1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:04,160 In the will of the Lord, we wish 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:07,560 to consider a subject that I think is 3 00:00:08,940 --> 00:00:12,960 relevant to our everyday lives this week. 4 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:19,300 A spirit-led subject, I trust, on the 5 00:00:19,300 --> 00:00:20,460 spirit of God himself. 6 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:24,500 We're living in a day when we are 7 00:00:24,500 --> 00:00:27,600 so inclined to substitute the energy of the 8 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:32,720 flesh for the energy of the spirit, for 9 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:36,740 our own devices for the leading of the 10 00:00:36,740 --> 00:00:43,780 spirit, and to substitute expediency for the truth 11 00:00:43,780 --> 00:00:44,780 of God. 12 00:00:46,790 --> 00:00:51,290 Now, these are days, these are changing days, 13 00:00:51,530 --> 00:00:54,150 days of changing standards, but the word of 14 00:00:54,150 --> 00:00:57,470 God never changes, and God himself has never 15 00:00:57,470 --> 00:00:57,990 changed. 16 00:00:59,170 --> 00:01:03,269 And it's seldom that we reserve a whole 17 00:01:03,269 --> 00:01:05,230 week for a study like this, but we're 18 00:01:05,230 --> 00:01:09,590 going to permit ourselves that luxury of spending 19 00:01:09,590 --> 00:01:12,050 a whole week studying about the spirit of 20 00:01:12,050 --> 00:01:12,350 God. 21 00:01:13,660 --> 00:01:18,800 And we wish to begin that study tonight 22 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:22,440 with a reference to the 16th chapter of 23 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:28,080 John's gospel, John's gospel chapter 16. 24 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:50,280 Verse 12, I have yet many things to 25 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:52,540 say unto you, but ye cannot bear them 26 00:01:52,540 --> 00:01:53,000 now. 27 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:56,680 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is 28 00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:00,440 come, he will guide you into all truth. 29 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:03,720 For he shall not speak of himself, but 30 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:08,340 whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, 31 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:10,660 and he will show you things to come. 32 00:02:11,740 --> 00:02:16,240 He shall glorify me, for he shall receive 33 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:20,920 of mine, and shall show it unto you. 34 00:02:20,920 --> 00:02:25,800 Now, the spirit of God has a burden, 35 00:02:26,500 --> 00:02:28,520 and the burden of the spirit of God 36 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:31,960 is to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ. 37 00:02:32,660 --> 00:02:35,080 It says here that he shall not speak 38 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:38,180 of himself, but it does not say that 39 00:02:38,180 --> 00:02:40,000 we should not speak of him. 40 00:02:41,540 --> 00:02:44,380 One would almost suppose here that since the 41 00:02:44,380 --> 00:02:47,100 spirit does not speak of himself, that you 42 00:02:47,100 --> 00:02:48,820 and I have no right to speak of 43 00:02:48,820 --> 00:02:49,240 the spirit. 44 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,580 And that's not the intent of this portion 45 00:02:52,580 --> 00:02:53,740 of scripture at all. 46 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:57,880 The spirit of God speaks of our Lord 47 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:01,360 Jesus Christ, but it does not mean that 48 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:03,160 we do not learn the truth of the 49 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:04,920 spirit in the word of God, and that 50 00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:06,780 does not mean that they are unimportant. 51 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:10,280 The burden of the Holy Spirit of God 52 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:12,060 is that we might know Christ. 53 00:03:13,100 --> 00:03:15,900 The burden of our Lord Jesus Christ was 54 00:03:15,900 --> 00:03:17,880 that we might know the Father. 55 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:21,040 And I'm so glad for the ministry of 56 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:24,900 our Lord Jesus Christ that I do, through 57 00:03:24,900 --> 00:03:28,880 his ministry, know more of my Heavenly Father. 58 00:03:29,700 --> 00:03:32,200 Oh, I'm glad for that ministry. 59 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:35,160 I'm glad that I know the Father. 60 00:03:35,300 --> 00:03:38,100 I'm glad that I'm his son, and I'm 61 00:03:38,100 --> 00:03:40,760 glad for the precious relationship that I bear 62 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:42,600 to my Heavenly Father. 63 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:45,520 And I'm also glad for the ministry of 64 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:49,640 the Spirit, whose burden is that he might 65 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:52,560 bring Christ before us, and he might glorify 66 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:55,000 the Lord Jesus, that he might speak of 67 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:56,620 his things. 68 00:03:57,700 --> 00:04:01,580 Now, the Spirit of God is not simply 69 00:04:01,580 --> 00:04:02,740 an influence. 70 00:04:03,820 --> 00:04:06,460 There are many that speak of the Spirit 71 00:04:06,460 --> 00:04:09,160 of God as simply being an influence. 72 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:16,440 There, unfortunately, are portions in the Authorized Version 73 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:22,020 that refer to our spirit as it, instead 74 00:04:22,020 --> 00:04:24,400 of the pronoun he. 75 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:28,460 And that is most unfortunate indeed. 76 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:34,380 Our Lord Jesus Christ here says, When he, 77 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:37,080 the Spirit of truth, is come, he will 78 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:39,700 guide you into all truth, for he shall 79 00:04:39,700 --> 00:04:42,620 not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall 80 00:04:42,620 --> 00:04:45,860 hear, that shall he speak, and he will 81 00:04:45,860 --> 00:04:47,040 show you things to come. 82 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:48,900 He shall glorify me. 83 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:51,380 He is a blessed person. 84 00:04:52,860 --> 00:04:55,020 He is a third member of the Trinity, 85 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:58,360 and he is co-equal with God. 86 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:01,640 I fear sometimes that we give the Spirit 87 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:05,660 an inferior place in our thinking and in 88 00:05:05,660 --> 00:05:07,580 our considerations as a Christian. 89 00:05:08,620 --> 00:05:14,700 Now, God is equally omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. 90 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:18,940 And the Spirit is just as much God 91 00:05:18,940 --> 00:05:23,040 as the Father and as the Son. 92 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:28,240 The three in one are a perfect balance. 93 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:31,020 They are a perfect person. 94 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,860 The person of the Godhead is composed of 95 00:05:34,860 --> 00:05:35,560 three. 96 00:05:37,040 --> 00:05:38,920 You see that in the very, very first 97 00:05:38,920 --> 00:05:40,000 verse of the Bible. 98 00:05:41,060 --> 00:05:42,720 We read in the first verse of the 99 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:47,980 Bible, In the beginning God created the heavens 100 00:05:47,980 --> 00:05:49,040 and the earth. 101 00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:53,900 Now, the word God there, Elohim, is in 102 00:05:53,900 --> 00:05:54,500 the plural. 103 00:05:55,460 --> 00:05:58,980 There are three persons in the Hebrew language. 104 00:05:59,180 --> 00:06:02,460 There is the singular, there is the dual, 105 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:04,640 and there is the plural. 