1 00:00:03,320 --> 00:00:05,960 Welcome to the Liberty Baptist Sermon Archives. 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:09,040 The message you're about to hear was preached at Liberty Baptist 3 00:00:09,040 --> 00:00:13,040 Church in Easton, MA. You can find out more about us 4 00:00:13,040 --> 00:00:17,280 or contact us at my libertybaptist.org or just look 5 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,760 us up on Facebook. And now we hope that this 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,080 message from God's Word will be a blessing to you. 7 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:26,440 I think I mentioned already, but I'll mention again, turn your 8 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:28,480 Bibles, please. Acts chapter 2 this morning. 9 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:31,880 Acts chapter #2 And I do feel like the Spirit of God is with 10 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:34,560 us today. Preached about that on Wednesday 11 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:36,080 night. Well, I think I did, but 12 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:38,400 preached on that on Wednesday night. 13 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:40,200 Plan on preaching on it again this Wednesday night. 14 00:00:40,240 --> 00:00:42,080 And if you know, you know what I'm talking about. 15 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:47,720 But Acts chapter 2, you know, we did mention a few weeks ago, I 16 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:51,240 mentioned that as we finished our series, going through first 17 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:53,440 Peter and second Peter add to your faith. 18 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:55,880 And we were going through it for about a year and a half, maybe a 19 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:58,520 little bit longer. We mentioned that when we were 20 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,280 done, we were going to look at some stories again, some 21 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:04,800 biblical accounts of Peters life, because what we saw last 22 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:08,440 week was that the very last word of Peter's life was this growth. 23 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:12,080 Remember to grow in grace into our into the knowledge of the 24 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:14,160 Lord Jesus Christ and to grow in glory. 25 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:16,760 That he was to give glory to the Lord and Savior. 26 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:20,280 And so we saw that last week that Peter was to grow, that his 27 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:23,920 life wasn't defined by 1 moment, either good or bad, that his 28 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:26,600 life wasn't defined by one decision. 29 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:30,520 That his life was defined by the fact that as Peter went along 30 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:34,640 through the Bible, we saw him consistently grow over and over 31 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:36,080 again. And I want us to see some of 32 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,080 those accounts over the next few weeks in the book of Acts. 33 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:42,480 And the first one I want us to focus on is in ACT chapter #2 34 00:01:42,480 --> 00:01:45,240 But I do want to ask this question because we saw that, 35 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:49,320 well, Peters last word was that he was to grow, but we saw last 36 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:50,680 week we're supposed to grow too, right? 37 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:53,600 And we're not perfect. I mean, if you think you are, 38 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:56,000 then well, you've got some more problems that we can't deal with 39 00:01:56,000 --> 00:01:58,720 this morning for time. But we understand we're not 40 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:00,880 perfect. Even if you know Jesus Christ, 41 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:02,560 your Savior, we look forward to that day. 42 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:05,400 We'll meet him face to face and we will be in perfection in that 43 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:07,040 day. But in the meantime, we're in 44 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:08,680 the middle of our growth, of our sanctification. 45 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:11,480 We're just trying to be more like Christ every day. 46 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,560 We are supposed to be growing. But here's the question. 47 00:02:14,800 --> 00:02:17,320 You know, we all agreed last week, at least I think you did, 48 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:20,000 that we're supposed to grow. I preached on that for quite a 49 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,600 while, but here's the question. Seven days have passed. 50 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:29,800 Did you grow? Did you find some areas in your 51 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:32,520 life where you realized, you know what I need to grow in 52 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:33,760 these areas in my Christian life? 53 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:37,720 Did you take some time to think about how you can work towards 54 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:39,760 that growth? And finally, in the end, can you 55 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:42,800 say, you know what, the growth may have been small over this 56 00:02:42,800 --> 00:02:44,840 last week? Because of course, in the amount 57 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:48,080 of seven days, it could be that's very short or very small. 58 00:02:48,080 --> 00:02:52,240 But at the same time, do you at least feel like you grew from 59 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:55,600 last week to this week? Or maybe you'd say something 60 00:02:55,600 --> 00:02:57,160 like this? You know, Pastor, I don't feel 61 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,840 like I grew at all. In fact, I feel like I might 62 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:02,960 have regret, regressed, or maybe you'd even say something like 63 00:03:02,960 --> 00:03:04,880 this. Pastor, I was all about it on 64 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:08,800 Sunday, but by Monday, I really didn't think about it again 65 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:12,360 until you mentioned what you preached on last week just a few 66 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:15,400 moments ago. The question is, well, not 67 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:19,960 necessarily the fact that we need to grow, but maybe we need 68 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:22,920 to ask ourselves this question, What makes growth happen? 69 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:27,080 Okay, we know we need to grow. We saw that Peter commanded us 70 00:03:27,080 --> 00:03:30,400 to by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that we are to be 71 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:34,480 creatures of growth, grow in our knowledge of the Lord Jesus 72 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:38,120 Christ, to grow in grace and to grow by bringing God glory in 73 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:40,200 our life. But but if we're not doing it, 74 00:03:40,200 --> 00:03:43,520 then what are we doing wrong and how do we do it? 75 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:46,080 How are we expected to do it? But here's what we do know. 76 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:48,840 Peter did grow. And look, don't make me go back 77 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:51,520 all the way to the beginning and to remind you all the ways that 78 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:56,360 he was an oath in the Gospels and how he was not so in the 79 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:57,600 book of Acts. We know that. 80 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:01,040 But what was it that made him this man of growth? 81 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:05,120 What changed in Acts chapter 2? What changed on that day of 82 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:08,720 Pentecost that made him the man that wrote the epistles that 83 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:11,720 have impacted countless generations for Christ? 84 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:14,800 Well, I think there's some very specific answers and I want us 85 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,240 to get into God's Word this morning to find those answers. 86 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:18,880 So let's play stand for the reading of God's Word. 87 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:20,760 If you're able. We're going to have a longer 88 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:22,920 passage of Scripture. So if you're not able, please be 89 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:24,960 seated. But if you are able, well, 90 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:28,160 please stand as we read God's Word, Acts chapter 2, beginning 91 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:29,880 in verse one. We'll get right to it. 92 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:31,840 And says. And when the day of Pentecost 93 00:04:31,840 --> 00:04:35,960 was fully come, they were all with 1 accord in one place. 