MAY 1 2016 | Sarah Connor and Simon the Sorcerer, Part 3

Sea Change Church · "Sarah Connor and Simon the Sorcerer, Part 3" · Adam Stadtmiller · May 1, 2016
Acts 8:9-25
Automated transcript. Not reviewed for accuracy.

We're going to read Acts 9, or Acts 8, 9 through 25. But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who before time in the city used sorcery and amazed the people of Samaria, giving out that he himself was a great one, to whom all the people gave heed, from the least of them to the greatest, saying, this man is that power of God, which is very great. And they gave him lots of authority. But when they believed Philip's preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God in the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

And Simon also himself believed. And being baptized, he continued with Philip. And beholding signs and wonders, great miracles, he was completely amazed. Now, when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to him Peter and John, who, when they were come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

It had not fallen upon them, only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. Now, when Simon saw that through the laying on the hands of the apostles, the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, Give this power to me also, that on whoever I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.

But Peter said unto him, Your silver perish with you, because you have thought that you could obtain the gift of God with money. You have no part in this matter. You have nothing to do with it, for your heart is not right before God. But Peter said unto him, And Simon answered and said, Pray for me, that the Lord, that nothing of the things that you have spoken would come upon me.

And therefore, when they had testified and spoken, the word of the Lord returned to Jerusalem, preached the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans. The word of God. What do we say? Amen. Now let's do it again. The word of God. Amen. What? What? What? The word of God. There we go. Yeah, let's thanks be to God for his word. Well, hey, it's time for the Cobra report.

And Cobras took a beating last week. You're right. Five to one. And I will say, now if you're new here, the Cobras are the U10, under 10 year old girls team that I coach. And we've been phenomenal this season. And I will say that the first 15 minutes of that game were some of the most beautiful soccer that that field has ever seen for U10 girls soccer.

There has been questions about this other team for a long time, about their age, the ages of the team. We call them the Giants. They're called the Cali Crush. And after the game, I did send a letter to the league just inquiring about competitive play. I felt petty. It felt petty, but it felt right. Have you ever been there? Like, it feels petty, but it feels so right.

I received confirmation from the league that there are kids that are one to two years older on that team. Ah, right. Right. So, I've told my girls that that game didn't count. And we will be back on the pitch today. Yeah, right. Okay, well, that's okay that you guys did it. Do you have to put them all on the same team? So, we played a great game, though.

And we will be back today. If you want to come at 320 to Allen Field, come watch the Cobras play. We're awesome. I want to pray now that God will help me with articulating eternity. Because what I'm going to try to do is articulate eternity. And that's what I do every week. And it's quite a task. It's actually impossible unless it is translated through the Holy Spirit.

So, let me just pray. Lord Jesus, we want to understand you more. We want to live in the heart of God, the burning heart of God. And start from that place. Give me the words. Give me the anointing to speak. And Holy Spirit, translate. In Jesus' name, amen. There was a saying that was going around in the 80s. And maybe you heard it, and I refer to the 80s a lot.

If you're new, get used to it. If you stick around. And the saying was this. Some people are so heavenly minded that they're no earthly good. Have you ever heard that saying? Anybody else heard that saying? Right. So, the rest of some of you were here in the 80s with me. And I remember thinking, yeah. Yeah, that's right. We can't be thinking about God so much that we just, we're of no earthly good anymore.

Because we're so consumed with the fabric of heaven. We're so immersed, drowning in the love of God. And so immersed in the love of God. And in his nature. And in his goodness. That when we come to earth, we have nothing to offer. Because we're just, our mind is constantly in heaven. And I was for that statement for so long. Until recently. And recently, I began, as I said during the message earlier in the time.

When we first started. That I wanted to get to the place in my life where I began to experience God again afresh. I feel like I've been living from an outpost on earth. And then exploring heaven. Going on day trips to heaven. Trying to get there in prayer. Trying to get there and experience God. And then come back and try to source what I got from that place.

And come back to the base camp that is on earth. The more God has been speaking to me. The more I realize that the only way that I can ever make any impact. Is if I am totally immersed. And I am of so much heavenly minded. That my soul is soulfully minded in heaven. That my heart is placed and birthed in heaven. That I will be of no earthly good.

