WEBVTT 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:04.160 Good morning. It's wonderful to be with you this morning. 00:00:04.580 --> 00:00:08.179 We have known of Watermark Church for a long time. 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:12.080 About the last five years, I've heard of Watermark, 00:00:12.179 --> 00:00:15.759 and whenever friends of mine have moved to Hong Kong, I've often recommended 00:00:15.759 --> 00:00:19.800 you've got to go check out this church, Watermark, and so it's great to finally be 00:00:19.800 --> 00:00:24.060 with you this morning. This passage that was read to us 00:00:24.060 --> 00:00:28.140 this morning, it's a very well-known passage. It's the famous 00:00:28.140 --> 00:00:32.079 day of Pentecost, right? And it's the day in which God 00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:36.200 pours out His Holy Spirit on His church. It's the day that some people 00:00:36.200 --> 00:00:39.799 have described as the birthday of the church, the day that the church 00:00:39.799 --> 00:00:44.100 was born. And it's a wonderful story in the Bible, and we have 00:00:44.100 --> 00:00:47.939 much to learn from it. But what I want to do today is I want to 00:00:47.939 --> 00:00:51.880 set it in the context of a much bigger story. We can maybe 00:00:51.880 --> 00:00:56.079 read Acts chapter 2 and learn some lessons from it, but miss the big 00:00:56.079 --> 00:01:01.320 picture. And so I want to go back to the entire picture and place it in the 00:01:01.320 --> 00:01:06.039 context of the entire biblical narrative and see what we can learn from it 00:01:06.039 --> 00:01:10.759 there. And so let's go back to the beginning. And so right at the beginning 00:01:10.759 --> 00:01:17.079 of the Bible, we have God, Father, Son, and Spirit, dwelling in perfect unity 00:01:17.079 --> 00:01:23.099 and community. And out of their love for each other, they make mankind. They create 00:01:23.099 --> 00:01:27.579 humanity. And the Bible says that they make mankind in the image. In the image 00:01:27.579 --> 00:01:34.479 of God, He made them male and female. And Genesis tells us that the purpose for 00:01:34.479 --> 00:01:38.899 which God made us is that we would be image bearers of God. They would bear His 00:01:38.899 --> 00:01:43.699 image in creation. But in addition to that, that we would also be God's stewards 00:01:43.699 --> 00:01:49.719 of His creation. So both image bearers of God and stewards of His creation. In other 00:01:49.719 --> 00:01:55.539 words, to look after His creation, to bring and to demonstrate something of the 00:01:55.539 --> 00:02:01.280 wonder and the grandeur and the majesty of God into creation and to co-rule 00:02:01.280 --> 00:02:05.019 creation with God. And so Genesis 1 says this, God says, 00:02:05.159 --> 00:02:11.340 Let us make mankind in our image, after our likeness, and let them be fruitful and 00:02:11.340 --> 00:02:15.979 multiply, having dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the 00:02:15.979 --> 00:02:21.299 livestock, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. And so God 00:02:21.299 --> 00:02:26.500 didn't just make humanity and say, best of luck, off you go, call me if you need 00:02:26.500 --> 00:02:31.739 me. He said, no, no, I'm going to make you, but I'm asking you to co-rule creation 00:02:31.739 --> 00:02:38.879 with me. You are my stewards to bring my image and my glory into creation. And God 00:02:38.879 --> 00:02:44.419 didn't make us for the purposes of self-actualization or self-fulfillment, as if 00:02:44.419 --> 00:02:49.699 God is just a butler who serves our needs whenever we need Him. God says, I've made 00:02:49.699 --> 00:02:56.179 you to work with me for your good and for my glory. And so God sends us out. And the 00:02:56.179 --> 00:03:04.519 primary gift or the means by which God enables and powers us to do this is Himself. He gives 00:03:04.519 --> 00:03:12.319 us Himself. And this is what it means to be human. It's to work with God, to join God in 00:03:12.319 --> 00:03:19.620 the stewarding of His creation for the glory of God and both for our good. But like all 00:03:19.620 --> 00:03:26.219 good stories, this story also has its issues. And it's not long before things spiral downhill 00:03:26.219 --> 00:03:33.479 and things go a little bit bad. And as human beings, we soon bought into the lie that we 00:03:33.479 --> 00:03:39.620 knew better than God and we knew what was good for us. And so we thought we know what will 00:03:39.620 --> 00:03:46.659 make us happy, what will make our lives worthwhile, what will fulfill us. And so we soon bought into 00:03:46.659 --> 00:03:52.060 the lie that actually we know better than God and that if we fulfill our own desires, 00:03:52.340 --> 00:03:59.240 that will make life worthwhile. And so we listened to the serpent, we listened to Satan, and we 00:03:59.240 --> 00:04:04.780 bought the lie saying that we know better than our Creator and our King. And soon we started 00:04:04.780 --> 00:04:11.659 to live life on our own terms, by our own strength and for our own glory. And the effects of this are 00:04:11.659 --> 00:04:18.199 nothing short of disastrous. Everything that's wrong with the world finds its origin in that first 00:04:18.199 --> 00:04:24.899 decision. And so the ramifications of Adam and Eve and their sin is that all creation is groaning. 00:04:25.939 --> 00:04:33.439 Everything in the world is marred with a kind of brokenness. Our loves are disordered. Our lives are 00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:39.259 fractured. And all of us are marked with broken relationships. Our relationship with ourselves 00:04:39.259 --> 00:04:44.740 are broken. That's why we have strife and inner turmoil and anxiety. Our relationships with each 00:04:44.740 --> 00:04:51.620 other is broken. That's why there's racism and sexism and strife and prejudice and people looking 00:04:51.620 --> 00:04:58.000 down their noses and judging others. Our relationship with our world is broken. That's why we don't look 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:03.339 after our creation the way we should. And earth itself is broken. But primarily our relationship 00:05:03.339 --> 00:05:08.220 with God is broken. And so existentially in our heart of hearts and the depths of our being, we 00:05:08.220 --> 00:05:14.879 divorce from our Maker, divorced from our Creator. And Adam and Eve find themselves driven from the 00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:20.040 Garden of Eden. They're divorced from the presence of God. They're estranged from the lives that God 00:05:20.040 --> 00:05:25.540 designed them to live and designed them to make. And Augustine said it like this in the third century. 