The Work of the Spirit

Tomorrow is the day of Pentecost, as we all know, and virtually every person here today can give a brief summary of what Pentecost represents and the plan of God. Pentecost 31 A.D. marks the day and event in which God sent His Spirit to dwell not just among men, but in men, to dwell in them and allow them to be partakers of His divine nature, the very essence and being of God. You know that John 4, 24 says that God is Spirit. So Pentecost marks the calling out of the firstfruits, and we sometimes refer to it as the birthday of the New Covenant Church of God. We talk a lot about God's Spirit, but do we really understand the various works of God's Spirit? Remember, God is Spirit, and it is through His Spirit that He does His work. Just like you and I, we do our work through our flesh. God does His work through His Spirit. Of course, God is invisible, and His Spirit is invisible. And because God is invisible, His Spirit is invisible. I think at times we almost take it for granted, or it's like we're unaware that we have this powerful resource to call upon. So today I want to examine the question of how God is involved through His Spirit in the activities of humankind. Of course, we can't nearly cover everything about it, but we know that today of Pentecost and the symbolism that it entails, must not just be an intellectual knowledge. We can all say, well, here's what it pictures, here's what it represents, but what about the Spirit of God? What does it really do? And how can we really call upon the Spirit of God and upon God in the times in which we live? The work of the Holy Spirit needs to be brought to life and life in our lives on a daily basis. It seems to me that we speak more often of the influence of Satan, oftentimes, on the peoples of the world, the prince of the power of the air, than we speak about the Holy Spirit. And I think sometimes we get the idea that God has sort of handcuffed Himself and just letting everything drift along according to the plan of Satan and his agents. Now, I would hasten to add that, of course, it's true from time to time that God does let the world go its own course. He takes a hands-off approach at times and lets Satan and his agents have their way at times.

We seem to be in such a period of time right now, especially on the world scene. Let's notice Isaiah 29. And we're going to see that God's Spirit does all kinds of things we could talk about, which we're not, but I'm just going to mention as we're turning there, there are many accounts in the Bible where God's Spirit influenced the Gentile king, Gentile ruler, to do a certain thing.

There are times in which God's Spirit stirred up kings of Israel to do certain things. God's Spirit, God works through His Spirit, and He can do what He wishes to do when all is said and done. And God is very active in the course of human events. In Isaiah 29, verse 10, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, read this, I pray you, and He says, I cannot, for it is sealed.

So it seems that God has somewhat taken a hands-off approach to many things, and the world is going its own course. Then, verse 12, in the book, it's delivered to Him that is not learned, saying, read this, I pray you, and He says, I'm not learned. Wherefore the Lord said, for as much as this people draw near to Me with their mouth, and with their lips to honor Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the precept of men, therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among them.

Even a marvelous work in wonder, for the wisdom of their wise men, shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid. So we don't really see any great spiritual leadership on the international scene, on the national scene, and we desperately need spiritual leadership at every level of our being, at every level from the family into the church, into the community, and wherever it might be.

Of course, we need spiritual leadership, and we need to awake out of slumber as Paul warned us in Romans because our salvation is much nearer than when we first believed. Look at Romans 11, verse 8, Romans 11 and verse 8. In Romans 11, verse 8, we'll read Romans 11, Romans 11, 7, And then Israel hath not obtained that which it seeks for, but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded, according as it is written, and here he quotes from Isaiah, God hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see, ears that they should not hear unto this day. And David said, Let their table be made a snare and a trap and a stumbling block, and a recompense unto them.

Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see, and bow down their back all way. So God can open eyes, He can close eyes, He can wake people up, and He can give them the eyes of slumber as it says here. But that does not mean that God is not in control, that He is not keenly aware of every action of man, not only His actions, but God knows our thoughts, the intents of our heart. We know the Scripture, not a sparrow falls aground unless He's aware of it.

We know the Scripture that the very hair on our head is numbered. There is no power that is not ordained of God. Over a page quickly to Romans 13 and verse 1, Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God, the powers that be are ordained of God. So God lets whatever power there is be, He's aware of it. In fact, there is no power that He has not permitted to be.

Let's go to Colossians 1 quickly. Colossians 1, God is in control and He knows all. Colossians 1, verse 13, Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, hath translated us in the kingdom of His dear Son, speaking of God, the Father in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins, who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.

