The Holy Spirit... As Promised | Pastor Clay Baird

Welcome to the Celebration Church Orlando podcast.

Thank you so much for listening today.

We hope it encourages you and inspires you.

Here's today's message.

Hey everyone, thank you so much for the warm welcome.

You can be seated.

It's great to be with you guys.

Today, drove in from Jacksonville this morning through some heavy rain.

But uh I'm glad to be here.

And uh unfortunately my family wasn't able uh to come with me today.

I want to thank obviously Megan for mentioning uh them.

Uh they're still at home.

Got two small little boys.

I have a six-year-old named Jude, and uh he's awesome, he's in kindergarten, and uh he loves golf, so we're doing alright.

And uh and I got a little boy who just turned one year old.

His name is Croy.

Uh Croy Oliver James Baird.

That's a strong name right there.

That's uh that's strong.

And so uh he just eats.

That's all he really does right now.

Uh nothing better than just a chunky little baby.

Uh and so uh no, our family's doing well, and uh I want to thank obviously Pastor Keith and Megan for the opportunity to come here.

Can we thank Pastor Keith and Megan for all that they do?

And uh they we've been uh we've known each other now for a decade.

Can you believe it's been a decade?

Uh and uh that's a long time, and uh we're getting old.

And uh, but Keith's older than I am.

If he's watching right now, Keith, you're always gonna be older than me.

So uh and uh but hey, pray for Pastor Keith.

He was feeling a little under the weather today, and so he is uh he's watching online right now, and so I was glad that I was gonna be here today uh so that he could get the rest that he needed.

Um so pray for your pastor.

If you have your Bible, let's go ahead and open that up today.

We're gonna get to the book of Acts.

Um I'm excited to start this uh new series.

Uh if you can't preach on Easter, the next best thing is to preach the week after Easter.

Um, when everyone's coming to be like, all right, let me let me see this church one more time before I commit myself.

Um and so uh so hopefully you're here today and you're meeting some great people, and uh, you know, you feel just the the spirit, the Holy Spirit uh in moments of worship.

And uh we're gonna talk about the Holy Spirit today, as Nate mentioned, um beginning this brand new series uh on the Holy Spirit, and I love it.

I love to preach about Jesus.

I um I'm 35 years old, I've been in uh vocational ministry since 2006, got started pretty early.

I'm a third generation uh preacher of the gospel, and uh I'm I'm thankful for the heritage that I grew up in, and I'm thankful that God is still uh using me and giving me opportunity to share his word.

And so Acts chapter one is where we're gonna get to, and I got Larry on the keys.

I can't forget about Larry.

Uh so it doesn't matter what I say, it's all gonna sound more spiritual because that's what Larry does.

So um, Larry and I, we've been, we've been, we go ways back too, bro.

We've been, this isn't our first rodeo up here, you and I.

And so uh I love Larry.

Love this whole team, and uh that was leading us in worship.

They're super talented and anointed.

Um, before we start reading Acts chapter one, and we start this series, uh, I need to give you a little bit of background.

Like, context is very important whenever we uh open up our Bibles.

Uh, you kind of want to know what's going on, where am I in scripture, where am I in history, what is happening in this moment?

That's gonna help you understand.

It's gonna allow God to speak to you uh perhaps better because you're gonna understand the moment that you're you're diving into when you're reading.

And so before we uh jump into Acts chapter one, let me give you some background.

So Jesus has now come to earth, he's lived a sinless life, he died on the cross, he's risen from the dead, right?

We celebrated all of that uh last week, obviously, a lot of that at Easter.

Uh he did signs and wonders and miracles while he was here on earth.

Uh after rising from the dead, he revealed himself to a multitude of people who finally saw him.

They're like, aha, wow, he is in fact alive, just like he said he would be.

Here he is, he's alive, and now he is leaving, he's ascending back into heaven.

The Bible says in Acts chapter 1 that literally he ascends on a cloud back into the sky, but he tells his disciples and his followers, hey, don't be afraid.

Acts 1 · chapter mention

I'm leaving, but I'm gonna send one who is coming who is just like me.

And and and they're kind of like they don't really maybe fully understand everything right now.

But he basically tells them, I'm going away, but I'm gonna send you the Holy Spirit.

Now we need to understand this.

The Holy Spirit is not some lesser version of God.

All right, I don't know what everyone, there's you know, a lot of people in here this morning, whatever your particular background is in church, or maybe not in church at all, as growing up, but but I gotta help you understand some things.

The Holy Spirit's not a lesser version of God, he's not like a bench warmer version of God or some second-class errand runner.

The Holy Spirit is God.

Okay?

One God, three persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

That's what we believe.

Okay, a lot of people have this misconception that there's like God the Father, and he's like up in heaven on this big throne, and then Jesus gets a little throne off to the right, and the Holy Spirit doesn't even get a throne because he just floats around.

