In the Power and Demonstration of the Spirit... - Acts 3:1-10

We're going to get into the word together, so open up your Bibles

to Acts Chapter 3 and see what we can accomplish together here.

Acts 3 · chapter mention

We're going to start out, I really want to just bring an

introduction to what we're going to be talking about and looking

at today. Kind of what, where, why, why?

I want to look at what we're going to look at today, and then

we'll get into it. But, you know, as a pastor, as a

missionary, as just a disciple of Jesus, somebody who wants the

real deal, wants to try to stay close to Jesus, doesn't always

do it so. Well.

But just understands my desperate need for God, for the

power of the Holy Spirit to be able to not only live for Jesus,

overcome sin, be a halfway decent husband, father, pastor,

neighbor, all those kinds of things.

I realize, you know, I I don't have what it takes.

I can't accomplish it. I can't do it.

And so it has to be the power of God working in me and through

me. And so even over this last year,

I just found myself a lot kind of crying out to God and just.

Being like I'm desperate. I need help.

I need power, I need strength, I need wisdom.

So whatever it is, if you come in here today and you're feeling

kind of weak, you're feeling kind of down, you're feeling

kind of. Dry, you're like, what's going

on? Lord, where are you at?

I need help, I need deliverance, I need wisdom, I need

forgiveness, or I want to serve, I want to go on a mission trip

or I want to know what my role is in the body of Christ.

I I just want to be effective for your Kingdom.

Then I hope you know this message to speak to you this

morning. The title of it is in the

demonstration or in the power in the demonstration for such a

time as this, and it kind of comes out of this passage in

Acts chapter 3, as well as Paul's heart and thoughts in

Acts 3 · chapter mention

First Corinthians chapter 2. I want to read that to you, just

1 Corinthians 2 · chapter mention

verse three and four there and make a comment on it before we

get going into Acts chapter 3. But Paul, he, you know, was a

Acts 3 · chapter mention

religious guy, was a really smart, intelligent guy, very

cultured guy, spoke multiple languages, had Roman

citizenship, was at the top of the top of his game.

Philippians Chapter 3 gives his audio autobiography, You know.

Philippians 3 · chapter mention

Hebrew of Hebrews tribe. Of Benjamin, according to the.

Law was. Blameless.

But then he he says, when I encountered Jesus Christ, I

counted all that as trash and garbage and useless.

And even there Paul later on in life, he was in prison in Rome

when he wrote that letter to the Philippians.

And he tells him, I just want to know him.

I want to know him in the power of his resurrection and even in

the suffering of affliction. And the, the context there of

the letter to the Corinthians is Paul.

He's on a missionary journey. He goes through Athens, in

Greece. He kind of tries to meet them on

their level, minister to them. He he pulls out some poetry, he

pulls out some. You know, showing them that he's

a smart guy too, and he doesn't really have.

A very good experience there. He walks away, there wasn't much

fruit from it, and he goes to Corinth.

From there. And so when he gets to Corinth,

we read here in verse 3 and 4, this was kind of his heart

condition and his mindset. And he says, I was with you in

weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

My speech and my preaching. We're not with persuasive words

of human wisdom, but in the power and the demonstration of

the Holy Spirit and that. That verse has.

Just kind of been ruminating, moving through, circulating

within my own heart and mind for the last year or two.

When I look at my own life, when I look at ministry, when I look

at our church, I look at Christianity and I think, God,

if you don't do something here, we're in big trouble.

Because I realize it, human wisdom and human efforts and

human strength and all these things, they don't get the job

done. They don't penetrate hearts.

It doesn't transform lives. And so all we can do is bow our

hearts and knees and say, dear God, help us pour out your Holy

Spirit, Phyllis. And so Paul, he comes to Corinth

and he's like, I'm not doing that again.

I made the mistake of kind of maybe getting in the flesh a

little bit there trying to show him my stuff, get whoop out some

apologetics or whatever. And when he gets to Corinth, he

says, when I came to you, I determined to know nothing but

Jesus Christ and him crucified and any, any.

