WEBVTT

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 So I'm going to read a variety of passages from Acts chapter 1 and 2 to think about how the church begins.

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 So we'll begin in Acts chapter 1, verses 4 to 8.

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 On one occasion, while Jesus was eating with the apostles, he gave them this command.

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 Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you've heard me speak about.

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

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 So when they met together, they asked him, Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?

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 He said to them, it is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority,

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 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,

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 and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

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 And then if we flick over to chapter 2, we'll read verses 1 to 4 first of all.

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 And then verse 16 and 17.

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 As Peter draws the crowd's attention to the prophet Joel, and he says what happens can be explained by what was spoken by the prophet Joel.

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 In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

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 Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

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 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

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 I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs of the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.

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 The sun will return to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

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 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

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 And then finally, for us now, we'll look from verse 32 to 39.

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 And we read there,

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 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact.

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 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit,

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 and has poured out what you now see and hear.

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 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

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 The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.

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 Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this.

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 God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.

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 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles,

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 Brothers, what shall we do?

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 Peter replied,

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 Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins,

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 and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

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 The promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off,

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 for all whom the Lord our God will call.

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 So we'll leave our reading there.

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 We're thankful to God that we can hear the word that the Spirit inspired.

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 We're going to think about those passages and one or two others as we begin this new series,

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 where we think about the Holy Spirit in a believer's life,

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 and particularly the Holy Spirit in the life of the church.

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 So, why a series on the Holy Spirit?

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 Two reasons.

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 One is that you hear, you know, if you read Christian books,

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 anything to do with the Trinity,

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 the Spirit is often described as the forgotten member of the Trinity.

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 There is that appreciation that we can easily lose a sense that the Spirit is personal,

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 that he has a distinct work in a Christian life and in the church.

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 And so I hope, as we spend a few weeks thinking about the Holy Spirit's work,

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 it will be encouraging for us to see how the Spirit actively and personally works in and for us.

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 And I think, too, we always need that constant reminder that the Spirit serves as the glue

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 that binds a Christian to Jesus Christ.

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 So we'll be remembering time and again that we need the work of the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to us,

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 to apply the work of Jesus to us,

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 and to keep showing us more of the glory of both the Father and the Son,

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 to help us in our worship.

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 But also, it seems important in the time that we find ourselves

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 to recognise that just as we are bound to Jesus,

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 he is the head of the church,

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 so we are bound in Christ and by the Spirit to one another.

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 And so I hope that this will be a way to strengthen our appreciation of our fellowship,

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 that even though social distancing is separating us,

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 still we are bound together by the Spirit of Christ in his church.

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 And so we begin today thinking about the Holy Spirit and the life of the church for that reason.

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 I have three things to say,

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 and one book to recommend if you find that you've got lots of time on your hand.

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 George Smeaton, a free church professor, I think he was,

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 back in the 19th century, wrote a book on the Holy Spirit,

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 which I have been slowly working through.

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 It's an excellent book.

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 I've got some quotes from him for everybody's benefit.

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 First thing to say,

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 the Spirit is at work in the founding of the church.

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 The Spirit's there right in the beginning.

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 That's Acts chapter 1.

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 Here's Smeaton.

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 The great work of the Spirit is called the church.

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 So the Spirit is actively involved in establishing the church.

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 So we've read there, Acts chapter 1, verses 4 and 5.

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 Jesus' words to the apostles,

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 Wait in Jerusalem until you receive the gift my Father promised.

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 What was that gift?

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 Well, we know from the Old Testament and from Jesus' words,

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 the gift he has in mind is the Holy Spirit.

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 And that's why Peter, when he preaches,

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 draws the crowd's attention to the promise of Joel in the Old Testament

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 that's now being fulfilled.

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 We can also think of the words connected to the New Covenant in Ezekiel 36,

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 verse 26.

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 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.

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 So there was this promise from the Father of the Holy Spirit

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 that would come on the people of God.

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 And so Jesus tells the apostles they are to wait in Jerusalem

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 until they are baptised with the Holy Spirit,

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 just as Jesus promised.

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 And you remember John the Baptist said,

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 I baptise with water,

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 but one who is among you baptises with the Holy Spirit and with fire,

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 speaking of Jesus.

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 If we take a step back,

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 think about Jesus' baptism,

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 which was for him the beginning of his public ministry.

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 What do we see?