Unless I am completely heavenly minded. Let me give you an example. From a movie a long time ago. In 1984. I went to a movie. I was in 9th grade. That movie had a character in it called Seracana. Does anybody know who Seracana is? Right. From the Terminator. And this is back when I told you last week that I was really into movies like that. I don't watch so many anymore like that.

But nonetheless. The beginning of the movie shows Los Angeles and a street. And all of a sudden Arnold Schwarzenegger. He's not wearing much clothes. Actually he's wearing no clothes. Right. And he's looking like the pose from the Mr. Universe contest. And he beams through some. Now if you're into sci-fi. A wormhole. Right. Is that what we call it? It's always like a wormhole.

He beams in. And he shows up in the middle of Los Angeles. He's completely stark naked. And he has to find his way back from there. And start from that place with nothing. And be immersed completely in that place. And his whole point is he's an assassin from the future. But the only way that he can affect the future. Is if he completely immerses himself with nothing.

And he shows up and starts from the place of being reborn basically. In Los Angeles at that time. The only way that he can affect the future. The place that he needs to go. Is if he becomes to this place. Is his Los Angeles 1984. And he's coming from 2029. I read the Wikipedia today. That's why I'm so into it. And I know it. He gets back. And only can he change the future.

Only can he change the world where he comes from. If he gets completely immersed in Los Angeles 1984. He shows up with nothing. I feel like God has been calling me to say. I need you to let go. If you really want what you're asking for. You need to let go of every single attachment. You need to let go of every single delight. You need to be willing to leave every single thing.

Now Jesus said this. He makes radical statements. Unless you're willing to leave your family. Unless you're willing to hate yourself. And only follow me. He basically says you have no worth to heaven. You cannot. You can't do it the other way around. You can't have an outpost on earth. And have all these things that you collect. And all these things that you have attachments to.

And then come to me. Leaving these things. And bringing these things with you. And then go get. Source your peace for me. And then go back. No. You have to. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Coming in 1984. You have to be able to come with nothing. And start with me first. Solely for myself. It is Christian maturity in the highest level. To love God solely for who God is.

Not for anything he can offer you. This has been where God has been taking me. As I've been reading through some of this ancient literature. And the scripture as well alongside of it. Are you willing to start with me? Bernardo Clairvaux. As I said earlier. Says if God were to create you. Just for the sake of sending you. To hell. An eternity of hell.

Away from him. He is still worthy. To be worshipped by you. If he doesn't fix that thing. That you think he should fix. If he doesn't give you the thing. That you think he should give you. For no other reason. Just to show up. And say my starting point. Is God alone. Void of anything. It is Jesus plus nothing. It is God plus nothing. What does it look like?

And let me ask you this. What would your life look like? Picture a life. Where you don't start here. In the world. With all your issues. And all your problems. And all your joys. And all the things you like. And all the things you don't like. You don't start here. Go to God. Try to source things for the journey. And then come back. What would it look like if you started here?

With no attachments. No desires. No wants. No care for your purpose. You just start here with God. And then you walk backwards. Into your life. Looking at God all the way. Into that place. I believe that's what God calls us to. I believe that that's what Jesus calls us to. And I believe if we're going to experience fullness. The fullness of scripture.

The fullness of joy. The fullness of hope. The fullness of peace. We need to completely source it from God. And then come back into the earth from that place. Come back into our life on earth from that place. And it's a radical thought. We're going to be talking today about the Samaritans receiving the Holy Spirit. And the reason I started here. Because we're going to end up back here.

Is the question today that I've been trying to get to in this passage. Is how do we receive fullness of the Holy Spirit? How do we receive a complete fullness. Where we feel like we're walking in all that God has to offer us. That we're sourcing everything that God has to offer us. And so we're looking and we're asking this. If you look in your notes.

We're going to see something that has been problematic. In Christian theology and thought. For 2,000 years. Since the beginning. Since the Holy Spirit comes. And it's this speed bump. That we see in scripture. Between receiving Christ. Asking Jesus. To save you. So to speak. Asking is the old language. You have to come into your heart. It is this speed bump.

