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[2:31] ...are dealing with a very important part in the study of the book of Ephesians in particular.

[3:13] And so given the importance of this, I decided that it was wise... ...several weeks ago, we studied the first part of verse 19 in which we find the apostle asking that God's people would pray for him as he is preaching.

[3:48] And we understand and I greatly appreciate the encouragement that I receive and the encouragement that you provide all who come to this place... ...and stand at the front to handle the word of God, that you pray for them and you let them know that.

[4:07] Last week, Judith and I were part of a wedding in Lynchburg, Virginia. And then we drove back Sunday morning and we were part of a wedding in Pickerington, Ohio that got rained out.

[4:20] It's the first outdoor wedding that I have been rained on and it was a very abbreviated ceremony, I can tell you that. In fact, my wife says that the only part that really came out loudly was at the end where I said, You may kiss the bride! And I ran for the shelter along with the rest of the herd.

[4:38] I will tell you that as Judith and I were driving back, that I prayed often for Pastor Saul.

[4:49] And afterwards, I checked in with him and he said, You know, one of the encouragements is that there were a number of you that came to him and said, I was praying for you. And I am blessed when I hear people encourage those who come to the pulpit by the reminder that they, in submission to the authority of the word of God, are praying for the man who God has appointed to stand and deliver the word faithfully and clearly.

[5:18] So we're going to pay a little bit of attention to the furtherance of this subject. Look there in the passage, if you will, at Ephesians chapter 6, verse 19.

[5:29] And Paul says, listen, the larger context is in verse 18, where he says, Hey, praying at all times in the Spirit. And 19.

[5:39] And also for me. Now stop and realize that when Paul says, And pray for me. He immediately goes on forward and lets us know what we ought to be praying for him about.

[5:54] And it's there. He says there in verse 19, That the words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I'm an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak.

[6:12] And so my heart's desire this morning, and my persistent prayer has been this, that you will leave here this morning fully persuaded that praying for preaching is essential, and that your prayer is to be focused on the help of the Holy Spirit.

[6:31] Now do you follow that? It is that the Holy Spirit would work in the preaching of the word of God through the heart and life of the individual, the man that he places before you to handle the word.

[6:47] With that being said, let me take up the passage and address the fact that effective preaching depends upon the Holy Spirit. I'm going to take the majority of our time really studying that small little phrase, that words may be given.

[7:04] We will first want to understand just what Paul meant, and how what he says fits into the larger picture of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the Bible.

[7:17] And so when we look at that little part, that little statement, that words may be given, it tells us immediately that Paul is asking people to pray about something that is beyond him and is not dependent or not enabled by his own nature or his own training or his own expertise.

[7:38] I remember many years ago when I was considering further studies, I thought carefully about actually getting a Ph.D. in rhetoric. I was an English major in my previous life as a young man, and at one point I thought, you know, rhetoric is an important discipline, and so I began thinking carefully about the subject and doing a little bit of background research, and I came to a settled opinion that for me, the study of rhetoric was not quite as important as the study of godliness and humility and a continuing pursuit of the Word of God and a focus in growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus.

[8:16] Effective preaching ultimately is not a matter of rhetorical discipline, but as a matter of relying upon the Word of God to be clear through the enabling of the Spirit of God.

[8:29] And when Paul says that words would be given, I want you to understand that he was an exceptionally brilliant man, and he was very well educated.

[8:40] However, as we are going to see later in our studies this morning, Paul was not at all dependent upon his educational expertise, and I in no way diminish the importance of being a student, and particularly being a student of the Word of God.

[9:01] So when you find here Paul saying what he does, you have to ask yourself the question, why would Paul, as capable as he was, pray this way except for the fact that he saw a need in his life that could not be met on his own, and he was entirely dependent upon the work of God and the prayers of God's people.

[9:27] And so as we think about this subject, I also want you to understand that this issue of Paul praying for the enabling of the Spirit in the preaching of the Word of God actually fits in the larger context of the book of Ephesians.

[9:43] God's Word is a practical and logical explanation of his glory and his truth and his wisdom. And so as we look at this passage, we understand that just as the book of Ephesians lays out the work of God, in salvation and the work of Christ in redemption, and the work of the Spirit in progressive sanctification, so we find a small slice here in which Paul applies the ministry of the Spirit of God to the life of the believer, in particular to the man who stands at the front and preaches.

