Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Welcome to the World Changers Church Gold coast podcast. Join us as we listen to today's message.
[00:00:07] Amen.
Amen. Amen. Thank you, Jamie. I appreciate you.
You know, there's a reverence for this day, the same as Easter.
Something inside of me, you would think that every other day that would be there, but there's something when you acknowledge the gift that came on this day, just as simple as what happened after Passover.
What gift was given to us in the world, walked the Earth for 33 and a half years and died for us knowingly to then sit down at the right hand of the Father and leave us the Holy Spirit so that we could fulfill what we couldn't do before. There is a reverence that comes in this day and it's a listening to the Holy Spirit. But before I do that, there's something I wanna let you know that I wanna share with you before we get into the message. You know, we talked about the winter initiative and we talk about the church, your church. This church is spearheading the winter initiative here in the Gold Coast.
There's over eight churches involved in that.
There's unity happening between denominations. Church of Christ, Anglican, whatever else it may be to non denominational, we're beginning to see the body work together because we're doing it without pride.
But that bill this year is $35,000. If we went full bore and the church is believing for it. And we're not asking you for it, but we're asking you to pray.
Call in those finances and if God so wills, give as you're led, but give with a joyful heart.
I asked someone the other day, what do you think it costs to run a church? They said $100,000. I said, I wish.
At bare minimum, it takes $350,000 to run this church.
And me and my wife have covered that for nine years.
God has released me this morning on Pentecost to say, I am sending everything you need through the body of Christ.
Believe and trust in me.
We have to start believing at the head, the spiritual headship through leadership through the body. Even though we are co equals, God called me to walk this journey.
Amen.
Now that's enough about money because we've already taken up the offering. Amen.
But one of the things I want to do is I want to pray before I get into this message. Because every time I step into this space, whether it's a beautiful platform, a beautiful building, a street, a barista at a barber shop telling a young man about Jesus. Just yesterday, even though I don't like the way he cut my hair.
I think he was more focused on Jesus than my hair, but he did a good job on my beard. Hallelujah.
Father, we just thank you this morning as we get into this message from Passover to power to be redeemed, filled and sent, as we continue to survey aspects of Peter, as we continue to walk out this word, we're gonna take our time today.
We're probably gonna blow out the run sheet and go past 11. And I pray patience for every person down here and up there so that we minister this message in entirety, because we've gotten way too comfortable in a world that is setting us in a corner.
So, Lord, we thank you this morning for the power of your words and the power of your spirit. It's in Jesus name I pray. Amen.
How many know that Pentecost wasn't an accident?
How many know that?
[00:04:13] Did it just, like, happen? God had a thought, you know, hey,
[00:04:16] this is a good idea. Let's do that.
How many know that Pentecost was something that was planned, that it has a history before it happened?
So, church, I want to tell you this morning that all of us have had that moment that has felt sudden.
You know, it felt like it just happened overnight, right? Like it was just like, wow, look at that. We've seen businesses pop out of nowhere and we go, wow, look at that.
But city Reach within itself is 20 years of vision, three years of conversation, and four months of hard work before it ever hit the screen here in this church.
And can you imagine that God had a vision for the day of Pentecost that lived generations before it was ever fulfilled and hit the screen.
God's been setting this up the whole time while man was waiting to see it happen at first. Look, when something happens suddenly, it looks like it happened unexpected.
It looked like everything changed in a single moment, but it didn't begin in that moment. You falling in love didn't happen just because you guys decided to fall in love.
You saw each other and went, hmm, I think I like that.
[00:05:32] And then there was a process and conversations and time and dates long before
[00:05:38] you ever got the courage to propose
[00:05:41] or even stepped in front of a
[00:05:43] wedding or got married and made a promise that 25 years later, you'd do a wedding that you never planned and had that wedding. No matter how it happens, it's going
[00:05:54] to happen, and there's going to be
[00:05:56] a process to it. When it comes to God, it's not just happening. It's not just appearing. God is a God of order.
Everybody believe that.
And he puts things in place. So when we look at Pentecost and we see what happens before our eyes, Acts 2 was not heaven improvising.
It was not random emotional outbursts. Pentecost was a day God had been preparing for a long time. Before there was an upper room, there was a feast.
