1 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:04,040 Hey everybody, this is Pastor John Ewart from Inglewood 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:05,920 Baptist Church in Rocky Mountain, North Carolina. 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:08,119 Thank you so much for tuning in to our podcast. 4 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,320 You're going to hear from God today as we share from his word 5 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,120 about important issues facing your life that can guide you 6 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:21,160 according to the Bible. Well, I want to welcome 7 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:23,880 everybody to this session. For those of you who are here 8 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:27,960 physically, again, I know we want to pray for those who are 9 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:29,920 at the school right now with our student ministry. 10 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:32,119 Some of our students are playing music, some are speaking. 11 00:00:32,600 --> 00:00:35,280 And so it's a wonderful time where many of our students are 12 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:36,800 going to share the gospel, others are going to hear the 13 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:38,960 gospel. But I appreciate you being here. 14 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:43,840 Those listening online continue to watch as we continue to help 15 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:49,640 categorize and designate our podcasts as we are working hard 16 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:52,080 to continue to develop even more. 17 00:00:52,080 --> 00:00:55,640 We, we've been having meetings about the many other things that 18 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:57,280 we're looking to develop. So there'll be a lot more 19 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:04,080 resources coming your way. So tonight as we continue, we're 20 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:08,160 still in core training, we're talking about our bedrock and we 21 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:10,640 only have a couple of this session and next week of this 22 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,840 series left. In two weeks, we're going to 23 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:18,240 have a prayer meeting. Our fall adult prayer meeting. 24 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:21,160 I hope everybody will come. Don't run away because of that. 25 00:01:21,160 --> 00:01:24,840 You need to be here where we're going to have a guided prayer 26 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:28,120 meeting together in here in two Wednesday nights. 27 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,000 Our next session, our next time together, I want to talk about 28 00:01:32,320 --> 00:01:37,200 God's actions for us. It'll be a celebratory time of 29 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:40,040 Thanksgiving and praise where we actually talk about all the 30 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:43,000 things that God does for us, and we need to honor Him with that 31 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:45,960 before we stop talking about Him in this series. 32 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:50,640 Tonight I want to talk about our actions against God. 33 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:55,560 And some of the things that are sin against God. 34 00:01:55,560 --> 00:01:59,320 And of course we would recognize and we could honestly say that 35 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:02,200 all sin is against God, but there's some specifics that we 36 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:04,360 want to look like look at especially toward the Holy 37 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:06,640 Spirit. Sometimes these things are hard 38 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:11,039 to understand when you're from Oklahoma, you make fun of 39 00:02:11,039 --> 00:02:12,800 Arkansas. Anybody in the room from 40 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,640 Arkansas? I just, I just want to make sure 41 00:02:15,640 --> 00:02:20,080 I offend you personally so. You know, you know, the 42 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:22,040 toothbrush was invented in Arkansas. 43 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:25,400 Did you know that any other state it would have been called 44 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:27,400 the toothbrush? Thank you very much. 45 00:02:27,640 --> 00:02:31,960 So when you're from Oklahoma, because you're from Oklahoma, 46 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:36,080 usually you get made fun of, you know, especially by Texas, God 47 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:41,560 bless the Republic. But but when you're from 48 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,600 Oklahoma, but your best, your best bets Arkansas, right? 49 00:02:44,600 --> 00:02:47,040 Dylan's from Arkansas, but he's he's a field of faith. 50 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:50,400 But I don't know if you've heard about that poor Arkansas coyote. 51 00:02:50,640 --> 00:02:54,080 I mean, it's 1 poor old dog, hard to understand. 52 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:59,040 He was caught in a trap, chewed off three of his feet, and he 53 00:02:59,040 --> 00:02:59,880 was still. Trapped. 54 00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:06,040 You think for a minute. Just think for a minute. 55 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:09,560 You'll laugh at that tomorrow at breakfast. 56 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:15,680 Some things are hard to figure out and some of our actions 57 00:03:15,680 --> 00:03:20,120 against God are kind of hard. And so we're going to talk about 58 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:22,000 a couple of these things, but let's do a quick overview of the 59 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:23,880 doctrine of sin. We really didn't talk about the 60 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:25,720 doctrine of sin too much. I'm not going to spend much time 61 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:28,920 on this, but but just to remind us, I think we know all of these 62 00:03:28,920 --> 00:03:30,480 things. You know, Sinner enter, sin 63 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:34,040 enter, enters sin enters the creation. 64 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:37,080 And by the way, I had a wonderful visit today. 65 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:39,440 I'm going to say her name, Tim. I think it thriller if she ever 66 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:41,480 heard her name. Had a wonderful visit with Joan 67 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:43,000 Holly today. Anybody remember Joan? 68 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:45,320 Y'all know John? What a wonderful visit. 69 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:50,120 Great hug and I sat there and was just told all kinds of stuff 70 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:52,560 about a lot of you, so it was great. 71 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:57,760 Tim Looper and I took notes. So some of you will be getting 72 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:00,400 emails and texts. Michelle will be reaching out 73 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:02,800 for some personal appointments over the next couple of weeks. 74 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:05,800 It was a wonderful time. I love visiting our shut 75 00:04:05,800 --> 00:04:07,560 insurance with our deacons. It's been fantastic. 76 00:04:08,080 --> 00:04:10,480 Anyway. Let's do a quick overview so. 77 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:13,240 Sin enters the creation in Genesis chapter 3. 78 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:16,680 Adam and Eve choose to disobey God. 79 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:20,760 They choose to disobey God's word and God's will. 80 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:22,760 We know that. I think most of us in the room 81 00:04:23,200 --> 00:04:27,320 and ever since that moment, everybody except Jesus has been 82 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:30,200 born with a sin nature. And this is one of the places, 83 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:32,440 and I'll probably talk about this at Christmas, but this is 84 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:34,600 one of the reasons why the doctrine of the virgin birth is 85 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:38,320 actually very important, often overlooked, often not emphasized 86 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:40,760 enough. I'm not sure we spend as much 87 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:42,640 time on the incarnation as we should. 88 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:45,760 The crucifixion and the resurrection and the ascension 89 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:47,560 don't mean anything without the incarnation. 90 00:04:48,280 --> 00:04:51,240 So it's an interesting thing. And so we're all born with a 91 00:04:51,240 --> 00:04:53,080 sinful nature. So we're all sinners. 92 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:55,560 We all fall short. At some point in our own 93 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:57,320 existence, we have chosen to sin. 94 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:00,840 We. And so remember my definition of 95 00:05:00,840 --> 00:05:02,920 sin. Sin is anything and everything 96 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:05,360 that we say. Or we do, or we think. 97 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:09,440 That is contrary to God's Word or God's will for our lives. 98 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:12,440 So ever since that moment, we've fallen short. 99 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:15,680 And so even our creation itself, and we've talked about this in a 100 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:18,400 past session, even our creation itself has fallen. 101 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,320 I talked about that when we talked about the problem of evil 102 00:05:22,840 --> 00:05:27,160 a few sessions ago. So we're surrounded by the power 103 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:31,320 and the presence of sin. One day we won't be look forward 104 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:33,320 to that day. But for now, here's where. 105 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:37,160 Here's where we are. So there are various kinds of 106 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:43,520 sin, categories of sin that we can sin against various people. 107 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:45,880 So I'm going to ask for testimonies. 108 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:47,720 What is the worst sin? No, I'm kidding. 109 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:51,400 The worst sin you've ever committed. 110 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:53,160 The problem is is people would share. 