You are invited to trade complacency for a holy hunger today. Don't settle for knowing about God; step out in faith to receive the fresh filling of the Holy Spirit He promises. Come to the altar and let His power shift your life from the inside out.
Today is a special, very special Sunday. It is Pentecost Sunday. We're gonna be talking a lot about that. I wanna flow right from worship into the message. I wanna I want you to, again, prepare your hearts.
I wanna invite you to stand. Courtney, would you just lead us for a moment? And let's just posture our heart. The Bible says I'm a I'm a actually, I'm a read this in Luke-11. Luke-11, it says a parable.
Jesus is telling them a story or an analogy, a metaphor of of a friend coming over and asking for bread in the middle of the night. And the guy says, hey. I'm sleeping. I'm laying down with my kids. And he says, the man won't get up just because he's your friend, but that man actually will get up because of your persistence, your shameless asking in the middle of the night, and give you the the bread that you asked for.
And in that context, it says, and I will tell and I tell you, "ask and it will be given" to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be open to you. For everyone who asks, receives. And the 1 who seeks, finds.
The 1 who knocks, it will be open. You guys know this. But the further context is this, what father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead give him a serpent? Or if he asks for an egg, give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask?
The context is asking for the Holy Spirit, seeking for more of his *presence* in your life. So let's just take a moment to sing this, which is actually commanded too guys, just so you so you know I'm not I'm not out of line with scripture. But the Bible says Ephesians-5, do not get drunk with wine for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Holy Spirit. Watch this. Addressing 1 another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord in your heart.
It's a command. So let's let's take a moment just to ask, to seek, and to sing to make melody in our heart unto the Lord in this moment.
*Spirit* of God, won't you fall down like Ray. Weaken my heart. I'm running to you. Spirit of God, won't you fall down like Ray? Awaken my heart, I'm running to you.
*Spirit* of God, won't you fall down like Ray? Awaken my heart, I'm running to you. Spirit of God, won't you fall down like Ray? Awaken my heart.
Come on. 1 more time. Of God. *Spirit*
of God, won't you fall down like rain. Awaken
You may be seated. I don't want to start with this. There is more. So Get your hopes up. The world says, don't get your hopes up.
The Bible says, get your hopes up. He's the God of hope. To walk in him as a son or a daughter is to be hopeful, full of hope in every area. Why? Because God is eternal.
God is infinite. There's more to know. There's more to experience. There's deeper love than you could ever imagine. There's greater power than you have ever fathomed.
There's more healing, more freedom, more joy, more peace, more reconciliation, more insight, more wisdom, more blessing. There is more in Jesus Christ. Get your hopes up. Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Ask and it will be given to you.
Seek and you Will find. Will find. Knock and the door will be open to you. God is greater than you can ask, think, or imagine, and he is gooder than that too.
Amen. Gooder.
I did write that. He left heaven heaven and came to earth, died on a cross, and rose from the dead so that you could walk in deep, real, authentic relationship with the God of the universe. And he's inviting you into an *abundant life* of knowing him, where he trains you in exactly the way that you need to fulfill every purpose that he created for you. And your purpose is beyond your ability to fathom. He empowers you to do it because his power and his purpose for you is supernatural, and your natural can't accomplish him it without it.
So how do you connect your natural to his super so that the inside of your life and the output of your life is supernatural. We're talk about it today. You guys ready? He invites you into a loving relationship with him to seek him to hunger and thirst for his righteousness and to go after him. It's the glory of God to conceal a matter, and it's the glory of kings to search it out.
And when you surrender to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, you become a part of his kingdom, and he hides things for you to find. Again, think about the laughter between a father and a son. When playing hide and seek, it's relational. And the fact that you're going after the thing means that you believe that his word is good, and it shows that you're ready to experience what you're going after. Going after more of his presence, more of the Holy Spirit, more of the gift.
This aspect of God is important enough for you to sacrifice time to pursue. There is more, so get your hopes up. Hunger and thirst for more of him. Go after him. He's worth the sacrifice and he's worth your surrender.