For by Him, that is through Christ, where all things created that are in heaven, that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created by Him and for Him.

And He is before all things and by Him all things consist. So God is in control. He has the ultimate power. But He even gave the angelic realm free choice. And we know what that resulted in with regard to Lucifer, one of the archangels, leading a third of the angels into rebellion. He has given us free choice. We call it free will. The will of whether or not we are going to choose to go God's way or go Satan's way. And the reason why we see so many problems in this world today is because humankind, of course, has made the wrong choices. They've gone the wrong way. They have not followed the handbook that would lead to peace, to love, joy, and happiness.

But at the same time, God's Spirit is still present. God's Spirit and power pervades the universe. And He is above all and over all. So I wonder at times, are we aware, as we ought to be, of God's Spirit, of His power, His presence in our lives?

Do we really think about it? Do we really call upon Him? Are we unwittingly, unknowingly quenching the Spirit of God? We're commanded in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 19, one of the shortest verses in all the Bible, quench not the Spirit. Don't pour cold water on the Spirit, because the Spirit should set us on fire.

Now let's notice also along those lines, Ephesians 4. We read extensively from Ephesians 4 last week. Ephesians 4. We're going to read just a couple of verses here. Ephesians 4 and verse 23, And be renewed in the Spirit of your mind. It's Pentecost week in. Pentecost tomorrow. God sent His Holy Spirit, not to just dwell among men, but in men. To be renewed in the Spirit of your mind. To be aware of God's Spirit. And verse 30, And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby we're sealed unto the day of redemption.

So quench not the Spirit. Grieve not the Spirit. Call upon the Spirit. God says, call upon Me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver you. We know that God imparts gifts to us through His Spirit. Paul lists some of the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12. Let's go there. 1 Corinthians 12. Verse 1. Tomorrow I shall be looking at Ephesians and 1 Corinthians 12 in the sermon. A little bit of a departure from what you might normally talk about on Pentecost, but it will be centered in and around God's Spirit in the unity of the Spirit.

Mr. Savideo is speaking in the morning, and he will be speaking on first fruits in 1 Corinthians 12. And beginning in verse 1. The Corinthians were divided on just about anything you want to name. And one of the main things had to do with the gifts of the Spirit. They were really hung up on speaking in tongues, because if you could speak in tongues, that was the show of your righteousness.

And they tried to outdo one another speaking in tongues to show that they were more righteous than the other one. So Paul has to instruct them concerning spiritual gifts. In 1 Corinthians 12, concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant. You know that you were Gentiles carried away into these dumb idols even as you were led. Wherefore I give you to understand that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus a cursed, and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Spirit.

But I mean to really know and understand what it means to say that Jesus is Lord. We have a lot of people who are talking on television in various churches of the land saying that Jesus is Lord. But do they really understand how Jesus is Lord? It really means what it says. Jesus is Lord. He is our Master. Now there are diversities of gifts, different gifts but the same Spirit. There are different administrations but the same Lord. There are differences of operations, but it is the same God which works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit everybody.

We all have different talents and abilities just innately. I have a certain genetic endowment. You have a certain genetic endowment. And the genetic endowment plays a large role in the way we are, our makeup, our psyche, our personality, and the way even that we manifest ourselves, the way we learn. There are just many things that are there because of our genes. And then the way we were reared.

Our environment that we were reared in play a great influence. I believe to some degree God gives us spiritual gifts according to some of our innate abilities. Now one of the things that we've tried to do in the Church is to accentuate and try to increase and try to help everybody grow in whatever talents and abilities that they have.

And we're continually admonished, don't bury your talents. Don't hide your gifts. If you can sing, sing. Don't just sing to yourself. Let us hear you. So there are many gifts, there are many talents, and different administrations and so on, as it says here. But it's given to profit everybody. Now in some ways, I guess that just through human nature, people really want to be in front. They want to maybe be the preacher, the teacher, that kind of thing.

You know, James warns us that they shall receive the greater judgment. If you desire to teach or preach, it's not a wrong thing to do. But keep in mind, you shall receive the greater judgment. The ability to understand what your gift is and how it can be used is one of the great discernments, I believe, that God can lead you to have. We can't all do the same thing. Otherwise, the body would be lacking. Verse 8, for one, it's given by the Spirit, the Word of Wisdom. Some people are just wiser than other people. The Spirit of Wisdom.