111 00:05:53,360 --> 00:06:01,080 So open mic night. I was having a meeting earlier 112 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:05,080 today and we were talking about Sunday night open testimony mic 113 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:07,920 nights. Yeah, we're not having those So. 114 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:13,400 So anyway, one of the. One of the areas of sin, 115 00:06:13,400 --> 00:06:16,560 seriously, we can sin against ourselves and this isn't 116 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:18,640 something maybe you may not think about this as much, 117 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:21,840 especially in one area. First Corinthians 618 says flee 118 00:06:21,840 --> 00:06:25,400 from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits 119 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:29,320 is outside the body, but the sexual immoral person sins 120 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:32,560 against his own body. So there's actually sins against 121 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:35,120 our self. That's not our primary 122 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:38,520 discussion tonight. And obviously we can sin against 123 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:41,360 one another. That one I think we wrap our 124 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:45,120 head around fairly easy. And Matthew 5 says so if you are 125 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:48,720 offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your 126 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:50,400 brother has something against you. 127 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,880 Leave the gift there before the altar and go first. 128 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,880 Be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your 129 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:01,200 gift. But our primary discussion 130 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:06,800 tonight are when we sin against God himself again. 131 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:09,520 I recognize that every single sin is against God. 132 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:11,520 Every single sin is a failure in God's eyes. 133 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:14,200 Every single sin is a violation of God's will. 134 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:17,040 So every sin is a sin against God, but some are directed. 135 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:20,120 Directly toward him. And I want to talk about these 136 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:23,240 for a moment because one of the most, I guess the word would be 137 00:07:23,240 --> 00:07:30,520 solemn, sad, maybe scary themes in all of Scripture concern sins 138 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:32,680 against the Holy Spirit. How? 139 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:35,240 Do we sin against the Holy Spirit? 140 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:38,640 And so one of the greatest types of evidence. 141 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:41,840 However, and this goes back to what we talked about in the last 142 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:44,760 session in our Trinity, perhaps one of the greatest types of 143 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:47,560 evidence that the Holy Spirit is actually a person is. 144 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:49,040 The fact that you can sin against him. 145 00:07:50,640 --> 00:07:55,680 And so this, this isn't just a thing, this is a person, one of 146 00:07:55,680 --> 00:08:01,480 the three people of the Trinity. So believers and non believers 147 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:05,680 alike can sin against the Holy Spirit, but there are certain 148 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:11,680 sins that only unbelievers can commit and others that believers 149 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:14,600 will commit. One of the things we acknowledge 150 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,120 is in all of our sin, we don't get to fool God, we can't fool 151 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:17,640 God. We don't. 152 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:19,760 We don't get to sin. We don't get to get away with 153 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:21,960 it. Sin will have a price. 154 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:27,400 It has a wage and we recognize that Paul talks to Galatian, to 155 00:08:27,400 --> 00:08:29,960 the Galatians in chapter 6. He says do not be deceived. 156 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:35,320 God is not mocked for whatever one sows that will he also reap. 157 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:39,480 For the one, for the one who sows to his own flesh will from 158 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:43,440 the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit, 159 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:46,160 will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 160 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:49,840 So there's a reaping and sowing relationship in sin. 161 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:54,120 There's a judgment side of this. You're going to earn your wage. 162 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:56,800 And the wages of sin is, of course, death. 163 00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:01,480 So we need forgiveness. So let's dive into the one that 164 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:03,440 perhaps is the most controversial. 165 00:09:04,640 --> 00:09:09,600 It's the one that I believe has been misinterpreted a lot and 166 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:15,000 also feared at times when it's misunderstood, but should be 167 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:19,120 feared perhaps even more when it is properly understood. 168 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:21,320 And that's blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. 169 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:26,200 Of all the sins against the Holy Spirit, this is the worst. 170 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:29,040 And and you? Might say, well, why is this one 171 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:32,400 the worst? Because to I live to blasphemy. 172 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:35,800 The word blasphemy means to speak against it means to 173 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:38,280 slander in its basic meaning, right? 174 00:09:39,080 --> 00:09:42,360 And so this is the one sin which there is no forgiveness. 175 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:46,400 This is the one sin that can't be forgiven. 176 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:50,520 Thus, it's often called the unpardonable sin because the 177 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:53,040 pathway to forgiveness is rejected. 178 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:57,600 Now that that's the key phrase, it's because you reject the. 179 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:00,680 Only pathway to forgiveness. Therefore you can't be forgiven. 180 00:10:00,680 --> 00:10:02,720 There's no other way to be forgiven, and you've rejected 181 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:05,240 the one way to be forgiven, so you can't be forgiven. 182 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:07,440 So I. Want to talk about this for a 183 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:09,520 minute? All the other sins against the 184 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:11,600 Holy Spirit that we'll talk about are actually committed by 185 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:17,280 believers, by us. But this one, this one is 186 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:21,560 committed by unbelievers. The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit 187 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:25,960 is committed by those who do not believe in Christ as Lord and 188 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:27,360 Savior. So you got to hear what I'm 189 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:30,960 about to say, and I mean this. I think I can prove this. 190 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:36,000 A true Christian cannot commit blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. 191 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:40,400 OK, so so if you're sitting out there, I wonder if I just did 192 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:43,360 that. It depends on if you trusted if 193 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:44,800 you're a Christian. No, you didn't. 194 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:48,720 You've done something else and and let me let me share with you 195 00:10:48,720 --> 00:10:52,560 why that is. So in its greatest description, 196 00:10:52,560 --> 00:10:55,200 which is in Matthew chapter 12, and it's a lengthy passage and 197 00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:58,360 I'm going to read the whole passage, it's committed by 198 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:03,640 enemies of Jesus who are right there watching him physically. 199 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:08,920 And they accuse him of casting out demons and healing by the 200 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:14,360 power of Satan after Jesus had clearly stated to them, to their 201 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:17,560 faces that they were cast out by the Spirit of God. 202 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:22,960 And they're right there in that. And you can't, you can't take 203 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:28,360 this out of context. And so this is an important part 204 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:29,800 of this. The context is. 205 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:33,040 Vital for proper interpretation. That's true of all scripture, by 206 00:11:33,040 --> 00:11:35,880 the way. But especially in this kind of 207 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:39,480 story, you can understand who these people were, what they 208 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:43,040 just saw right before their very eyes, physically right in front 209 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:46,720 of them, and what Jesus said to them and what they say in 210 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:48,760 return. Let's walk through that a 211 00:11:48,760 --> 00:11:51,280 little. So in Matthew chapter 12, verse 212 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:54,160 22, let me read this whole story to you. 213 00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:59,840 Then a demon oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought 214 00:11:59,840 --> 00:12:04,520 to him, and he healed him so that the man spoke. 215 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:08,920 And saw so it's an amazing. Miracle. 216 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:10,440 I mean, this guy had a lot of trouble. 