Today, wanna talk. I'm going to talk about the greatest gift from God because today is Pentecost Sunday. More than 2000 years ago, the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on all flesh on whosoever will. The *cross* was the price and Pentecost was the prize. You don't experience the prize without coming to grips with the cost.
He was broken beyond recognition even as a man. He was bruised and bled. He was stripped and shamed, mocked and murdered. The payment for your sin is death, and it is the price that Jesus willingly paid in your place. He became your sin and experienced the punishment that you deserved.
This was the price, and Jesus Christ chose to pay the price so that you could experience the prize. Again, you don't experience the prize without coming to grips with the cost. Jesus, I see what you did. I deserve what you got. Yet, you took my sin, my guilt, and my shame because you love me.
And you invite me to live a life of experiencing the prize that cost you your life. I surrender. I'm all in. I don't know what you have for me, but I know you are good. I let go of control, and I trust you.
You're invited to experience the prize that Jesus paid for. But know this, the prize cost Jesus his life and it will cost you yours too. I'm a say that 1 again. The prize cost Jesus his life, and it will cost you yours too. Jesus said, greater love has no man than this than to lay down his life for a friend.
Then Jesus demonstrated that love by laying his life down for you. Then he invites you into friendship with him. And he said, anyone who wants to be my disciple must pick up his cross and follow me. Are you willing to learn to be a friend of Jesus? This is the cost, and "Pentecost is the prize".
Are you willing to take yourself off the throne of your own heart in every area of your life, surrendering to Jesus, trusting that his way is always better, his will is always better, and the life that he has planned for you is better than the life that you have planned for you? He will inevitably put his finger on every idol of your heart because every place that is filled with something other than him is experiencing something less than him. Something less than his best for you. You were created for more, and that more costs your life. It costs initial surrender, and that initial surrender is compounded by an ongoing surrender because you have learned and are leaning learning that his way is always better.
The prize is so so worth the cost. If you know, you know. The cross is the cost, and Pentecost is the prize, and there is more. So, what is Pentecost? Comes from the Greek word Pentecoste, which simply means fiftieth.
Why? Leviticus-23:15-16. Says this, you shall count 7 full weeks from the day after Sabbath, from that day you oh, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count 50 days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the Lord.
So this is 1 of the 7 feasts that was commanded in the Old Testament, so you know. Each of them have prophetic significance and prophetically, they they celebrate and celebrated these every year. But now, New Testament, New Covenant, they have prophetic significance for us. And prophetically, some have been fulfilled and others will be fulfilled. And I don't have time to go all into all of them, exactly what everything means today.
However, Pentecost happened 50 days after Passover. So that's important for you to know. Let's talk about it. In Egypt, when the Israelites were in Egypt in bondage, there were the 10 plagues. You guys remember the 10 plagues?
And the tenth plague was when the angel of death came and killed all of the firstborn. This is all a setup. This is laying the groundwork. Pay attention. Angel of death killed came and killed all of the firstborn.
That night was the first Passover. They killed a spotless lamb and put the blood over the doorpost of their home. Those who had the faith to do so experienced no death from the angel of death, for the angel of death passed over them. They also experienced freedom from bondage after this. The pharaoh let them go.
Jesus is now the Passover lamb that was slain 50 days before Pentecost. And when you believe in him and surrender to his lordship, the blood of Christ is placed over the doorpost of your heart. You are saved from death and the payment of sin, and begin to experience freedom in Christ in the new life that he has given you. Set free from sin. The power of sin.
Just like the Israelites Israelites were set free from Pharaoh. So the Israelites go through the Red Sea. Alright. AI likes me too. Kidding.
So the Israelites go through the the Red Sea, which represents baptism. And the captors that let them go were chasing them to try to put them back into captivity. But they were drowned in the waters of the Red Sea, or the waters of baptism. Being obedient to get water baptized is a step of faith, and you experience supernatural freedom on the other side of that obedience. Supernatural freedom from the captors that once held you bound.