106 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:09,220 The plural consists of three or more. 107 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:12,220 And this is in the plural. 108 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:14,640 Elohim is in the plural. 109 00:06:14,640 --> 00:06:19,800 Now, that has to be three persons, comprehended 110 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:21,140 in the name of God. 111 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:24,960 In the beginning, God, in three persons. 112 00:06:25,540 --> 00:06:30,040 Now, strangely enough, the verb created there is 113 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:30,820 in the singular. 114 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,140 It's not in the plural at all. 115 00:06:35,380 --> 00:06:36,520 It's in the singular. 116 00:06:37,860 --> 00:06:40,920 God is three in one. 117 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:45,080 And the three members of the Trinity always 118 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:46,300 act in unison. 119 00:06:47,540 --> 00:06:50,060 They never act independent of the other. 120 00:06:51,060 --> 00:06:53,560 They always know what the other members of 121 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:54,700 the Godhead are thinking. 122 00:06:55,820 --> 00:06:58,360 There is perfect communication. 123 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:01,860 There are no jealousies in the Godhead. 124 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:08,420 The Godhead is a perfect, perfect combination of 125 00:07:08,420 --> 00:07:10,180 three persons in one. 126 00:07:10,180 --> 00:07:14,500 One life, one God, in three personages. 127 00:07:15,020 --> 00:07:15,720 Three persons. 128 00:07:16,500 --> 00:07:18,320 And the Spirit is the third one. 129 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:21,840 Now, the Spirit of God has a very, 130 00:07:22,180 --> 00:07:24,260 very important relationship to us. 131 00:07:25,860 --> 00:07:28,980 We experience the ministrations of the Spirit of 132 00:07:28,980 --> 00:07:32,860 God, I think, probably the first of the 133 00:07:32,860 --> 00:07:37,900 three of these mentioned blessed beings. 134 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:41,100 As a matter of fact, the Spirit of 135 00:07:41,100 --> 00:07:44,460 God is the first one mentioned in the 136 00:07:44,460 --> 00:07:44,820 Bible. 137 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:48,100 He is mentioned in the second verse of 138 00:07:48,100 --> 00:07:50,080 the Bible, that is, I mean individually. 139 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:55,160 And the Spirit, and I'm going to read 140 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:55,720 it to you. 141 00:07:55,940 --> 00:07:58,240 I started to quote it wrong, and I'm 142 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:00,000 afraid that I may misquote it now because 143 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:01,080 I started it wrong. 144 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:04,440 The earth was without form and void, and 145 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:06,560 darkness was upon the face of the deep, 146 00:08:06,860 --> 00:08:11,700 and the Spirit of God moved upon the 147 00:08:11,700 --> 00:08:13,100 face of the water. 148 00:08:14,420 --> 00:08:16,820 The Spirit of God is the first member 149 00:08:16,820 --> 00:08:18,840 of the Trinity that is mentioned in the 150 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:19,120 Bible. 151 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:24,180 Now, let's think of the reality of the 152 00:08:24,180 --> 00:08:24,520 Spirit. 153 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:30,040 Let's think of the reality of his relationship 154 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:31,840 to the Church in the book of Acts. 155 00:08:32,620 --> 00:08:34,780 And then we will get closer to home. 156 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:38,140 We will think of the reality of his 157 00:08:38,140 --> 00:08:40,659 ministry in our lives. 158 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:44,900 The book of the Acts has been called 159 00:08:44,900 --> 00:08:46,340 the Acts of the Apostles. 160 00:08:46,380 --> 00:08:48,940 Incidentally, that is not a divine title. 161 00:08:50,060 --> 00:08:52,840 That is a title that was given to 162 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:56,000 this wonderful historical book in the New Testament 163 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:59,700 by the compilers of our Bible. 164 00:09:00,780 --> 00:09:02,780 And the Acts of the Apostles might better 165 00:09:02,780 --> 00:09:05,180 indeed be called the Acts of the Holy 166 00:09:05,180 --> 00:09:09,000 Spirit because we see the Spirit of God 167 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,600 active in the book of Acts. 168 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:13,880 Now, I'm going to run down, and I'm 169 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:17,200 going to apologize in asking you to turn 170 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:18,480 to these Scriptures with me. 171 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:22,080 But we see, first of all, that he 172 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:25,980 in power in Acts chapter 1 and verse 173 00:09:25,980 --> 00:09:26,300 8. 174 00:09:39,580 --> 00:09:44,940 Verse 8, But ye shall receive power after 175 00:09:44,940 --> 00:09:47,320 that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, 176 00:09:48,140 --> 00:09:51,680 and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both 177 00:09:51,680 --> 00:09:56,100 in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in 178 00:09:56,100 --> 00:10:00,960 Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the 179 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:01,420 earth. 180 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:06,100 Ye shall receive power after that the Holy 181 00:10:06,100 --> 00:10:08,320 Ghost is come upon you. 182 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:11,960 Now, the Spirit of God himself is the 183 00:10:11,960 --> 00:10:12,360 power. 184 00:10:13,940 --> 00:10:19,870 And if you ever see power illustrated, if 185 00:10:19,870 --> 00:10:23,850 you ever see power in action, it's in 186 00:10:23,850 --> 00:10:24,570 the book of Acts. 187 00:10:25,510 --> 00:10:28,970 When you see the power of the testimony 188 00:10:28,970 --> 00:10:32,450 of the early church because the Spirit of 189 00:10:32,450 --> 00:10:34,290 God was acting. 190 00:10:34,290 --> 00:10:38,350 And when a handful of apostles, as it 191 00:10:38,350 --> 00:10:45,290 were, evangelized the whole world and moved the 192 00:10:45,290 --> 00:10:49,010 world as it had never been moved before. 193 00:10:49,770 --> 00:10:52,250 We see it individually illustrated in the life 194 00:10:52,250 --> 00:10:52,830 of Peter. 195 00:10:53,830 --> 00:10:56,410 Peter, when he was on this earth, was 196 00:10:56,410 --> 00:11:00,290 afraid, that is when he was with the 197 00:11:00,290 --> 00:11:06,750 Lord, was afraid to own his relationship to 198 00:11:06,750 --> 00:11:07,870 our Lord Jesus Christ. 199 00:11:08,830 --> 00:11:10,810 He denied his Lord three times. 200 00:11:12,570 --> 00:11:13,570 Peter was a coward. 201 00:11:15,070 --> 00:11:17,130 And Peter was afraid to confess that he 202 00:11:17,130 --> 00:11:18,850 loved the Lord. 203 00:11:20,590 --> 00:11:22,850 But Peter in the book of Acts is 204 00:11:22,850 --> 00:11:24,190 fearless as a lion. 205 00:11:25,430 --> 00:11:28,250 He stands up to anything and up to 206 00:11:28,250 --> 00:11:28,870 anybody. 207 00:11:30,850 --> 00:11:33,510 Certainly he was empowered by the Spirit of 208 00:11:33,510 --> 00:11:35,450 God, and that's the only explanation in the 209 00:11:35,450 --> 00:11:37,310 difference of that man Peter. 210 00:11:38,370 --> 00:11:42,470 Now, he was impetuous when he was with 211 00:11:42,470 --> 00:11:43,830 our Lord Jesus Christ. 212 00:11:44,510 --> 00:11:46,030 He was officious. 213 00:11:46,030 --> 00:11:49,590 He wanted to run the show, so to 214 00:11:49,590 --> 00:11:51,930 speak, pardon my modern language. 215 00:11:52,790 --> 00:11:55,510 He wanted to be able to tell John, 216 00:11:55,670 --> 00:11:58,690 the apostle, what to do in that 21st 217 00:11:58,690 --> 00:12:00,490 chapter of John. 218 00:12:00,910 --> 00:12:03,370 And the Lord Jesus Christ denied him that 219 00:12:03,370 --> 00:12:03,850 privilege. 