217 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:16,920 Demon possessed death and mute are blind and mute and all the 218 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:20,200 people verse 23 were amazed I I would be too. 219 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:23,400 I don't know about you. I'd be pretty amazed at that and 220 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:26,080 said can this be the son of David In other words, can this 221 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:32,880 be the Messiah Can Jesus Christ actually be the Messiah because 222 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:35,320 of what we've just seen because of what we've probably heard 223 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:37,760 before and what we what why we're here in the 1st place to 224 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:44,120 be around him. Verse 24 but when the Pharisees 225 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:49,480 heard it, they said it is only by beelisable the Prince of 226 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:55,160 demons that this man casts out demons and knowing their 227 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,480 thoughts and that's crucial he not just her. 228 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:02,400 He didn't just know their words. He knew their heart, he knew 229 00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:05,920 their mindset, he knew what they believed and he knew what they 230 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:07,640 didn't believe. And you got to remember that 231 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:10,120 part of the story, this. Is Jesus dealing with these 232 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:13,600 people? And knowing their thoughts, he 233 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,720 said to them, every Kingdom divided against itself is laid 234 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:20,520 waste and no city or house divided against itself will 235 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:23,200 stand. And then and then he almost gets 236 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:25,200 it's like this isn't what you guys just said isn't even 237 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:29,720 logical in verse 26. And if Satan casts out Satan, 238 00:13:30,480 --> 00:13:33,920 he's divided against himself. How then will his Kingdom stand? 239 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:35,960 I mean, this doesn't even make sense. 240 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:37,360 What you people? Are saying you're. 241 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:41,840 Working so hard to deny me, you're not even logical anymore. 242 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:45,840 I mean, if you're saying Satan's casting out Satan, I mean that's 243 00:13:45,840 --> 00:13:48,280 just stupid. That's the Hebrew word to be 244 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:50,240 Aramaic. Jesus probably spoke Aramaic. 245 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:57,680 So in verse 27, and if I cast out demons by Beelzebel, by whom 246 00:13:57,680 --> 00:14:00,120 do your sons cast them out? Because you got to remember 247 00:14:00,120 --> 00:14:03,440 there were Jewish exorcist. You remember the sons of Skiva 248 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:06,400 that Paul encounters? So there were there were 249 00:14:06,680 --> 00:14:10,760 professional traveling or stationary Jewish exorcists, 250 00:14:10,800 --> 00:14:12,480 right? So. 251 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:15,640 If you say I can't do how, how are you excusing your guys for 252 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:19,000 who do who do this or claim? To do this right. 253 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:21,600 Therefore, they will be your judges. 254 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:24,960 In other words, your own words about me condemn you because of 255 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:27,400 what you say about them. So here we go. 256 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:31,960 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then 257 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:33,720 the Kingdom of God has come upon you. 258 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:39,200 How can or how can someone enter a strong man's house and plunder 259 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:42,560 his goods? Unless he first binds the strong 260 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:45,160 man? Then indeed he may plunder his 261 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:47,560 house. Whoever is not with me is 262 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:50,960 against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 263 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:56,200 Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven 264 00:14:56,200 --> 00:15:01,200 people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit. 265 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:05,280 Will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word 266 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:07,320 against the Son of Man will be forgiven you. 267 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:10,360 You can even say things about me and. 268 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:14,040 You can still be forgiven. But whoever speaks against the 269 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:17,000 Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or 270 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:20,080 in the age to come. Either make the tree good and 271 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:23,640 it's fruit good, or make the tree bad and it's fruit bad, for 272 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:28,000 the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of Vipers, you. 273 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:33,680 Say guys, say things sometimes. How can you speak good when 274 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:36,760 you're evil? For out of the abundance of the 275 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:40,920 heart, the mouth speaks. Don't forget, he knows what's in 276 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:43,880 their hearts. He's not just hearing some 277 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:49,240 random statement, some political agenda, some radical statement 278 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:52,280 of of I'm trying to please the crowd by what I'm saying out, 279 00:15:52,280 --> 00:15:53,680 that he knows what's in their hearts. 280 00:15:56,520 --> 00:15:59,160 For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 281 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:02,080 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and 282 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:04,920 the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 283 00:16:05,160 --> 00:16:07,520 I tell you, on the Day of Judgment, people will be of 284 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:10,040 account for every careless word they speak. 285 00:16:10,560 --> 00:16:12,440 For. By your words, you will be 286 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:15,520 justified. And by your words, you will be 287 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:19,760 condemned again. Don't forget context. 288 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:23,400 So. They saw with their own eyes 289 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:25,720 what had just been. Done by Jesus. 290 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:31,400 And they give credit to Satan. Chuck Swindoll says this. 291 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:35,680 He says, note that this is a combination of irrefutable proof 292 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:40,280 of Christ's identity and the Spirit's power and intentional 293 00:16:40,280 --> 00:16:44,040 rejection. So we see not only obviously 294 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:48,000 that the Spirit of God worked by healing this man, by freeing 295 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:53,520 this man from demon oppression, but in the face, Swindoll goes 296 00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:55,040 on. In the face of clear and 297 00:16:55,040 --> 00:16:58,240 convincing proof of the Holy Spirit's miraculous work through 298 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:02,320 Christ, they attributed that work to Satan and dismissed 299 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:06,319 Jesus, God's Messiah, as. Satan's Messenger. 300 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:08,920 And don't forget that last phrase by Swindoll. 301 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:13,760 They're dismissing Jesus. He's not of God. 302 00:17:14,520 --> 00:17:16,200 He's. A messenger of the devil. 303 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:20,000 OK. So these Pharisees are 304 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:25,560 completely opposed to believing in Jesus as their Savior, as the 305 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:27,400 Messiah. Now. 306 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:29,760 We we can translate that into a word today. 307 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:35,480 It's called being lost. They're lost. 308 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:39,560 They're not saved. They're actually rejecting the 309 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:44,320 idea of repentance. So this is willful unbelief, 310 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:48,560 continuous rebellion, and ultimate denial. 311 00:17:49,120 --> 00:17:51,640 Billy Graham says this. He says the unpardonable sin 312 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:55,240 involves the total and irrevocable rejection of Jesus 313 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:59,000 Christ. OK, so this isn't just saying 314 00:17:59,000 --> 00:18:03,960 something ugly one day. Off hand or off the cuff? 315 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:10,280 This is a purposeful rejection of Jesus and who He is. 316 00:18:11,120 --> 00:18:15,040 And I, I'm standing right here and watching him do this and 317 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:17,480 hearing Him say to me what he just did. 318 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:20,600 And I'm saying, no, I do not believe in you. 319 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:26,560 And lostness, complete lostness, undeniable. 320 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:28,960 I will not turn back from my lostness. 321 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:33,320 Won't. Be forgiven, lost people. 322 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:40,760 Go to hell if they're not saved. I'm going to do a series for you 323 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:43,080 somewhere down the road called Heaven, Hell, Heaven, Hell and 324 00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:46,520 the hereafter and or what happens to me in the moment that 325 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:49,000 I die? Some combination therein. 326 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:51,800 We're going to talk about heaven, We're going to talk 327 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:53,440 about angels, we're going to talk about demons. 