00:05:25.540 --> 00:05:30.560 He said our hearts were made for you. You've heard this before, right? Our hearts were made for you 00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:36.640 and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you. And so the reality is every one of us 00:05:36.640 --> 00:05:44.100 following in the footsteps of Adam and Eve, there's a restlessness that marks our lives and a sense of 00:05:44.100 --> 00:05:50.500 brokenness. And for the rest of the Old Testament, the rest of the scriptures, we see humanity, 00:05:50.500 --> 00:05:58.120 we see God's longing and looking for that Garden of Eden. And God gives them temporary solutions. He gives 00:05:58.120 --> 00:06:04.699 them a tabernacle. He gives them the temple. He gives them temporary makeshift solutions to enjoy 00:06:04.699 --> 00:06:10.980 God's presence and to dwell with God again. But forever people are looking to go back to the Garden 00:06:10.980 --> 00:06:16.279 of Eden. They're looking to once again connect with God, to find their home and to find their rest 00:06:16.279 --> 00:06:23.359 in God himself. And so God sets up these temporary solutions, but they could only be attained on the 00:06:23.359 --> 00:06:30.279 receipt of blood being shed through a sacrifice. Or they could only be attained through another mediator, 00:06:30.779 --> 00:06:37.739 sometimes through the law or through Moses or through an angel or through the temple or through 00:06:37.739 --> 00:06:44.799 the high priest. People were looking for God and you could meet with God, but often through a mediator, 00:06:44.800 --> 00:06:50.860 through someone else. And so for the rest of the Old Testament, there's this lingering longing to be 00:06:50.860 --> 00:06:59.240 restored with God for humanity, male and female, to find their place in God again. And so the story of 00:06:59.240 --> 00:07:07.600 humanity, which is my story and your story and every one of our stories, is the one of looking and longing 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:13.319 for something transcendent, something that's going to fill our hearts again, searching for our maker, 00:07:13.319 --> 00:07:18.360 looking for someone or something in which to find our rest. And we see this throughout the Old 00:07:18.360 --> 00:07:24.040 Testament. And if we're honest, we'll see this in our lives as well. That's why we're addicted to 00:07:24.040 --> 00:07:28.259 shopping. We're looking for something transcendent in the shopping malls. We're looking for something 00:07:28.259 --> 00:07:33.279 transcendent in our workplaces. We hit the heights of our career. We're looking for something 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:39.159 transcendent in our children. That's why we worship our families. Every one of us, the story of humanity 00:07:39.160 --> 00:07:44.840 is we're looking and longing for this place of rest. We will find God once again. And we see it in the 00:07:44.840 --> 00:07:53.100 Psalms, right? Psalm 63, right? Oh God, you are my God. Earnestly I seek you. My soul thirsts for you. 00:07:53.480 --> 00:07:59.900 My flesh faints for you as in a dry and a weary land, not in Hong Kong, where there is no water, right? 00:08:00.200 --> 00:08:07.320 Or Psalm 27, one thing I've asked of the Lord, this I will seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the 00:08:07.319 --> 00:08:14.740 Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and inquire of his temple. And this is 00:08:14.740 --> 00:08:19.659 something that the prophets long for, that they long for the day when they wouldn't have to find God 00:08:19.659 --> 00:08:25.180 through a mediator, through someone else, but they themselves could encounter God in a life-transforming 00:08:25.180 --> 00:08:31.240 way. So Jeremiah, the prophet says it like this, behold, the days are coming, promises the Lord, 00:08:31.839 --> 00:08:36.980 when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel. I will put my law within them. 00:08:36.980 --> 00:08:41.159 I will write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people. 00:08:41.899 --> 00:08:46.960 No longer will someone teach his neighbor saying, you should know the Lord, for they will all know 00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:54.720 me from the very least of them to the very greatest, declares the Lord. Enter chapter three. 00:08:55.680 --> 00:09:01.960 So chapter one, God makes us creation for his glory and for our good. Chapter two, the fall 00:09:01.960 --> 00:09:08.519 and the longing. Chapter three, God delivers on his promise. And so God does the exact thing that he 00:09:08.519 --> 00:09:14.780 promises. He mediates a new covenant with his people. And he does so by bringing a new high priest, 00:09:14.980 --> 00:09:21.100 Jesus Christ himself. And the wonderful news of the gospel is that God did for us what we've all been 00:09:21.100 --> 00:09:26.960 longing for, but which we couldn't do for ourselves. God did for us what we all needed, but weren't able 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:33.139 to do for ourselves. God sent himself born as a man to atone for the sins of the world and to bring 00:09:33.139 --> 00:09:38.840 us back to God. And previously, where humanity tried to access God through someone else, through 00:09:38.840 --> 00:09:44.800 another mediator or another high priest, God sends the ultimate high priest, Jesus Christ, so that we 00:09:44.800 --> 00:09:52.080 can meet God through him. And Jesus died on the cross so that all who will come to him no longer need to 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:57.820 come on their own efforts or their own morality, but can come simply trusting and believing in him. 00:09:58.259 --> 00:10:04.160 Jesus died on the cross so that like Adam and Eve, we don't, we no longer need to be cast out of his 00:10:04.160 --> 00:10:10.500 presence, but can be brought back into his presence. And so Jesus, at one point, he's, he's teaching his 00:10:10.500 --> 00:10:19.120 disciples and he says this, he says, if anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. For as the 00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:24.820 scriptures have promised, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. And