220 00:12:04,510 --> 00:12:05,830 He says, you follow me. 221 00:12:07,090 --> 00:12:08,630 And then he says, well now, what shall 222 00:12:08,630 --> 00:12:09,490 this man do? 223 00:12:10,590 --> 00:12:12,590 Peter, I think, probably was one of the 224 00:12:12,590 --> 00:12:13,490 older apostles. 225 00:12:14,070 --> 00:12:14,970 I'm sure he was. 226 00:12:14,970 --> 00:12:16,630 John was the younger. 227 00:12:16,930 --> 00:12:18,470 Now, we don't find that out from the 228 00:12:18,470 --> 00:12:18,750 scriptures. 229 00:12:20,350 --> 00:12:23,250 But we find it out from early church 230 00:12:23,250 --> 00:12:23,750 history. 231 00:12:24,490 --> 00:12:28,210 And he had a patronizing attitude toward John, 232 00:12:28,450 --> 00:12:30,030 the youngest of the apostles. 233 00:12:31,110 --> 00:12:33,830 It could well be that during the earthly 234 00:12:33,830 --> 00:12:38,390 ministry of our Lord Jesus, that John, and 235 00:12:38,390 --> 00:12:40,050 you young people notice this, please. 236 00:12:40,570 --> 00:12:43,890 John was in his late teens. 237 00:12:45,830 --> 00:12:48,810 And he was an apostle of our Lord 238 00:12:48,810 --> 00:12:49,790 Jesus Christ. 239 00:12:49,870 --> 00:12:51,630 Now, I have no authority of saying that. 240 00:12:51,850 --> 00:12:53,370 I'm depending upon others. 241 00:12:54,890 --> 00:12:57,610 And Peter had a very patronizing attitude toward 242 00:12:57,610 --> 00:12:58,030 John. 243 00:12:59,430 --> 00:13:01,630 And he says, what shall this man do? 244 00:13:02,930 --> 00:13:05,350 And the Lord says, if I will to 245 00:13:05,350 --> 00:13:07,070 be tarried till I come, what is that 246 00:13:07,070 --> 00:13:07,470 for thee? 247 00:13:07,730 --> 00:13:08,490 Follow thou me. 248 00:13:09,850 --> 00:13:11,710 The Lord said, I'll take care of John. 249 00:13:12,350 --> 00:13:13,590 I'll direct him, Peter. 250 00:13:14,430 --> 00:13:17,010 You are not the fault. 251 00:13:19,010 --> 00:13:20,450 Now, Peter had that attitude. 252 00:13:20,630 --> 00:13:21,570 He was impetuous. 253 00:13:21,770 --> 00:13:22,850 He was officious. 254 00:13:23,590 --> 00:13:24,630 He made mistakes. 255 00:13:25,810 --> 00:13:29,470 But, oh, Peter is lovely later in his 256 00:13:29,470 --> 00:13:30,030 ministry. 257 00:13:30,780 --> 00:13:34,650 Because of the effect of the power of 258 00:13:34,650 --> 00:13:38,490 the operation of the Spirit of God in 259 00:13:38,490 --> 00:13:39,030 his life. 260 00:13:39,890 --> 00:13:43,290 And Peter does act, he acts with holy 261 00:13:43,290 --> 00:13:47,190 boldness, but spirit-directed boldness in the book 262 00:13:47,190 --> 00:13:47,570 of Acts. 263 00:13:48,250 --> 00:13:52,570 The difference was the power of the Spirit 264 00:13:52,570 --> 00:13:54,590 of God in his life. 265 00:13:55,590 --> 00:13:59,210 If there is any lacking of power in 266 00:13:59,210 --> 00:14:01,690 the church today, it is because the Spirit 267 00:14:01,690 --> 00:14:05,810 of God does not have his place in 268 00:14:05,810 --> 00:14:06,870 our lives. 269 00:14:07,630 --> 00:14:12,290 And directing and empowering the church of God. 270 00:14:12,290 --> 00:14:17,310 Secondly, he enables, in Acts chapter 2 and 271 00:14:17,310 --> 00:14:21,390 verse 4, we read, And they were all 272 00:14:21,390 --> 00:14:23,830 filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to 273 00:14:23,830 --> 00:14:29,450 speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave 274 00:14:29,450 --> 00:14:31,070 them utterance. 275 00:14:32,190 --> 00:14:35,630 Now, this has a very dispensational character. 276 00:14:36,610 --> 00:14:39,450 We believe that the Spirit is manifesting his 277 00:14:39,450 --> 00:14:41,710 power in other ways today, and we don't 278 00:14:41,710 --> 00:14:42,950 apologize for that. 279 00:14:45,810 --> 00:14:50,390 But he, at this time, because the church 280 00:14:50,390 --> 00:14:54,630 had not yet been authenticated in the minds 281 00:14:54,630 --> 00:14:58,130 of people, especially the Jewish people, this miracle 282 00:14:58,130 --> 00:14:58,810 was given. 283 00:14:59,450 --> 00:15:01,050 And it had its impact. 284 00:15:02,550 --> 00:15:04,730 Jewish people from all over the world were 285 00:15:04,730 --> 00:15:06,130 in Jerusalem at this time. 286 00:15:06,130 --> 00:15:09,910 And they heard the gospel spoken in their 287 00:15:09,910 --> 00:15:11,210 own tongues. 288 00:15:12,470 --> 00:15:15,430 And they knew this had to be a 289 00:15:15,430 --> 00:15:15,730 miracle. 290 00:15:17,330 --> 00:15:19,710 This was the power of Babel in reverse. 291 00:15:20,990 --> 00:15:24,370 But the Spirit of God used these men, 292 00:15:24,550 --> 00:15:27,590 empowered these men, and it had a very 293 00:15:27,590 --> 00:15:32,450 profound effect upon those who heard the gospel 294 00:15:32,450 --> 00:15:33,790 spoken at this time. 295 00:15:33,790 --> 00:15:35,910 So the Spirit of God enables. 296 00:15:36,990 --> 00:15:38,630 The Spirit of God commands. 297 00:15:39,770 --> 00:15:41,570 Chapter 8 and verse 29. 298 00:15:55,290 --> 00:15:57,470 Verse 26, And the angel of the Lord 299 00:15:57,470 --> 00:16:01,810 spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward 300 00:16:01,810 --> 00:16:04,210 the south, and to the way that goeth 301 00:16:04,210 --> 00:16:06,730 down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. 302 00:16:07,410 --> 00:16:08,910 And he arose and went. 303 00:16:08,910 --> 00:16:14,190 And, behold, a man of Ethiopia, and eunuch 304 00:16:14,190 --> 00:16:20,450 under great authority, under Candace, queen of the 305 00:16:20,450 --> 00:16:23,150 Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasure, 306 00:16:23,950 --> 00:16:26,650 and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, 307 00:16:26,770 --> 00:16:29,810 was returning, and sitting in his chariot, read 308 00:16:29,810 --> 00:16:30,930 Isaiah the prophet. 309 00:16:31,090 --> 00:16:34,390 Now, notice, please, it says, the angel of 310 00:16:34,390 --> 00:16:34,830 the Lord. 311 00:16:34,930 --> 00:16:37,050 Now, this indicates the theophany. 312 00:16:37,050 --> 00:16:40,930 Where you have that formula, those words use 313 00:16:40,930 --> 00:16:45,630 the angel of the Lord, you have God 314 00:16:45,630 --> 00:16:47,690 present in angelic form. 315 00:16:48,070 --> 00:16:50,950 But notice, please, verse 29. 316 00:16:52,570 --> 00:16:56,450 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, 317 00:16:56,970 --> 00:17:00,170 and join thyself to this chariot. 318 00:17:01,070 --> 00:17:02,510 There's your theophany. 319 00:17:03,329 --> 00:17:05,290 This is the Spirit of God that's speaking. 320 00:17:05,990 --> 00:17:09,069 And he tells Philip to go and join 321 00:17:09,069 --> 00:17:10,349 himself to that chariot. 322 00:17:11,770 --> 00:17:13,490 So the Spirit of God commands. 323 00:17:14,550 --> 00:17:18,349 He transports, we read in verse 39, after 324 00:17:18,349 --> 00:17:21,470 he had witnessed to the Ethiopian eunuch, and 325 00:17:21,470 --> 00:17:23,930 after that eunuch had been baptized, we read 326 00:17:23,930 --> 00:17:26,349 there, and when they were come up out 327 00:17:26,349 --> 00:17:28,730 of the water, the Spirit of the Lord 328 00:17:28,730 --> 00:17:32,090 caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him 329 00:17:32,090 --> 00:17:34,870 no more, and he went on his way 330 00:17:34,870 --> 00:17:35,650 rejoicing. 331 00:17:36,590 --> 00:17:40,410 When the evangelist left, believe me, the revival 332 00:17:40,410 --> 00:17:41,310 didn't leave. 333 00:17:42,970 --> 00:17:44,570 Not in this case. 334 00:17:45,050 --> 00:17:47,210 Too many cases in this world it does. 335 00:17:48,050 --> 00:17:51,070 The evangelist leaves with all his personality and 336 00:17:51,070 --> 00:17:55,150 with all his charm, and the interest continues 337 00:17:55,150 --> 00:17:58,370 about three weeks, and then people are right 338 00:17:58,370 --> 00:18:00,170 back on the same level where they always 339 00:18:00,170 --> 00:18:01,650 were, but not in this case. 340 00:18:02,650 --> 00:18:04,590 God had done a work in this man's 341 00:18:04,590 --> 00:18:06,730 heart, and he rejoiced. 342 00:18:07,790 --> 00:18:09,650 The Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip. 343 00:18:10,950 --> 00:18:12,010 Isn't that marvelous? 344 00:18:13,070 --> 00:18:13,950 He caught him away. 345 00:18:14,530 --> 00:18:15,330 How did he do it? 346 00:18:15,410 --> 00:18:15,930 I don't know. 347 00:18:16,090 --> 00:18:16,950 I'm not concerned. 348 00:18:17,970 --> 00:18:19,010 He caught him away. 349 00:18:19,950 --> 00:18:22,610 Then he called Acts chapter 13. 