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 So we hear the voice of God,

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 this is my son who I love.

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 What do we see?

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 We see God the Spirit come down on Jesus as a dove.

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 Jesus does ministry in the power of the Spirit.

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 And so now here,

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 as the church is formed,

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 and they're told to wait for ministry to begin,

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 what are they waiting for?

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 They're waiting for that same Holy Spirit to come on them.

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 The same Spirit in Christ would be the same Spirit in the apostles.

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 And that's the same Spirit in the same Spirit of Christ is in us,

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 is in the members of Buclue,

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 is in Christians,

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 whoever we are,

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 if our faith is in Jesus.

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 Again,

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 to take a step back,

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 Jesus,

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 the night before he died,

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 in John's Gospel,

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 king and head of the church,

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 Jesus said,

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 in John chapter 16,

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 verse 7,

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 it is good for you

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 that I am going away.

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 Unless I go,

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 so Jesus is thinking about his going,

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 unless I go,

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 the counsellor,

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 the comforter,

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 will not come to you.

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 And then,

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 in John chapter 14,

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 Jesus has already said,

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 I will not leave you as orphans,

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 I will come to you.

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 So notice there,

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 Jesus departing,

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 and Jesus coming,

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 are joined together.

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 How are they joined together?

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 They're joined together with a promise that Jesus would save the Spirit.

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 It's the Spirit of Christ,

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 who comes to dwell in the church.

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 And it's the Spirit of Christ,

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 that will enable and empower the church in ministry.

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 So in Acts chapter 2,

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 we read,

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 the church comes into existence at Pentecost.

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 The gift of the Spirit is given.

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 The gift promised by the Father,

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 promised by the Son,

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 arrives.

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 And then they get that ability to speak in other languages,

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 and instantly,

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 Peter is preaching,

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 because the Spirit wants to share the glory of Jesus,

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 the good news of the Gospel,

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 with other people.

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 And what we see,

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 is that that same Spirit,

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 that enables the apostles to preach,

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 enables Peter to preach,

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 it convicts and convinces the crowd

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 of the message of the Gospel.

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 They believe that Jesus really is the Son of God,

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 He really was sent by God,

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 demonstrated to be the Saviour by His miracles,

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 and that He was handed over by God's foreknowledge,

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 and they, in their sin,

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 had killed Him,

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 but God raised Him.

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 And the Spirit,

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 by His Word,

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 by the preaching of the Word,

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 builds 3,000 into the Church.

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 Every single person who is baptised that day,

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 3,000,

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 showing they identify with Jesus,

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 every single one of them receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

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 The great work of the Spirit is called the Church.

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 The Spirit reveals Jesus as the Son of God,

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 reveals Him as the risen Lord and Saviour.

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 It's the Spirit who causes us to be born again.

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 So we can say that if we're part of God's Church,

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 that that's only because the Spirit has opened our eyes

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 to see our sin and our need,

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 to see Jesus as good,

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 to see Jesus as Saviour,

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 and to look to Him in faith.

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 The Spirit welds us in

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 and unites us to Christ.

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 And then we are united together as a Church by faith.

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 So the Spirit is at work in the founding of the Church.

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 I'd sort of connected,

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 but building on that,

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 let's say, secondly,

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 that the Spirit is the bond

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 uniting the Church to Christ.

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 How can we say,

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 as sometimes we do,

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 I belong to the Church?

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 That's not about the fact

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 that we happen to go to a shared location,

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 that we share proximity,

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 and that we take part in religious practices.

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 And that's good news for us,

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 because those things have been taken from us temporarily,

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 but that does not mean we stop being the Church.

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 It doesn't mean we stop being the people of God.

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 What the Bible says is that God is building His Church,

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 Christ is building His Church,

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 and He sends the Spirit as that cement

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 that unites us to Christ.

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 So as Jesus builds His Church,

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 the Spirit is at work.

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 And we're going to turn this time

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 to 1 Corinthians chapter 3.

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 I just want to read a couple of verses there,

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 in 1 Corinthians chapter 3,

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 where Paul is using the picture of the Church

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 as a temple-building project.

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 And there in 1 Corinthians 3,

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 in verse 10,

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 we read,

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 And then he goes to talk about,

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 with Jesus as the foundation,

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 there's various materials that can be used.

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 Some of those are good and will last.

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 Some of those are not and will not last.