[10:22] I want you to understand I'm not up here to share. I am here to preach. Preaching is not a little exercise in anecdotal information.

[10:33] It is a declaring of the glory and the purpose of God, and it is explicitly tied to the Word of God. In all the years that I have had the privilege of serving as your shepherd and as your pastor, when I have come to this pulpit, I cannot remember a time that I have not brought this book, and this book has been the preeminent source that we have relied upon, and when it's all said and done, and you walk away, you can say, I heard what God had to say, and I could follow in my own Bible.

[11:09] Isn't that nice? And people will say, Well, Pastor, I heard... No, I'm really not that interested in what Tim Kenoyer thinks. Can I tell you that what I think today is not all that relevant, but what the Word of God has to say is lasting forever, settled in the heavens, and absolutely reliable.

[11:28] And we want to pay attention to the Word of God. Now, as a side note, given the culture that we live in and the increasing hazy, ill-advised thinking of people who claim to be Christians, understand this, that genuine salvation brings change.

[11:54] That's the second half of the book of Ephesians. And in Ephesians chapter 4 through 6 in particular, this matter of change is explained to us in relationship to who it is that helps us be different.

[12:09] You see, salvation changes you, but then you also enjoy the enabling of the Spirit of God who dwells within and helps you be different. I love being able to tell people, you don't have to stay the way you used to be.

[12:22] And the reason you don't have to stay the way you used to be is not just because you happen to get a little book that explains all the to-dos and don't-dos, but you have not only the book, but you have the enabling of the Spirit of God who is at work in you, helping you grow and change.

[12:39] So if we've learned anything so far in our study in Ephesians chapter 4 through 6, it is this, that effective Christian living is entirely dependent upon the work of the Spirit of God.

[12:52] Do you understand that? Effective Christian living is entirely dependent upon the work of the Spirit of God. Let me kind of rattle our way through this so you can see it clearly in your minds in our study.

[13:04] And pick up, if you will, in Ephesians chapter 5, looking at verse 18. Chapter 4, chapter 5, hammer on this issue of the believer being an individual who lives a different kind of life.

[13:19] And that's one of the reasons why if you're sitting here this morning and you tell me, hey, I'm a Christian. I don't expect everything to have changed and for you to be in the point of sinless perfection.

[13:31] While I wish that doctrine were true, it's not. But I have to tell you, you should be able to see the evidence of change and growth and you should be able to say, I'm not what I used to be and I'm not what I someday will be.

[13:49] But I can track the evidence of God at work in me and that is the Spirit working in your life. Now let's follow.

[14:00] Ephesians chapter 5, verse 18, and it says, don't be drunk with wine, for that's debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit. And actually what follows is an extended passage in which the apostle helps us understand what Spirit-filled living looks like.

[14:16] And there it says in verse 19, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.

[14:27] So I can tell you, listen everybody, I can't tell for sure that you're Spirit-filled. But if you're sitting there with a grumpy look on your face while we are gathered for corporate worship, I don't really have to guess that the Spirit of God's not working.

[14:44] Now you can be singing and being very agitated or whatever and enthusiastic and that's not necessarily proof that the Spirit is at work in your life. But if you're sitting there like Mr. Grump, can I tell you something?

[14:58] You're not there. How do I know that? Ephesians chapter 5, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. Giving thanks, how often?

[15:11] Always. Can I tell you that not every one of us is born naturally with the glass all full. But when the Spirit of God is at work in us, the Spirit is the one that prompts us to take on life with a different perspective and a different view and as a result, we who by nature may be pretty unsettled and disconsolate, we are by His Spirit enabled to be joyful in the midst of the circumstances of life.

[15:49] Follow with me. There in verse 19, singing. Verse 20, joyful. Verse 21, submissive. And you look in verse 22 through 24 and you find out that the godly wife is submissive to her husband.

[16:05] You find out that the godly husband is loving to his wife. And then we find as we work our way through and we come to this part in verse 18 of chapter 6, extended passage, he says, and listen, it's the Spirit that you really need to rely upon to pray effectively.

[16:22] And so it just follows logically that if we need the Holy Spirit to help us pray, Paul tags on to that and he says, and by the way, while you're praying, there are all kinds of things to pray for, but while you're praying in particular, pray for me, that I'd get out of prison, that my health would improve, that I'd win the lottery, that my, no, what's he say?