A little brief period of time. Or a long period of time. Between receiving and understanding the gospel. And experiencing a fullness. Or a download of Holy Spirit fullness and power. Now I believe that when you receive. When you ask Christ into your heart. You do receive the Holy Spirit. It is there. And there is no child sized portion of the Holy Spirit.

If the Holy Spirit is within your heart. And in your life. The fullness exists. But at some point later on. We see in the scripture. As I will show you in a moment. Over and over again. That there sometimes is a delay. Between that kernel. Between that seed. Blooming into a flower. Does that make sense? And many of you have probably experienced this. Many of you have experienced following Jesus.

And you had maybe perhaps a long life. I had 10 to 15 years of following Jesus. He was real to me. I went to camps. I went to youth camps. I did all these things. Jesus. I mean I love Jesus. I cried. Jesus was very real to me. But when I was 19. I got to a place. Where I was sick and tired. Of being sick and tired. And I said to Jesus. I want to give it all to you.

And at that point. There was a. I don't know what you want to call it. Something happened. Where God became more tangible to me. We want to be an experiential church. And when I'm saying that. I'm not saying that we want to have a lot of feelings of God. And pursue feelings. God is an experiential God. You think about the apostles. And the writers of the New Testament.

And the Old Testament. The writers of the Old Testament. Didn't have the old. The old Old Testament. A pre-existing document to go by. They were able to write the scripture. As it is. Because they experienced it. Does that make sense? The new. The guys. And it was women as well. In the Old Testament. But in the New Testament. The men that wrote the Old.

The New Testament. Had to experience what they were writing. It's an experiential faith. And so. At the same time. We as a people. Want to be an experiential people. I don't want to just keep living from a base camp on earth anymore. I'm tired of it. I want to live completely from God. To the point where nothing else matters. And what I am finding. Is in the couple weeks.

That God has allowed me to do that. To be able to take away all the attachments. To get to that place in your life. Where you're like God. Anything you want. And I've been there multiple times. Because the scripture says. There's a graduation. That we are being saved. So there will be. I've had experiences. Of deeper infillings. Of the Holy Spirit. The first one.

Happened when I was 19. In college. And I've had other infillings. But recently. In the last few weeks. I feel like it's happening again. And it came from a point of desperation. Where I said. I'm sick of growing. Because of suffering. I just want to experience. And to know you. And he began to open up scriptures. He began to open up books. I've been reading.

Began to answer that prayer. And like I said last week. To crack the geode. That hard rock. That can be my life. And realize that beyond the ugly hard rock. Is this beautiful crystal inside. And to get to the place once again. Where I'm saying. God. Anything you want. Anything you want. You can have it. And perhaps you've been there. And you notice the fullness.

That comes with complete submission. Let's look at some scriptures real quick. As we go through this. First of all. Acts 8. 14 through 17. When the apostles in Jerusalem. Heard that Samaria. Had accepted the word of God. So they've believed it. Right? They've gotten the seed. They sent Peter and John to Samaria. When they arrived. They prayed for the new believers.

That they might receive the Holy Spirit. There's that speed bump. There is that. That little margin of. In time. It doesn't mean. That you're not complete in Christ. Because once you are in Christ. You can't be incomplete. And this is one of the. Truths of scriptures. That is a mystery. We have to realize. That they can both be true. And so there's a complete fullness.

In Christ. They are marked. With the seal of the Holy Spirit. They are saved. Their name is upon Jesus. Lips in eternity. There they are. But at the same time. There was a deeper fullness. And God wanted them. To experience something. Now I believe. And will. That the reason God does this. Is because we have an experiential faith. He wants you to experience.

What it means to know him. And then continue to add. To the layers of that depth. He wants you to know him. He wants you to know him. As he created you to know him. No one will ever know Jesus. Like you know Jesus. No one will ever know God the Father. Like you know God the Father. Why? Because you are a unique creation. And he delights in meeting you.

