The Holy Spirit and You, Part 1

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What every Christian needs to know the title of our messages.

The holy spirit and you and when we begin with a word of prayer. Now father as we talked about you as we talk about you is a strong human being that we cannot comprehend the father a son and the Holy Spirit. Help us Lord to see it in ways perhaps we've never seen it before. Help us to some degree Lord is much as we can to get a better comprehension of the Trinity and then specifically of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. We want to know more about the Holy Spirit. So we pray the Holy Spirit will illuminate the word of God as we look at this together. We ask all of this in Jesus name, amen. You know sometimes people ask me why I do what I do and I would give a very simple answer to that question which is this I believe all of this stuff is true now I don't say that the both of though I have greater faith in you have because I know most of you believe the same but I really believe the things that we read in the Bible are true friends and I really believe what the Bible says when it felt that that life is a Babe Ruth smoke that appears for a moment then vanishes away. I really believe that there is an eternity. There is an afterlife and there really is a heaven and there really is a hell, I really believe that only those who put their faith in Jesus Christ will go to heaven and I also believe that I need to give this message to as many people as possible know this is not all. I believe that this is a good degree of a good part of it that is at the forefront of my heart and mind and I do what I do because I see people every day pass into eternity that have heard this message I received a letter recently from a girl name Lisa. Lisa came to Christ. One of our harvest Crusade a few years ago here in Southern California. She then moved to Philadelphia and she writes me and said that I quote from a letter now broken hearts go. Can they find their way home.

The answer is yes and you go home to Jesus back to loving arms and help you see it through my younger brother went to sleep one night and never woke up. He was 23 years old and he had just graduated from college and moved to Philadelphia after he graduated to take a break before he would go on to fulfill his dream of becoming a pilot. I found that the harvest Crusade was coming to Philadelphia so I took my younger brother with me to hear the gospel he was not yet a believer. He went forward at the invitation and gave his life to the Lord and God called him home on November 3, 2008, one month after his commitment to Christ to conclude by saying my brother lives today because of your ministry. And yes we do up a broken heart, because he is gone, but he is in the arms of Jesus. And that's where I will meet him again that that touches me. See, because that's us all that's in heaven because he believed the message of the gospel and that's why we do what we do, that's what we want to get the gospel out and that is what were talking about God because we want to know God and the best way to know God is the first know about God that what we were placed on this earth to come into a relationship with God and in no and glorify him with our lives.

So were in this series that were calling essentials with every Christian needs to know about God. And we've learned a few things together, let me just briefly review them before we look at our topic today, we have discovered that God is omnipresent, which means that he is present everywhere we discover God is omnipotent, which means he is all-powerful, we discovered, of course, that is omniscient, which means that he knows all things. We also discovered God is sovereign, which means that he is in control is King he has mastered he is aware of what is happening and is in control of it. We also saw that God is true that he and he alone is the true God and his knowledge and words are true any of the final standard of truth, we discover that God is holy and righteous and good. But not only that, but we discovered that God is love and God demonstrated his love toward us by coming to our world and walking among us as a man, Jesus Christ.

He was deity in diapers. God became an embryo.

He did not stay in the safety of heaven, he entered our world. He breathes our air they shared our pain. He walked in her shoes he lived our lives. Then he died our death know Jesus did not become identical to us because were sinners when he became as identified with us as he possibly could. Though he was God in human form. Yet he walked this earth as a man and experienced human pain, a motion etc. and then of course in his death and his resurrection from the dead, so we talk about God as the father and we talk about God as a son and some degree I can grasp those pictures if you will of God because you all have fathers or some of you are fathers, many of you have signs or you are a son, so these are ideas that we can grasp to some degree, but now we come to God as a spirit, God the father, God the son and God the holy spirit spirit is hard to grasp a spirit cannot be seen with human rights and then if you use the King James Berger Burbage for getting a little harder to grasp God the Holy Ghost all all of a sudden it says Scooby Doo guard Ubu goes how do we understand something like this. How can God be up father son and Holy Ghost.

The Bible teaches that God is a human being. There is a Trinity now somewhat protest and say you cannot find the word Trinity anywhere in the Bible.

That's true but you by the teaching of the Trinity from Genesis to Revelation. But how could that be.