If you read that letter, he talks about how hey, the message

of the. Cross is foolishness and people

think we're fools, but those who are getting.

Saved. They realize it's the.

Wisdom of God. But here, he points out, I.

Came to you not in. Word.

Only, and not in speech only, but in the power, in the

demonstration of the Holy Spirit.

And so I want to ask you guys as we're moving through this this

morning to just kind of reflect and and examine your own life

this morning. And what would you say?

Would you say that in your family, at your workplace, as a

Christian, in the community? That you are walking in the

power. In the demonstration of the.

Holy Spirit. Or is it in Word only the the

other verse here that is kind of just speaks to me about this is

in Esther chapter 4 when Mordecai, Esther's uncle, the

Esther 4 · chapter mention

whole thing about the Jews being about to be slaughtered by this

wicked guy Haman in the Persian Kingdom there Mordecai, the

uncle of Esther. She was a orphan girl that had

become the queen and Mordecai goes to her and basically says,

Hey, don't, don't you think that this is not God's sovereign hand

that has put you in this position and in this place for

this time And and the the way these connect today for us as we

look at Acts chapter 3 here is we're in some pretty interesting

Acts 3 · chapter mention

times. The devil has never changed.

He loves to still. Kill and destroy.

He's doing a pretty. Good job of that.

And God has chosen to use. Us the foolish base.

Things of the world to expand his Kingdom, to sow the seeds of

love and the power of the gospel and bring people to salvation

out of the throes of darkness and perversity and bondage.

And, and I think we're, I think we're, it's just as valid.

It's for such a time as this. You're living in Boise.

Idaho, you're living in the year 2025, you're working at the job

you're at, you're in the family you're in and all these.

Kinds of things not. By random.

Like it just kind of happened like that, but but it's God's

sovereignty over your life, He. Purposed.

That you would be born when you were and where you were, and

that you would get saved when you did, and that you're now

salt and light and these kinds of things where you are.

But He wants to use you for His Kingdom, for his glory.

But it requires the power and demonstration of the Holy Spirit

and not just words. And so let's get into this and

take a look at it as we kind of look at Jesus's command to his

disciples to be. Filled with the Holy.

Spirit baptized in the Holy Spirit.

We're going to look at some examples in the Bible of the

demonstration and power, and then we're going to examine our

own selves and kind of ask ourselves, where are we at with

this kind of dynamic enabling? To close it off, I'm going to

try to give. You three ways.

That might help you get to that, this dunamis, this dynamic power

in God's life and God's Spirit. But here in Acts chapter 3 we

Acts 3 · chapter mention

read now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the

hour of prayer, in the ninth hour.

And a certain man, lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom

they laid daily at the gate of the temple, which is called

beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple.

This guy's begging for money. Seeing Peter and John about to

go into the temple, ask for alms, and fixing his eyes on him

with John, Peter said, look at us.

So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something

from them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold

I do not have, but what I have I give you.

In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.

I want you to underline or highlight that what I have I

give you. And he took him by the hand,

lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones

received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and

walked and entered the temple with them, walking, leaping,

praising God. And all the people saw him

walking and praising God and they knew it was he who sat

begging alms at the beautiful gate of the temple.

And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had

happened to him. So a few things I want to point

out to you here. We're not going to do super

deep, deep dive an exposition of this text, but I do want you to

see a few important ingredients here.

Number one, Peter and John are just going on about their daily

lives, right? They're just, it's like, oh, we

got a prayer meeting. We're going to the prayer

meeting. They're along the way they're

they run into a guy, he's asking for money.

They don't have any money, but what they do have is time.

They're willing to take a moment out of like the but the prayer

meeting is going to start. Sorry bro, we got to go.

No, they, they, there's. This sensitivity to the holy.

Spirit Peter is touched. He feels like God wants to do

something. Here is a moment of stirred

faith in his life. He says, hey man, look up here.

Let me get your attention for a minute.

This is serious business. I don't.

Got any money? But I got something way more

powerful, way more important than money and what I have.

I want to give it to you. And what is it that Peter has

here as he steps out in faith? He.