In the story of your life. To have an experience of him. He doesn't want you just to have the Bible. He doesn't want you just to have the word of God. He wants you to have an experience of him. And the word of God is a tool. That will. We use to have a deeper experience. But if our whole life is based on scriptures. And our whole life is based on a knowledge.

Of we should do this. Or we shouldn't do that. God becomes a business contract. I want to say the Holy Spirit. God the Father is not looking to do a business deal with you. On your spiritual life. He's looking to embrace you. He's looking to say. Hey trust me enough to let it all go. Run into me and start with me each morning. Just start. Matter of fact.

Don't even start with me each morning. Just be in me. Bernard of Clairvaux. And I've been sourcing him a lot at the moment. Says that you cannot seek God. Until you've already been found by him. You cannot seek God. Until you've already been found by him. Because it's impossible for us to find God. Because in Romans it says. While we were yet sinners.

Christ died for us. That he is always the one who finds us. And once he has found us. We are in his finding. Then we can seek him. You can't seek God. Until you've been found by God. But there we have that speed bump there. And so when they arrived. They prayed. And it said. Because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on them. It says in verse 16. They had simply been baptized.

In the name of the Lord Jesus. And they were saved at this point. They would have a. Understand. If they were to have died in between them. They would have gone to heaven. They are. They are. They are. In Christ. Then Peter placed their hands on them. And they received the Holy Spirit. Ephesians. 1. 13. Speaks of this very process. If you want the theology behind it.

Let me present to you Ephesians 1. 13. It's on the. It's on the board behind me. And you also were included with Christ. When you heard the message of truth. The gospel of your salvation. There it is. You heard it. You believed it. You were included in Christ. It is the message of truth. And it is your salvation. You are saved. There it is right there. And when you believed.

You were marked with a seal. With him. With a seal. The promised Holy Spirit. See. At the moment of belief. You were sealed. But there is still a promise. Because he wants to have you experience. A happening in your life. He wants you to experience. Giving. What it means to be a believer. Because once you accept Christ. You begin to see the cost. And as we walk through the cost.

With submission. With trusting God. He begins to pour out his love on us. If we do not fall back. We know that that happens in the parable of the sower. This is the scripture of someone believing. But yet never getting solidified completely. So we see this. And we see this Holy Spirit shown as a seed. We see the life in Christ as a seed. That is supposed to come into full bloom.

And not only come into full bloom. Produce crops. A multitude. Where you are just. You are beginning to nourish. You. What you do in your life. Becomes the sustenance of others. Becomes the sustenance of nations. Becomes the sustenance of your family. That you are the one that are producing. Because that seed is coming to full bloom. And this scripture talks about the three stations.

Or the three ways. That that seed. Things that can happen to that seed. Let's read it in Luke 18. 11 through 15. This is the meaning of the parable. The seed of the word of God. The seed is the word of God. So that's the gospel. The message. And the word of God is alive. Right? It says in scripture. The word of God is alive. So there's this living seed.

Which is the word of God. It's not just a word. It's not just words on paper. It's a living message. It's alive. The power of God. For the salvation of all mankind. As Romans says. Those along the path are the ones who hear it. So they've heard it. Then the devil comes. And takes away the word from their hearts. That's interesting. That the enemy has the ability.

In the early stages. And maybe even perhaps in the latter stages. But here we see it in the early stages. To come and steal the word. He is a thief. And a liar. And a murderer. But I believe that we have to collaborate with him. In order for that to happen. I believe the scripture is very clear. That we can't. He just can't come do that on his own. That we have to be in collaboration with him.

We have to give up hope. Or say this isn't what we want for our lives. We had that happen in the last few weeks. Where a person who was coming to the church here. Very excited about Christ. Got a Bible. Started seeking it. Came back to the person that was discipling them in the church recently. This last week or the week before. And gave their Bible back.

And said this isn't for me. It's too much. I'm afraid. And they gave their Bible back. That is a perfect example of what we see happening. The faith is not for everyone. It says the devil comes and takes away the words from their hearts. So that they may not believe and be saved. Those on rocky ground are the ones who receive the word. So there we go.