That would be the wrong view of the Holy Spirit, okay?

They've never been in contention with one another.

They always praise each other.

There, there is no hierarchy amongst them.

One God, three persons.

So Jesus is saying, I'm leaving, but I'm sending, I'm sending my spirit.

Not a second-class version of me, but it is the full spirit of God that is now gonna come and be with the disciples and all those who call upon the name of Jesus.

So let's start reading.

Acts chapter 1, starting in verse 4.

Acts 1 · chapter mention

It says, on one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised.

The Holy Spirit is a gift.

Matter of fact, I believe this.

I think the Holy Spirit is a gift that far too many Christians are refusing to fully unpack in their relationship and journey with Jesus.

Like, like it's almost like there's this gift with your name on it under the tree.

It's December the 25th, and you're not opening it up.

That would be a mistake.

The Holy Spirit is a precious gift, and what we want to do as those who are in Christ and those who are believers in Jesus, I want to unpack this gift.

Whatever this particular gift is, whatever power is there, whatever knowledge is there, whatever revelation is there, I want everything that is available to me inside of this gift that is the Holy Spirit.

So that's why I'm thankful that Pastor Keith would be doing a series on the Holy Spirit.

Keith Jr., what's up, brother?

I just I just saw you there.

I love you.

And so that has nothing to do with my message, but you're awesome.

And so I'm glad you're here, man.

Um, and so uh so the Holy Spirit is a gift.

Says this, for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

Then they gather around them and they ask, Lord, are you at this time gonna restore the kingdom to Israel?

And he said, Uh, it is not for you to know the times or the dates the Father has set by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.

You'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Take a right in your Bible now to chapter two.

Acts chapter two.

Like most times, have you ever heard anyone preach on the Holy Spirit?

They're always gonna say something out of Acts chapter two because it's this powerful moment when the Spirit comes, right?

Acts chapter two.

It says, when the day of Pentecost came, everyone say Pentecost.

Follow me on this.

This is important.

Um, let's go back to the beginning, real quick, of Jesus coming to earth.

He comes to this town called Bethlehem and he arrives, right?

He's in a manger, and we got the nativity scene all happening right there, right?

Uh, Bethlehem was this proof that God is now with us, right?

Emmanuel.

That's that's what Emmanuel actually means.

God with us.

Bethlehem showed God with us.

Look at the end of his earthly ministry, Jesus, when he's on a cross at Calvary, Calvary was God proving that he is for us.

He was the sacrifice for us.

But now here we are at Pentecost, and for the very first time, an entire generation of individuals are realizing that he's not just God with us, and he's not just God for us, but now he's God in us.

Now, for you and I in 2021, and we grew up in church, we're like, oh yeah, man, I knew that.

You received Jesus into your heart.

I know that God can be in you.

This is the first time they're ever understanding this.

That this being that they have known about and and and followed and wanted to please with their lives all of these years now has the capacity to actually live inside of them and be welcomed into their actual life in the person of the Holy Spirit.

So this is pretty groundbreaking stuff right here in Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

And it says in verse 2 suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Someone say, sound.

I begin to think about this.

Who all's in the room?

If you know your Bible, you know that there's 120 people who have gathered together in an upper room.

They've been praying and waiting on the gift, and now the gift is showing up.

And the Bible says that when the Holy Spirit came, all of a sudden there was this sound that came into the room.

You know, there's a lot of people in the room, disciples are in the room, there's some women in the room.

Women were the first ones on the scene at the tomb.

You know, like I that's why I always get it, it blows my mind.

I I'm not here to make like a soapbox statement, but it really blows my mind when some churches really refuse to let women kind of have authority and speak and teach and stuff.

Women were the first evangelists that we ever had in the earth.

They're the first ones that ever had the opportunity to tell someone Jesus is alive, okay?

And and so women are in the room.

There's a lot of people who have gathered in this room, but I had this thought, Peter's in the room.

We know Peter's in the room because in the very next chapter, Peter leaves the room, he goes down into the streets, he preaches his very first message that probably even if you read it in your Bible at a very slow pace, it would only take you about two minutes to read.

And the Bible says that 3,000 people get saved the first time he ever preaches.

That's pretty powerful.

You know, I like to think I'm a decent communicator, but I don't know that that's ever happened to me.

Okay?

Peter, Peter obviously he had he had something, it was the Holy Spirit right here, okay?

And so Peter is in the room.

You know, and the Bible says this sound comes that's the Holy Spirit.

I would imagine the sound of the Holy Spirit is probably a very positive sound.

Probably a very encouraging sound, an uplifting sound.

A sound that would probably uh fill you with boldness and courage and passion, like just make you feel like you could just run through a brick wall.

Like, like that, I would imagine that's what the sound that the Holy Spirit kind of sounds like when he comes into this room.

But you know, when I thought about Peter being in the room, you know, it was just a few weeks ago from this passage that Peter heard a different sound.