James says, if any man lack wisdom, this is James 1, 4, 5, 6, along in there, if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives liberally and upbraith not. But let not him ask in doubt, let him not be double-minded in asking, because the double-minded man will not receive anything. So the Word of Wisdom, a gift to some degree, to another, the Word of Knowledge. Does God just supernaturally zot knowledge into our gray matter so that we are filled with knowledge?

I believe that we have to get in there and dig and pour over the books and study. And once again, our genetic endowment and other factors play a role in how we learn, how much knowledge we can retain, how we can organize it, and how we can present it. And so many factors enter into that of knowledge. Of course, knowledge, to a large degree, can be a curse. Paul writes in one place that knowledge puffs up, but charity edifies. Just the knowledge of Pentecost is not going to get you there. Just the knowledge, oh, God sent his Spirit on the day of Pentecost. That's when the New Covenant Church began, and that's the birthday of the Church, and so on. It's wonderful we know that. It is a part of the plan of God and the step of eventually bringing all humans into relationship with Him. But to really be active in what the Spirit has to offer is quite another matter as well. Verse 9, to another, faith. Some people have more faith than others by the same Spirit, to another, the gifts of healing by the same Spirit. To another, the working of miracles. And it's interesting to me, and always has been, and I don't understand exactly the difference altogether, the gifts of healing because we say, well, He was healed. It was a miracle. But then we read here to another the working of miracles. Christ changing the water into wine. Of course, that is a miracle. And like we heard in the sermonette, how to discern what is a false prophet, the deceptions that are coming upon this world at the end of this age will be so deceptive that only the elect will understand. If it were possible, Matthew writes in Matthew 24, even the very elect would be deceived. And if you don't love the truth, Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 2, 10, 11, 12, if you don't love the truth, then God will send you strong delusion. Notice it's God who will send you strong delusion that you should believe the lie.

So the working of miracles to another prophecy, and there are two aspects of prophecy that is foretelling, that is predicting, prophesying about the future. I don't think predict is a good word. Now, we have prognosticators. Now, I can look at a body of data, and so can you. And based on these factors, and we have all kind of economic prognosticators on the scene today, and based on these factors, we can predict to some degree what the markets are going to do and that kind of thing. Based on this set of data having to do with what the nations are doing and what they are doing militarily, we can get an idea of what they are thinking with regard to what their next step is going to be. That's sort of the predictive kind of thing. But with God, when we're talking about His prophecy, He can foretell the future. It's not a prediction that is going to happen. It is a prophecy that it is going to happen.

Now, we know that the beast, the false prophet in the presence of the beast, will perform all kind of miracles, even calling fire down from heaven. And through these miracles, as it says in Revelation 13, so many will be deceived.

So we see to another prophecy you have the fourth telling and you have the foretelling, the future, and then you have the fourth telling. That is preaching what the Word of God says. And basically, that's what we focus on, is trying to preach and bring out the meaning of the Word of God.

To another discerning of spirits, to be able to discern the spirit, the mood, the attitude of a person. To another different kinds of tongues. To another, the interpretation of tongues. But all these works that one and the self-same spirit dividing to every man, severally, as He will.

And these are given, as it says here, through prophet everybody. Now, know what Paul says in verse 28. God had set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles and gifts of healings helps governments, diversities of tongues. So the prioritizing is given by the Word of God. You don't have to guess about it. Now, to a large degree, most people have thrown this out the window. But this is what the Bible says. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?

Have all the gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? Why no! But whatever it is that God has given you, we need to use it, and we need to use it to prophet everybody. And continually I ask God to impart to me the gifts necessary for me to carry out what He's called me to do.

In addition to those gifts, God can give you the spirit of meekness. He can give you the spirit of humility. He can give you peace and joy and much more. And I wonder at times why we having the knowledge that we have as a people about the plan and purpose of God, why we are not happier than we are.

I see some of the people here going to Walmart in different places who haven't been in this country very long. And they have more of a twiggle in their eye and a happiness on their face than many of us do. And they know virtually nothing. I mean, basically, if they are religious, they are probably Catholic. And they don't really know the plan and purpose of God. So, brethren, we really need to claim what God's Spirit can do for us and to work on it. We need all to fervently pray that what God will give us the gifts of His Spirit so we can be more profitable servants in His service.