We see that reception. With joy when they hear it. But they have no root. They believe for a while. But in time of testing they fall away. I can't go into the whole understanding of once you're saved. Always saved. All I'm going to say is that there are people. Let's just say what the scripture says right here. There are people who hear the word. They receive it.

Perhaps it doesn't go down into their heart. Who knows. I don't know. I'm not God. But it says they receive it. And they have joy. And they believe for a while. But in the time of testing they fall away. And I believe this is where Simon the sorcerer was. There was a time of testing when he got rebuked by Peter. That would be very embarrassing. You could easily just say hey.

I was rebuked. And leave. But what was his response? Pray for me that this doesn't happen. I think he made it. I think this is a guy when he hit hard times in his life. He wanted that seed to come into bloom. He had seen the power and the presence that Philip brought. And said I want some of that. And please pray for me. And so he went further. He wasn't the one.

But he could have easily become the one that fell away. Now this is interesting. And I think. I was thinking today what's the number on this. I think 80% of the church is in this place. It could be 60. The seed that fell among the thorns stands for those who hear. But as they go on their way they're choked out by life's worries, riches, and pleasures.

And they do not mature. That doesn't mean that they're not saved. That doesn't mean that they fall away. What that means is they have so many attachments from the base camp that is earth. That they cannot release themselves from the attachments of the base camp of their life. To live completely naked in God. Starting from that place. It doesn't matter.

Nothing on earth matters to me God. Because nothing can matter unless it matters in him. So to walk away completely. To say my business doesn't matter. And hear me out on this because it's a bit complex. To say my kids don't matter. My church doesn't matter. Evangelism doesn't matter. My wife doesn't matter. None of it matters but God himself. And from that the overflow of God.

The very overflow of that is when you go back from that place to your wife. She'll matter more than she's ever mattered before. Your kids will matter. You won't have to try anymore. You just show up and it's there. You don't have to say I've got all these issues. And I've got to go to God and pray so I can come back. You start and you walk backwards into this.

And they mean more than they've ever meant before. Because they matter to God. And that's the natural happening. So my question to you is where are you starting from? Where is your starting place? And are you able to just go to God completely with nothing? And so we see these people who receive. But they have this base camp so full of attachments they never mature.

I don't know what the number is. I was thinking about it. I would say after 25 years into this gig. 60 to 80 percent of believers are in this place. Of slow, like glacially slow maturity. I've been in this place for years at a time. Let's just keep it real. Years at a time. Where God says, okay, if you really don't want to go after me. Let me put a bit and a bridle in your mouth.

And we can do it through suffering if you want. Because that's what he did with Israel, right? Whenever Israel wouldn't follow him, he says, this isn't the way I want to do it. But let's do a little bit of suffering until you get to the point where you're sick and tired of being sick and tired. And I felt like recently I've gotten to the point where I said, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.

He says, great, let's get started. Where you're beginning to mature, not because he's leading you with a bit and a bridle. But because you're maturing just because you're experiencing him. He's beginning to become so real to you that stresses, they don't mean anything. It doesn't matter. That stress doesn't matter. None of it matters. Because he's the only thing that matters.

And until we make him of ultimate worth, nothing else can ever matter like it's supposed to. Until nothing matters, nothing can matter. Let me say that again. Until nothing matters anymore, nothing can matter. When we stand on the edge of eternity and say, God, even if I get cast into hell, no matter if you love me, no matter if you died for me, for no other reason other than you are God and you are worthy of praise and I worship you for nothing.

It is so freeing. I've experienced it the last couple weeks to just show up with, I'm not even praying. It's not prayer. It's not showing up with a list. And I wrote a book about a list of prayers. I like praying lists of prayers. But it is just spending some time in his presence and just adoring him for who he is. And not even saying you're a good father because that means that you father me and you love me.

That will happen in the process. But letting it go that he's a good father. Letting it go that he's a savior of the world. And just showing up and saying, God, I'm here and you are worthy of my praise no matter if you just choose to snuff me out right now. Job was in this place. Job says, even if you slay me, I will worship him. Paraphrase. Job, everything was gone.