then John, who's 00:10:24.820 --> 00:10:31.480 writing this, says, this he spoke about the Holy Spirit, who had not yet been given because Jesus had 00:10:31.480 --> 00:10:36.240 not been glorified. So he's speaking about the day then Christ will die on the cross. He says, when that 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:42.500 happens, after that, God will pour out his Holy Spirit. In fact, the Holy Spirit won't be something, 00:10:42.799 --> 00:10:48.340 the presence of God won't be in the temple, won't be mediated through a priest. The presence and the 00:10:48.340 --> 00:10:55.019 life of God will be a rivers of living water inside of you, bubbling up inside of you. And so 00:10:55.019 --> 00:11:01.259 when the psalmist says, God, I, I, I search for you, I seek for you, I'm thirsty. My soul is thirsty, 00:11:01.259 --> 00:11:07.680 like a land with no water. Jesus says, I will give you the Holy Spirit and he will become a river of 00:11:07.680 --> 00:11:13.060 living water bubbling up within you. No longer will you need to go and look for him and search for him. I 00:11:13.059 --> 00:11:22.479 will place him within you. Friends, Jesus died on the cross to atone for our sins. Yes. To deal with 00:11:22.479 --> 00:11:30.699 our past. Yes. To secure a future in us in eternity with him. Yes. But Jesus died on the cross to also 00:11:30.699 --> 00:11:38.699 secure us back to relationship with God today. Now to give us the life living waters of the Holy Spirit 00:11:38.700 --> 00:11:46.759 inside of us. That all who come to him may know him and love him and drink of him and enjoy him and 00:11:46.759 --> 00:11:55.740 experience him and encounter the living God today. And so Jesus dies on the cross, rises victoriously, 00:11:56.040 --> 00:12:02.560 and just before he ascends into heaven, he says to his disciples, wait here until the promised Holy 00:12:02.560 --> 00:12:08.680 Spirit is given to you, which you've heard from me. For John baptized with water, but I will baptize 00:12:08.679 --> 00:12:14.919 you in the Holy Spirit. And then he says, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you 00:12:14.919 --> 00:12:21.299 and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 00:12:22.279 --> 00:12:30.839 Now, into that context, we get to Acts chapter 2. We get to Acts chapter 2. Now friends, the reason why 00:12:30.839 --> 00:12:37.899 we've taken this long detour, which is actually a very quick overview of the Bible, is because 00:12:37.899 --> 00:12:43.360 what we read in Acts chapter 2, when the Holy Spirit is poured out in the church, when the Holy 00:12:43.360 --> 00:12:49.419 Spirit fills their hearts, when the Holy Spirit encounters them, this isn't just for one section 00:12:49.419 --> 00:12:55.340 of the Christian church. This isn't just for the charismatics. This isn't just for those that are 00:12:55.340 --> 00:13:02.100 extroverted by personality. This isn't just for those that are happy-clappy by personality. This is what it 00:13:02.100 --> 00:13:06.700 means to be a follower of Jesus. But more importantly, this is what it means to be human. 00:13:07.560 --> 00:13:13.580 The way that God made us in the very beginning is to walk with Him, to dwell with Him, to co-steward 00:13:13.580 --> 00:13:20.000 creation with Him, to bear His image for God to live with us and us to live with God. But the fall has 00:13:20.000 --> 00:13:25.960 messed that all up. But this is what it means. When we read Acts chapter 2, this is what it means not just 00:13:25.960 --> 00:13:31.480 for Watermark. This is what it means for Hong Kong. This is what God wants for Hong Kong, for every human 00:13:31.480 --> 00:13:38.060 being in Hong Kong to know God and walk with Him, for us to experience the life-giving waters within us. 00:13:38.620 --> 00:13:46.500 And so I myself, I am not a very extroverted person. I'm not very boisterous. I don't like hype. 00:13:46.980 --> 00:13:54.240 I don't like emotional manipulation in the church. And I don't like hysteria. But friends, Acts chapter 2 00:13:54.240 --> 00:14:00.360 is not just for certain branches of the church. This is what God has got for everyone. This is what it 00:14:00.360 --> 00:14:06.840 means to be a follower of Jesus, to love God and to be loved by Him, to know Him, to be known by Him, 00:14:07.279 --> 00:14:13.500 and to experience and encounter the living God. And so I want to ask you, are you walking with God? 00:14:14.100 --> 00:14:21.320 Is the life of God real in your home, in your marriage, in your parenting? Do you walk with the 00:14:21.320 --> 00:14:27.680 person of the Holy Spirit in your workplace? Is He a part of your life, or is this just a Sunday thing? 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:34.479 Now, let's dive into Acts chapter 2. What does it mean to encounter the person of the Holy Spirit? 00:14:34.579 --> 00:14:40.120 What does it mean to be filled or baptized with the Holy Spirit? Three things we learn from Acts chapter 2 00:14:40.120 --> 00:14:46.500 about being filled with the Spirit. We learn the Holy Spirit is an outside power. The Holy Spirit is a 00:14:46.500 --> 00:14:54.159 non-prejudicial power or an indiscriminate power, unprejudiced power. And we learn about the wonder of 00:14:54.159 --> 00:15:01.459 Jesus. Okay? So firstly, the gift of the Holy Spirit is an outside power. Look at what was read 00:15:01.459 --> 00:15:06.419 for us with Echo and Grace. Acts chapter 2 verse 1 says this, 00:15:06.799 --> 00:15:12.100 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly they came from 00:15:12.100 --> 00:15:17.139 heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 00:15:17.559 --> 00:15:21.740 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them, and rested on each one of them. 00:15:21.740 --> 00:15:26.779 And they were all filled with awe with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues 00:15:26.779 --> 00:15:32.879 as the Spirit gave them utterance. So when the Holy Spirit comes upon these believers, 00:15:33.539 --> 00:15:39.120 as Jesus promised would happen, there are various manifestations. And we read in the book of Acts 00:15:39.120 --> 00:15:44.100 that the manifestations were different at different times. You can't say, this is what it means to be 00:15:44.100 --> 00:15:48.820 filled with the Holy Spirit because you will fall down, or this is what it means. At different times, 00:15:48.820 --> 00:15:55.320 it looks like different things. They're different manifestations. But when they encounter it, 00:15:55.520 --> 00:16:01.640 the one manifestation is there's this loud wind, or what sounds like a wind. There's a loud noise. 