If you haven't been baptized, why? We got water baptism tank out there today. Better to go home wet and obedient and free than continue to waver wondering if you're ready. When you make Jesus the Lord of your life, you're ready and by faith, you take the step. Amen?
Amen. Then, after the Red Sea comes Mount Sinai, Sinai. 50 days after Passover, they celebrate the feast of weeks, which we call Pentecost. Israelites celebrate the giving of the law on this day. The law is holy and good.
You know this. But it condemns mankind because it shows that no 1 can keep it. Mankind, everyone is born with a sinful nature. If you've gone to this church any amount of time, you realize this. You know this.
The law is God's perfect and holy will, but it's on 2 cold tones of stone. Let me say that again. The law is God's perfect and holy will, but it is on 2 cold stone tablets that does not empower you to keep his holy and perfect will. So it breaks you, making you recognize that you need a savior. *Romans-5:19* says, for the by the disobedience of the 1 man, the many were made sinners.
Are you a sinner because you sinned? Some people who don't know said yes. No, you're not. You're a sinner because 1 man sinned according to the bible. You sin because you're a sinner.
You're a sinner because you have a nature to sin that you were born with that was passed down from generation to generation from Adam. Because of the disobedience of the 1 man, the many were made sinners. The next part of the verse, but because the obedience of the 1 man, the many will be made righteous. Are you righteous because you're obedient? No.
You're righteous because 1 man was obedient, Jesus Christ. And when you surrender to his lordship, his righteousness is credited to your account, imputed unto you. You become the Righteousness of God. And now, you do right things because you're righteous, because of the obedience of 1 man. Amen?
Amen. It's the gospel. It's beautiful. And then, Romans-5:20, the purpose of the law. What was the purpose of the law?
A lot of people say, the purpose of the law was so that you could obey it. Nope. The purpose of the law was for you to break it. Watch. The purpose of the law was so that the trespass, trespass means crossing the line, would increase.
What? The purpose of the law was so that the *trespass* would increase. When you have the nature to rebel in certain areas of your life, different people have different proclivities, leanings towards sin that they were born with. When you have a nature to rebel in certain areas of your life and a law comes to tell you not to do that, guess what? It makes you want to go and do it.
You ever experienced that? Of course you have. Then the law punishes you because you broke it. So the purpose of the law was to bring the nature out so that you could recognize your need for a savior. The problem is it also condemns you because the payment for that sin is death.
So on the day of the feast of weeks, which we call Pentecost, the Jews celebrate the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. And on that day, you can go back and read in Exodus, it brought out the sin in people and the payment for that sin was death. And 3,000 people died on the day the law was given because the law condemns sin in mankind to death. The law represents the old covenant, the old way of relating to God based on your performance. Thousands of years later, Jesus died for the sins of the world on Passover, inaugurating a new covenant, a new way of relating to God based on his death and *resurrection* and through the Holy Spirit.
Then on Pentecost, 50 days after Passover, the same day that the Jews are celebrating the giving of the law where 3,000 died. On Pentecost, the the Holy Spirit is poured out. The new covenant is being activated by the pouring out of the Holy Spirit and empowered, and he gives you the power to live. There is more. Watch this.
*Acts-1:8*. You will receive I don't have to read. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Let's keep going.
*Acts-2*. Just gonna read for a little bit about this day, Pentecost, that the Holy Spirit was poured out. When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in 1 place And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a "mighty rushing wind", and it filled the entire house where they were sitting, and divided tongues as a fire appeared on them and rested on each 1 of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in other tongues as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance. Now, there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven.
And at this sound, everybody say this sound. The The multitude came together and they were bewildered because each 1 was hearing them speak in his own language. That must have been an amazing sound of a mighty rushing wind that caused thousands to come and see what's going on. And then they hear them speaking in tongues and are like, what in the world? And they were amazed and astonished saying, are not all these speaking Galileans?
How is it that we hear him in our own native language? Which is 1 aspect of speaking in tongues. As a matter of fact, believe it or not, we see this miracle a lot. We have people that pray for people on a on a plane ride to Uganda. Young man spoke Chinese, not English.