94 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:40,000 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing 95 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:43,080 mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were 96 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:47,000 sitting, And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as a 97 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:51,040 fire, and it sat upon each of them, and they were all filled 98 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:54,160 with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as 99 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:56,280 the Spirit gave the mutter. And so we're going to find in 100 00:04:56,280 --> 00:04:59,000 just a moment those other tongues were known languages, 101 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:02,280 and they were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men out 102 00:05:02,280 --> 00:05:06,120 of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, 103 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:09,280 the multitude came together, and we're confounded because that 104 00:05:09,280 --> 00:05:12,960 every man heard them speak in his own language, and they were 105 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:16,520 all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not 106 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:21,360 all these which speak Galileans? And how here we every man in our 107 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:25,080 own tongue, wherein we were born Parthians, and Medes, and 108 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:28,280 Elamites, and the dwellers of Mesopotamia, and Judea, and 109 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:33,040 Cappadocia, and Pontius in Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia in Egypt, 110 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:36,720 and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, 111 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:40,640 Jews, proselytes, Cretes, Arabians, we do hear them speak 112 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:43,880 in our tongue the wonderful works of God. 113 00:05:44,720 --> 00:05:47,120 And they were all amazed. And we're in doubt, saying one 114 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:50,560 to another, What meaneth this? And of course not everyone could 115 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:53,160 be happy about this, right? Because others mocking said, 116 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:57,520 these men are full of new wine, meaning these guys are drunk. 117 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:02,640 But Peter standing up with the 11, lifted up his voice and said 118 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:06,720 unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, 119 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:09,760 be this known unto you, and hearken to my word. 120 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,560 For these are not drunken as he supposed, seeing as but the 121 00:06:12,560 --> 00:06:15,760 third hour of the day. But this is that which was 122 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:20,120 spoken by the prophet Joel. And what follows is Peter giving 123 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:23,960 a biblical message about what was taking place on that day. 124 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:26,840 But why? What was taking place on that 125 00:06:26,840 --> 00:06:30,760 day was taking place, and it was all because of Jesus Christ. 126 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:34,520 Now drop down to verse #36 And Peter is summing it up. 127 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:37,200 And it says, therefore let all the House of Israel know 128 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:41,680 assuredly that God has made that same Jesus who He had crucified, 129 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:45,520 both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they 130 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:48,040 were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter, and to the rest 131 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:51,920 of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? 132 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:56,360 Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized, everyone 133 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:58,440 of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of 134 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:02,400 sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost for the 135 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,640 promises unto you and to your children, and to all that are 136 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:09,240 afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 137 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:12,640 And with many other words to be testified, exhort, saying, Save 138 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:15,360 yourselves from this untoward generation. 139 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:19,640 The day that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same 140 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:23,360 day were added unto them about 3000 souls. 141 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:26,960 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and 142 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:30,120 fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. 143 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:33,240 Why don't you go be seated this morning and we'll explore this 144 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:35,320 question. The title, the message is, what 145 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:40,000 makes growth happen? What makes growth happen? 146 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:42,480 Heavenly Father, help us here this morning as we look at 147 00:07:42,480 --> 00:07:45,360 Peter's life. We've inspected him as epistles 148 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:48,600 over the last year and a half, and Lord, now we want to see it 149 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:52,680 applied in the life of Peter through the Acts. 150 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:55,440 And so I pray that you helped me this morning to say what needs 151 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:57,160 to be said. And again, we pray for the soul 152 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:00,160 of every person who is here that they be saved, and if they are 153 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:02,200 saved, that they're growing in the way that you ask them to 154 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:04,400 grow. And we ask this all in Jesus 155 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:09,000 name, Amen. Well, Acts chapter 1 tells us 156 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:12,320 that Jesus after 40 days ascended into heaven and he said 157 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:16,000 to his disciples that you are to wait here in Jerusalem for the 158 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:19,480 promise of the Holy Ghost. Now they were continuing to meet 159 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:20,880 in the upper room during that time. 160 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:24,360 In fact, there was in Acts chapter 1 about 120 who were 161 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:27,280 meeting together in the upper room and Peter took the lead. 162 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:30,280 In fact, Peter, who often was impetuous and got out ahead of 163 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:33,320 God, well, in this case was right where he needed to be and 164 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:36,600 he took leadership and he said, listen, Judas was an apostle. 165 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:37,679 He was a disciple. Disciple. 166 00:08:37,919 --> 00:08:41,400 He no longer is because he is dead and we need to involve 167 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:44,320 someone else in his office of discipleship. 168 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:47,280 And the church had a vote. It says that they gave forth 169 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:48,760 their law. It's not that they cast their 170 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:51,040 lots in the sense that they gambled, but literally they 171 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:54,200 brought forth their votes, I believe, to be able to elect a 172 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,360 new disciple whose name was Matthias, who had been with them 173 00:08:57,560 --> 00:09:01,080 since the very beginning. And so the disciples continue to 174 00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:04,280 meet in this small group of people. 120 people were meeting 175 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:06,360 together. Now, could you imagine that 176 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:08,600 perhaps maybe there's a little bit of discouragement in the 177 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:10,200 lives of the church at that time? 178 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:12,880 Why would that be? Well, Jesus had ministered for 179 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:15,720 three years. He has died, he's buried, he has 180 00:09:15,720 --> 00:09:18,240 rose again, but at the same time, he's no longer with them. 181 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:21,800 And not only that, it seems that the only fruit of Jesus's 182 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:25,800 ministry is 120 people. That could be some source of 183 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:26,920 discouragement for the disciples. 184 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:29,320 Look at all that we did. Look at all that Jesus did. 185 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:32,240 Look at the the multitudes of thousands that he would preach 186 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:34,640 to and they would feed and that he would do miracles. 187 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:38,760 And all we have is this 120 But yet they remained faithful. 188 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:41,560 And it was about 10 days. The Bible tells us, you say, 189 00:09:41,560 --> 00:09:43,000 well, how do you know it was 10 days? 190 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:45,560 Well, because it tells us it was the day of Pentecost. 191 00:09:45,560 --> 00:09:49,760 And the day of Pentecost was 50 days after the Passover penty, 192 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:54,160 meaning 50 Pentecost, this idea that 10 days after Jesus 193 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:56,880 ascended into heaven that they were meeting together. 194 00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:00,080 And it says they were in all in one accord in one place. 195 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:02,640 By the way, there's a reason the church ought to meet together 196 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:05,440 because God does great things. When we're all in one accord and 197 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:07,920 we're in one place, it's good that we're all together because 198 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:09,800 God does great things. And listen, what you'll miss 199 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:14,800 when you miss church, and I'll leave it there, all right. 200 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:17,240 You don't know what you'll miss when you miss church. 