He. Feels the Holy Spirit is.

Leading him to. This He takes a risk.

He steps out and he says hey. I think God wants to.

Heal you today. I want you to believe.

In him and trust him and stand up.

And walk. And then this man responds in

faith. He stirred in faith and says

let's. Do this, takes his hand, gets

up, and the next thing you know. A man who's.

Never walked his entire life is walking and leaping and.

Jumping and skipping and praising God.

And then there's the impact not only on this man.

So it's the power and the demonstration that has been.

Exposed to Peter himself. He's walked with Jesus.

He's seen it now. He's been baptized.

And filled with the Holy Spirit, he believes it.

He. He.

Believes it's not just for trying to be a good person, but

that God does great wonders and signs and miracles.

He looks at this guy, he's like, I don't got any money but man.

Let's see if God wants to do this.

Get up and walk man. And the guy does it and goes for

it. And and then.

What? What else?

Is the impact not only on this man's life, but then everybody

there goes? Wow, wow, there is a God.

In heaven and he's still working today.

And so as we kind of keep moving through here.

I want you to ask. Yourselves what?

What is my Christian life like? You know what is our church?

Like have I been baptized? In the Holy Spirit do I have

this power? Can I say to people what I have

I. Give to you.

You know, Peter doesn't give him money, but what does he give him

here? And gives him his own experience

in God's power. He's like, hey man, God touched

me. He could touch.

You it's not just about, you know, delivering a poor

fisherman from his own pride and sin.

And self, but he also. Heals people physically.

It gives them hope. It gives them faith.

You notice, you know we. Without faith, it's impossible

to please God, right? God works through faith.

God's blessed by faith. There's a couple of times in the

New Testament where. Jesus is shocked and stunned and

blessed, and it's when people put faith in him in such a way

that he goes, man, that is awesome faith.

The centurion in Matthew chapter 8.

Matthew 8 · chapter mention

The woman, The Cyrophoenician woman that was healed, that her

daughter was healed. Both of those people, they blew

Jesus's mind by their. Faith.

Now there's another. On the contrary, there's another

situation in the new. Testament where some people stun

and shock and amaze Jesus. But it's not their faith in him,

It's actually their. Unbelief, for example, when he

goes to. Nazareth and he's all bummed out

and he's in it in the Bible says.

He could do no. Work there because of what?

It says he was amazed. At their.

Unbelief. So another question to ask you

this morning. As you walk with Jesus, as we

sing these songs, the songs of man, You blessed me, you loved

me, you saved me, you delivered me.

Now I just have a life to offer back to you.

Romans chapter 12. You know that.

Romans 12 · chapter mention

We would present. Ourselves as a living sacrifice.

When I got saved here in the valley I was just long haired

hippie. Sex, drugs and rock'n'roll but

at that point fairly miserable looking for truth and Jesus

reveals himself to me, reveals his.

Loving. Kindness to me, His grace.

His forgiveness pours out. His Holy Spirit on me and.

All I could say for. Weeks, if not months was.

Why me? This is awesome, this is

amazing. Then what can I do for you?

And John says we we love him because he first loved us.

And so we have to ask ourselves, is my response and my reaction

to God's love in my life, His forgiveness towards me?

Is it? What can I do for you and here?

If you want to use me, I, I mean, I'm like a donkey, I'm

like a rock. I'm foolish, I'm based.

I can't put sentences together. But if you can use me to bring

that. Same thing to someone else.

Please do. And Jesus is like.

Of course, that's the way I. Designed it but you know this

whole silver and gold day I have none of but what I have I give

to you. It's interesting.

There was there's a purported story that there was a Catholic

Pope named Pope Innocent the 2nd and he was counting all the

money that had come into the coffers.

And in walks Thomas Aquinas, who was a theologian and a

philosopher kind of considered to be maybe a church father and.

He Pope Innocent says to Aquinas, he says.

Hey Thomas, no longer does the church.

Have to say silver and gold have.

We none and Thomas responds back to him quickly and.

Says yes. But perhaps we are also in

danger of not being able. To say rise up.