And he got to the place and he said, God, if you snuff me out for your pleasure, you cannot make me silent. I will praise God. God, that's the spot. That's Christian maturity. That's where we're going. And if you want to go there, stick around. And if you want to lock shields with this message, lock shields with it. But it's going to cost. I tell you, it's so freeing.

The stress, the worry, none of it matters. Because we're back and we're coming from a place of God. And then finally, it says, but the seeds on the good soil stands for those with a noble and a good heart. Here we are back at the heart again, right? It's about the heart. We need the mind. Of course we need the mind, but it's about the heart. He who hears the words retains it.

And preserving, produce a crop by perseverance. That perseverance produces a crop. Three things to know. Actually, I think it's four things. I got five things. So it started out three things. Now it's five things because I added them afterwards. I mean, things we need to know about the Holy Spirit. First, the Holy Spirit is a promise. You have to remember that when you're going through hard times.

The Holy Spirit has been promised to you. When God makes a promise, he never fails. The Holy Spirit has been promised to you. Don't forget that. If you're in the valley of the shadow of death, don't lay down. We walk through the valley of the shadow of death. For what? For the promise. God is on the other side of that, the promise. The Holy Spirit is a promise.

And so we see this in Acts 1a. But you will receive. Jesus said it. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria. And to the ends of the earth. Point number two. God is not formulaic. There's no formula in how to shorten this pause that there seems to be. Where he's like, hey, I'm going to seal you in my spirit.

You are saved because of my love. But let's walk a mile together. Let's walk ten miles together. Because I want to get you to the place where all you want is me. And when that happens, I'm just going to dump this on you. But it's not formulaic. Because sometimes people get saved and God does it in that moment. And sometimes it's ten years later like it was with me.

And sometimes it's five minutes later. Who knows? But there seems to be a pause for God's own purposes. He's not a formula. And you don't need to sit and be worried and concerned about it. It's a promise. But it's not a formula. Third, he's not bound by your timing. That's a good one. Like, tweet that. Like, what am I saying like? Am I 15? I interviewed a gal for a job here at one point.

And she said like 600 times during the interview. And I was like, by the third hundred one, I'm like, like, no. Like, no. Like, like, you're not working here. Like, I couldn't, I just couldn't do it. It would drive me crazy. I just couldn't do it. God's not bound by your timing. Number four, it's not always going to look the same. God is going to uniquely create an experience because he loves you so much.

And it has your name on it. The scripture says there's like this special secret name that God has for you in heaven. It's written on a white stone. If you just want to go and start from him. If you just want to let it all go. Whether you get the mortgage. Whether you get married. Whether you stay married. Whether you have kids. Whether you get the job raise.

Whether the Cobras win today. When you can let all that go. And go here. He's got this experience with your name on it. And he's so excited to run with you in it. So excited. It's just a pleasure. It's the pleasure of God's heart. To pour upon you his goodness. He's eternal. These are eternal riches. We can't feast on eternity when we're bound to the temporal.

We can't feast on eternity when we're bound. When we're filled with the temporal. Because our appetites are full. Final one here on this point is it's not a one-time experience. 2 Corinthians 2.15 says, we'll give you this theology that we're continually being saved. I have experienced that. Different depths. I've had refillings of the Holy Spirit.

There's been these different levels. I don't even want to call it a level. It's just an experience. Because a level is climbing up. And once you're in God, there's no, I don't think there's levels. I think you're just there. And there's a fullness. And it's an experience. He wants you to experience him. In your depths. It's not a one-time experience.

But over and over again, we are being saved, it says. Here's some examples quickly. Of different ways to show that it's not formulaic. It comes out of obedience. In Acts 2.4, all of them had fallen. It says, all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit. And began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Why? Because Jesus said, go back to Jerusalem and wait for me.

So this is what they did. They went back to Jerusalem. And they got in an upper room. And they prayed. And they waited. And the Holy Spirit said, thank you. Bam! Filled them with the Holy Spirit. Awesome. It comes out of obedience. They just did what Jesus said to do. There's one example. So what we should all do is let's all go to a room and lock ourselves in and wait and pray.