Daniel's sharing the gospel with him on the phone. Google translate, plane takes off, and there's no more Google translate because there's no more internet. Daniel goes, can I pray for you? And he prays that he would speak English. And the man the the young man started speaking English and could understand the gospel.
And they talk for the plane ride. Guy gives his life to Jesus and he starts discipling him. And then it happened over and over in Uganda. And it's still happening in Clearwater. People who can't speak English but speak Spanish.
Sometimes we pray for them and boom, they start speaking English. It's pretty cool. I'm not joking. Doubt if you want. Come hang out with us.
The book of Acts is real. Verse 12, and all were amazed and perplexed. Maybe you're amazed and perplexed. That's okay. There is more.
Saying to 1 another, what does this mean? But others mocking said, they are filled with new wine. They didn't know that they were correct. It was the new wine of the new covenant. A new way of relating with God.
New way of walking in relationship, not based on performance, but based on your performance, but based on Jesus'. And that the same Holy Spirit that was on the prophets of old that anointed them could now rest on all flesh, Whosoever will. But Peter standing with the 11 lifted up his voice and addressed them. This boldness came over Peter out of nowhere seemingly. A boldness that he didn't have before.
He was a freighty cat before, running in fear, denying Jesus. All of a sudden he's standing boldly and preaching the gospel. Where'd that come from? Maybe the wine of the news new of the Holy Spirit of the new covenant. Lifted up his voice and addressed them, men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give ear to my words for these people are not drunk as you suppose.
There's it. He'd suppose that they're drunk. Since it's only the third hour of the day, but this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel. In the last days it shall be, God declares, I will pour out my *spirit* on all flesh. Your sons and daughters.
Everybody say, and daughters. If you have a chauvinistic theology, you need to can it repent and get in the word because the Holy Spirit is the great equalizer. I'll say it just as hard again. If you have a chauvinistic theology, you need to can it repent and get in the word because the Holy Spirit is the great equalizer. Your sons and daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams, even on my male servants and female servants.
In those days I will pour out my spirit, and they shall all prophesy. So no matter what, rich, poor, male, female, all races, languages. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on earth below, blood and fire, vapor and smoke. The the sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the day of the Lord comes, that great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst. Peter launches off into a gospel message, the first gospel message preached after the day of Pentecost, and powerful things happen. At the end of it, verse 32, this Jesus God raised up and of that we are all witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God and having received the Father, the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out this to you that you yourselves are now seeing and hearing. What is the requirement for being born again?
Jesus crucified and resurrected. What's the prerequisite? Let me say that. What's the prerequisite for being born again? Jesus crucified and resurrected.
You you you just have to believe. Biblical belief. Biblical belief is *repent*. Like, if that really happened, I'm gonna repent and line my life up. We'll make make him the Lord of my life.
But the prerequisite for being born again is Jesus' death and resurrection. What's the prerequisite for the baptism of Holy Spirit? Jesus' glorification. It's all about Jesus. He's the 1 that earned it, not you.
What do you have to do? Ask and receive. Amen? So what did he say? Verse 37.
Now when they had heard this, so Jesus I mean Peter preaches the gospel. I guess I could say Jesus preaches the gospel through Peter. But Peter preaches the gospel. Now when they heard this, they were "cut to the heart" and said to Peter, the rest of the apostles, brothers, what shall we do? And Peter said, repent and be baptized.
By the way, when you're full of the Holy Spirit, your words are dripping in the oil of anointing that causes people to go, what shall we do? It causes them to be cut to the heart with the truth of the word and recognize that there needs to be a shift and they'll either run from you or run to Jesus. And when they heard this, they were cut to the heart. What shall we do, brothers? Peter said, repent and be baptized, every 1 of you, in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off. Everyone whom the Lord calls to himself. And with many other words, he bore witness and continued to exhort them saying, save yourself from this "crooked generation". So those who received his word were baptized and they were added about 3,000 souls that day. 3,000 came to life that day.