00:16:01.700 --> 00:16:07.480 It sounds like a rushing wind. Now, I've never been in a hurricane or a typhoon, but I hear that 00:16:07.480 --> 00:16:15.220 you all have, right? They're quite common here in Hong Kong. And when you have a T8, is that, 00:16:15.220 --> 00:16:21.360 or a T10 typhoon, everyone stays indoors, you don't go to work. Why? Because it's dangerous. 00:16:21.800 --> 00:16:27.660 It's scary. It doesn't leave you the same. If you're on the star ferry crossing over, and there's a 00:16:27.660 --> 00:16:31.920 serious typhoon, you're not going to get out of there the same as when you arrived, right? You're 00:16:31.920 --> 00:16:36.100 going to look different. Having an encounter with a hurricane or a typhoon leaves you different, 00:16:36.100 --> 00:16:42.840 I'm sure. In the same way, these people encounter the Holy Spirit, and it leaves them different. 00:16:43.720 --> 00:16:50.399 But notice this. Notice the source of the power. Where does this life-transforming power come from? 00:16:50.779 --> 00:16:57.259 Does it come from within them? No, it comes from outside. I'm not sure if this is true in Hong Kong, 00:16:57.360 --> 00:17:02.279 but this is true in South Africa, and it's true in most of the West, and I think it's true here as well. 00:17:02.279 --> 00:17:07.639 Well, most people in the world know that the world is not the way that it's meant to be. 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:13.680 Our world is marked with brokenness and discord. They're things that are not right with our world. 00:17:14.299 --> 00:17:22.279 Now, most people blame the problems with the world out there, right? It's the government. It's my 00:17:22.279 --> 00:17:29.220 parents. It's my education. It's Hong Kong's housing problem, right? The problem is out there, 00:17:29.220 --> 00:17:37.180 and the solution we are told is where? Inside. If only I'm strong enough, if I'm diligent enough, 00:17:37.460 --> 00:17:43.680 if I work hard enough. There's a famous poem called Invictus where there's a line that says, 00:17:44.079 --> 00:17:48.240 you are the master of your faith, the captain of your destiny. Have you heard that line before? 00:17:48.779 --> 00:17:54.380 That's the narrative of at least South Africa and the West. We believe I am the captain of my faith. 00:17:54.380 --> 00:18:00.760 I am the master of my destiny. If I am going to make my life a success, it comes to me. The problems 00:18:00.760 --> 00:18:06.700 are out there, but I have the power within myself to solve my problems and to make my life a success. 00:18:07.760 --> 00:18:12.880 But friends, the Bible tells us that most of the problems with the world are actually in here. 00:18:13.760 --> 00:18:20.900 It's in my heart. It's the fact that my heart is disordered. My loves are disordered. I love all 00:18:20.900 --> 00:18:25.940 sorts of things in the wrong order. I love myself more than I love God. I love myself more than I 00:18:25.940 --> 00:18:32.880 love my wife. I love myself, and I pursue my self-glory more than God's glory. But the solution 00:18:32.880 --> 00:18:38.759 is not found within me. The solution comes from outside. The solution comes from the hope of the 00:18:38.759 --> 00:18:45.600 gospel. The solution to the problems of the world are not work harder, strive better, be better. 00:18:45.599 --> 00:18:51.379 The solution is to found in submission to an outside power called the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:18:52.659 --> 00:18:57.379 Friends, every religion in the world tells you the same thing. You have the power to fix your life. You 00:18:57.379 --> 00:19:02.699 have the power to become the person you want to be. If you can discover the four noble truths, right? 00:19:02.859 --> 00:19:09.139 If you can discover the eightfold noble path, right mindfulness, right thinking, right this, right that, 00:19:09.379 --> 00:19:14.859 you will achieve peace. But what Acts chapter tells us and what the Bible has been telling us, 00:19:14.859 --> 00:19:18.559 what the gospel tells us, that the deepest problems are not out there, they're in here. 00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:23.899 And that the solution is found in coming to the Lord Jesus Christ. You see, friends, the power of 00:19:23.899 --> 00:19:28.679 the gospel is not something you earn. It's not a gift. It's not a reward that you earn or achieve. 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:35.219 It's a gift that you receive. You see, it's not a power that you can earn and you're entitled to. 00:19:35.619 --> 00:19:41.359 It's simply a gift that you receive when you submit to the Lord Jesus Christ. This powerful 00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:46.000 encounter with God is not reserved for the good enough, the powerful enough, the wealthy enough, 00:19:46.279 --> 00:19:50.859 or the strong enough. It's reserved for those who come on their knees and say, God, I need you. 00:19:51.439 --> 00:19:57.359 God, I need you. Second thing is this. The gift of the Holy Spirit is an unprejudiced power, 00:19:57.519 --> 00:20:02.919 an indiscriminate power. And this follows on because if the gift of the Holy Spirit is not something you 00:20:02.920 --> 00:20:09.480 can earn or achieve, but it's something that you receive as a gift, it's freely available to everyone 00:20:09.480 --> 00:20:15.519 and anyone. And we see this with a variety of people that are mentioned. Did you notice how many 00:20:15.519 --> 00:20:21.759 diverse groups of people are mentioned in Jerusalem that are witnesses to the power of the Holy Spirit 00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:27.140 and later on many of them come to know God? It says, now in Jerusalem, we were living people under 00:20:27.140 --> 00:20:33.600 every nation under heaven, Parthians and Medes, Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, 00:20:33.759 --> 00:20:41.360 Cappos, Docia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Libya, Crete, Rome, Jews and Proselytes, 00:20:41.500 --> 00:20:47.620 Cretans and Arabians, people from every nation. And many of these get to encounter the life-transforming 00:20:47.620 --> 00:20:53.280 power of God later on when Peter tells them about Jesus. And later on, Peter says this, it says, 00:20:53.279 --> 00:20:59.460 this promise of the Holy Spirit is for you and for your