 Amen. So John chapter 7. So last week we looked at kind of the whole theme of the chapter which is there after Jesus. He goes up to the feast here or down. I guess you know they say you know he goes down in elevation but he goes up in elevation but down south to Jerusalem to the feast and they try to kill him. They're trying to they're coming after him. We talked about last week how they're after Jesus because he was good and that's the same reason that people will hate us if we do good. We're never going to be good but Jesus was good and that's why if we follow him people will be upset at us for doing good. It was no different in Jesus's time. So in John chapter 7 we're going to start in verse number 36 and I'm going to preach through just four verses tonight and just kind of explain what Jesus says here in John chapter 36 from 36 through verse number 40. We're going to cut that up but I just want I really like verse number 31 just as an introduction. It says many of the people believed on him and said when Christ cometh we do more miracles than these which this man had done. They're basically saying like this must be him. This must be the Christ. It's like is somebody else going to come and do better greater things? I don't think so. So they believed on him for those reasons and that's why you know Jesus did those miracles to prove that he was God. But look down to verse number 36 if you would. Let's look at what Jesus is saying here in these four verses. The people said what manner is this that he said you shall seek me and shall not find me and where I am the other ye cannot come. In the last day that great day of the feast Jesus stood and cried saying if any man thirst let him come unto me and drink. So this is a very similar type of statement that Jesus said to the woman at the well when he said you know she's drawing actual water and again we see Jesus is using this figure of speech here. She's drawing actual water and he says I'll give you living water and you'll never thirst again and of course she doesn't understand right away what he's talking about. But look at verse number 38. Jesus kind of adds on to that statement from the woman at the well in verse number 38 where he says he that believeth on me as the scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Now isn't that talking about a literal river flowing out of your belly here okay that's not what Jesus is talking about. Generally what is he talking about? In verse number 38 he's saying that this is going to happen to people who believe on me. So what is he saying here? So what happens when someone believes on or trusts on Jesus or trusts Jesus it means that they are saved that they are given eternal life at that point. So a general term or a general way of saying verse number 38 when he says out of his belly shall flow living rivers of living water generally he's talking about salvation here. He's talking about someone that is being saved. I'm going to talk specifically what he's talking about is kind of the point of this sermon but look down at verse number 39 for a little bit more context in John chapter 7. So again he says rivers of living water that's not talking about literal rivers you know that's not you know I don't think anyone's made a weird doctrine out of that but they probably have. But he's talking about salvation okay so in verse number 38 he's talking about somebody that believes on Jesus is going to have this figurative thing happen to them. This rivers of living water. Now in verse number 39 he gives us a little bit more specific detail about verse 38 he says but this spake key of the Spirit talking about the Holy Spirit here which they that believe on him should receive. So again people that believe on Jesus are saved are granted eternal life but what Jesus is doing here and I'm sure not many people are catching this because they don't have the whole Bible with them at the time and we're actually very lucky to be able to look at the words of Jesus and study them back and understand the exact details of what he's actually talking about here but he's saying they that believe on him should receive. So he's talking about now he gives us some more detail what does he do? He gives us more detail about salvation here. He's giving us kind of the mechanics of salvation he's saying people that believe on him so people that are saved are going to receive this Spirit they're going to receive the Holy Spirit but then he says for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified. So that can be a little confusing in verse number 39 he's saying people that believe on Jesus are going to you know they have the Spirit but then he says but the Spirit hasn't been given yet. So what are we what are we talking about here? Look at verse number 40 it says many of the people therefore when they heard this saying said of a truth this is the prophet. Turn to first Corinthians chapter 6 so I'm going to explain these really these three verses really I'm sorry these two verses to you verse number 38 and verse number 39 in the next few minutes that's kind of going to be the purpose of the sermon tonight as a matter of fact the title of the sermon is the purpose of the Holy Spirit the purpose of the Holy Spirit really what we're going to look at first is the mechanics of your salvation you say what do you mean I'm going to talk about like how your salvation works well you say well from my perspective all I did was trust on Jesus and then it worked but yes but how does God accomplish that how does God accomplish passing you from death to life that's what we're going to talk about this evening and I'm going to show you the purpose of the Holy Spirit not only in your salvation but in your Christian life as well look at first Corinthians chapter 6 and look at verse number 19 this was a super important verse for us in the last few years look at verse number 19 of first Corinthians chapter 6 the Bible says what know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which you have of God and you are not your own so the Bible here is saying we're talking about the purpose of the Holy Spirit tonight and first of all I want to talk about the purpose of the Holy Spirit in your salvation what part does