Lead By God's Holy Spirit

We're delighted, though, to be able to be here together and certainly thankful for the progression of life that each of us has. You know, each of us has what we know and what we know is our personal self, our human body. I was struck this last week. There was a situation where I was in a crowd and I told my wife, I'll see you in a few minutes, and I came back and I saw human beings.

And I thought about it for a minute. Here we are human beings, and one of those human beings out there is my wife. And I thought, how can I identify her well? And we just take for granted that human beings, created in the image of God, are unique and different. And we tend to think of ourselves as very individualistic. In fact, I could pick out my wife from a long way away because she has certain color hair, and I went right up to her and it wasn't her. I thought, well, that's never happened before.

And I looked at this woman and I thought, same height, same shape, but the facial features were different. And I didn't have glasses on at the time, so I just kind of assumed, made the assumption it was her. But here we are, very unique individuals. You and I are a collection, actually, of things that are identical. We are a collection of atoms, molecules, and those atoms and molecules actually are mostly empty space.

We are mostly just empty space. The same atoms and same molecules inhabit each one of us, or compose each one of us. And through a process of DNA, a greater mind that assembled things bring together those molecules in a certain form. I was struck a few minutes ago.

I walked out the door and almost walked into an amazing creature, made with the same molecules you and I are. Bright in the sunlight that's here today, this striking sunlight, is a male peacock in the blues and the greens, just shining. And it didn't walk off. I had to actually stop and kind of wait for it to go by because it's used to people.

But on its feathers, the long feathers, are these beautiful ornamental designs, filled with various colors that they too are radiating and shining. You know, you and I think of ourselves as something sort of semi-permanent, and then we start aging. I know you young people here tend to think of life as you and then everybody else. And there's old people and there's other people, but there's me. And you become accustomed to that. You depend upon that. That's who I am. In fact, we are all very transient, and we are made up of these molecules, and we are formed mostly by empty space.

God has caused you and I to have a certain DNA arrangement, a certain composition, and He's given us something that nowhere else in the universe exists, and that is called life. Life. It's difficult to determine exactly what life is. But the pinnacle of our human body, actually, the thing that we are, is our brain.

The John Hopkins University Department, the division of neuroscience, which is quite large, has looked at the human brain and compared it with other brains, similar brains, and other animals, and they've determined that the human brain is the most complex thing that exists in the entire universe. There's nothing more complex than this brain that we have, and they've determined that it has about 11 quadrillion brain cells that each have links out about 15 quintillion interconnections to the other brain cells, and they've studied this thing and the complexities of it, and they're amazed by it, but one thing that they don't understand is the human mind, because the human mind is something we find in Job chapter 32 and verse 8 that is not physical.

You're not going to see it under a microscope. You're not going to be able to create it in a laboratory. Job 32 verse 8 from the New King James says, there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding.

We have with our human mind something that a brain doesn't have, or that an animal such as the peacock outside doesn't have, and that is a mind that's able to reason and the various other functions that this university and others have defined as specific to the human mind. They call it the brain, but the human mind. But within this, we see the spirit from the Almighty provides understanding. We are able to understand and function in certain ways that have brought us to where we are today. I don't know about you, but I'm kind of amazed when I get into somebody else's car. It's different. And the newer cars are so complex, and newer devices are complex.

This morning at the house, somebody had one of those little flat things you stand on. You can go back and forth and spin circles, and lights are flashing. We're able to come to the point where you can have an F-35 airplane, you can have drones, you can have all of these things that take humanity either for good or for evil. I've owned a drone for several years. When they first came out, I bought one to videotape summer camp at High Sierra from different perspectives and different angles I couldn't get to with poles. But we heard today that there are drones, little drones of the same size, same weight that shoot missiles now. And it's taken humanity to the place where we are today with all of our things that we have and all of the risks that we have.

God can add capabilities to our human mind through His Spirit. In Exodus chapter 31 in verse 1, then the Lord spoke to Moses. And in verse 3, He says, I have filled this man, Bezazalel, with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship. So God can add to the human mind capabilities that are miracles above the miracle of the human mind. He says in verse 4, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship. Why did God give an individual this miraculous ability to do these things?

It's in combination with something to do with God. It wasn't for the advancement of that man and his abilities, and he could get a better career and make more money. So there are specific instances where God does things to the human mind. But God actually has a plan to take human minds to another level. Humanity was created in God's image. We see Adam and Eve. We see the people up to the flood. We see everyone ever since. But God has a plan to take human beings to a higher level, and that is godliness. Not just living the best way we know how, deciding what is good and evil ourselves, coming up with ideas, making money, trying to enjoy life, but actually reaching a level of godliness.

And for most of humanity, that will happen in the next age. That will happen in what we call the millennium and beyond. In Isaiah 32, verse 13, God says that in this age, on the land of my people will come up thorns and briars, yes, on all the happy homes and the joyous city, because the palaces will be forsaken. Isaiah 32, verse 14, the bustling city will be deserted, the forts and the towers will become layers forever of the joy of wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks. This is what happens when humans run on their own mind's mental abilities. This is what we do. We end up destroying things, ruining it. People pushing in, pushing out, reprisals, retaliations. And this is what has happened down through time. Notice in verse 15, until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high. There is another layer of God's Spirit that will come and is intended to come to take us to another level beyond what we see today. Don't try to fix what's out there today. Don't try to solve the problems. Don't waste your time at night on your bed or in the morning or watching news and saying, oh, if this president or that leader or this person would only do this, or if that military would only step in here, or if they just bombed this guy or whatever, that's part of human reasoning.