Take your bed and walk. And So what I'm asking.

You today is is. Are we living out a Christian

life and a Christian experience that is not only just like?

Yeah, the Bible says. It and yeah.

We believe it, but yes, I believe it.

And yes, I'm walking in. It and I want to.

Walk in it and I want to extend. It also.

To my whole life and other people around me.

Or are we? Living kind of the Laodicean

life, you know, the church in Revelation chapter 3, the last

Revelation 3 · chapter mention

days church. Which we may very well be.

Living in and Jesus rebukes them and he says you guys are saying

silver and gold. I have a ton of and you're

saying you. Don't need me.

And he's rebuking them and he's telling them you need to repent

you. Need to come and ask me of the

gold. Refined in the fire.

And so it's something to consider as we look at just the

idea here that desperate times call for desperate measures.

Pete, John. Paul, Peter.

Paul said. In Second Timothy, chapter 3,

2 Timothy 3 · chapter mention

he. Said that the last.

Days would be. Marked by a lot of religiosity,

that would be. Denying the very power.

So we have to ask ourselves, are we, are we a part of that

personally on an individual level and then in our family, in

our church and so forth. You know, I think if we're in

the last days and most people. Believe we are, it looked.

Like man, I can't imagine. What it's going to be.

Like the further it goes, but you know the darkness and and

demonic dynamics call for. Pentecostal dynamic call for

power. Real, real deal deliverance and

and and intimacy and inner strength.

The The strengthening of the inner man.

And faith, you know, I was talking about the faith.

Of Peter. But I mean, Jesus says hey.

Just a mustard seed could do a lot.

Just the littlest bit of faith could do a lot, you see.

The the rebuke against unbelief in the Bible.

You know, sometimes we we think about pornography, we think

about sexual sin, and we. Highlight that a lot.

And sometimes, if we're really brave, we get into like, obesity

and unhealthy relationships with food.

And these kinds of things. But we.

Never talk about unbelief, but do you?

Know that the Bible talks about unbelief a lot and that it

emphasizes how. Wicked it is before God, and and

that's the whole. Example of Israel in the.

Wilderness, right? The wickedness of their

unbelief. You know, it's akin to sorcery

and witchcraft. It's a form of idolatry, right?

But nonetheless, this idea of dynamic power is important.

I want to kind of show you some things here in Acts, the book of

Acts quickly. Just show you some examples.

Jesus commanded his disciples to be filled.

With the Holy Spirit. He told them in John 1415 and 16

about the. Holy Spirit before his.

Death, burial and resurrection. He told them that if time was

coming when there would be a different relationship between

him and them, he was going to go to.

The Father. But he was going to send them

the holy. Spirit, he said the Holy Spirit

would be the teacher. He would.

Lead them into all truth, and He would bring things to their

remembrance, and so on and so. Forth, he says the Holy Spirit's

with you, he's going to be in you, and he's also.

Going to need to come upon you in John chapter 20.

John 20 · chapter mention

He breathes on them after. The resurrection.

He tells them to receive the Holy Spirit.

They have the Holy Spirit. Dwelling in them, they're

they're born. Again, Christians.

They're saved. They would go to heaven if they

died, but in Acts chapter 1 if you want to flip there in Acts

Acts 1 · chapter mention Acts 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1 before Jesus ascends into heaven, he tells them these

are some of. His last words.

And his last instructions to his disciples.

And he tells them in verse 5, John.

Baptized with water. But you will be.

Baptized with the Holy. Spirit not many days from now.

Then in verse 8 he says when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.

You will be witnesses to me in sorry.

You will receive power in verse 8 when the Holy Spirit has come

upon you, and you will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem,

Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.

Not you will do better. St.

Witnessing. But.

You will have a power. And a dynamic in your.

Life. And it will.

Reveal to others that you are my disciple.

It will be. Dynamic.

And so ask yourself this morning, OK?

Have I ever been baptized? In the Holy.

Spirit, what's this difference between the end and the upon?

Or just plain and simple. Do I feel like I'm walking?

In and living in the. Power of God.