[00:06:27] Before there was a sounding wind, there was a promise.
[00:06:30] Before fire fell on the people, it fell on a mountain.
Before the spirit was poured out, the Lamb had already been planned to be slain.
Amen.
Let's read Acts 2:14 41. 41. Together we got all the way through 41 yet.
But Peter 41 yeah, but Peter, standing up with the 11, raised his voice and said to them, men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and heed my words, For these are not drunk as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.
But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel.
And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your young men shall see visions. Your old men shall dream dreams.
And my menservants and my maidservants, I will pour out my spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy.
I shall show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath. Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
[00:07:54] The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the
[00:07:58] coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
And it shall come to pass that
[00:08:03] whosoever calls on the name of the
[00:08:05] Lord shall be saved.
Men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you, by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves also know him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands and crucified and put him to death.
Whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it.
For David says, concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
Therefore my heart therefore go back.
Him being delivered and put to death, whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. Next verse.
[00:09:04] Whom God raised up, having loosed the
[00:09:06] pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. Next verse. For David says concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for
[00:09:16] he is at my right hand and I shall not be shaken.
[00:09:20] Therefore, next verse. My heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad. Moreover, my flesh also will rest in hope. Listen to this.
For you will not leave my soul in Hades, for you will not allow your Holy One to see corruption. You made known to me the ways of life. You will make me full and joy in your presence. Anybody feeling that way so far?
[00:09:43] Men and brethren, let me speak.
[00:09:45] Could you imagine Peter preaching this?
I mean, this alone is a sermon. This isn't a scripture, this is a sermon.
[00:09:53] Men and brethren, let me speak freely
[00:09:55] to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, knowing that God had sworn with an oath to whom that of the fruit of his body according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ and sit on his throne.
He foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.
This Jesus God has raised up, of which we all are all witnesses.
Therefore look at this. Being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out this which you now see and hear.
[00:10:43] Drunk people on the street is what
[00:10:45] they thought they were.
[00:10:47] You ever had the Holy Spirit come on you so much people looking at
[00:10:50] you like, what's wrong with you?
[00:10:54] Peter was saying, this is what's right with them, what you've been waiting on. You cannot see with your natural eyes because your flesh is corrupt. But the Lord is purifying us with
[00:11:04] fire so that his Holy Spirit will
[00:11:07] activate in this generation.
Lord Jesus, that happened then is still a promise now.
[00:11:15] But we sitting there with our Burger
[00:11:17] King religion, I want it my way.
I want it now.
They waited for generations and a night and 120 people. It dwindled down to a few people in a room, in an upper room before the wind ever blew. Could you imagine the people that went home and went to bed?
We don't talk about them much, do we?
But the ones that didn't stay in Terry, they went home and went to bed. They heard about what happened and said, can I get some?
Do you understand that they did that? God didn't even hold back from them.
[00:11:55] Then praise God.
If you hear what I'm saying, say Amen.
Therefore. For David did not ascend into heavens, but he says himself, the Lord said to my Lord, sit At my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool. Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified,
[00:12:21] both Lord and Christ.
[00:12:24] Now, when they heard this, they were cut to their heart. And they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do?
Then Peter said to them, repent.
What a dirty word.
[00:12:38] Repent.
[00:12:40] Ah, that word again, that uncomfortable gospel.
[00:12:46] Repent.
[00:12:48] And let every one of you be
[00:12:49] baptized in the name of Jesus. You want to know why your life is struggling? Repent.
Have a change of heart and mind.
Amen. Repentance is not about feeling condemned. Repentance is not about being sad. Repentance is not about, oh, Lord, I've messed up again. It's me again, Lord. Repentance is. Lord, change my heart and mind, mind on this circumstance so that I may follow you.
Amen.
So repent. And let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
[00:13:22] for the remission of sins.
And my wife is reading it already.
[00:13:28] She said, hurry up on now. Let's get to the good part. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is to you and to your children and all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.
That's everybody. That's Mama and him. Sister and Sally and Susie Q, too. Amen.
[00:13:48] Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. Next verse, huh? And that day, about 3,000 souls were added to them.
We had two people get saved last week. Hallelujah.