When the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, the wilderness becomes a fruitful field. The fruitful field is counted as a forest. Then justice will dwell in what is now the wilderness, and righteousness will remain in the fruitful field. The work of righteousness will be peace. See, we don't need some specialized person or institution or device to go solve the problems. We need godliness. And as we read right here, when godliness comes, that solves the problems.

Righteousness remains in the fruitful field, and the work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever. So let's let's retain here you and I have a life we've been given, and what are we pushing for? The right political party, the right, you know, board, the right this or that? No, we want the Prince of Peace to come. We want righteousness to be on the earth. And right now, you and I have been called, not only as allies of the Prince of Peace, we've been called as children of God the Father, who gives the Spirit that produces righteousness and peace, called as brothers and sisters of His Son, who is the Prince of Peace that is coming, and ultimately to be the bride and co-ruler with Him.

So let's let's retain the focus, the right focus here of why we're here and what we're supposed to be doing. In Ezekiel chapter 36 and verse 27, of those days, He says, I will put my Spirit within you, and I will cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep my judgments and do them.

That's much better than trying to enforce law. That's putting it in hearts and minds, and in the heart you want to live laws.

Today, we have completed a spring festival season, and we now look forward to other feasts that are coming, and oftentimes we zip through the spring feast, the Days of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Pentecost, following the Passover, and we say, yes, but we have the feast planner. Where are you going for the feast? We call it the feast, right? The feast. You don't even have to say what feast it is. Where are you going to the feast? And we get all excited about that. In fact, it's even possible to ignore the spring feast because the planner comes out before Passover. You've got to get over the speed bump and get on to the feast. Well, let's stop and think here for a minute. Passover is about the ability of the first fruits to be called into a relationship with God to then overcome, to become godly. It's their time for developing godliness and be harvested at Pentecost. So we just finished our feast. We're about to celebrate someone else's feast. These are events for some other time. These are other people, another time that we'll be working with Jesus Christ, the removal of Satan. We'll be working with Jesus Christ, millennium, second resurrection. We actually need to hang on to the Passover daily. We need to hang on to the days of Unleavened Bread and what they mean in us performing our work so that we'll be ready for a harvest and be able to participate in that harvest. You and I are called at this time to do something with minds that the rest of humanity is not invited to do. We need to be focused on that work with that calling. We need to be busy because this is our only time. We don't have those times ahead. We're not going to be coming back up as human beings and get to do it right if we don't do it now.

Developing firstfruits are invited by God now to, in our daily lives, be led by Jesus Christ, just like the Israelites were in a physical way, but to be led by Jesus Christ down a difficult road to a door that no one can find. Few find it. That's the quest. And along the way, we have a lot of adversity. We have fakers trying to convince us, no, the door is this way. No, the path is this way. They're outside. They're inside. They can even be at our own minds because this has got to be a serious calling and we have to respond to it seriously. In John 7, verse 37, Jesus stood, and on the last day, that grate of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink. This is referring to God's Holy Spirit, a Holy Spirit, something that is leading in godliness now, leading people with human minds into godliness. Notice he said, if anyone thirsts, God uses certain terms for us in this age that are very active. In fact, they're kind of over the top. You know, Paul talks about wrestling. That's not just sort of exercise. No, it's wrestling, fighting the good fight. You've got the devour who's trying to get you. Jesus talks about hungering for righteousness. Here, he says, if you thirst for God's Spirit, then come and come to me and drink. You and I have this calling, do we hunger for it? Do we thirst for it? Are we interested in it? Is it part of our daily quest? Are we in a race for it? Do we have a place to be? Do we have a place to be? Are we in a race? Are we in a battle? Are we in a fight? Are we going to run the race and get the crown? See, these are all things that you and I have to ask ourselves.

We are provided this calling with an urgency.

Do I thirst? Do you stop and think about thirst? You know, thirst, when you're really thirsty, it doesn't mean like right now, and I've been talking a little bit, so it'd be a good time for a sip. Try being out in the ocean on a raft surrounded by salt water that's some 26% solid matter that as soon as you put it in your mouth, it's a poison to you. It'll kill you if you try to ingest it and drink it. Thirst is when the sun is baking down on you in the desert, and there's simply no water, and you really would give anything for thirst, for water, because of your thirst. He says in the next verse, He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of His heart will flow rivers of living water.

So to believe in Him, faith without works is dead, so faith and belief are intertwined with godliness, pursuing that godliness, and you want it. You desire it. You pray for it daily. You try to analyze every thought. He said, if you do that, out of your heart will flow rivers of living water of God's Holy Spirit. God's Holy Spirit comes out of the Father through the Son. You and I receive God's Holy Spirit through the Son. We've just heard that in the ages to come, He is going to give water. His Spirit is going to be poured out, and people will then respond with righteousness and peace. Who do you think that's going to come from?

He has a bride. Out of our hearts will also flow rivers of living waters.