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 But then verse 16,

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 Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple

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 and that God's Spirit lives in you?

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 So here is Paul the Apostle.

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 He's saying,

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 I've laid in Corinth the foundation for the Church,

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 which is Christ.

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 Christ as cornerstone,

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 Christ as foundation.

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 The Gospel is what the Church is built on.

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 And then he uses this image

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 that the Church is like a temple-building project.

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 And it's Jesus' project.

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 And the only way to build the Church

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 is on Jesus and His Word.

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 But then the finished article there in verse 16

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 is that we become a temple

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 in which God's Spirit lives.

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 That's a wonderful image of the Church.

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 The Spirit of God lives in us.

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 Again, we are seeing here

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 that we become part of the Church

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 only by having saving faith in Jesus.

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 So the Spirit calls us to believe.

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 The Spirit binds us to Jesus.

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 Christ comes to us by His Spirit in us.

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 And we become part of this temple-building project.

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 So here's the amazing truth for you to consider.

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 Maybe you're in your sitting room.

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 Maybe you're in your kitchen.

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 Maybe you're in your bedroom.

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 But here is this wonderful image.

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 Now just as in the Old Testament,

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 where did God choose to dwell?

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 On the earth, He chose to dwell in the temple.

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 And what we see regularly at the temple

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 is that the cloud of God's glory

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 filled that temple.

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 But now in the New Testament,

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 God chooses to live in His people.

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 God chooses us, the Church,

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 as His temple.

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 And so we are filled, as Christians,

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 with the Spirit of glory.

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 So the Holy Spirit joins us to Christ

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 as the foundation.

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 The Holy Spirit joins us to Jesus

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 as the head of the Church.

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 So from top to bottom, beginning to end,

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 whether we're together or whether we're apart,

00:15:38.180 --> 00:15:40.680
 we are one body, one temple,

00:15:41.040 --> 00:15:45.080
 where Christ lives by His Spirit.

00:15:47.560 --> 00:15:49.620
 And the last thing to say

00:15:49.620 --> 00:15:52.480
 about the Spirit of the Church for today

00:15:52.480 --> 00:15:54.460
 is that the Spirit is at work

00:15:54.460 --> 00:15:57.280
 in the worship of the Church.

00:15:57.279 --> 00:16:00.899
 I think it's important for us to recognise this

00:16:00.899 --> 00:16:03.100
 as we live in strange days

00:16:03.100 --> 00:16:05.919
 for a few weeks.

00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:10.379
 You know, we can worship in our pyjamas,

00:16:10.679 --> 00:16:11.740
 which isn't normal.

00:16:12.139 --> 00:16:15.919
 On a Sunday, we are finding that this virus

00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:18.339
 is restricting our shared worship.

00:16:18.939 --> 00:16:21.839
 And we weren't able to have a Lord's Supper last week.

00:16:21.899 --> 00:16:24.179
 We have no services.

00:16:24.179 --> 00:16:27.059
 So it's important for us to see

00:16:27.059 --> 00:16:29.179
 that we are still a worshipping people

00:16:29.179 --> 00:16:30.419
 and the Spirit is at work

00:16:30.419 --> 00:16:32.539
 as we worship.

00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:35.000
 And again, one of the things I hope

00:16:35.000 --> 00:16:37.019
 will come out of this time

00:16:37.019 --> 00:16:38.739
 of isolation and distance

00:16:38.739 --> 00:16:40.459
 is that it will make you and I

00:16:40.459 --> 00:16:43.500
 long for shared worship,

00:16:44.079 --> 00:16:47.079
 to long for community and fellowship

00:16:47.079 --> 00:16:48.240
 as the people of God.

00:16:48.339 --> 00:16:49.379
 It's one of those things that

00:16:49.379 --> 00:16:51.159
 sometimes we don't always appreciate

00:16:51.159 --> 00:16:52.419
 what we've got until

00:16:52.419 --> 00:16:54.019
 what we've got is gone.

00:16:54.819 --> 00:16:55.519
 So I hope

00:16:55.519 --> 00:16:57.839
 whenever we get the chance to come back,

00:16:57.899 --> 00:16:59.799
 we'll come back with a new appreciation

00:16:59.799 --> 00:17:02.120
 of the privilege of being able to worship.