201 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:19,560 And So what do we see? That they were all in what a 202 00:10:19,560 --> 00:10:21,400 court in one place. And all of a sudden there was a 203 00:10:21,400 --> 00:10:24,160 sound of a mighty rushing wind. And what happens? 204 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:27,360 There's these tongues that are as a fire, that are above the 205 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:30,600 heads of the disciples and those who were there, and those 206 00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:34,520 they're seated upon them, it says in verse #3 And then they 207 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:36,200 start to speak. And they don't just start to 208 00:10:36,200 --> 00:10:39,320 speak, but they start to speak in these other known languages. 209 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:41,920 Now, why is this important? Well, because there were all of 210 00:10:41,920 --> 00:10:44,120 these people from all of these other nations. 211 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:46,880 Remember it was mentioned there of all those people from the 212 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:49,680 other nations. They'd all come, Jews for the 213 00:10:49,680 --> 00:10:52,760 feast of Pentecost had come from all over the known world. 214 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:55,560 And so they had come bringing their own known languages with 215 00:10:55,560 --> 00:10:58,520 them as well. And so God in a manifestation of 216 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:01,440 the Holy Spirit, who has now been bestowed upon the believer, 217 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:04,920 the promise that the Holy Spirit will indwell the believer. 218 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:06,960 And now the promise to wait for this. 219 00:11:06,960 --> 00:11:10,640 And now it has been happening here in in Acts Chapter 2, they 220 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:13,080 start to speak to all these people and basically they're 221 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:15,640 able to witness to everyone in the crowd in their own 222 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:17,280 languages. And these people who are 223 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:19,800 speaking these languages didn't know those languages before. 224 00:11:20,680 --> 00:11:22,920 Could you imagine, you know, my last name is Rivero. 225 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:25,800 I ought to know Spanish. I know the language as far as 226 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:28,640 the food goes, I can order food, but that's about it. 227 00:11:28,640 --> 00:11:30,960 But could you imagine me all of a sudden not knowing Spanish, 228 00:11:30,960 --> 00:11:35,120 being able to witness to someone in Spanish that I didn't know 229 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:36,520 before? This is what's literally 230 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:40,000 happening here in Acts chapter 2, a manifestation of the Spirit 231 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:42,680 in a very special way here in this chapter. 232 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:45,280 And so people are marveling. People are amazed. 233 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:49,600 They say, as it says in verse #11 that they are giving glory 234 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:52,920 to the wonderful works of God that are are taking place. 235 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:54,840 But of course, not everyone can be happy. 236 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:57,040 Not everyone can rejoice in what God's doing. 237 00:11:57,200 --> 00:11:59,720 And there are others trying to be dismissive of this who 238 00:11:59,720 --> 00:12:02,120 basically say, well, you know what the issue is? 239 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:04,320 These guys are drunk now. I don't know about you. 240 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:06,320 I've never been drunk. I'm not asking if you've ever 241 00:12:06,320 --> 00:12:08,840 been drunk. But I know enough about just the 242 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:12,640 process of times and the process of how this works to know that 243 00:12:12,640 --> 00:12:14,680 people who are drunk typically don't learn new languages. 244 00:12:17,560 --> 00:12:20,640 I mean, listen, you don't, you don't need to experience it to 245 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:23,120 know that all of a sudden you don't get smarter. 246 00:12:23,120 --> 00:12:25,040 Listen, you might have more courage, but you definitely 247 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:27,000 don't get smarter. You understand what I'm saying? 248 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:30,360 And all of a sudden they're leveling the accusation that 249 00:12:30,360 --> 00:12:33,640 these guys are drunk because they're speaking in all of these 250 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:35,160 other languages. And obviously they're saying 251 00:12:35,160 --> 00:12:37,440 that because some of these people don't understand what 252 00:12:37,440 --> 00:12:39,640 these other languages are, and so they don't understand what's 253 00:12:39,640 --> 00:12:41,560 going on. So there's confusion. 254 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:44,920 Listen, there's great joy, there's people rejoicing in the 255 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:47,840 wonderful works of God. But yet now there's an element 256 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:50,200 that's coming in that's mocking, there's element that's coming in 257 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:52,560 that's trying to sow confusion among the group. 258 00:12:52,560 --> 00:12:55,720 And we know that it had to have been a mammoth amount of people. 259 00:12:55,720 --> 00:12:57,760 Why? Well, because 3000 people ended 260 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:00,000 up being saved. So we know that even more than 261 00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:02,440 that must have been there. So there's thousands of people. 262 00:13:02,440 --> 00:13:07,760 Listen, there's no PA system. There's no way to broadcast in 263 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:10,160 the way that we would today. But what happens? 264 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:13,120 There was a man who never said the right thing. 265 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:19,000 There was a man who 50 days before raised his voice and 266 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:21,080 cursed the fact that he knew Jesus Christ. 267 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:26,200 Now let's not forget that, that 50 days before, he raised his 268 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:29,480 voice and cursed the fact that he even knew Jesus Christ. 269 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:33,000 And he stands up and he raised his voice. 270 00:13:33,920 --> 00:13:37,680 He's a changed man. He raises his voice and there's 271 00:13:37,680 --> 00:13:40,400 something different. In fact, if I was to be able to 272 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:46,120 focus on some word on a phrase here that I think really cements 273 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:49,680 what has happened in Peter's life, it's the first 4 words of 274 00:13:49,680 --> 00:13:51,640 verse #14 will you look at those with me? 275 00:13:51,880 --> 00:13:55,840 Look at those first 4 words. It says this, but Peter standing 276 00:13:55,840 --> 00:13:58,920 up. How can we see Peter's life 277 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:00,800 changed? Peter's standing up. 278 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:02,960 Well, listen, the other eleven were too. 279 00:14:02,960 --> 00:14:05,200 It's not that Peter was the only one. 280 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:07,760 We want to make sure we're reading the Bible in its proper 281 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:10,920 context. But yes, Peter stood up where he 282 00:14:10,920 --> 00:14:15,440 stood still or where he stood in opposition to the things of God, 283 00:14:15,560 --> 00:14:18,920 not just many days before where he stood as one who was going to 284 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:21,440 quit on God when he said, I go a fishing. 285 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:25,680 Now Peter stood up and listen, he never sat down again. 286 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:29,280 He never changed from that moment. 287 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:31,800 No, no, he wasn't perfect. He was still a man of growth, 288 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:34,120 but something had changed in this man. 289 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:36,800 And he stood up and he said, listen, you think we're drunk? 290 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:39,000 What's the matter with you? It's the third hour of the day, 291 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:42,400 meaning this it's 9:00 AM. You think that we're drinking 292 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:44,560 and we're drunk and it's 9:00 in the morning. 293 00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:47,480 No, no, this is not what it is. And then he starts to preach a 294 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:49,880 biblical message. Now I don't have time to go in 295 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:53,200 through all the message from the passages he brings out from 296 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:55,280 Joel. Chapter #2 Psalm. 297 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:59,240 Chapter #16 Psalm 110. And here's what Peter does. 298 00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:01,640 And by the way, he's not carrying around the Bible with 299 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:04,920 him. He's not carrying around notes. 300 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:09,000 He's just preaching because the Holy Spirit is speaking through 301 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:10,320 him in that moment. And listen, there's nothing 302 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:14,040 wrong with having notes. If not, well, listen, we don't 303 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:15,880 have a problem if I didn't have notes up here. 304 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:17,360 Amen. But the idea is the Spirit can 305 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:19,520 work through notes. But there are also times that 306 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:23,000 I've had to have a word and I've had to speak extemporaneously 307 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:26,600 because of a situation. I know it's not me because if it 308 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:29,680 was me, it would be that's all folks. 