children. It's for every generation. It's not 00:20:59.460 --> 00:21:05.700 just for the adults, for you and for your children. It's for those near and far off, those in the 00:21:05.700 --> 00:21:11.139 outermost regions of the world and those that are in the center of Jerusalem. It's for everyone who 00:21:11.139 --> 00:21:18.279 believes on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and calls him to himself. Friends, this is the wonder of 00:21:18.279 --> 00:21:23.579 the gospel. This is the wonder of Jesus. It doesn't matter who you are or what your background is. 00:21:24.139 --> 00:21:30.279 God is indiscriminate. God is unprejudiced and pouring out his grace to sinners like you and me. 00:21:31.019 --> 00:21:35.759 What about those that are still growing in their faith? Do they get to experience the power of God, 00:21:35.819 --> 00:21:41.299 the life of God? See, some people think that the gift of the Holy Spirit is only for those that are 00:21:41.299 --> 00:21:46.799 super Christians. If you're really mature, right? If you've been praying and fasting, if you know your 00:21:46.799 --> 00:21:52.539 Bible backwards, if you know your Bible very well, then you deserve the Holy Spirit, right? That's 00:21:52.539 --> 00:21:57.539 what some people think. And yet here we see there are people that don't know their Bibles. 00:21:58.000 --> 00:22:03.700 They're not even believers at first. And God pours his Holy Spirit on them. The Holy Spirit is not just 00:22:03.700 --> 00:22:07.740 a gift for those that are super Christians that know everything and know their Bibles backwards. 00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:12.879 Friends, if you have simple faith in Jesus, God will pour his Holy Spirit out on you. 00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:20.620 Now, having said that, having said that, some people think that what Acts 2 tells us is that 00:22:20.620 --> 00:22:24.520 being a person who is filled with the Spirit doesn't mean that we don't need our Bibles, 00:22:24.940 --> 00:22:30.100 right? So some churches, especially in South Africa, there are many churches which are either 00:22:30.100 --> 00:22:35.800 Bible churches or they are Holy Spirit churches. And so some churches say, you don't need the Holy 00:22:35.800 --> 00:22:39.600 Spirit. All you need is the Bible. You just read the Bible. If you want to hear from God, 00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:45.019 read the Bible. If you want to hear God speaking to you audibly, read the Bible out loud, right? 00:22:46.159 --> 00:22:51.319 There's some people that say, man, the Bible is Old Testament. We've got the life of God. 00:22:51.500 --> 00:22:57.319 All we need is the Holy Spirit. But what do we see in Acts chapter 2? The Holy Spirit is poured out 00:22:57.319 --> 00:23:03.319 on them in power. And then Peter stands up and he quotes the Bible. He quotes the Old Testament. 00:23:03.699 --> 00:23:09.139 He quotes Joel. He quotes David's Psalms. He quotes another Psalm of David. Peter here is 00:23:09.140 --> 00:23:15.860 filled with the Holy Spirit. And yet he's not pushing the Bible aside. The Bible isn't just 00:23:15.860 --> 00:23:21.080 for academics and the Holy Spirit for spiritual creative people. If we're going to know God and 00:23:21.080 --> 00:23:25.620 love God and follow Him and worship Him and make a difference in our cities in which we live, 00:23:26.120 --> 00:23:30.220 we need to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. And we need to be saturated with the life 00:23:30.220 --> 00:23:34.640 and the Word of God and know the Scriptures. What about those of us that have got questions? 00:23:34.640 --> 00:23:41.080 Well, I know Hong Kong is full of people that are often very academic. Some of the best and the 00:23:41.080 --> 00:23:46.440 brightest from around Asia come to study in Hong Kong. What about those of us that aren't so 00:23:46.440 --> 00:23:52.660 intellectual? Is the Holy Spirit discriminating? No, the Holy Spirit is for everyone. The Holy Spirit is 00:23:52.660 --> 00:23:58.920 not just for those who have PhDs and masters in economics or those who have studied theology. Friends, 00:23:58.920 --> 00:24:04.900 maybe you don't understand everything in the Bible. Maybe you've got some doubts. Maybe you've got some 00:24:04.900 --> 00:24:09.880 questions. Maybe there are lots of things in the Bible that you don't understand. Friends, God wants 00:24:09.880 --> 00:24:14.680 to pour the Holy Spirit in you. He wants you to encounter the life and the power of God. You don't 00:24:14.680 --> 00:24:20.900 need to be an investment banker, qualified, or even very intellectual. You just need to love Jesus 00:24:20.900 --> 00:24:29.019 and trust the gospel. I remember Michael Eaton, who's a British preacher and theologian. He spent lots of 00:24:29.019 --> 00:24:34.940 time in Africa. And he was pastoring his very first church. He was a young man, and he thought he had 00:24:34.940 --> 00:24:40.000 preached a wonderful sermon. And it was a Baptist church. And so in the traditional Baptist church, 00:24:40.100 --> 00:24:44.500 at the end of the sermon, the preacher goes, walks down the aisle, stands at the end, and shakes 00:24:44.500 --> 00:24:51.880 everyone's hand as they walk out, right? And so he's shaking hands with everyone. And a very educated, 00:24:52.180 --> 00:24:58.640 very sophisticated, and wealthy businessman in the church comes to him and says, Pastor, I don't have 00:24:58.640 --> 00:25:04.279 a clue what you're trying to say this morning, and walks out. And he was so discouraged. He thought, 00:25:04.339 --> 00:25:09.819 I tried my best. I worked so hard. I really thought that was a good sermon. He was so discouraged. 00:25:09.819 --> 00:25:18.240 Anyway, the next morning, he's at the office, and a lady comes in who is cleaning the cups. She's 00:25:18.240 --> 00:25:23.039 washing the cups. And this lady didn't have the opportunity to have much of an education. 00:25:23.720 --> 00:25:29.720 She wasn't very educated. She comes in whistling and singing. She's got a bounce on her step. And she 00:25:29.720 --> 00:25:36.720 says, Pastor, Pastor, that was the best sermon I've ever heard in my life yesterday. Here you have a 00:25:36.720 --> 00:25:42.640 very educated, sophisticated man. It missed it completely. Here you have a simple lady, 00:25:42.860 --> 00:25:48.440 hasn't had the opportunity to have a wonderful education. And she encountered God in the sermon. 