328 00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:55,320 We're going to talk about hell. We're going to what's this thing 329 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:58,480 called Hades? What's the bosom of Abraham? 330 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:00,560 Where was Lazarus and the rich man? 331 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:02,440 What's Sheol? What are all these? 332 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:04,400 Things we're going to talk about that down the road. 333 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:12,040 But the problem is these people reject Christ and so they have 334 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:16,080 no hope. It is refusing finally and 335 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:20,400 completely to embrace Jesus Christ after the Holy Spirit has 336 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:24,760 worked and continually offered Him as the solution to their 337 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:26,840 lives and their sin. No, I don't want Him. 338 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:30,120 Nope. That's not who He is. 339 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:34,840 So this isn't atheism. It's, it's in a sense worth 340 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:36,080 that. It's not that they don't believe 341 00:19:36,080 --> 00:19:37,960 in anything. They believe in the wrong thing. 342 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:45,480 This is Satanism. Most people today, if anyone. 343 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:48,440 Many scholars argue that this is an impossible sin to commit 344 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:51,880 today. I don't know if it's impossible, 345 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:56,680 but. The total rejection of Christ. 346 00:19:56,920 --> 00:19:59,280 And this isn't just that person who's ignorant over here either. 347 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:01,840 This is the person who in a sense think of the person who's 348 00:20:01,840 --> 00:20:04,840 heard the gospel, seen the gospel, seen, seen Jesus, 349 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:07,160 watched all this work and says, no, that's not true. 350 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:08,520 I don't believe that that's wrong. 351 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:12,600 He's not real. Well, that person is doomed. 352 00:20:14,640 --> 00:20:15,720 And that's where these Pharisees were. 353 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:17,400 And you got to think about who these people were. 354 00:20:17,400 --> 00:20:19,880 Who were the Pharisees. I mean it's not like these were 355 00:20:19,880 --> 00:20:22,000 just fly by night people walking down the street. 356 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:26,480 These were religious leaders who could who could probably quote 357 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:30,200 to them the very messianic prophecies that Jesus was 358 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:36,480 fulfilling every day. And yet they refuse at Christmas 359 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:38,160 time. So forget I told you this now 360 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:39,760 and pretend later. It's just astounding. 361 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:42,840 And you're wowed by it in December or something if I do 362 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:44,240 this again. But what? 363 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:46,920 One of the dumbest groups of people in the in the in the New 364 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:49,680 Testament to me. And that's my kind word for 365 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:52,440 them. One of the dumbest group of 366 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:55,960 people in all of the New Testament were the wise men who 367 00:20:55,960 --> 00:21:01,080 were sitting around Herod when the the, the three are just not 368 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:01,920 three. We don't have many. 369 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:05,480 There were when the wise men when the Magi from the east, 370 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:07,920 these Persian kingmakers and I'll tell you who they are 371 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:10,000 exactly later. They're wizard type people 372 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:12,320 riding in white Arabian horses. They weren't riding camels and 373 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:14,800 there weren't three of them. They had a small army with them. 374 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:16,600 These were the Persian kingmakers. 375 00:21:16,600 --> 00:21:19,000 You got to understand This is why the host city stirred up at 376 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:21,280 Christmas time. Herod gets real nervous because. 377 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:24,240 Paranoid anyway, kills half his family all the time and the dog 378 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:26,800 I think because he doesn't want to lose his throne but. 379 00:21:27,000 --> 00:21:29,960 But his counselors? Where's the Messiah supposed to 380 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:33,240 be born? Bethlehem, They all knew it. 381 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:38,040 They all could quote it. How many of them went to go find 382 00:21:38,040 --> 00:21:40,080 him? None of them. 383 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:43,960 Dumbest group. Of smart people I've ever seen 384 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:50,080 in the Bible until. Maybe these guys, these. 385 00:21:50,120 --> 00:21:54,760 Guys should have known better. These guys knew better. 386 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:56,520 They. Knew better up here. 387 00:21:56,960 --> 00:22:01,440 They refused to believe. And they didn't just refuse to 388 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:04,840 believe. They're denying the very 389 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:08,840 identity and mission and purpose of Christ and claiming in a 390 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:13,200 sense he's a demon himself. Which doesn't even make any 391 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:17,120 sense. So as long as the Spirit is 392 00:22:17,120 --> 00:22:20,360 convicting and drawing you, you have not committed this sin. 393 00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:23,880 When? The Holy Spirit stops striving 394 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:26,680 within you. You could be in danger. 395 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:31,200 Acts 751 says this. You stiff necked people, 396 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:35,760 uncircumcised in heart and ears. You always resist the Holy 397 00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:38,800 Spirit as your Father's did. So do you. 398 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:44,760 So resisting the Spirit is a is a sin committed by unbelievers. 399 00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:46,760 This is unbelief. This is lostness. 400 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:49,280 This is a sin of the heart, not just of the lips. 401 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:52,120 This isn't just saying something bad. 402 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:54,600 This is much more than that. It's. 403 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:59,920 A belief down deep and and because of this sin, people 404 00:22:59,920 --> 00:23:01,560 resist the spirit, they fight him. 405 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:04,240 They need to repent, believe, but, but they don't. 406 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:06,000 And. They're lost and they're 407 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:10,440 unforgiven, but we need to be careful with this issue. 408 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:14,800 We need to be very careful about drawing our conclusions about 409 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:19,600 others we might know Jesus. Could say what he did in Matthew 410 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:22,400 chapter 12 because he knew what was in their hearts and minds 411 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:25,880 and. So I don't have the right or the 412 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:30,080 authority to say you committed this sin because I don't know 413 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:32,680 your heart and your mind is in that way. 414 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:35,240 So we need to let God make that decision. 415 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:40,160 We can't judge this sin so. We need, we must never stop 416 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:42,840 urging men to repent, to believe, since we don't know. 417 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:45,000 Who? Will or who won't? 418 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:48,120 And we don't know when the Spirit has stopped dealing with 419 00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:50,680 somebody. But the only unpardonable sin is 420 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:53,720 ultimately rejecting the truth and the and the identity of 421 00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:56,880 Christ. It's rejecting completely and 422 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:00,520 finally. The witness of the Holy Spirit 423 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:04,880 which declares that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who alone can 424 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:08,240 save us from our sins. And it's total rejection of 425 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:09,880 that. Not only just total rejection, 426 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:11,680 it's actually the application of that. 427 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:14,000 No, that's not really a lie. That's not really not true. 428 00:24:14,200 --> 00:24:21,300 That's actually from Satan. I don't know if I've known. 429 00:24:21,300 --> 00:24:23,700 Anybody go to that last step? I. 430 00:24:23,700 --> 00:24:26,980 Know people who deny Him. I know people who reject Christ. 431 00:24:27,340 --> 00:24:28,900 I know people who say it's not true. 432 00:24:29,820 --> 00:24:30,700 But. To sit there and say it's not 433 00:24:30,700 --> 00:24:33,900 only not true, I believe in Satan, but I don't believe in 434 00:24:33,900 --> 00:24:35,820 you see, you got to hear that part of it. 435 00:24:35,820 --> 00:24:37,900 You got that part. They're Satanists. 436 00:24:40,680 --> 00:24:44,680 That Satan is the one who has the power, not the Holy Spirit. 437 00:24:46,360 --> 00:24:49,880 So it means rejecting Christ and what the Bible says about him. 438 00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:53,760 It's a very dangerous position, obviously, and ironic that it's 439 00:24:53,760 --> 00:24:57,800 ironic that later they condemned Jesus for the charge of. 440 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:04,360 Blasphemy when they themselves had committed it far more 441 00:25:04,360 --> 00:25:07,600 severely. So this is not a place a true 442 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:10,200 believer can be in. So let's talk about a couple. 