309 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:33,120 And it would be that's all folks. 310 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:37,080 But you know, it's the Lord, you know it's Him. 311 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:40,840 And so we don't, we see that, that Peter starts preaching and 312 00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:45,360 he preaches a message and he preaches in a way. 313 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:49,040 Listen, Peter's a changed man and he's never the same. 314 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:52,200 Now once you understand something, growth does take a 315 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:54,840 lifetime, but change in your life can happen in a moment. 316 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:58,240 Growth can happen over a lifetime. 317 00:15:58,240 --> 00:16:01,280 It does have no life, but change could have no Do you realize God 318 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:05,120 could change your life today if you don't know Jesus Christ your 319 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:06,320 Savior? We'll look at this in a minute 320 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:07,960 because this is the thrust of Peters message. 321 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:11,280 If you don't know Jesus Christ as your Savior, your life can 322 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:15,000 change today by trusting in the gospel message that your life 323 00:16:15,000 --> 00:16:17,440 can be forever changed. That you could spend an eternity 324 00:16:17,440 --> 00:16:20,400 in a lake of fire, but instead that you could spend an eternity 325 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:23,320 with Jesus Christ in heaven. Not because of what you did. 326 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:26,840 Not because of what I said. Not because of who I am or who 327 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:29,920 you are, who this church is, or what we think of ourselves. 328 00:16:29,920 --> 00:16:33,160 Because of what Jesus Christ He himself did on the cross. 329 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:35,920 And you trusting in the gospel message, your life can change in 330 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:38,280 a moment. But sometimes as believers, we 331 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:42,480 forget that our lives can change in a moment too, That you can be 332 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:44,280 on the wrong Rd. you could be in the wrong path. 333 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:46,240 No, no, that's that you're going back to hell. 334 00:16:46,240 --> 00:16:48,840 No, no, when you are saved, you are safe with the Lord in the 335 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:51,120 sense that you are eternally secure in Him. 336 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:53,160 I believe the Bible clearly teaches that. 337 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:55,560 But yes, we can still make wrong choices. 338 00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:58,080 We can still go down the wrong path. 339 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:00,840 And So what do we see from that? We come to the understanding 340 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:05,599 that, listen, there are times when the God speaks to us that 341 00:17:05,599 --> 00:17:08,200 we need to make a change and while growth may take a 342 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:10,200 lifetime, that that change could happen in a moment. 343 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:12,400 That you can come to the altar today and your life can change. 344 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:17,760 Got a lot more quiet there. You have to go to the altar. 345 00:17:19,520 --> 00:17:20,800 Yes, you have to go to the altar. 346 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:22,200 No, I'm just kidding. You don't have to go to the 347 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:23,720 altar. The altar is there and I think 348 00:17:23,720 --> 00:17:26,359 it's there for a good purpose. I think it's there for a good 349 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:28,440 purpose. But your life can change in your 350 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:31,440 seat this morning by bowing your head and confessing sin to the 351 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:33,640 Lord or confessing going the wrong way. 352 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:36,040 Oh, oh, sure, there'll still be battles that take place after 353 00:17:36,040 --> 00:17:38,160 that, but that's where the process of growth comes. 354 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:41,600 But but here's what happened. Peter stood up and all of a 355 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:43,440 sudden things started to change. And what happened while he 356 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:46,520 preaches this biblical message, he preaches about the fact that 357 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:50,360 it's all about Jesus Christ. And he's preaching to a group 358 00:17:50,880 --> 00:17:54,680 that 50 days ago was shouting, crucify him, crucify him almost 359 00:17:54,680 --> 00:17:58,840 in the exact same spot. Well, what happens? 360 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:03,600 Bible says they were pricked in their hearts and they said men 361 00:18:03,600 --> 00:18:08,120 and brethren, what shall we do? He says repent and be baptized, 362 00:18:08,120 --> 00:18:10,480 everyone of you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the 363 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:12,920 remission of sins. And, and by the way, just I 364 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:15,240 don't have time to get into this this morning, but when it says 365 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:19,720 repent and be baptized for in the name of Christ for the 366 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:21,960 remissions of sins, it's not saying that you have to be 367 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:24,440 baptized for your sins to be washed away. 368 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:28,440 Rather, it's saying that you are to be baptized because your sins 369 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:31,280 were washed away through salvation, not by the water of 370 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:34,080 the baptismal font, but rather by what the blood of Jesus 371 00:18:34,080 --> 00:18:36,160 Christ. That's what it's saying here 372 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:39,080 because nowhere else do we find in the Bible that someone was 373 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:41,640 baptized to be saved. We find in the Bible that people 374 00:18:41,640 --> 00:18:43,360 were saved and then they were baptized. 375 00:18:43,360 --> 00:18:46,200 And this is an important point because if it was up to baptism 376 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:49,160 to save us, then that would be our own work that we either we 377 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:52,320 did ourselves or whether our parents did for us to know that 378 00:18:52,360 --> 00:18:55,280 every single one of us have to come in contact with Jesus 379 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:57,880 Christ ourselves. And like Peter was asked, well, 380 00:18:57,880 --> 00:19:01,640 whom say ye that I am? He says thou art the Christ, the 381 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:04,640 Son of the living God. You have to answer for yourself 382 00:19:05,120 --> 00:19:08,720 who Jesus Christ is and the Bible says in verse 39 for the 383 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:12,240 promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are far 384 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:14,880 off and Peter says this and I love this verse knew why I love 385 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:18,400 this verse so much because he says this promise is to you your 386 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:19,920 children. He's saying to the people that 387 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:23,400 are there at the temple that day, but he says that also to 388 00:19:23,520 --> 00:19:26,560 all that are far off. Do you know who that is That's 389 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:29,600 you. Peter was talking about you that 390 00:19:29,600 --> 00:19:31,880 day. He was talking about me. 391 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:35,080 The promise wasn't just for the Jews of that day. 392 00:19:35,360 --> 00:19:37,960 The promise wasn't just for the children of the Jews that day. 393 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:39,800 The promise was for the Gentiles. 394 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:42,920 The promise was for all. The promise wasn't just for all 395 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:45,440 of that time. The promise was for all of all 396 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:47,080 time. And listen, that includes you 397 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:50,720 and that includes me. But the promise that Peter was 398 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:54,160 expressing that day is for us today as well. 399 00:19:54,360 --> 00:19:56,800 And what happened? He says save yourselves from 400 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:58,680 this untoward generation. That doesn't mean you bring 401 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:01,080 salvation upon yourself, but what do you need to do? 402 00:20:01,120 --> 00:20:04,120 You need to throw yourself upon the one who will save you, and 403 00:20:04,120 --> 00:20:07,480 that's Jesus Christ. Make that decision to be saved. 404 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:10,080 They they gladly received His word, were baptized. 405 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:13,120 It says in the same day were added unto them about 3000 406 00:20:13,120 --> 00:20:14,960 souls. The church that existed at that 407 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:17,960 day, I believe that church that was empowered by the Spirit that 408 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:20,680 day but already existed, It says they were added under that 409 00:20:20,680 --> 00:20:22,960 meaning they were already there 3000 souls. 