Some would say, doesn't the Bible say what the Jews call Shama that the Lord our God is one God. Deuteronomy 64 yes, the Lord our God is one God we worship one God, not multiple gods polytheistic were monotheistic we worship one God, but yet the Bible teaches that God is Trinity not motor manifestations of the same person but three persons who are all simultaneously active in other words, the father is not the same person as the sun and the sun is not the same person as the Holy Spirit.

There is one God and the true God exists in three coequal call eternal persons not three. God's but one God. Three distinct persons. One substance imperfect harmony. How can they be three and one I could offer some analogies but they're all going to break down quickly. I guess it will take water for instance, you can have it different ways you can of water in liquid form and a glass of water and steam for on your stove in the new canal water in frozen form in your refrigerator. The substance is the same so there's water or we could see an egg you could crack an egg and never show here in the regular care of a white here. It's either all still in it right but see those analogies don't really do justice to what were talking about will work discussing God the back.

This you can't really explain the Trinity.

It was Jonathan Edwards who said and I quote, he felt it was the highest and deepest of all the pine mystery. Listen we can fully explain God that we can fully explain the Trinity. But we can't fully explain either.

It's been well said, trying to explain this and you lose your mind try to explain it away and you lose your soul. You must believe in the Trinity to be a believer is able word we find the Trinity and the Bible all number of points we could start the first book of the Bible Genesis and we see God, the Trinity, at work in the creation of the world of I would ask you the question who created the world, the heavens, the earth and all the rest you would respond by saying God because Genesis 11 says in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, so there was a father at work in creation, but check this out. Jesus was there as well is a member of the Trinity. Christ was hands-on at the creation of everything because John 13. Since all things were made by him and through him and without him nothing was made that was made and also we read in Colossians 116 speaking of Christ by him all things were created things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, they were greeted by him and for him to another Bible telling me that God the father created the heavens and the earth is telling me that God the son created all things and then of course I go back to Genesis and I read in Genesis 1, two and three. The earth was out with was without form and void and darkness was on the face of the deep and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

And God said, let there be light and there was light. So God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit all played a part in creation. In the book of Genesis 1 of the names that is used for God is the Loki, which means more than one more than one God, but it's a unique word describing the nature of God.

So we see the Trinity in action even though he more than one triune being. For instance, in Genesis 322 we read of God saying man is become one of us. Then we read in Genesis 11 six God speaking. Let us go down no who was he talking to was God talking to angels, no because were told in Genesis 127 were created in the image of God for that was the Trinity having a conversation.

Perhaps one of the clearest examples of the Trinity in action and as I said earlier, all simultaneously active is at the baptism of Jesus. Here we have Jesus who was God in human form.

Going into the Jordan River to be baptized God the father speaks from heaven, and says this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. And God the Holy Spirit comes upon Jesus in the form of the Trinity and there were told that we baptize people or to baptize them in the name of the father the son and the Holy Spirit. So let's talk a little bit about the Holy Spirit.

In particular, you know, when Jesus walked this earth. God in human form, he was there to attach his disciples could hear the timbre of his voice thinking. Look at his unique features they can reach out and grab him by the arm.

But Jesus said he was going to leave them he was going to ascend to heaven and he promised he would leave them another helper of the word that is used up for the Holy Spirit is Paraclete test one called alongside to help.

He said in John 14. I'll pray the father and I give you another helper, that he may abide with you forever.

The spirit of truth in the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him or knows him.

But he will dwell with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you.

So Jesus is promising to his disciples, then the Holy Spirit would be with them and would come in now. As a result of Christ's death and resurrection from the dead and then the via pouring out of the spirit of the day of Pentecost. Every believer when they put their faith in Christ have the Holy Spirit living inside of them and I'll talk more in our next message about the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, but I want to focus in this message a little bit more on the personality of the Holy Spirit in the work that he does here in this world because he is a specific work that he wants to do and let's read about it now. In John 16 verses 7 to 11.

Jesus says nevertheless I tell you the truth of this to your advantage. I go away for up I go not away, the Holy Spirit are rather the helper will not come to you, but if I depart, I'll send them to you. This is a big verse now and when he has come, he will convict the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. Verse nine of sin, because they do not believe in me percent of right.