And the Holy Spirit will come formulaic. Guaranteed it will happen. God's not a formula. As soon as God's a formula, we can own him. We can put him in a box. Why didn't he tell Moses his name? Because God didn't want to be owned. Because when you have someone's name, you have control over them. So when they're walking down the street and you're in your car and you go, Mike!

And they go, ha! Because you yelled their name. There's a control you have over them. He says, you know what my name is? My name is I Am. That's my name. And it encompasses eternity. And it sounds, if I were to speak it to you, it would probably kill you. And it sounds like thousands of waters is what it sounds like. The voice, the name, the word of God.

It's just beyond you. So we see, but here, it's not formulaic. It's obedience. Well, we have another. In Acts 2.38, you got the baptism people. Because it says that Peter replied, repent and be baptized in every one of you in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. He's talking about the fullness coming that if you're baptized.

And many people say, well, you know, the baptism, you're not going to get filled with the Holy Spirit until you're baptized. Well, in this case, that was true. And then we have Acts 8.17, another, where it's the laying on of hands. We just read that today. They come to the Samaritans. There had been this speed bump. Then he lays hands on them. They receive the Holy Spirit.

Now, that's our third way that God has chosen to give the Holy Spirit in fullness. And finally, hearing the gospel. I love this one. Acts 11.15, Peter's speaking. He says, as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them and as he had come on us from the beginning. They weren't waiting. He was just preaching the gospel. And the Holy Spirit is like, can I go?

Can I go? Can I go? And it's like, kids on my soccer team, can I get back in there? Can I get back in there? And God's like, yes, go. And the Holy Spirit comes in the midst of preaching. I don't know how God's going to do it. But I know that it starts with us showing up naked before God with no attachments. And if you can't do that and that seems like too long of a jump, then begin to pray that God will take you there.

Just say, God, I don't know how to get there because I have the attachments and they're so deep. Please give me the freedom. And then finally, we'll close here. Here, in a second, I'll ask the band to come up. How then do we experience the Holy Spirit's fullness? First of all, it's not going to happen. I don't think it's going to happen until you're all in.

Somebody said to me, I texted them. They were texting me this week. They said, how do I do it? How do I do it? And how do you explain eternity in a text, you know? Some people try, trust me. I go, whoosh. How do I do it? And how do I know when it happens? That was the question. How do I know when it happens? It's a hard question to answer. And I said, you know, when nothing else matters, I think it'll start to happen.

That's the only answer I had for them. When nothing else matters except God alone. I believe that that's where our starting point is to have an experience we've never had. Mark 10, 29. This is why Jesus says harsh things to me, in the scripture. Because he's talking about eternity. And this is a heavy concept. Let me just say it. If you measure eternity against anything that's material, the thing that is material does not exist.

Let me say it again. If you measure eternity against anything that is temporal and material, it does not exist. Because it can't be measured against eternity. It's as if it doesn't exist. So from that mindset, when Jesus says things, like I'm going to repeat, understand that that's where he's coming from. That to go into eternity is going to be like hating your family.

Because it doesn't exist. It doesn't exist. You're going into eternity. That's a temporal thing. It doesn't exist. They won't even be your family in heaven. Your wife won't be your wife. Jesus says that when they question him on that. It'll be like hating them when you measure it to eternity. So Jesus says things, like in Mark 10, 29. Truly I tell you, Jesus replied, no one who has ever left home, or brother, or sister, or mother, or father, or children, or fields for me in the gospel, will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age, homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields.

See how he gives it back? You see, until you leave it, you can't have it back, and it's a hundredfold when it comes back. You see what I'm saying? Along with, let me take this part out. Along with persecutions, and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and last will be first. That's what he means. Finally, Luke 14, 26.

If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother. What? Jesus, why do you say stuff like that? It's ridiculous. But when you measure it against eternity, it's like hate. Because it doesn't exist. He says, if anyone comes to me and does not hate their mother and their father, their wife and their children, their brothers and their sisters, yes, even their own life.