410 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:25,240 You want to talk about a church membership campaign, Have a 411 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:29,200 church that goes from 120 to 3120 in one day. 412 00:20:30,120 --> 00:20:32,200 You think you don't know who's here right now because so many 413 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:35,480 new people are here. Imagine being one of the ones 414 00:20:35,480 --> 00:20:37,040 saying, you know, are you new? Are you new? 415 00:20:37,040 --> 00:20:39,560 And everybody says yes. In fact, you can't find the 416 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:41,760 people who are old because there's so many new people. 417 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:43,640 That's what happened. What happened? 418 00:20:43,720 --> 00:20:47,640 Well, people got saved, got baptized, you got added in the 419 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:48,960 church. You know what happened After 420 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:51,480 that? They continued steadfast in 421 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:52,400 apostles. Doctrine. 422 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:55,560 Doctrine is important. What you believe is important. 423 00:20:56,160 --> 00:20:57,960 Where you get that doctrine from is important. 424 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:02,160 And fellowship, you say? So they must have had potlucks. 425 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:03,960 And, well, the answer is no, because crock pots hadn't been 426 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:07,240 invented yet. All right, what do you know? 427 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:09,520 That they did break bread house to house, the Bible says. 428 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:11,720 But honestly, fellowship is so much more than a meal. 429 00:21:12,360 --> 00:21:15,840 It's people having commonality with one another, loving one 430 00:21:15,840 --> 00:21:18,640 another. The breaking of bread, it says. 431 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:22,000 And in prayers they continued on together. 432 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:24,880 They were changed. He preached. 433 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:28,560 Now, was Peter the one who saved them? 434 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:33,360 No, but did Peter, was Peter greatly used by God? 435 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:37,000 Yes. And he's almost unrecognizable 436 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:41,800 to us from the end of the book of John, the man who D quit, the 437 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:45,160 man who Jesus had to ask Peter, lovest thou me more than these? 438 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:47,920 And I believe when he said love is thee more than these, he was 439 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:51,480 pointing at those fish that he toiled all night to catch and he 440 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:54,320 couldn't catch and that only Jesus Christ could bring to him. 441 00:21:55,040 --> 00:21:56,840 And he says you love me more than these. 442 00:21:57,720 --> 00:22:01,640 And the third time broke him and just a few days later, a few 443 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:05,800 weeks later, here he is. But Peter standing up. 444 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:11,880 So here's the question, what did or whether, why did Peter change 445 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:15,600 only 50 days after his greatest failure and just a few weeks 446 00:22:15,600 --> 00:22:19,560 after quitting as a disciple? But before I answer that, I want 447 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:21,040 to ask you the question this morning. 448 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:23,840 In your Christian life, have you ever feel felt like giving up, 449 00:22:25,000 --> 00:22:28,440 throwing in the towel? I get tired of feeling like I 450 00:22:28,440 --> 00:22:30,120 deal with the same things over and over again. 451 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:33,440 You ever feel like you go 2 steps forward and three steps 452 00:22:33,440 --> 00:22:36,360 back? You ever feel like, well I'm 453 00:22:36,360 --> 00:22:38,480 faithful for a while, then I'm unfaithful for a while. 454 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:42,120 I know I need to grow. In fact, every time I come on 455 00:22:42,120 --> 00:22:44,240 Sunday morning, I know I need to grow, but then I don't grow. 456 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:46,920 You get tired of that. By the way, if you think I'm 457 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:49,160 preaching at you, I got bad news and good news for you. 458 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:51,800 The bad news is a lot of other people in this building feel the 459 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:53,800 same way. And the good news is a lot of 460 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:55,120 other people in the building feel the same way. 461 00:22:56,720 --> 00:22:58,680 A lot of us feel like we should be further along than we 462 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:00,680 actually are in our Christian life. 463 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:08,880 So how what makes growth happen? Well, I think the answer is 464 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:11,160 right here in our text, and I've alluded to it several times 465 00:23:11,160 --> 00:23:14,920 without directly pointing to it, but the answer is right here. 466 00:23:14,920 --> 00:23:20,000 Go to verse #4 if you will. And it says this. 467 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,840 And they're all filled with the, what's the next two words, Holy 468 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:25,080 Ghost? And they were all filled with 469 00:23:25,080 --> 00:23:30,280 the Holy Ghost. See, the issue isn't what makes 470 00:23:30,280 --> 00:23:32,760 growth happen. You know, what is it, Pastor? 471 00:23:32,760 --> 00:23:35,520 Tell me the trick. Tell me the one weird trick that 472 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:38,160 I need to do to be able to live my Christian life. 473 00:23:38,160 --> 00:23:39,480 You know, just tell me what it is. 474 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:42,200 Tell me what the scheme is. Tell me what the program is. 475 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:44,560 Tell me what the pay in is. Whatever it is, I'll do it. 476 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:48,040 But see, the issue is, it's not what it is that makes growth 477 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:50,960 happen in the Christian life. Really, the question is, who is 478 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:53,840 it that makes growth happen in the Christian life because of 479 00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:56,400 its human effort? It's about you, about what 480 00:23:56,400 --> 00:23:58,400 you're going to get done, and you're going to make yourself 481 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:00,120 grow. You're going to fall flat in 482 00:24:00,120 --> 00:24:04,360 your face over and over and over and over and over again. 483 00:24:04,360 --> 00:24:06,960 And then sanity is doing the same thing a million times, 484 00:24:06,960 --> 00:24:10,400 expecting something different. What do we see that the 485 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,160 difference in Peter's life, the difference in the other 486 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:15,960 disciples life. The reason Peter was able to 487 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:19,080 stand up and speak in the way that he spoke and you see 488 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:22,160 results in the way they saw results was not because Peter 489 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:23,800 pulled himself up by his bootstraps. 490 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:26,680 It wasn't because he felt guilty before, but now he feels better. 491 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:29,920 It wasn't because he decided to, you know, get some help from 492 00:24:29,920 --> 00:24:33,480 someone and, and be able to go and, and talk to a stranger or 493 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:35,280 talk to a friend or vent to somebody. 494 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:38,120 You know, there's only one reason and one reason alone. 495 00:24:38,240 --> 00:24:41,160 He was able to do what he was able to do here in Acts chapter 496 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:46,760 2, and it was the Spirit, and the Spirit inside of him was the 497 00:24:46,760 --> 00:24:51,000 agent of change, the Holy Spirit who helps us grow. 498 00:24:52,440 --> 00:24:55,400 I want you to turn your Bibles quickly to John chapter 14. 499 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:57,720 You don't need to save your space in Acts chapter 2, John 500 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:03,400 chapter 14. Remember, they've been promised 501 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:07,320 the Spirit's manifestation in Acts chapter 1. 502 00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:09,080 I mentioned that just a few moments ago. 503 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:20,030 But but look at John chapter 14. Look at verse #15 if you love 504 00:25:20,030 --> 00:25:25,310 me, keep my commandments. Well, Pastor, why do I need to 505 00:25:25,310 --> 00:25:27,350 live like Christ? Well, I mean, there's a good 506 00:25:27,350 --> 00:25:29,910 reason right there. In fact, I'd say that was 507 00:25:30,510 --> 00:25:33,710 checkmate right there, isn't it? If you love me, keep my 508 00:25:33,710 --> 00:25:37,950 commandments, and I will pray the Father, and He shall give 509 00:25:37,950 --> 00:25:42,200 you another comforter, that He may abide with you forever. 510 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:46,680 Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because 511 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:48,600 it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him. 512 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:52,200 But you know Him, for He dwelleth with you and shall be 513 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:54,400 in you. I will not leave you comforted 514 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:58,320 us, I will come to you. What is He saying here? 515 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:03,040 He was saying you wait. But the Holy Spirit, who in the 516 00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:06,440 time frame we would call the Old Testament would come and go, 517 00:26:06,640 --> 00:26:09,720 would dwell upon someone and then not dwell upon someone. 518 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:12,600 I think of Saul, for instance. I think of others. 