[00:14:05] We had 27 people on the street
[00:14:07] receive salvation on Tuesday. Amen. We had 50 last week.
[00:14:11] How many last week, Tony?
[00:14:13] Jeremy?
[00:14:13] How many the week before? I think they're leading about 100 people to the Lord a month. Lord, by the time they get done,
[00:14:20] we're going to have all the Gold coast saved.
[00:14:21] Amen.
And here's a funny thing.
We ain't sending them to this church. We're sending them to that church and the one closest to the home. Because we're not gathering people. We're doing a kingdom work and we're partnering with the body of Christ. And those that will receive the name of Jesus shall be saved and receive power from on high.
It's not about building an enterprise or an empire. It's about building the kingdom of God.
[00:14:48] Amen.
All right, Peter, you did a good job preaching. Now let me try.
So this morning, I want to show you one thing.
Amen.
That'd been fun to preach back in the day.
[00:15:04] And you Know, I want to show
[00:15:05] you this one thing, and I want it to be simple. So settle in for a minute. Pentecost is a story of how God takes redeemed people and fills them with his spirit and sends them into purpose.
Redeemed, filled, sent.
Why are you here this morning?
Well, we have three words for this church. Engage, equip, empower. I don't want to do it all. I just do it from here and through the week. But you get people to come in here, you invite people to this place, you do the work with us to minister with the way you live by
[00:15:43] the gospel which we preach.
[00:15:45] Amen. And are we preaching the same gospel? Would be the question.
[00:15:50] So redeemed, filled, sent.
[00:15:53] Hold those words this morning as we go through each one of them. Why did Jesus after all this?
[00:16:01] I mean, Peter gets up and preaches this message.
[00:16:04] Let's back up a little bit to where Jesus told Peter to wait.
You might be in your waiting period right now, but what's on the other
[00:16:15] side of your purpose and presence and obedience to God may be one of
[00:16:21] the greatest messages that's ever been preached from your mouth.
Amen.
Last week, we left Peter on the beach with Jamie and Jesus.
I'm sure Jamie's happy to be there.
Restored and recommissioned.
[00:16:41] He had denied Christ three times.
[00:16:44] He knew that he had died.
[00:16:46] And where did he go to find Jesus?
[00:16:48] He said, I'm gonna go back to the place where the first miracle happened. I'm gonna go back to the lake. Cause that's where I wanna see him. He thought, I'm gonna go back to just being a fisherman. But God said, follow me and I'll make you a fisher of men showed up on the shore and they sat down and had a dinner and recommissioned and restored Peter and the rest of the apostles, he told Peter three times
[00:17:11] as many times as he denied him.
[00:17:13] He told Peter three times, go feed my sheep.
[00:17:16] Now you got people in your life that have betrayed you, said they didn't know you, talked bad about you. And Jesus showed you what you're supposed to do just as many times as they betrayed you.
[00:17:29] Commission them to go work for the Lord.
[00:17:31] Love them and be patient.
[00:17:34] Amen.
And yet, before Peter even ever fed one sheep, before he ever preached a sermon, before he ever healed a man at a temple, Jesus told him to wait. Wait in Jerusalem. Wait for the promise from the Father.
Wait until you are clothed with power from on high.
Why did he need to wait? Because his own strength wasn't enough to Pull the fish out of the boat.
His own strength wouldn't be enough to pull fish into the kingdom of God.
Amen.
Why couldn't Peter just go straight into the from the beach to ministry?
[00:18:11] I mean, he just saw Jesus.
[00:18:12] If I saw Jesus, it'd break out
[00:18:14] like measles in my mouth. I'm gonna go right to telling everybody.
[00:18:18] But he said, wait, hold that question.
Everything this morning is going to answer it. So let's go to Passover first, then Pentecost. Here's the first things you need to see. Pentecost never stood alone.
The word there. Pentecost means 50th because it is. This feast was celebrated 50 days after Passover.
Amen. 50 days of celebration.
They had to wait for a feast after the Passover, which represented what? Harvest.
What did Peter just do?
Harvest.
Everything has a semblance to God. We'll get there in a minute. I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself.
[00:19:03] And those 50 days are not random.