[16:48] He says, I just want you to pray about one particular thing. He says, I want you to pray that utterance would be given to me. And he's referring to the ministry of the Spirit of God as he preaches the word.

[17:00] And so I want you to understand this morning that all effective, God-honoring, Christ-exalting preaching in the Bible reflects its dependence upon the Spirit of God.

[17:13] That's true. Wherever you go, what page you turn to, be clear of this. Effective, Christ-exalting, God-honoring preaching relies upon the work of the Spirit of God.

[17:26] To illustrate that, let me point out that first of all, though Christ was the second person of the Trinity, nevertheless, in his earthly ministry, he was entirely dependent upon the Spirit of God in what he did and accomplished.

[17:39] Christ's preaching and Christ's life reflected the enabling of the Spirit in every aspect. Now, having made a statement like that, it would be fair for you sitting out there to say what?

[17:52] Well, amen would be a supposition that you're fully persuaded. Probably, until you're fully persuaded, what should you be thinking? I'm walking out here, not on water. What should you be thinking?

[18:04] Show me. You got that? Where is it in the Bible? You got that? The thought of God's people should always be this. Having heard you say it, Bubba, show me where it is.

[18:19] And that, we can say amen to, right? I want you to have the heart that as a congregation, whoever stands here, the thought you always have is what saith the Scriptures?

[18:30] Where is it in the Bible? I made the statement that Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, helped in His ministry by the Spirit of God, and you're out there thinking, yeah, well, show me. Well, having said it, let's give you a couple passages.

[18:46] Passages are a good thing. By the way, why do we carry our Bibles as Christians? Does anybody have an idea? Do we get extra points in heaven? Are extra sins canceled because you have your Bible in your hand this morning?

[18:57] What's the answer? Not in your life. Why do we carry our Bible? So, so we can look ourselves, right? Okay, turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 12, verse 18.

[19:10] What is pastor doing? He is just showing you that Jesus in His ministry was enabled by the Spirit of God. Matthew chapter 12, verse 18.

[19:23] Behold my servant whom I've chosen. This is referring to Jesus.

[19:35] Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my spirit upon him and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.

[19:50] Do you know what that's saying? When Jesus ministered, how did he do it? He didn't do it by mere intellectual ability. He did it through the enabling of the Spirit of God.

[20:00] Let me have you look at another one very similar. You're in Matthew. Just go to Luke chapter 4, verse 18. Luke chapter 4, verse 18. I think you'd be really unnerved if I said go to John chapter 5, verse 18.

[20:16] And I'm not going to. But Luke chapter 4, verse 18. Here we have. Now get the scene. Jesus walks into the synagogue and they say to him, hey, do you have something to say?

[20:27] He takes the scroll and he reads it and he unrolls the scroll and he finds the place in Isaiah and here's what he reads. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

[20:42] He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and the recovering of sight to the blind and to set at liberty those who are oppressed. As you were singing this morning, that last song that John led us in.

[20:57] And John, by the way, I appreciate your courage when we don't have it, call it off, right? Okay? I like that. We can sing another song and have a great blessing. But as you were singing, I wonder if what you were doing was kind of cross-referencing the singing of the word with passages of Scripture.

[21:15] Would that be a good thing to do and what's the answer? Do it all the time. Do it all the time. Anyway, here we have, talks about the fact that Jesus sent in the power of the Spirit and when he preached, he preached through the enabling of the Spirit of God.

[21:31] One theologian has said there is no place where Christ did not speak under the enabling of the Spirit of God. He relied upon the Spirit in his ministry. It wasn't just Jesus that did this.

[21:46] Apostolic preaching was also dependent upon the Spirit of God. Let me start out by saying this. If you will look in Acts chapter 1, remember Jesus said you are to go to Jerusalem and what are you to do? Hey, grab your Bibles and head out into the streets and start in.

[22:01] Is that what he said? He says, wait there until you receive until you receive the Holy Spirit. Once you have this Holy Spirit go out and get to work and that's what they did and it was through the enabling of the Spirit in particular that New Testament preaching took place and I want you to look at a couple different places where that is true.

[22:22] Acts chapter 4, verse 8. Acts chapter 4, Then Peter filled with the Holy Spirit. Now why does it tell us that at the very beginning of Peter's sermon?

[22:36] What's it want us to know? Well, Peter, when he preached, didn't rely upon his grasp of what had taken place and it was not just a mere intellectual recitation of the facts of what had happened.