God can be far more active in our lives if we meditate on His name and seek His face. There are so many scriptures in the Bible. One of the things that I did this week, I just put in the online Bible, Spirit of.

And then I read every scripture that had Spirit of in it. I would encourage you to do something like that. And you'll be amazed when you just put certain phrases in and you read every scripture that has to do with that what you might learn. You know, at one point, Philip was baptizing a person and then suddenly the Spirit of God caught Philip away, up, out of the waters, and translated him to another place. Now, you read about the translation of Elijah, where he was translated to another place.

Well, it happened in the New Testament as well. The Spirit of God, this is in Acts 8.32. I'm not turning there. So, the Spirit of God can be so much more active in our lives if we really search it out. Now, let's notice the Spirit that was on Christ. And we want to emulate Christ. Let's go to Isaiah 11. Isaiah 11 and verse 1.

This is a Messianic prophecy. And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse. Jesse, the father of David and a branch shall grow out of its roots. And, of course, Jesus Christ descended from David. He was the son of David after the flesh. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. The Spirit of Wisdom. We've read from 1 Corinthians 12 the first gift of the Spirit that is listed there.

That's not necessarily the prioritizing, but it's the gift of wisdom. The Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding. The Spirit of Counsel and Might. The Spirit of Knowledge and the Fear of the Lord. And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord. And he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears.

But with righteousness shall he judge the poor. And reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. And he shall smite the earth with the rot of his mouth. And with the breath of his lips shall he stay or slay the wicked. We need to earnestly pray that God will give us those same gifts. Christ said, in one place, greater works than I have done, you shall do. As we know, God oftentimes allows severe trials to come upon us in order to forcefully get our attention. So we think on his name and seek his face.

God can turn our sorrow and our grief into joy. Perhaps the greatest lesson that we all need to learn is how to view and endure trials. Of course, maybe the greatest lesson we need to learn is how to close the gap between what we know and what we do. But this is sort of part of that. If we really believe that God is in control, if we really believe that God rewards those who diligently seek Him, if we really believe that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose, then perhaps we can make some progress toward coming to understand the really deep things of God.

This life is temporal. It's transitory. This life is not the real life. It is not the life of the Spirit. Remember that Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5.19, If we have hope only in this life, we are of all men most miserable. We must keep our focus, our goal, our eyes on the goal. Seek you first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

Therefore, take no anxious thought for the moral, for sufficient is the evil of the day, one day at a time. Live it to the fullest. Live it to the most. Like this country song in which the guy says, I wish that we could all live one day like we're dying. In other words, if we are going to die tomorrow, how would we live today? And live every day like this is the last day. And I try to think about that quite often.

I know that my mother suffered so many things. If I were to list all the things that my mother endured in the physical sense, along with other things as well, as we all have trials and difficulties. But I know that one of the favorite songs she had was this Christi Lane's One Day at a Time, Sweet Jesus. Now you may think, well, that's a Protestant song. I just couldn't bear to listen to that.

Well, it's the truth of God, One Day at a Time. One Day at a Time. Take no anxious thought for the moral. Sufficient is the evil of the day. So let's focus on what we can do today and make the most of today. When all is said and done, God is our loving Father, and God and Christ are the source of all peace and comfort. Let's be reminded of some things here. Let's go to 2 Corinthians 1 and verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, and Timothy, our brother, under the church of God, which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia, grace be to you in peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. We talk about mercy. We want mercy. The Father of mercies. God is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them, in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ.

And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings, which we also suffer, or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope of you is steadfast, knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so shall you also be of the consolation. The Bible talks a great deal about suffering and trials and how to endure the sufferings and the trials.

Now, let's go to James quickly, Chapter 1. I said one of the great things I put myself into this category. When the big trials roll in, I'm very quick to say, Why me, Lord? Why me? Why do I have to have this? Oh, I thought my life would be like this. My life would just float along. I'd sort of be like Superman all the days of my life. I don't know when I thought I would die or grow old.

And I think we all sort of think along those lines when we were younger. But as time goes on, you come to realize how temporal and how transitory this life is and also how precious is the gift of life. James writing, James 1, a servant of God and of the Lord Christ to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting my brother and counted all joy when you fall into different trials, knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience.

Now how this works is this way, as explained by verse 4 if we get it. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Now what does that mean? It means that in the face of the trials, that if your eyes are stayed totally on God and Christ and their deliverance and the big picture, he's going to deliver. Sometimes in this life, but not in this life, the hope of eternal life.