Just a quick personal story. When I was a kid, I heard the

gospel for the first time. I didn't grow up in a Christian

home. Somebody dragged me into a

church. I was kind.

Of a street kid, this. This was like a a yuppie, like

khaki pants, Argyle socks. Wearing kind of a church and I

did not fit in and they took me into the Sunday school and I was

like this is lame. Get Me Out of here.

And so I asked the. Teacher if I could go to the

bathroom, she said yes, and my plan was the.

Run for the doors. As soon as I got out in the

hallway, the adults were coming out of their Sunday school

classes. Unbeknownst to me, they went

from a Sunday school class into a sanctuary for big church.

They called it I guess, and I got caught up in that.

Flow and as. We get to the cross roads of the

exit door and the sanctuary doors.

Everybody went left and I thought I was probably gonna get

caught, get in trouble, whatever.

So I went with the adults. I.

Ended up in the sanctuary getting in the back under the.

Balcony hiding behind a pillar and I said I'm gonna take a nap

when this thing is over. And I'm going I'm never.

Coming back again, somebody knows to me the Holy Spirit had

a different idea. The gospel gets preached.

He's talking about how God wants to be your Father, how God wants

to. You know I my.

Parents have been divorced I. Didn't really have my father

around anymore. Oh, God wants to be my father.

That's interesting. God loves you.

You're a Sinner, sin. Separated you from God, but God

sent his Son Jesus Christ to pay the price for your sins and and

reconcile you back to God. He wants to live with you

forever and all this stuff. And I'm just weeping.

Listening to the Gospel and. He does an alter call.

I get out from my hiding spot and I walk down.

The aisle and I come to the front and the dudes in the

suits. And ties are like, what are you

doing here? Where's your parents?

And I'm like I just. Want to accept Jesus into my

heart? And they prayed with me.

I. Accepted Jesus.

Sincere prayer of repentance and so forth I get.

Baptized a few weeks later. Hardly ever go to church.

Again, and for years. Throughout my life, every.

Once in a while my. Sister who went to this?

Church and actually believed and loved Jesus.

She would convince me to go to some church camp because they

were going skiing. Or to the beach or whatever.

And I thought, yeah, hey, I'm never going to get to go to a

place like that. I'll go.

And every time I would go, the Holy Spirit would just speak and

convict and touch, and I would weep and I would repent and I'd

say, I want to live for you, Jesus.

And then I would go away and I could never live for.

Jesus, I'd fall. Flat on my face.

And then when I was 24 years old and the and the the Lord came to

rescue. Me out of the miry pit, I

realized. The one thing that was missing

in my life? That whole time.

Was the baptism of the Holy Spirit the power of the Holy

Spirit because you can try to live for God in your own

strength and it will be frustrating and you could be a

moral person you can try to do all the good that you want but

if you don't have the. Power of God, the power of the

Holy Spirit. You will not successfully and

victoriously and joyfully be able to live for God.

And that's what he's telling these apostles right here.

He's like, hey. You need to go away.

You need to pray, you need to get this, and when you get it

then your life will be a testimony and so.

When you see these guys throughout the book of Acts.

You you see acts. Chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

The Holy Spirit. 'S poured out on them, they're

speaking in tongues. Peter starts preaching to

people. Thousands of people are cut to

the heart, they're convicted and they get saved.

Do you? Think that was Peter.

Peter, who you know, wasn't really good with words.

He already denied Christ. This is a different Peter.

Why? Because he's filled with the

Holy Spirit. He gives a 5 minute message.

He quotes the Old Testament, but the.

Difference is. It's the Holy Spirit.

Speaking, moving. And they're like.

What do we got to do? We want to get saved.

We want Jesus. And 3000 people get saved that

day. Here Peter is like.

I don't have any money, but I I think God wants to heal you man.

Get up, get up and walk in the name of Jesus.

And the dude responds and there's a miracle that takes

place, an extraordinary miracle. You see it in the in chapter 6

with Steven. He's just a.

Regular guy, he just started going to the church.

