be disbanded.

And instead, the Spirit of God will prepare and ready

your people for the Lord Himself,

and the curse shall be banned.

Malachi 4, 6, and 7, and Luke 1, 17 and 18.

And even as sons, guys, you can be affiliated

or you can be connected.

One who knows how to access the father in a man or a woman

can begin to soar on eagles wings.

One who knows how to access the father in either a man

or a woman can begin to soar on eagles wings.

Why do I say man or woman?

Because the heart of the father and the qualities

and the attributes of the father are genderless.

So if I were a woman and I was still

the father of this house in some convoluted fashion,

then it would still be possible to access the father in a man

or a woman and soar on the wings of an eagle

while others are still walking, depending on how you connect

or whether you're affiliated.

Very simple, guys.

Yesterday, I had the privilege of spending time

talking to Ryan on the way back.

And the more I spoke to him, the more I realized, one,

his character as a fine young man.

And two, it was a reflection on his parenting, too.

Applied both ways.

Fathering reconstitutes or repositions you.

Fathering expands your capacity, makes the horizon much broader.

And fathering stirs up the things of the spirit in you.

And if you're already a son in this house,

don't stay affiliated.

Stay connected.

And you will soar on the wings of an eagle,

not because of the man Jacob, but because

of the grace of a father in this man that you can access.

Just as I have accessed Eddie, and Eddie is a man

with faults and flaws.

But I can access the grace in him.

And it has caused me to soar on the wings of an eagle,

on the wings of the eagle as in the spirit of God.

It has caused me to be completely reconstituted

or positioned spiritually.

And those of you who knew me before know that for true.

It has expanded my capacity, and it keeps expanding.

I'm turning 40 this year, and it still goes on.

And it stirs up the things of the spirit in me continuously.

The last point.

Any questions, guys, on that before we move on?

Any questions on that?

If there was a question about your age over here.

Haven't you been taught that you shouldn't ask men their age?

Especially when they're over 40.

I'll tell you a story after we are done,

because I don't want it to be on tape.

The last one for, and this is part one,

next time we can talk about some other things.

The last one is laying on of hands,

where the fervency or the filling of the Holy Spirit

happens through the laying on of hands.

Guys, the filling of the Holy Spirit

with the gift of speaking tongues and prophecy

is seen with the laying on of hands in Acts 8, 14 to 17.

Turn to Acts 8.

Acts 8.

Acts 8, 14 to 17.

Turn to Acts 8.

Acts 8.

14 to 17.

Acts 8, 14 to 17.

Here's what it says.

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted...

Ryan?

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God,

they sent Peter and John to them.

When they arrived, they prayed for them

that they might receive the Holy Spirit,

because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them.

They had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

Then Peter and John placed their hands on them

and they received the Holy Spirit.

Let's look at another one.

Acts 19, 4 to 6.

Acts 19, 4 to 6.

Acts 19, 4 to 6.

Paul said John's baptism was a baptism of repentance.

Paul said...

verse 4.

Paul said John's baptism was a baptism of repentance.

He told the people to believe in the one coming after him,

that is in Jesus.

On hearing this,

on hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

When Paul placed his hands on them,

they spoke in tongues and prophesied,

there were about 12 men in all.

So on one hand, you see that sometimes the gifts

and the filling of the Holy Spirit

is seen through the laying on of hands.

But then again, if you go to Acts 10, 44,

Acts 10, 44,

Acts 10, 44,

you see that it's not always so.

Acts 10, 44,

and it says in Acts 10, 44,

while Peter was still speaking these words,

the Holy Spirit came on them.

Came on all who heard the message.

The circumcised believers who had come with Peter

were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit

had been poured out even on the Gentiles.

For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

So in Acts 10, 44 to 46,

we see that the laying of hands was not necessary,

but simply through the preaching

that Peter was doing, the Spirit of God fell upon them.

What I'm trying to say is,

yes, there is a place for the laying on of hands

as a means of bestowing the gift of the Spirit

when it's done in agreement with God's Word.

It's not a magical thing

because there was a guy who thought it was magical.

Acts chapter 8, verse 41,

there was this guy called Simon Magus,

Simon the Sorcerer,

and he sees Peter going around

laying hands on people

and they get filled up with the Holy Spirit.

So he goes and says,

here, how about $100?

Can I have that gift too?

Because he thought it was magical

and he was a sorcerer to begin with.

So on one hand,

there is a bestowing of the gift of the Spirit

or the person of the Spirit

into a person's life through the laying on of hands

and yet it's not always the case,

it's not a formula.

And finally, go to 2 Timothy 1, 6.

2 Timothy 1, 6.

For those of you who don't know where that is,

it's towards the end of the Bible

and it's after Thessalonians.

2 Timothy 1, 6.

After 1 Timothy.

2 Timothy 1, 6.

And here's what it says.

It says there,

that for this reason,

I remind you to fan into flame

the gift of God,

which is in you

through the laying on of my hands.

For this reason,

I remind you to fan into flame

the gift of God,

which is in you

through the laying on of my hands.

Now let's just look at 1 Timothy 4, 14

to get a better idea of what he was talking about.

1 Timothy 4, 14.

1 Timothy 4, 14

and here's what it says.

Do not neglect your gift,

which was given you through a prophetic message

when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

So here we see that certain grace gifts

and what do we mean by grace gifts?

Apostle, Prophet, teacher, pastor, evangelist

and the gifts of the Spirit

are imparted through a prophetic word

and sealed with the laying on of hands.

So that happens too.

So what we are going to do now

is I'm going to ask Chris and

I'm not going to call Marcus and Jason.

We'll do this just with the piano.

I'm going to ask that we sing these two songs

and feel free to leave

whenever you have to leave

because we are kind of done.

But if you want

and if you so sense after we sing these two songs

to come up and have hands laid on you

praying for a fervency or a filling of the Spirit

or whatever else the Spirit or God wants to do with you today

then feel free to come up.

But otherwise we are done

and we'll be meeting on the 23rd.

So while we are singing

if you feel you have to leave

well then you have to leave.

But if you want to

if you sense otherwise feel free.

Any time today Chris.