[22:55] It was something that was enabled by the Spirit of God. Look at Acts chapter 6, verse 10. Acts chapter 6, verse 10.

[23:12] But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Now who is this talking about? The first martyr, right?

[23:22] Stephen. And here he is. Preaching. And as a result, the Spirit of God at work, doing the convicting work and leading conviction sometimes leads to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

[23:36] In other times, it leads to rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I venture to say that there are some of you sitting here this morning that may not know the Lord Jesus. And as we are preaching the Word of God, your heart may be convicted to say, there's something missing.

[23:50] I don't know. I don't know the certainty of my eternal destiny. And I don't know that I have complete forgiveness for all of my sins because of the finished work of Christ.

[24:01] And there may be some of you here this morning that under the teaching and the preaching of the Word of God, you are drawn by the Spirit to realize you desperately need salvation and you trust in Him and you're saved.

[24:13] But there will be others of you whose heart is not turned and you resist the Holy Spirit and you say, hey, I don't like what I'm hearing. I'm uncomfortable with the idea that I can't work my way to heaven by doing A, B, C, D and you will resist.

[24:29] The Spirit's at work. We look at Acts chapter 7, verse 55. But He, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing by the right hand of the Father and He said, behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God and as Stephen preached his sermon, he did so with the enabling of the Spirit of God.

[25:03] Let me have you look at another passage and this is from Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 2, 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 4.

[25:17] 1 Corinthians chapter 2, verse 4. And my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom. Now what does that mean?

[25:29] Does that mean that Paul came and his preaching was marked by stuttering and incomplete sentences and by just kind of kludgy kind of behavior?

[25:41] What do you think? No, that's not the point. But what he is saying is that my preaching was not the usual smooth kind of crafted presentation that all kind of, oh, it's a beautiful story and anecdotal and you walk out and you say, wasn't that a really nice story about the puppy that Sally found on the side of the road and she was really nice to?

[26:07] Can I tell you? I could tell you a story with the right emotional intonation and affection and you would think that Mary had a little lamb was really good preaching.

[26:25] Mary had a little lamb. Her fleece was white as snow. Do you follow that? And everywhere that Mary went, the lamb was, you know, I mean, hey, sometimes we get mixed up and Paul says, I didn't do that.

[26:42] So what did he do? Look at it. Look at it there. My speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom but in demonstration of the spirit and power.

[26:57] Listen to me. My preaching was in demonstration of the spirit and power.

[27:09] This is Paul. Well, I want you to understand it wasn't just Paul because if you turn now, we're going to look at Peter as well and turn to 1 Peter 1, verse 12 if you would please.

[27:21] 1 Peter 1, verse 12. Oh, by the way, why are we tracking in our Bibles? Does anybody know? Why are we tracking in our Bibles?

[27:31] Why did you bring your Bible? Extra points in heaven? The answer is no, no, no just in case you forgot. We're tracking in our Bibles because you want to see whether or not what I'm saying is true.

[27:44] And by the way, listen to me, taking notes helps it stick in that little brain you have. Okay? You can write it on your hand. You can write it on the bulletin.

[27:55] You can write it on the pages of your wife's Bible. I don't care where you write it but just put it down so it's there. I don't try the wife's Bible but you know, okay. Anyway, we are looking now at 1 Peter 1, verse 12.

[28:10] Hang on, hang on, hang on. Yeah, 1 Peter 1. Therefore, preparing your minds for action. I think I have made a mistake.

[28:24] No, I'm, okay, there it is, there it is. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preach the good news to you by, what?

[28:41] Say it with me. The Holy Spirit. Here's Peter. Did Peter ever have a problem saying something that didn't need to be said and what's the answer? He was the, he was the foot in mouth apostle.

[28:55] If it probably didn't need to be said, Peter took a stab at it. But here he is explaining his preaching and he says, hey, I want you to understand something about my preaching.

[29:08] My preaching was by the Holy Spirit. And so it follows then that true gospel preaching should evidence the Spirit's work today just as he did during the time of the Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles.

[29:27] And why do I make that connection? Because here is the apostle praying and it's instructive to us, hey, pray for me. That is not just Paul but the long line of succession of men that have come and stood before the congregation of God's people and said, I am here to preach the word in accordance with the word of God and enabled by the Spirit of God and you said, yes, I want to hear what the Spirit has to say and I'm going to pray for you.

