Demonstrations of the Spirit

Well, today, brethren, is the day of Pentecost, as has already been mentioned. I appreciate it very much, Mr. Will's message, because it ties in very directly to what I want to speak about today. And I appreciate as well the messages we had yesterday. It just all fits together as a package, as God so often does. I appreciate Mr. Imes kind of taking us through the run-up of these days between Christ's resurrection and the day of Pentecost, 31 A.D., and he walked us through the events, what was happening, what they were thinking about, what Jesus Christ was sharing with His disciples during that time period.

And so I'd very much like to pick up where Mr. Imes left off, maybe overlap just a little bit with it. But we'll begin today in Acts 2. Of course, that's the logical place, generally, to begin on the day of Pentecost, if we're considering the beginning of the New Testament Church and all that God did through the pouring out of His Holy Spirit. Here in Acts 2, it's again the day marking the beginning of the New Testament Church. You had 120 believers that were gathered together in one place, in one accord, and God's Spirit was poured out on them. And through subsequent events of that day, 3,000 were baptized and added to the body.

Again, a rather remarkable occurrence to take place in Jerusalem during a day of this pilgrimage feast season. And so today, I'd like to briefly rehearse to begin with the high points surrounding this day of Pentecost, 31 AD, as we have it recorded in Acts 2. And I'd like for us, after that, then to consider an important question for ourselves as the Church of God today.

Acts 2 and verse 1, and we're just going to overlap a little bit with where Mr. Imes left off yesterday, but these are important things to have fresh in our memory as we move forward. Acts 2, verse 1 says, And so here we have God's Holy Spirit poured out on His people, and it was evidenced in a very immediate fashion, very open, a very dramatic fashion, and God did so for a very important purpose. Verse 5 says, It was God's desire and intent that it be made known on this day what God was doing, and what specifically He was doing through His Church, and the evidence of clearly what God would have His Church doing as well from this day forward.

So this was open, this was dramatic, and you didn't miss what was going on if you were there in Jerusalem in the vicinity of the disciples on this day. And you even heard it in your own language. Jumping down to verse 12, it says, So they were all amazed, and they were perplexed, saying to one another, whatever could this mean?

Others, mocking, said, They are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, Men of Judea, and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words, that these are not drunk as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. You know, it's 9am, and certainly this is not what's taking place. Verse 16, he says, But this is what was spoken of by the prophet Joel, and it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh.

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams, and on my menservants and on my maidservants I will pour out my spirit in those days. And as was referenced yesterday, Peter had the knowethal, the wherewithal to say, All right, this is from God's Word, the book of Joel, and this is what we are seeing now fulfilled before our very eyes. And of course, we understand the full extent of this has yet to be fulfilled, but this was the beginning on this day of Pentecost.

And the fulfillment continues today through God's people, those who would have the Spirit of God today in his church leading all the way up to the end. And so you and I very much are a place in this ongoing process of fulfillment of this prophecy of the book of Joel. Verse 19, I will show wonders in heaven above, signs on the earth beneath, blood and fire and vapor of smoke.

The sun shall be turned in the darkness and the moon in the blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. And so we have boldness coming from Peter.

As was mentioned yesterday, the man that denied Jesus Christ three times, now he's filled with the Spirit of God, and he's not drawing back. He's not shy. He's boldly proclaiming the truth of God's Word, what will be, and again, proclaiming the truth of the church, which has now been established. Verse 22, he says, And so what we're finding here now is a message. It is a proclamation of both the crucified Jesus Christ and the resurrected Christ. And this was a unique message in terms of the resurrected Christ that had not been proclaimed in such a manner before.

You know, many around Jerusalem knew of Jesus Christ. They knew of his ministry and his travels through Galilee and Bethlehem and through all the surrounding regions, as was read yesterday after the resurrection, and Christ is walking and he appears to his disciples and they don't know it's him, and there's a conversation going on. And they're saying, haven't you heard what has happened? And he says, well, what things? And it's sort of like, where are you from?

Don't you even know what's taken place? The whole world knows what has taken place. They crucified this man who came and spoke as the Son of God. So everyone knew of the death of Jesus Christ, of the crucifixion, but what was the evidence to all the people that he had risen from the dead, that he was truly the Messiah sent by the Father? You know, what was the evidence of that?

Well, he had appeared to his disciples, but in terms of the rest of the Jewish community, what was the evidence? You know, following his resurrection, Jesus didn't walk into Jerusalem and up on the steps on the Solomon's porch there outside the temple and just say, hey, guys, it's me. Go show himself to the Jewish leadership and say, you know, don't you recognize this face? See the holes in my hands? See the hole in my side? Don't you know who I am?