This is because I go to my father and you see me no more. Finally, verse 11 of judgment because the prince of this world is judged. Notice that Jesus said when he has come, he will convict the spirit is a him not in. Now I know that it's hard cryptographic of this in a way where I read of the spirit be like a mighty rushing wind in the day of Pentecost.

Then I see them coming upon the disciples in a divided flame of fire, and then I read about a method so how can you be again will.

Jesus is called the bread of life, and he says he's a door and then the father is described as a consuming fire. In a refuge and a high this into the shadow of his weight is any Jesus is a local bread or a door for that the father is a giant bird in heaven course not.

These are metaphors that are employed to help us to understand God better. So yes the spirit is compared to what or a mighty rushing wind but he's person. He's a personality and he has a specific work that he wants to do is see he has a motion I could go and insult this microphone and it wouldn't care microphone your ugly is a microphone care but if I said it to you might be offended and we have a motion we have feeling to see my little granddaughter Stella. You know when we get out of the car. I have one of these little controls you press the button and it beats means it's locked and in so I forget not of the Carlisle say the Stella Stella tell the car goodbye shows a combined oppressor would be just the car just talk to me. She's only 2 1/2 okay so there we go we come back again and I'll say Stella say hello to the car to go hello car press a button deeply.

Talk to me.

She said the other day said Stella Watson say she said it said I love you. I think cars don't say I love easy to get Fabio.

She was convinced of it now them in an inanimate object is not France love door, nor does it have a motion. The spirit is on an object he that he and he's come for a purpose.

What is his purpose in his work that he wants to do in the world. Number one.

The Holy Spirit is come the can picked us of our sin for another way to put it did come to convince us of our sin and probably read here in verse eight and nine when he is come, he will can the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, not necessarily sins in general as much as sin, he is come to show us that we are sinners.

Holy Spirit takes the message of the death and resurrection of Jesus. He shows it's true that we need to turn to God without the convicting of the spirit convicting power of the spirit you would have never come to Jesus the spirit shows you you need God. There's nothing I can say to show you your need for Jesus.

That's why when I'm praying for a nonbeliever.

I will pray Lord, convict them by your Holy Spirit because you see I can tell someone. Jesus is a my life fuller and better and I have this joy and peace and nothing. Well, that's fine for you but what they need to realize as they are a sinner in need of a Savior. And guess what, that's the work of the spirit, and you may even remember the day or even the moment when it dawned of you. I am a sinner.

I'm depraved, I'm separated from God, I'm in trouble.

That's the work of the spirit widens the spirit convict us of our sin, to drive us to despair. No to send us into the open arms of Jesus back we read in the day of Pentecost that Simon Peter got up to preach, he was speaking to some of the very people that were culpable in the crucifixion of Jesus is a listen to him speak. The Bible says in acts 237, when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart and they cried out, what should we do interesting Frazier cut to the heart. It means purest in the heart.

This phrase appears only here in the New Testament means appears or stab to describe something that is cited in unexpected stabbed in the heart and who is wielding this ninth I of the Holy Spirit and we all know what it's like to come under that sudden conviction is an interesting thing that can sinner stab someone in the heart after they saw doesn't say the Holy Spirit stabbed him in the back. We've all been stabbed in the back one time or another.

Someone sweetness and light to her face as soon as we walk away limitary about this guy stabbed in the instrumentality know the person is saying about you Holy Spirit never stabs you in the back.

He stabbed you in the heart. I know that sort of a graphic and unsettling phrase I'm using but let's change our verbiage a little bit and instead of thinking about dagger or a knife. Let's think about a scalpel in the hand of a surgeon. See, I just found out I have cancer in this surgeon was a specialist knows how to remove it and so he takes that scalpel and stabs me if you will, and cuts away the cancer that could shorten my life or stop it altogether part, another surgeon might take a diseased heart out of me in place a new heart in its place and so the ideas here.

Yes, the Holy Spirit will stab you in effect, but it's not to destroy you. It's to show you your need for Jesus because he convicts us all will come to Jesus because number two.

The Holy Spirit is come to bring us to Christ. Verse three becomes the convince of sin, because they do not believe in me showing me my need for Jesus. John 1613, Jesus is when the spirit comes, he will guide you into all truth.