Do you and I believe in Him with works? Do we believe, we turn, we repent, we follow, we do righteousness? If so, we will be the firstfruits with the firstfruit who was waived some 60 or so days ago now during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. He was the first of the harvest. We just celebrated Pentecost, which is the second, the harvest of firstfruits representing ourselves, and we will reign with Him. The Holy Spirit is something that you and I have been given if we've been baptized and had the laying on of hands. Verse 39, he says, This He spoke concerning the Spirit, which those believing in Him would receive.

For the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

See, this Holy Spirit is a very special thing for special people at a special time. God doesn't just give this out. Nobody can take it. This Holy Spirit to lead and guide an individual into godliness now is reserved for those whom the Father calls. He says it was not given yet. Jesus had already breathed or would breathe on His disciples at one point and said, received the Spirit. Then later, we'll find that they were not fully imbued with that Spirit until a specific moment. The Holy Spirit came to the New Covenant Church in fullness at a special moment.

Next chapter 1 in verse 4, Jesus, being assembled together with them, commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father. Notice this, the promise of the Father. The Holy Spirit was promised by the Father, which He said, you have heard from Me.

In Acts chapter 1 and verse 5, for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized, or you shall be immersed with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. So we see even the apostles at this point had not been immersed by God's Spirit. We saw them following Jesus and learning to a certain degree, but here days before Peter had run away three times from Jesus Christ, denied Him three times. But now, He said, you will be immersed with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. In chapter 2 and verse 1, when the day of Pentecost had fully come, and they were all with one accord in one place. Hmm, this is interesting. Whenever God shows up in Scripture, people come together. God showed up, Adam was brought into the garden. God shows up, people come into an art. God shows up, people come out of Egypt and go to a specific place with Him. When the Church is formed, they come to a specific spot, and they're all with one accord in that place. And you can read later in the chapter how they were all with one accord, and they shared everything, and they pulled together. God is about oneness. His Spirit brings peace, the Greek word being erene, meaning to join. God is about joining. Anything that's fracturing and breaking apart. That's not of God.

Things that separate, that divide, that chip off. That's not of the rock. That makes sand. So here we see, with one accord, and suddenly, verse 2, there came a sound from heaven, heaven as a rushing wind. And notice, it filled the whole house. It immersed everybody where they were sitting. Verse 4, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, began to speak with other languages. How is this Holy Spirit received by humans? You know, the process is defined right here in this chapter. In Acts 2, verse 32, the Apostle Peter here is saying, the same one that had just denied Christ a couple months earlier, he's saying, look, this Jesus, God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore, being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he poured out this which you now see and hear. He poured it out, dropping down. Verse 36, now, filled with the Spirit, Peter tells the audience, who he was fearful of before, he said, therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Notice he didn't say whom we crucified. Who killed Christ? You and I didn't kill Christ. Certain individuals killed Christ.

Your sins didn't require Christ's death. Your forgiveness required Christ's death. It's a gift of God. It's not something we put a gun to God's head and say, I sinned, so therefore my sin requires your son to come and die for me. Oh, no, no, not at all. You and I have this wonderful opportunity of coming into a covenant because of a process that God himself devised. And we have just heard that process at Passover. We have shown that we now will follow that process through the days of Unleavened Bread, and the ultimate gift of that process is a becoming of firstfruits with Jesus Christ at his coming. 1 Corinthians 15 talks about everyone in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, then those who are his at his coming. The term firstfruits for humans is only used one time, and that's Revelation 14 after they're resurrected. So will you be a firstfruit like Jesus Christ successfully lived as a human and became firstfruits sitting on the throne of God? Will you become a firstfruit following his example and you sitting on Christ's throne as firstfruits? This is the promise that we have through God's Holy Spirit because we are able to develop a godly character called holy righteous character. Dropping down in verse 37, now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart. How did that happen? It's one of the gifts of God. It's one of the favors of God called repentance. And they said to Peter, men and brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said to them, repent. Repentance is a gift. It's a favor from God to those whom God is called, to those whom God has given faith. Now he gives them repentance.

Let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. baptism is a gift for the remission of sins, which is a gift. And you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. So we can see God here begins to load us up as saints or as those who are called to be firstfruits with favors.

The favors I've just mentioned are what the term grace refers to in English translation. It just refers to His grace. But the word charise means the reciprocal favors of God. He does His part of those favors, and then we have to do ours. It's reciprocity. Charise was a word in the Koine Greek from 200 BC to 280, and it meant reciprocity. I'll do you a favor, and then you in some point will respond in kind. And so God has given us these favors, these gifts from the fathers of life, and they are a calling. They are faith, repentance, baptism, and the Holy Spirit.

So now He's saying, here's how this process will work. You will receive these gifts.

And verse 39, the promise of what? The Holy Spirit. The promise is to you and your children to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call. Ah, there's the caveat. Jesus Himself said repeatedly, none can come to Me unless the Father call Him, unless the Father draw Him.

Everybody has this promise, but it's as many as the Lord will call.

Now, you and I can understand to a certain degree, before baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit, God's way of life, if He opens our mind to it. It's God's Holy Spirit working with us.