[00:19:05] They are a pattern. Redemption first, then empowerment. Blood first, then fire. Deliverance first, then divine enabling.
Amen. Did you catch that? I'm going to read it again.
Amen. Yes, please.
There is a pattern. Redemption first, then empowerment. Blood first, then fire.
Deliverance first, then divine enabling.
Okay, slower.
Redemption first, then empowerment.
Blood first, then fire.
Deliverance first, then enabling.
Passover.
Passover was the night the lamb was slain.
The blood was applied and the judgment passed over the house.
Exodus 12:13.
We got that one. Yep. Now the. Mm. Whoa. Yes. Now the blood shall be assigned for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you. And the plague shall not be on you to destroy you. When I strike the land of Egypt, Passover was the rescue. Passover was God bringing his people out.
And then we know that Passover points to Jesus in 1st Corinthians 5:7.
We have that one.
For indeed Christ, our Passover.
Therefore, purge out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, since you truly are in leaven. For indeed Christ, our Passover was sacrificed for us.
So the same lamb, the same type and shadow of lamb that was in the first Passover in Exodus, that no
[00:21:02] plague shall touch you, no curse shall touch you.
[00:21:06] Is the lamb that was slain before the foundations of time so that no curse would touch you because of Jesus, the sin curse, the destruction.
[00:21:19] Does that still mean we need to repent?
[00:21:21] You better believe it.
[00:21:23] Are you capable of sin?
[00:21:25] Yes.
Hallelujah.
So let's look at this. But here is.
[00:21:30] But are you capable of sin. But does it have dominion over you?
[00:21:33] No.
That's the difference.
What you focus on, you give power to.
But here is what many people miss.
[00:21:42] Passover was never meant to be.
[00:21:44] The end of the story.
[00:21:45] God didn't bring Israel out of Egypt
[00:21:47] just so that he could stand in the wilderness and say, at least we got out.
[00:21:53] At least we got out. You know, good job.
[00:21:55] We were eating garlic and onions and now eating quail and manna and walking around with shoes that don't give out. I mean, TJ Maxx ain't got nothing on us.
Hallelujah. We got a brand called Exodus.
Dad joke number one.
Yeah.
Ba dum bump bump.
[00:22:17] And did they see it as better?
[00:22:21] No.
[00:22:23] And as they traveled through the promised land, as they lived all the way up to the point of Jesus, did they see it as better?
[00:22:29] No.
[00:22:29] He didn't come the way they wanted
[00:22:32] him to, and they still couldn't see it.
[00:22:35] And that's why the message from Peter was so prevalent. Because sometimes the way God is providing
[00:22:40] for you is not the way you want it.
Amen.
You mean, say that one real slow.
[00:22:48] Sometimes the way God is providing for
[00:22:50] you is not the way you want it.
[00:22:54] Amen.
[00:22:56] Hallelujah. I didn't know I was going to be in a mime show this morning.
Amen.
He brought them out to bring them in to covenant, into identity and into purpose.
He didn't save you just to make you a salvage story.
He saved you so that you could rescue others and bring salvation through the witness of the Word and the Gospel.
Amen.
Jesus did not save you just so you could say, I am forgiven.
[00:23:39] I'm forgiven.
[00:23:40] I'm going to go to church on Sunday.
Feeling good, Feeling great.
No, he didn't do that so that you could live powerless, passive and disconnected from life and life in the Spirit. He did it so you could be connected to the greatest power, which is him, the Holy Spirit in you.
And that's just the beginning. That's why Pentecost matters.
We look for signs and wonders when the greatest sign and wonder has ever happened. Jesus came into your heart.
You were baptized and the Holy Spirit fell upon you. You then received gifts of the Spirit and began to operate in unnatural love. Was able to love the unlovable and have strength and grace to do things you thought you could never do. But you're still looking for a sign.
You're still looking for something. When God said, the greatest prophecy points to my son, Jesus, we don't need more signs and wonders.
[00:24:36] We need to settle in our heart what's already happened.
[00:24:39] And then more signs and wonders will happen because they'll be pure, not manifested by man.
Amen.
I didn't get much Amens there.
Passover says you are brought out. Pentecost says you were filled and sent.