00:25:48.579 --> 00:25:53.579 She encountered the Holy Spirit. Friends, the wonder of the gospel is that Jesus didn't just die for the 00:25:53.579 --> 00:25:59.279 educated. Jesus didn't just die for the wealthy. Jesus didn't just die for those that understand 00:25:59.279 --> 00:26:04.039 everything. He died for everyone. And he gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit for those who will come 00:26:04.039 --> 00:26:10.279 to Jesus and believe in him. Now, although, having said that, one of the things we see in Acts chapter 00:26:10.279 --> 00:26:17.740 2 is that Peter doesn't ask them to switch their brains off. He doesn't say, listen, the gospel is 00:26:17.740 --> 00:26:22.740 either for the educated or the uneducated. He's not saying that you need to be simple. Some people say 00:26:22.740 --> 00:26:28.879 that to follow Jesus, you just trust the Spirit, and we mustn't be logical about it. Don't trust your 00:26:28.879 --> 00:26:33.960 mind. Don't think about things too much. Just trust the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit isn't the 00:26:33.960 --> 00:26:39.620 opposite or the antithesis of being logical, of thinking about things. Peter doesn't ask them to 00:26:39.620 --> 00:26:45.259 switch off their brains when they come to church. Look at what he does here. He follows a logical 00:26:45.259 --> 00:26:50.819 argument. He reasons with them. He says, you guys know David. David was the greatest king in Israel. 00:26:51.160 --> 00:26:57.420 But David speaks of another king, a king who won't die. Now, we all know that David has died. So 00:26:57.420 --> 00:27:02.299 logically, David can't be speaking about himself. He must be speaking about another king that doesn't die. 00:27:02.299 --> 00:27:08.039 Well, I put it to you that Jesus died, but he rose again. David was speaking about Jesus. And Peter 00:27:08.039 --> 00:27:14.399 goes through a logical, rational argument to help them see and understand the gospel and who Jesus is. 00:27:15.019 --> 00:27:19.879 And in Romans chapter 8, talking about the life of the Spirit, it says, some people fix their minds on 00:27:19.879 --> 00:27:27.960 the flesh, and that just leads to death. But you, followers of Jesus, we have to fix our minds on the 00:27:27.960 --> 00:27:34.600 Spirit, for that leads to life and to peace. But the point is, fix your minds. Think about the things of the 00:27:34.600 --> 00:27:40.680 Spirit. Colossians chapter 3 says this, therefore, because you've been raised with Christ, set your minds on the 00:27:40.680 --> 00:27:46.440 things above, where Christ is seated. Set your heart on the things above, not on the things of earth, for you have 00:27:46.440 --> 00:27:53.799 died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. But the point is, think about it. Set your minds where Christ is. 00:27:53.799 --> 00:27:59.399 Friends, being filled with the Spirit doesn't mean that we are to not be thinking people as well. 00:27:59.879 --> 00:28:04.519 God pours out His Spirit in all of us. What about those of us that are still battling with sin? 00:28:04.919 --> 00:28:07.419 Are we disqualified from experiencing the Holy Spirit? 00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:11.819 We're not told the moral state of those in Jerusalem. 00:28:12.519 --> 00:28:15.819 But I don't think that all of them were morally perfect. 00:28:15.819 --> 00:28:21.599 I'm sure some of them still battled with sin. And I think when we think of the life of Paul, 00:28:22.059 --> 00:28:29.000 previously Saul, a man who was a murderer, on his way to persecute and kill and jail Christians, 00:28:29.539 --> 00:28:35.059 and yet God pours out His Holy Spirit in him. When I think of my own life, very far from perfect, 00:28:35.419 --> 00:28:40.079 and God has graciously given me the gift of the Holy Spirit. Friends, the Holy Spirit is in reserve 00:28:40.079 --> 00:28:41.859 just for those that have got it all together. 00:28:41.859 --> 00:28:49.359 Now, having said that, in Acts chapter 2, we realize that God does not, He's still serious about sin. 00:28:50.179 --> 00:28:53.659 A few years ago, I was talking to a businessman who joined our church, 00:28:54.219 --> 00:28:57.959 and he had just been part of a church that had gone through a very difficult church split. 00:28:58.379 --> 00:29:03.500 There had been a leadership tussle, and it was messy and horrible, and the church had split, 00:29:03.659 --> 00:29:08.379 and he joined our church. And he said to me, he's a very successful businessman, 00:29:08.380 --> 00:29:13.060 and he said, Kevin, the problem with you guys is there's too much Holy Spirit in the church. 00:29:13.700 --> 00:29:16.660 And I thought, what are you talking about? The problem is there's not enough Holy Spirit. 00:29:17.580 --> 00:29:21.420 And then he went on to explain, he said, you know, in business, we hold people accountable. 00:29:21.980 --> 00:29:25.780 When people mess up, or when people are out of line, we hold them accountable. 00:29:26.000 --> 00:29:30.020 You guys in the church, there's too much Holy Spirit. You're flowery, you're soft, you're gentle, 00:29:30.140 --> 00:29:33.020 there's too much lovey-dovey. You never hold anyone accountable. 00:29:33.019 --> 00:29:36.859 But friends, when we read Acts chapter 2, look at what happens here. 00:29:37.460 --> 00:29:41.619 Peter quotes from Joel chapter 2, and he says, he's explaining what happened. 00:29:42.180 --> 00:29:47.299 And Joel prophesies that when the Holy Spirit comes, there'll be prophecy, there'll be signs, 00:29:47.420 --> 00:29:50.559 there'll be wonders, there'll be prophetic words, there'll be gifts of the Spirit. 00:29:51.139 --> 00:29:56.480 But he also says, I will show wonders in the heavens above, signs on the earth below, 00:29:56.700 --> 00:29:59.220 blood and fire, vapor and smoke. 00:29:59.220 --> 00:30:03.880 The sun will be turned to darkness, the moon to blood, before the day the Lord comes, 00:30:03.960 --> 00:30:06.100 the great and magnificent day. 00:30:06.660 --> 00:30:11.299 And the context here is the holiness and the awesomeness of God, the majesty of God. 00:30:11.799 --> 00:30:16.420 Joel says, the Holy Spirit will come, but he won't come soft and flowery and just putting up with sin. 00:30:16.779 --> 00:30:18.519 He'll come in majesty and power. 00:30:18.860 --> 00:30:23.740 He'll open your eyes to see the wonder of God, and people will turn to Christ in repentance. 