Because if we have hope only in this life, we're of all men most miserable. We must never give up the big picture of the kingdom of God. That's what it's all about. That's why we're here. That's why we were born. I know for me that reading of that booklet, Why Were You Born, was the greatest turning point in my life. Oh, I knew a lot about the Bible and this and that and the other.

But to really know why I draw breath and why I'm on earth, once you understand that. And of course, Satan is going to try to cloud your view of that at every turn and try to cause you to doubt. So let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Because if you steadfastly keep your focus on God and Christ and faithfully endure whatever it is, there is no way that Satan can get to you.

Remember that in the armor of God, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against wicked spirits in high places, put on the whole armor of God. You may be able to stand and it says, above all things, take the shield of faith whereby you'll be able to quench all the fiery darts of Satan. So if you let patience have its perfect work and you understand, and we really believe that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, we can keep our eyes steadfastly focused on it.

There have been times in my life when I felt so weighted down, when I went to bed that I didn't think that I could face the next day, because I knew what was out there.

When you have some of the responsibilities that we have had in the church, and of course, even things in your own personal life, whether it has to do with your sons, your daughters, your grandchildren, whomever it might be, we've had our share of all of it, and you probably have too. And you think, well, how am I going to deal with tomorrow? And then you remember this 2 Corinthians 1, verses 3, 4, and 5. The Father of all mercies, the God of all comfort. And you cry out to God and ask Him, you know, tonight, Father in Heaven, will You hold me in Your arms?

Will You comfort me and give me peace? And I know that God has entered that prayer for me many times, both in the spiritual, psychological realm and also in the physical realm. There are many Friday nights in the course of decades in the ministry in which you might go to bed and say, how on earth am I going to give a sermon tomorrow? I just don't feel like doing it.

But something happens. Something happens, and God gives you strength. God gives you energy. Let's look at Lamentations 3, a description of this. Remember, Lamentations written by Jeremiah in the face of the destruction of Jerusalem. Jeremiah, I remember, was greatly persecuted because he told the rulers, the kings of Judah, to submit to the Babylonians that God had decreed that he was going to do what he was going to do for this. Jeremiah was accused of being a traitor, thrown in the pit, and you know much of the story.

But Jeremiah remained faithful all the way. In Lamentations 3, right after Jeremiah Lamentations, in Lamentations 3, verse 22, it is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed because his compassion fails not. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. Of course, there's a song written about that. Great is your faithfulness.

The Lord is my portion, says my soul. Therefore will I hope in him. The Lord is good unto them that wait for him to the soul that seeks him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. And so you wake up with that, his mercies are new every morning, and so they are.

And through his Spirit, we can be comforted. Let's go to Isaiah 57 right now, 15. God has the power to influence our hearts and minds if we will tune in to him and seek him through prayer, study, and meditation. God can affect your mind through his Spirit. He wouldn't be here if he couldn't. John 6, 44, No man can come to the Father to me unless the Father draw him, that God's Spirit of his own will beget us with the word of truth. In Isaiah 57, verse 15, For thus says the high and lofty one that inhabits in eternity, No beginning and no end, whose name is holy, I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, of those who weary, those who are discouraged, those who think, well, maybe I can't go another step, those who think maybe I can't take this anymore.

Well, God's Spirit can change and affect your mind. But once again, as I said, you need to seek Him, and we all need to seek Him through prayer, through study, through meditation, to revive the spirit of the humble, to revive the heart of the contrite ones. God has all power. In Isaiah 61 verse 3, Isaiah 61 verse 3, to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, Isaiah 61 verse 3, this is a prophecy for more than in time, but of course it can be applicable to any time. Isaiah 61 is that portion of Scripture when Jesus returned to Nazareth after having been baptized by John in the River Jordan, He went back to His hometown of the synagogue.

He went to the scroll and He read from Isaiah 61. And He stopped after to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord in verse 2. To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified.

Then He goes on to talk about what's a millennial kind of theme and what they're going to do in the millennium. God can stir up our spirit to do all kinds of great works. God can stir up our spirit. But we're going to read also that we need to be a part of the stirring. But first of all, God's stirring. Do we have historical evidence of that?