Heavy. Such a person cannot be my disciple. You see what he's saying? Bernardo Clairvaux, the last thing I'll say, is he says, you cannot love yourself outside of knowing that God loves you. The only way you can love yourself is through his understanding, his love for you. It's leaving him, it's like hate. Because you're going into something eternal.

He says we have to hate what was there so that we can be returned to it. Because he showed us in that scripture, you're coming back to your life. You're coming back to your wife. You're coming back to your children. You're coming back to your fields. And when you do, you are going to be so rich and full of me like a Christmas tree adorned with way too many, you know, whatever they call them.

Ornaments. That's the word. Thank you. You'll come back. You'll be so rich. They'll just fall off you. And everyone around you will be blessed. And you will produce a crop that goes a hundredfold. And you will become the sustenance of your family. You will become the sustenance of your small group. You'll become the sustenance of your wife. You'll become the sustenance of your work.

You'll be the sustenance of Gerard Street. You'll be the sustenance of the school you go to. See, you can't do it until you hate it. And when you hate it, you can go back to it. And then you can love it, but you won't even have to try. It'll just fall off you. That's good preaching. Thank you, Jesus. Maybe that's just looking at me, but I just got to say, I want to live through that.

I don't mean that for myself. It's just the word. It's the message of God. And I take it very seriously. Let's have the band come up. We're going to have a time of taking the communion. I want this for us. Seriously, I want this for all of us. I want to be an ex... This is what I want for us. And the more of us that do it, the closer we're going to get to revival.

Let me say that again. The more of us that want nothing but God himself to experience him in his fullness. If we start doing that and it catches on and the Holy Spirit begins to pour into that, you watch what happens on this little church on the corner. You watch. On the night Jesus was betrayed, he gathered his friends. He knew he was going to be betrayed by Judas, but yet he still invited him because that's the nature of Jesus, to invite his enemies.

And he said, you're going to do something on a regular basis after I leave, three times a day. And when you do it, I never want you to forget how much I love you. And he basically said, you're going to see the cross in everything. Everything matters when it's in the shadow of the cross because there's so much love poured out. The cross is an instrument of torture that God turned into the greatest message of love ever.

That's what God does. He redeems and turns things. The scripture says that Jesus took the bread and he held it up. And he broke it as a symbol because he loves to get the message across. And he said, this is my body and it's going to be broken for you. And he said, do this in remembrance of me. And then he took the cup, knowing what was ahead of him and knowing about the blood sacrifice and that it saved us from the remission of sins.

Because we can now boldly go to that place I'm speaking about now because of this blood. Boldly. You don't have to creep into heaven, FYI. We don't have to creep into heaven. Adam and Eve, they hid in shame. You don't need to do that. The blood of Christ saves you. And if you believe in him and believe in that message, because of this blood, your sin is not more powerful than his blood.

And it's heresy to think so. And to come with him in his blood and say, I show up to worship you. And he said, if we drink of this, you'll be forgiven of all your sins. And they took and drank it. We're all going to come forward. I'm going to ask that you hold the cup. And I want to say, if you're on the road, but you haven't made a decision that I want to believe in Jesus and follow him, don't come forward.

It's not exclusivity. It's more about your journey. This is a sign of believers. This is what people do that say, Jesus is my Lord. No one's going to point fingers at you. We just believe you're on that journey. We'll do it. So we'll ask the music to start. Come forward. Hold on to this. We'll ask our communion helpers to come forward and hold the communion.

And then we'll take it together at the end. As soon as that's over, we'll take a quick offering for Pastor Eric. Let's stand. And if you know also that these are gluten-free. And so if you, I always kind of chuckle when I say that, but it is true. And it is grape juice. And if you want to come forward, please do so. Jesus, bless this time. And we bless this offering to you.

And we thank you for what you've done in Jesus' name. Amen. One breath, one body. One cup of blessing. One cup of blessing. One cup of blessing. One cup of blessing. Which we bless. And we, though many. We are one body. We are one body in this one Lord. Gentile or Jew. One Lord of all. Servant or free. Woman or man no more. One bread, one body. One Lord of all.

Amen.