00:30:24.319 --> 00:30:26.339 And God will deal with our sin. 00:30:26.339 --> 00:30:31.240 And so he's calling them to forsake their idols, which destroyed their life of God and them, 00:30:31.319 --> 00:30:32.639 and only caused damage and pain. 00:30:32.720 --> 00:30:35.959 He's calling to turn from themselves and to turn to Jesus. 00:30:36.799 --> 00:30:39.179 Friends, the presence of God is a precious gift. 00:30:39.859 --> 00:30:42.399 The Holy Spirit God gives us, but he's not discriminant. 00:30:42.779 --> 00:30:44.399 It's not only for those that have got it together. 00:30:44.679 --> 00:30:46.119 It's not only for the super spiritual. 00:30:46.879 --> 00:30:51.299 God pours out his gift on anyone that will come to him in faith and repentance. 00:30:51.299 --> 00:30:53.440 And then the last thing is this. 00:30:54.019 --> 00:30:56.859 The gift of the Holy Spirit magnifies the wonder of Jesus. 00:30:58.119 --> 00:31:02.819 The gift of the person of the Holy Spirit is one of the most beautiful aspects of the gospel. 00:31:03.119 --> 00:31:05.079 God himself comes and dwells within us. 00:31:05.259 --> 00:31:08.599 And the wonderful thing about the gospel is that we're not playing religion here. 00:31:08.879 --> 00:31:10.680 We're not philosophizing about life. 00:31:10.740 --> 00:31:15.059 We're not trying to come up with a couple of ways to make life more convenient or to work better. 00:31:15.379 --> 00:31:16.519 We're not playing religion. 00:31:16.519 --> 00:31:18.359 We're having an encounter with God. 00:31:18.500 --> 00:31:23.420 God the Creator is living inside of us and moving us and changing us on the inside. 00:31:24.019 --> 00:31:28.799 And Romans tells us that in fact it's not possible to know God apart from the Holy Spirit. 00:31:28.960 --> 00:31:29.960 Romans 8 says this. 00:31:30.480 --> 00:31:36.119 You, however, are not in flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells within you. 00:31:36.559 --> 00:31:40.859 For anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 00:31:41.559 --> 00:31:45.299 So in order to be a follower of Jesus, you must be filled with the Spirit. 00:31:45.299 --> 00:31:48.259 It's not possible to know Jesus without the Holy Spirit. 00:31:48.740 --> 00:31:52.839 But notice here, how does Paul call the Holy Spirit? 00:31:52.960 --> 00:31:54.480 What name does he use for him? 00:31:55.539 --> 00:31:57.220 He calls him the Spirit of Christ. 00:31:57.899 --> 00:32:01.919 And later on in Acts, Paul calls him the Spirit of Jesus. 00:32:02.599 --> 00:32:05.659 And isn't this exactly what Jesus said in John chapter 16? 00:32:06.200 --> 00:32:11.619 Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit comes, he will make much of me, the Holy Spirit of Jesus. 00:32:11.619 --> 00:32:15.139 He says, when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you in all truth. 00:32:15.459 --> 00:32:17.259 He will not speak of his own authority. 00:32:17.619 --> 00:32:19.419 But whatever he hears, he will speak. 00:32:19.779 --> 00:32:22.119 For he will glorify me. 00:32:22.219 --> 00:32:22.819 That's Jesus. 00:32:23.199 --> 00:32:26.179 And he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 00:32:28.059 --> 00:32:34.779 Friends, sometimes the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit ministers so beautifully, so wonderfully. 00:32:35.199 --> 00:32:36.359 He comforts us. 00:32:36.759 --> 00:32:38.099 The Holy Spirit is so wonderful. 00:32:38.099 --> 00:32:43.039 But sometimes we can think the primary ministry of the Holy Spirit is for us. 00:32:43.439 --> 00:32:44.699 The way he comforts us. 00:32:45.159 --> 00:32:46.219 He consoles us. 00:32:46.719 --> 00:32:48.379 He makes God known to us. 00:32:48.699 --> 00:32:53.019 Sometimes we think the primary ministry of the Holy Spirit is all about us. 00:32:53.480 --> 00:32:55.779 But actually, he does that. 00:32:56.219 --> 00:33:00.279 But first and foremost, the gift of the Holy Spirit is to magnify Jesus. 00:33:00.779 --> 00:33:02.439 To make much of Jesus. 00:33:02.519 --> 00:33:03.539 That's what Jesus said. 00:33:03.599 --> 00:33:05.759 He said, he will glorify me. 00:33:05.759 --> 00:33:09.980 The gift of the Holy Spirit is to open our eyes to see the wonder of Jesus. 00:33:10.119 --> 00:33:13.039 And that's exactly what's happening here in Acts chapter 2. 00:33:13.319 --> 00:33:15.440 And that's what happens in the rest of the book of Acts. 00:33:15.720 --> 00:33:17.640 And that's what happens in the history of the church. 00:33:17.819 --> 00:33:19.420 And friends, that's still what's happening today. 00:33:20.039 --> 00:33:27.240 When God pours the gift of the Holy Spirit upon us, it's to open our eyes to see the wonder and the majesty of Jesus. 00:33:27.819 --> 00:33:29.619 It's to help us fall more in love with Jesus. 00:33:29.619 --> 00:33:34.019 A few years ago, there was a big revival in America. 00:33:34.639 --> 00:33:35.879 About 10 years ago. 00:33:36.599 --> 00:33:38.659 And it was very famous. 00:33:38.759 --> 00:33:39.839 It was all of the news. 00:33:40.000 --> 00:33:44.879 There were people flying from all over the world to go to this revival and experience it. 00:33:45.159 --> 00:33:47.299 There were stories of wonderful healings. 00:33:47.919 --> 00:33:49.539 And there were some interesting things. 00:33:49.739 --> 00:33:51.119 And I was a little bit suspicious. 00:33:51.500 --> 00:33:53.239 I wasn't so sure what to make of this. 00:33:53.240 --> 00:33:56.279 But it was all of the news. 00:33:57.200 --> 00:34:02.500 But I remember one day, the guy that was leading the revival, he was on news there, interviewing him. 00:34:02.539 --> 00:34:03.259 And he said this. 00:34:04.019 --> 00:34:04.440 He said, 00:34:05.339 --> 00:34:10.260 An angel came to my room last night and told me to stop talking about Jesus. 00:34:10.420 --> 00:34:11.760 People know enough about Jesus. 00:34:12.119 --> 00:34:14.539 It's time to start talking about the Holy Spirit. 00:34:15.559 --> 00:34:17.739 Friends, when I heard that, I knew that this was rubbish. 00:34:18.420 --> 00:34:20.139 I knew that this was the beginning of the end. 00:34:20.139 --> 00:34:28.059 But the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to magnify and make much of the wonder and the beauty and the glory of King Jesus. 00:34:28.859 --> 00:34:33.739 And it wasn't long before that man was caught in adultery and the whole thing blew up and became a massive scandal. 00:34:34.679 --> 00:34:38.199 The way you could tell was because he had forgotten about Jesus. 00:34:38.719 --> 00:34:43.119 And the ministry became all about himself and his ministry and the fame that he was getting. 