Wait a second. Hold on. That's an important number. On the day the old covenant was given, 3,000 died because they were condemned on the way On the day the new covenant was initiated by the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, 3,000 lived. Thousands of years later, same day, feast of weeks, Pentecost.
Kind of a big deal. Ain't that beautiful? So these feasts, prophetically, feasts happen at certain times of the year. And we are in the summer harvest coming up on the fall feast. Not gonna teach on that much today because I don't have time.
But, both the summer harvest and the fall harvest have to do with grapes and olives. Wine and oil, which has to do with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Both the wine of the Holy Spirit and the oil of the Holy Spirit are initiated at the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And I wanna talk about it a little bit. The wine and the oil.
*Ephesians-5:18* says, don't be drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery, but instead be filled with the Holy Spirit, which there's an intentional contrast of the biblical author of drunkenness and being filled with the Holy Spirit. Why? Because drunkenness is just false Holy Spirit. Just like weed is false Holy Spirit. Stop getting high.
And instead, quote unquote, get high on the Holy Spirit. Well, let's talk about it. What happens when someone gets drunk? When someone gets drunk, their perspective shifts and they begin to walk a little funny. Right?
You can test. That's what the the test you see, you know, they do. You can test and see if somebody's drunk by the way that they walk. Yeah? They're they see the world differently than everybody else, and they begin to slur their words.
They talk quite a bit differently when they're drunk. Yeah? When you're filled with the Holy Spirit, your perspective shifts and you begin to see the world differently. And people can smell him on your breath because out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. And they begin to sense Jesus when when you're around, you're talking a bit differently than everyone else.
Your life looks weird to them the way that you walk because it's different because you're full of the kingdom of God. The presence of God is found in the Holy Spirit. The kingdom of God is found in his presence and you're full of it. Amen? An alcoholic, like a true alcoholic, they try to cover up their breath with all kind of mints, the smell on their breath, but no matter how much they try to cover it up, you sense it.
You know it The same way. When every day you're being filled with the Holy Spirit, you can't cover it up. Other people sense it. They know it. A true alcoholic, when they get in the heat, they start sweating, the smell of alcohol fills the room.
Because they've been drinking every day. It's in their blood and it comes out of their pores. You can't you can't cover that up with all the cologne in the world. The same way, a true holy spirit holic. That's daily going back to the bottle.
I mean, the Bible. Full of the Holy Spirit. When there's a hot situation, in the heat of the moment, Holy Spirit starts coming out their pores. Yeah. Yeah.
Fragrance fills the room. You notice the way that they respond. It's just completely and totally different. You get it? Yeah.
And I wanna be filled with all I wanna be filled with the Holy Spirit so much. I go back to His presence. Daily being filled up to overflowing so that everyone around me notices that I have a perspective shift from from what they do. I have a a different way of walking than what they do. I have a different way of speaking than what they do.
And in the heat of the moment, man, this fragrance of heaven fills the room when I'm there because it's the wine of the Holy Spirit. You don't you don't need you know, people go to get drunk at the end of the day, drink their 5 pack or 6 pack or whatever. The the big, you know, women having their couple glasses of wine or whatever that is, you know, on social media that's a fad. To experience peace. Right?
To get away. To get get rid of their inhibitions, you know, go out and and get drunk so they can have joy and just be free. You do realize that that's part of the the boldness of being filled with the Holy Spirit. You begin to speak in ways you never would have before because you're so full of Him. You have a boldness to share the gospel, to to minister to others that you wouldn't have before because you're so full of Him.
You lose all inhibitions because it ain't about you anymore. You're too full of Him. Peace that passes understanding, overflowing. All you need is Him. Just 1 more drink of Him, 1 step at a time.
Joy. And I don't I don't need I don't need to drink when I go to a party to have fun and to laugh. I'm full of the joy of the Lord. Because I'm full of the Holy Spirit. It's a big deal.