And the sound that he heard a few weeks ago was not an encouraging sound, it was not an uplifting sound, it was not an edifying sound, it was not a faith-filled sound.

You're like, what are you talking about?

It was the sound of that rooster crowing.

Remember that, remember that moment in your Bible where Jesus said, Peter, you say you love me so much, but even before the rooster crows, you're gonna deny me three times.

And sure enough, Jesus was right.

Peter denies him three times, and then all of a sudden this rooster crows.

I would imagine when Peter heard the rooster, that sound, boy, probably guilt, shame, regret.

How could I have been so dumb?

Why did I deny Jesus like that?

What like I but and here's the thing you gotta remember though.

I don't know if you've ever been to a third world country.

I've done a lot of different missions trips to third world countries, and and what you'll find is that there's like roosters everywhere.

Like it's true.

Like you go down to some Central and South America, there's roosters everywhere.

And and the silly thing about roosters is they don't just crow once in the morning, they crow all day long, all day long.

So so now think about if you're Peter and Jesus says, When the rooster crows, you'll have denied me three times, and Peter hears that rooster.

See, some of us read our Bible and we just think it was that one rooster and that one crow.

No, dude, Peter heard a rooster crow all the time, every day, multiple times a day.

I bet every time he heard a rooster crow, again, he was reminded of how he failed Jesus, how he let God down, how how like shame and guilt and regret.

Don't you know the enemy was beating him up every time a rooster crowed?

But finally, Peter gets into a different room where he hears a different sound.

And I say all of this to just let somebody know, listen to me, there is a sound that is greater than the sound of your past.

It is the sound that the Holy Spirit wants to bring into your life.

I know that the enemy has constantly reminded you of the things of your past and what you have done, and all of it wants to bring guilt and shame and condemnation into your life.

Thank God for a new sound.

Thank God the Holy Spirit brings a new sound into our life, and it silences the sound of guilt, it silences the sound of condemnation and shame that the enemy is throwing in your face day after day after day.

And everyone, 120 people, Peter included, are all hearing a brand new sound.

And this sound changes everything.

Bible says in verse 3, they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

They began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

Everyone say, filled.

Now take notice again.

This would be a left in your Bible to John chapter 20, and it says this.

John 20 · chapter mention

You don't have to turn there, I'm just gonna read it real fast.

After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side.

This is Jesus, he's resurrected from the dead, he's showing his scars to the disciples.

And the disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

And again, Jesus said, Peace be with you, as the Father has sent me, I am sending you.

Watch this.

And with that, he breathed on them and said, Receive the Holy Spirit.

Now that's in John chapter 20.

John 20 · chapter mention

Jesus breathes on them, says, Receive the Holy Spirit.

And now here we are in Acts chapter 2, and the Bible says they're filled with the Spirit.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

Now, for the sake of time, we don't have time to read it, but you go again to Acts chapter 4, and now there's another moment when it says they were all filled with the Spirit.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

Now I only say this to point out this at a moment of conversion, when you give your life to Jesus Christ, in that moment the Spirit is given to you.

The Spirit is given to you in a moment of salvation and conversion.

But I only point this out so that you will realize that it is possible to be filled yet again and again and again with the Spirit.

Like you can constantly be filled.

I've been serving Jesus for a long time.

Like I said, third generation preacher.

I grew up in church.

I can probably count on one hand the number of times we missed church growing up, like we were just always in church, right?

And so I received Jesus at an early age, praise God for it.

Thankfully, my parents brought us up in the ways of the Lord, right?

But but but even day after day after day, and here I am at 35 years old.

I was telling my friend Stephen, right here, our young adult pastor in Jacksonville, even on the way up here, still to this very day, the first thing I do when I open my eyes in the morning, and that's not an exaggeration, it's the very first thing I do.

I don't even get out of bed, my feet don't hit the floor, I don't touch my wife, I don't touch the phone, nothing.

The first thing I do in the morning when I open my eyes is I say, Good morning, Holy Spirit.

Fill me today with everything I need to be effective for your kingdom.

It's that like daily bread stuff.

Give me my daily bread that I need today to do everything you've called me to accomplish today.

God, give it to me right now.

So so so, even as a Christ follower of 20, 30, 40 years, whatever you are, you can still come and say, Lord, fill me again today.

That's how reliant I am on your Holy Spirit.

I know I got you way back when, when I raised my hand, I walked down to the altar, I invited you into my heart.

Thankfully you came to me then, but even now, I need to be filled again.

I need the filling of the Holy Spirit again today.

So if you're taking some notes and you're like a note-taker and you're like, please give me a title, or you're not gonna be able to sleep tonight.

Um, I just entitled this the Holy Spirit as a promise.

Jesus made a promise that he would send the Holy Spirit and that he's delivered on this promise.

So, Father, once again, in Jesus' name, we just thank you for your word.