443 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:11,920 Others, we'll circle back in a minute. 444 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:15,240 But let's talk about a couple of places where we do, as 445 00:25:15,240 --> 00:25:18,760 believers, sin against the Holy Spirit. 446 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:21,440 One of them would be called grieving the Holy Spirit. 447 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:24,800 So. This sin can be committed by 448 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:28,440 believers. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 30 449 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:32,800 says, And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were 450 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:34,600 sealed for the day of redemption. 451 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:36,440 Now. It's comforting to hear that 452 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:38,200 we're sealed now. I've talked about that before, 453 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:40,520 that passage before when I talked about salvation in a 454 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:42,920 sermon. And, and so that means we are 455 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:45,840 and we'll remain saved. So he's Speaking of the things 456 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:50,320 we do that are inconsistent with the nature of the Holy Spirit. 457 00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:53,640 And we actually hurt the heart of the Holy Spirit. 458 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:56,600 We actually, we actually can, can give him pain. 459 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,720 We wound him. We grieve him, which again, is a 460 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:01,760 testimony to the fact that this is a person. 461 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:06,480 This isn't just a thing. So we can bring. 462 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:09,000 Pain to the Holy Spirit by what we do or we don't do. 463 00:26:10,720 --> 00:26:12,880 The Holy Spirit loves us just as the Son did. 464 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:16,520 In fact, Romans 1530 says, I appeal to your brothers by our 465 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:21,360 Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit. 466 00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:24,160 To. Strive together with me in your 467 00:26:24,160 --> 00:26:29,440 prayers to God on my behalf. So so grieve is often described 468 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:35,440 as a love word and in other words, we can hurt and and anger 469 00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:38,800 anyone, but we can only grieve those who love us. 470 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:42,280 So how do we grieve the Holy Spirit? 471 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:44,080 Let me. Talk about this for a minute. 472 00:26:45,120 --> 00:26:50,960 Ephesians 420 But that is not the way you learned Christ, 473 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:55,920 assuming that you have heard about Him, and were taught in 474 00:26:55,920 --> 00:26:59,920 Him, as the truth is in Jesus. To put off your old self, which 475 00:26:59,920 --> 00:27:02,560 belongs to your former manner of life, and is corrupt through 476 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:06,400 deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your 477 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:10,080 minds, and to put on the new self created after the likeness 478 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:13,160 of God in true righteousness and holiness. 479 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:16,520 Therefore, having put away falsehood, that each one of you 480 00:27:16,520 --> 00:27:19,520 speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one 481 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:22,120 of another. Be angry and do not sin. 482 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:23,440 Do not. Let the sun. 483 00:27:23,440 --> 00:27:26,880 Go down on your anger and give no opportunity to the devil. 484 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:30,520 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor doing 485 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:33,000 honest work with his own hands so that he may have something to 486 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:36,840 share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out 487 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:39,960 of your mouths, but only such as it's good for building up as 488 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:43,520 fits the occasion that it may give grace to those who here. 489 00:27:44,120 --> 00:27:44,600 So. Here. 490 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:46,400 Here's how we're supposed to. Here's what we're not supposed 491 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:47,600 to do. Here's what we are supposed to 492 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:48,000 do. Here's. 493 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:53,280 How to live the Christian life then verse 30 and do not grieve 494 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:57,160 the Holy Spirit. Don't grieve the Holy Spirit by 495 00:27:57,160 --> 00:27:58,960 whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 496 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:02,280 That verse I read before. Let all bitterness and wrath and 497 00:28:02,280 --> 00:28:05,960 anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with 498 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:08,680 all malice. Be kind to one another, tender 499 00:28:08,680 --> 00:28:12,920 hearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you. 500 00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:20,920 So so whatever's not like Jesus grieves the Spirit that that's 501 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:24,560 why you, you hear me say, and we're trying so hard to say, 502 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:29,160 we're trying to help you define what it means to be like Jesus 503 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:34,720 by right now laying a foundation of these 7 essentials on Sunday 504 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:36,200 morning. And we're going to build on 505 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:37,320 that. We're going to go deeper with 506 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:38,520 those. Things too, I promise. 507 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:40,440 I'm just trying to lay a foundation right now. 508 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:45,760 But we also have to recognize, OK, so who is, who's the spirit 509 00:28:45,760 --> 00:28:47,040 like? What's the spirit like? 510 00:28:47,360 --> 00:28:50,320 So the Spirit, the Holy Spirit, this is Spirit of truth. 511 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:53,200 So truth is a big part of this part of that passage. 512 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:58,640 John 1417 says even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot 513 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:02,640 receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. 514 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:06,840 You know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 515 00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:15,960 So truth he's the spirit of. Faith 2nd Corinthians 413 Since 516 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:19,520 we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been 517 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:21,560 written, I believed and so I spoke. 518 00:29:21,560 --> 00:29:24,640 We also believe and we also speak. 519 00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:27,640 So he's the Spirit. Of truth, he's the spirit of 520 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:30,080 faith. He's also the spirit of grace. 521 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:34,320 Hebrews 10/29 How? Much worse punishment, do you 522 00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:37,960 think will be deserved by the one who has trampled under foot 523 00:29:38,120 --> 00:29:42,000 the Son of God and has profaned the blood of the covenant by 524 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:45,080 which he was sanctified and has outraged. 525 00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:50,840 The spirit of grace, there's a verse relates pretty closely to 526 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:56,160 Matthew 22, probably so. How bad is that going to be for 527 00:29:56,160 --> 00:29:59,440 that person? He's also the spirit of Holiness 528 00:29:59,440 --> 00:30:03,520 Romans 1 and was declared to be the Son of God in power 529 00:30:03,520 --> 00:30:06,320 according to the spirit of holiness. 530 00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:08,560 By his resurrection from the dead. 531 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:11,560 Jesus Christ. Our Lord. 532 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:15,640 So these characteristics of truth, of faith, of grace, of 533 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:19,440 holiness, and we could list many more, the Holy Spirit delights 534 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:23,040 to take these things of Christ and reveal them to us and help 535 00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:25,400 us develop these things in our life. 536 00:30:25,520 --> 00:30:29,000 And he does it with we need to have a sense of joy, a sense of 537 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:32,480 peace, a sense of gladness in our hearts when we do this and 538 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:35,720 we grieve Him when we don't do it. 539 00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:38,840 Now listen to me. When we grieve the Holy Spirit, 540 00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:42,960 it costs us. It affects us because when we 541 00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:46,720 grieve the Holy Spirit, his ministry to us shifts. 542 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:48,280 This is an important thing to know. 543 00:30:49,640 --> 00:30:55,400 So instead of trying to impart to us truth and faith and grace 544 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:59,600 and holiness and joy and peace and purpose and all the things 545 00:30:59,600 --> 00:31:02,720 we want out of Christianity, when we grieve him like this, 546 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:05,320 when we sin like this, all of a sudden the spotlight has to 547 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:07,760 shift. Because his primary job at that 548 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,680 point, he's going to suspend that part of his ministry to us. 549 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:14,040 Because when I commit a sin, when I'm disobedient, if I 550 00:31:14,040 --> 00:31:17,120 depart from the clearly seen pathway of the will and Word of 551 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:20,240 God, I'm going to lose that part of His ministry temporarily 552 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:22,840 because He's now going to focus on conviction. 