It's another layer of understanding to a point, but it's only to a point. We can grasp certain things. But to that, God will add repentance and then baptism and then the Holy Spirit in a more immersed way. If you look up the term reciprocal grace on the internet, Google reciprocal grace, you can do your own study about this reciprocity, about carise, about what's expected and has always been expected. You and I have a covenant. There's a book called Reciprocal Grace, and the subtitle of the book is the covenant that you and I have, a covenant of carise that's reciprocal, a reciprocal covenant. When we understand that God has given us certain things and we are to give back, then the Bible begins to make sense, the parables of Jesus Christ, about producing fruit. God can put in this, he can put in the seed, but he wants fruit back. And then God analyzes us in various ways to see if there is the fruit, if we are reaching godliness as part of our character, if we truly are becoming sons and daughters of his, or if we're just faking it. We're just looking churchy and talking righteous and treasuring his Bible, you know, but not actually developing the fruit. This Holy Spirit is actually given through a certain process. Again, no one can buy it, sell it. It's spirit. It only comes from God the Father, and he's only giving it through his son to those he decides to give it to. And that's why Jesus said, I can't give it, you know, only who my father calls, only who my father draws. And in Acts chapter 8 and verse 17, we find apostles then laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. In verse 18 of Acts 8, and when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money.

So many people will say, well, was my baptism valid? I got baptized over here. Well, did true ministers lay of Jesus Christ whom the Father passes his spirit through, and the ministers that Jesus himself chooses, in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11, he himself chose some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers. There is a process here, and it goes directly to God the Father. Simon said he saw through the apostles that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money. So we can see here how this Holy Spirit is given.

And it doesn't make a lot of sense to an individual until the Holy Spirit works with them.

Just doesn't. I was in the church. I was born in the church. Mr. Armstrong was my pastor at birth.

He's told me later in life, he says, I was waiting for you to come out for a long time.

He would talk to an audience and see me and say, there's a young man I've known since before he was born. Okay, so when I was 18, 19 years old, growing up in the church, being a good kid, that didn't really do anything for me spiritually. It kept me from breaking a whole lot of laws that would have had side effects. But I was just as carnal as they come. I was as self-centered. I was like a peacock out there, and how I dressed and how I tried to, you know, look good and do good and press P.I. wanted some appreciation, some affirmation. And then God gave me something called repentance. And the end result of that was, there was no reason for me to keep living unless I could change it. And I couldn't change it. I tried to change it. And you know, I just fell on my knees and just said, God, you gotta clean this out. There is nothing here that's useful to anybody, not even me. Okay? That is a miracle that takes place, a divine miracle called repentance.

The firstfruits are being called, the potential firstfruits are being called, from all types of people. We know in the book of Romans that God is not calling the brightest and the brilliant, not the ones that would necessarily reflect well on the Godhead. Even Jesus himself came humbly.

Didn't even have a room at the end for his birth. He wasn't tall. He wasn't good-looking. You know, he came in very humble circumstances. He died in very humble circumstances. And you and I are to mirror him and to be Christ-like. Let's look in 1 Corinthians 12 and verse 12. 1 Corinthians 12.

See, we've already departed a long way from society, haven't we? We're on a different path. We're on a different course here. We have minds that have God's Holy Spirit that are off into godliness on a path towards a direction for a kingdom that human minds can't understand. Nobody's come up with, oh yeah, there's a God and he's got a kingdom and he's got a plan and he's got a purpose and, oh, it doesn't happen that way. Even with religion, people head a different direction. If you look at religions on earth today, even the religious people don't come close to what God has in mind for humans or the path for that. 1 Corinthians 12 now in verse 12 says, The Holy Spirit leads individuals here to be developed as godly individuals, a level of godliness. So also is Christ, for by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether Israelite descent or non-Israelite descent. Slaves are free, male or female, etc., etc. We have all been made to drink into one Spirit. Are we thirsty? Do we want a drink of that Spirit?

Do we want some day for that Spirit to flow on through us as the bride of Christ into others?

For in fact, the body is not one member, but many. Dropping down now to verse 25, that there should be no schism in the body. This body is of a different mindset. It's not like all human groups today that are always splintering, dividing, tearing at each other.

No, it says, all but that the members should have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. If one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

Now you are of the body of Christ and members individually. This Spirit brings us here, not only because we have a church service at a certain time, but it brings us here because we are of the mind of God. We are each other's brothers and sisters. There's nobody who understands us outside these doors like we do inside these doors. And we are all striving for a common goal, which is godliness. And it's not because we necessarily are striving to get a reward. We're striving for godliness, and that ends up in a reward. And if there wasn't a reward, we'd still be striving for godliness because we're God's people. We're God's children. We have God's Spirit. And if it's in our heart, it encourages us to do that.

Those who receive the Holy Spirit can be either led by God's Holy Spirit, or they can be led by something else or someone else. The title of the sermon today is Led by God's Holy Spirit. That is not a foregone conclusion. That's a question for each one of us, including myself. Who am I led by? What am I led by? We can be led by God's Holy Spirit, or we can be led by others. We might think, oh, but we're in the body. We just read about the body. We have the Spirit, etc., etc. Let's go to Acts 20, verse 28. The Apostle Paul lived among members. He lived for a while at Corinth. He lived for a while at Ephesus. And while he was at Ephesus, he really built up the church there, ordained ministers there, worked with the people there. Today you can go over to Ephesus and you can walk down the streets. They're rebuilding some of the buildings. They have the library at the bottom of the hill. There's the Colosseum Amphitheater just on the outskirts of town. You know that Paul was there. You don't know exactly where he was. And you think the time when they chased Paul away, wanted to kill him because of the people making idols to the goddess Diana, you think, well, if I go down to the Colosseum and stand there, Paul was there. But actually, the elders convinced him not to go there.