Um let the rest of these moments that we have together, 15 minutes and 17 seconds, uh, God, just uh do a lot with a little bit of time.

I pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

Um, as I already mentioned, I'm the dad of two boys, and so oftentimes in our house, uh at the ages that they are at right now, there's a lot like Amazon is at our house, like I feel like every other day.

Uh my wife is, you know, buying something from Amazon.

So there's like toys and play things and that come to the house in these big boxes, and uh it might be different in different homes, but in my house, I'm kind of like the builder of all of these little kid toys and swing sets or whatever it is, right?

And and so um this stuff comes and and so you know, here it is, it's a big huge box, you know, a thousand parts, and I gotta open it all up and you know, semi-read the instructions, just kind of figure it out.

We're gonna wing it, and uh, you know, we just kind of figure out how to put this thing together.

I'm kind of the builder of these toys.

Isn't it interesting?

Have you ever noticed that when the box comes, like it's Fisher Price or whatever it is, there's always like a picture on the front of the box, and it like looks really nice, and there's like this like nice suburban family, and they're like, you know, dressed in their tailored clothes, and there's like a little kid out in the foreground playing on the toy, and the lawn is really manicured, and it just looks like this really beautiful suburban moment.

That is a lie.

There's no mom and dad that look that put together after eight hours of building a bicycle, okay?

Just doesn't happen like that.

But nevertheless, like these toys come and I am the builder.

I guess that's that's the responsibility in our home has fallen to me.

I am the builder of these toys for my little boys, right?

I don't know who gets that responsibility in your house, or maybe you don't have kids yet, and you're gonna have to figure out who does that kind of stuff one day.

But but just like I, that's that's one of the responsibilities I have in our home, the Holy Spirit has a job description.

He actually has a responsibility, and one of the things the Holy Spirit is responsible for is he is the builder of the church of Jesus Christ.

We're gonna talk about that today.

In the same way that I'm the builder of my son's toys.

The Holy Spirit is a builder, it's in his job description.

Why Jesus is like the lead architect and designer, the Holy Spirit is the builder.

We're gonna talk about this today.

The church is not built by man, it's not built by creative ideas.

As much as we in the West like to think, the church is not even built by eloquent speakers and good, talented musicians.

Like that's how we all think good churches happen.

Like, oh, well, the reason that church is awesome is because they got a good speaker and they got a good band.

You know what I mean?

Now listen, I understand, thank God for talented, gifted people contributing their gifts, but that's actually not what builds the genuine church of Jesus Christ.

The Bible actually says if those who are building the house are not of God and in the spirit, then they're laboring in vain.

Nothing's gonna come that is that is that's gonna produce any type of good eternal benefit and consequences.

It's not built by even great, committed volunteer base.

Sure, we need volunteers, but that's actually not what builds the church.

It is built by the Holy Spirit, our God.

He's the church builder.

And the great thing about the Holy Spirit building the church is watch this.

If he's the one doing the building, then this thing is never going anywhere.

Like you can take it to the bank.

There have been countless movements throughout history that have tried to destroy the church, take out the church, silence the church of Jesus Christ.

They have all failed miserably.

Why?

Because if it's if it's a man building this thing, then sure, you can silence a few men, you can kill a few men, you can destroy a few men and their livelihoods, but you cannot destroy the Spirit of God.

And if He's the one doing the building, that's why the church has withstood the test of time.

My God, the church and our Bible has undergone such scrutiny over generations and generations, the attacks that have come against it, but yet here we stand.

Here we are in our museum in Orlando, Florida, gather together with millions around the world today who are doing the exact same thing that you and I are doing.

Why is that possible?

Because the Holy Spirit's the one building this.

No one's taking him out.

No one's gonna shut him up.

No one's gonna silence him.

He is victorious, and he is the church of the builders.

So let's take a look at how the church is built, right?

This is gonna help you note takers.

Number one, the church is built on Jesus.

Built on Jesus.

Psalm 118 says that the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, speaking of Jesus.

Ephesians chapter two.

Consequently, you're no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household.

Built on the foundations of the apostles and prophets where Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.

Jesus is the cornerstone.

He is the foundation.

It is always only Jesus.

All other ground, I love that old song if you grew up in church, all other ground is sinking sand.

He is the true and sure foundation.

If you're gonna make it through this life and hold on to any chance of hope that you have in the process, your foundation had better be Jesus.

There is no political party, there is no banking system, there is nothing in culture and society that can ever even become to being as stable and sure as the foundation of Jesus Christ.

This thing is built on him.

It's not built on traditions, it's not built on religious duty, it's not built on rules.

The church is not built on condemnation, the church is not built on judgment.

I mean, this whole thing that we're a part of, it's not even that, oh, we have come to God.

It's that God came to us.

Like it's built on Jesus.

I mean, I wrote some things down.

He's the solid rock, he's the firm foundation, he's the good shepherd, the way, the truth, the life, the door, the resurrection.