You will not speak in his own will speak only what he hears and he will tell you what is yet to come.

And then thirdly, the Holy Spirit has come to show me my need for righteousness, because in verse 10 Jesus says to convince of righteousness and because I go to my father you see me no more Jesus that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will in no way in the kingdom. Now I remember the first time I read that as young Christian I thought no way. The second are these religious leaders. The Pharisees very development help that my righteousness exceed there's here's how theirs was a false righteousness. Theirs was a self righteousness Holy Spirit is come as a body you're not righteous enough in your own you need the righteousness of Christ imputed in your account because you're a sinner of your trust in Jesus. This righteousness will be given to you. That's why the Holy Spirit has come in so we realize that this is the work that he is doing in the world is a member of the Trinity with a specific work. He has come to do. He has a motion and because he has a motion he can be offended. Did you know that there are six specific sins identify in the Bible that could be committed against the Holy Spirit.

When I hear something like that. I want to know immediately what they are and I want to make sure not committing them right so let's think about some of them and let's leave John 16 and go over that acts chapter 5 acts chapter 5 and will look at the first of six sins that can be committed against the Holy Spirit. This is a page of history from the first century church.

This is one of those miracles. Quite frankly, were glad God is not doing today because this was the miracle of two people being struck down dead, for being hypocrites and lying to the Holy Spirit. Acts chapter 5 we read assert many Mennonites and some farmer's wife sold a possession.

They kept Back part of the proceeds. The white being aware of it and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles feet.

But Peter said Ananias why is Satan filled your heart.

Underline this phrase to live in the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself. All that remained was a natural and after it was sold was not in your own control wide. You can see this in your heart you not like the men but to God. So two things jump out from those verses to me. Number one. The Holy Spirit is God because the sin of Ananias and Sapphire was lying to the Holy Spirit computer later said you like to God and number two, the Holy Spirit can be specifically sinned against. And in this instance the lie to the Holy Spirit on what does that mean that means they pretended to be something they were not the worst kind of sin is the crying that is committed by a person who doesn't think there really a sinner… Think for a moment about a garden-variety center because they drink they smoke their mean of their on-ramp.

We all know people like that most of us used to be people like that and then let's think of some of the come to church every Sunday morning and is it possible that the person in the pew church could be in worse shape than the garden-variety center I just described, it is possible. And here's how it is possible that person who is a nonbeliever knows nonbeliever and knows that there separated from God there's hope for them that one day don't come under the conviction of the Holy Spirit turn from that sinful lifestyle and believe in Jesus but the person that comes to church every Sunday. If they have no intention of responding to what they are hearing directionally a hypocrite.

Better to just be what you are not in the days I don't believe in this I don't care about this than to pretend to be spiritual when you aren't at all. God really hates hypocrisy.

That doesn't mean that you're not going to be inconsistent at times it doesn't mean that you're not going fall short at times we've all had our moments of hypocrisy. All right someone talking about a hypocrite is a person wears a mask we do it sometimes at Halloween.

I met one as a kid growing up with with these rubber masks and I still remember the way they smell it on your face would be sweating and you could really see that the holes are bumping in the wall all that you pretended to be someone you are not.

It was a character you work for trainer people to do that in turn they put on their little mask a little crystal mask and they committed and they put on beautiful show and people look at my that is a committed Christian. Maybe they have no interest in God at all.

They're doing things that openly contradict what the Bible says any of the come to church dutifully. That's the kind of thing that Ananias and Sapphire were doing.

They were lying to God. It was Cicero who said, quote of all ability, there is none more base and out of the hypocrite with the moment he is most false. Take care to appear most virtuous" the hypocrite extraordinaire if you will, was Judas Iscariot seem like a standup God, especially when the woman brought her sacrificial gift of that perfume that she anointed Jesus with Judas stood up and indignantly said goodness not of been sold and the money given to the poor. The other disciples on how he sold holy within the gospel writer tells us to the said this, not because he cared for the poor because he was in charge of the money was stealing it. Things are not always as they appear. And then what insult to injury, when Judas betrays Jesus in Gethsemane. He doesn't with a careless just pointed and said there is Jesus arrest on my job is done already. Could touch them on the shoulder. He kisses them and not only kisses them, but he does so repeatedly.