519 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:17,160 That same Holy Spirit would now in dwell the believer the moment 520 00:26:17,160 --> 00:26:19,680 they got saved. If you know Jesus Christ your 521 00:26:19,680 --> 00:26:21,360 Savior, the Holy Spirit lives inside of you. 522 00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:25,440 You understand when I say the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, 523 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:28,240 that means God himself dwells within you. 524 00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:31,680 I mean, let's understand the ramifications of what we're 525 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:34,400 talking about here, that the minute you got saved, no, no, 526 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:37,080 not a progression, not after a moment of time, not after a 527 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:41,600 trial period, the minute you got saved, God himself dwells within 528 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:44,440 you. And that is a promise that was 529 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:46,840 given to us. And it's the Holy Spirit who 530 00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:48,720 helps us grow. Drop down to verse #26. 531 00:26:48,960 --> 00:26:51,640 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will 532 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:54,200 send in my name, He shall. What's that next word? 533 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:58,160 Teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, 534 00:26:58,160 --> 00:27:00,800 whatsoever I have said unto you. Do you think there's a reason 535 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:02,960 that Peter all of a sudden remembered all those verses he's 536 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:05,520 quoting in Acts chapter 2? Do you think there's a reason he 537 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:07,800 remembered the book of Psalms and there's a reason he 538 00:27:07,800 --> 00:27:09,920 remembered Joe? Well, maybe it was the Holy 539 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:13,000 Spirit inside of him stirred up those things that he had 540 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:15,520 remembered before. Perhaps it was the Holy Spirit 541 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:17,720 who helped him to be able to stand up in the 1st place. 542 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:23,080 You know, the Holy Spirit changed everything and what to 543 00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:28,400 them was something that he had never experienced before is 544 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:32,440 something you and I have lived with from the moment we got 545 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:34,760 saved. And it's an agent of change. 546 00:27:34,760 --> 00:27:39,240 He is an agent of change that often times we don't even think 547 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:41,760 about. And we hear a message like last 548 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:43,240 week, Oh, I need to grow, I need to grow. 549 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:45,280 Well, I need to grow this week. You know what I'm going to do? 550 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:46,760 I'm gonna get up early, I'm gonna get up early. 551 00:27:46,760 --> 00:27:48,360 I'm going to grow. I'm going to make sure I read. 552 00:27:48,360 --> 00:27:50,560 I'm going to I'm going to pray and I'm going to do this and I'm 553 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:52,000 going to do that. I'm going to read some books 554 00:27:52,000 --> 00:27:53,160 about growing. That's what I'm going to do. 555 00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:54,800 I'm gonna get a growth. I'm gonna get a growth podcast. 556 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:56,840 And that's what I'm going to do. You know what I'm going to do? 557 00:27:56,840 --> 00:27:58,880 I'm going to stand in the mirror and watch my hair grow and see, 558 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:00,480 let's grow now see growth. That's going to remind me that 559 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:01,680 I'm growing. You know that I'm growing, that 560 00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:03,280 I'm growing a hair growing that I'm growing, I'm growing, I'm 561 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:04,440 growing, I'm growing, I'm going to that'm growing. 562 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:06,480 And you know what I'm going to, I'm going to, I'm going to, I'm 563 00:28:06,480 --> 00:28:08,560 going to, I think I'm going to, I'm going to grow this and I'm 564 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:09,560 going to grow and that's that's growing. 565 00:28:09,560 --> 00:28:14,080 And you know what I'm going to do kind of, but I'm really not. 566 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:17,240 None of those things in themselves are wrong. 567 00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:19,080 It's good to have someone to help you grow. 568 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:21,520 Brothers and sisters in Christ ought to help each other. 569 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:24,400 There are good resources that are out there, biblical 570 00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:25,920 resources that are out there to help you. 571 00:28:25,920 --> 00:28:28,240 Be careful what podcast you listen to, friend, but there are 572 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:30,840 some good podcasts that could help you or sermons from other 573 00:28:30,840 --> 00:28:33,360 churches that can help you. I'm not saying that I'm the only 574 00:28:33,360 --> 00:28:34,920 source of truth that you're gonna be able to find. 575 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:37,720 That's the way the cults talk. You know, there's some really 576 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:40,400 good resources that are out there, but I'll tell you, don't 577 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:44,040 look to all the other resources without first looking to the 578 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:46,200 resource that lives inside of you. 579 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:48,400 Christ in you, the hope of glory. 580 00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:52,360 Why on earth would you go to book before you'd go to God 581 00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:54,080 Almighty who lives inside of you? 582 00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:55,840 Why? Unless the book is the book of 583 00:28:55,840 --> 00:29:00,640 books of which He has given us. Why would you go to a podcast 584 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:03,760 before you realize the Holy Spirit is my method of growth? 585 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,240 Why would you go to another fallible person, even if it's 586 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:10,880 your pastor? Before you say Holy Spirit, I is 587 00:29:10,880 --> 00:29:13,560 the He is the one that's going to help me grow. 588 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:17,560 Ephesians 316 that he would grant you according to the 589 00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:20,800 riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his 590 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:23,000 Spirit in the inner man. What does Holy Spirit do? 591 00:29:23,200 --> 00:29:27,640 He strengths us in our inner self. 2nd Corinthians 318 But we 592 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:31,280 all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the 593 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:35,600 Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even 594 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:38,400 as the Spirit of the Lord. And basically what that verse is 595 00:29:38,400 --> 00:29:41,600 saying is it's like looking into a mirror and the Holy Spirit is 596 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:45,400 able to change us when we see the man of who we're supposed to 597 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:47,720 be, the person who we're supposed to be, but not who we 598 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:49,240 are. How do we make that change? 599 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:51,640 Not on your own, but through the Spirit. 600 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:56,120 So what's the issue? The issue is the Spirit wants 601 00:29:56,120 --> 00:30:02,080 you to grow and the Holy Spirit will help you grow, but the Holy 602 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:03,840 Spirit will not force you to grow. 603 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:09,320 It takes human effort. You say? 604 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:12,440 Are you talking about salvation? I didn't say I was talking about 605 00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:15,000 salvation. Human effort and salvation are 606 00:30:15,000 --> 00:30:19,160 two phrases that don't go together other than you 607 00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:21,200 accepting the gift that already has been given. 608 00:30:21,200 --> 00:30:24,400 But that's not works. That's accepting the free gift 609 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:26,280 that has already been given to us. 610 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:29,960 What I'm saying is this, maybe you hear this about the Holy 611 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:31,400 Spirit. You say, well, how does this, 612 00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:33,920 OK, I like this, I like what you're saying, pastor, It's 613 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:35,560 encouraging to me. God lives inside of me. 614 00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:39,440 But what does this look like? How do I make this happen? 615 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:44,760 Well, really, those two agents are necessary. 