the Holy Spirit play in you being passed from death to eternal life when you trusted on Jesus in that moment in that moment that you believed on Jesus or trusted on Jesus the Bible here is saying in first Corinthians 6 he's talking obviously to saved people here he's saying that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit meaning the body of a saved person contains the Holy Spirit so the Holy Spirit is within a saved person is what the Bible is teaching us here it's saying it's a temple of the Holy Ghost which is what which is in you that literally the Holy Spirit is in you which you have of God where did it come from from God okay and he are not your own so look this was an important verse when people were out there trying to force you know you to put things in your body that you didn't want to put in your body you know this was one of the things that the Christian could you know rightly write down and say look my body is not my own I'm a temple of the Holy Spirit I belong to God I can you know you can't force me to this was a definite Romans 13 situation where you have an authority telling you you know take this shot or whatever and you're saying no this body is mine as a Christian this body is a temple of the Holy Ghost and I you know I can't put something that it violates my Christian faith to put something that is unclean in this temple of God now this also should make you rethink you know going out and abusing your body you know just personally I mean you know obviously you know we like this verse in certain situations but when it comes to you know getting free from sin and walking away from sin in your life and not you know doing horrible things with your body you know it puts it in kind of a different context when you realize that you know you're walking around as a temple of the Holy Ghost and this is why the Bible says we'll talk about a little later you can actually upset the Holy Ghost that's within you all right turn to Ephesians chapter one so you contain inside of you if you are saved you contain the Holy Spirit we're looking at the mechanics first of your salvation looking at the mechanics of your salvation look at Ephesians chapter one and look at verse number ten so the question is if the Holy Spirit is inside me and it's inside you how did it get there how did it get there we know it came from God how did that work isn't it nice that you look the God doesn't have to tell us any of these things he doesn't have to tell us the mechanics of how you saved you could have just he could have just said John chapter three and that would have been it he didn't have to tell us all these details but he is telling us all these details and the reason that he's telling us all these details is because the Holy Spirit is not only important in your salvation but it's also important in your Christian life we're going to talk about that this evening so it's in you the Holy Spirit is inside you if you're saved how did it get there look at verse number 10 of Ephesians chapter one the Bible says that in that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather okay let me just explain what that means because we said a crazy word there dispensation of the fullness of times it means that when God decided it was right for Jesus to come it's really complicated let's create a whole new denomination of Christianity just on that one word okay anyway the dispensation of the fullness of times meaning that time is now the time is ready it's it's time for you know this is God works on this it's just like you know the the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full it's exactly the same type of statement meaning the the wicked people of the promised land they have not you know provoked God to wrath enough yet during Abraham's time but God was just telling Abraham what was going to happen 400 some years into the future that's it then that time is going to be full in the fullness of times and look you want to know why God chose when to send Jesus at this exact time when that meant that the time was full let's ask God when we get to heaven I mean it's not that important it's important to know that Jesus came at this time and that was the time that God chose the time was full Jesus came at this time that's all we need to know all right we don't have to make up all kinds of weird stuff just because you know just because all right and the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in heaven which are on earth even in him in whom also we have obtained an inheritance this is talking about the the inheritance of our salvation being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worked all things after the council of his own will okay that again you know it is the will of God that all men be saved okay so every single person who's ever been born their their destiny according to the will of God is that they would be saved that they would believe on Jesus does that does everyone fulfill their destiny no is that God's fault no God did everything and he wants all men to be saved the Bible is very clear about this our priests extensively about this and you know this idea that some people were you know people see are predestined and they're like oh some people are predestined to be saved and so it's nowhere in the Bible everybody is predestined for salvation according to the will of God it is not you know God's desire that any would go to hell that any would not believe on his son John 640 the will of the father is that you would believe on the son that's the will of God for everyone not everyone is going to realize that destiny look I got news for you not every saved believer is going to fulfill the predestination that God has for them as a matter of fact zero will fulfill it perfectly the predestination of the believers is that you would get saved and then you would you would live a Christian life and be conformed to to Christ and we're all going to fall short of that all right not the point of the sermon look at verse number 12 that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ we're talking about saved people here in whom ye again he's talking to a group of saved people in whom ye also trusted after that she heard the word of truth that