Wouldn't let him go there. But when you go there, you know that Paul was there. Well, there was a time when Paul finally had to leave and he wanted to talk to these elders. So south of there, I believe it is, about a few miles south, this little town of Miletus.

And so Paul called the elders down to Miletus and said, meet me down there and we'll have a meeting. So here we catch up with them. And he says in Acts 20, verse 28, Therefore, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock. This is serious. Take heed to yourselves and to the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. We don't choose to be ministers of ourselves. It's not something that we choose as a career. I try to run from the minister. I know Mr. Dowd, your pastor did, because I was chasing him. So he says here, take heed to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. This church is precious to God. It's precious to Jesus Christ. They've given everything that they have and that they can into creating this universe, putting the earth, putting yourself and yourselves together, putting your brain, putting the connections, giving you the spirit of man, and giving you the Holy Spirit through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ through that process. For I know this, that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. And to the ministers he's speaking to, he says, also from yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves. So don't even begin to think that you are necessarily led by the Holy Spirit of God. We can be led by all manner of things, including our own selfish passions, including trying to elevate our own mind, I have some great idea, and you know, you just really got to follow me. And next thing you know, people are following somebody. That's not God's spirit. God's spirit is self-abasing. Is Jesus Christ himself humbled himself? And you and I need to come together. The Holy Spirit is a living spiritual miracle for your mind, if you want it, as we've already heard. We've got a thirst for it. We've got to desire it.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 11, we have more from scripture. Now, in one sense you can take the Bible and say, look, I can't even prove these people existed. I can't prove a lot of these facts took place. Therefore, I'll throw this away and I'll go with what I can see by my eyes. I have a degree, a master in selective studies degree in anthropology, study of man, anthropology, archaeology, paleontology, etc. various other sciences that go along with that. And they throw this right out the window and they go by what they think they can come up with. All right? What we have here is the Word of God. This is spirit. It's truth. It comes to us and it's understood by us and us only. There's no other group of people on earth, even the ones who translate this, publish this, and create religions out of this who understand what it says.

It just doesn't enter into their hearts. Why? Verse 11. 1 Corinthians 2 verse 11. What man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? And like I said, we know that well and it's gotten us where we are. It's gotten us where we're going, that if it continues without interruption, no flesh will be alive. In verse 11, even so, no one knows the things of God except the spirit of God. Now, this is not up for question. That's a statement. No one knows the things of God except the spirit of God. No religion, no religious leader knows the things of God. Just pick your religious leader. Do they understand what day to worship on? Do they understand the festivals to keep? Do they understand the plan of salvation? Do they understand what we're supposed to be doing in our daily life? The answer is no. They do not.

Because those come through the spirit of God being in us. Now, we have received not the spirit of society when it says the world is talking about the society because they're not called at this. This isn't their time to sample and live godliness, to step up to that next level. But we receive the spirit which is from God that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. What are the things that have been freely given to you by God?

They hide under the word grace, a calling which no man can have unless the Father gives it, faith which no one can understand unless you have been given the gift of faith, repentance. Can't do that one. Baptism? Nope. Forgiveness of sin? Holy Spirit. We have received these things from God. And these things we also speak not in word which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

I guarantee you, when you stop to think about it, your daily life is about spiritual things.

Was that thought correct? Is what I'm about to say correct? Is my action correct? Can I do that better? Humans don't go through this. This is spirit. You're... Hmm. Am I obeying God? Am I doing what I should? Am I growing? Am I loving? It was that self-centered. Comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man, verse 14, does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for their foolishness to him. Are you kidding me? Correct myself? Oh, no! This is the age of self-embellishment. I want an award for just being. I want validation from everybody. You know, don't criticize me. Don't correct me. Praise me. And if you don't, I'll take you to court.

No? We have laws against somebody not elevating ourselves.

Why? Nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.

If we look at the result of human thinking, human reasoning, we find it in Galatians, chapter 5, verses 19 and 20. I don't make it a point to read these verses because we want to have moved away from this. I don't like to think about this, but in reality, this is the epitome of human achievement. Galatians, chapter 5. Before I read this off and assign it to any group, just think for a minute. You can assign this to any group of people that exists on the face of the earth—any religion, any religious leaders, any institution, any government, any military, anybody. Let's just scrape the layers off and the outfits that people wear. Notice, you can compare this yourself, this is where we're at. Galatians, chapter 5, verse 19.

Now, the works of the flesh are evident, which are adultery and fornication. Do you know any group of those that I've just not mentioned that are not associated with adultery and fornication?

Any religious group, leaders, military, government, nice, wonderful, you know, anybody?

Nope. Pretty much that's where humans are. That's why they designed evolution. You go back through 1700s, 1800s, 1900s, people have been trying to get rid of any sort of block to whatever they want in life, whatever they want to achieve. We would call it breaking God's laws, perversion, sin. Okay? They want to strip that away and get rid of it.