00:17:03.559 --> 00:17:04.619
 Certainly for me this week,

00:17:04.659 --> 00:17:05.779
 I've also been thinking about

00:17:05.779 --> 00:17:07.299
 having a new appreciation

00:17:07.299 --> 00:17:09.779
 for the struggles of the persecuted church.

00:17:10.539 --> 00:17:12.299
 Thinking about stories of believers

00:17:12.299 --> 00:17:14.519
 who are isolated permanently

00:17:14.519 --> 00:17:17.639
 and they cannot worship with anybody else

00:17:17.639 --> 00:17:19.420
 and they dare not share their faith

00:17:19.420 --> 00:17:20.839
 because they don't know who to trust.

00:17:20.839 --> 00:17:22.139
 They don't know whether if they talk

00:17:22.139 --> 00:17:23.099
 to someone about Jesus,

00:17:23.240 --> 00:17:24.879
 they'll get reported to the authorities,

00:17:25.299 --> 00:17:26.679
 thrown in prison or killed.

00:17:27.699 --> 00:17:28.899
 And so ours is temporary.

00:17:29.639 --> 00:17:31.000
 And still, thanks to technology,

00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:32.599
 we can still worship.

00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:35.759
 And so we remember our persecuted

00:17:35.759 --> 00:17:37.179
 brothers and sisters in Christ.

00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:39.259
 But it's so important for us to remember,

00:17:39.319 --> 00:17:40.619
 even in these strange days,

00:17:40.959 --> 00:17:43.519
 the Spirit of Christ will work among us

00:17:43.519 --> 00:17:45.699
 as we worship.

00:17:45.700 --> 00:17:48.680
 Again, George Smeaton,

00:17:48.980 --> 00:17:49.340
 he said,

00:17:49.440 --> 00:17:51.319
 the presence of Christ

00:17:51.319 --> 00:17:53.340
 by the Spirit

00:17:53.340 --> 00:17:55.120
 in the church

00:17:55.120 --> 00:17:57.400
 is the church's glory.

00:17:58.279 --> 00:18:01.120
 And whether we meet in a building together

00:18:01.120 --> 00:18:02.640
 or whether we meet remotely

00:18:02.640 --> 00:18:04.220
 thanks to technology,

00:18:04.600 --> 00:18:06.140
 nothing changes that.

00:18:06.680 --> 00:18:08.120
 Christ is present

00:18:08.120 --> 00:18:09.539
 by his Spirit.

00:18:09.539 --> 00:18:10.740
 And so,

00:18:11.180 --> 00:18:12.559
 while we may look small

00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:13.879
 and insignificant to the world,

00:18:13.960 --> 00:18:14.759
 in God's eyes,

00:18:14.839 --> 00:18:15.500
 we're glorious.

00:18:16.659 --> 00:18:17.619
 Because the Spirit

00:18:17.619 --> 00:18:18.759
 dwells in us.

00:18:19.220 --> 00:18:20.960
 I want to read another couple of verses,

00:18:21.139 --> 00:18:22.559
 this time from 1 Peter,

00:18:23.039 --> 00:18:24.420
 chapter 2.

00:18:25.720 --> 00:18:27.099
 1 Peter, chapter 2.

00:18:27.180 --> 00:18:27.859
 And we find here,

00:18:27.960 --> 00:18:30.200
 Peter is picking up on the temple image

00:18:30.200 --> 00:18:31.319
 that Paul used,

00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:33.059
 but also talking about the church

00:18:33.059 --> 00:18:34.539
 as priests.

00:18:34.539 --> 00:18:35.539
 So,

00:18:35.779 --> 00:18:37.319
 in 1 Peter, chapter 2,

00:18:37.420 --> 00:18:38.720
 verse 5,

00:18:40.139 --> 00:18:41.059
 or read verse 4.

00:18:41.180 --> 00:18:42.079
 As you come to him,

00:18:42.639 --> 00:18:43.599
 the living stone,

00:18:44.200 --> 00:18:45.519
 rejected by men,

00:18:45.619 --> 00:18:46.779
 but chosen by God

00:18:46.779 --> 00:18:48.240
 and precious to him,

00:18:48.839 --> 00:18:49.779
 you also,

00:18:50.319 --> 00:18:51.440
 like living stones,

00:18:52.039 --> 00:18:52.879
 are being built

00:18:52.879 --> 00:18:54.519
 into a spiritual house

00:18:54.519 --> 00:18:56.740
 to be a holy priesthood,

00:18:57.180 --> 00:18:59.420
 offering spiritual sacrifices

00:18:59.420 --> 00:19:00.779
 acceptable to God

00:19:00.779 --> 00:19:02.319
 through Jesus Christ.