350 00:18:27,550 --> 00:18:30,170 Now there was in the church that was 351 00:18:30,170 --> 00:18:33,370 at Antioch certain prophets and teachers as Barnabas, 352 00:18:34,170 --> 00:18:37,850 and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius 353 00:18:37,850 --> 00:18:42,110 of Cyrene, and Menaeum, which had been brought 354 00:18:42,110 --> 00:18:45,250 up with Herod the tetrarch, and Paul. 355 00:18:45,690 --> 00:18:48,370 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, 356 00:18:48,490 --> 00:18:54,510 the Holy Ghost said, Separate me, Barnabas and 357 00:18:54,510 --> 00:18:58,890 Saul, for the work whereunto I have called 358 00:18:58,890 --> 00:18:59,150 them. 359 00:19:00,290 --> 00:19:03,870 Now the Spirit called, and then the Spirit 360 00:19:03,870 --> 00:19:06,670 sends, we read farther on, and when they 361 00:19:06,670 --> 00:19:08,990 had fasted and prayed and laid their hands 362 00:19:08,990 --> 00:19:11,110 on them, they sent them away. 363 00:19:11,910 --> 00:19:14,890 So they, being sent forth by the Holy 364 00:19:14,890 --> 00:19:19,170 Ghost, departed unto Seleuciach, and from thence they 365 00:19:19,170 --> 00:19:21,350 sailed to Cyprus. 366 00:19:23,050 --> 00:19:26,550 Now he reveals in chapter 11 of the 367 00:19:26,550 --> 00:19:27,670 book of Acts. 368 00:19:27,830 --> 00:19:30,910 We're going backwards just for a moment. 369 00:19:37,000 --> 00:19:37,760 Verse 27. 370 00:19:38,060 --> 00:19:41,000 In these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto 371 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:44,880 Antioch, and there stood up one of them 372 00:19:44,880 --> 00:19:49,280 named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that 373 00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:51,800 there should be a great dearth throughout all 374 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:54,560 the world which came to pass in the 375 00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:55,960 days of Claudius Caesar. 376 00:19:56,780 --> 00:20:00,280 So the Spirit reveals that which is coming 377 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:01,580 in the future. 378 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:04,660 In the 16th chapter of Acts, we have 379 00:20:04,660 --> 00:20:08,560 him forbidding certain things in the light, in 380 00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:09,580 the direction of Paul. 381 00:20:12,670 --> 00:20:13,510 Verse 6. 382 00:20:14,430 --> 00:20:15,650 Acts 16 and 6. 383 00:20:15,650 --> 00:20:18,490 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia, and 384 00:20:18,490 --> 00:20:20,730 the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of 385 00:20:20,730 --> 00:20:22,430 the Holy Ghost to preach the word in 386 00:20:22,430 --> 00:20:22,770 Asia. 387 00:20:24,130 --> 00:20:26,310 After they were come to Mycenae, they had 388 00:20:26,310 --> 00:20:28,890 stayed to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit 389 00:20:28,890 --> 00:20:30,770 suffered them not. 390 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:35,960 And they, passing by Mycenae, came down to 391 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:36,500 Troas. 392 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:39,080 And a vision appeared to Paul in the 393 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:46,730 night, and there stood a man of Macedonia, 394 00:20:46,770 --> 00:20:48,850 and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia 395 00:20:48,850 --> 00:20:50,430 and help us. 396 00:20:51,650 --> 00:20:53,990 And after he had seen the vision, immediately 397 00:20:53,990 --> 00:20:56,930 we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering 398 00:20:56,930 --> 00:20:59,170 that the Lord had called us for to 399 00:20:59,170 --> 00:21:00,630 preach the gospel unto them. 400 00:21:01,530 --> 00:21:03,450 Who do you think was responsible for the 401 00:21:03,450 --> 00:21:03,790 dreams? 402 00:21:05,630 --> 00:21:06,730 God directed them. 403 00:21:07,990 --> 00:21:11,370 The Spirit of God was directing the evangelization 404 00:21:11,370 --> 00:21:12,610 of the world at this time. 405 00:21:12,610 --> 00:21:15,470 In the 21st chapter of the book of 406 00:21:15,470 --> 00:21:17,750 Acts, we have warnings, the warnings of the 407 00:21:17,750 --> 00:21:18,050 Spirit. 408 00:21:23,190 --> 00:21:27,210 Paul is en route to Jerusalem, and we 409 00:21:27,210 --> 00:21:32,020 read in verse 3, Now when we had 410 00:21:32,020 --> 00:21:34,500 discovered Cyprus, we lifted on the left hand 411 00:21:34,500 --> 00:21:37,640 and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre, 412 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:39,700 for there the ship was to a later 413 00:21:39,700 --> 00:21:40,100 burden. 414 00:21:40,220 --> 00:21:43,780 And finding certain disciples, we tarried there seven 415 00:21:43,780 --> 00:21:46,260 days, who said to Paul through the Spirit 416 00:21:46,260 --> 00:21:49,760 that he should not go up to Jerusalem. 417 00:21:50,980 --> 00:21:53,260 Now here the Spirit does not speak directly. 418 00:21:53,860 --> 00:21:55,860 He speaks through human instruments. 419 00:21:56,760 --> 00:21:59,420 But nevertheless, the Spirit is warning. 420 00:22:00,260 --> 00:22:02,660 So we see His activities in these various 421 00:22:02,660 --> 00:22:04,500 ways in the book of Acts. 422 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:09,000 We see Him directing in the early church. 423 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:12,460 And now let's bring this activity of the 424 00:22:12,460 --> 00:22:13,800 Spirit closer to home. 425 00:22:15,120 --> 00:22:17,240 Let's bring the activity of the Spirit of 426 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:20,600 God to our own personal experience. 427 00:22:21,420 --> 00:22:23,620 So I venture to say here tonight that 428 00:22:23,620 --> 00:22:26,740 each one of us have had the experience 429 00:22:26,740 --> 00:22:29,920 of the blessed ministration of the Spirit and 430 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:33,760 the blessed leading of the Spirit of God. 431 00:22:35,300 --> 00:22:40,280 Now, in that same 16th chapter of John's 432 00:22:40,280 --> 00:22:43,420 Gospel, we read of the present day ministry 433 00:22:43,420 --> 00:22:46,020 of the Spirit both to the saved and 434 00:22:46,020 --> 00:22:46,820 to the unsaved. 435 00:22:46,900 --> 00:22:49,400 Well, we read of this ministry more to 436 00:22:49,400 --> 00:22:52,220 the unsaved in chapter 14. 437 00:22:53,080 --> 00:22:54,600 Let's read both chapters. 438 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:55,900 Chapter 14 first. 439 00:22:57,560 --> 00:23:28,700 In the 16th verse there we read, The 440 00:23:28,700 --> 00:23:32,220 Lord Jesus says, I believe the margin has 441 00:23:32,220 --> 00:23:32,500 it. 442 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:36,100 I will come to you. 443 00:23:37,220 --> 00:23:39,440 Now the Spirit of God, or the Lord 444 00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:42,340 Jesus rather, is leading His disciples. 445 00:23:43,940 --> 00:23:45,720 And He's very concerned about them. 446 00:23:46,500 --> 00:24:02,080 Now He says, The 447 00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:05,340 Lord Himself was the original Comforter. 448 00:24:06,040 --> 00:24:07,580 He comforted His people. 449 00:24:09,260 --> 00:24:12,460 And the Spirit of God is another Comforter. 450 00:24:13,360 --> 00:24:15,400 He has been with you, but He shall 451 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:16,580 be in you. 452 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:21,420 And so He comes into the world to 453 00:24:21,420 --> 00:24:22,340 comfort us. 454 00:24:23,620 --> 00:24:26,380 And His ministry toward the church is that 455 00:24:26,380 --> 00:24:27,140 of comfort. 456 00:24:28,140 --> 00:24:31,280 Now in the 16th chapter of John's Gospel, 457 00:24:31,960 --> 00:24:35,580 we read in verse 7, Nevertheless I tell 458 00:24:35,580 --> 00:24:36,600 you the truth. 459 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:39,640 It is expedient for you that I go 460 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:40,080 away. 461 00:24:40,700 --> 00:24:43,940 For if I go not away, the Comforter 462 00:24:43,940 --> 00:24:46,080 will not come unto you. 463 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:50,200 But if I depart, I will send Him 464 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:51,020 unto you. 465 00:24:51,020 --> 00:24:54,040 And when He has come, He will reprove 466 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:58,400 the world of sin and of righteousness and 467 00:24:58,400 --> 00:24:58,980 of judgment. 