00:34:43.559 --> 00:34:45.579 And we see the same thing here in Acts chapter 2. 00:34:45.679 --> 00:34:47.239 The Holy Spirit is poured out in the church. 00:34:47.299 --> 00:34:48.159 And what does Peter do? 00:34:48.159 --> 00:34:50.819 He stands up and he tells them about Jesus. 00:34:51.119 --> 00:34:53.019 He tells them about the wonder of Jesus. 00:34:53.259 --> 00:34:58.799 He tells them about the Jesus who is a greater king than even the greatest king Israel had had, David. 00:34:59.059 --> 00:35:02.839 He tells them about Jesus who, though he had died, is not dead. 00:35:03.219 --> 00:35:10.899 He tells them about Jesus who didn't die as a result of political expediency or because of a political turmoil. 00:35:11.559 --> 00:35:14.339 Jesus who died because he laid down his life. 00:35:14.340 --> 00:35:20.260 He tells them about Jesus who died according to the definite plan and the foreknowledge of the sovereign God. 00:35:20.440 --> 00:35:23.260 He tells them about the Jesus who's coming again. 00:35:23.700 --> 00:35:30.300 He tells them about Jesus who makes known to us the paths of life and whose right hand there is joy forevermore. 00:35:30.300 --> 00:35:36.360 And when these men and women hear the gospel and the Holy Spirit comes upon them, they cry out, what should we do? 00:35:36.680 --> 00:35:37.760 And what does Peter do? 00:35:38.280 --> 00:35:39.700 He doesn't say join a small group. 00:35:40.140 --> 00:35:41.400 He doesn't say sign up. 00:35:42.000 --> 00:35:47.260 He says, be baptized every one of you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:35:47.260 --> 00:35:49.940 Peter makes much of Jesus. 00:35:50.340 --> 00:35:51.960 And we see the same thing in Acts chapter 4. 00:35:52.420 --> 00:35:56.560 The disciples are praying for boldness, praying for the Holy Spirit to come upon them. 00:35:56.660 --> 00:35:57.880 The Holy Spirit comes upon them. 00:35:57.900 --> 00:35:58.440 And what do they do? 00:35:58.660 --> 00:35:59.900 They tell people about Jesus. 00:36:00.440 --> 00:36:02.160 We see the same thing in Acts chapter 10. 00:36:03.900 --> 00:36:06.560 Peter is preaching to some Gentiles. 00:36:07.000 --> 00:36:08.360 He tells them all about Jesus. 00:36:08.360 --> 00:36:13.440 And it says, while he is speaking, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the word. 00:36:13.860 --> 00:36:21.240 And the believers from amongst the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. 00:36:22.079 --> 00:36:24.620 That's why Paul writes in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. 00:36:24.620 --> 00:36:29.440 Therefore I tell you, no one speaking by the Spirit of God can say Jesus is accursed. 00:36:29.920 --> 00:36:32.780 And no one can say Jesus is Lord except for the Holy Spirit. 00:36:33.680 --> 00:36:36.320 Friends, God gives us the most beautiful and precious gift. 00:36:36.420 --> 00:36:37.340 He gives us himself. 00:36:37.340 --> 00:36:39.700 He says, this is what it means to be human. 00:36:40.300 --> 00:36:41.720 This is what I've designed you for. 00:36:42.200 --> 00:36:43.120 This is how I've made you. 00:36:43.180 --> 00:36:43.940 To walk with me. 00:36:44.039 --> 00:36:44.780 To know me. 00:36:45.100 --> 00:36:46.860 To love me and to be loved by me. 00:36:47.220 --> 00:36:48.800 To know me and to be known by me. 00:36:48.860 --> 00:36:49.860 I'll give you myself. 00:36:50.700 --> 00:36:56.519 But he gives us the Holy Spirit to wonder and marvel in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:36:57.019 --> 00:37:00.400 God the Father and Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit. 00:37:00.980 --> 00:37:02.460 I wonder if we can pray together. 00:37:03.100 --> 00:37:03.480 Can we pray? 00:37:05.200 --> 00:37:06.160 Why don't we do this? 00:37:06.159 --> 00:37:07.779 Can I ask us to do something different? 00:37:08.179 --> 00:37:09.539 Would you mind standing? 00:37:14.079 --> 00:37:17.319 We're not going to do anything spooky or strange. 00:37:17.320 --> 00:37:23.920 I wonder if you're comfortable just to open your hands. 00:37:24.559 --> 00:37:32.059 And when I often pray for the Holy Spirit, I open my hands just as a sign of saying, God, I'm not coming to you closed. 00:37:32.620 --> 00:37:33.700 I'm not waiting for you. 00:37:33.860 --> 00:37:35.280 I'm anticipating something. 00:37:35.380 --> 00:37:36.420 God, I want to meet with you. 00:37:37.180 --> 00:37:42.140 And I wonder if we can just wait just for two minutes and just ask the Holy Spirit to just refresh us. 00:37:42.139 --> 00:37:48.179 As I was praying last night about this morning, I just felt that some of us here maybe are tired. 00:37:49.000 --> 00:37:51.219 You know, spiritually tired, existentially tired. 00:37:51.699 --> 00:37:55.039 It's like the river of living water is running thin. 00:37:55.039 --> 00:37:59.639 And Jesus said, if anyone is thirsty, come to me. 00:37:59.880 --> 00:38:03.699 And as the scriptures have said, within him will flow rivers of living water. 00:38:03.699 --> 00:38:08.719 Holy Spirit, will you come and just refresh us? 00:38:09.960 --> 00:38:11.460 Holy Spirit, we need you. 00:38:11.659 --> 00:38:12.559 We want you. 00:38:13.579 --> 00:38:15.279 We want you to minister to us. 00:38:15.399 --> 00:38:18.559 We want you to open our eyes that we will behold the wonders of Jesus. 00:38:21.219 --> 00:38:23.599 Holy Spirit, we want to fall in love with Jesus again. 00:38:24.599 --> 00:38:25.980 We don't want to play religion. 00:38:26.199 --> 00:38:27.299 We don't want to do church. 00:38:27.300 --> 00:38:29.640 We want to be in awe of Jesus. 00:38:32.840 --> 00:38:33.820 Come, Holy Spirit. 00:38:46.220 --> 00:38:51.640 Holy Spirit, would you just minister to us, to whoever you want to, however you want to. 00:38:51.780 --> 00:38:52.960 You are God and we are not. 00:38:55.039 --> 00:38:56.039 Come and have your way. 00:38:57.300 --> 00:39:27.280 Come and have your way. 00:39:27.300 --> 00:39:36.220 Holy Spirit, I pray that as we go from this place, as we go to work tomorrow, some of us are traveling this week out of town. 00:39:36.920 --> 00:39:38.539 Will you go with us and be with us? 00:39:40.720 --> 00:39:42.420 Will you draw near to us, we pray. 00:39:47.300 --> 00:39:47.620 Amen. 00:39:47.620 --> 00:39:47.800 Amen. 00:39:47.800 --> 00:39:47.820 Amen. 00:39:47.820 --> 00:39:47.840 Amen. 00:39:47.840 --> 00:39:47.920 Amen. 00:39:47.920 --> 00:39:47.940 Amen. 00:39:47.940 --> 00:39:47.960 Amen. 00:39:47.960 --> 00:39:48.000 Amen.