I'm going to say that again. Passover. Don't y' all get up at 11 on me today. I'm going over time. By the way, Pentecost says you were filled. Passover says you were brought out. Pentecost says you are filled and sent. Passover says the Lamb has made a way. Pentecost says the Spirit is now come upon the people of God.
Passover says bondage is broken. Pentecost says power is given.
[00:25:22] You're feeling weak this morning.
[00:25:25] Have you tapped into your Holy Spirit?
[00:25:27] You're feeling poor in spirit this morning.
[00:25:29] Have you tapped into your Holy Spirit?
[00:25:32] You feeling down and out this morning?
[00:25:34] Have you tapped into your Holy Spirit?
[00:25:36] Have you not got the same pep in your step this morning?
[00:25:38] Tap into your Holy Spirit.
[00:25:40] It's just a flip of a switch and a moment with Jesus to let go of your flesh and watch your
[00:25:44] angry about and tap into the Spirit.
[00:25:48] It's you letting go of what you want and letting God do through you what he wants.
God and the Holy Spirit is not a tool that you use. You are his tool to be used. The Holy Spirit is not controlled by you. You are controlled by the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Amen.
[00:26:09] If y' all don't know what that
[00:26:10] means, that's Southern Baptist approval along with some Pentecost hallelujah.
[00:26:16] Is it Southern Baptist? No.
[00:26:18] He said no.
[00:26:20] It's all right, though.
I don't know that I can. That was all Holy Spirit.
[00:26:26] That wasn't in my notes.
[00:26:27] It's on the recording, though. Amen.
[00:26:30] Hallelujah.
The Holy Spirit is not controlled by you.
You are controlled by Him.
[00:26:37] I'm only looking at you because you're sitting there. By the way, you're safe.
Amen.
Whew.
For the first time, this is about you to get it lined up.
Some come back to Peter. So I'm going to come back to Peter. Why did Jesus tell him to wait?
You've been waiting.
You've been waiting for the church to move.
[00:27:04] You've been waiting for things to happen. You've been waiting for that outpouring in your life.
[00:27:09] Wait some more.
The disciples were not unbelievers.
They had seen the risen Christ. They were already his. And still Jesus said in Luke 24:49, Tarry in the city Behold. Is that it? Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you. But tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you have been, until you are endued with power from on high.
They didn't know what that looked like.
There was no clarity on what that looked like. We gonna plug into the wall? They didn't even have plug ins back then.
Are we gonna do some jumping jacks and, you know, get. We gonna wrestle, we gonna fix some nets?
[00:27:48] What do we do?
[00:27:49] Sit and wait?
[00:27:51] Some of you, that'd be a very
[00:27:53] big problem, sitting still.
You know, I heard something from Nora yesterday in a car from her social media, and I hope she hears this, but she said we have lost the ability to sit still and listen to God.
In the Western church we're always wanting to do.
We're busy about many things. Our mind is busy. We're looking for the next thing that God is telling us to do when we haven't even fulfilled the last thing that God told us to do.
We haven't even learned to obey in the first step. And we're trying to run through the next 50.
We need to learn how to sit still and know who he is and let him empower us.
So, church, hear this carefully. Even those who already belong to Jesus still need the Holy Spirit power for the assignment ahead.
[00:28:44] Well, I got Jesus.
[00:28:46] I got grace.
[00:28:47] I got this and I got that.
[00:28:48] You got cheap grace.
It's cheap.
You got cheap faith.
It's founded on a couple of words, a bumper sticker and a T shirt.
[00:29:02] It wouldn't even stand up like a
[00:29:03] paper bag to the enemy.
[00:29:06] It has to be of the Holy Spirit, it has to be of God before it can stand up.
[00:29:12] In this age, you cannot stand in
[00:29:16] the power of God, in the presence of God and take on the devil without being assigned, anointed and appointed by him to do so.
And you have been by Jesus Christ
[00:29:25] to be faithful witnesses.
[00:29:27] But your fight is not to go out and pick every spiritual fight.
You are meant to be on appointment and assignment and called for a purpose and a season. And you need to do it the
[00:29:38] way God says do it. I'm going to go out there and save the world. I'll see you in a few weeks.
I'm going to become a pastor.
Let's talk now.