He's fairly new. He's got a good reputation, he's

got faith, he's filled with the Holy Spirit and they're like.

Hey, you'd be you'd make a good Deacon, can you?

Help serve tables and he's like, yeah, sure, next thing you know.

It says there in chapter 6 verse 38 and 10 it says he was full of

faith and power and did great wonders and signs and the word

there is dunamis which is the same word that Jesus uses in

Acts chapter one verse 8 when he.

Says the power. Will come upon you, the dunamis.

Do you know what that word is? It's a word that means strength

and might and miracles, but it's the word where we get our word.

Dynamic or dynamite? Jesus says when the holy.

Spirit comes upon you dynamite. It going to be explosive,

powerful. Well, don't you think it's very

explosive? When Peter's like saying hey

get. Up and walk or when Steven is

praying over. Women that he's.

Ministering to He's serving food.

Too, and they're like. Oh, you know, my arthritis is

acting up and he's like, well, let me just pray for you.

And then the next day he's like, my arthritis is gone.

That's Dunamis, right? And it's not just for the power.

It's not just for the. Healing.

You know I don't. Want you to miss this today.

It's also for the I can't die to myself.

You know, the other night I got into a little discussion with my

wife. You know, after, I think it was

after I preached this message, I got home, we got into a little

tiff and you know, I was sitting there for like 30 minutes just

not wanting to talk to her. But the whole time, you know

what I was thinking. God, I need your power.

I need dunamis right now to humble.

Myself and just talk to her and and and make up.

Because I don't want to. We need dunamis.

We need. God's Holy Spirit.

So it's, it's the little things, it's the big things.

It's the, it's the relational things.

It's the here's this sick person.

It's here's this. Need people say I need.

Provision I need. A job.

It's like, well, let me pray for you.

God, fill me with your Holy Spirit, Give me faith for this

moment. Help me to know what to say to

this person, to bring words of comfort, encouragement to them.

We need the. Power of the Holy Spirit.

I could go on and on and on here through the book of Acts.

Paul's a great example. He's casting out demons, is a

woman there that is is pretending to be a Christian and

she's not. And she's really.

Annoying and everybody else. Is thinking, well, she's a

little Pentecostal. But I mean, you know, she's

saying the right words, you know, Jesus, Jesus, Hallelujah.

And these guys are good guys. And then Paul, though he

something in his heart, something in his spirit, the

Holy Spirit is is checking him and saying, Paul, this is not of

me. And Paul, finally.

Shows up the third day. And cast demons out of her.

This is dynamic, right? That's explosive.

That's dynamite. It's like.

It's not seen, it's not logical, but but the Holy Spirit is

revealing this to Paul and by faith he.

Acts on it. And you what are the?

Consequences. The girl gets delivered.

He ends up in jail. The jail there's God does a

mighty miracle there. The.

Shaking and then the. Next thing you know, he's saving

the life of the Philippian jailer.

The Philippian jailer gets saved.

His whole family get saved. And it and and the ripple.

Effect of all that just. Keeps going on and on and on.

I was in Kenya, you know, a couple years ago and they were

telling me about the drought, the desperation of the situation

there. And you know.

To be honest with you, I think the American church.

Is probably more. In danger of this than.

Anywhere else in the world, in Africa, they don't.

Have the money. They don't have the.

Doctors, they don't have all the the services and the things that

we rely on so heavily. That robbed us of of.

Realizing and understanding. That we have no choice but to go

to God. But but they're they're talking

about this drought and I get down to this place where it's

most heavily affected and they're they're telling me about

it down there. I go into the chiefs Hut the.

The village elder. Guy and and.

We have a little tea. And, you know, ceremonial kind

of traditional things you go through because we're going to

do ministry in that village for the day in the church there on

that property. And he's, he's looking at me

like I could do something. I don't have any money.

Because they think white people always have a lot of money.

And I'm like, I'm a different white guy, you know, like.

But so I told him. I said hey.

I don't have anything. I don't know anybody, but I do

know one person. His name is Jesus.

He's the same yesterday and forever.