I'm the one you killed. I mean, he could have done that, but he didn't. So again, what was the evidence to the world around that Jesus Christ had literally been resurrected from the dead and that he was the true Messiah sent by the Father? Well, the evidence was being manifested on this day of Pentecost through the disciples of Jesus Christ as they preached these words and they demonstrated works of power by the Holy Spirit that was in them. The title of my message today, I didn't give it to you up front, the title of my message is Demonstrations of the Spirit.

Demonstrations of the Spirit. What's the purpose? What does that serve? Here the disciples demonstrated by these works of power, speaking in tongues, performing these miracles on this day, that the Holy Spirit had been poured out on them. And it was proof that Jesus Christ actually lived. Let's notice as we carry on, verse 32, Acts 2, says, This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.

And so Peter's saying, you know what? That spirit you're seeing evidence of, the works of power, these wonders, these speaking in tongues, they bear witness to the fact that Jesus Christ lives, that He is the true Messiah, that He was resurrected, He ascended, He sits at the right hand of the Father in glory and power. And you understand that because this is the evidence of the Spirit that God has given to Him and He has poured out on us. And so when the people looked, they saw, these were the people who had been with Jesus Christ. They followed Him, and now, as was said in the sermonette, there's something different that has taken place by the power of God's Spirit in them. And so this day at Pentecost was the first bold public proclamation that Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead. That in fact He did live, that He is the true Messiah, and is being backed up by the evidence of the Holy Spirit of God poured out upon His people. Verse 34 says, For David did not ascend into the heavens, but says himself, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool, the prophecy that Jesus Christ would ascend back to the right hand of the Father, and have His place there until an appointed time. Verse 36, Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? They saw the signs, they saw the evidence, they saw the wonders taking place in the disciples of Jesus Christ, and they were convicted of the gospel message which they taught. And the fact, okay, this is true. This man was the Messiah sent by God the Father in heaven, and he was resurrected. He does live. We see the evidence, and they said, What shall we do? How do we respond? How do we recover from what it is that we have done to this man?

Verse 37 says, Again, they heard this, cut to the heart, asked Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Peter said to them, Repent. Let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call. And with many other words, he testified and exhorted them, saying, Be saved from this perverse generation. Then those who gladly received his word were baptized, and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. So this was a very exciting, a very dramatic start to the New Testament church on 31 A.D. As you had the 120 received the Spirit, now you had the 3,000 that were pricked in their heart and committed their life and covenant relationship with God and received the Holy Spirit. Dramatic! The Holy Spirit was poured out upon them, and they were convicted of the truth of the gospel message. For us, you know, it should give us goosebumps, really, to read through this and understand what took place on that day, what separated the people of God as unique from the culture around them. On this day of Pentecost, 31 A.D. the Ecclesia was established. The called-out ones, the assembly, the church, sealed by the Holy Spirit of God. And they became clearly distinctive from the Jewish nation around them, as well as the practice of Judaism. Now, I don't say they were distinctive from the practice of the laws of God, okay? And the Jews had, as that package, the laws of God, but I'm saying they became distinctive from the practice of the religion of Judaism and the element of the laws and requirements that had been added to, the commandments of man, added to the law of God. So those who were sealed by God's Spirit did indeed live and keep the Sabbath, the Holy Days, the laws of God, but the requirements of man, various customs, the various things that went along with that, they were clearly distinctive from the people around them. And I would say today that the Church of God, as well, is very distinctive from the world around us. God has called us out of this world, out of the ways of this world. We've been called to a different way of living. We've been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. We've received the Holy Spirit as an indwelling presence if we've gone through the process of repentance and baptism and the laying on of hands. And we trace our spiritual identity back to this day of Pentecost on 31 A.D. Again, these are our spiritual roots, and we understand that our existence as a people, a spiritual people of God, springs forth from what God poured out on this day. And so I have a question for us today in the Church of God of 2020, now almost 2,000 years later. And that is for us how evident is God's Holy Spirit in our lives today?

How evident? And when I say evident, like openly evident to those around us, how evident is the Holy Spirit in our lives today? On the day of Pentecost, 31 A.D., others believed in the name of Jesus Christ in the Gospel message because they saw the evidence of God's Holy Spirit at work, and at work in His people. They saw that those who declared the name of Jesus were the same ones who showed forth the evidence of the Spirit of God and the power of God working in them. And they were convicted and convinced by that evidence. Again, it was dramatic, the speaking in tongues, the hearing in your own language, the miracles, the signs, the wonders, the things that accompanied the apostles and indeed the disciples not only on that day but beyond that day. But again, it was the evidence that helped to bring about a conviction in others. That these people had been with Jesus, the one they claimed to be the Messiah, and now the power of God is with them. Question again for you and I, how evident is God's Holy Spirit in our lives today? Are we living proof of the messiahship of Jesus Christ to the world around us? As in, when people look at us, do they see something different? Do they see that, okay, from what you claim and what you back up by your actions and the spiritual evidence in you, Jesus is the Messiah? Do they believe our claim that you can have a reconciled relationship with God the Father in heaven by His call? Do they believe the gospel message that we proclaim because of our actions and our attitudes and our words and the spirit that we express? I think it's an important question, honestly, for the Church of God today to ask seriously how evident is the Holy Spirit of God in our lives today?