468 00:25:00,100 --> 00:25:03,540 Of sin, because they believe not on Me. 469 00:25:04,180 --> 00:25:07,180 Of righteousness, because I go to My Father 470 00:25:07,180 --> 00:25:09,540 and ye see Me no more. 471 00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:15,100 Of judgment, because the Prince of this world 472 00:25:15,100 --> 00:25:16,880 is judged. 473 00:25:17,660 --> 00:25:20,100 Now we see both ministries of the Spirit. 474 00:25:22,500 --> 00:25:26,860 And to the Christians, to the church of 475 00:25:26,860 --> 00:25:29,260 God, to the saints. 476 00:25:30,540 --> 00:25:32,300 And then we see His ministry to the 477 00:25:32,300 --> 00:25:32,640 world. 478 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:35,300 His ministry to the Christian is that of 479 00:25:35,300 --> 00:25:35,760 comfort. 480 00:25:37,100 --> 00:25:39,940 His ministry to the world is that of 481 00:25:39,940 --> 00:25:40,540 conviction. 482 00:25:41,360 --> 00:25:44,400 For the word here, reprove, is really convict. 483 00:25:44,400 --> 00:25:48,160 He will convict the world of sin and 484 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:51,080 of righteousness and of judgment. 485 00:25:52,460 --> 00:25:54,580 Now we have self-administered. 486 00:25:56,220 --> 00:26:01,360 Our earliest spiritual history, even in our unsaved 487 00:26:01,360 --> 00:26:07,040 days, was affected by the Spirit of God. 488 00:26:08,780 --> 00:26:12,500 He is the one who created unrest in 489 00:26:12,500 --> 00:26:13,000 our hearts. 490 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:17,600 Now we notice that, that He does create 491 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:18,180 unrest. 492 00:26:18,700 --> 00:26:20,360 As a matter of fact, that same second 493 00:26:20,360 --> 00:26:24,400 verse of Genesis has a very, very interesting 494 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:25,120 word in it. 495 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:27,860 Genesis chapter 1 and verse 2, we read 496 00:26:27,860 --> 00:26:32,020 there, And the earth was without form and 497 00:26:32,020 --> 00:26:34,500 void, and darkness was upon the face of 498 00:26:34,500 --> 00:26:39,000 the deep, and the Spirit of God moved 499 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:41,900 upon the face of the waters. 500 00:26:41,900 --> 00:26:45,720 Now that word moved is a very interesting 501 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:46,280 word. 502 00:26:47,340 --> 00:26:50,060 It has been variously translated. 503 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:52,360 The word means brooded. 504 00:26:53,260 --> 00:26:56,700 The Spirit of God brooded upon the face 505 00:26:56,700 --> 00:27:00,460 of the waters as a mother, hence, or 506 00:27:00,460 --> 00:27:03,740 as a mother bird flutters over her nest. 507 00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:06,120 It's a brooding. 508 00:27:06,120 --> 00:27:11,180 It anticipates the coming of light into that 509 00:27:11,180 --> 00:27:13,220 dark, dark scene of judgment. 510 00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:17,080 He hovers upon the face of the waters. 511 00:27:17,820 --> 00:27:21,000 The Spirit of God is not satisfied with 512 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:22,180 a scene of desolation. 513 00:27:23,020 --> 00:27:25,280 The Spirit of God is not satisfied, was 514 00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:27,800 not satisfied with the world in that day. 515 00:27:28,680 --> 00:27:32,360 Covered over with darkness, the mists lie upon 516 00:27:32,360 --> 00:27:35,600 the face of the deep so heavily that 517 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:38,380 the light could not penetrate through. 518 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:39,520 There was no land. 519 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:42,240 It was a waste, a watery waste. 520 00:27:43,040 --> 00:27:45,120 And the Spirit of God hovered over that 521 00:27:45,120 --> 00:27:45,460 scene. 522 00:27:46,260 --> 00:27:48,760 The Spirit of God does not and never 523 00:27:48,760 --> 00:27:52,940 can be satisfied with darkness. 524 00:27:55,050 --> 00:27:59,130 And we see an indication of the good 525 00:27:59,130 --> 00:28:02,750 things to come because the Spirit of God 526 00:28:02,750 --> 00:28:05,810 moves upon the face of the waters. 527 00:28:06,550 --> 00:28:09,650 The Spirit of God was brooding over that 528 00:28:09,650 --> 00:28:10,210 scene. 529 00:28:10,750 --> 00:28:13,210 The Spirit of God was about to bring 530 00:28:13,210 --> 00:28:14,010 forth light. 531 00:28:15,370 --> 00:28:18,090 Now, that is the first mention of the 532 00:28:18,090 --> 00:28:21,990 word, of the Spirit of God in the 533 00:28:21,990 --> 00:28:22,290 Bible. 534 00:28:23,290 --> 00:28:25,470 And certainly I think that this is the 535 00:28:25,470 --> 00:28:26,830 same experience in our lives. 536 00:28:26,830 --> 00:28:30,390 He brooded over the darkness that was in 537 00:28:30,390 --> 00:28:30,950 our life. 538 00:28:31,490 --> 00:28:35,650 He brooded over the waste that was in 539 00:28:35,650 --> 00:28:39,770 our life of absolutely nothing for God. 540 00:28:40,130 --> 00:28:43,230 And he fluttered, as it were, that fluttering 541 00:28:43,230 --> 00:28:47,290 of impatience, that fluttering of anticipation. 542 00:28:48,110 --> 00:28:49,490 And we felt those flutters. 543 00:28:50,490 --> 00:28:53,810 We felt our darkness, perhaps, for the first 544 00:28:53,810 --> 00:28:54,190 time. 545 00:28:54,190 --> 00:28:57,850 We felt our need of God for the 546 00:28:57,850 --> 00:29:02,190 first time by reason of the ministration of 547 00:29:02,190 --> 00:29:03,090 the Spirit of God. 548 00:29:04,110 --> 00:29:06,710 Certainly it wasn't Satan that made us feel 549 00:29:06,710 --> 00:29:07,930 that we needed to be saved. 550 00:29:08,750 --> 00:29:11,010 Satan never tells an unsafe person he needs 551 00:29:11,010 --> 00:29:11,570 to be saved. 552 00:29:12,790 --> 00:29:14,650 It's the Spirit of God that does that. 553 00:29:15,030 --> 00:29:17,370 Satan will tell you, Satan will lie to 554 00:29:17,370 --> 00:29:17,670 you. 555 00:29:17,910 --> 00:29:19,510 He'll tell you that you're all right. 556 00:29:19,670 --> 00:29:21,990 He's a liar, and he's been a liar 557 00:29:21,990 --> 00:29:22,670 from the beginning. 558 00:29:23,250 --> 00:29:26,490 And for those people that have the impression 559 00:29:26,490 --> 00:29:29,890 that they're all right, and that they have 560 00:29:29,890 --> 00:29:32,630 no fear of death without even the knowledge 561 00:29:32,630 --> 00:29:35,370 of the Lord Jesus Christ, they're under the 562 00:29:35,370 --> 00:29:36,470 influence of the devil. 563 00:29:37,610 --> 00:29:39,170 But I'll tell you, the Spirit of God 564 00:29:39,170 --> 00:29:40,530 won't tell you that you're all right. 565 00:29:41,230 --> 00:29:44,010 You'll feel the force of his wings. 566 00:29:44,910 --> 00:29:48,490 You will hear those wings fluttering over you 567 00:29:48,490 --> 00:29:50,950 in your unsaved days, and you will have 568 00:29:50,950 --> 00:29:57,310 a very, very strong conviction that all is 569 00:29:57,310 --> 00:29:58,490 not right in your soul. 570 00:29:59,650 --> 00:30:02,210 And that certainly was the first influence that 571 00:30:02,210 --> 00:30:03,590 we felt of the Spirit of God in 572 00:30:03,590 --> 00:30:04,310 our unsaved days. 573 00:30:04,510 --> 00:30:08,350 I can go back to my own unsaved 574 00:30:08,350 --> 00:30:11,910 days, and I can see the Spirit of 575 00:30:11,910 --> 00:30:14,430 God at work in my own spiritual history 576 00:30:14,430 --> 00:30:16,430 before I ever knew the Lord. 577 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:22,540 I would attend the funeral of a friend 578 00:30:22,540 --> 00:30:25,040 when I was saved at an early age. 579 00:30:26,260 --> 00:30:29,560 But even in those early years of my 580 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:31,340 life, when I was in my early teens, 581 00:30:32,240 --> 00:30:34,740 whenever I would attend the funeral, I would 582 00:30:34,740 --> 00:30:36,740 be disturbed today. 583 00:30:38,260 --> 00:30:39,860 Who do you think was disturbing me? 584 00:30:41,020 --> 00:30:43,280 Who do you think was fluttering over the 585 00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:46,100 desolate, dark waste of my soul? 586 00:30:47,060 --> 00:30:48,500 It was the Spirit of God. 587 00:30:49,580 --> 00:30:51,220 I had three dreams. 588 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:54,100 I can remember distinctly of dreaming three times. 589 00:30:55,100 --> 00:30:58,620 Now, you can really attach some significance to 590 00:30:58,620 --> 00:30:59,200 the word free. 591 00:30:59,340 --> 00:31:01,720 Now, I didn't get saved in a dream. 