He's the same God that. Let this one guy lift up a stick

and the ocean opened up and everybody.

Walked on, drag round, same guy used the stick, hit a rock,

water came out of a rock. There's prophets that followed

the same God. They asked God to stop the rain

and God stopped the rain. They asked God to send the rain.

God sent the rain. They.

You know. Man, just all the miracles that

were happening in the Old Testament.

I said I know that same God, We're friends.

I talked to him. He says if we if we ask him,

he'll. Do.

Things. So let's just pray.

We pray. Simple prayer, dear God, please.

Send the rain in Jesus name. Amen.

I go up into the church we're going to.

Teach all day. We do that.

We have lunch. We get done with the.

Teaching We're giving away free Bibles.

And before the conference had started.

Though I told everybody sitting there like 200 people, 50

pastors. And I said I heard.

You got a big problem here. No water drought.

That's a big problem. But we got a big God.

He's a creator. Of heaven and earth so two or

three agree upon anything to do it let's say 200 is a pretty.

Good odds. So let's agree together.

Let's ask God to send the rain and see what happens, right?

No, no hocus pocus. No yelling or screaming or

anything as. A dear God please send the rain

today in Jesus name, Amen. Five hours later, we're done.

We're passing out the Bibles. Everybody's excited.

Fellowshipping. It's really loud.

We're in an African church. So it's woods sticks and tin and

really noisy and hot and all that.

And the next thing I know, bum bum, bum, bum, bum.

I look up and I'm like rain. And it starts pouring down rain.

Yeah. But the reason I'm telling you

this story is because. I'm an idiot.

I, I, I no more believed that God was going to send that rain

that day than anybody else, but I believed God could do it.

And I believed well. Why not try?

Let's ask and see. I mean, maybe he will.

And then when he did, even I was blessed and blown away.

But I was thinking about that that.

Elder sitting in his. Hut who?

I said, hey, there's a God. In heaven.

And he answers the prayers of his peoples.

And he says. We don't have cuz we don't ask.

So let's just ask see what happens.

And I'm thinking man, that guy must just be sitting in his

house going wow we asked God and God sent the rape.

Why didn't we think of that? And and I just think I'm just a

normal. Guy, I have my weak moments, I

have my failings. I I battle with my own

carnality, my own sin. I The other night I got into a

little bit with my mom. We're at the airport.

It's like 3:00 in the morning. She's all worked up and amped

up. And I'm like Mom, just.

Calm down. And she's like, I can't.

And I'm like, yes, you can, but the power of the Holy Spirit

like you can't and. Later, she's like, Brent, don't

treat old people like that. And I'm like and so I'm

convicted. Right.

I'm like, I suck like I I need the power of the Holy Spirit in

that moment. Not.

Just to see rain, not just to. See my friend Mike killed from

pancreatic cancer that they said.

You're dead, dude. Go say goodbye to your family

and God totally healed him. Not a trace of cancer.

In his body, my daughter. Olivia had a six inch.

Centimeter in her ovarian area and they were like, oh, put her

on the pill, do this that we said no thanks.

We're going to seek alternative methods and we're going to pray

and God can heal. Three months later we go to get.

Her checked out. There's no sign of the cyst.

It's gone. We said Hallelujah.

They said, oh, it's, it's got to be there.

It's not a good machine. Come back in two days.

We're going to get the the better machine it's and we'll

show you it's there. And we said.

You're not going to find it because God healed her.

We came back two days later. They did the thing and they're

like. It's just hiding.

And we're like, no. This is the power of the God of

the resurrection, and he is healed her.

And so it's like, yeah, great big moments.

God does big things, but he also does small things.

He heals marriages. He gives us wisdom to parent our

children. He helps us to have courage to

talk to that Co worker. There's a guy on the street.

We stop. We.

Go man, I don't have any money, but let me pray for you.

And then the next thing you know, you see him in the trees.

He's like. Dude, you prayed for me that one

time and yeah, like, God totally worked.

And now I've got a wife and a job and, you know, and we're

like, wow, God. Is awesome.

God is God, so where are you at today?

Do you believe that God has that power for you today?