There are reasons why humans wanted to do that because of various so-called religious aristocracies that were very oppressive. But nevertheless, that's what's happened. And so we've come to a lack of oppression today where there are no rules, there are no laws, and everybody can do anything they want, including that. If you don't believe it, turn on your TV, read a book, watch the news, you know, see the leaders, see the famous people.

So here we are. Uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry. The biggest idol out there is me! Put myself before anything and anyone. Hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders. Pick a game. Pick an entertainment source. Pick a story. This is what it's about. Pick life. Go to school. That's what you see.

Envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like, of which I tell you beforehand, just as I told you in the times past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. They're not going to be there. And we look forward then, not back. We can step into a relationship with God with His gifts and they give us a fresh start. It's like a canvas that hasn't been painted on yet. And that's a beautiful way to begin a life striving for godliness. Verse 22, the fruit of the Spirit, the results of having God's Holy Spirit and being led by it are these. First is agape love. We find in the book of 1 John, repeatedly, God is love.

If God is associated with anything, He's associated with agape. And even though the word agape doesn't mean godly love, nevertheless, it's used so many times in relationship to God and His love that it's become an actual English word now that means God's love. So when you say agape, you're actually using a word in the English dictionary that means the love that God has. So the fruit of having God's Spirit is godliness, which is love. The next is joy. It's joy for everyone associated with it.

There's nothing down, there's no downside to God's laws, God's commandments, loving God with your heart, soul, and might, love your neighbor as yourself. And the next word is, we might say, harmony. It says peace. But the Greek word, again, ereni, means to join. But to join in a way that's not just a simple way, it's more like a harmony. Harmonies are joined, but they are complex joinings. So this is a real stitching together. Jesus talks in John 17 about the Father being one with Him and they're desiring us to be one with them. So that's the byproduct of having God's Spirit work in us, is that stitching together with long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, verse 23, gentleness or meekness. The word meekness comes from the Greek word, praetis, and it means completely teachable, absolutely completely teachable. And Jesus had a great example of that because He didn't come bring in His own words. He only said what the Father told Him. He brought the Spirit from the Father. These words are not mine, but I speak what the Father has given me. He was totally teachable and God wants us to remain teachable with self-control.

Verse 24, those who are Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

So we need to walk and be led by God's Holy Spirit. And if so, then we are on a different plane. We are stepping into the family of God. We are having more of the mind of God the Father and Jesus Christ.

We are brothers with Christ. We are brothers and sisters with each other in God.

You know, if you came over to East Africa, you might wonder what it's like to go into tribal Africa out in the wilds. The best place to go in Africa is way out at the big cities. Just go way out into the bushes and find the people, the simple people, lovely people, brothers and sisters. And guess what? When you go to a church there, what do you find? People struggling against their human nature, their passions and desires, trying to love one another more, trying to not be infected by society as much, to come out of those tribal customs that are so enforced locally, just like us.

And sometimes we have to have a translator, but we hug at the end and we're brothers and sisters, and they're like, oh, stay with us, you know, be with us. And you just create a bond. So in the 35 times that my wife and I have been over there, we have brothers, we have sisters, you know, aunts and uncles, kids named after us. It's, you know, it's just a beautiful thing when you have God's Holy Spirit. You have these things in common. If we live in the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit and let us encourage each other to do so, even more so as the day approaches.

So do we receive the things of the Spirit?

Or are they foolishness to us? That's a question. Let me ask you, let me ask you a question.

Do you really receive the things of God's Spirit? Or are they foolishness to you?

I might shock you by saying they're probably foolishness to you. And you think, well, let's walk through a day. When you wake up in the morning, maybe you go to work, you're going to school, or have various projects. When you wake up in the morning, what is wise? What's important?

Might be brushing your teeth. It might be taking a shower. It might be getting ready to have some coffee, so you can think. All right? That's what's wise. And the next thing might be, check the social media, check the email, or check the news, see what's going on, what's the weather going to be, getting dressed, right? Next thing might be get to school on time, get to work on time. You've got a big project today. You've got things to do on the calendar. Are the things of God foolishness to you? At that time, yes. Those are not the wise things. Those right now would be foolish because I would be late, or I might miss something important. So guess what? The answer to that question has profound implications, because as the day goes on, we get more intermixed with things that are important and wise to us. And if we've not put prayer and Bible study at the beginning, those things are foolishness to us under the circumstances because we have weightier matters to deal with. And when you get home at the end of the day, guess what? I'm tired. I need something to refresh myself. I'd better relax a little bit. I'd better watch some TV and have some dinner and spend time with my spouse or family or call my friends or, you know, check Facebook, etc.

And the night may be a pretty tired time. Probably ought to get some sleep.

If we're not careful, the things of God, as the people of God, will be foolishness to us.

And we are not in that situation led by God's Holy Spirit. We might think we are. We might think we're on some kind of autopilot. I'm baptized. I must be being led by the Holy Spirit. No, no, no, no.

Let's go to Luke chapter 19 verse 12. Look at the parable of the meanas real quick. Maybe through a little different lens.

Luke chapter 19 and verse 12.