00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:02.480
 So,

00:19:02.480 --> 00:19:03.139
 he's saying the church

00:19:03.139 --> 00:19:04.859
 is a holy priesthood.

00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:07.339
 We are a set-apart people.

00:19:08.079 --> 00:19:09.480
 Set-apart for what?

00:19:09.579 --> 00:19:11.559
 Set-apart to serve God.

00:19:11.720 --> 00:19:12.359
 And there,

00:19:12.500 --> 00:19:13.419
 in verse 5 particularly,

00:19:13.519 --> 00:19:13.759
 it says,

00:19:14.179 --> 00:19:15.460
 we're set-apart to offer

00:19:15.460 --> 00:19:16.899
 spiritual sacrifices.

00:19:17.179 --> 00:19:17.619
 In other words,

00:19:17.639 --> 00:19:18.179
 we're set-apart

00:19:18.179 --> 00:19:19.099
 so that we might be

00:19:19.099 --> 00:19:20.700
 a worshipping people.

00:19:21.500 --> 00:19:22.319
 Everybody in the world

00:19:22.319 --> 00:19:23.220
 worships something,

00:19:23.319 --> 00:19:24.259
 but we are to worship

00:19:24.259 --> 00:19:26.279
 the one true God.

00:19:28.200 --> 00:19:28.559
 And so,

00:19:28.639 --> 00:19:30.240
 we offer spiritual sacrifice

00:19:30.240 --> 00:19:32.440
 in our shared worship

00:19:32.440 --> 00:19:35.880
 and in our daily lives

00:19:35.880 --> 00:19:37.400
 of loving obedience

00:19:37.400 --> 00:19:38.519
 to him.

00:19:39.200 --> 00:19:39.940
 And those things

00:19:39.940 --> 00:19:41.259
 don't change.

00:19:42.220 --> 00:19:43.759
 And whatever our circumstances

00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:44.640
 and restrictions,

00:19:44.859 --> 00:19:46.920
 we still can worship together

00:19:46.920 --> 00:19:47.579
 corporately,

00:19:48.259 --> 00:19:49.400
 and we can still

00:19:49.400 --> 00:19:50.660
 live lives of worship

00:19:50.660 --> 00:19:52.059
 and loving obedience

00:19:52.059 --> 00:19:53.759
 to God.

00:19:53.759 --> 00:19:54.740
 And then also,

00:19:54.900 --> 00:19:55.779
 in verse 9,

00:19:56.099 --> 00:19:56.839
 the same idea

00:19:56.839 --> 00:19:57.660
 is picked up again,

00:19:57.960 --> 00:19:58.839
 but taken in a slightly

00:19:58.839 --> 00:19:59.660
 different direction.

00:20:00.920 --> 00:20:02.319
 You are a chosen people,

00:20:02.779 --> 00:20:04.119
 a royal priesthood,

00:20:05.099 --> 00:20:06.099
 a holy nation,

00:20:06.960 --> 00:20:08.700
 a people belonging to God.

00:20:09.879 --> 00:20:10.599
 For why?

00:20:11.079 --> 00:20:11.960
 That you may declare

00:20:12.640 --> 00:20:14.480
 the praises of him

00:20:14.480 --> 00:20:15.920
 who called you out of darkness

00:20:15.920 --> 00:20:19.140
 into his wonderful light.

00:20:19.779 --> 00:20:21.140
 So we are set-apart,

00:20:21.299 --> 00:20:22.500
 called to worship,

00:20:22.500 --> 00:20:23.619
 and we are called

00:20:23.619 --> 00:20:24.880
 to witness,

00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:25.980
 to declare

00:20:25.980 --> 00:20:27.380
 the praises of him

00:20:27.380 --> 00:20:28.460
 who called us

00:20:28.460 --> 00:20:29.019
 from darkness

00:20:29.019 --> 00:20:29.859
 to light.

00:20:29.940 --> 00:20:30.680
 We are to share

00:20:30.680 --> 00:20:31.400
 the good news

00:20:31.400 --> 00:20:32.180
 of the salvation

00:20:32.180 --> 00:20:32.759
 of Jesus

00:20:32.759 --> 00:20:34.759
 with others.