592 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:03,560 Don't misunderstand me. 593 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:05,180 I didn't get saved in a dream. 594 00:31:06,040 --> 00:31:09,900 But I dreamed three times that judgment day 595 00:31:09,900 --> 00:31:12,820 would come, and I wasn't well taught enough 596 00:31:12,820 --> 00:31:14,480 to even regulate my own dreams. 597 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:19,920 I dreamt that there was fire, and there 598 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:22,580 was chaotic conditions over the world. 599 00:31:22,700 --> 00:31:25,780 It was a conflict. 600 00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:31,500 It was a great scene of judgment. 601 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:35,200 And every time, I was on the wrong 602 00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:35,880 side of the fence. 603 00:31:39,130 --> 00:31:42,230 Every time, I felt that I was on 604 00:31:42,230 --> 00:31:43,130 the wrong side. 605 00:31:43,410 --> 00:31:45,210 I was among the goats, although I didn't 606 00:31:45,210 --> 00:31:46,990 know them as goats in that day. 607 00:31:48,050 --> 00:31:49,730 I certainly wasn't among the sheep. 608 00:31:50,950 --> 00:31:55,660 I was disturbed, terribly disturbed, and I stayed 609 00:31:55,660 --> 00:31:58,600 disturbed for weeks after those dreams. 610 00:31:58,760 --> 00:32:00,420 Who do you suppose gave me those dreams? 611 00:32:01,160 --> 00:32:03,520 Who do you suppose was fluttering over the 612 00:32:03,520 --> 00:32:06,700 waste and the desolation of my soul? 613 00:32:07,820 --> 00:32:09,100 The Spirit of God. 614 00:32:09,900 --> 00:32:12,040 The Spirit of God speaks the truth. 615 00:32:12,940 --> 00:32:18,320 And we should never, never deny Him the 616 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:19,820 privilege of pointing us to Christ. 617 00:32:20,900 --> 00:32:24,840 Now, He has specifically a threefold ministry in 618 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:25,780 this matter of conviction. 619 00:32:26,500 --> 00:32:29,980 In John chapter 16, we read, When He 620 00:32:29,980 --> 00:32:32,240 is come, He will reprove the world of 621 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:34,320 sin, convict the world of sin, and of 622 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:38,680 righteousness, and of judgment, of sin, because they 623 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:40,660 believe not on me. 624 00:32:42,860 --> 00:32:46,880 Now, we would think that the Spirit of 625 00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:50,040 God would convict us of sin because perhaps 626 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:53,640 we had committed murder, or perhaps we had 627 00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:58,700 stolen, or perhaps we had committed some other 628 00:32:58,700 --> 00:33:00,360 sin, gross sin. 629 00:33:01,140 --> 00:33:02,840 But that isn't what the Scripture says. 630 00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:05,660 When He is come, He will convict the 631 00:33:05,660 --> 00:33:07,740 world of sin, and of righteousness, and of 632 00:33:07,740 --> 00:33:10,580 judgment, of sin, because they believe not on 633 00:33:10,580 --> 00:33:10,800 me. 634 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:13,060 We don't need the Spirit of God to 635 00:33:13,060 --> 00:33:17,420 convict us when we've stolen, when we've lied, 636 00:33:18,020 --> 00:33:20,040 or when we have done any other sin. 637 00:33:20,100 --> 00:33:23,060 Our own conscience convicts us then. 638 00:33:23,060 --> 00:33:25,300 And I'll tell you where the Spirit of 639 00:33:25,300 --> 00:33:26,500 God does convict us. 640 00:33:27,140 --> 00:33:30,220 It convicts us because of our relationship to 641 00:33:30,220 --> 00:33:31,560 the Lord Jesus Christ. 642 00:33:32,580 --> 00:33:35,020 There is where He convicts us because we 643 00:33:35,020 --> 00:33:38,420 did not realize that we needed that vital 644 00:33:38,420 --> 00:33:40,780 relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. 645 00:33:41,180 --> 00:33:44,780 And the Spirit of God showed us that 646 00:33:44,780 --> 00:33:47,320 we needed to come into a living contact 647 00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:48,740 with the Lord Jesus Christ. 648 00:33:50,320 --> 00:33:52,960 Remember, the burden of the ministry of the 649 00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:55,020 Spirit of God is in connection with the 650 00:33:55,020 --> 00:33:55,920 Lord Jesus Christ. 651 00:33:56,020 --> 00:33:58,380 And we'll see it in all of these 652 00:33:58,380 --> 00:33:59,740 three convictions of the world. 653 00:33:59,940 --> 00:34:01,080 Christ is involved. 654 00:34:02,600 --> 00:34:06,280 Of sin because they believe not on me. 655 00:34:07,940 --> 00:34:10,100 And I didn't realize what a sin it 656 00:34:10,100 --> 00:34:14,000 was that I had not yet owned the 657 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:15,520 love of the Lord Jesus Christ. 658 00:34:15,520 --> 00:34:18,880 That I had not yet bowed at His 659 00:34:18,880 --> 00:34:19,679 blessed feet. 660 00:34:20,980 --> 00:34:23,380 The Spirit of God made me feel that. 661 00:34:24,260 --> 00:34:27,480 He convicted me of my relationship to the 662 00:34:27,480 --> 00:34:28,540 Lord Jesus Christ. 663 00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:32,400 Now, if one does not have a vital 664 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:35,679 living connection with the Lord Jesus Christ, one 665 00:34:35,679 --> 00:34:37,620 is lost and lost forever. 666 00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:40,020 Now, the Spirit of God will bring that 667 00:34:40,020 --> 00:34:40,760 to my attention. 668 00:34:41,780 --> 00:34:43,739 Now, I'm not saying that He wouldn't convict 669 00:34:43,739 --> 00:34:44,719 us of other sins. 670 00:34:44,719 --> 00:34:48,880 But principally His conviction is that we do 671 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:52,239 not have a living connection with the Lord 672 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:53,080 Jesus Christ. 673 00:34:53,199 --> 00:34:56,860 Of sin because they believe not on me. 674 00:34:57,460 --> 00:35:00,060 Now, it's not a matter of believing about 675 00:35:00,060 --> 00:35:00,560 Christ. 676 00:35:00,880 --> 00:35:03,040 It's a matter of trusting Christ. 677 00:35:05,530 --> 00:35:06,370 That's important. 678 00:35:07,630 --> 00:35:09,970 The Spirit of God deals with us because 679 00:35:09,970 --> 00:35:13,890 we have not made Christ our personal Savior. 680 00:35:15,210 --> 00:35:18,110 Our conscience will convict us of our sins. 681 00:35:18,990 --> 00:35:21,810 But it's the Spirit of God that will 682 00:35:21,810 --> 00:35:25,690 speak to us loudly because we have not 683 00:35:25,690 --> 00:35:29,290 given Christ His place in our lives. 684 00:35:30,210 --> 00:35:31,890 We've never owned Him as Lord. 685 00:35:32,470 --> 00:35:34,070 We've never owned Him as Savior. 686 00:35:34,650 --> 00:35:37,830 We've never thanked Him because He died on 687 00:35:37,830 --> 00:35:39,810 the cross of Calvary for us. 688 00:35:39,810 --> 00:35:41,390 Now, let me ask you a question here 689 00:35:41,390 --> 00:35:43,590 tonight of young and old alike. 690 00:35:44,530 --> 00:35:49,770 Have we thanked the Lord Jesus Christ for 691 00:35:49,770 --> 00:35:50,550 dying for us? 692 00:35:50,890 --> 00:35:55,910 Have we ever consciously in our life history 693 00:35:55,910 --> 00:35:59,730 thanked the Lord for dying for us? 694 00:36:00,990 --> 00:36:02,170 How about that? 695 00:36:02,970 --> 00:36:07,270 Have we ever thanked God for giving His 696 00:36:07,270 --> 00:36:09,930 Son to take our place on the cross? 697 00:36:11,880 --> 00:36:13,020 Have we ever thanked Him? 698 00:36:13,600 --> 00:36:16,320 I venture to say that if we've never 699 00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:20,160 thanked Him consciously in our memory tonight, we're 700 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:20,840 not saved. 