what's the word of truth the gospel of your salvation this is like this is super important in Ephesians chapter one of verse 13 it's it's the verse that explains that believing on Jesus is not believing Jesus existed or believing that you know Jesus died on the cross even it's trusting on that it's not all I believe look I was Lutheran my entire life and there was never a time since I was a conscious person that you know since I was five six seven years old and up from you know five to thirty something or whenever I got saved there was never a time where I didn't believe Jesus died on the cross for my sins but I was just as unsaved as somebody who never even heard of Jesus it's trusting on that and that's why this verse these verses are so important it is about trusting on Christ look I could trust on Jesus but I also believe I have to no no no that's not trusting on Jesus you must trust completely on Jesus a hundred percent or zero or zero now what happens when you do that after that you heard the word of truth the gospel of your salvation in whom also after you believed ye were what sealed now he tells us how it works now he explains how the mechanics of your salvation works he says after you believe you were sealed with that holy spirit of promise look you're sealed with it that's what it's used for that's what it's used for in your and that's how it got inside you it's inside you to seal you it keeps you it's it's a promise of eternal security is what it is it just like the bible teaches in all other places about eternal security you can't become unsaved because are you stronger than god the holy spirit is god the holy spirit is what seals you you are not some strong man that can break that seal of the holy spirit I mean what is the promise well you believe on the sun you have everlasting life that is the promise and the holy spirit seals you unto that promise that's why verse 13 is just such a great such a great verse in the bible now look there's a lot of people that believe in workspace salvation that say and I sort of believe this at one time in in my 20s I think when I think back on it but there's some people that believe they get around the eternal life thing by saying oh yeah but eternal life begins when you die physically the only problem with that is the bible the only problem with that is you know many verses in the bible john 3 36 being one of them he that believed on the sun half everlasting life like right now doesn't say you're going to get it whenever you pass away physically it says you half everlasting life but also the very next verse that we're going to look at here look at verse number 14 so the holy spirit we're talking about the purpose of the holy spirit tonight and the first purpose is in the mechanical mechanical you know what I'm saying with mechanical it's just how your salvation works through the holy spirit it seals you it seals you unto the promise of everlasting life now a lot of people that say well maybe everlasting life starts after you die they have a lot of problems with verse 14 because it says which what is which the holy spirit that seals you in verse 13 is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory so what the bible here is saying is that god gives you that seal that guaranteed promise of eternal life at the moment you believe at the moment you trust and you're sealed at that point until so he covers that time period he literally covers the time period from the time you get saved to the time you physically die is there any detail that's not in the bible I mean does god have to give us that detail he could have just been like john 3 36 that's it believe it that's the way it is but instead he just gives us this great detail for all these people would be like well maybe no he's saying you're sealed and it's the earnest it's it's the down payment he gives you an earnest like a like an earnest payment to to what to to get the possession for you to lock that possession for you he says he does that with the holy spirit gives you that seal until the redemption tell he comes back to raise you in that first resurrection unto your glorified self unto the praise of his glory so he's literally telling you how he keeps you eternally secure from the moment of john 3 36 from the moment you trust in jesus so you believe on jesus you're sealed with the holy spirit which is that is the down payment that secures you and then you are resurrected to glory that's how the holy spirit works in your salvation now go back to john chapter 38 and look at john chapter 7 and verse number 38 john chapter 7 and look at verse number 38 so i said generally verse number 38 was talking about salvation or everlasting life but now specifically you can see what he is talking about in the very first part of verse number 39 he says but this he spake of the spirit which they that believe on him should receive stop that's what i was just talking about when he's talking about the holy spirit that's what you are going to receive when you believe on him when you get saved Ephesians chapter 1 turn to ezekiel chapter 47 and we're gonna now we're gonna look at the second part of jesus's statement but if you write in your bible you just circle or just circle or make a line before that colon there it says that's what he's talking about he's talking about Ephesians chapter 1 10 through 14 is what he's talking about in the very first part of verse number 39 but now in the last part of verse this one verse is so deep and you can just see that it just went over everybody's head that he was talking to at this time but look at verse the last part of verse number 39 as you're turning to ezekiel chapter 47 i'm gonna show you something really cool in ezekiel chapter 47 all right look at verse the last part of verse 39 jesus says it says or the bible says for the holy spirit was the holy ghost now verse number 39 is not jesus speaking it is the narrator of the bible is the it is literally the holy spirit speaking it is literally the holy spirit explaining itself to us all right and look i'm glad that those parentheses in verse 39 are there because it gives us a lot of context of what jesus is talking about in verse number 38 when he talks about those rivers of