He's the way maker, he's the redeemer, he's the lover of my soul, he's the bright and morning star, he's the way, the truth, the life, he's the lifter of my head, the lamb of God, the prince of peace, the bride and the groom.

He's the word made flesh, he's the great high priest, the great I am, he's a wonderful counselor, mighty God, Prince of Peace.

Like this is the God that we serve.

He is all of these things and so much more.

This thing is built on Jesus.

I was, this was a few Easters ago.

I remember being out in the foyer of a church service, like this was a few years ago, but I was kind of talking to some friends over here and I was listening, kind of eavesdropping in on a conversation over here, and there was this guy talking to his friend, and I don't know if he really came to church that much, but he was kind of exclaiming to his friend, you know, oh, here we are at another Easter service, and you know, it's kind of they're all kind of the same.

Preacher's gonna get up there and preach about the cross and preach about, you know, Jesus being alive, kind of heard this one before, same old message.

I felt like interjecting and saying, friend, what other message is there?

Like if you got a better one, let's hear it, homeboy, because I don't know of another message that is better than the greatest story of all time, that the God who created the heavens and the earth and everything in between actually put on flesh and bone, can't lived a sinless life.

You and that can't even live a sinless day.

And he did a sinless 33 years and gave himself up for us in one of the most brutally torturous ways to ever die that was ever invented or created by a man like that's the God that we serve.

It's all built on him.

There's not a better story than that, there's not a better narrative than that.

It's built on Jesus.

But number two, the church is built through people.

It's built through people.

Isn't that interesting that that God, who has all those names and attributes, the God in it, He wants to use us to build the church through.

Like I feel like someone needs to go back and talk to him at the beginning of this whole thing and be like, hey man, you need to figure out something else.

Like, this is not a good idea.

You don't want to use the humans, you don't want to use them.

Like, we know us.

It is very often that we commit ourselves to things and do not follow through with our commitments.

Like, you're gonna find somebody else, man.

We're gonna tank this thing.

This you don't want to put all your eggs in our basket.

Okay?

But yet he he he wants to use us.

Like, we like we we know how flawed we are.

Watch this.

He knows how flawed we are.

We know how many mistakes we make, he knows how many mistakes we make.

He wants to use us to build his church through.

I thought about this.

You know, sometimes like we we look at ourselves and we're like, I just we have so many insufficiencies.

There's so many things about us that are just not where they need to be.

But then I'm reminded of 2 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 9 when it says, My grace is sufficient for you.

2 Corinthians 12 · chapter mention

So, in other words, it's it's like Jesus through his word is saying, My grace is sufficient for your insufficiencies.

And then he goes on to say, and my power is made perfect through your weakness.

So, in other words, watch this.

When the Holy Spirit comes into a person's life, whatever weakness you feel like is there, and I understand it's a very true and real thing, like it's tangible, like, no, I am weak in this area, but watch this.

When the Holy Spirit comes in, whatever has been weak is no longer weak because he's not weak.

And so his strength is now brought into your life.

I mean, look if you want to know what the Bible is, here's the Bible.

God uses a lot of different weak men and women to do great and awesome things through them.

His strength came into their life, and he takes weak individuals and all of a sudden they do miraculous things through the power of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

You know why I think God loves to use the weak?

Because at the end of doing whatever it is that he wants to do in them and through them, there is no other explanation but to just give glory to God because there is no possible way that I was that gifted, that talented, that great to have accomplished whatever it was that God did in me or through me.

God likes weak people.

You're sitting here today, you're like, yeah, but you don't know, man.

I'm like, I'm probably the weakest in this auditorium right now, then you're the best candidate for God to use.

I know what it's like, man, in culture and in corporate world.

We're like, man, where's the best?

Who's the strongest?

Who's the best?

Who's the most savvy?

Who's the most articulate?

That's not how God looks.

God says, I want the weakest.

I want who the one who feels the most worthless.

Because when I do what I'm gonna do in them, there's gonna be no other explanation to them or to anyone watching them.

This must have been God.

That's what the Holy Spirit does.

He builds through people.

I believe the reason that we're reluctant to let the Holy Spirit use us at times is because we know the truth about us.

We're afraid.

We at times we try to we want to hide things from God.

Listen, that's just silly.

He knows it all anyway.

You ever played hide and go seek with a little kid?

It's awful.

Like I mean, like a little, I mean like a real little kid, right?

Who kind of they kind of understand the concept, but like, but like you're like, okay, I'm gonna count, you go hide.

So here you are, you're over here, you're the grown adult, you're counting in the corner, and what's the little kid do?

They like stand in the middle of the room with their hands over their eyes.

Assuming because they can't see you, you must not be able to see them.

That's how silly you look when you try to hide stuff from God.

He sees you're standing in them in the living room.

I see you, you're right there.

He knows it all anyway, and he still wants to use you, your spouse, your family in the building process of the church of Jesus Christ.