It's not about Pastor Tucker. It's not about Brent the

missionary. It's not about the apostles.

It's the same yesterday, today and forever.

It's a God who says. If you will believe, if you

will. Ask I will.

Give it to you in. Luke Chapter. 11 I think it is

Jesus said these words. He said, if you be in heavenly

fathers know how to give good gifts to your children.

How much more will your heavenly Father not give the Holy Spirit

to those who ask? And so as we stand up, as the

worship team comes out, we're going to close in a song of

worship. I think we're going to do

communion, but I don't really know what's going on around

here. But I want you to examine your

heart, examine your life, and I, I'm, I.

I would ask you to raise your hands, but I would venture to

say if we were all honest, probably 98.

Percent of us, including myself sitting in here.

Today, right now would say. I need God's power.

I need God's power in my life just to to.

To deal with. Sin in my own life.

To walk in the truth, to walk in the Word to to walk in the

promises that are yesterday. Amen.

To to stand in grace, to not buckle under the pressure, the

condemnation of the enemy when I sin and when I fall, but to

believe God. To To ask for healing in my

marriage, To ask for healing in this person's life that I go

visit every day at the hospital, or to ask for the gifts of the

Holy Spirit. To ask what my role is in the

body of. Christ.

I feel like God's been stirring me to work in the children's.

Ministry for months, but I just don't have the courage, I don't

have the faith, I don't have the strength.

Well, you could ask him today. Lord, I know you've been.

Calling me to this. I know you've been calling me to

that situation. You've been calling me to.

Leave that. You've been calling me to let

that go. I remember the day I was sitting

in Cover Chapel, Boise, over in the old place.

And I was an. Addict.

I'd come out of addiction. I'd been filled with the Holy

Spirit. I thought I was delivered like I

thought I was like holy forever. And but I was still struggling

with the dope, the. Marijuana, you know, it was like

drug users. Understand what I'm saying?

Because, you know, to a drug user.

It's kind of like, it's just a little, you know, like I'm down

from every day, all day to like. You know, maybe a few.

Days a week and you know what I mean?

We we do this stuff in our heads.

Well, I walk. Into the church one Sunday

morning is about 3-4 months into my Christian.

Walk I'm just like loving Jesus like and he's with me, he's

going to deliver me and nobody could ever take him from me and.

And he I'm just growing in the word.

And I get in there and the the message is on idolatry and.

The the pastor says. You know if there's anything in

your life that's dominating you. And so on and so.

It's a, it's a God in your life and, and the Holy Spirit's like.

Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding. Marijuana is a God in your life,

and I'm like Lord. I don't want any other gods in

my life. And I went home that day,

flushed the rest down. Because, you know, anyway.

Flushed it down and and said there's only one God so.

He's carried me this far, he's carried me.

This far and so grateful for the power of the life of Jesus.

And he says, I'll take you as deep as you want to go.

And our sin and our carnality, our unbelief can limit it.

But if we'll just come and humble can confess and say,

Lord, I lay it all down, I repent, fill me with your Holy

Spirit. Use me no limits.

I'll go where you go. I'll get out of the boat.

This is the three things that you got to do to get the dunamis

#1 humble yourself. Just confess your need to God.

He resists the proud he gives grace to.

The humble #2. Ask.

And ask in faith, believing and receiving.

You don't have because you don't ask.

And then #3 do it. Exercise it.

Take risks, take chances. Get out of the boat.

Talk to that person. Pray for that person.

Speak it out. Preach the gospel.

Do whatever it is. He calls you to do and asks you

to do. Sometimes you're going to go.

Whoa. Man, he said.

The rain. And sometimes you're going to.

Go, Lord, Why? Did you not heal those kids?

I. Just sat there.

I prayed for them, I prayed in that.

Then I prayed in front of their family.

Nothing happened. Just.

Totally powerless before this thing and then you go, but I

trust you, I love you, your will be done.

And you just keep praying for more kids and you keep asking

and you keep and sometimes it doesn't and sometimes it

doesn't. But either way, we need the

power of God.