00:20:36.400 --> 00:20:37.400
 But the point

00:20:37.400 --> 00:20:38.779
 for us today

00:20:38.779 --> 00:20:39.319
 is that

00:20:39.319 --> 00:20:40.380
 we worship

00:20:40.380 --> 00:20:42.099
 and we witness

00:20:42.099 --> 00:20:43.140
 with the help

00:20:43.140 --> 00:20:44.480
 of the Spirit of Christ

00:20:44.480 --> 00:20:45.819
 in us.

00:20:46.619 --> 00:20:47.640
 Here's one last

00:20:47.640 --> 00:20:49.420
 George Smeaton quote,

00:20:49.420 --> 00:20:51.060
 and I find this

00:20:51.060 --> 00:20:51.600
 so helpful

00:20:51.600 --> 00:20:52.320
 for thinking about

00:20:52.320 --> 00:20:53.279
 what is it

00:20:53.279 --> 00:20:53.960
 that's happening

00:20:53.960 --> 00:20:55.519
 when people gather

00:20:55.519 --> 00:20:56.519
 together as the people

00:20:56.519 --> 00:20:56.860
 of God

00:20:56.860 --> 00:20:57.759
 to share worship.

00:20:57.980 --> 00:20:58.500
 This is true

00:20:58.500 --> 00:20:59.259
 whether we do it

00:20:59.259 --> 00:21:00.620
 in one building

00:21:00.620 --> 00:21:01.560
 or we do it remotely.

00:21:02.160 --> 00:21:02.539
 Here's what

00:21:02.539 --> 00:21:03.240
 Smeaton says.

00:21:03.800 --> 00:21:04.160
 He says,

00:21:04.160 --> 00:21:05.259
 the Lord Jesus

00:21:05.259 --> 00:21:07.540
 acts from God

00:21:07.540 --> 00:21:08.759
 to us

00:21:08.759 --> 00:21:10.800
 and from us

00:21:10.800 --> 00:21:11.740
 to God

00:21:11.740 --> 00:21:13.720
 in both instances

00:21:13.720 --> 00:21:16.180
 by the Holy Spirit.

00:21:16.900 --> 00:21:18.440
 So the Holy Spirit

00:21:18.440 --> 00:21:19.279
 is central

00:21:19.279 --> 00:21:20.580
 to our worship,

00:21:22.180 --> 00:21:22.840
 bringing us

00:21:22.840 --> 00:21:23.580
 the grace

00:21:23.580 --> 00:21:25.019
 of Jesus

00:21:25.019 --> 00:21:25.740
 to us

00:21:25.740 --> 00:21:26.660
 and enabling us

00:21:26.660 --> 00:21:27.480
 to praise

00:21:27.480 --> 00:21:29.240
 in response.

00:21:29.340 --> 00:21:29.900
 So practically,

00:21:29.900 --> 00:21:30.580
 what does that

00:21:30.580 --> 00:21:31.920
 mean for us

00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:33.400
 in these days?

00:21:34.300 --> 00:21:35.019
 It means that

00:21:35.019 --> 00:21:35.960
 whenever we read

00:21:35.960 --> 00:21:36.440
 the Bible

00:21:36.440 --> 00:21:37.660
 with one person,

00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:38.200
 with a hundred,

00:21:38.320 --> 00:21:39.180
 with a thousand people,

00:21:39.420 --> 00:21:40.540
 we need

00:21:40.540 --> 00:21:42.400
 the Spirit of Christ

00:21:42.400 --> 00:21:43.960
 to speak

00:21:43.960 --> 00:21:44.800
 to us

00:21:44.800 --> 00:21:46.019
 and to

00:21:46.019 --> 00:21:47.320
 enlighten

00:21:47.320 --> 00:21:48.519
 our hearts

00:21:48.519 --> 00:21:49.040
 and our minds

00:21:49.040 --> 00:21:49.640
 so that we can

00:21:49.640 --> 00:21:51.040
 grasp the truth

00:21:51.040 --> 00:21:52.080
 so that we might

00:21:52.080 --> 00:21:52.940
 live out

00:21:52.940 --> 00:21:53.620
 that truth.