553 00:31:25,040 --> 00:31:30,600 And repentance, because until I recognize I've sinned, I don't 554 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:33,920 get that other part back again in full force. 555 00:31:35,240 --> 00:31:38,880 He's going to focus on my confession, he's going to focus 556 00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:42,240 on my repentance, he's going to focus on my forgiveness. 557 00:31:42,840 --> 00:31:45,240 And that's going to be his primary job in my heart. 558 00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:50,840 So there's a price to pay. So as soon as I repent, soon as 559 00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:52,800 I'm forgiven. It's like the light goes back 560 00:31:52,800 --> 00:31:54,480 on. Right. 561 00:31:54,720 --> 00:31:57,840 And he'll, he'll again, he'll illumine my mind and, and help 562 00:31:57,840 --> 00:32:00,960 me to see and to understand and begin to satisfy. 563 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:03,560 So you got to see how sin effects prayer even in this 564 00:32:03,560 --> 00:32:07,680 conversation. But but don't make the mistake. 565 00:32:07,680 --> 00:32:10,120 Grieving doesn't mean losing the Holy Spirit. 566 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:15,560 In my sermon on salvation, I tried to help you understand the 567 00:32:15,560 --> 00:32:18,160 difference between the words relationship and fellowship, and 568 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:22,200 it comes into play here again. I lose my fellowship with the 569 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:26,320 Spirit in the same way that fellowships different, but my 570 00:32:26,320 --> 00:32:30,080 relationship hasn't changed. He's now going to work hard. 571 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:33,360 To discipline me, He's going to work hard to chastise me. 572 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:35,040 He's going to work hard to correct me. 573 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:36,560 He's going to work hard to convict me. 574 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:39,440 Not because he hates me. Not because he's mad at me. 575 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:41,240 Not because he wants to cause me trouble. 576 00:32:41,240 --> 00:32:46,360 It's because he loves me. I've got. 577 00:32:46,360 --> 00:32:51,080 To help you stop that and. Recognize that's not who you 578 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:54,720 need to be if. You claim to be a follower. 579 00:32:54,720 --> 00:32:56,760 Of Christ the Holy. Spirit's going to help you be a 580 00:32:56,760 --> 00:33:00,880 follower of Christ. Whether we like it or not. 581 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:06,440 So I know people I. Know people who have had 582 00:33:06,440 --> 00:33:09,720 experiences with Christ. But. 583 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:11,760 Don't seem to be living for him anymore. 584 00:33:13,560 --> 00:33:15,680 I've mentioned to you I have a family member. 585 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:19,520 I don't have to guess about her. I've had too many conversations 586 00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:22,160 with her. I believe with all my heart she 587 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:23,720 had a genuine conversion experience. 588 00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:28,320 But now she doesn't walk with the Lord and she is the 589 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:32,760 angriest, most miserable human being I've ever known. 590 00:33:34,440 --> 00:33:39,480 I love her, but I have a hard time helping her because until 591 00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:45,520 she repents of all the lies and all the sin in her life and 592 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:49,840 confesses that and comes back to the Lord, she's going to be the 593 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:54,680 way she is till she dies. Just think about it. 594 00:33:54,680 --> 00:33:57,400 The Holy Spirit lives inside of you, but you don't live for him. 595 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:00,360 So there's a there's a war going on all the time. 596 00:34:00,720 --> 00:34:03,400 It's a constant battle in there, constant fight in there. 597 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:04,760 And that's where all your energy goes. 598 00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:07,120 Your your energy just goes to the conflict. 599 00:34:08,199 --> 00:34:11,280 So you don't live life well? You're distracted. 600 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:13,080 You have no clarity. You. 601 00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:15,480 Have trouble telling the truth. You have trouble being honest. 602 00:34:15,480 --> 00:34:17,760 You have trouble being transparent. 603 00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:18,880 You can't do anything. You got to hide. 604 00:34:18,880 --> 00:34:20,280 You got to. I mean, you're just fighting 605 00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:22,440 everything all the time because, you know. 606 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:26,760 Who you really are and you know, God's pounding on your heart and 607 00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:29,320 your mind constantly saying that's not who you're supposed 608 00:34:29,320 --> 00:34:33,520 to be and you're hurting me, the Holy Spirit says. 609 00:34:34,080 --> 00:34:36,639 You're grieving me, the Holy Spirit says. 610 00:34:37,239 --> 00:34:41,199 So He doesn't cease to seal us. He doesn't remove himself from 611 00:34:41,199 --> 00:34:42,960 us. He simply focuses on that 612 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:45,280 conviction. And I'm not very useful to the 613 00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:50,480 Kingdom until that's repaired and and it is possible to even 614 00:34:50,480 --> 00:34:52,960 sense that the presence of the Holy Spirit has left you. 615 00:34:55,120 --> 00:34:59,080 Listen to Psalm 5111. Cast me not away from your 616 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:02,880 presence and take not your Holy Spirit for me. 617 00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:06,280 And I don't know if you remember the context of Psalm 51, but 618 00:35:06,280 --> 00:35:09,480 this is the Psalm of Confession of David after he recognizes his 619 00:35:09,480 --> 00:35:12,960 sin with Bathsheba. After the prophet has come to 620 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:15,960 him and confronted him about his sin of having Bathsheba's 621 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:18,760 husband killed in battle and and having an adulterous 622 00:35:18,760 --> 00:35:22,240 relationship with Bathsheba, the prophet confronts him and David 623 00:35:22,240 --> 00:35:26,520 recognizes I am that man and this is his song of confession. 624 00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:31,640 Psalm 51. And so we recognize that he 625 00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:34,720 sealed US. Ephesians helps us and promises 626 00:35:34,720 --> 00:35:38,280 us in Ephesians one in him you also, when you heard the word of 627 00:35:38,280 --> 00:35:40,920 truth, the gospel of your salvation and believed in him, 628 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:43,520 we're sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. 629 00:35:44,720 --> 00:35:47,320 But again, verse 30, we can't grieve him. 630 00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:48,960 I've read that passage twice now. 631 00:35:48,960 --> 00:35:52,200 We can't grieve him, even though we've been sealed for the day of 632 00:35:52,200 --> 00:35:55,720 redemption. And then Romans 823 And not only 633 00:35:55,720 --> 00:35:58,480 the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the 634 00:35:58,480 --> 00:36:02,280 Spirit, groan inwardly. As we wait eagerly for adoption 635 00:36:02,280 --> 00:36:04,680 as sons, the redemption of our bodies, so. 636 00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:07,200 If the Holy Spirit were to withdraw himself from a 637 00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:09,840 believer, he is sealed. He would deny the whole scheme 638 00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:11,480 of salvation. It's not how it works. 639 00:36:12,840 --> 00:36:15,120 You got to look at the whole doctrine of salvation. 640 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:18,040 It's not how it works. But when he's grieved, he does 641 00:36:18,040 --> 00:36:23,880 bring about an absence of joy, an absence of power in our life 642 00:36:23,880 --> 00:36:27,360 until we confess and renounce our sin. 643 00:36:28,440 --> 00:36:30,440 So. We're wretched not because he 644 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:36,440 had abandoned us, but because we turned our backs on Him, Psalm 645 00:36:36,440 --> 00:36:39,560 32 says. For when I kept silent, my bones 646 00:36:39,560 --> 00:36:42,880 wasted away through my groaning all day long. 647 00:36:43,480 --> 00:36:47,960 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me, My strength was 648 00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:50,400 dried up as by the heat of summer. 649 00:36:50,680 --> 00:36:54,800 Salah, I acknowledge my sin to you, and I did not cover my 650 00:36:54,800 --> 00:36:56,600 iniquity. And I said, I will confess my 651 00:36:56,600 --> 00:37:01,160 transgression to the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my 652 00:37:01,160 --> 00:37:05,080 sin. Salah Later in Psalm 32 verse 653 00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:07,880 11, it says be glad in the Lord and rejoice he the change of 654 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:09,040 heart. You got to see the change of 655 00:37:09,040 --> 00:37:12,160 spirit here. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, 656 00:37:12,160 --> 00:37:15,000 O righteous, and shout for joy. All you upright. 657 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:17,920 In heart. Starts off pretty miserable, 658 00:37:18,240 --> 00:37:20,520 groaning, wasting away. Ends up. 659 00:37:21,480 --> 00:37:24,120 Pretty joyful because of his repentance. 660 00:37:24,880 --> 00:37:26,360 That's what repentance will do for us. 661 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:28,920 So we're sealed forever. He's. 662 00:37:28,920 --> 00:37:31,840 Our owner's earnest pledge, he secures us, he gives us this 663 00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:33,960 continuous knowledge that we belong to God. 664 00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:37,200 And, and, and sometimes I don't think we have any clue. 665 00:37:38,720 --> 00:37:41,600 I don't know if we have any clue how much power, how much work is 666 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:44,600 going on for us on our behalf that we don't know anything 667 00:37:44,600 --> 00:37:49,000 about. As the Holy Spirit holds us and 668 00:37:49,000 --> 00:37:53,120 seals us, as the sun intercedes for us, there's a lot of work 669 00:37:53,120 --> 00:37:55,920 going on for us. And if we were to yield totally 670 00:37:55,920 --> 00:37:59,160 and surrender completely to this, it might just be 671 00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:01,160 overwhelming. And for some of you, that might 672 00:38:01,160 --> 00:38:03,520 be what needs to happen. So. 673 00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:06,200 We can grieve Him because He loves us, but there's one more 674 00:38:06,200 --> 00:38:07,280 here. We can quench Him. 675 00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:11,240 Quenching the Holy Spirit, which is different than grieving the 676 00:38:11,240 --> 00:38:14,880 Holy Spirit. To blasphemy is a sin committed 677 00:38:14,880 --> 00:38:19,200 by unbelievers. Grieving and quenching are sins 678 00:38:19,280 --> 00:38:24,400 that are committed by believers. First Thessalonians 519 says 679 00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:27,880 very simply, do not quench the Spirit. 