Now, both wine and oil have to do with the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And they're both initiated at the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and and they should both be pressed into and leaned, and you should grow in both over time. Wine represents the relationship with God. The the spending time in his presence day in and day out, wanting to get to know him more and more. And like a relationship, fine wine is better and better over time.
Or like fine wine, a relationship with him gets better and better over time. Amen? So, drunk on the Holy Spirit, or the wine of the Holy Spirit, and don't get religious on me. Those those those religious thoughts in your mind, how can you compare drunkenness to the Holy Spirit? The Bible did.
Don't shoot the messenger. Lean in. Okay? Just lean in. But then, so the wine of the Holy Spirit has to do with relationship and spending time in his presence day in and day out and longing for it, being addicted to his presence and letting that overflow out of you.
Then the oil, the anointing oil. See when baptism in the Holy Spirit, it's the initiation not only of that a deeper experience of relationship with God, his power and presence overflowing out of your life and changing atmospheres, but it's also the initiation of the anointing for your purposes. The **supernatural anointing** needed for you to fulfill the supernatural purposes of God he destined you for. Elijah wouldn't have called down fire from heaven without the anointing of the Holy Spirit resting on him. Moses wouldn't have been able to lead the people out of Egypt and on the way to the promised land, parting the Red Sea without the anointing of the Holy Spirit resting on him.
And there was a moment where it got so heavy that he was there was counsel from God through another that he should have 70 other leaders. And God took some of the Holy Spirit resting on Moses and divided it out to 70 other leaders, and they began prophesying because the anointing of God was resting on them. And people came and said, hey, should we shut them up? You're supposed to be doing this, and and Moses goes, no. I pray that it would be on all people.
He was praying for what happened at Pentecost. The *anointing of the Holy Spirit* empowering you beyond your ability to fill fulfill the purposes that God has for you, are supernatural. You can't do without it. It's the oil, the anointing, and that grows in obedience. See, wine represents relationship with him spending time in his presence, but the oil both require crushing.
Jesus was crushed so we could experience the wine of his presence. Jesus was crushed and is the anointed high priest so that we could receive the anointing from him, the Holy Spirit. And we follow him in the same way. Greater love has no man than this than to lay down his life for a friend, for a brother. We follow him by laying our life down for our friend Jesus.
Growing in obedience. Every step of obedience, we're growing in our capacity to carry the anointing he wants to pour out on us. Growing in our capacity and our readiness for more of the purposes he has for us. Jesus learned the same. Jesus **learned obedience** through suffering.
Jesus himself learned obedience through suffering. He never disobeyed. Never never. Don't get me wrong. And Jesus grew from a boy to a man, and in every step of growth and maturity was deeper levels of obedience that the father called him into.
And his flesh, because he was born in the flesh, experienced the temptation of the power of sin, but he said no every single time, which causes flesh to suffer some. And yet, his eye was on the prize, you experiencing his presence. That's why he was obedient even unto death. Death on a cross. And we follow him saying, yes, Lord.
Suffering produces perseverance, which produces proven character, which produces hope that doesn't disappoint, which means you can hear him more clearly on the way to living out the fullness of every purpose God has for you, and it requires obedience. You need obedience to be able to walk in the anointing oil of God. Does he give you some at the baptism of Holy Spirit? Yes. But there is more.
There is more. There is more power and more anointing for more of your purposes. Keep pressing in to the relationship with him day in and day out in the Holy Spirit, and keep saying no to your flesh and yes to the leading of the Holy Spirit, so you can walk in all of the anointing that he has for you, so more of the world can know Jesus through you. There is more. And you don't get that more, usually.
He's a big God. Can do what he wants. Without "seeking, asking, and knocking". Because the seeking, the asking, and the knocking shows that you're ready, that you trust that the more of him is worth going after. And I want more every day.
I'm content. Don't get me wrong, please. I'm content with what he's given me. But I never want that contentment to become complacency. I wanna remember what he's done and let it develop a hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Let's have a little music. Little soaking music, I guess. And I wanna invite you before we stand. I'm I'm going to have an altar call. K?