living water look at the last part of the verse as you're turning to ezekiel chapter 47 the holy spirit or the bible says this for the holy spirit was not yet given because that jesus was not yet glorified so there's two things there's two things here there's the holy spirit that you are given when you're saved and then there's another giving so to speak of the holy spirit that has not yet happened okay you're guaranteed the first one if you're saved you're not guaranteed the second one if you're saved the second one depends on you and to get a better understanding of what jesus is talking about the last part of verse number 39 i know we're getting getting deep here but just follow me if you to get a deeper understanding of what jesus is talking about the last part of verse 39 he's talking about these rivers of living waters that are flowing out of you so yes he was talking about salvation but he was also talking about the holy spirit that is given at a later time look at ezekiel chapter 47 ezekiel chapter 47 is describing ezekiel's temple and i'm not even going to give my opinion on what that is tonight but i want to show you something interesting about this temple and about the description of something that is happening in and around ezekiel's temple look at verse number one and let's just read for a few verses here talking about ezekiel's temple here afterward he brought me again into the door of the house and behold waters issued here we go we got water out of it from under the threshold of the house eastward for the forefront of the house stood toward the east and the waters came down from under the right side of the house at the south side of the altar talking about this this temple that it doesn't exist at this time okay then brought me he brought me out of the way of the gate northward and led me about the way without under the utter utter i can't read tonight for some reason out of the way without unto the utter gate by the way that look at eastward that's a hard sentence okay that's not the easiest sentence to read read that one 10 times fast and behold there ran out waters on the right side so here we see waters are running out of this temple and when the man that had a line in his hand went forth eastward he measured a thousand cubits and brought me through the waters and the waters were to the ankles so the water's not that deep okay at this point now look at verse four he measured a thousand and brought me through the waters the waters were to the knees it's getting deeper and again he measured a thousand and brought me through the waters were to the loins now they were up to his waist afterward he measured a thousand and it was a river that i could not pass over. For the waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. This river was too strong, it was too large, and it was too powerful to be crossed over by a man." Does that sound familiar? Does that sound familiar to the same type of living water, the same type of spirit that we see that this seal in Ephesians chapter 1? Now look at verse number 6. Then he said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen this? Then he brought me and caused me to return to the brink of the river. Look at verse 7. When I returned, behold, that the bank of the river were many trees on one side and on the other. Then he said unto me, These waters issue out towards the east country and go down into the desert and go into the sea, which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed. So these waters go everywhere. Now look at verse number 9. And it shall come to pass that everything that liveth which moveth wither. So not everything that liveth and moveth where the waters are. Look at the next verse. Whithersoever the river shall come shall live. And there shall be a very great multitude of fish because these waters shall come wither, for they shall be healed. And everything shall live whether the river cometh. This powerful river, this river that cannot be passed by man, cannot be crossed by man, it will bring life wherever it goes. Isn't that a beautiful picture of salvation? That's a beautiful picture of salvation. And now that you see how the Holy Spirit is used in salvation, you can see how Jesus was explaining in verse number 38, what he was really explaining specifically was this is how the Holy Spirit is going to work for you. When he's talking about those rivers of living water, Jesus is talking about the work that the Holy Spirit is going to do in salvation and beyond salvation. Look at verse number 10. I mean there's just life everywhere. There's just life everywhere that this river goes. And it shall come to pass that the fishers shall stand upon it from Agedde even unto Eneglum and they shall be a place to spread forth nets. Their fish shall be according to their kinds as the fish of the great sea exceeding many. But in the Myre places, verse number 11, thereof shall not be healed. They shall be given to salt. I'll go back to that one in a few minutes. But I mean basically saying this water is not going to be received everywhere is what he's saying about in verse number 11. It's going to be stagnant in places. It's not going to be flowing everywhere. But beyond, look at verse number 12. And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side. Now look at this. This river, this powerful uncrossable river that brings life everywhere it goes, this is what is on both sides of that river. Everything that that river touches. It says shall grow all trees for meat whose leaves shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed. It shall bring forth new fruit according to his months because their waters they issued out of the sanctuary and the fruit thereof shall be for meat and the leaf thereof for medicine. What the Bible is saying here in Ezekiel chapter 47 and especially verse number 12 is explaining the last half of John chapter 7 and verse number 39. He is saying where these waters flow freely they will bring life and they will be very fruitful. Go to Galatians chapter 5 verse number 22. The Holy Spirit is what Jesus is explaining. He's saying the Holy Spirit if followed, if allowed to flow and not kept stagnant, the Holy Spirit if followed will be fruitful. The