680 00:38:28,960 --> 00:38:33,800 So, so the word grieve suggests the sense of being hurt or being 681 00:38:33,800 --> 00:38:37,320 made sorrowful. It has to do with the way we 682 00:38:37,320 --> 00:38:40,560 bruise the heart of the Spirit. I, I, I want you to think like 683 00:38:40,560 --> 00:38:44,640 that you can hurt him in our individual lives, quench means 684 00:38:44,640 --> 00:38:47,480 something else. It means to put out, it means to 685 00:38:47,480 --> 00:38:49,000 put a damper on something, right? 686 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:52,480 And so it's important to remember that Scripture often 687 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:56,800 refers to the Holy Spirit as a anybody guess a fire. 688 00:38:59,400 --> 00:39:02,000 And so think of that imagery when we think of this word, when 689 00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:04,080 we quench the spirit, we put the fire out. 690 00:39:04,280 --> 00:39:06,400 Now that doesn't mean we expelled him, but that we 691 00:39:06,400 --> 00:39:11,160 extinguished the power, the love that the Spirit has as He seeks 692 00:39:11,160 --> 00:39:12,920 to carry out His divine purpose through us. 693 00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:16,000 So how are some ways we quench the spirit? 694 00:39:16,840 --> 00:39:21,880 Well, a fire goes out when the fuel supply is withdrawn if we 695 00:39:21,880 --> 00:39:23,800 don't stay active. And this is another reason why 696 00:39:23,800 --> 00:39:26,000 we're building these little foundation stones called the 697 00:39:26,000 --> 00:39:27,920 seven essentials. If you're not engaged in the 698 00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:30,720 Bible, you're not abiding in prayer, you're not in uniting in 699 00:39:30,720 --> 00:39:33,920 fellowship, you're not committing to service this 700 00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:36,480 Sunday if you're not responding and worship with all. 701 00:39:36,480 --> 00:39:38,880 And so if you're not involved in these, these are things that 702 00:39:38,880 --> 00:39:41,480 give you the. Resources for fuel. 703 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:45,040 When When we do not stir up souls? 704 00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:49,040 When we don't use the means of grace, when we fail to do these 705 00:39:49,040 --> 00:39:51,600 things and share about these things, the other, the fire of 706 00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:55,400 the Holy Spirit's dampened. So these things are channels 707 00:39:56,480 --> 00:40:00,320 through which God gives us fuel to keep the fire burning. 708 00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:04,120 And. So the Holy Spirit wants to use 709 00:40:04,120 --> 00:40:05,880 our spiritual gifts to maintain and build. 710 00:40:05,880 --> 00:40:08,680 I, I don't, I don't know. I don't know if you've ever done 711 00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:10,440 this. I, I've done this because, you 712 00:40:10,440 --> 00:40:14,160 know, I don't, I don't claim to be too handy or even too 713 00:40:14,160 --> 00:40:17,600 intelligent. So, so, so as the rain comes and 714 00:40:17,600 --> 00:40:21,080 blesses us and I and I hope they're inside the gym and not 715 00:40:21,080 --> 00:40:24,640 out on the field, which they had a contingency plan for that. 716 00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:27,920 So they're probably in the gym but but. 717 00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:29,880 I don't know if you've ever done this, you ever gone out to your 718 00:40:29,880 --> 00:40:32,560 grill and I'm going to cook up the burgers. 719 00:40:33,360 --> 00:40:35,840 You. Know that propane grill and 720 00:40:35,840 --> 00:40:37,360 we're going to and everybody's excited. 721 00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:40,560 Everybody's excited. Homemade hamburgers. 722 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:42,280 You. Know growing up, my Mama used to 723 00:40:42,280 --> 00:40:44,200 make them in the skillet. You know, I kind of like skillet 724 00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:46,920 burgers, but every now and then you got to put them out there on 725 00:40:46,920 --> 00:40:49,680 the grill and get that charcoal flavor of the grill on them 726 00:40:49,680 --> 00:40:51,280 burgers. And then everybody's getting 727 00:40:51,280 --> 00:40:53,960 you've marinated the burgers you've met in that special mix 728 00:40:53,960 --> 00:40:56,320 of the meat and everything that goes in and you go out there and 729 00:40:56,520 --> 00:40:59,320 you you turn on the get the grill of the gas. 730 00:41:01,560 --> 00:41:06,280 And nothing get. Out the skillet, Mama. 731 00:41:08,920 --> 00:41:13,640 You're out of gas. I used to drive a I've mentioned 732 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:15,720 this truck to you before and I've even probably mentioned 733 00:41:15,720 --> 00:41:18,080 this part to you before, but I used to drive this old pickup 734 00:41:18,080 --> 00:41:19,360 truck when I was in Arizona, right? 735 00:41:19,360 --> 00:41:21,200 I used to tall rock. I told you the story about the 736 00:41:21,200 --> 00:41:23,600 big engine and and you know it got horrible gas mine. 737 00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:25,400 Well, the gas gauge didn't work half the time. 738 00:41:26,160 --> 00:41:29,640 I remember more than once I'd be out on the highway in Prescott, 739 00:41:29,640 --> 00:41:34,240 AZ up in the mountains and I'm coasting to the sight. 740 00:41:34,240 --> 00:41:36,160 No power steering either in this old truck. 741 00:41:36,600 --> 00:41:38,480 So you know that you. Remember that you remember 742 00:41:38,480 --> 00:41:40,520 you're cranking that steering wheel to get it over to the 743 00:41:40,520 --> 00:41:42,880 shoulder and it looks like I got half a tank. 744 00:41:44,040 --> 00:41:51,400 I got nothing that can happen to you spiritually if you 745 00:41:51,400 --> 00:41:55,720 disconnect yourself. One time in the Philippines. 746 00:41:56,040 --> 00:41:59,040 In the Philippines we had, it was really complicated and so 747 00:41:59,040 --> 00:42:00,920 those of you who've travelled or lived overseas, you know this 748 00:42:00,920 --> 00:42:03,080 sometimes you have, we have 110, right? 749 00:42:03,240 --> 00:42:05,080 Our electricity is what we call 110. 750 00:42:05,080 --> 00:42:06,200 Don't worry about what that means. 751 00:42:06,520 --> 00:42:11,440 Overseas, you have anywhere from 200 to 220 and a an appliance 752 00:42:11,440 --> 00:42:14,960 that's supposed to run off a 210 will blow up when you plug it 753 00:42:14,960 --> 00:42:18,840 into a 220 right in your home, you might have a 220 for your. 754 00:42:18,840 --> 00:42:21,080 Dryer or something and that'd be about it. 755 00:42:21,080 --> 00:42:23,720 Depends on your house. Well, some missionaries left and 756 00:42:23,720 --> 00:42:27,680 they left me their dog and they left me their popcorn popper and 757 00:42:27,680 --> 00:42:30,640 I didn't have a popcorn popper. You remember those air popcorn 758 00:42:30,640 --> 00:42:32,480 poppers that shot them out the top? 759 00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:34,320 And obviously they brought that from the States. 760 00:42:34,320 --> 00:42:36,840 Man, this was fancy Uptown. I was excited about some 761 00:42:36,840 --> 00:42:38,080 popcorn, you know what I'm saying? 762 00:42:38,560 --> 00:42:41,000 Been about a year and a half since I'd had any popcorn. 763 00:42:43,520 --> 00:42:48,280 Plugged it in the wrong plug smoke. 764 00:42:53,680 --> 00:42:59,920 We need these basic fuel sources to keep the fire burning 765 00:42:59,920 --> 00:43:01,360 brightly. You know how it is when you 766 00:43:01,360 --> 00:43:03,680 build a fire, you got to have wood, you got to have fuel, you 767 00:43:03,680 --> 00:43:06,000 got to keep it going so. If we don't stir that up, we're 768 00:43:06,000 --> 00:43:08,680 going to lose it. So the Holy Spirit wants to us 769 00:43:08,680 --> 00:43:11,560 to use these spiritual disciplines and then we we have 770 00:43:11,560 --> 00:43:15,400 an output, our flames or our spiritual gifts that we use to 771 00:43:15,400 --> 00:43:17,880 maintain and build and encourage one another. 772 00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:21,680 And so, so one way we do this, one way we quench. 773 00:43:22,720 --> 00:43:24,920 Is we just remove the fuel supply? 774 00:43:25,680 --> 00:43:28,040 A second way is we we extinguish it. 775 00:43:28,040 --> 00:43:31,440 We throw water or dirt on it or smother it with a blanket. 776 00:43:32,600 --> 00:43:35,040 I'm thankful that the people who bought our house in Roseville 777 00:43:35,040 --> 00:43:39,000 had bad eyesight because that grease fire that one time in our 778 00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:41,760 kitchen that made the route, the ceiling and the light fixture a 779 00:43:41,760 --> 00:43:44,680 little black, We just called that antiquing. 780 00:43:51,080 --> 00:43:57,080 Willful sin throws a blanket on the spirit. 781 00:43:57,600 --> 00:44:00,120 He's just got to shift gears at that point, kind of like when in 782 00:44:00,120 --> 00:44:03,440 grieving, right? And so when we criticize or act 783 00:44:03,440 --> 00:44:07,000 unkindly or belittle the work of others by careless words, we, we 784 00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:09,760 can smother a fire in any kind of willful sin. 785 00:44:09,760 --> 00:44:13,080 We can put it out, we can grieve. 786 00:44:14,720 --> 00:44:17,960 So when we grieve, we quench these, these are connected. 787 00:44:18,160 --> 00:44:24,280 And when we quench, we grieve. And so we need to be careful. 788 00:44:25,080 --> 00:44:27,360 We don't have to do this. We can say no to sin. 789 00:44:27,360 --> 00:44:31,120 We can say yes to the Spirit. You have to make a choice as to 790 00:44:31,120 --> 00:44:33,400 what. You're going to do. 791 00:44:34,760 --> 00:44:38,080 And and what's interesting in our lives is, is that is that I 792 00:44:38,080 --> 00:44:39,880 don't know that we think enough sometimes. 793 00:44:39,880 --> 00:44:41,840 And I'm actually talking about this on the student retreat this 794 00:44:41,840 --> 00:44:43,960 week and we're talking about worship all weekend long and 795 00:44:43,960 --> 00:44:45,600 then Sunday morning preaching on worship. 796 00:44:45,600 --> 00:44:47,960 So it's just a continuation of their retreat. 