Cause if you run the church model today, you're going to be broke, disgusted and frustrated.
Amen.
[00:29:57] And people, all those that are called to be pastors, let me tell you something. They will take your shoes and your baby's shoelaces.
And still expect more from you.
You are a gift to the body.
They will never see you. They will only see the gift of Jesus through you. And if you ever want to be appreciated, do not become a pastor.
Amen.
You will stay up many, many nights praying for many people, going to hospitals, going to funerals, and you will do many things that people do not see, and you will carry that weight to bed. Do not become a pastor unless you are called because you cannot carry the weight.
[00:30:33] Amen.
[00:30:34] Do not accept a call that is not yours to carry it. It's like me going to the gym today and trying to lift 300 pounds.
[00:30:40] It just ain't gonna happen.
Amen.
[00:30:44] Well, how do I know what I'm called to?
[00:30:47] Listen to the Holy Spirit?
Do not listen to what men see
[00:30:55] in you
[00:30:58] and tell you what you're called to do.
Listen to the Holy Spirit.
[00:31:03] You can come to me right now
[00:31:05] and say, pastor, I feel called to this church, and there's about 50 places I'm gonna stick you in.
[00:31:09] Amen.
[00:31:10] I'm gonna be like, yeah, you can do this, you can do that, and if God ain't called you, you're going to be burned out in a week.
Amen.
It takes Holy Spirit power.
Amen.
Sorry, church, just correcting some things.
I haven't even got halfway through my notes. Jesus, you can already belong to Jesus and still need empowering.
You can already be saved by grace and still need divine enablement.
You can already know the truth and still need to be clothed with power from on high.
You can already be wise and know nothing.
Man, that's some harsh words this morning.
I'm not here to condemn you, nor am I here to convict you.
I'm here to empower you with the right Source.
Amen.
Acts 1:8 says this. You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me.
Pentecost is not just a spiritual experience to enjoy.
It is a power for a purpose.
[00:32:19] Any.
[00:32:20] Whoo. I'm about to say something. Pray for me.
Pray for me, brother.
[00:32:29] Your gift is not so they can see you.
Your gift is so they can see him through you.
If your gift draws attention to you, it is not glorifying God.
[00:32:46] Get it aligned or you're causing people to get in their flesh.
Oh, my, oh me, oh me, oh my.
Amen.
That was not a different language.
[00:33:03] So let's go from the fire falling on the mountain.
Peter being in Jerusalem.
[00:33:08] Let's go from the mountain to the upper room. I'm gonna touch very Lightly on this.
There is one more place we must look at.
And then we come to the fire that fell on Sinai. The same presence that clouded the top of a mountain is the same presence that filled a room. Could you imagine that?
I want that.
I want our churches to have that.
Well, that was a good worship service.
[00:33:36] Great.
[00:33:38] That was a good preach.
[00:33:39] Wonderful.
[00:33:40] They really prayed for me. Really well.
[00:33:41] Mm, that's great. I want people to walk out here saying, I felt the presence of God fill my soul so much that I felt an outpour in my spirit, outpouring my shadow, outpouring my prayer, outpouring my life, outpouring my cells, my veins, my breath. I want people to be so filled with God that they taste, see, smell and see Him.
[00:34:03] This fake, phony power, I don't want it no more.
This ain't a TED Talk. This is an empowerment Plug in.
If this is scaring you, I pray that the spirit of peace falls on you.
50 days after the Passover, God brought Israel to a mountain. And on that mountain he gave them the law.
Exodus 19 tells us that the Lord decided on Sinai and fire. There was thunder, and there was a mountain that was burned. And there was a distance.
The people could not even touch the mountain and live.
The law was holy and good and right. And the law had its limit.
It could not tell you what righteousness looked. It could only tell you what righteousness looked like. It couldn't tell you how to be righteous.
It could command you from the outside, but it couldn't change you from the inside.
So God promised a day when he would do something deeper. Jeremiah 31 and 33. I will put my law, but this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord, I will put my law in their minds and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God and they will be my people.
Ezekiel 36:27. I will put my spirit within you.
I will give you a new heart, and I will put my spirit within you. I will take the heart of stone and of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statues.