If I don't tell you this again, you have to develop a thirst for God's Holy Spirit. It's an acquired taste. Here in Luke chapter 19 and verse 12 it says, therefore, he said, a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. He's telling his own story here. I'm about to go, as a nobleman, resurrected. I'll be a nobleman. I'll go to heaven and I'll receive a kingdom and I will come back. So he called ten of his servants, just like he had ten virgins in another parable, he calls ten servants, delivered to them ten meanas, and he said to them, do business till I come. Now, a meaner was a weight, and here it's referring to money, and one formula says the nimina in our common currency would be about $7,500 today, $10,000 Canadian. Now, that's not a mean amount of meanas, $7,500.

It's not a huge amount, but they didn't earn it. They were giving it. It's pretty good, pretty good amount of money. And he says to them, do business till I come.

Dropping down in verse 15, so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. So God gives us these favors, doesn't he? He favors us with mina, something that wasn't ours. He favored it, and he wants us to do something with it.

When he comes back, he now asks the first in verse 16, who responds, saying, Master, your mina has earned 10 minas. I've earned your mina, your 7,500 dollars, has earned 75,000 dollars, plus the original. You're up into the 80,000-some dollar range here. That's no mean amount of minas. That's a lot of minas. So what God is wanting here is a return. See, the reciprocity in the favors, he is wanting a return. Yes, he gives us something that we can't have on our own. We don't buy it. We can't do it. We can't get it ourselves. But he wants something in return that he can't get himself.

God, as we see in this parable, doesn't want his Holy Spirit back.

Let's drop down. He said to him, verse 17, Well done, good servant, because you are faithful, and very little have authority over ten cities. Notice how the reward has nothing really to do with what was given. It's something different. He didn't say, Oh, because you gave me ten, here, I'll give you half a million dollars. No, it's something else. You have now a role in government as opposed to developing a mindset. Now you have an administrative function dropping down. Verse 20, Another came saying, Master, here's your mena, which I've kept put away in a handkerchief. Now, this person is also in the church. He also received God's Holy Spirit, but he didn't let himself be led by it. He looked at it as something that was not necessary, not important, not vital. It wasn't the thing, you see. He didn't thirst for what it could do and hunger for it. It was an incidental thing to him. And the result in his mind was in verse 21.

For I feared you because you're an austere man. You collect what you did, not deposit. You reap what you did, not sow. God does not want his Holy Spirit from you and me. He has his Holy Spirit. He doesn't want it back. He wants us to do something with it. He wants something from you that he did not give you in return. He has given you everything he could give you, his entire focus and time, his creation, his only son. His son has given you everything he could give. All of his time, his focus, his daily attention and his life. And he's offering you everything he owns, a co-inheritance of all things. What else can God do for you and me? There's nothing more that he could do. He's given everything now. He says, in return, what are you going to give for me? I want something that I didn't give you. You collect what you didn't deposit. You reap what you did, not sow. He wants character. He wants character. Holy character. Godly character. In verse 22, Jesus' own words are, out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit, reaping what I did not sow.

We need to understand the importance of these spring festivals all year long. Hang on to this. Take it with you every day of your life. It's not a seasonal event. It's not, oh, we did that. Now let's buzz on to something else. We'll think about the return of Jesus Christ. No. Come on. Feast of trumpets is when you'll be resurrected. When Christ returns, the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we, which are remain, Paul says, which are alive and remain, will be gathered together with them. That's for them. That is timing. That is not what we're about.

When you and I are given these gifts, what are we doing with them? Are we led by them, or are we keeping them under wraps, as it were? In Isaiah chapter 55, in verse 8 through 12, Isaiah 55 verses 8 through 12, your pastor just reminded me of this passage before services. We can look at this as what we will be going forward. Then your light shall break forth like the morning. Your healing will spring forth speedily. Your righteousness will go before you. The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. Oh, sorry. Isaiah 55.

You shall... hang on. Verse 8. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my way, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. We have got spirit. We have got spirit, but his thoughts are so high compared to ours.

His ways are so high compared to ours. And what he's done is he's given our human minds a bit of his spirit so that we can begin to think like he does.

Now notice as we go forward what his intent is in verse 10. For as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth. What's the rain and the snow?

Water. Remember the thirst that we're to have? Do you eat water out of your garden?

No, it actually produces something else. God wants something different in return than what he's given. He's giving us the water, but he wants something else. And it waters the earth to make it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater. God wants something to harvest the fruit. So shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth. It shall not return to me void. He doesn't want it back. But it shall accomplish what I... It's going to go out there and it's going to develop some fruit. It'll accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. Now, if we go to Isaiah 58, we will find that in verse 14, then you shall delight yourself in the Lord. I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. We will, in a sense, become the bride of Christ, and nations will rejoice. People will be exalted. But we have to do the things that God encourages us to do, which is produce godliness. Otherwise, God has nothing to harvest.

You know, the parables that say, look, He comes back and looks at the harvest.

There's no wheat. Bind it. Burn it.

Let's do a quick overview here as we begin to wrap up of what the Holy Spirit should be leading us to do. In one sense, the Bible speaks a lot about what we should be doing. But let's go to just Titus chapter 3 and hear from the apostle Paul to the pastor, Titus, telling him essentially, here's what should be happening in the sheep and in the church. It should be leading us into godliness.