[29:57] so, pray, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, work as the vessel of clay before us today preaches your word.

[30:14] Do you follow that? That's what you should be doing. And all of God's people said, what? I got it. I don't need to say it out loud but how, do you understand?

[30:26] The point of preaching is to tell you what God thinks and then the follow up is God's people say, what? I got it. I understand. I'm going to do it.

[30:38] I'm going to do it whether he's wearing a tie and a suit or whether he's not wearing a tie. I want to hear the word and I'm going to pray that he makes it clear. So, what does preaching through the Holy Spirit look like?

[30:56] The question is extremely important. For there's a great deal of ignorance today and at worst there's deception regarding the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

[31:08] The church has tended to either completely tamp down the ministry of the Holy Spirit because of a fear of excess or on the other hand it just runs on unbridled all over the place and you can't tell what's going on.

[31:23] Some have been so afraid of excess that they've developed a slavish fear that has made them actually cold and suppressed and suspicious of anything that is ever delivered in any other tone than a monotone.

[31:43] And I have watched people who can with all good conscience kind of sit on their hands while they're worshipping the Lord of Glory and kind of be a little frumpy about the whole business but when they go to the baseball game for their own son they just go ballistic.

[32:01] Now here's my point. Who deserves more credit and more glory and more enthusiasm? Surprise. God. Right? Okay.

[32:13] We're alright here. On the other hand there are those who have overplayed the spirit to the point of being offensive to the Lord of Glory. I was struck last week by a post I saw on Facebook and I probably shouldn't read Facebook as often as I do because it sometimes causes me to get exercise but I like this one.

[32:33] It said you don't see faith healers working in hospitals for the same reason you don't find psychics winning lotteries. And I thought duh.

[32:46] That makes sense. Do you follow that? No. Okay. We're talking about spirit filled preaching. The enabling of the spirit in preaching is not a display of emotion.

[33:03] How many of you realize that emotions can be faked? A couple weeks ago I happened to see a man walking past our window and he banged on the our ladies were working on VBS kind of all this kind of thing going on and I saw him go by and we don't like our ladies to be accosted unnecessarily so I heard actually one of them opened the door and said the pastor is down there and I let him in and he came into my office and he shared the most his name was Matt I think it was he shared the most just the most and it was challenging for me you know me I'm just kind of bland and it's just everything's cool and I'm this guy is talking to me about he he started out by saying hey would you do the funeral for my niece?

[33:51] Of course I would I mean funerals are like drive-by shooting opportunities for a pastor I get to preach the gospel I love it and I said sure I'd be glad to he says well what will you charge?

[34:05] And you know what I said? Nothing! I said if you let me say what's on my heart I'll preach it and then he started sharing the sad story of his niece that had a shunt and she was in children's hospital and she two days before her surgery she had died she'd had a brain aneurysm and passed away and the guy was crying and you know how I was doing I was grabbing Kleenex and giving them to him and I'm and he said well this this funeral is going to be on Sheddinger or West Broad well I've done lots of funerals there and I said okay well I'll call the funeral director to let them know that I'll do it you know I mean hey we got a pastor on board he'll take care of it he'll do the service and I said what time is it?

[35:02] Without hesitation he said calling hours are four to six and seven to nine on Thursday and the funeral is at 11 o'clock on Friday I'll be there I said but let me call because I know they'll call me and I'll go ahead and call them guys crying handed off Kleenex as you know Connie we need more in my office you know it's like come on we're bringing them on and I'm caught up in this I said well what was the name of the lady that that you talked to and he gave it to me and he even rattled off a phone number so I called it it was a construction company and so I'm sitting at my desk and I fired up my computer and guess what I did I googled Schedinger's West Broad and I I called by the way he had already gone out to his car to find the phone number and couldn't find it and so we did second stage and he says just a minute I need to use the bathroom I thought not a problem I'm talking to people at Schedinger's and I said hey you have a funeral scheduled for Friday right at 11 o'clock for a little girl 10 years old that died at children's high no we don't really and I looked out the window because I the car wasn't there anymore he'd gone hey listen to me emotions are not a necessary indicator of the spirit of