I'm gonna invite whoever wants more to come to the altar to lay hands on you and pray for you for more of the presence and power of the Holy *Spirit* in your life. And God's gonna move because he's good. And those that draw near to him, he draws near to them. It's a promise. I'm not gonna beg you to come because I don't want you to come because I begged you.
I want you to come to the altar because you're hungry for more. I wanna dispel a couple of just little things that a lot of times hinder people from participating in a moment like this. I don't really need to. I can do this on my own. Sure.
And 3 of the 5 times that the baptism of the Holy Spirit happened in Acts was by the laying on of hands. Why? Because there's a beautiful *humility* in the body of Christ going to the body of Christ and interdependence with full dependence on him. And that is important. And are there stories of people being baptized in the Holy Spirit or receiving fresh and filling by themselves?
Yeah. Of course. Every day. Sure. But if pride prevents you from having laid hands on you, you're probably not getting filled up by yourself anyway.
Because God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. So take that for what it is. If you've never experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit, well, today's an invitation for for you to to experience that. I believe it's 3 out of the 5 times with the implication of 4 or 5. In Acts, when it happened, people spoke in tongues or prayed in tongues.
So that wouldn't be weird biblically if that happened, But you probably won't if you hold it back because he's a gentleman, and he doesn't make me the gift of healing. He doesn't force me to go lay hands on someone. Like, he doesn't take control of my limbs and move me over. No, God. I don't yes, you will.
Lay hands on him. He doesn't do that. He invites me in my spirit, which comes as a thought in my mind, and I have to participate with my body to walk over and the supernatural's on the other side of obedience. If when we lay hands on you, you just start praising God and something wells up inside of you to begin praying in tongues, It's gonna feel weird to your flesh, and it's really an offense to your mind. But that's why God does it, I think, because it requires humility like a child.
Gaga goo goo, which helps you to hear him and walk by faith. It ends the Bible says in 1 Corinthians-14, edifies your spirit, and it also calls that the least of the gifts. Why? Because when you're edified in spirit, you overflow with the other ones to love people. Yeah?
I will say this. Why would he give me the ability to pray in tongues and edify my own spirit, but not give you the ability to do that? Just a thought. You may start prophesying. You may start just praying.
Holy Spirit move. That's happened all throughout the book of Acts and and Joel. You might start having dreams and visions. Man, there's so many people in our church having dreams and visions. It's ridiculous.
It's pretty awesome. If you're not experiencing that, that's okay. Except that just means you're probably not in close relationship with a lot of people in the church. Start getting in relationship with them, and they'll they'll be a splash into your life. What they're experiencing, you'll start experiencing.
Stop being a loner. It's not biblical. Amen? But we're just gonna pray, man. By the way, you know why I named it real church?
Partly because it's my motto, "real person, real life", real Jesus, real good time. The other part is, I knew God was gonna pour out his Holy Spirit and power. And I didn't wanna be weird. I just wanna be authentic. Yeah.
I'm not going for an emotional experience for you. If that happens, God's God created emotions. Sometimes your emotions are overwhelmed. That's why a lot of people in here cry. They don't know why they're crying.
It's the power of the Holy Spirit overwhelming your emotions. That's cool. It's great. I ain't about fake junk. I just wanna be real, man.
Just really follow him and really let the power of God impact and shift your life. What I didn't tell you about the oil is the oil is both the anointing, but it also keeps the fire burning. Oil keeps lamps burning. You wanna be full of oil. Full of the wine, relationship day and out, full of the oil.
So you already got all the announcements. So technically, you're dismissed. And we're gonna be very intentional in this moment. So you can all stay. And if that overflows into the 11:00 service, they'll just have to deal with it.
That's okay. I wanna invite you to stand. And if you sense a hunger and a thirst from more of the Holy Spirit, whether that's a first baptism of Holy Spirit or just an ongoing fresh and filling, more and more of him. If you're you hunger for more of that, I want you to fill the altar. You're invited to come and fill the altar.