Is it such that people would look at us and it would cause them to desire a relationship with God, such as we have? That if God indeed extended a call to them, they would say, yes, I can see that is something well worth committing my life to and following through with. Romans chapter 8 and verse 14 tells us, For as many as are led by the Spirit of God... You could finish this for me, so I want to hear, As many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. Right? We all know that. Okay, that's a memory scripture. So it's saying that those are the ones who look like their Father in heaven, those who have that Spirit, because His attributes are on display in their lives. Right? If you're being led by the Spirit of God, people should look at you and say, Oh, that's their Father's son. I see the family attributes. I see the family qualities. I see their elder brother in them. Right? Those who are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. And if we are indeed sons of God and brethren to Jesus Christ, then there ought to be something different about us that people notice. That our example ought to be a demonstration of the Spirit that resides in us. And on the day of Pentecost, there was something different about these disciples, these 120 of Jesus' followers. And then it grew to 3,120. And then it grew beyond even that. But the Spirit was evident, and it was a convicting agent in the lives of those who would see it and understand its source. For you and I, our example ought to be a clear demonstration of the Holy Spirit that resides in us.

To be led by God's Spirit is a miracle. You know, sometimes the question comes up, well, where are the big miracles in the Church of God today? You know, where is the miraculous healing? Where is the incredible, you know, even resurrection of the dead? You can go to the Bible, you can see the apostles had the authority and the backing by God's power, and they raised somebody from the dead. These incredible things took place, and we say, well, where is that in the Church of God today? Because, you know, if you have those great signs and wonders and miracles that you could show the world, certainly we convict people that you're the people of God.

I think if we look at Christ's ministry, I think we could understand clearly that miracles aren't necessarily something that seal people's belief and commitment and a calling of God. I mean, if you say 120 believers on the day of Pentecost after a three and a half year ministry working signs and wonders and miracles, you know, just simply by the numbers, that would be a failed ministry. And yet we know it wasn't. So miracles aren't necessarily a sign that will convict people with staying power. But there is an incredible miracle, brethren, that is in our midst, and I would say it is beyond resurrecting the dead to physical life. And that is the change of a person's heart and mind and spirit by the Spirit of God. Taking a man or a woman with free will of the carnal nature, infusing that spirit and seeing a change take place by which then they are led by the Spirit of God, known as the sons of God. That is a miracle that goes, frankly, beyond resurrection from the dead and to physical life, because this is a spiritual transformation into sonship that God is bringing the past in our lives. And so that's what this Day of Pentecost is all about. It's all about the miracle that God is performing that allows us to be partakers of the divine nature and sons of the living God.

That's what this Day of Pentecost is about, the harvest of children that God is making His own, the firstfruits from this world today. There will be a greater harvest yet to come, but by God's Spirit He is called out an assembly, an ecclesia of His own to reflect His nature, His character, and His light to the world.

I think it's clear that God's not given us at this time the ability to speak in tongues or, again, do those incredible demonstrations of power, but He has given us His Spirit in order that we might proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness. Again, that we would be an example to this world for His way of life. We do that in part by demonstrating the evidence of God's Holy Spirit at work, by our actions, by our words, by the outward example that we set to this world that is going completely the opposite direction, by a light shining forth out of darkness. Do you look like the world, or do you look like your Father in Heaven?

Do people at our work, in our neighborhood, extended family, do they see something different about us, or do we just sort of blend in with the world around us? You know, I'm not saying go out and make waves, create some big disruption that, okay, somebody's going to see you, you're in the spotlight, but I'm talking about living in such a way that God's truth is demonstrated by His Spirit in you. I want to look at three ways, as we walk through the remainder of this message, three ways in which the Holy Spirit of God is demonstrative in our life. On the day of Pentecost, it was demonstrated in profound ways, and God works in different ways at different times with different people for His purpose. And He does still intend for the Holy Spirit to be demonstrative in our lives today. So I want to look at three ways. There's more than this. You could come up with your own list. But if we're truly led by God's Spirit, these three things will be evident in our lives, and they will be the proof that Jesus Christ, number one, is the true Messiah, that He does live and is sitting at the right hand of the Father, and that a reconciled relationship with God is possible through those who repent, are baptized, and receive the Holy Spirit. So the first demonstration of God's Holy Spirit that must be manifest in our lives is the truth, the truth of God. The Bible tells us that God's Spirit is a spirit of truth. And so when His people possess that Spirit, when they're led by that Spirit, they will demonstrate the truth as they witness to the world around them as well. Let's go to John chapter 15, verse 26.