[36:28] God at work nor is stomping and spitting that reaches the fourth pew do you follow that nor is the exaltation of the worm only one person gets to be the hero in the story when the spirit of God is at work and it's not the poor instrument that God chooses to put in the front so what does spirit enabled preaching look like and I want you to understand that this morning I'm not going to cover all aspects of it but I do want to say this that for one the enabling of the spirit of God in preaching brings first of all conviction conviction and you have heard me say over and over again that the purpose of preaching is not to entertain and for that one of the main reasons that you don't hear a lot of anecdotal stories the exception being the emotional issue that I gave this morning at the heart of it it is the exaltation of Christ that brings conviction because it puts people on the spot of saying yes or no to

[37:40] God and so conviction in John chapter 16 and by the way should the Lord Terry and I get to John chapter 16 we are going to spend hello several weeks working through John as he lays out in wonderful clarity the ministry of the spirit of God and the life of the believer John chapter 16 verse 8 through 11 explains that one of the ministries of the spirit how do you know the spirit is working when you are sitting there and the spirit of God is kind of tapping on your shoulder and say that's got to change that's a spirit secondly spiritual enablement brings about understanding and clarity and I want you to turn back in your Bible to the passage in 1st Corinthians chapter 4 I'm sorry 1st Corinthians chapter 2 verse 4 through 16 I'm not going to take all the passage and lay it out for you but understand this is an extended picture of how the spirit of God works in bringing clarity to our understanding how many of you like me grew up in homes where you had a brother or sister who just didn't get it

[38:51] I don't understand I remember my dad having faith I mean dad worked like a he was the only surgeon in the hospital out there in India and he worked his heart out but he would come home to have devotions with us and sometimes go back to work and I remember our family devotions were a robust issue he could eat in three or four minutes I mean literally but when it came time to family devotions there were sometimes I thought they went on forever but I'll tell you what our family devotions were a wonderful time ultimately of convicting and drawing me to the cross and drawing two of my sisters but I have a brother and a sister that don't know Christ and I thought why didn't you get it I want you to understand what we find in this passage pick up if you will in verse 12 now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit who is from God that we might understand the things freely given us by

[39:53] God if you're sitting here this morning and the truth of the matter is is that the scriptures are just going right over top of your head and you're not understanding it might be that you do not have the enabling of the spirit of God to get it now does that mean that every time we who are filled with the spirit or indwelt I should say are going to be sitting there and it's just all going to be clear no no no because you can be sitting there with unconfessed sin as a believer you can be quenching the spirit but it is the spirit and we find this in this passage in 12 verse 14 it says the natural person does not accept the things of the spirit of God for they are folly to him and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned the spiritual person judges all things but he is himself to be judged by no one for who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him but we have the mind of Christ so spirit enabled preaching brings about clarity and understanding there's a third thing that I want you to pick up on this morning as we think about what does spirit filled and enabled preaching do and I want you to turn to John chapter 16 verse 14

[41:12] I'm going to give extra points for anybody who as they read John 16 14 can also think about another illustration of the ministry of the spirit in John the Baptist are we doing okay right now you're tracking me extra points deacons will give cookies to the person who can get this one stop I'm going off page here but here we go John chapter 16 looking at verse 14 he will glorify me for he will take what is mine and declare it to you here's the characteristic of spirit enabled preaching it lifts up the glory and the supremacy of Christ and causes us to see him in all his radiant splendor and to desire him above all others that's spirit filled preaching I think about the psalm 73 by the way do you know how the psalm starts 73 it's the grumbler's psalm did you follow that

[42:26] I looked around at all the ungodly people and they were doing really good until I went into the temple and there I understood their end and then it ends up it says who do I have in heaven but you and there is none that I desire beside you spirit enabled preaching lifts up Jesus and by the way when we lift up Jesus what happens to us huh remember I talked about John the Baptist what did he say he said he must come on help me he must increase that's an imperative you know what an imperative is it's got to be he has to be exalted and when you don't exalt

[43:26] Christ you stand in the way of the imperative of God who wants to make him supreme so what do you do I want you to understand that when you gather together as God's people to listen to the preaching of the word of God you are to pray for the man who will do it that he does it through the enabling of the spirit of God does that make sense and all God's people said I've heard what God has to say and this will be the characteristic of my prayer life when I gather to worship corporately from here until the day that God takes me home when I hear the preaching of the word of God my prayer is going to be

[44:30]  God you help that guy up there that he preaches through the power and the enabling of the spirit of God and all God's people said let's close in prayer together You