And you will keep my judgments and
[00:35:37] do them not because you were able, because he empowered you to be able.
He made a covenant before you even knew Jesus to make a way through Jesus so that you could, after the cross, live in such a manner that would blessing and an empowerment to fulfill and follow God. Not being conformed, but transformed, renewed in the mind, by the word, being able to fulfill the perfect will of God.
[00:36:04] Is this good?
Amen, Jesus.
So hold that picture of Sinai, the fire on the mountain, the distance, because now we walk into the upper room. I want to bring something close to you today.
The fire falls.
Acts two and two.
Man, look at this.
This message will cause people to run or stand. Do we have Acts 2 and 2? I'll read it here, Timmy. Suddenly there come a sound from heaven as of a rushing, mighty wind. And it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then this. In Acts 2 and 3, there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire. And it set upon each of them.
What set on a mountain now set on individuals.
Jesus said, greater work shall you do in my name. I've always questioned how.
Because he took his light and divided it amongst us.
And it's when the body is in unity and on fire for the Lord.
That's when we do greater works.
That's when we do greater works. We do not do great works as individuals. We do great works as flames that come together and burn brightly for him.
Do you see what just happened? At Sinai, the fire rested on a mountain. And at Pentecost, the fire rested on its people.
The fire that was once marked in a mountain now rests in a believer. The presence that was approached in a distance and had to have a special priest with a rope to get to was now so present that it was in the heart, so powerful that it indwelled in the human. And that does not make God less holy. It makes the work of Jesus more glorious.
Is that good Jesus, Lord? Hallelujah. The only reason the fire can rest on people is because Christ made the way.
The cross did not lower the standard. The cross opened the door for the spirit of God to come and dwell in us and raised the standard, why am I still sinning?
Because there's someone else sitting on the throne of your heart, and you need to repurpose Jesus to sit there.
There's too much of you controlling when the flesh and the mind need to surrender so that the spirit can be walked out.
[00:38:45] Whoo.
[00:38:45] This is good.
I don't know about y', all, but I'm feeling good.
Y' all feeling good?
All right.
This same Peter. Now watch what the fire does to Peter.
The same Peter who denied Jesus three times beside a charcoal fire is now standing in that room with fire on his head.
[00:39:06] I don't know if God will call me because of all my problems.
I don't know if God will use me because of all my Past sins.
I don't know if God will use me because I'm broke and I ain't this and I ain't that.
[00:39:21] You sound like Moses. And God still called him too.
Amen.
You're standing in an upper room in life and you're no longer waiting on God. He's waiting on you. The fire has been poured out. You just got to light your torch.
Amen.
Peter is not a different man than he was before. He's the same Peter, same history, same failure. Same voice that once said, I do not know this man. But now the spirit of God is resting on him.
I'm going to skip past this part and leave that to Jamie for next week.
So what is the fire for?
Let me be clear, because this is where it matters.
Pentecost was not about the only. Pentecost was not only the feast of 50 days.
It was also the feast of harvest.
And on the feast of harvest, God began to gather a harvest. The Spirit fell on Peter. He stood up and Jesus was preached. Acts 2:41.
Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. And on that day, about 3,000 souls were added to them. Why did Peter wait?
Because God has got to order.
God said, wait till the appointed time. Let all things be fulfilled. He fulfilled his own Passover. He fulfilled his own feast of the harvest. And he had Peter preach at the end of it to not harvest the grain the but to harvest and be a fisher of men, to fulfill what God had called him to be from the moment he said, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.
The Holy Spirit was not poured out so the church could become fascinated with an experience.
The Holy Spirit was not poured out so that the church could become effective in witness power for what? Power to testify Jesus?
Power to carry the gospel beyond fear, beyond weakness, beyond human limitation. The Spirit fills you, and then the Spirit sends you filled and sent. You cannot separate the two.
You leave here today and you will be sent into the world to be witnesses of Jesus.
Not to tell me that I preached a good message. Tell everybody to come to World Changers next week. You should invite them. But that's okay. It's not about building this church. It's about spreading the name of Jesus.
Today is about encouraging you to empower you to go out and fulfill the Great Commission.
You don't have to go out with Jeremy on Tuesday, but I'm sure he'd like you to come.