John 15, verse 26.

Again, sometimes people are looking for the dramatic, for the flashy miracles and signs. But I think what we see from the record of the Bible is that having staying power and demonstrating the Spirit in a way that is consistent with longevity is not just a flashy miracle, it is a way of life that we've been called to live. So John chapter 15 and verse 26, words of Jesus Christ, He's preparing His disciples for the time when He will depart. And He says, And notice He says, And notice He says, And so the Holy Spirit in us testifies of Jesus Christ. Again, it says, And on that first day of Pentecost, 31 A.D., their witness with the Holy Spirit in them testified of Jesus Christ that He was the Messiah, He was resurrected, and He was poured out this which He received from the Father which you now see in here. So it testifies of Jesus Christ, and He said that this is what would take place as the Spirit dwelt in His followers. It's also called here a spirit of truth, which means those that possess the Spirit will bear witness to the truth of God and Jesus Christ to the world. Again, there'll be a light, there'll be an example, not a lamp that you put a basket over. It's a light on a hill that cannot be hidden. A light that shines forth out of darkness. Truth is what the people of God are to be known for. It's a hallmark of those with God's Spirit. And to proclaim the truth boldly, as was done on the day of Pentecost, will be a hallmark of God's people. The truth sets us free.

It sets us free from fear, from doubt, from confusion, from oppression. We live in a world that is increasingly devoid of truth. People are looking for truth. They're asking questions about truth. But when you live in a postmodern age where no real absolute truth is universally accepted, where everybody has the right to decide for themselves what is true, and my truth may be different than your truth, then who are you to tell me that your truth is any more valid than mine? The fact is, the world is becoming increasingly devoid of truth, and people are finding themselves spiritually lost, and fear is beginning to rule the day.

If you don't have truth, fear begins to rule the day.

Look at the world's perspective to COVID-19. I know maybe I'm stepping into a little sensitive issue. Bear with me for a moment, but just consider this. The world's perspective on COVID-19, this is a real virus, okay? We can't sweep that under the rug or dismiss that. This is a real virus. It has killed many real people, so there is a very real risk. There's a very real threat. But I would say, accompanying COVID-19, there has been an unreasonable spirit of fear that has swept the world with this pandemic.

We should take precautions. We must be careful. We must be cautious. We must pray to God for His protection, but we should not live our lives in fear because we possess the truth of God and the Spirit of God. Now, I said before in the sermon and the announcements that I told people this week, stay home. Don't come. Is that living in fear? I would say no. It is understanding your condition, understanding what you may be susceptible to, understanding the risk of maybe what you even don't want to expose someone else to. I think there are wise decisions we can make, but let's not live in fear. From my perspective, it seems that actually the wave of fear swept the world ahead of the pandemic. I was in West Africa when you turn on CNN and you see all that's going on in China and the rest of the world. When I stepped on the plane, we were talking in the U.S. about a cruise ship somewhere with an outbreak. When I came home, three weeks later, we were wondering, how are we going to be able to get through the airport? The world changed overnight. In many cases, before there was really even much evidence of outbreak, though, this wave of fear seemed to sweep through. I think a wave of precaution and wise judgment should accompany these things. But again, where truth is missing, fear can tend to rule the day. I would say for you and I, we need to remember that the truth of God should trump fear.

The peace of God that surpasses all understanding should guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. The point is that, yes, do the wise thing. Take precautions. But Jesus said, fear not, little flock. It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Luke 12, 32. That's our big picture. That's the overarching truth, the overarching perspective. Fear not. It's your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. God will fulfill His purpose for you in this life if you submit yourself to Him. And that is the truth that stabilizes our focus in a world of confusion and fear.

John 16, just across the page, verse 7. John 16, verse 7, more of what this Holy Spirit would do for the disciples of Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away. For if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send Him to you. And there's other places where Christ says, you know, I will send another Comforter. As He walked with His disciples, He was their Helper. He was their Comforter, but now He was going. And He would be sending the Spirit that would accompany them.

Verse 8, and when He has come, we know the Spirit is not a separate entity. It's a power, in essence, the presence of God. He will convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. Of sin because you do not believe in Me, of righteousness because I go to My Father and you see Me no more, and of judgment because the ruler of this world is judged. I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth, will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears, He will speak, and He will tell you the things to come.