Holy Spirit is what brings the fruit. The Holy Spirit is what brings the life and the Holy Spirit is what brings the fruit. The river, the river of living water. Look at Galatians 5.22. Again the Bible just completely just backs up but yeah the Bible was written by a bunch of different people. Give me a break. Look at this. Look at Galatians 5.22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance against such there is no law. Look you may not be able to tell. You may not be able to tell if all people are saved and look sometimes I get it but you know it's difficult to tell if some people are saved. I mean we try to find out if people are saved when we go out soul winning so we can know if we need to give somebody the Gospel or not but look the fruit of the Spirit is a good outward indication. Turn to Romans chapter 8. Turn to Romans chapter 8 and I'm not look I'm not trying to get like you know mystical about this but I mean the fruit of the Spirit and this Spirit within saved people is a real thing and it is I'm sorry but it is recognizable. Look at Romans chapter 8 and look at verse number 14. Romans chapter 8 and verse number 14 the Bible says this it says for many as are led by the Spirit of God. This is the second half of verse 39. Not only are these people saved but they are allowing themselves to be led by that Spirit in them. As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God for you have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear. So he's trying to convince people to let this Spirit that is in them hey you're a son of God you have the Spirit in there let it lead. Don't receive the Spirit of bondage which is this this he's talking about following the flesh. Don't just voluntarily put yourself back into slavery to sin is what he's saying because nothing sin is no power over you once you're saved because why because you're sealed let it lead you but you have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father Ephesians chapter 1 verse 13 you've been adopted with that Spirit that the Spirit that sealed you is the Spirit of adoption it's the mechanics of your adoption. Now look at verse 16 the Spirit itself bear witness with our Spirit that we are the children of God now look I I think that you know you can extrapolate this to believe and like I said don't get I'm not trying to get mystical or weird about it but when the Bible here is saying that this Spirit the Holy Spirit bears witness with our Spirit and guess what I have the same Spirit inside me that you have inside you and that Spirit will bear witness with itself so I mean when you like talk to somebody that claims Jesus but they're just super nasty and they're upset that you're even at their door and you're like there's somebody there's somebody walking down the street with a Bible and they're like yeah we're Christians get out of here you're just like I'm not trying to pass you know God's judgment here but you know it's like that's Spirit there's no spirit connection there you know I'm not seeing you know that that kindred Holy Spirit that you know somebody that claims it just shows you that look folks we know this everyone that claims Jesus is not saved so how could that be that someone that claims to be a Christian is yelling at somebody and calling you know there's one specific church in town where we like all you several people we've met from their church literally like kick us out of their neighborhood we're Christians get out of here we're just preaching the gospel to people we're not trying to take people away get out of here with that stuff you're just like what's going on what's going on with that Christian there's no you know there's no spirit connection there go back to verse number 39 verse number 39 and let's look at that last half let's look at what Jesus was talking about that the Holy Spirit is not yet given actually turn to Luke chapter 12 you know Luke verse 39 is talking about you know he talks about first the Spirit that is given to people that believe on him and then he says the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit has not yet been given what is he talking about what he's talking about specifically the first time this happens in the Bible is in Acts chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost when they're baptized with the Holy Spirit or they are filled with the Holy Spirit same thing in the Bible all right being filled with the Holy Spirit the baptism of the Holy Spirit please let's not go and create a whole new weird religion where we redefine baptism and you know take Acts 2 38 and we'll take that one verse and misinterpret that one verse and then we'll create a whole false religion on that one verse that throws the rest of the Bible right out the window well we're in one verse and then but we can't use any of the other Bible now now that we've wrecked this one verse turn to Luke chapter 12 so Jesus is talking about the day of Pentecost after he has been resurrected after not only his resurrection but he has been ascended he has ascended to heaven and after Jesus is gone the very first thing is the Holy Spirit comes upon the they already have the Holy Spirit with them but they're baptized with the Holy Spirit they are filled with the Holy Spirit and they do this great miracle of speaking all these different languages to do what to have a purpose to preach the gospel I mean Jesus didn't just go and just do a bunch of magic tricks that he didn't do like card tricks he healed people he did miracles that meant something these guys had the Holy Spirit fill them and they spoke in all these different languages were all these different people from all these different nations were in Jerusalem and they perform this great miracle took for what purpose to get people saved to preach the gospel look at Luke chapter 12 we see another example of this the Holy Spirit kind of God promises us that the Holy Spirit will help us to you is that the only time no the exact same promises are available to us look at verse number 11 of Luke chapter 12 the Bible tells us when you know a specific case where the Holy Spirit will fill us and come upon us I mean this is an extreme situation but you look it's very relevant and I'm glad and