You can simply look at the barista and say, can I pray for you?
You can simply pay for the person's groceries behind you. That is digging through the change.
You can simply help someone unload their groceries at the grocery store if they let you.
The actions of the Gospel are so much more pure than all your knowledge.
It's about willingness to step out and show Jesus. For those that gave me a glass of water to drink, you've given it unto me. For those that visited me in prison, you've given it unto me. For those that you fed when I was hungry, you've done that unto me. The Gospel is so much more than knowing scripture.
That's just the beginning. It's about living it out.
Not from a pulpit, not from a podium, not from a platform, but out there in the world. Pentecost empowered us to go make changes and to encounter the world with the encounter of Jesus.
So let me bring this home and let me make it personal.
Maybe today you love the Lord, but if you're honest, you've been dry.
Maybe you know the truth, but lately you haven't been carrying all of it on with his strength, you've been carrying it with his.
Maybe you have been saved for years, but somewhere along the way, the fire started to feel far off. More like a mountain you once visited than a flame that rests on you now.
If that's. You hear the whole message, the whole message of Pentecost in one sentence, the same Jesus who saved you also fills you.
The same Savior who forgives you also empowers you.
The same Lord who brought you out also sends you out.
You are never meant to live this life on your own strength. You are never meant to run on an empty call.
You are meant to run it with faithfulness to the very name that called you.
There is a supply. His name is the Holy Spirit. And he is not a wage you earn. He is a gift you receive.
How do I receive the Holy Spirit?
You ever open a Coke can? You know, a little flip top?
Did you struggle figuring that out?
You just popped it. Drank was just that available.
That easy. It's the same with the Holy Spirit. Once you know you have it, it's yours.
You just gotta know it's yours.
You don't have to earn it. It's yours.
You can operate in it, it's yours. You can have discernment, it's yours. You can operate in his gifts, it's yours.
It's there. It's ready for you right now.
[00:45:10] There's nothing you gotta do except know Jesus.
Receive him as your Lord and Savior. And then you'll be empowered from on high. Get baptized.
[00:45:18] Take all the steps, come to church, read your Bible, and then even all those things, follow him.
The call is this.
Do not leave this room dry.
If something in you is saying, I need this. I need to be filled again, do not sit on that. Respond to it right where you are.
Bow your head, close your eyes, open your hands, and ask.
And I'll do it with you. Let's just do it together.
Lord, fill me again.
Refresh my fire as I stir up the gifts within me.
May you stir within me, Lord. Let me feel sense and see your presence.
Like a shadow that follows me, but a dwelling that is in me. Through the name of Jesus and your Holy Spirit, Amen.
It doesn't matter whether you've walked with Jesus for 40 years or four minutes.
The invitation this morning is the same.
Come and be filled.
So we're going to make room for that. Right now.
We're here, and we want to pray for you. If you want to stand to your feet, Jeremy's going to do this for me.
I'd ask Jamie if you don't mind praying for people, Tina, if you don't mind praying for people, Laura, if you don't mind praying. Do you mind praying for people, Laura?
Now, I would normally call all of our intercessors and everybody else, but today, maybe everybody else needs prayer. So I'm going to call up these leaders.
If you can't get up here, Patty and Claire will meet you over here for prayer, if y' all don't mind.
So this morning, I'm gonna make this one simple call.
If you feel your fire is burning low and you just need partnership in prayer, move quickly, move without hindrance, and come up here and let these guys pray for you.
Begin to move. Now, you got anything you can sing?
Yeah.
Jake, Just cut loose in the room, son. Whoever you want to pray for, Eli, same.
If y' all feel led, go pray as you feel led to pray for those next to you. Let's pray together.
Can you lay hands on those around you if you don't feel impressed to move?
Father, we thank you this morning that the fire is stirring in these people.
Father, we thank you, Lord Jesus. We thank you for finished work.
Oh, we thank you. We are accepted in you. Not because we earned it, but because you made it.
So we ask you now refresh this fire again.
[00:48:54] Thank you for tuning in to today's message. To connect or find out more, you can reach us online at worldchangers Life. Remember to subscribe for more uplifting messages from our pastoral team, and may you continue to walk in faith and transformation until we meet again.