Look at Haggai 1. Haggai. As you're turning to Haggai, Haggai's toward the end, you know. Haggai, Zephaniah, Zechariah, something like that. Zephaniah, Haggai. Remember the setting for Haggai and Zechariah. Israel had been taken into captivity circa 604 BC by Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonians. In 538 BC, God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, a Gentile king, to let the Jews go back to Palestine, what we call the Holy Land, to build the temple.

So a contingent led by Zerubbabel and Joshua, Zerubbabel the governor, Joshua the high priest, went back to that area and began to build the temple. And after 15 years had passed, and now they had come down to about 18 years. Haggai and Zechariah somewhere around 520 BC. After all this time, not much progress had been made. They had laid the foundation, and they had kept the feasts there and so on, but not much had been done. So God sends two prophets, Haggai and Zechariah, to really stir up the spirit of the people, and of course with God working with them to get this restoration temple built.

And Haggai 1, in verse 13, then spoke Haggai, the Lord's messenger, in the Lord's message, under the people, saying, I am with you, says the Lord. And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel, the son of Sheotel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua, the son of Joseph, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. God stirred up the spirit of the prophets. He stirred up the spirit of the people.

And they came and did work in the house of the Lord of hosts, their God. Today, we are part of a church that is a spiritual dwelling, a spiritual temple, but we're not laying bricks and mortar. But we are participants in building this spiritual temple. In chapter 2, we see that a comparison is made between the temple of Solomon and this temple.

It was very pitiful, that is, this restoration temple in comparison to Solomon's temple. But the prophet goes on to say in verse 9, the glory of this latter house, and of course, this picture is then the spiritual temple that is to come, the building that we are participants in building. God dwells in us now. Pentecost very much pictures this temple, this spiritual house, the sending of God's spirit not to just be among the people, but in them. The glory of this latter house should be greater than of the former, says the Lord of hosts.

And in this place will I give peace, says the Lord of hosts. It's supposed to be in the temple of God, in the church of God, where all are led by God's Spirit, where all are joined to God in Christ, where we are all members, one of another. In this place, in this spiritual temple, will I give peace, says the eternal of hosts. God can stir up your spirit. He can stir up my spirit to do things that we have never dreamed of doing.

But very few people exceed their dreams or their plans, their hopes, their goals, their aspirations. As long as you just wilt down and say, woe is me, I can't do a thing. God doesn't do many great works. You remember the sermon I gave on the sin of unbelief? That even Jesus didn't do any great works there in that particular place because of their unbelief. Now please note Zechariah 12.10. You know, we read about the spirit of slumber and sleep being on Israel for the most part at this present time. But there's a time coming at the end of this age when Jerusalem is surrounded by armies. The nations are crushing in and they are ready to destroy Israel from off the face of the nation, earth, that God will intervene. And in Zechariah 12.10 it says, I will pour upon the house of David, upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace. Boy, we all need the spirit of grace being divine favor. God's divine favor. So God is going to look favorably even though Israel and Judah have sinned mightily. God is going to be true to His word and He won't let them be wiped off the face of the earth. The spirit of grace and of supplications, they shall look upon me whom they have pierced. See, here is a prophecy in the Old Testament. I don't see how the Jews can deny that they were responsible for the death of Jesus Christ. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, the house of David. And they shall mourn for Him as one mourns for his only Son, and shall be in bitterness for Him as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

As I said earlier, we can do many things through the Spirit of God, but we have to really key in. We have to be willing to pay the price, whatever it is, to pray, to study, to seek God, to meditate. Paul writes in Philippians 4.13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Satan wants us to doubt God. He wants us to believe that God is unfair.

Satan wants to confuse our thinking and be filled with self-pity and despair. You know, we have so many people in this world today that one of these statistics is that one out of ten Americans are on some kind of antidepressant. We are the most pill-popping nation in the world. We are the most unhappy. Even a lot of the people in third world countries don't know where the next meal is coming from, basically, are in the center of their being, somehow, happier than we are. I'm talking about as a nation, I'm not talking about you individually. But I think sometimes, and I look at myself, I say, you ought to be happier than you are.

And I think happiness, of course, is a link to some degree to thankfulness. Thankfulness for that you have it as good as you do. I have it as good as I do. There's no person who ever lived in the flesh that suffered more than Christ. But we never find Christ feeling sorry for himself or discouraged and in a defeated state of mind. You just don't find Him being that way. As we just read, Paul said, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. There's almost a whole chapter in the Bible where Paul talks about all of the things that he had gone through. But yet he says, we're going to continue to fight the good fight.