797 00:44:48,240 --> 00:44:52,880 But but to think about the think about what what we can do to 798 00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:56,120 God. See now. 799 00:44:56,120 --> 00:44:58,120 I need you to wrap your head around that for a minute, 800 00:44:58,120 --> 00:45:02,360 because most world religions don't let you do that. 801 00:45:04,120 --> 00:45:09,360 See, Islam would never a law can't be touched by you. 802 00:45:10,600 --> 00:45:13,760 A law is is above and distant. He's transcendent, he's 803 00:45:13,760 --> 00:45:16,080 transcended. That's the sin of man has no 804 00:45:16,080 --> 00:45:20,760 impact on the law except making him angry to punish you. 805 00:45:22,440 --> 00:45:24,960 And yet we can actually grieve. We actually hurt. 806 00:45:25,120 --> 00:45:28,920 That's the love, that's the, that's the intimacy, that's the 807 00:45:28,920 --> 00:45:34,840 relationship that God designed from Genesis chapter one and 808 00:45:34,840 --> 00:45:37,040 two. He. 809 00:45:37,040 --> 00:45:39,840 Wants you to have that level of intimacy with him. 810 00:45:41,120 --> 00:45:42,200 To where you could actually hurt him. 811 00:45:44,480 --> 00:45:46,040 Well, here's what else that means. 812 00:45:47,720 --> 00:45:52,840 If we are to be like him, that's the level of transparency and 813 00:45:52,840 --> 00:45:54,880 intimacy that we're supposed to have with one another. 814 00:45:56,520 --> 00:45:59,360 See one of the dangers, one of the hard things about church is 815 00:45:59,360 --> 00:46:01,080 that. You can get hurt. 816 00:46:02,280 --> 00:46:06,400 I've dealt with that many, many times over the years. 817 00:46:06,840 --> 00:46:11,160 Church hurt is a unique hurt. Because it it ought to be 818 00:46:11,160 --> 00:46:13,160 loving, it ought to be transparent, it ought to be 819 00:46:13,160 --> 00:46:17,680 safe, it ought to be secure. And yeah, we can hurt one 820 00:46:17,680 --> 00:46:25,000 another, or we can choose not. To do that, we can choose to 821 00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:27,400 bring each other joy, just like the Spirit wants to bring us 822 00:46:27,400 --> 00:46:28,960 joy. We can be vehicles, we can be 823 00:46:28,960 --> 00:46:32,880 channels, we can be conduits of what He wants to do in our life 824 00:46:33,960 --> 00:46:38,000 as we seek to serve Him. So we need to be careful about 825 00:46:38,000 --> 00:46:40,720 the choices we make. They can end a disaster, they 826 00:46:40,720 --> 00:46:46,040 can end a unbelief, They can end in lostness, they can end in 827 00:46:46,040 --> 00:46:59,770 joy, Purpose. One year we were in Malawi. 828 00:46:59,890 --> 00:47:03,290 I'd think of the country, sorry, we were in Malawi, East Africa, 829 00:47:05,090 --> 00:47:07,760 and we were. We were getting ready to get. 830 00:47:07,760 --> 00:47:11,000 On some small boats and off some small boats in a river. 831 00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:14,840 And there were hippos and crocodiles in this river. 832 00:47:15,840 --> 00:47:19,160 And I had a friend who is helping to lead the trip and, 833 00:47:19,160 --> 00:47:21,320 and I'm trying to be nice about my friend. 834 00:47:21,320 --> 00:47:25,960 My my friend Gerald was a large man, OK? 835 00:47:27,000 --> 00:47:29,440 Looking at me. Right now I am a tiny man 836 00:47:29,440 --> 00:47:31,880 compared to my friend Gerald. He's. 837 00:47:31,960 --> 00:47:35,240 A very large man. Large man. 838 00:47:35,800 --> 00:47:40,600 He was a gigantic man. Not necessarily tall, but 839 00:47:40,600 --> 00:47:42,120 gigantic. Am I good? 840 00:47:42,120 --> 00:47:45,440 Am I all right? OK, large man. 841 00:47:46,360 --> 00:47:50,120 And have you ever tried to step from a dock to a little boat? 842 00:47:52,880 --> 00:47:56,360 So Gerald is standing on the dock and we're all sitting there 843 00:47:56,360 --> 00:47:58,320 going, Gerald, that's not the way to do that. 844 00:47:58,320 --> 00:48:00,320 That's not the way to do that. Don't do that. 845 00:48:00,320 --> 00:48:01,800 You're making a bad decision. Don't do. 846 00:48:01,800 --> 00:48:04,280 I mean, there's like everybody on the dock saying don't do 847 00:48:04,280 --> 00:48:06,080 that, Gerald. And he puts. 848 00:48:06,080 --> 00:48:07,560 His foot there and guess what happens? 849 00:48:09,960 --> 00:48:16,400 The boat goes that way, Doc. Don't move, don't do it so. 850 00:48:16,400 --> 00:48:21,240 Gerald splash into the river now, my friends, all up and down 851 00:48:21,240 --> 00:48:23,440 the river. You heard splash. 852 00:48:23,440 --> 00:48:27,400 Splash, splash, splash. You know who's coming? 853 00:48:28,400 --> 00:48:33,720 All of them. Dinner time, it's like somebody 854 00:48:33,720 --> 00:48:36,000 rang the bell and I mean, they're coming. 855 00:48:36,000 --> 00:48:39,680 Now we're all sitting there leaning off the side of the dock 856 00:48:39,880 --> 00:48:43,560 trying to help a 400 and something pound man soaking wet 857 00:48:43,560 --> 00:48:49,880 get out of the river. I've never seen a large man fly 858 00:48:49,880 --> 00:48:54,520 before. He hops out of that. 859 00:48:54,520 --> 00:48:57,120 I'm I'm not, I don't I we're trying to help him, but I'm 860 00:48:57,120 --> 00:48:59,280 telling you, it's like we're reaching out one minute, had a 861 00:48:59,280 --> 00:49:01,320 hold of him, next moment he's behind us on the dock. 862 00:49:01,320 --> 00:49:09,970 You know what I'm saying? We got to watch out for each 863 00:49:09,970 --> 00:49:12,370 other. Don't do it. 864 00:49:13,810 --> 00:49:18,530 Don't you take that step. See, that's a dumb move. 865 00:49:19,330 --> 00:49:21,370 Bad decision. You're. 866 00:49:21,370 --> 00:49:23,570 Going to grieve him. You're going to quench him. 867 00:49:23,810 --> 00:49:26,640 Don't you do it? And when you do it. 868 00:49:27,640 --> 00:49:30,560 Instead, we didn't sit there and say, see you dumb, stupid idiot, 869 00:49:30,560 --> 00:49:32,600 you jump. We told you not to do it. 870 00:49:32,880 --> 00:49:34,720 You know, listen there, come there, they come right there. 871 00:49:34,720 --> 00:49:36,400 You. We didn't do any of that. 872 00:49:37,240 --> 00:49:40,080 We're on our bellies with our hands down and crocodile 873 00:49:40,080 --> 00:49:43,800 infested water trying to grab professional wrestler out of a 874 00:49:43,800 --> 00:49:48,960 river. That's a church, isn't it? 875 00:49:51,440 --> 00:49:54,560 I know I harp on you about stuff like connect groups. 876 00:49:55,400 --> 00:50:00,240 There's a reason you need a community that's saying don't, 877 00:50:00,240 --> 00:50:02,440 don't do that. Don't do that. 878 00:50:02,440 --> 00:50:05,280 That's a bad choice. That's a bad decision. 879 00:50:06,680 --> 00:50:09,880 And then and then when you make. The bad decision, because we all 880 00:50:09,880 --> 00:50:12,360 will, right? We all make bad decisions. 881 00:50:13,840 --> 00:50:17,240 Somebody's there to either catch you, grab you, or get you out 882 00:50:17,320 --> 00:50:21,080 and help you back out of that. Because I promise you, there's a 883 00:50:21,080 --> 00:50:25,200 lizard who's coming after you. A snake in a garden. 884 00:50:26,680 --> 00:50:28,360 And we got to protect one another. 885 00:50:29,160 --> 00:50:31,920 We got to help one another. The Holy. 886 00:50:31,920 --> 00:50:33,560 Spirit does that for supernaturally. 887 00:50:34,480 --> 00:50:36,320 So he's going to convict you, Don't you do that? 888 00:50:36,520 --> 00:50:39,640 That's sin, don't you? Don't you touch. 889 00:50:39,640 --> 00:50:41,040 That fire, it's hot. Stop it. 890 00:50:41,720 --> 00:50:44,440 That's what he does. That's part of his job. 891 00:50:44,680 --> 00:50:48,520 He helps us not only to stop it, but He helps us to see this is 892 00:50:48,520 --> 00:50:51,880 the light, this is the right way, The right step, big boy, is 893 00:50:51,880 --> 00:50:54,160 to step back on that dock and stay put till they get you a 894 00:50:54,160 --> 00:50:57,120 better way to get on that boat. He'll illuminate our minds. 895 00:50:57,120 --> 00:50:58,880 He'll reveal to us the Word and will of God. 896 00:50:58,880 --> 00:51:04,120 He'll help us to understand it. So he not only stops us, he 897 00:51:04,120 --> 00:51:08,280 helps us to know. He illuminates for us. 898 00:51:08,960 --> 00:51:11,760 And then what he'll do is he'll say it's because of him. 899 00:51:13,320 --> 00:51:14,840 It's. Because of him, it's because of 900 00:51:14,840 --> 00:51:17,760 the Son. It's because of the Son that you 901 00:51:17,760 --> 00:51:19,720 can do that. See, the Holy Spirit will never 902 00:51:19,720 --> 00:51:21,720 testify about himself. He'll go. 903 00:51:21,720 --> 00:51:24,720 It's always about the Son. It's about him and what he did 904 00:51:24,880 --> 00:51:26,760 and because of what he did. Don't do that. 905 00:51:26,800 --> 00:51:27,960 Don't do. Do this. 906 00:51:28,160 --> 00:51:29,680 Do this. Here's the here's the way, 907 00:51:29,680 --> 00:51:30,760 right, here's the way. Don't do. 908 00:51:30,760 --> 00:51:37,240 That because of what He's done, next week we're going to talk 909 00:51:37,240 --> 00:51:41,920 more about all the things He does for us. 910 00:51:43,040 --> 00:51:45,680 I don't know who wrote this. I wish I did. 911 00:51:47,040 --> 00:51:51,480 Resist not his incoming. Grieve not his indwelling. 912 00:51:52,360 --> 00:51:56,600 Quench not his outgoing. Open to him as the incomer. 913 00:51:57,280 --> 00:52:01,720 Please him as the indweller. Obey him as the outgoer in his 914 00:52:01,720 --> 00:52:05,680 testimony of the things concerning Christ, whether 915 00:52:05,680 --> 00:52:08,600 through yourself or through others. 916 00:52:09,760 --> 00:52:16,520 Father, thank you that even when we fail you, as long as you're 917 00:52:16,520 --> 00:52:22,440 still working in our lives, Father, because of your spirit 918 00:52:22,440 --> 00:52:27,600 of grace, because of the spirit of truth, because of the spirit 919 00:52:27,600 --> 00:52:31,240 of faith and love, Father, we can be restored. 920 00:52:33,000 --> 00:52:35,680 Ultimately, Father, we know because at the end of the Bible 921 00:52:35,680 --> 00:52:38,120 that tells us that there are going to be people who never 922 00:52:38,120 --> 00:52:41,280 ever, ever trust in you. They will not believe in you. 923 00:52:41,280 --> 00:52:44,160 They'll reject you. They'll follow Antichrist, 924 00:52:44,160 --> 00:52:49,160 they'll, they'll follow Satan. And Father, they won't be 925 00:52:49,160 --> 00:52:51,280 forgiven. They. 926 00:52:51,280 --> 00:52:54,360 Can't be forgiven because of their willful rejection of you. 927 00:52:55,760 --> 00:52:58,480 I just pray, Father, that if there's anyone who can hear my 928 00:52:58,480 --> 00:53:03,400 voice, they, Father, they would recognize that you're working in 929 00:53:03,400 --> 00:53:06,920 their hearts so that they won't reject you, but they'll be 930 00:53:06,920 --> 00:53:10,280 accepted by you as they accept you as Lord and Savior. 931 00:53:12,560 --> 00:53:15,280 Help His Father be a testimony of the way we're supposed to 932 00:53:15,280 --> 00:53:17,440 live. Not to grieve the Spirit, not to 933 00:53:17,440 --> 00:53:22,640 quench the Spirit, but to bring the Spirit joy, to bring you 934 00:53:22,640 --> 00:53:26,680 joy. Father, by the way, we live and 935 00:53:26,680 --> 00:53:31,280 serve, love one another. Thank you for the church, the 936 00:53:31,280 --> 00:53:33,280 church that will hold us accountable, the church that 937 00:53:33,280 --> 00:53:36,160 will help us remain steady, the church that will catch us when 938 00:53:36,160 --> 00:53:39,680 we begin to fall or even help restore us after we've fallen, 939 00:53:40,960 --> 00:53:46,600 because we all need that. We need each other and we need 940 00:53:46,600 --> 00:53:49,680 you. Thank you, Father, for letting 941 00:53:49,680 --> 00:53:51,080 us learn a little more about you. 942 00:53:52,000 --> 00:53:55,480 I pray, Father, you'll bless us in Christ's name, Amen. 943 00:53:55,920 --> 00:53:57,040 God bless you all. Thank you. 944 00:53:59,760 --> 00:54:01,440 Thank you so much for listening today. 945 00:54:01,440 --> 00:54:02,720 And I also hope that you'll go to 946 00:54:02,720 --> 00:54:06,520 ourwebsite@englewoodbaptist.com as well as our app and find many 947 00:54:06,520 --> 00:54:08,920 other resources that will bless you and your families. 948 00:54:09,040 --> 00:54:10,120 Thank you once again.