Matter of fact, the Bible also tells us in another point that the Holy Spirit is an advocate.

When God uses your life, he doesn't just say, hey, like, here's some plans, here's my thoughts.

Get out there, buddy.

You know, like, no, he gives the Holy Spirit as an advocate through the process, as a helper through the process.

It's the Holy Spirit.

God, God, it's built, the church is built on Jesus, it's built through the Holy Spirit.

I wrote this down.

I thought I came across this years ago.

I thought it was such a good way of thinking about it.

Watch this.

Jesus was the Father's gift for eternal life, but the Holy Spirit was Jesus' gift for this life.

I'll say that again.

Some of you need to write it down, catch it.

Jesus was the Father's gift for eternal life.

The Holy Spirit was Jesus' gift for this life.

It's a gift.

He's a gift.

He's a gift.

Unpack the gift, study the gift, know the gift, know the person that wants to reside in you, fill you, empower you, instruct you, lead you, guide you.

It's the person of the Holy Spirit.

And the last one was this the church built on Jesus through people, but it's built by the Holy Spirit.

By the Holy Spirit.

Now, depending on how you grew up in church and what your frame of reference is, uh, we may have to like demystify, I guess, a few things maybe about the Holy Spirit.

Um, you know, the Bible, obviously, the Holy Spirit is God.

We talked about that.

He's a helper, he's an advocate that that lives in us.

Listen, I'll say this the Holy Spirit's not weird.

Watch his people are weird.

And sometimes some of us have seen weird people doing weird stuff, and they're like, oh, it's the Holy Spirit.

And I'm like, no, it ain't.

That ain't.

I don't, I don't think so.

I'm not too sure.

Right?

Right?

The whole the Holy Spirit's not weird.

Now, watch it.

The Holy Spirit will at times push you out of a comfort zone.

He wants to take you to a new level that maybe you haven't experienced before.

And when you kind of approach that threshold, you're like, I don't know, man.

That that's that, yeah, you're not used to it.

I understand you haven't been there before.

But he's not just weird for the sake of being weird.

Like I grew up in like Pentecostal charismatic churches.

Like, I've I've seen weird, okay?

I've seen weird.

And I think, you know, the more you're in the Lord and the more you grow in the Holy Spirit, there's gonna be that discernment that grows within you that you're gonna be able to see things and you're gonna be able to discern what is and maybe what is not the Holy Spirit, right?

And God helps us with that.

While I'm there, just let me give you a quick thought about discernment.

Discernment is one of those gifts you actually need to pray for.

Scripture actually tells us to pray for the gift of discernment.

If you want better discernment, you need to pray for it.

You're not just gonna wake up tomorrow and have it.

You're gonna want to pray that God gives you more discernment and more wisdom to clearly see what is of God in culture, what is not, and he's gonna help us.

I mean, in the day and age that we live in, you know what I mean?

Thank God we, you know, we got another few years before another crazy election cycle and things of that nature.

But like, if you want discernment, you're gonna need to pray for that.

Okay?

The Lord wants to help give you that into your life, okay?

So, as uh as maybe if if Larry's gonna come and join me as the keys get ready to come back up, I want to close by giving you four quick things that the Holy Spirit will do when he comes into your life.

The first thing is this the Holy Spirit will immerse you.

I'll say this.

If you invite him, the Holy Spirit will immerse you.

In other words, he'll fill you.

He wants to fill you up with his spirit.

What is the fruit of the spirit?

The scripture is clear.

When the spirit is there in your life, boy, there's love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control, long-suffering, all those types of things, right?

He wants to fill you so that those things are evident in your life.

Immerse you.

I'll say this the Holy Spirit is a gentleman.

He will never invade where he's not invited.

If you want him, you need to ask, Lord, fill me today.

Spirit, fill me today.

I need you.

If I'm gonna be effective, I mean again, you don't got-I'm not saying you gotta do what I do, but that's just what I do every morning.

It's just a good thing I put into place every morning.

Open my eyes.

Good morning, Holy Spirit.

Fill me today.

Give me everything I need today to be uh effective.

God, give me everything I need today to love my family well, to cultivate good things in my life well.

Give me everything I need today to serve people, love people, be patient with people, be kind to people.

God, give me that daily bread.

I need an extra dose of patience today.

God, I need I need love and joy and peace to rise up inside of me today.

God, I need gentleness, I need self-control today.

I just pray and I ask, fill me up with those things because he wants to immerse you.

The second thing he'll do is the Holy Spirit will instruct you.

Instruct you.

Bible says in John 14, 26, but the helper, the Holy Spirit, he will teach you all things and watch this, bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

That was Jesus talking.

There have been countless moments in my life preaching on stages and platforms, and then just being out in my day-to-day life where I've interacted with someone, and all of a sudden, in an interaction, there have been things that have been brought to my mind scriptures, words of encouragement, things that I know can edify and build this person up in this moment based on what they've now shared with me.