At the moment he appeared to be the most virtuous, he was the most sinful that's lying to God.

Number two.

Another thing you can commit against the Holy Spirit is greeting him greeting the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 429, 32, says this don't use foul or abusive language with everything you say.

Be good and helpful so that your words may be an encouragement to those who hear them, do not grieve God's Holy Spirit, by the way that you live get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words and slander as well as all types of malicious behavior, and said, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ is forgiven you greeting the spirit world. Greed means to make sad or sorrowful to bring sadness to the Holy Spirit. What makes the Holy Spirit sad and sorrowful number 1000 abusive language makes the Holy Spirit sad, verse 29 says don't use abusive language other phrase it is used here in the original language means rotten something that's gone bad. It includes obscene language profanity, dirty stories, vulgarity, double entendre you know everything is a sexual connotation.

And this is the way some people speak and I'm saying view of God is cleaned up your heart. It should also affect the way that you speak because out of the abundance of a heart a man will speak the Bible says so. The Bible also says Sweetwater and bitter water should not be coming out of the same mouth and so God wants to clean up your vocabulary. You see, and there's a weird friend in some churches today work pastors will go to the pulpit and use profanity and somehow that supposed to make them more authentic or more cool or more. What ever know I'm just trying to be real man would real maybe sending you do it privately to maybe should just stop it. Maybe should be an authentic Christian instead and realize that the pulpit is a place with the oracles of God is see God wants to change this area of our life. Here's one buckling his wife because it makes the Holy Spirit sorrowful number two bitterness make the Holy Spirit sad and sorrowful bitterness means an embittered and resentful spirit which refuses to be reconciled and you know that some people like to be mad deliver conflict, deliver arguments they live. Profanity actually like it. Some people avoid complex I'll admit you.

I'm one of those people I don't like conflict unless I have to have and I dread it but okay. You have to have this outer deal with this, but it's not something I look for some people there just looking for a fight and they just go from fight the fight. You know people like this right there always mad at someone they always have their nemesis the person that is the source of all of their misery and talk about this person and be obsessed with that since there always looking for something to fight about. These people often are very critical and nitpicky, trying to uncover things in other people's lives.

You know, I have found that the person who is covered sin in their life usually is the one that's always trying uncover sin in other people's lives and never surprises me when I find the most critical people are guilty of something far worse themselves don't live this way.

It makes the spirit sad because if you let bitterness go unchecked it.

Allegiant of the next thing. Number three fits of rage and uncontrolled anger make the Holy Spirit sad and sorrowful because the verse goes on to say get rid of bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words and slander. Rage speaks of a person who is easily angered and raises her voice their shouting there screaming you know some people. They have such a short you and it is a minute, what's wrong with their faces all read what you lower your boys are like not grieve the Holy Spirit when you're that way slander speaks of seeing evil things about others behind their backs, malicious behavior speaks of ill will, even plotting evil against someone look, we've all been hurt in life. Okay, everyone of us is been hurt by some and what you can and you are you going to be like Shylock in Shakespeare's the merchant of Venice and demand your pound of flesh to be obsessed with destroying the person that hurt you or you can do instead is the Bible says be tenderhearted and forgivable.

They don't deserve forgiveness.

You know, you don't need you to forgive them as God in Christ has forgiven and if you don't do that you're grieving the Holy Spirit, God says, I will repay, vengeance is mine says the Lord committed to God. Augustine had assigned that hung in his living room wall that said, he who speaks evil of an absent man or woman is not welcome at this table while I would and a lot of conversations will talk about now. Maybe you want to apply the acronym think the next time you wonder whether or not you should say a certain thing thing THINKCT4. Is it truthful this thing that I want to say right now is it true were so quick to spread conflict. Just because someone said something doesn't mean it's true. Do you know this is factual. Don't repeat it.

If you don't visit to number two is it helpful H. This can help anyone or just tear people down. I is it inspiring and is it necessary K is a kind Greg apply apply that our grandma will never say anything.

Again, a man now maybe you can start using your mouth for what was created for the glorify God and honor him and to build up your brothers and sisters, and preach the gospel and so forth were to be tenderhearted, forgiving one another, another sin, the believers can commit is quenching the spirit quenching the Spirit first Thessalonians 519 says quench not the spirit of they give quenching is up putting the fire out. Let's say you went out to the words or the at the beach and yet one of those fire rings set up on one you're leaving. Hopefully you pick up your trash right and you extinguish the fire you for some water or some sand on it, you make sure the fire is out. You quench the fire. So the idea that conveyed here is quenching the Spirit. The Holy Spirit princess is telling you to do a certain thing. Maybe the Holy Spirit is saying I want you to share the gospel. I mean have you ever been in a situation where you seen someone you don't know them from Adam's house And you look at him and you. Since the leading of the Holy Spirit to go talk to them about Jesus that I don't even know they think I'm crazy if I walked up to them and started chatting. I won't do it.

Did you know that when the spirit leads you to do something in a don't do it your quenching the spirit. Maybe the Holy Spirit thing you know what this thing in your life you need to repent of this and stop rationalizing why would you keep doing that's quenching the Spirit see its not responding to the leading and urging and the nudging of the holy spirit pellet shifters for a moment, because really we talk about quenching and grieving this bear were talking about sins of believers can commit let's think in closing about since it nonbelievers can commit there's three in particular that happened to go together and they are resisting the spirit there would be number four in our list resisting the spirit. When Stephen said before that Sanhedrin. He said in acts 751, you stubborn people. He then at heart deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit but your ancestors did and so do you. These words are spoken by Stephen as he spoke to the unbelieving Sanhedrin and reminding us of the spirit wants to speak to the unbeliever and lead them to God the Holy Spirit is patient is persistent. Listen, it's possible to resist all of his pleading. God says in Genesis. My spirit will not always strive with man apparently the spiritual leaders of Israel that Stephen was addressing had rejected the truth. In other words, the implication here is that they believe what he was saying was true but they refused to accept it.

Thus, they were resisting the spirit stiffened and just not believe it's like yeah that's true but no, I'm not going to admit this, I'm not going to respond to what you're saying. Resisting the spirit and that leads to insulting the Holy Spirit insulting the spirit. Hebrews 1029.

Think how much more terrible. The punishment will be for those who have trampled on the son of God treated the blood of the covenant is important, and an unholy such people of insulted and enraged the Holy Spirit which brings God's mercy to his people. Now what is this me.

It means that when someone tells me about Jesus and that his blood was shed for me and that he died in my place. I just blow it off at the who cares.

And I don't believe in that. I don't believe the blood of Jesus means anything, I don't believe the death of Jesus means anything, you know what you're doing right now you are insulting the Holy Spirit and you better be careful because your get none really denies what is the worst sin.

A person can commit adultery, murder rate, there's a lot of things we can think of but the worst sin. A person can commit the woman of the most far-reaching consequences is not believing in Jesus to those other sins that I mentioned in any others beyond those can be forgiven of a person will repent of that sin and put their faith in Christ.

But if you reject Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Your insulting the Holy Spirit your resisting the Holy Spirit and this can lead you to six number six of our list blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

Jesus at all manner of sin will be forgiven. But if you blaspheme the Holy Spirit. You will not be forgiven.

Matthew 1231 that I probably ask this question more than any other. What is it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit.

Why do we ask this because we wonder if we've ever done it. Maybe in our nonbelieving days in a drunken stupor. We started cursing everything in sight and we just may have cursed the Holy Spirit does that mean we committed the unforgivable sin.

Short answer no to blasting the Holy Spirit doesn't mean that you set up bad thing about the Holy Spirit, to blaspheme the Holy Spirit is to reject his mission. What is the mission of the spirit.

It is to show us our sin right to show us that we don't have enough righteousness to get to heaven and it's to bring us to Jesus, to blaspheme the spirit means to reject the work. The spirit of come to do which is to bring us to Christ in the Bible is the question how can we escape, we neglect so great salvation was quite frankly I don't think any of you should be worried about this unless this is your first time ever in church and I think the person that concerned about it is in no danger of committing.

I think the person that is in the greatest dangers. One could care less about what I'm saying right now and doesn't think about it at all really just lives are like the way that they want to live in their heart is getting harder and harder.