00:21:54.400 --> 00:21:55.740
 When we pray

00:21:55.740 --> 00:21:57.240
 or when we listen

00:21:57.240 --> 00:21:58.060
 to God's Word

00:21:58.060 --> 00:21:58.940
 being preached,

00:21:58.940 --> 00:22:00.120
 the Spirit

00:22:00.120 --> 00:22:01.059
 of Christ

00:22:01.059 --> 00:22:02.559
 uses it

00:22:02.559 --> 00:22:03.420
 to bring

00:22:03.420 --> 00:22:04.360
 fresh grace

00:22:04.360 --> 00:22:05.299
 from God

00:22:05.299 --> 00:22:06.900
 to us.

00:22:07.820 --> 00:22:08.620
 Uses

00:22:08.620 --> 00:22:10.059
 that prayer

00:22:10.059 --> 00:22:10.900
 and that preaching

00:22:10.900 --> 00:22:12.360
 to bring salvation.

00:22:14.180 --> 00:22:15.380
 So we see

00:22:15.380 --> 00:22:15.960
 the Spirit

00:22:15.960 --> 00:22:17.080
 as the channel,

00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:18.480
 the channel

00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:19.080
 through whom

00:22:19.080 --> 00:22:20.019
 we receive

00:22:20.019 --> 00:22:21.019
 grace

00:22:21.019 --> 00:22:21.860
 from God

00:22:21.860 --> 00:22:23.120
 and the channel

00:22:23.120 --> 00:22:23.940
 through whom

00:22:23.940 --> 00:22:24.980
 our praise

00:22:24.980 --> 00:22:25.900
 and our worship

00:22:25.900 --> 00:22:26.940
 returns

00:22:26.940 --> 00:22:28.120
 to God.

00:22:28.940 --> 00:22:30.539
 So as you sit

00:22:30.539 --> 00:22:31.980
 at your kitchen

00:22:31.980 --> 00:22:32.600
 table

00:22:32.600 --> 00:22:34.059
 or as you sit

00:22:34.059 --> 00:22:34.880
 at your couch

00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:36.680
 and do family worship,

00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:37.860
 as you sit around

00:22:37.860 --> 00:22:38.519
 the computer

00:22:38.519 --> 00:22:39.059
 now

00:22:39.059 --> 00:22:40.460
 and think about

00:22:40.460 --> 00:22:40.960
 worship

00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:41.779
 and maybe it feels

00:22:41.779 --> 00:22:43.440
 slightly different

00:22:43.440 --> 00:22:44.340
 and artificial,

00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:45.120
 remember

00:22:45.120 --> 00:22:46.340
 the Spirit

00:22:46.340 --> 00:22:47.000
 of God

00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:48.039
 in you

00:22:48.039 --> 00:22:49.240
 is bringing

00:22:49.240 --> 00:22:49.860
 the grace

00:22:49.860 --> 00:22:50.400
 of God

00:22:50.400 --> 00:22:51.380
 to you

00:22:51.380 --> 00:22:52.380
 and wants

00:22:52.380 --> 00:22:53.059
 to help you

00:22:53.059 --> 00:22:54.200
 to respond

00:22:54.200 --> 00:22:55.460
 in real

00:22:55.460 --> 00:22:56.460
 worship

00:22:56.460 --> 00:22:57.660
 and praise.

00:22:58.240 --> 00:22:59.200
 So we need

00:22:59.200 --> 00:23:00.640
 the Holy Spirit

00:23:00.640 --> 00:23:02.100
 and we're so thankful

00:23:02.100 --> 00:23:02.740
 the Holy Spirit

00:23:02.740 --> 00:23:04.120
 established the church,

00:23:04.340 --> 00:23:05.279
 establishes us

00:23:05.279 --> 00:23:06.200
 in the church,

00:23:06.759 --> 00:23:08.100
 unites us to Christ

00:23:08.100 --> 00:23:09.420
 and helps us

00:23:09.420 --> 00:23:10.860
 in our worship.

00:23:11.360 --> 00:23:12.140
 So we'll hear

00:23:12.140 --> 00:23:12.960
 hopefully lots more

00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:13.519
 about the work

00:23:13.519 --> 00:23:14.080
 of the Holy Spirit

00:23:14.080 --> 00:23:14.960
 in coming weeks

00:23:14.960 --> 00:23:16.759
 but we'll leave it there

00:23:16.759 --> 00:23:18.120
 for now.

00:23:18.119 --> 00:23:18.319
 and