there's a reason that God told the disciples this because many of them were going to go through this look at verse number 11 it says when they bring you into the synagogues and under the magistrates and powers take you no thought how or what thing you shall answer or what you shall say for the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what you ought to say the Bible here is saying look this is something that I've thought about I don't know if you've thought about this before but and I know it's kind of hard to think about this with you know the society that we live in and we kind of kind of live in a free country sort of and we're not really persecuted for our faith but there's a lot of history on Christians being tortured and being put through the worst possible scenarios you can possibly think of and when they're being put through those scenarios you know what they're being asked to do when they're being put through that terrible pain and that terrible torture they're being asked to deny Christ they're being asked to deny Christ now what does it matter if they deny Christ are they gonna lose their salvation no they're not gonna lose their salvation but it would kind of matter for the people around them it would kind of matter for the witnesses that are watching these scenarios and if you read documented accounts of the martyrs some of the greatest stories of the Christian faith are martyrs in their last moments you say how can that be and look I've read a lot of these things a lot of them are in the martyrs mirror and a lot of that's what I love reading the most is the statements that these men and women make when they're being tortured to death when they're being burned to death or whatever is happening to them because they make these great profound statements and honestly I would worry myself that if I was put into some extreme duress like that obviously you would like to be killed quickly if you're gonna be killed for Christ beheading is pretty good when you've read a lot of these stories but I would worry that I would say something that would discourage people around me discourage people around me but God gives us this great promise here God gives us this great promises hey when that happens this was gonna happen to you and look every single one of the disciples except John died a horrible death and they tried to kill John according to secular history they tried to boil in oil but God miraculously saved him that's not in the Bible but that's in several history books several history accounts and then they banished him to the island of Patmos God kept him alive but many of these men all of these men went through terrible suffering and terrible death and they all profess Christ to the end so it's a nice promise that the Holy Spirit gives us when we look at these men to be like I don't know if I could do that I don't know if I'm brave enough for that I'm looking tough enough for that the Holy Spirit says I got you the Holy Spirit says in that time in that moment I will just I will I will give you the words to say you won't have to worry about crying out or screaming out you're like a like a coward or a baby or whatever and no one would even blame a human being for screaming out for mercy or in situations like that no one would even blame it but you know what actually happens is when those men and their congregations are around them as they're burning and they just and they're trying to offer the person burning water and all this when the person says no no water for me the Lord Jesus Christ will have me in just a moment and they say all these great professions of faith you know what that does that that fills the people outside that see that with the Spirit it gives people hope that there's this great you know it's a great witness to people that's why the Hebrews 11 is talking about the faith chapter is so surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses Hebrew 12 it's like if they can do it and look but we have this promise and then guess what turn to act 7 we actually then you ask why does God give us such great detail about what happened to Stephen because God is literally demonstrating to us in Acts chapter 7 how Luke chapter 12 is going to work because in Acts chapter 7 we see the first person the first Christian that is killed that is the detailed account of the first Christian that's killed is is the deacon Stephen and look look at Acts chapter 7 of verse 54 we get this great sermon from Stephen that we studied through and we studied the book of Acts and look at verse 54 he preaches look folks these are ordinary people these are ordinary people and he gets up and he preaches this great sermon so much so the look at this when they heard these things after his sermon verse 54 of Acts 7 they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth look when you preach a sermon that is so powerful that everyone wants to kill you that was a good sermon okay when you got a bunch of evil people if it's you know there's a crowd of evil people and I would want to preach a sermon that was so Spirit filled that they all wanted to kill me then I'm like yes I did my job look at verse 55 how do you do it how do you do it look at verse 55 but he what being full of the Holy Ghost looked up that is exactly what God promised in Luke 12 11 I will fill you with the Holy Ghost and I will give you the words to say and then in Acts chapter 6 and Acts chapter 7 he literally shows us how he does it he being full of the Holy Ghost looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God I always like to think that Jesus stood up for Stephen there because Jesus sits on the right hand of God so look folks here's what I'm trying to get at this evening here's I'm trying to get at this evening and I want to really focus on the last part of verse 39 now if you look back at Acts chapter 6 what I really want to get you to understand as a saved believer who's a temple of the Holy Ghost who is sealed by the Holy Ghost is that you have the Holy Spirit in you why not use it don't leave that one on the table you know the fruit of the Spirit is available to every saved person if you look back at Acts chapter 6 and verse number 8 look what Stephen was doing Stephen well