And so the question, what is truth? Pilate asked that of Jesus Christ. What is truth? It's the question that circulates in the world around us today, and it is just as relevant today, and people are asking it. What is truth? The answer to that question, brethren, is found by yielding to the two convicting agents of truth. There are two convicting agents of God's truth. One is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Truth. And the second is the Word of God. Christ says, you know, sanctify them by Your Word. Your Word is truth. So the two convicting agents, the Spirit of God, the Word of God, coupled together, lead us to all truth, and set us apart in a way that allows us to be a light for the truth to this world. First Timothy 3, verse 15, calls the Church of God the pillar and the ground of the truth. So the Church of God is where the truth is to be found. It's where it's to be lived. It's where it's to be held up as an example to the world, as a light to the world. And if we're really yielding to the Spirit of God and being led by it, then the Word of God, coupled with that Spirit, will allow the body of Christ to be the foundation and the supporting pillars of truth in the world. When the world's looking for truth, where is it going to be found at the end of this age? It's going to be found with the body of people who declare it, who are the pillar and the ground, the foundation of the truth.

For you and I, the truth will be seen in us and through us because God's Spirit of truth is working there. And that reality will be a witness. It will be a demonstration of who the true Messiah is because the gospel message we proclaim is backed up by the truth and the Spirit of truth. And it will be a witness to God the Father in heaven who has called us to be reconciled to Him. And it will be a witness to the gospel and the kingdom to come. 1 Timothy 2, verse 4, tells us that God our Savior, we're talking about God the Father here, God our Savior desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. And we understand that's His overarching plan of salvation for all of mankind. God is calling all men to salvation in their time. He's not willing that any would perish, desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. That desire has begun to be fulfilled in you and I, the firstfruits, the Church of God. And ultimately, when the knowledge of the Lord covers the earth as the waters cover the sea, God will see that desire fulfilled upon all of mankind. So, brethren, I would say for you and I, yield yourself to the Spirit of Truth. Allow your life to be a demonstration of the Spirit of God in truth, in how you live, in how you associate with your family and your coworkers, in how you run your business, in whatever it is you do. Demonstrate the truth of God and the truth of a Spirit of truth to this world around us. Second demonstration of God's Holy Spirit in our lives is a transformed mind. It's a transformed mind and I touched on this a little bit earlier. In Romans 12, verse 2, the Apostle Paul instructs us not to be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The Greek word that's translated transformed essentially means a metamorphosis. It's a change that takes place from one position or one type of standing to another. It's like a caterpillar, it crawls into the cocoon, wraps up in the cocoon as a caterpillar, and after a period of time it emerges as a beautiful butterfly. It's a metamorphosis, a transformation that has taken place. God has entrusted us with His Spirit, and with that Spirit comes both responsibility and potential for incredible change that takes place in our lives.

Mr. Wills talked about the change. We read about the change in Acts 2, among the 120. It was so profound that those around them saw the demonstration of God's Spirit. Do people see it in us because of the change God is working in our life by His Spirit? Indeed, they should. Romans 8, verse 5, leads us into a discussion of what God has called us out of to what we shall be if we allow His Spirit to work in us. Romans 8 and verse 5, Paul says, For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, because the carnal mind is enmity against God. For it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not his. And I want to stop for a second and just emphasize this point. Again, if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, or we could say the Spirit of God is the same Spirit, okay, but if you do not have the Spirit, you are not His.

It's good to keep the Sabbath every seven days on the seventh day of the week. It's good to keep God's holy days. It's good to know the laws of God and live by the laws of God. But still, the standard is a covenant commitment to this way of life. And here Paul simply says, you know what, if you do not have the Spirit of Christ, He is not His. You are not yet God in Christ. You're not yet a Son of God without the indwelling presence of that Holy Spirit and the covenant commitment that allows it to be so. So it's important for us to remember that. Verse 10 says, And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin. But the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit which dwells in you. And so we're talking about here an incredible transformation that will take place in a believer who's led by the Spirit of God to go from the carnal man to the goal, the stature, the fullness of Jesus Christ.

Verse 12, Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the Spirit you put the death, the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you do not receive the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but you receive the Spirit of adoption or sonship by whom we cry out, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. And if children then heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

The ultimate glory that awaits us as the children of God cannot happen apart from this spiritual transformation taking place. Recently, Darla and I were discussing how hard it is sometimes, how sad it is, as we look at our fellow brethren. And sometimes you see people with health issues in decline. We get all these prayer requests that come in weekly from the church. And there's people dealing with so many difficult issues, some unto death. And sometimes it's hard to process that really completely and keep it in its place. And Darla and I were discussing it the other day, and she made the comment that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. As 1 Corinthians 15, 15, and I thought about that, you know, it's like as hard as these things are, and they are hard because we live in the flesh, we all understand that there is a time and purpose for this life. It's ultimately to be spiritual children in the family, God, where that transformation is complete. But it is true flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. So the calling is for us, while we are in the flesh, and we do have the time, pursue that relationship. Grow in what it is that God has given to us through His Spirit, so that when the day of our visitation and then our resurrection comes, we will be raised up in glory, and the fullness of this transformation will be complete. But we have our part to play at every stage along the way.

A transformed mind is something that we experience from the inside out. It's the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but it will be expressed outwardly as well, and people will see it. Just as on the day of Pentecost, and they observe those things, it will serve as a witness of God's work today. Our words, our actions, must be a demonstration of the Spirit that dwells in us.

This last week, we bought a new to-us vehicle, and we had a major upgrade in SUVs. We went from a 2003 model year to a 2004.

But my wife has to have something to drag her horse trailer and her horses around in, and it keeps life good. I'm out looking for about a year in the background, and I found this one. I met the man and his son, took it on a test drive, came back, and we visited for a while and discussed back and forth. I said, well, let me talk to my wife and I'll get back to you. I ended up the next day, I went out, and I took the money, and we sealed the deal. But as we're sitting there, and he signs the title over, and we transact our business, he said to me, I looked you up. Really. It's the age we live in. I'm going to Google this guy. Who is this person? He says, yeah, I looked you up. I said, oh, okay. He says, yeah, when we met yesterday, he says, I came away thinking there's something different about that guy. He said, the way you presented yourself, the way with our interaction, I said, there's something different. He says, I came home and I thought to myself, that guy must work with the Lord.

I hadn't said anything. I didn't tell him who I was or that I was a pastor or anything. He's like, so I looked you up, and he says, you're a pastor. He's like, that's cool. He says, I've got a question about the mark of the beast. It was kind of an interesting conversation from that point forward. It just kind of struck me, because I'm working on this sermon. I'm putting this together. I'm thinking in my mind.

He goes, I looked you up. I thought, for us, brethren, is our example such that we display that there's something different about us? The Bible calls us a peculiar people. Maybe we don't think of that word always in a positive way, but it's a reflection that we're different than this world, and it should be noticeable. When I was hired into the pastoral ministry, I was glad that I didn't have to somehow not tell my customers what my next job was going to be.

I had business for 22 years, and they knew I took off for the feast. They knew I did different things with my church, traveled to Africa. Inevitably, when I told them I was sold my business and was transferring to something different, they'd ask, What are you doing?

I said, I'm a church pastor. I was just glad that I didn't have to hide that from anybody because of maybe how I had treated them in my interactions 10 years ago. You know that guy? So I'm not trying to hold myself up at some stellar example. I'm just saying, in the way we live this life day to day, it should be a reflection of the Spirit of God in us. And who and what we are called to be should be demonstrative, and it should be a light and an example and a witness to what God has called us to be.

And it should be a reinforcement of the words we teach. Galatians 5, verse 16. You know, I think it's enough—actually, it's not enough—but I think it's—sometimes we think it's enough to say, God's way works, and we'll tell everybody, you know, God's way works. You should read the Bible. You should do these things. It works. And we should tell them it works. But it's not just enough to say it works. We need to demonstrate that it works, so that when they look at us, they see that it is working among us and in us, among our relationships and how we interact as the people of God.

Galatians 5, verse 16. I say then, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to one another, so then that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

You're not under the penalty of the law, the curse of the law. The death wages the sin as death. You know, Christ became a curse for us by hanging on the tree.

So if God's Spirit is in us, we've been baptized, we've walked through this repentance process, you are not under the penalty of death from the law. Verse 19, now the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murder, drunkenness, revelries, and the like. It's quite a list. This is the works of the carnal flesh and the like, of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

These are things we've been called out of, brethren. The works of the flesh, the ways of the carnal nature, and you know, probably a lot of us can say, well, that wasn't me in action. Right? I grew up in church. It's one of my interesting conversations I have sometimes with baptism counseling and people that grew up in the church. It's like, well, I grew up in the church. I haven't done these things. What do these things do I need to repent of? And the answer is we need to repent of who and what we are, because even if we haven't done these things sometimes in literal physical action, we've done them in the heart of our carnal nature.

And that is what we need to put aside and take on the nature of God. Verse 22, But the fruit of the Spirit, this is the metamorphosis, what we transform into. The fruit of the Spirit is love, it's joy, it's peace, it's long-suffering, it's kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

Against such, there is no law. And so if you're living according to this fruit, the difference is going to be dramatically evident to those who see us. If you're living by the works of the flesh versus the fruit of the Spirit, there is a dramatic difference between the two, and people will notice.

Jesus said, And a bad tree cannot produce good fruit, nor can a good tree produce bad fruits. And I would just say, if others know us by our fruit, then let us be producing and displaying the fruit that is noteworthy, that is honorable, again, that is demonstrative of the Spirit of God, which resides in us.

Pentecost is a good time of the year for self-examination, just as coming up to the Passover is. And I think for each of us, Galatians chapter 5, and just laying these lists side by side, the works of the flesh or the fruit of the Spirit, and engaging in examination on those things is a valuable thing. And ask yourself, how do I measure up? And if we find that we fall short in any of those ways, because we still wrestle with that carnal man, at least I know I do, we compare these things and we ask God to help correct what is lacking in our life and help us to display the fruits of His Spirit to His glory.

So again, it's a demonstration of God's Spirit at work in us that will be an effective witness for His work today, a transformed mind, transformed heart and spirit. Third and final demonstration of God's Holy Spirit in our lives is loving relationships. And maybe even sometimes we find this to be a challenge, but we need to understand what God expects. Loving relationships. Again, still here in Galatians chapter 5, we go back to verse 13. Galatians 5 verse 13, Paul says, You know, it's kind of a pun that he has in the middle of the writing here.

It's like if you're biting and nipping at each other, be careful you don't just gobble each other up and consume each other. Verse 16, I say, And so the first fruit of the Spirit that we read earlier in that listing of the fruit of God's Spirit is love. And, you know, I think sometimes love almost gets sort of, you know, put down or poo-pooed like, okay, another message on love. You know, here we go again with love.

But, brethren, we really need to understand what it means to love and the importance and the significance of it because it is who God is and it is what he has called us to be. And as a church, we must get it right. God is love. Again, that's who and what he is. That is what is manifested through his Spirit. And if we're truly led by the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit, we will be a people of love as well.

Again, that will be demonstrated through our actions and through our words. The love that we're to express through the Spirit is not a self-centered love. It's outgoing, and it's threefold. So I just want to briefly hit these threefold points of love. First, it's love towards God. If we have the indwelling of his Spirit, we will display love towards God in our very actions. Romans 8, verse 28 says, Love towards God is paramount in this relationship that he's called us to. Putting him first above all else is a demonstration of our love.

Worshiping God, again putting him first, being God-centered, as Mr. Imme said yesterday, is an expression of our love and the indwelling of the Spirit of love that God has poured out on us. Directing our lives towards him first, again, it's going to be demonstrated. It's not just going to be in the mind or a good feeling in your heart.

I love God. It's going to be evident not only to God, but to those around us. Second element of this outward expression of love through the Spirit is towards our fellow man in this world.

I think sometimes in church we have to be careful not to be kind of closed. You know, God's called us out of the world, so we're kind of over here, this little tight ball of a group, and the world's out there, and we're here, and we're sort of shut off from the world till the kingdom comes. God has called us to express love towards the world. Just consider the most well-known scripture probably in Christianity, John chapter 3 verse 16, God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, right? And just an unimaginable level of love. Because this is a world that was all enemies of God, right? While we were still in our sins, Christ died for us. While we were enemies of God, he sent his Son as a propitiation for us. So we consider the love God had towards us, and if we have that spirit dwelling in us, what should our love towards the world look like as well? Well, it should look like the one who sent his only Son to die. And our love towards the world should also look like the love of the one who gave his life willingly as a sacrifice. Because if we see the world as God does, we see the potential for all of them to be sons and daughters in the kingdom of God, at least having that opportunity to respond in their time. So we must love the world. We don't live as the ways of the world, but we must love the people in this world and indeed serve them. Reach out. Help as you can. Be that shining light. The third expression of the spirit of love within us is love towards each other in the Church of God. And I do want to turn to a very familiar passage, but I think it's important we keep our eyes on it at all times. John 13, verse 34 and 35. These words of Jesus Christ, John 13, 34 and 35.

Notice by this, all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another. It will be demonstrative to the world. It will be the example of the people of God, in that Jesus Christ is our Savior. He is the true Messiah. He's died and resurrected, sits at the right hand of God. The spirit has been poured out. You can be reconciled to God and each other. This message is reinforced in the love that we have for one another. And it's demonstrative by the Spirit of the Almighty God that dwells in us, which is a spirit of love.

Love will be the result. The Bible describes the Church of God in the body of Jesus Christ as being made up of many parts, each part doing its share, functioning as one for the benefit of the overall whole of the body. And so there's no way that such an interaction, brethren, can happen successfully apart from God's Holy Spirit in our midst. I kind of think of the body as like a car engine. A car engine is made up of all these moving parts.

And when you get in there and you turn the key, maybe we don't think about what all is going on under the hood. We have all these moving parts, all moving together, all interacting together, sliding back and forth and in and out, and all these narrow tolerances. Really, no room for error in their interactions in that way. And when the engine is purring quietly and it's functioning well, what do we say? Well, it's purring like a well-oiled machine, right?

Just quietly, quietly purling away, and it's got lubrication. That's the point. You know, motor oil, the purpose of that is to lubricate the function and the interaction between all the moving parts in the engine, because you have all of them moving, functioning together, all these narrow tolerances again and clearances between them. Lubrication is essential, because what would happen if you went out today and you pulled the drain plug out of your vehicle? Just let all the oil drain out and then started to drive home. You know, get on the freeway. What would happen? Again, all those moving parts, right?

Moving together, rubbing together, friction. You just take your fingers and go like this, and you just very quickly start to feel heat, you know, kind of building up. So, as a result of not having that lubrication, friction builds up and heat builds up, because that lubrication isn't present.

And heat and friction is what kills a motor prematurely. All those moving parts begin to break down with the heat and friction until the engine just basically either seizes up or it blows apart. And again, as a result of what would happen if you just drain that oil out. Well, I want us to consider the fact that we, as the Church of God, are all part of a spiritual body that Christ has built.

Right? All of us have been assembled in such a way that we rub up against one another in our function. We interact very closely together, each fulfilling a different part. It's not everybody's the same part. But the way we've been put together is the function together for the benefit of all. And there is close interaction, and we do rub up against each other in a positive way. And if that oil of God's Holy Spirit is not there, lubricating our interactions among one another in the body, what happens?

Well, friction starts to build up. Or heat starts to build up. And then, even in the end, if it wasn't rectified, it ended up sort of like that wrecked car engine. Until, you know, the function of what God had put together to function no longer functions as it was intended. And so I would just say, as God's people, we didn't make sure that the spirit of love that resides in us is part of our interaction together.

And that our relationships are built with the Holy Spirit being a part of that function. You know, how do you take an electrician, a landscaper, an auto mechanic, a painter, whatever? How do you bring us all together, and we function smoothly from different backgrounds, different ways of life?

Well, it's God's Spirit that is between us, that lubricates our interactions and helps us to function in this way. And so, again, it must be present, and we each personally have a responsibility to draw close to God and to seek to have that Spirit be present in our life and in the way we interact. So let's pray for that Spirit, and let's more importantly, let's allow ourselves to be lubricated in our interactions and our words and how we function together by that Spirit that dwells in us.

And it will be an outward demonstration to the world that these are the disciples of Jesus Christ. These are the people of God. In the words that they're saying, in the gospel they're proclaiming must be true because all will know you're my disciples if you have love, one for another.

Again, we can't minimize the concept of love. I want to conclude with the final scripture in 1 John chapter 4. I'm going to read a little bit of a lengthy section of this passage, but I was struck by it last night. I just put it in my notes because I was reading through 1 John, and I thought it's hard to get around God as love. And sometimes that just can be sort of thrown out there in a casual way, but we have to understand actually the serious nature of that characteristic of God. It must be present in us.

1 John chapter 4, excuse me, and verse 7, and we're going to read through the end of the chapter. 1 John chapter 4, verse 7, 2 John chapter 4, verse 8, 3 John chapter 4, verse 8, 4 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment, but he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

5 We love him because he first loved us. 6 If someone says, I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 7 And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God must love his brother also.

So, brethren, a clear, outward demonstration of God's Holy Spirit at work in his people is the love that we will have for God, for the world around us, and for one another as the body of Jesus Christ, and it binds us together in close relationship. 8 Christ said, all will know that you are my disciples if you have loved one for another. 9 And just as the Spirit was demonstrated by the disciples on that day of Pentecost, and all knew that Jesus Christ had been resurrected and was the true Messiah, if we can come to the level of demonstrating this love for one another, Christ said, all the world will know who my disciples are, and where the Spirit of my Father resides. 10 Through love we show the proof of Christ's Messiahship, proof that mankind can be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ, and proof that they too can receive God's Holy Spirit according to God's call. And so I'd just like to conclude the sermon, brethren, by asking us, what will the world think when they see us? What do they think? When they see the people of God? Will they think that we are drunk? When they see something different in us, those people are drunk. Well, I certainly hope not. Will they think we have lost our minds? Or, indeed, brethren, will they come to understand that our behavior is a demonstration of the Spirit that God has placed in each and every one He calls His children? Brethren, I pray as we walk through the end of the age that we can be like the disciples of Jesus Christ on that day of Pentecost 31 A.D. being a light to the world, able to boldly declare to those around us that what you now see and hear from us is a result of the Holy Spirit that was poured out by God the Father through Jesus Christ. And that through our example, we might be the catalyst that brings others to stop and consider this way and ask of us, men and brethren, what shall we do?