616 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:49,400 You have to have the Holy Spirit who does the growing, but you 617 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:53,040 also have to decide to take a step on your own to do the 618 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:54,240 things that God's called you to do. 619 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:59,040 I thought about doing this this morning, but I thought it would 620 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:01,040 probably be bad in a lot of different ways. 621 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:03,120 But many of you have seen science experiments done, 622 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:05,680 science experiments done, this with your children where you get 623 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:08,920 baking soda and you put vinegar in the baking soda. 624 00:31:08,920 --> 00:31:12,000 Isn't that a lot of fun? But I thought about doing that 625 00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:14,520 this morning, but I thought, you know, between the smell or the 626 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:17,440 fumes or sounds like we don't, we don't need any more variables 627 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:19,240 going on this building anymore right now. 628 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:21,000 And so let's just keep it as best as we can. 629 00:31:21,000 --> 00:31:24,800 I think in our minds, we can imagine just a bowl full of 630 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:29,520 vinegar being here and just taking a large box of baking 631 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:31,600 soda and dumping it inside the vinegar. 632 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:34,720 What happens immediately? There's a reaction, isn't there? 633 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:39,640 The growth is immediate and large and violent in many ways, 634 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:40,640 isn't it? What happens? 635 00:31:40,920 --> 00:31:43,360 There's a reaction between. Don't ask me scientifically how 636 00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:45,320 this happens, all right? It's just, it just happens. 637 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:48,040 There's a reaction between the baking soda and the vinegar, and 638 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:51,120 all of a sudden here it is. What I'm telling you this 639 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:55,360 morning is if you want to truly grow, you need to decide to take 640 00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:59,080 the steps that you need to take, but then watch what the Holy 641 00:31:59,080 --> 00:32:00,760 Spirit will do when you take those steps. 642 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:03,760 So well, you're saying this is all about me. 643 00:32:03,760 --> 00:32:06,440 No, no, I'm saying is this. The Holy Spirit won't force you 644 00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:09,680 to grow. The Holy Spirit's not going to 645 00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:13,600 force you to pray. The Holy Spirit won't force you 646 00:32:13,600 --> 00:32:17,200 to live a holy life. The Holy Spirit won't force you 647 00:32:17,200 --> 00:32:19,600 to do the things that you ought to do. 648 00:32:19,600 --> 00:32:22,760 God has given us a free will to be able to discern whether we 649 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:24,960 should or should not do these things or whether we should obey 650 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:28,120 or disobey God. He will not force us to be able 651 00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:31,000 to do these things, although He has granted us so many gifts to 652 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:32,800 be able to help us to do that which is right. 653 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:37,720 So what do we do? So in our human effort we say, 654 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:41,280 God, I know I need to read my Bible. 655 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:45,920 Do I feel like it? No, but I'm going to anyway. 656 00:32:47,840 --> 00:32:50,360 I'm going to pray. Anyone have trouble praying the 657 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:53,920 last few days? No, you're allowed to be honest 658 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:54,640 in church. It's OK. 659 00:32:56,160 --> 00:32:58,600 Good place to be honest. I mean, no. 660 00:32:58,680 --> 00:33:00,960 You start to pray. Maybe there's anger boiling up 661 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:04,880 inside of you. Unrighteous thoughts and you 662 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:09,640 have to stop and kind of reset. And if you're struggling with 663 00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:16,120 sin, you know it's sin, habitual sin that you wrestle with and 664 00:33:16,120 --> 00:33:20,120 you cry about and you pray to God and you go right back to it 665 00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:25,280 like a dog to the vomit. And you have no idea what to do. 666 00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:30,560 Could I encourage you? You need to make a decision to 667 00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:34,480 move forward and take the steps that are necessary. 668 00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:35,800 Well, what do I do with that habitual sin? 669 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:37,560 Well, the Bible says if your eye offend you, cut it out. 670 00:33:38,480 --> 00:33:41,680 Whatever is that offending item in your life, get rid of it. 671 00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:44,560 Well, it's not that simple. What needs to be that simple? 672 00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:47,040 Well, life's more complicated than that. 673 00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:48,600 Well then you made it too complicated. 674 00:33:51,880 --> 00:33:57,280 No, we want to show if you love me, keep my commandments. 675 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:01,240 But on our own that seems so hard. 676 00:34:02,400 --> 00:34:06,880 On our own, it's impossible. It's impossible. 677 00:34:08,360 --> 00:34:11,440 So you know what you do? You take the step, It's the 678 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:15,199 baking soda. But then you find that as you 679 00:34:15,199 --> 00:34:17,480 take that step and you think, I can't do this, you realize 680 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:21,840 somehow, some way, the whole you to be able to do it. 681 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:28,440 And he carries you through. And then when you mess up, you 682 00:34:28,480 --> 00:34:32,440 pray and you confess it, and you go back to starting to do what 683 00:34:32,440 --> 00:34:35,800 God's called you to do again. Well, I want to be faithful in 684 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:37,440 church, but I just can't be faithful in church. 685 00:34:37,920 --> 00:34:39,480 Well, you probably aren't faithful in church because 686 00:34:39,480 --> 00:34:40,600 you've been trying to do it on your own. 687 00:34:42,239 --> 00:34:45,639 Let God help you. I want to be faithful in giving. 688 00:34:46,639 --> 00:34:50,000 Well, maybe you need the Holy Spirit to be able to help you. 689 00:34:50,880 --> 00:34:53,600 So you want to give as God has commanded you to give, but you 690 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:56,520 want to do it on your own when God is the one who supplies all 691 00:34:56,520 --> 00:34:58,760 of your needs in the 1st place. Don't you think God ought to be 692 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:01,320 part of that equation? He'll help you. 693 00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:03,680 He'll help you to give. He'll help you to grow. 694 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:05,360 He'll help you in every air of your life. 695 00:35:05,640 --> 00:35:08,000 I've got a multitude of verses up here that I could read to 696 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:10,800 you, but forsake of time. I won't do so this morning, but 697 00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:13,920 I realize you want to read your Bible again. 698 00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:15,880 He's the one that leads us in all truth. 699 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:17,920 Prayer, prayer. In prayer. 700 00:35:18,120 --> 00:35:19,880 It says the likewise, Romans 826. 701 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:22,880 The Spirit helps us with our infirmities, for we knoweth not 702 00:35:22,880 --> 00:35:24,960 what we pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself makes 703 00:35:24,960 --> 00:35:27,080 intercession for us with groanings that cannot be 704 00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:28,360 uttered. There are times that you don't 705 00:35:28,360 --> 00:35:30,800 even know what to pray, and you just say, Lord, help me through 706 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:34,040 your Holy Spirit to be able to pray when I need to, and He'll 707 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:38,880 help you walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill what? 708 00:35:39,280 --> 00:35:43,080 The lust of the flesh. Galatians 516 He's the one, the 709 00:35:43,080 --> 00:35:45,120 Spirit of truth, that will guide us in all truth. 710 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:46,800 So He'll help us with the future. 711 00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:49,520 He'll help us to have a spiritual motivation. 712 00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:51,880 He'll help us with fear. Remember, we preached on fear a 713 00:35:51,880 --> 00:35:53,680 few weeks ago. So Pastor, I'm still dealing 714 00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:55,720 with fear and I look in the world, I'm still dealing with 715 00:35:55,720 --> 00:35:57,720 fear. Look, the Lord had not given us 716 00:35:57,720 --> 00:36:01,440 the spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind. 717 00:36:01,440 --> 00:36:05,960 Second Timothy 170 the Spirit is the catalyst for all of these 718 00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:08,080 things. It's all about the Spirit. 719 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:13,200 And if you are trying to change your life on the on your own, if 720 00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:15,640 you were trying to grow on your own, my advice to you this 721 00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:22,400 morning is this, quit trying. Take the step of faith that you 722 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:25,440 need to take to make the changes in your life and allow the Holy 723 00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:27,560 Spirit to do the work that only he can do. 724 00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:32,640 And I will say this, there's an element of you today that again, 725 00:36:32,640 --> 00:36:35,520 if there's some confusion in your heart, OK, I see pastor, I 726 00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:38,480 need to make myself more like Christ and eventually I'll know 727 00:36:38,480 --> 00:36:41,160 that I can go to heaven. You have fundamentally missed 728 00:36:41,160 --> 00:36:43,960 the point of this message and you fundamentally missed what 729 00:36:44,560 --> 00:36:47,080 Peter was telling us in Acts chapter 2. 