701 00:36:23,430 --> 00:36:25,010 Now, that's a bold statement, isn't it? 702 00:36:25,590 --> 00:36:26,370 But I say it. 703 00:36:26,930 --> 00:36:31,990 I can't conceive of anybody realizing that the 704 00:36:31,990 --> 00:36:33,610 Lord Jesus Christ died for him. 705 00:36:34,410 --> 00:36:36,150 Realizing that the Lord did it out of 706 00:36:36,150 --> 00:36:36,610 love. 707 00:36:37,670 --> 00:36:39,850 And then that person not thanking Him. 708 00:36:39,930 --> 00:36:43,270 Why, we even thank each other for little 709 00:36:43,270 --> 00:36:45,310 things that are done in this life. 710 00:36:47,630 --> 00:36:49,810 I can't conceive of a person being saved 711 00:36:49,810 --> 00:36:50,810 and not thanking the Lord. 712 00:36:51,050 --> 00:36:51,710 How about it? 713 00:36:52,370 --> 00:36:53,670 Have you ever thanked Him yet? 714 00:36:55,990 --> 00:36:56,950 Have you? 715 00:36:58,690 --> 00:37:00,670 Now, this is where the Spirit of God 716 00:37:00,670 --> 00:37:01,110 comes in. 717 00:37:01,230 --> 00:37:03,410 This is where His conviction power comes in. 718 00:37:04,310 --> 00:37:06,710 When He is in the world, He will 719 00:37:06,710 --> 00:37:09,350 recruit the world of sin, of racism, and 720 00:37:09,350 --> 00:37:09,810 of judgment. 721 00:37:09,990 --> 00:37:15,030 Of sin, because they believe not on me. 722 00:37:16,350 --> 00:37:18,010 And I'll tell you, the Spirit of God 723 00:37:18,010 --> 00:37:19,730 will convict you about that. 724 00:37:20,670 --> 00:37:23,050 You've never owned the Christ of God. 725 00:37:23,810 --> 00:37:26,230 He died for you, and you've never even 726 00:37:26,230 --> 00:37:28,950 bothered yourself to thank Him. 727 00:37:29,830 --> 00:37:31,910 Because He died for you, and you ought 728 00:37:31,910 --> 00:37:34,910 to be prostrating yourself at His feet and 729 00:37:34,910 --> 00:37:38,810 pouring out your heart to Him to think 730 00:37:38,810 --> 00:37:40,950 that He would love you to the extent 731 00:37:41,630 --> 00:37:43,590 that He died for you, and you've never 732 00:37:43,590 --> 00:37:44,110 done it. 733 00:37:45,210 --> 00:37:46,690 And the Spirit of God won't give you 734 00:37:46,690 --> 00:37:47,950 any rest about it. 735 00:37:49,270 --> 00:37:51,870 May He keep on troubling you until you 736 00:37:51,870 --> 00:37:54,130 prostrate yourself at the feet of the Savior 737 00:37:54,130 --> 00:37:56,650 and pour your heart out in love and 738 00:37:56,650 --> 00:37:59,870 thanksgiving to the One who loved your soul 739 00:37:59,870 --> 00:38:02,650 and took the judgment of God that was 740 00:38:02,650 --> 00:38:05,170 due to you so that you could be 741 00:38:05,170 --> 00:38:05,610 in heaven. 742 00:38:06,530 --> 00:38:08,550 May the Spirit of God convict us about 743 00:38:08,550 --> 00:38:09,170 this matter. 744 00:38:10,070 --> 00:38:12,870 And then secondly, He'll convict the world of 745 00:38:12,870 --> 00:38:16,090 righteousness because I go to my Father and 746 00:38:16,090 --> 00:38:17,250 you see me no more. 747 00:38:19,770 --> 00:38:21,950 Now, our Lord Jesus Christ came into this 748 00:38:21,950 --> 00:38:22,230 world. 749 00:38:22,350 --> 00:38:24,250 He was righteousness personified. 750 00:38:24,250 --> 00:38:26,010 He was Jehovah Sidkenu. 751 00:38:27,250 --> 00:38:29,670 The Jews will someday come claim Him. 752 00:38:30,190 --> 00:38:33,730 Jehovah, the Lord, our righteousness. 753 00:38:34,730 --> 00:38:37,410 He convicted the world of righteousness because Christ 754 00:38:37,410 --> 00:38:38,270 went to the Father. 755 00:38:38,850 --> 00:38:40,390 And when He went to the Father, that 756 00:38:40,390 --> 00:38:42,950 substantiated all His claims. 757 00:38:44,250 --> 00:38:46,090 He claimed to be the Son of God. 758 00:38:46,470 --> 00:38:49,470 He claimed to be the boasted Messiah, or 759 00:38:49,470 --> 00:38:50,670 the longed-for Messiah. 760 00:38:51,950 --> 00:38:54,710 He claimed all of these things and then 761 00:38:54,710 --> 00:38:57,850 He went into the presence of God to 762 00:38:57,850 --> 00:39:00,390 substantiate all His claims. 763 00:39:00,870 --> 00:39:03,030 All His claims were absolutely righteous. 764 00:39:03,350 --> 00:39:05,470 All His claims were absolutely just. 765 00:39:06,330 --> 00:39:08,650 He went to the Father as living proof 766 00:39:08,650 --> 00:39:11,990 that He was all that He claimed to 767 00:39:11,990 --> 00:39:12,250 be. 768 00:39:13,590 --> 00:39:15,350 Now, the Spirit of God will convict us 769 00:39:15,350 --> 00:39:16,030 about that. 770 00:39:17,130 --> 00:39:18,870 Christ was just not another man. 771 00:39:19,770 --> 00:39:23,070 I know that men would place Him among 772 00:39:23,070 --> 00:39:26,210 the leaders of the world, among the religious 773 00:39:26,210 --> 00:39:26,730 leaders. 774 00:39:29,170 --> 00:39:29,730 Confucius. 775 00:39:30,730 --> 00:39:32,170 Well, I don't know whether you'd call him 776 00:39:32,170 --> 00:39:33,410 a religious leader or not. 777 00:39:33,470 --> 00:39:33,770 Buddha. 778 00:39:34,570 --> 00:39:35,030 Mohammed. 779 00:39:36,390 --> 00:39:39,650 And these leaders of the world, they would 780 00:39:39,650 --> 00:39:43,310 place Him, place Christ in their category. 781 00:39:44,170 --> 00:39:46,090 But our Lord Jesus Christ is different. 782 00:39:46,090 --> 00:39:50,250 He rose from the dead, and He is 783 00:39:50,250 --> 00:39:52,350 sitting on the right hand of the throne 784 00:39:52,350 --> 00:39:56,750 of God tonight, and His tomb is empty. 785 00:39:57,590 --> 00:40:00,550 You tell the story about a Christian and 786 00:40:00,550 --> 00:40:07,350 an Islamic man over in the deputy of 787 00:40:07,350 --> 00:40:12,990 Islam going on pilgrimages over in the Holy 788 00:40:12,990 --> 00:40:13,770 Land. 789 00:40:14,630 --> 00:40:15,830 They got together. 790 00:40:16,290 --> 00:40:16,970 They were discussing. 791 00:40:17,890 --> 00:40:19,530 The Christian was going to Jerusalem. 792 00:40:19,690 --> 00:40:21,850 He wanted to see the empty tomb. 793 00:40:23,090 --> 00:40:28,470 And the man of Islam was going, the 794 00:40:28,470 --> 00:40:31,610 Mohammedan was going down to Mecca to see 795 00:40:31,610 --> 00:40:32,610 the tomb of Mohammed. 796 00:40:33,250 --> 00:40:36,970 I believe that Mecca is the tomb of 797 00:40:36,970 --> 00:40:37,330 Mohammed. 798 00:40:38,390 --> 00:40:40,830 Forgive me if my history is incorrect, my 799 00:40:40,830 --> 00:40:41,790 geography is incorrect. 800 00:40:43,560 --> 00:40:44,720 But they got to talking. 801 00:40:46,580 --> 00:40:49,320 And the Christian told the Mohammedan, he says, 802 00:40:49,380 --> 00:40:50,680 I'm going to see an empty tomb. 803 00:40:53,020 --> 00:40:54,740 The other man was going to see a 804 00:40:54,740 --> 00:40:55,780 tomb that was occupied. 805 00:40:57,240 --> 00:40:58,480 The tomb of Christ was empty. 806 00:40:59,540 --> 00:41:00,340 He's in heaven. 807 00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:05,440 And God speaks, the spirit of God speaks 808 00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:08,720 to people about righteousness, the very embodiment of 809 00:41:08,720 --> 00:41:12,640 it, Jehovah's good can you, and the only 810 00:41:12,640 --> 00:41:14,200 one that can provide it for you and 811 00:41:14,200 --> 00:41:14,480 for me. 812 00:41:16,000 --> 00:41:18,100 And if we have any righteousness at all, 813 00:41:18,140 --> 00:41:19,740 a ticket to the presence of God, it's 814 00:41:19,740 --> 00:41:21,920 because we stand in the righteousness of Christ. 815 00:41:22,540 --> 00:41:23,900 We stand in his good name. 816 00:41:26,940 --> 00:41:29,920 Now, he convicts them also of judgment because 817 00:41:29,920 --> 00:41:31,700 the prince of this world is judged. 818 00:41:32,360 --> 00:41:33,940 If we have any doubt as to who 819 00:41:33,940 --> 00:41:36,880 the prince of this world is, then we 820 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:39,580 only have to remember that our Lord Jesus 821 00:41:39,580 --> 00:41:42,240 Christ said, the prince of this world cometh 822 00:41:42,240 --> 00:41:44,960 and shall find nothing in me. 823 00:41:45,100 --> 00:41:46,700 The prince of this world is the devil 824 00:41:46,700 --> 00:41:47,280 himself. 825 00:41:48,260 --> 00:41:50,780 The devil has been judged. 826 00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:53,620 And the spirit of God has something to 827 00:41:53,620 --> 00:41:55,280 say to the unsaved about that. 828 00:41:55,900 --> 00:41:58,000 God has judged the devil. 829 00:41:59,180 --> 00:42:02,580 He won't have any trouble judging you and 830 00:42:02,580 --> 00:42:03,300 judging me. 831 00:42:03,860 --> 00:42:05,420 Now, the devil is full of arguments. 832 00:42:05,780 --> 00:42:06,940 And believe me, he can argue. 833 00:42:07,600 --> 00:42:09,200 And I don't care to argue with him. 834 00:42:09,200 --> 00:42:11,360 He can out-argue me. 835 00:42:12,400 --> 00:42:13,980 But the spirit of God will tell you 836 00:42:13,980 --> 00:42:16,760 that the prince of this world is judged. 837 00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:22,000 You know, sometimes children, it has a very 838 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:26,000 salutary effect upon other members of the family 839 00:42:26,000 --> 00:42:29,540 when one child is given a terrible punishment. 