Listen, I didn't prep I didn't prep that before I left the house.

I didn't pull out a note card because I knew I was gonna run into so-and-so today, and just in case I run into this random person, here's my note card for them.

No, what what happens in those moments is the spirit brings back to remembrance things that I have read in the Bible, things that I have studied, things that I have heard preached and taught throughout the time, and all of a sudden here I am encouraging somebody, and I'm like, I don't even know where all this is coming from.

It's coming from the Holy Spirit.

That's how those moments happen.

That's what the Holy Spirit does, He brings to your remembrance things that you've heard.

There's gonna be a good chance at some point this next week, there's gonna be something that I've recently said in the last 30 minutes that's gonna be brought to your attention in the next seven days.

That is God bringing it to your mind because there's a good chance he's wanting you to encourage someone around you with it.

That's what he does.

Holy Spirit, he reminds us.

You know, the Bible says this.

How much time?

Oh, I'm over time.

Awesome.

If you'll just give me another couple seconds, the Bible says this.

The Holy Spirit, one of the things he does is he leads us into all truth.

Truth.

You wanna start a Facebook war?

Talk about truth on your on your Facebook thread.

What is truth?

You will get one million different answers.

Go to any university campus in America right now.

Let's talk about truth.

Hope you brought a snack, because it's gonna last a while.

Okay?

Listen, truth is not some ambiguous concept.

Truth is not just whatever I felt like being today.

Truth is not relative to each and every individual.

Truth, friends, is a person, and the person is Jesus Christ.

He is the way, the truth, and the life.

There is no political party that gets to define truth.

There is no celebrity famous individual that gets to define truth.

There is no president now or in the past who gets to define truth.

No one gets to define truth except the person who is truth, and that is Jesus Christ.

He is truth.

So when the Bible says the Holy Spirit leads us to all truth, watch this.

One of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is he is constantly and always pointing us back to Jesus.

He points us back to truth.

And so if you've ever met that person who like comes to a crossroads in their life, they're making a decision, they have to go a new way, start something, or or you know, they're they're they're they're deciding something, and and like they say, like, oh, well, you know, I just really feel like God, I feel like the Spirit's wanting me to do this.

Watch this.

If whatever that thing is does not line up with the character of Christ, the words of Christ, the teachings of Christ, then watch, then the Holy Spirit wasn't the one speaking to you.

Because they're never in contradiction to one another.

Jesus and the Holy Spirit have never left the meeting going, well, I didn't really agree with him.

Like it's never happened.

The Holy Spirit always points back to Jesus, so you will know when you've heard from the Holy Spirit because it will be confirmed in Jesus.

You'll always be able to go back to his words, his nature, his being, who he was, how he treated others, how he interacted with people.

You can read through the gospel of counts of his teachings and his moments with others, and and it'll always be confirmed in Jesus.

Some of you are gonna need you're gonna need an example right now.

Okay, so to the person I've I've met in my past who comes up to me at one point and he's just like, Man, I just feel like the Lord's just telling me that I would be happier with someone else.

That ain't God.

Oh, you mean that's someone else that's not your current spouse?

Yeah, no, that's not the Holy Spirit.

I don't well, I just feel like the Lord would be better, you know.

I I just feel like he's telling me to to, you know, man, like I just, you know, I I've literally had someone try to convince me that God was speaking to them to leave his family, move to a new location, and just kind of start over.

Yeah, no, man, that's that's I'm gonna I'm gonna take this opportunity to raise my hand and disagree with that.

It's not the Holy Spirit.

It's not the Holy Spirit.

I don't now I have no problem believing some spirit is talking to you, it just ain't the Holy One.

Okay, right He leads us into all truth.

When the Spirit speaks to you, it'll be confirmed in the person of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit will impress upon you.

That's number three.

I gotta I gotta close up.

He'll impress upon you.

All throughout the book of Acts, we constantly see the disciples compelled by the Spirit to do something.

In other words, when you're yielded to the Holy Spirit in your life, there's gonna be a lot of moments when he impresses upon you to serve someone, speak to someone, love someone, give to someone, do all those types of things in your daily routine and in your sphere of influence.

The question is not will he impress upon me, the question is will you be obedient when he does?

Will you actually respond and do those things?

Step out, be bold, share, take that person to lunch, give to that person, sow into that family, be kind to that other individual.

It's not a question of if, it's a question of what do you do when it happens.

He impresses upon us.

And then the last one is this the Holy Spirit will empower you.

Now, empower is just a churchy word for given power.

He wants to give you power in your life.

You're like, give me power to do what?

I'm glad you asked.

He wants to give you power over the enemy, he wants to give you power over temptation, he wants to give you power over sin.

He wants to give you power to live more like Jesus.

He wants to give you power to love the unlovable.

He wants to give you power to serve your spouse even when you don't feel like it.