730 00:36:47,720 --> 00:36:53,520 Listen, only Jesus can save you, and only the Spirit of Jesus can 731 00:36:53,520 --> 00:36:56,760 change you. And just as much as a plant 732 00:36:56,760 --> 00:37:01,480 cannot grow without water and light, a Christian cannot grow 733 00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:03,440 apart from the power of the Spirit. 734 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:08,080 And by the way, it's hard to have the Spirit lead you when 735 00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:10,360 he's a Holy Spirit and you're not living a holy life. 736 00:37:12,560 --> 00:37:14,480 Well, how can I do that? Well, you can't live a holy life 737 00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:17,280 without the Holy Spirit. Don't walk in the Spirit. 738 00:37:18,160 --> 00:37:21,480 Allow yourself to listen to Him and not your heart. 739 00:37:22,320 --> 00:37:25,200 Allow yourself to listen to Him and not your flesh. 740 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:28,240 Allow yourself to listen to Him and not your emotions. 741 00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:31,440 Your emotions rarely want to do what God wants you to do. 742 00:37:32,240 --> 00:37:33,560 Now. Emotions are a wonderful gift 743 00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:35,000 from God. They are. 744 00:37:35,480 --> 00:37:36,760 Aren't you glad we're not robots? 745 00:37:37,720 --> 00:37:40,960 I'm glad we're not. But a person who is guided by 746 00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:45,760 their emotions is like a ship in the water that's tossed to and 747 00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:48,200 fro and has no way of controlling itself. 748 00:37:48,920 --> 00:37:53,240 You have to be led by the Spirit, Charles Spurgeon said. 749 00:37:53,240 --> 00:37:54,800 The Holy Spirit does not merely help us. 750 00:37:55,160 --> 00:37:58,440 He empowers us to live victoriously and to accomplish 751 00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:02,400 God's purposes beyond our natural ability, AW Tozer said. 752 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:05,760 The Holy Spirit's power is not just a mere influence. 753 00:38:06,160 --> 00:38:10,280 It's the very life of God flowing through US, enabling us 754 00:38:10,280 --> 00:38:12,520 to do the impossible for His glory. 755 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:17,200 So stop treating the Holy Spirit like a powerless, lifeless, 756 00:38:17,600 --> 00:38:25,200 toothless force and realize that He is the very Spirit of God. 757 00:38:27,440 --> 00:38:33,760 And Acts chapter 1 tells us that He will give us power, gave them 758 00:38:33,760 --> 00:38:36,680 power to reach Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, the uttermost parts of 759 00:38:36,680 --> 00:38:38,760 the earth. And we have that power, but you 760 00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:43,880 can't do it on your own. A few weeks ago, I had the 761 00:38:43,880 --> 00:38:48,480 opportunity to go out on a pontoon boat with the Fletchers. 762 00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:51,040 And so it was a good time. And they're trying to teach me. 763 00:38:51,040 --> 00:38:52,680 I have AI, have a boating license. 764 00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:56,080 I am a yes. I am a captain, in case you were 765 00:38:56,080 --> 00:38:59,520 curious about that. And so back during the pandemic, 766 00:38:59,840 --> 00:39:03,040 you could get boating licenses in New Hampshire online without 767 00:39:03,040 --> 00:39:04,880 having to go in and take a class. 768 00:39:04,880 --> 00:39:07,440 And so I thought, and this is great, I can get a boating 769 00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:10,040 license during the pandemic. Of course, you know, you 770 00:39:10,040 --> 00:39:11,720 couldn't actually, like, go on a boat. 771 00:39:11,720 --> 00:39:14,080 But anyway, I can get the license and I'll be good. 772 00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:16,600 I had the license for four years, never used it. 773 00:39:16,840 --> 00:39:19,200 And so I realized I wanted to take a boat out, but I didn't 774 00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:25,040 know how to do anything. It's been 4 years. 775 00:39:25,040 --> 00:39:27,280 All right. You think you remember something 776 00:39:27,280 --> 00:39:29,000 you learned from a class four years ago? 777 00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:32,520 Yeah, right. Oh, man. 778 00:39:32,520 --> 00:39:34,720 All right. So no way. 779 00:39:35,160 --> 00:39:37,560 So we went out and I remember going at me. 780 00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:39,600 We had a wonderful time. I'm just very thankful for the 781 00:39:39,600 --> 00:39:42,840 opportunity we had. But we, there was a storm that 782 00:39:42,840 --> 00:39:44,520 was coming. It's kind of like, I felt kind 783 00:39:44,520 --> 00:39:47,120 of like Elisha's or Elijah's servant. 784 00:39:47,600 --> 00:39:49,360 He kept running back and forth. And he says, oh, there's a 785 00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:51,400 there's a cloud. It's like a like a man's hand. 786 00:39:51,400 --> 00:39:54,080 And the next thing you know, like, you know, it rained like 787 00:39:54,080 --> 00:39:55,400 it hadn't rained for 3 1/2 years. 788 00:39:55,800 --> 00:39:57,040 I said, well, look at that cloud over there. 789 00:39:57,040 --> 00:39:59,800 Isn't that cute? Next thing I knew, I mean, the, 790 00:40:00,800 --> 00:40:02,720 oh man, it was, we're on the lake. 791 00:40:02,720 --> 00:40:05,840 But it felt like we were just in the middle of, you know, the 792 00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:07,160 perfect storm. You know what I'm saying? 793 00:40:07,160 --> 00:40:08,800 It's like, this is, this is crazy. 794 00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:10,400 It's going, the waves are going and all this. 795 00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:12,280 And again, it probably was nothing. 796 00:40:12,280 --> 00:40:14,320 But to someone who's a landlubber, someone who needs 797 00:40:14,320 --> 00:40:16,800 Dramamine most of the time, it was a big deal, All right. 798 00:40:18,320 --> 00:40:21,640 And so in a moment we had to get everything ready to pull out 799 00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:25,800 because it came upon us so fast. And, and, and so Scott says pull 800 00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:28,720 up the anchor. Now I don't know a lot about 801 00:40:28,720 --> 00:40:30,200 boats. I know a little bit more now, 802 00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:33,640 but I know what the anchor is. I saw us put it out and as it's 803 00:40:33,640 --> 00:40:36,360 time to pull. And so it is, it is raining. 804 00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:37,720 You ever been in rain? That's so hard. 805 00:40:37,720 --> 00:40:39,920 It's like it stings you. It's just, and you're in the 806 00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:43,240 rain and it's coming down. I can't see my glasses are I'm 807 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:44,440 trying to take my glasses off now. 808 00:40:44,440 --> 00:40:45,960 I can't see because my glasses are off. 809 00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:48,200 Oh yeah, there you all are. OK. 810 00:40:48,440 --> 00:40:53,120 And so I'm pulling the anchor and I'm pulling it and I'm, I'm 811 00:40:53,120 --> 00:40:55,480 getting it, but I'm not really getting it fast enough. 812 00:40:55,480 --> 00:40:57,200 You know what I'm saying? It's like it's got to go. 813 00:40:57,200 --> 00:40:59,440 It's slipping in my hand. I've never even done this 814 00:40:59,440 --> 00:41:00,200 before. I'm pulling. 815 00:41:00,200 --> 00:41:01,680 I'm like, does this thing ever end? 816 00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:04,880 It's like it keeps going and going and going and finally I'm 817 00:41:04,880 --> 00:41:06,760 just, I'm getting tired. I can't do anymore. 818 00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:08,760 And all of a sudden I got a second wind. 819 00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:12,680 Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. I'm pulling it up, pulling the 820 00:41:12,680 --> 00:41:17,080 chain up, throwing it up. And I felt like, man, I, I got 821 00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:20,960 this, this is good. And I look back and I realized 822 00:41:20,960 --> 00:41:23,920 for the last 20 seconds, Scott had actually been doing most of 823 00:41:23,920 --> 00:41:25,840 the pulling. And I was there. 824 00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:28,840 Somebody thought I should say Peyton was pulling, but it 825 00:41:28,840 --> 00:41:31,000 wasn't my daughter. You know, it's just a I'm 826 00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:33,040 pulling up. I got it, man. 827 00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:36,240 I finally figured this out. I was like it, it wasn't even 828 00:41:36,240 --> 00:41:37,840 me. It was him that was pulling it. 829 00:41:37,840 --> 00:41:43,760 But you know, I had to boot. I had to do my part, but I 830 00:41:43,760 --> 00:41:46,680 needed some help. And listen, when it comes to 831 00:41:46,680 --> 00:41:49,520 growing your Christian life, you don't just need some help. 832 00:41:50,960 --> 00:41:52,600 You can't do it without the Holy Spirit. 833 00:41:53,840 --> 00:41:55,920 And some of you've been trying to do it on your own and you're 834 00:41:55,920 --> 00:41:59,840 going like this and this and this, and you don't understand 835 00:41:59,840 --> 00:42:02,600 why it doesn't get better. And listen, we all struggle with 836 00:42:02,600 --> 00:42:05,720 this. Listen, avail yourself to the 837 00:42:05,720 --> 00:42:07,440 power of the Spirit that lives inside of you. 838 00:42:07,800 --> 00:42:11,560 And if you are not saved today, if you don't know Jesus Christ 839 00:42:11,560 --> 00:42:12,720 your Savior, what are you waiting for? 840 00:42:13,880 --> 00:42:16,320 I mean, you're never going to find a more friendlier crowd 841 00:42:16,880 --> 00:42:21,720 that is literally rooting for you, praying for you to trust 842 00:42:21,800 --> 00:42:24,440 Jesus Christ. Not to trust in Catholicism, not 843 00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:28,160 to trust in empty religion, not to trust in humanism. 844 00:42:28,160 --> 00:42:31,720 Self works, self love, self, anything, in fact anything that 845 00:42:31,720 --> 00:42:34,200 starts with self and A-IS not going to save you. 846 00:42:35,920 --> 00:42:39,320 Christ and Christ alone come to Jesus today. 847 00:42:40,400 --> 00:42:42,920 Thank you for listening to the sermon from the pulpit of 848 00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:45,840 Liberty Baptist Church. If this message was a blessing 849 00:42:45,840 --> 00:42:49,320 to you, or if there's any way we can serve you, please let us 850 00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:53,920 know by contacting us at info@mylibertybaptist.org. 851 00:42:54,200 --> 00:42:58,720 Or you can visit us this Sunday at 800 Washington St. in Easton, 852 00:42:58,720 --> 00:43:01,560 MA. May the Lord bless you as you 853 00:43:01,560 --> 00:43:02,760 grow in His Word.