840 00:42:29,940 --> 00:42:31,520 We won't describe the process. 841 00:42:32,840 --> 00:42:36,940 But you know, it's amazing how the others 842 00:42:36,940 --> 00:42:39,100 fall in line and keep in step for 843 00:42:39,100 --> 00:42:42,920 a while when they hear the agonizing cry 844 00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:47,840 and expressions of grief so painfully presented when 845 00:42:47,840 --> 00:42:48,700 one gets punished. 846 00:42:51,240 --> 00:42:54,800 I should think that we would begin to 847 00:42:54,800 --> 00:42:57,840 take a little thought about the fact that 848 00:42:57,840 --> 00:43:01,520 Satan was defeated at the cross in the 849 00:43:01,520 --> 00:43:02,400 providence of God. 850 00:43:02,520 --> 00:43:05,760 He still has a measure of liberty. 851 00:43:05,760 --> 00:43:07,520 But he's on his road. 852 00:43:07,600 --> 00:43:09,380 He was potentially defeated at the cross. 853 00:43:09,720 --> 00:43:11,620 And he will be finally defeated. 854 00:43:13,060 --> 00:43:16,000 Now, if a person has any thought that 855 00:43:16,000 --> 00:43:18,500 he shall escape, he better revise his thinking. 856 00:43:20,620 --> 00:43:22,640 And the spirit of God would convict us 857 00:43:22,640 --> 00:43:24,420 that the prince of this world has already 858 00:43:24,420 --> 00:43:25,180 been judged. 859 00:43:26,400 --> 00:43:28,040 And he'll judge us too. 860 00:43:29,620 --> 00:43:31,180 Now, this is a stern message. 861 00:43:31,460 --> 00:43:32,960 It's a message of conviction. 862 00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:35,740 But the spirit of God is preparing us 863 00:43:35,740 --> 00:43:39,380 for blessings when he deals with us in 864 00:43:39,380 --> 00:43:39,940 this fashion. 865 00:43:41,200 --> 00:43:44,560 And you and I have experienced this in 866 00:43:44,560 --> 00:43:45,320 our own lives. 867 00:43:46,040 --> 00:43:47,580 We've experienced this ministry. 868 00:43:48,960 --> 00:43:50,940 Now, we see, and we've just got to 869 00:43:50,940 --> 00:43:53,800 mention it briefly, we have seen already the 870 00:43:53,800 --> 00:43:56,340 seeking ministry of the spirit of God. 871 00:43:57,560 --> 00:44:00,460 Let's turn to the sixth chapter of Genesis 872 00:44:01,000 --> 00:44:02,700 for just a reference there. 873 00:44:09,840 --> 00:44:12,300 Because our time has passed away. 874 00:44:14,980 --> 00:44:18,060 Genesis 6, verse 1, And it came to 875 00:44:18,060 --> 00:44:20,220 pass, when men began to multiply on the 876 00:44:20,220 --> 00:44:21,960 face of the earth, and daughters were born 877 00:44:21,960 --> 00:44:24,660 unto them, that the sons of God saw 878 00:44:24,660 --> 00:44:26,460 the daughters of men, that they were fair, 879 00:44:26,860 --> 00:44:29,340 and they took them wives of all which 880 00:44:29,340 --> 00:44:30,300 they chose. 881 00:44:32,120 --> 00:44:34,740 And the Lord said, My spirit shall not 882 00:44:34,740 --> 00:44:38,680 always strive with man, for that he also 883 00:44:38,680 --> 00:44:39,400 is flesh. 884 00:44:39,400 --> 00:44:42,960 Yet his days shall be an hundred and 885 00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:44,020 twenty years. 886 00:44:45,320 --> 00:44:47,320 And that hundred and twenty years is significant. 887 00:44:47,520 --> 00:44:49,140 That's all the time that man had left 888 00:44:49,140 --> 00:44:49,960 as a race. 889 00:44:50,960 --> 00:44:53,240 God destroyed man in the flood. 890 00:44:53,980 --> 00:44:56,180 But it's amazing that the spirit of God 891 00:44:57,100 --> 00:45:00,220 strove with man for those hundred and twenty 892 00:45:00,220 --> 00:45:00,600 years. 893 00:45:02,690 --> 00:45:04,330 Now, this is the time that was left. 894 00:45:05,170 --> 00:45:07,170 And I don't think the spirit quit striving 895 00:45:07,890 --> 00:45:09,950 until the day that Noah entered into the 896 00:45:09,950 --> 00:45:10,230 ark. 897 00:45:11,330 --> 00:45:14,010 He strove with man in those early chapters 898 00:45:14,010 --> 00:45:15,670 of Genesis, and he's still striving. 899 00:45:16,630 --> 00:45:18,610 And we see in the very last book 900 00:45:18,610 --> 00:45:22,030 of the Bible the spirit is still seeking. 901 00:45:22,690 --> 00:45:24,690 The spirit wants to claim us for God. 902 00:45:25,830 --> 00:45:28,150 He wants us to enjoy the presence of 903 00:45:28,150 --> 00:45:28,470 God. 904 00:45:28,910 --> 00:45:30,790 He wants us to enjoy all the good 905 00:45:30,790 --> 00:45:33,190 things that God has brought for us. 906 00:45:33,190 --> 00:45:37,550 We're not going to mention what lies between 907 00:45:37,550 --> 00:45:42,490 Genesis chapter 6 and the 22nd chapter of 908 00:45:42,490 --> 00:45:44,430 Revelation, but I do want to refer you 909 00:45:44,430 --> 00:45:46,930 to the 22nd chapter of Revelation. 910 00:45:52,510 --> 00:46:01,080 Revelation chapter 22, verse 17. 911 00:46:02,080 --> 00:46:04,560 And the spirit and the bride say, Come. 912 00:46:06,120 --> 00:46:08,480 And let him that heareth say, Come. 913 00:46:09,220 --> 00:46:11,540 And let him that hath a thirst, Come. 914 00:46:11,540 --> 00:46:16,880 And whosoever will, let him take the water 915 00:46:16,880 --> 00:46:18,920 of life freely. 916 00:46:19,580 --> 00:46:22,440 The spirit of God in the last chapter 917 00:46:22,440 --> 00:46:26,780 of the Bible is still striving with man, 918 00:46:27,560 --> 00:46:29,780 still sending out the invitation. 919 00:46:32,580 --> 00:46:35,120 And the spirit and the bride say, Come. 920 00:46:35,680 --> 00:46:37,220 We're saying, Come, tonight. 921 00:46:38,520 --> 00:46:40,560 The spirit is saying, Come. 922 00:46:41,980 --> 00:46:44,960 God is issuing an invitation. 923 00:46:46,200 --> 00:46:47,940 Thank God for that invitation. 924 00:46:49,120 --> 00:46:50,540 The door is still open. 925 00:46:50,780 --> 00:46:54,040 There is still time to be saved. 926 00:46:55,320 --> 00:46:56,800 And the invitation is going out. 927 00:46:56,940 --> 00:47:00,680 And the spirit is sending out that invitation. 928 00:47:01,260 --> 00:47:02,900 We are sending out the invitation. 929 00:47:03,860 --> 00:47:06,560 Let him that hath a thirst, let him 930 00:47:06,560 --> 00:47:07,720 that heareth say, Come. 931 00:47:08,520 --> 00:47:10,400 Let him that hath a thirst, Come. 932 00:47:10,480 --> 00:47:13,660 And whosoever will, let him take the water 933 00:47:13,660 --> 00:47:15,120 of life freely. 934 00:47:16,460 --> 00:47:18,040 Thank God for the invitation. 935 00:47:18,800 --> 00:47:20,380 Thank God for the work of the spirit. 936 00:47:21,060 --> 00:47:23,000 Now, I trust that during this week upon 937 00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:24,620 which we've entered and we've got much to 938 00:47:24,620 --> 00:47:27,360 talk about the spirit of God, his effect 939 00:47:27,360 --> 00:47:30,060 in our lives, his leading and guidance and 940 00:47:30,060 --> 00:47:36,440 direction, but I think that perhaps this ministry 941 00:47:36,440 --> 00:47:38,400 and seeking us for the Lord Jesus is 942 00:47:38,400 --> 00:47:39,880 perhaps the sweetest of all. 943 00:47:41,620 --> 00:47:43,360 Oh, I'm so glad that he prevailed. 944 00:47:44,380 --> 00:47:46,040 I'm so glad that he didn't give up. 945 00:47:47,260 --> 00:47:49,760 I'm so glad that he stayed with us 946 00:47:50,260 --> 00:47:52,660 until I was one for the Lord Jesus 947 00:47:52,660 --> 00:47:53,120 Christ. 948 00:47:53,720 --> 00:47:54,760 I would say this. 949 00:47:55,300 --> 00:47:57,500 If there is anyone in this building tonight 950 00:47:57,500 --> 00:47:59,580 that is conscious of the fact that the 951 00:47:59,580 --> 00:48:01,300 spirit of God is striving with you about 952 00:48:01,300 --> 00:48:03,680 the matter of salvation, that you don't resist, 953 00:48:04,520 --> 00:48:10,360 that you indeed submit to his gracious ministry. 954 00:48:10,860 --> 00:48:12,580 For he would have you for Christ. 955 00:48:13,240 --> 00:48:15,060 He would give you everlasting life. 956 00:48:15,340 --> 00:48:16,620 Tomorrow night, in the will of the Lord, 957 00:48:17,140 --> 00:48:19,380 you will see how the spirit not only 958 00:48:19,380 --> 00:48:24,060 takes you, takes you out, but he gives 959 00:48:24,060 --> 00:48:25,120 you everlasting life. 960 00:48:26,340 --> 00:48:28,040 That's a part of the ministry of the 961 00:48:28,040 --> 00:48:30,580 spirit, to see to it that you have 962 00:48:30,580 --> 00:48:31,660 everlasting life. 963 00:48:32,760 --> 00:48:34,720 Tomorrow night, with the help of the Lord, 964 00:48:34,820 --> 00:48:36,880 we want to see how he does it. 965 00:48:38,100 --> 00:48:40,040 Brother Hart, would you close with a word 966 00:48:40,040 --> 00:48:40,400 of prayer?