And yes votes. There is a point of no return. You can go so far that it's too far, and when that point is I don't know that I would never say a person is reached that point because I've seen some pretty crazy people get say you're right about the there's no way and then they get figure well there you go.

Praise God for that leg of the thief on the cross get written him off as I've said before, half jokingly, will be three reasons of re-surprises we get to heaven rather surprised number one. Some of the people we thought would be there won't be there surprised number two. Some of the people we never thought will be there will be there in number three will be there so the fact is I fully expect to be there will be surprises and never I don't know when a person is gone beyond the point of no return. It can happen. It is the unforgivable sin. What we need to focus on.

We need to focus on making sure that we are yielding to the spirit world being the spirit and were being filled with the spirit that's our objective as followers of Jesus, we just close with this.

Maybe you're listening to this message and you have been resisting the spirit you know what I'm saying is true. You know Jesus Christ to forgive you of your sin but you made a deliberate choice to not believe in him. Maybe you're playing the hypocrite today, like Ananias and Sapphire that your putting on a good show but listen, you're not fooling God. You can pull all of the people some of the time you can pull some of the people all of the time that you can't forgot any of the time member I told you earlier God is omniscient. That means he knows all things.

He knows what's up in your life. He knows what you're doing and he knows if you're playing a religious came don't resist the spirit because then you might find that soon your insulting the spirit you're looking at the very things of God with disdain and disrespect and irreverence. And before you know it you might go so far that you've ended up blaspheming the Holy Spirit, God has sent his Holy Spirit, who is reaching out to you right now, the same come to Jesus.

Yes, you're a sinner. Yes, you are in need would come to Jesus and he will forgive you. That's the work of the Holy Spirit wants to do and he's doing it in some of your hearts right now and if you've never come to Jesus if you've never believed in him. If you don't know with certainty that your sin is forgiven. Please respond to this invitation that I meant to give to you now as we close in prayer. If you're not sure if you're like us right with God.

You don't have the absolute confidence that you get to heaven when you die, respond to this invitation. Right now, as we pray let's pray together. Father I pray your Holy Spirit will speak to hearts and minds right now. I pray that you will help those that do not know you see their need for you they are sinners in need of a Savior. I pray Lord that you will open the rise spiritually and bring them to yourself. Now this is a work only you can do.

We ask Lord that you will do it and people will be cut to the heart and brought to you our heads about her eyes are closed. Maybe would say today. Greg God's Holy Spirit is been speaking to me of this message. I've been cut in the heart.

I realize I need Jesus.

I'm tired of playing religious came. I want to get right with God. Right now I want to know was certainly not go to heaven when I die I want Jesus Christ to come in the my life and be my Savior and my Lord and my God, pray for me.

I'm ready to say yes to Jesus that your desire whatever you're sitting. If you want Christ to come in your life you want him to forgive you of your sin, you want to go to heaven when you die, would you lift your hand up and I want to pray for you wherever you sit encompass slipped her hand up if you would, I'll pray for you. God bless you and the backup that she was well complex have it up in the balcony.

You want Christ to come in your life today that your hand accomplish. I know some of your watching and overflow your out there in our amphitheater. Would you raise your hand up. I know I can't see you, but God would see you just look to him and say I want Jesus. Maybe you're in the court are gymnasium building in you want Christ in your life. You raise your hand up as well right now saying I want Jesus.

How right you the raise your hand if you would want to the stand your feet and Emily Joyner prayer right there in your seat again. Wherever you are, to stand your feet nominally doing this prayer of asking Christ to come in your life to stand up, stand up, even if you didn't lift again. You want to make this commitment to Christ. Stand your feet. Maybe your prodigal son or daughter you want to come back to the Lord, you stand up as well.

Nobody else outdoors there in the amphitheater. You stand your feet in the court building.

You stand your feet wherever you are, stand up nominally doing this prayer anybody else stand up now bless all of you are right you that are standing pray this prayer out loud after me. This is what you're asking Jesus to come in your life again as I pray pray this out loud after me, Lord Jesus, I know I'm a sinner but I think you for dying on the cross for me.

I sure know for my sin and I choose to follow you from this day forward my Savior be my Lord be my God, be my friend.

I want to be your child, your servant, your disciple thank you for calling me and accepting and forgiving me in Jesus name I pray, amen