He wants to give you power to pray when you're not seeing results.

He wants to give you power to do things outside of your gift and outside of your comfort zone.

He wants to give you power to pursue and fulfill the plan that he has for your life, which, might I add, is better than any plan you currently have on paper.

I mean, it's the Holy, it's only the Holy Spirit that has given this church power to do anything positive in the city of Orlando.

I love Keith.

I love Meg.

They're like brother and sister to me, but as great of leaders and preachers and communicators of God's word, and with Benny and Lindsay and this amazing team, as awesome as they are as vocalists and creatives and musicians, we can all give 100% of our talent.

But if it is just man talent at the end of the day, we are not accomplishing anything.

No one's getting into heaven because a church has a good communicator.

If it's not the Holy Spirit, then we're all missing a really good brunch right now.

But if the Holy Spirit's here and the Holy Spirit's the one doing the building, then you and I are all the better for it.

And this city can be saved, and our family and friends and our sphere of influence actually have a fighting chance of making it into eternity with Christ because this church is not just built on gift and talent, this church is built by the Holy Spirit on the person of Jesus and through you and I.

So with every head bowed and every eye closed, I just want to give people an opportunity to encounter the Holy Spirit today.

The good thing about what we saw is we were just kind of flipping through a little bit of acts there at the beginning, is maybe today someone, you need to give your life to Christ, invite the Holy Spirit in for the very first time.

But Ben, there's others of us in here who've been walking with Jesus for a while now, but today you need to just say, Lord, fill me again.

Fill me again.

I need to be filled again.

I need whatever I need to be effective this week, God.

I need I need to be filled.

Fill me, fill me, fill me.

Come on, just say it, just say it under your breath, in your heart right now.

Whatever you need from Jesus and the Holy Spirit, Lord, come into my life.

Fill me right now, Holy Spirit.

I want you to instruct me, I want you to teach me, I want you to impress upon me.

I want you to save me first and foremost.

God, lead me, guide me, empower me, give me power to do what you've called me to do in this life.

Give me power to be effective in my workplace, in my university, in the sphere of life that I live in, with the people that I interact with on a daily basis.

I need your power.

I have no doubt that there are many men and women sitting right here, listening to the sound of my voice, watching online, and you are so gifted, you are so talented, you are so savvy in the area that maybe you're working in and in business or creativity or sales or marketing, and and you have everything you need and the natural, but I'm here to tell you right now: if you're missing the Holy Spirit, you are missing quite a bit, you're missing the most.

Important thing he wants to fill you, he wants to fill you.

So, Father, in Jesus' name, I thank you that we don't even have to walk to an altar because you see hearts right now.

Jesus, go now.

Holy Spirit, go minister to people, fill people right now in the name of Jesus Christ.

I pray.

Anyone watching online, fill people sitting in their homes.

Someone who's at a park right now watching on their iPhone, God, people who maybe have gathered with some friends, Lord, what wherever they are right now, just as you are with us in this room, be with them in those rooms.

Holy Spirit, fill the room, fill the individual that is calling upon your name.

Be strong to save Jesus.

God, we just thank you for these moments in church.

I thank you that we can come.

It's been a while, but I thank you that there's a building and we can gather again, actually see one another and hug or fist bump or whatever feels appropriate.

But God, you're here with us.

God, I thank you that we can gather under your name.

I thank you that this church, if there's one thing I know about this church, it's being built on Jesus and by the Spirit.

That's a good place to be a part of.

So we just thank you for your word.

Walk with us this week.

Shine light on areas that we need to give over to your control and your rule and your reign in our life.

Things that we have held on to at times, thinking that we know best, or maybe we have a better idea of how that needs to be run.

But God, Lord, I just pray that all of that would just come falling down in our life, and we would just give you full reign to every area in our life, Jesus.

Let us not try to hide anything from you anymore, as if we could in the first place.

But God, that you would just sweep out the corners of our heart.

God, you're not a God that wants to put us to shame.

You're a God that wants to bring purpose into our life.

You're a God that wants to lift us up.

You're a God that wants to use us, that wants to anoint us, that wants to send us out to be purposeful and effective for the kingdom of God.

Lord, we love you.

I just pray for this church, God.

I'm so grateful for the invitation today.

I pray that you would continue to put your spirit on Keith and Megan and this amazing leadership team for the days ahead.

God, if there's anything that we know we need in this climate in our world, God, we need discernment and we need wisdom when it comes to building your church.

God, I pray that you would give it generously here at Celebration Orlando.

Heal Pastor Keith right now in his home in the name of Jesus Christ, that he would be back next week, full of energy, full of health, ready to continue preaching and teaching.

God, heal him right now.

Lord, we just thank you for these moments.

In Jesus' name.

And everyone said, Amen.

Amen.

Hey, I love you, church.

Thank you so much for the opportunity.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you, Pastor Clay.

Thanks again for listening.

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