You know, Christ was not just some wild-eyed religious fanatic. He prayed that if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. But if not, your will be done. Christ was in perfect harmony with the spirit and will of the Father. Now in 2 Timothy, please go there, we see that God has made available to us a sound mind. Let's look at 2 Timothy 1, beginning in verse 6.

2 Timothy 1 and verse 6. Wherefore I put you in remembrance that you stir up the gift of God. What is that gift of God? That is the Holy Spirit. Stir it up! What does this word stir it up mean? This word in the Greek is an adzo poureo. You want some vocal exercises? It means to kindle up, to inflame one's mind. It means strength zeal. It is similar to the action required to start a fire, where you begin to vigorously work.

Maybe you are rubbing two items together, or maybe you are half-flint or something like that. Even with striking a match, you have to put some effort with that match head on a surface that is rough, that has friction, cause that match to light. In other words, it requires effort. I put you in remembrance that you stir up, and this is talking about the Holy Spirit, that you stir up the gift of God, which is in you by the putting on of my hands, where God had not given us the Spirit of fear.

Remember, we read last week from Revelation 21 that one of the categories of people who will not be in the kingdom of God are the fearful. God has not given us the Spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. See, that's what we can have. We can have great power. We can have a sound mind. As time goes on, there will be very few people who have a sound mind in this world.

You can just look at the reasoning now. The logic is faulty. Almost every turn you can see the glaring errors in their logic, and they claim to be the mighty, the great, the intelligentsia. And you get something like an oil blowout in the Gulf, and you can't stop it.

Who knows if they will be able to stop it? I don't know. Who knows? Could God stop it? Oh yeah, He can stop it. He created the universe and everything therein. Verse 8, Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of His prisoner. But be you partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God.

According to the power of God, His power is immeasurable. Who has saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Jesus Christ before. And this word before here is chronos. It is not the word eon, meaning age.

It is before chronos, which has to do with time, before time began. But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Lord Savior, Jesus Christ, who has abolished death, has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

That's what we can stir up. But brethren, I think at times we are osmotic Christians. That is, we just passively sit and think that God's Spirit will somehow ooze from His throne into our minds as we sit and do nothing. The process of osmosis is the passage of water from a higher water concentration through a semi-permeable membrane into an area of lesser water concentration. You take the knee joint that's surrounded by bursa sacs. These bursa sacs contain fluid, synovial fluid. That synovial fluid through a process of osmosis seeps through that membrane into the knee joint and lubricates it. That's what I need lots of, but I ain't got much right now. The process of osmosis. God's Spirit should not be viewed in that sense. God, who is Spirit, wants us to be actively involved. But sometimes I think we think God, who is Spirit, and He is Spirit, and He has the greatest Spirit proceeds from the throne of God, that it would just sort of flow into us who have a low concentration of the Spirit with no awareness or effort on our parts. The Bible says, stir up the gift. Be involved. It talks about seeking God. It talks about seeking His face, thinking on His name. God states in the Bible that He gives His Spirit to those who repent. Peter cried out on the day of Pentecost. People asked, men and brothers, what shall we do? Peter responded, Repent, be baptized in the name of Jesus for their mission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. So receiving the Holy Spirit is predicated on repentance. It says in the Bible that God gives His Spirit to those who ask for it. It says He gives His Spirit to those who obey Him. So as we can clearly see here, we are commanded to stir up God's Spirit by actively seeking His Spirit, thinking on His name, meditating on His word. God has given us powerful spiritual weapons to wage war against our own human weaknesses and the wiles of the devil. So, brethren, as we come to the day of Pentecost here at sunset in 2010, in these trying and troublesome times, let us heed the words that we've heard today. Let us claim the promises of God. Let's lean on the everlasting arms of God. Let's stand on the rock of our salvation. Let us continue to build on the rock of our salvation, Jesus Christ. And let us move forward in full assurance of faith. And let us close today with Ephesians 3 and beginning in verse 14. Ephesians 3, 14, For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 3, 15, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man, praying that God will strengthen us. You know what it says in 2 Corinthians 4, 16, that the inward man is renewed every day. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that you being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, that is God's Spirit, unto us. Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.