Remind them, verse 1, to be subject to rulers and authorities. You don't find this in society today. This is not about society. This is something different, a different path that we're on.

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work.

A good work is a work that is a result of God's Holy Spirit, of love, and from God encouraging us to do a good work. It's not just a simple deed, it's a good deed, but a good work, whenever you see that term, that's a spiritual result, an action that results from God's Spirit.

So we should be ready for every good work. To speak evil of no one, to be peaceable. Look at your life. Do you fracture or do you glue? Do you attach? Do you stitch? Are you associated with those who are repairs of the breach, the breaches? Are you associated with those who are ambassadors of reconciliation? See, these are little clues that you and I can look at in our life and see if the fruits of godliness is there. Gentle, the word priorities, meek, totally teachable. Am I totally teachable or am I wanting to teach?

Showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves also were once foolish, disobedient, deceived. Oh, whoa, whoa, hang on, hang on. Guess what? The Apostle Paul, who's writing these words, was a devout religious man. He was one of the most devout religious people.

And we could say, oh, but I'm in the church and I'm religious, I'm good.

Paul was able to see, oh, guess what? We. We were once foolish. I considered godliness foolishness in my daily life. I was not teachable, see, but rather disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. That's the Apostle Paul's life as Saul before his conversion on the road to Damascus, under the guise of religion. God's Holy Spirit is very powerful to open up an understanding that we otherwise would not have.

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, as God the Father called our Savior, when the kindness and love of God the Father our Savior toward man appeared, not by the works of righteousness which we have done, we didn't buy these works of carry these favors of carries. But according to his mercy, he saved us. He intervened and saved us from ourselves, from eternal death, through the washing and regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. That's what the Holy Spirit is doing to us if we're led by it. Being religious, but foolish, disobedient, deceived, lustful, malice, envy, hateful, hurting one another, changing us and renewing us through the Holy Spirit. Verse 6, which he, God the Father, poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior. Jesus Christ is also our Savior.

Verse 7, that having been justified by his, there's the word, we are justified by his cariese, these manifold gifts, reciprocal gifts, we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

This is a faithful saying in these things I want to affirm constantly that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. The fruit of God's Spirit should be there in our actions, our words and our deeds. There is a harvest coming of firstfruits in Galatians 6, chapter 7. Notice here what the Apostle Paul also says, Galatians 6, verse 7, Do not be deceived, God is not mocked. Don't think you can pull one over on God, even in the church, for whatever a man sows, that will he reap.

He who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap death, rotting, corruption. But he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. There's a harvest coming. And if we're sowing the right seed, and if we're producing a crop that God himself cannot produce alone, he produces it by partnering and mentoring us, but partnering with us through the Holy Spirit, then we can be part of this firstfruits harvest.

Let us not grow weary while doing good. There it is again. For we in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially those who are of the household of faith. So we have a calling. The calling is to grow into the body, that one body, to become Christ-like, God-like, godliness. In that body today, as we see in the last verse, well, verse 16, almost the last verse, as many as walk according to this rule, harmony, and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God, the spiritual Israel of God, with Abraham as our spiritual father, father of the faithful. This is the Israel of God that will become the bride of Christ. So in conclusion, we learn critical lessons from the season that we've passed through, and they need to remain with us daily to put whatever we think is important into the category of foolishness, because that will pass. That's just going to be burned through, and that'll be yesterday's news. But we are here for a different reason. We've been given God's Holy Spirit through baptism and laying on of hands to be developed into something that is harvestable by him—children, sons, daughters, and his family, the Israel of God, the bride of Christ, ready to ourselves be agents of God's Holy Spirit to influence the lives of others at Christ's return.

Let's conclude by reading Romans chapter 8 verses 12 through 17.

Romans chapter 8, beginning in verse 12.

Therefore, brethren—we can only use that term, brethren, if we are truly brothers because God's Holy Spirit is leading us. Whether baptized yet or not, we are still brethren, and that spirit is working with our minds. We are debtors, not to living by the flesh, but to live according to the Spirit.

In verse 13, if you live by the flesh, you will die. Put it this way, if we live according to the flesh, the sacrifice of Christ doesn't apply to us. We're not saved by his death if we live according to the flesh. Our own death will apply to us. If we want to be saved and have his death apply to us, then we have to come into a covenant with him. We have to be baptized to have his blood cover us. Then we have to be led by the Holy Spirit to be the children of God, the sons of God.

But if we live according to the flesh, we're going to die. We're going to die in our own sins.

But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live because of what God does for us, for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

For you did not receive the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship by which we cry out, Abba, Father, a familiar form, I believe, of the Aramaic, the Abba, almost a daddy-type term. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. And if children, then we are heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. If indeed we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together. So here's God's plan for us. He desires children, sons and daughters in his family. He desires firstfruits in the harvest. He desires a bride that he is choosing for his son. And he himself, God the Father, is selecting that bride and will present that bride to him in his return. What's important for you and me to do is to be working then, using God's Spirit, being led by God's Spirit, to be developing that which God himself cannot create in a vacuum. Those led by God's Holy Spirit will be the harvest of firstfruits and will be the bride at Jesus Christ's return. So the question comes back to each one of us individually, to you and to me. Am I led by God's Holy Spirit?