he was full of the Holy Ghost before he even got in trouble look what he was doing in verse 8 it says Stephen full of faith and power did great wonders and miracles amongst among the people look before he was filled with it to speak the river was already flowing out of him he was already out there doing great wonders just doing great things he was full of faith and power so look you have two choices in your Christian life turn to 1st Thessalonians chapter 5 you have two choices in your Christian life you can either grieve the Holy Spirit that is in you you can either go against the Holy Spirit that is in you upset the Holy Spirit you can let it stagnate you go fill up and in your your your polluted temple that is you know and turn it into a marsh or you can let it flow out of you as it wants to do in verse the 1st Thessalonians 5 look at verse 19 the Bible says this I mean it gives such a great example a great picture of what the Holy Spirit is it says quench not the Spirit the Holy Spirit inside you is this river it's this fire it's saying don't put it out it wants to to flow out of you so how do I not quench the Spirit is the next question we'll just read the next four verses what it says don't quench not the Spirit despise not prophesying you know what that means read the Bible listen to the Bible despise not preaching when you hear preaching preached that maybe you don't like despise it not if it's in the Bible despise it not and then look verse number 20 applies directly to verse 21 because you can't do verse 21 if you don't do number 20 in verse number 20 it says despise not prophesying so you're reading the Bible you're listening to the Bible and then guess what you can prove all things what does that mean that means every single thing that somebody teaches or you read you compare it to the Bible you look at it through the lens of the Bible I am so glad that I have the lens of the Bible you have no chance in this world today if you don't have the lens of the Bible I mean there's some things that are ridiculous and a complete clown circus out there but a lot of things are just very confusing and I'm glad that you can just look at everything through the lens of the Bible and then when you find something that's good hang on to it hold fast to it look at verse 22 we're talking about how to quench not quench the spirit like literally verse 19 is telling you the main goal in verse 20 21 22 are telling you how to achieve that goal and then it says this abstain from all appearance of evil say what does that what does that mean that that's telling you God's standards for separation right there it's saying what do you mean abstain from all appearance what about doing it no it's it's talking about the high standard of coming out from among them it's talking about the high standard it's saying not only don't do evil it's like don't even be don't even appear to be doing evil it's talking about you know like these people they're like I'm gonna go to the bar but I'm not gonna drink I mean that's a silly example for us but I mean just people that are like I'm gonna hang out with a bunch of idiots that are they're doing bad things you know what's gonna happen if you hang out with a bunch of idiots you're gonna appear like an idiot and the Bible saying abstain from all appearance of evil it's saying don't be anywhere near it is what the Bible is talking about here it's just it's showing you God's high standards of separation so look follow the Holy Spirit and let it flow from you instead of quenching it that's the second choice the first choice is quench it don't separate from anything don't separate from sin just don't you know get into all kinds of trouble you'll quench the Spirit within you you will see it you will feel it happen you will quench the Spirit within you look it's not gonna make you unsealed but you will quench it from flowing out of you and be and doing what causing all those trees to grow in the banks and create all that fruit in your life as the Holy Spirit flows out of you it creates fruit everywhere it goes and it will stop all of that but the second question the second choice is is just follow the Spirit I mean doesn't this seem so easy doesn't it seem so easy if we didn't have any distractions around us and all we could hear was the Spirit within us it would be easy but it's the distractions and it's the noise of everything around us look but when it boils down to it folks it really comes down to this it's it's like it's the choice for the Christian I'm talking about now it's the choice of a worthless life versus a life of great faith and power I mean who would choose the worthless life yet that's what we do when we're quenching the Spirit in our lives anyone who is saved can do this Galatians 5 25 right when it after it talks about the fruit of the Spirit says if we live in the Spirit let us also what you live in the Spirit if you're saved you live in the Spirit we're just saying if we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit and then that Spirit will flow out of you and and do what it'll create new fruit this is a choice in your Christian life see a lot of people they think a lot of people think turn to 2nd Timothy chapter 2 turn to 2nd Timothy chapter number 2 a lot of people think that you know I'm not that smart I'm not that important I'm not that great of anything really but you know I can't do great things you know it's true you're not that great and I'm sure there's plenty of people who are smarter than you there's plenty of people who are smarter than me but guess what you are a vessel of the Spirit within you look at 2nd Timothy chapter number 2 2nd Timothy chapter number 2 I can't remember where I was going to go here I can't remember the verse I was going to go to there but it's talking to you know it's talking about how you know we are a we're a vessel of the Holy Spirit you know we should be a clean vessel unto honor and we should not be a vessel you know unto should not be a corrupted vessel so the Holy thing that the Bible says this it says you know if you think that I can't be used to do great things it's kind of back to the point that I'm trying to make if you think that God can't use you to do great things why do you think that he used such ordinary people in the Bible to do these great things he used ordinary people you are just a vessel of the Spirit within you you aren't great you aren't great you are nothing special so why not follow something that is greater than you remember we did this sermon series I did this sermon series just on 1st Corinthians chapter 1 in verse number 27 actually turned to 1st Corinthians chapter 1 and look at verse number 27 where God uses you know the foolish things of this world to confound the wise that's the first part of that verse and that's what I preach that whole sermon series on how God takes these powerful people these rich people the kings the the CEOs these uber powerful people in this world and he just he just turns them into fools he's got them all out there and you've got these people that have got an IQ of 170 something and they spend their whole life chasing aliens they spend their whole life talking about things that aren't real it's because God is confounding the wise but what is the last part of that verse then you know what it says it says he uses the weak things of the world guess what that's you he uses the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty so what he's saying is he's going to confound the people that think they're powerful he's going to turn them into fools and make them chase foolish things he's going to use the weakest people to do the mightiest works how is he going to do that through the Holy Spirit that's how if you allow the Holy Spirit to do that look this is great news for any person that is just wondering like what in the world you got all these people out there trying to make themselves great they're just going to be confounded into foolish things when you know when all they have to do is is just get saved and then follow what God has already given them and guess what they'll they'll just they'll have great faith and power and they'll do great signs and wonders great exploits as the book of Daniel says I mean think about getting somebody saved you could somebody that's passed from eternal death to eternal life by you I mean that's a how's that not a miracle how's that not a miracle that you know you some weak person has just its verse number 21 I just saw it if man therefore purge him from these he shall be a vessel on honor sanctified and meet for the master's use and prepared unto every good work you purge yourself from the garbage and now you're a vessel of the Holy Spirit that God can actually use that's what the Bible is saying there but look how's it not a miracle of some weak poor not that smart person going out and preaching the gospel getting somebody saved that's a great miracle how's it not a miracle that children today if raised according to what the Bible says and the word of God will not only get saved but able to be able to live a great Christian life where they will grow up to be adults that now serve the Lord under their own free will under their own power of the Holy Spirit that is now within them that's that's a great wonder that no matter how bad this world gets that is still possible how is it possible that when all the other marriages out there are thriving or not thriving but falling apart just because of you know money and loss and all these other things of the world that your marriage can thrive if you listen to what the Bible says you follow the spirit within you your wife follows the spirit within her and your relationship can just thrive and thrive and thrive these are miracles and wonders and signs is what these are I mean God in 2 Timothy chapter 2 in verse number 21 is just saying you know all you know what he's saying there he's saying just give me something to work with and like you're not going to do the work you're not going to do the work I mean a good a good check on yourself is you know you're like am I a spirit fielder am I not well when you go out soul winning to perform those great signs and wonders and do that great miracle of hopefully getting someone saved are you excited to go talk to somebody are you excited to knock the next we're like I hope I can talk to somebody today hope I can get out there and have a conversation at least have a conversation with somebody at least go out and you know do you get somebody say to know but at least I got to give the gospel to somebody but that's the person that's filled with the spirit some of this is going out there just because like they want to check it off their list that's somebody that's not filled with the spirit I pray every single time that I come up to preach that I would be filled with the spirit I pray that God would would use me to do what to be super smart and super clever and super funny so you're all entertained or whatever no that I would just have the ability to teach this word to you that that's being filled with the spirit and being excited to do so I don't want to you know be up here like that's not filled with the spirit I should be excited to preach the gospel you should be excited to read God's word you should read God's word and and and just be you just take your time reading it when you see something in God's word that makes you the reminds you of something else in God's what you should be excited about that means you're filled with the spirit that's the spirit working with you as you study the word God look the point is that this is a huge tool that a lot of Christians leave on the table every single person God the Bible is filled with weak and underperforming and and not as smart as everybody else men and women who God used to do great things because it's God's glory that he wants to show and not our glory if he used the most powerful people and the most powerful everybody everywhere we could see yeah that came with super powerful that's why he won that battle and God's like no no no you only get a couple hundred people because I want people to know that I won the battle but the point is that is us Gideon's army is us let God win some battles all we have to do is clean up the vessel and give God something to work with so that's John chapter 7 verse 38 and verse 39 the Holy Spirit and how it should work in your life let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer