Bill Johnson teaches foundational keys for growing and walking in great faith. Faith does not come from striving, it comes from surrender to the Word of God. Faith is such an important subject for us as believers because we cannot please God without it. Learning where faith comes from and how to grow in it is key to walking in great faith, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Subscribe for weekly videos: https://bit.ly/bjmYoutube
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0:00 Introduction 0:20 It Is Impossible to Please God Without Faith 7:55 It’s Not About How Much Faith You Have 18:30 By Faith We Understand (We don’t believe because we understand, we understand because we believe) 27:57 The Renewed Mind Creates the Context for Faith 33:47 A Supernatural Faith Bill Johnson is a fifth-generation pastor with a rich heritage in the Holy Spirit. He is senior leader of Bethel Church in Redding, California, and is passionate about seeing Revival and God’s Kingdom established and revealed in the lives of individuals, families, communities, and nations. Bill’s teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven, hosting the Presence, and the renewed mind has helped thousands around the world to step into their true identity in Christ, God given purpose, and walk in a supernatural lifestyle displaying both purity and power. #BillJohnson #BethelChurch #Faith
faith comes from surrender not striving
it’s the product of yielding
to the spirit of God and the word of God
and the encounters or experiences that
he takes us into to think and to see
differently
[Music]
actually what I want to do is I want to
talk about faith
and but it’ll be a little different kind
of a faith
message usually when I think in terms of
talking about faith I think in terms of
getting amped up to believe for the
impossible and that’s always the case
but what I’m looking at is a little bit
different the Lord has has initiated
this relational Journey for us here let
me bring something to mine Hebrews 11 6
says it’s impossible to please him apart
from faith that means faith is fairly
significant because establishing favor
increasing in the pleasure of the Lord
is in Connect is connected to in many
ways our life of faith
one of the things that has been the most
important for me to learn in recent
years has been that Faith doesn’t grow
from striving it grows from surrender
it’s the place of yieldiness that brings
me into greater and greater Faith so if
we can keep those things in mind it
keeps us from the hype that is really is
a is a counterfeit uh to what real faith
is you can’t self-will your way into
great faith I’ve heard people say I’m
just gonna I’m just gonna believe God as
though they can Will themselves into
great faith and it’s not quite how it
works faith comes in one of two ways
it’s number one it’s a fruit of the
spirit and or it is a gift to the spirit
it’s in Galatians 5 mentioned as a fruit
of the spirit many of your translations
will use the word faithfulness but it’s
the same exact word for Faith as you
find in First Corinthians chapter 12
where it talks about the gift of faith
so let’s talk about these two things the
fruit of the spirit is Faith the gift of
the spirit is Faith fruit means it’s
something you can develop with use
so you can increase its size you can
increase its impact through use it’s
like a muscle you develop it through use
I had so many years ago tell me they had
zero Faith No Faith whatsoever and I was
trying to figure out what they did with
it because God gave every person a
Measure of Faith so I’m not sure if they
left it somewhere or what they did but
um oftentimes we look in the wrong
places for Faith because Faith doesn’t
come out of determination it really does
come out of a surrender in relationship
another point to Faith that is important
before we read this scripture
is the fact
says faith comes by hearing
and hearing by the word of God we we
actually studied this I think two or
three weeks ago recently sometime in my
lifetime recently I know that I had a
couple sleeps since then but we we have
talked about it
so faith comes by hearing
hearing by the word of God faith comes
from hearing faith is the evidence of a
current relationship where you’re
hearing from God faith comes from
hearing hearing comes from the word of
God so my capacity to hear is enhanced
through the literally the reading of
scripture it’s it’s pouring myself into
the word of God it’s pouring the word of
God into me is what increases my
capacity to hear now this is vital
because the Lord
well the the Bible also says a man shall
not live by bread alone but by every
word that proceeds from the mouth of God
I live because he talks
I’m alive because he speaks the very
fact that God speaks he breathes his
word into my heart day after day hour
after hour it’s evidence because I’m
alive he keeps me alive with his voice
and the mistake that we made that I did
address a few weeks ago is that many
times we are in a position where we’re
just not hearing his voice well in fact
I asked you the question how many of you
have had times where he couldn’t hear
his voice well but you could sense his
presence
yeah and the point was is that is his
voice
that’s his voice we tend to measure his
voice by what we comprehend instead of
by who’s in the room
he is the Living Word he is the word of
God and when he comes in presence like
that he’s generally depositing stuff in
our spirit that that is too big
or too significant for our mind
oh man I don’t want to fall in that hole
so let me back away here
stay away from that hole right there
it’s a good hole I just I just may not
recover
he speaks to your spirit man he deposits
things for example you’re sitting here
in the presence this morning worshiping
great worship we’re just enjoying him
um and there’s this interaction between
the Holy Spirit and your spirit the
Bible says we worship God in spirit and
in truth so in spirit means we are
engaged with the Holy Spirit himself who
is the one who guides us who leads us
empowers us in this worship time that we
have with him this time of Thanksgiving
and praise that we give him but it also
says to Worship in truth and truth means
nothing hidden I I am there with all my
pain all my my breakthroughs my
testimonies my questions my all my stuff
is laid out on the table I’m not
presumptuous I don’t I don’t I don’t
pretend to be something that I’m not I
am here as a child who has problems and
I lay all of it before you and it is all
a part of my worship expression
there’s something about that kind of
interaction with him where where you
know you’ve had this happen where you’ve
got something that’s just an
insurmountable problem and you can’t
explain it but you walk out of that
moment with peace
you walk out of that moment you don’t
you don’t know what to do but it’s
almost like it doesn’t even matter in
fact you can almost worry yourself and
I’m not being responsible because you’re
not fearful and yet there’s those
moments where that peace of God just
comes what’s happened he’s ministered
deeper than your mind cannot comprehend
in that moment and if we don’t learn to
recognize that we won’t know that he is
actually speaking words of life into us
that literally Keep Us Alive there are
times where the Lord speaks to you in
fact job has this this great uh dialogue
or this this situation where he talks
about God visiting uh or in the Book of
Job it talks about God visiting us in
the night
putting things in our heart that are too
big for us to handle if he gave them to
us in the day the reason is we become
egocentric or we would think more highly
of ourselves that would be healthy for
us and so the Lord just deposits these
things very deeply in us and over time
they mature and they come to the surface
the point is God is always talking to us
the problem with many of us as we sit in
our spiritual recliners and we just you
know basically say God you know I’m
hungry for Revival if you want me to
experience it you know where I’m at you
know just come come and visit me and
that kind of an approach to the things
of God is very very dangerous because it
it means it means you’re only going to
get what he is Sovereign determined
you’re going to get and your hunger has
no role in the outcome of your life
that didn’t sound right let me put it a
different way it was true but it didn’t
sound right
most of what you need in life will be
brought to you most of what you want
you’ll have to go get
there is a responsibility to seek and to
pursue even the spiritual gifts in First
Corinthians 12 are once again repeated
in 14 and he says pursue earnestly
spiritual gifts so the revelation of the
gifts do not deposit gifts
they must be pursued of independently
because they’re in the work
[Music]
in humility receive the word implanted
which is able to save your soul
interesting and first Thessalonians 2
verse 13 He said the word of God
carries
the word it uses here is effective it’s
the effective word of God in your heart
the word for effective is the energy of
God so picture it this way God’s energy
and he doesn’t run out
when it’s windy he doesn’t shut it off
[Applause]
fire fires don’t scare him
foreign
the energy of God is contained in the
word that he speaks
here’s here’s the deal we had one of our
guys was sharing this morning a great
testimony
now we had some students in all in Texas
and uh Joel power gave this word of
knowledge pointed to a lady
and said do you have a son a name starts
with the letter j
and um
God is healing something with his brain
come to find out the Sun
as Joshua has autism has never spoken
and when she got home he spoke in
complete sentences and answered her
now you can say those words from now
until Jesus comes home and have nothing
happen but when they originate in the
heart of the father and all of us want
to say life-changing words but first you
have to hear life-changing words
[Music]
see he’s got the heart
to change to shape the course of history
to change lives of people around us he
he has the desire he doesn’t like that
he doesn’t like the vision
he’s already put everything in motion
for there to be Solutions he’s just
waiting for people like you and like me
that will hear and then say what he’s
saying
all right Hebrews 4 we’ll make this our
last uh last portion of scripture
Hebrews chapter 4
. this is a uh a contrast a comparison
between the New Testament Church coming
into a place of rest a place of of
absolute unity in Christ
and Israel trying to get into the
promised land so it’s it’s a it’s a
contrast and the promised land is
referred to as a place of rest okay so
it has its prophetic imagery so listen
to this verse two for indeed the gospel
was preached to us as well as to them
but the word which they heard did not
profit them not being mixed with faith
and those who heard it are two things I
want to draw your attention to number
one he says the word they heard didn’t
profit them what does that imply every
time God talks to you he wants you to
profit
and don’t reduce it to a raise at work
it may include money occasionally but
it’s not about that it’s about life
it’s about the life of God coming into
us in a way where things just work
things function as they were designed to
function
so he said the word did not profit them
not being mixed with faith to look down
at verse six since therefore it remains
that some must enter it those to whom it
was first preached did not enter Because
of disobedience
all right just think with me
did they not enter Because of
Disobedience or because they didn’t
unite the word with faith
do you see what it says sir
it says they fail to enter because they
didn’t unite the word with faith and
then it says they didn’t
enter because of this of disobedience
so what is it
yes
two sides of the same coin if you
evaluate your faith you’ll never do
anything
it’s a wrong place to look
I cannot put any attention on whatever
level of faith I have or don’t have
my only question is what does he want me
to do
because I can always obey you can obey
your way into great faith
the question isn’t do I have enough
Faith the question is what did he say to
do
am I supposed to act am I supposed to go
am I supposed to give
am I supposed to rest am I supposed to
pursue am I supposed to fast what am I
supposed to do that’s all I need to know
because I think I can obey myself into
great faith
verse 11 and 12 let us therefore be
diligent to enter that rest lest anyone
fall according to the same example of
Disobedience for the word of God is
living and Powerful sharper than any
two-edged sword piercing even to the
division of Soul and Spirit of joints
and moral and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intentions of the heart
all right let’s take that last phrase
there
the word of God is a discerner of the
thoughts and intentions of the heart
that is not saying the word of God helps
you to discern the thoughts and
intentions of another person
[Applause]
wall I heard somebody say recently
that the word of God
does not enable us to discern the
thoughts and intentions of another
person
[Applause]
the Bible says no one can know your own
heart how in the world you’re going to
know someone else’s you got a full-time
job
wading through this thing to find out
what’s going on in your own heart
that people come to all the time they
say oh that person is just trying to do
this so they’re just they’re the reason
they’re doing that is for the oh just
shut up
you don’t know what you’re talking about
next time you want to do that just look
for the sign there’s a sign that says no
trespassing don’t go there just stay
away from that because it’s not legal
territory for you to trample
it’s just not
well I know the reason they did this no
you don’t
you don’t even you don’t even know the
reason you think you know their reason
uh gotta stop there all right so here
here’s the deal the word of God actually
enables us to see our heart that’s the
whole point it’s a mirror you look at it
you see things clearly never to shame
but always to invite
he doesn’t expose to ridicule democrates
always to say that attitude there that’s
not going to work that won’t last much
longer you know it’s kind of like when
Moses can only go so far without doing
the circumcision thing on his on his
family he just he couldn’t go any
further until he took care of business
he couldn’t go any further until he took
shoes off in that in that place
sometimes you go as far as you can go
and you have to make a decision and it’s
the word of God that makes things clear
in our heart and I’ll end with this this
uh this thought out of Romans 10 17 that
I actually spoke to you about a few
weeks ago but it Bears repeating
faith comes by hearing and hearing by
the by the word of God faith comes by
hearing hearing by the word of God it
does not say faith comes from hearing
the word of God
it says faith comes from hearing
hearing comes by the word of God
this
is what opens and empowers
our capacity to hear the voice of God
it’s the voice that releases faith for
the moment but it’s this that keeps us
accurate and Central with what he’s
saying
oh goodness you know
that I’m going off track here but I’ve
got a few minutes so I can I can just
make one more mess and then I’ll be I’ll
feel good about my life
when the Lord speaks to you it’s very
affirming right I mean there’s just that
there’s that sense of of affirmation I
mean it is there’s there’s something
that helps to build sense of identity
purpose all that stuff just becomes
clear when the Lord speaks he uses you
maybe it’s a word of knowledge maybe you
you have this question you ask a person
it brings them into a breakthrough it’s
just affirming
the problem is
is we sometimes don’t know the
difference between that feel good
affirming moment when God has spoken to
us and the feel-good feeling moment when
we have a desire
that we’re hoping is God
um I’m not sure if I said that very well
but I know what I meant and it was
really good
okay
there’s maybe somebody will give you uh
you know they pray over you that you
know let’s just make it weird you know
somebody’s gonna
give you a great inheritance you can
have all this money or something and and
oh yeah that’s got to be God
why and we can even quote versus to make
sure it sounds like God
but what happens is that feel-good thing
that we felt
we haven’t learned to distinguish
between that which is born of the spirit
of God when he speaks to us and that
which comes out of our own gratification
and that’s what this does is it cuts it
cuts it says this is self-gratification
this
is also feel good but it’s the will of
God it’s the spirit of God it’s your
privilege to co-labor with the almighty
God
[Applause]
this is counterfeit it’s inferior it
will only lead to death This is
life-giving
it brings life to you and everyone you
influence
the word of God cuts
and I’m going to talk to you about one
of my most favorite subjects today and
I’m going to look at a story that is a
favorite story I read these to learn
there there are nuances in these stories
that I need so much because I the longer
I walk with Jesus the more I find out he
thinks different than me and he’s not
going to change
and I’m I’m the one that’s to change so
that’s the journey I’m on SO
what I’m going to do though is I’m going
to we’re going to take a story out of
Mark 9 but I’m going to read a verse out
of Matthew 13.
out of the parable of the seed and the
sower
I know that it is sometimes dangerous to
take elements out of one Parable or one
story and mix them with another because
they don’t always translate well story
to story and you can sometimes end up
with false information I know that
that’s true so I’m just warning you
ahead of time I’m going to do that
and you’ll have to figure it out
I know that sometimes or for example the
fire of God is always the Judgment of
God
except that one time in Acts 2 when the
fire of God was the tongues of fire and
tongues are a language of praise and
it’s for edification so it’s far from
judgment
the snake is always the devil I accept
that one time
it was Jesus on a cross
who became sin on our behalf
earthquakes were always judgment
except for that one time in Acts 4.
when in the outpouring of the Holy
Spirit the entire place was shook
because of the presence of God
so what you don’t want to do is become
too rigid and so I’m going to ask you to
approach these two stories Loosely
because I think one will actually give
us
the Insight we need for the next one all
right so this is what we’re going to
start is the parable of the seed and the
sower
now because we’re not doing the whole
story I’m just going to read one verse I
want to remind you if you’re unfamiliar
with the story parable of the seed and
the sort of the seed in this Parable is
the word of God
the soil is the condition of the heart
is a very important lesson
the productiveness of the fruitfulness
of a word that God spoke
does not validate whether or not it was
from God
because that Parable actually gives us
four different kinds of soil three were
no good
the word was authentic but it just
didn’t bear fruit
the fault wasn’t what God Said
see many people make the mistake of
saying well we won’t we will we judge a
tree by that’s absolutely right but they
will say well we’ll know whether this
was a work of God or Not by the fruit
not always
Jesus talked about healing ten lepers
only one had a character change enough
to return and give thanks did it mean
the other nine were falsely healed
no
God’s word
the validity of his word
is not validated by what we do with it
in other words it’s not proven by what
we do with it God’s not on trial by what
I do
I am
in this particular illustration
we have in verse 22 that he who receives
seed among Thorns is he who hears the
word and the cares of this world the
deceitfulness of riches choke the word
and he becomes unfruitful so here’s the
picture my my wife is the Master
Gardener she has not been gardening
she’s been too sick
we have a garden though
the pepper plants are not this tall it’s
the weeds that are This Tall
we have been invaded by the weeds in
this garden and it’s because we planted
certain seeds but not being able to take
care and tend the garden we have other
seeds that have competed for the
nutrients observe the moisture and have
outgrown and actually cast Shadow or
shade over the plants that were supposed
to be prolific and grow and provide food
the word of the Lord is the same way
faith comes by what
hearing and hearing by the word of God
faith comes by hearing hearing by the
word of God say that with me faith comes
by hearing and hearing by the word of
God say it again faith comes by hearing
and hearing by the word of God it does
not say faith comes from hearing the
word of God
if it did then it’s all of us go home
put on YouTube where they’re quoting
scripture for the next 24 hours Let’s
have it playing 24 7.
in our sleep and we’ll have the Wiggles
Wigglesworth kind of Faith by Friday
it just it doesn’t work that way faith
comes from hearing
it’s your connection to the voice of God
but the voice of God is activated by
your exposure to the word
it’s the word that enhances and trains
the hearing
now here’s the challenge
is I’ve got a word that God spoke to me
but I have another idea and I have a
disappointment and I’ve got this
criticism and I’ve got this complaint
and I’ve got all these seeds that are
vying for the same nutrients and what
does the Bible say happens it says the
cares of this world the other interests
the other burdens are concerns busyness
is artificial significance
the enemy Works to expand our busyness
to increase our cares
the enemy Works to expand our activity
to increase our cares
because if we can increase our cares he
plants seeds that compete with the word
of God
Mark chapter 9.
verse 17 we’re going to read quite a few
verses so please do follow in your Bible
or your neighbors
as much as you can please verse 17.
now one of the crowd answered and said
teacher I brought you my son who has a
mute spirit
and whenever it seizes him it throws him
down
he Foams at the mouth
gnashes at the teeth
now she’s his teeth becomes rigid
so I spoke to your disciples that they
should cast it up but they could not
and he answered him and said o faithless
generation how long shall I be with you
let me stop there I’m I’m annoyed by I
love this translation but I’m annoyed by
their use use of this word faithless
because that’s not what it says the
literal word is the word unbelief and
there’s a difference between faithless
and unbelief
unbelief is not the absence of Faith
it’s the presence of unbelief
there is a difference
later he says I believe but help me in
my unbelief
the problem is is you can have more than
one seed growing in your garden
to say it’s a faithless garden is not
accurate
there’s faith in the garden
are you following my analogy here to
call it faithfulness not is not accurate
there’s just unbelief there
people come to me and they say well I’m
I’m more uh I have an intellectual bent
Oh you mean you have an unbelieving bent
[Laughter]
it’s nothing to be proud of
God’s quite smart and it doesn’t
interfere with his faith
so if my intellect is affecting my faith
then I know the wrong things
the knowledge of the tree of Good and
Evil I know the wrong things
I I feel my garden with seeds that
compete with what God is saying
they compete with my destiny
true Faith gives you access to your
greatest point of intelligence
I believe in the days ahead we’re going
to see the greatest intellectualism come
out of faith
yes Bill amen keep it up the Bible says
by faith we understand the worlds are
made out of nothing by faith we
understand
we don’t understand by faith we don’t
understand
excuse me we don’t believe because we
understand it we understand because we
believe
Faith gives us access to a level of
understanding you can’t get through
reason
renewed mind
the renewed mind
is the target of the Lord in your life
every single day of your life
he is constantly speaking to us leading
us into experience encounters that will
reposition us for thinking not just
creatively but thinking like Christ
the renewed mind is able
to create a context for faith
it’s important you understand this
Faith doesn’t come from the mind the
Bible says it’s with the heart man
believes unto righteousness so faith is
not an intellectual matter
but the renewed mind creates the context
for Faith much like the banks of a river
create a context for the river to flow
in
so the renewed mind it was the Centurion
who understood the ways of God and the
nature of the Kingdom that caused Jesus
to respond
so impressed with his understanding
and he called it faith
so unimpressive this understanding he
called it Faith he said go your way your
servant lives so faith will often
demonstrate itself in Kingdom
understanding
it is not the product of discipline
self-discipline I believe discipline is
important and I I play it down some so
forgive me for that
somebody else will balance it out
it won’t be me
I I believe in discipline I really do
but it creates the context for something
to happen Faith Comes from surrender not
striving
it’s the product of yielding
to the spirit of God and the word of God
and the encounters or experiences that
he takes us into to think and to see
differently
there are enemies to the renewed mind
obviously everything that the enemy
would want to do in our life is to
disengage us from the renewed mind the
reason is he wants people that think in
ways that
even though they appear logical and
reasonable they’re actually hostile
towards God and the ways of God
the mindset on the flesh Romans 8 is
hostile towards God
it’s not neutral
it’s not like the mindset on the flesh
is just having a bad day no it’s at war
with the things have gone
it’s important to understand that the
mindset on the flesh but the mindset on
the spirit is life and peace the minds
sit on the spirit is capable of moving
in great faith
a couple more comments then we’ll we’ll
read that did I tell you where to go
James 3
no
how many of you were there I just want
to see how many Discerning people there
are in the room none all right well
I’ll give you another chance James
chapter three turn there in your Bible’s
World we’ll read out of there in just a
moment
I think
now I I’m I’m perceiving something
like you remember the phrase looking
through a glass Darkly that’s where I’m
standing right now is I’m I’m peering
through a glass and it’s it’s I can’t
see it clearly but I’ll tell you what I
do see
the scripture says by faith we
understand the worlds were made out of
nothing by faith we understand the
worlds were made
out of nothing by faith we understand
by faith
we understand
I believe that the Lord is
is
introducing us
to an understanding
that will benefit Humanity
an understanding that doesn’t Elevate
you or Elevate me as some
Christian smartypants
I said I see a t-shirt no I don’t do not
make that t-shirt for me I will not wear
it Christians
it just came to me I’m not sure it was
the Lord though all right
yeah yeah probably not
he’s not interested in elevating
the believer to a place of
Applause and worship
what he is
wanting to do is to elevate the fact
that he has the entire world in his
heart
and there are practical solutions for
every problem
and he understands what they are and
surrendered yielded people will come
into those so I do believe that as we
expand and grow in our own faith in
these areas I think that there’s going
to be more dreams more Visions more just
simple uh sometimes you get a dream and
a vision and it seems Supernatural
sometimes you just work hard and come to
a right conclusion and that also is the
work of God
sometimes I I know our teams that write
songs they’ll have these I I know from
uh from talking with Brian there’s these
moments where songs just seem to come
and and you know two-thirds of the song
is written but the last third is is
grinded is ground out over a period of
time and and both are necessary does
that make sense to you so so I I believe
that the Lord is going to release
understanding for us to for Creative uh
Creative Solutions Expressions Etc all
right
by faith we understand
the prayer language that God gives us
is because sometimes our thoughts aren’t
clear in fact the Bible says we don’t
know how to pray as we should the holy
spirit in US does
it’s always best to start with his
prayer
and then pick up his heart his mood his
faith his perception and then add your
prayer to his it’s much more powerful
much stronger and the baptism the Holy
Spirit was to for that uh in part for
that reason
but when he says in Luke 24
don’t leave Jerusalem
until you have received
this gift from the father
which was this outpouring of the spirit
he defines it as being clothed with
power
the real evidence of the baptism the
holy spirit is power
many people are satisfied with good
Theology and they stop short of a Divine
encounter
the revelation of scriptures to take us
into an encounter with the person that
transforms us
power has two basic functions one the
most obvious to us miracles
Miracles impossibilities yield to people
who walk in power
but the second purpose of power is
endurance
many people waver in difficult times
because they’ve not been baptized in
fire
the friends that I know who have gone
through the greatest trials the greatest
difficulties
from imprisonment to beatings to all the
horrible things that you read about in
scripture and that you hear about in
church news
my friends who have endured those things
first had a great great baptism of Fire
and there was something in that
encounter with God that so deeply
transformed them that they could hold
the course in the midst of circumstances
that seemed to deny the promise
what the Lord is looking for I don’t
believe he creates any of those
conflicts for us but what he’s looking
for is a people that will hold fast to
what he has said
regardless of circumstances
it’s not mental strength that enables us
to do that
it’s the spirit of God upon us that
enables us to do that
it’s not our self-imposed discipline
it’s not our vows it’s not our promises
that we’ve made oh God I will hold true
look at Peter
he was in the middle of three and a half
years of interaction with the miraculous
and The Miracle Worker and he said I
will never deny you his determination
was the strongest of all of them but
determinate determination itself cannot
get us to where we need to go it’s the
grace of God it’s the empowering
presence of God it is that fiery work of
the spirit of God upon a person’s life
that enables us to bring the miracle and
endure till it comes
we’ve been summoned under the Lord for
this lifestyle
what I just read to you in John chapter
20 is a little bit different though
because this is before the day of
Pentecost
so just think with me what this means
this is before the day of Pentecost
Jesus has raised from the dead but this
is during the 40-day period of time
where he is still visiting his disciples
giving them words about the kingdom
giving them Direction about what he’s
going to do giving them promises
teaching them about this assignment that
they’ve been given so for a period of 40
days he appears instructs them
this is during that time this is not day
of Pentecost
what did he do he breathed on them and
told them to receive the Holy Spirit
so we have to ask the question was this
symbolic of something that was going to
be released on them
on the day of Pentecost
because the group that he just breathed
on
was also in the 120.
this may not
be significant to you it is for me
so I’m going to take you on my journey
I’ve heard my whole life the church was
birthed on the day of Pentecost
okay it may be true
but when were they born again
when were they born again when were
these 11 born again
it’s in the receiving of the Holy Spirit
so even though they were born again
and the spirit of God lived in them
they still needed this baptism of Fire
and this baptism of fire is not a
one-time experience
been there done that
anyone who has that attitude has lost
the flame entirely it may be smoldering
you may have the testimony of a past
event but when you’re on fire you’re
contagious
fire creates an appetite for the
impossible
if the appetite for the impossible is
not there then I suggest you get a fresh
baptism
Ephesians 5
says don’t be drunk with wine
be filled with the Holy Spirit
listen to the words
we are commanded to be full
it’s not merely
one of several doors you can walk
through should you choose that direction
it is a Command put Upon Our Life
be full of the spirit
Jesus put this way with the eleven
go
but stay
and stay till you can go
there’s a difference between
the fire
of God
that these Heroes of the faith walked in
after the day of Pentecost
and what many of us have experienced and
I don’t want to downgrade anybody in
this room any of our experiences I’m
thankful for everything that God has
done for me I just live aware there’s
more
for me the healthiest posture of my life
is thankfulness and hunger those two
things together for me are two sides of
the same coin I don’t ever want to
divorce the two if I get hungry without
thankfulness I will live frustrated if
I’m thankful without hunger I will
become complacent
but these
who had the baptism of fire of Acts 2
said of themselves
we cannot help but speak
of the things we have seen and hurt
we cannot help but speak
volcanically these things erupt from our
soul and we find ourselves declaring the
things that we have tasted of the things
that we have seen the things that we
have heard
somehow 120 people isolated in a room
spill out under the streets
and change the atmosphere of an entire
city
in a drunken condition
drunk wasn’t the goal it was a byproduct
if you make the main thing the main
thing you get all the parts
don’t be drunk with wine but be filled
with the Holy Spirit contrasting
experiences
and toxic intoxication naturally
intoxication spiritually
the crazy thing about being
Intoxicated by the Holy Spirit
is you will never think clearer in your
life
it has a different effect
than drunkenness with wine
it has a different effect
if you’ve been around drunk people in
the natural or the spiritual one thing
you learn quickly is they really don’t
care what you think
they don’t stagger either through the
church or down the alley
through a natural line they don’t
stagger around wondering what people are
going to say about them
social media
has exaggerated the value of public
opinion
if you study the New Testament you’ll
find that both the Pharisees
and Herod and the political world they
both were governed by the fear of men
Jesus warned his disciples he said
Beware be aware of the leaven of Herod
the political world and the leaven of
the Pharisees the religious world
they both made decisions Jesus would ask
the Pharisees a question and they would
discuss with themselves if we say this
the people won’t think this if we say
this the people will think this
and they’d give him no answer and Jesus
say and neither am I going to answer you
if you don’t have the courage to defeat
the man the fear of man in your life
you’re not ready for the Revelation
knowledge I would speak over you all
right
[Applause]
that was Jesus that wasn’t me that was
I’m teasing
you know
there is a fresh
baptism
of the spirit
available for every single person in
this room
every single person
for some it’s a very difficult subject
and there’s so much anxiety
in your life over the subject
that the Lord actually has to minister
to you while you’re sleeping
because your anxiety has kept him at Bay
sometimes there’s so much work
to have an experience
that he has to wait until we’re through
working
otherwise we’ll actually think
that that he gave us was the result of
our labor
once again faith is not the product of
striving
it is not the result of determination
it is not something you choose in the
sense of self-will
faith is the product of surrender
you were born for great faith
you were designed for it
everything about you is designed and
wired
to recognize God and to hear God
everything about you
all of your senses
your entire creation what God Made You
he could do no better
when he made Adam and Eve
it was the high point of his creation
he could not improve upon his creation
and everything about us
our emotional life intellectual life
our sense of sight sound
smell taste touch
all these senses were actually given to
us
to be tools that we used to discover him
Hebrews 5
says having our senses trained to
discern Good and Evil
trained
that means it doesn’t just come subtly
with full knowledge it means there
actually has to be training periods of
time where you learn to recognize
presence you learn
having your senses trained to discern
Good and Evil
if you work for a bank
and you’re the one responsible to make
sure that the currency
you have in that bank
is actual currency in that counterfeit
you go through training
and I know that most of you know this
already
but the training you go through never do
you study counterfeit money
you only study the real
you become so
absorbed with the authentic hundred
dollar bill that when you’re handed a
phony one even though it may look
exactly the same there’s something about
it that you may not recognize at first
but there’s something that is not right
having your senses trained to discern
good
and Evil
we are trained to recognize presence
we’re trained to recognize voice
countenance mood
the heart of God these are all things
that we are capable of recognizing
through our senses
in Hebrews 5 that is actually the mark
of a mature believer
how many of you have some growing to do
having senses my wife and I were driving
from Weaverville to reading this is back
when we were pastoring there
uh years ago because Leah wasn’t even
born yet it was just our two boys in the
car
we had this little uh Toyota Corolla
hatchback blue five-speed cast set
stereo
air conditioning we were at the Pinnacle
of wealth
at the High Point
and we’re driving from Weaverville to
reading
and we just began to sing in the spirit
in our our boys became so calm and quiet
it was like a miracle equal to The
Parting of the Red Sea
these boys were extremely high energy
and putting them together was just
inviting a problem
because they’re brothers and they
wrestle and they do stuff
one time I was driving
and Brian was the only other passenger
with me and he was just a little guy and
he said I want water
and I said son I’m sorry we don’t have
any water when we get to reading I’ll
get you some water
and he said I want water
I said son I don’t have any water I want
water right there’s no water I don’t
have any water in the car we’re going
down Buckhorn Summit there’s no water
even though I want water all right
so I pushed in the little cigarette
lighter you know you push that in I
pushed it in I put a pretend cup under
it I held it
when I was through I handed it to him
he took the pretend cup and threw it
down he would have nothing to do
[Applause]
he’s sitting they’re sitting in the back
seat and Benny and I are just singing in
the spirit just worshiping and uh and
they’re and they’re just complete we
recognize later they are just completely
in the right sense almost drugged
and um
suddenly right about
if you know where the turn is to
Lewiston off of 299 right about that
area there
I started smelling
like flowers or something I started
smelling
and I would smell and I’d look outside
and see if there’s flower and then I
realized this is winter there’s no
flowers anywhere so I just kept driving
I didn’t say anything to Benny because I
didn’t want to jinx it you know
and what I would do is I
smell it reminded me of a fragrance I’d
smell before
and then I I could taste it I I this is
strange but I could taste the smell
and it was like granules of sugar on my
tongue it’s very very sweet to The Taste
so I we’d worship well
stop I taste
that smell
we’d continue worshiping
a minute or two later I stop at Taste
smell
continuously
did almost the entire way to reading
and then it finally lifted and I said
honey did you smell and she goes yeah
did you smell that so we were having a
shared experience here of the fragrance
of the Lord that brought such a a peace
over our car and gave us this I don’t
know what to call it just a Heavenly
encounter actually tasting of another
world because everything in heaven has
light and has sound has color and has
flavor
every flower has a sound to their color
yeah I was just just leave it right
there everything is alive on steroids
everything is alive abundantly alive
living
you walk across
a meadow of flowers none of them die
when you step on them
they just come right back
fragrance and Light
flavor everything is released from
everything he made
everything testifies of him
everything is alive because of him
everything is alive
because he continuously breathes life
into them
and you and I are people
who have dual citizenship
but our primary citizenship is there
our temporary citizenship is here
as dual citizens we live in Two Worlds
Jesus put it this way
he said no one has ascended to heaven
except for he who descended from heaven
who descended from heaven
it’s not a trick question who descended
from heaven
reminds me of the Sunday school teacher
who asked the children
what’s Gray
and has a long bushy tail stands about
that tall and the kids are completely
quiet
she said come on you guys know it’s
great it’s about this tall climbs trees
long bushy tail
they’re quiet
kids you know the answer to this this
tall eats nuts long bushy tail gray and
one kid says
I know the answer is supposed to be
Jesus but it sure sounds like a squirrel
to me
[Applause]
Jesus tells his disciples early in their
journey together
no one has ascended to Heaven except for
the one who first descended what does
that tell us
he’s been ascending
while he is in his Earthly body he is
ascending in the sense he has learned to
live from a place of abiding in the
father
why did everyone Jesus pray for get
healed that’s why
it’s in John 3 verse 13 no one has
ascended to heaven but he who came down
from heaven and my translation adds this
last phrase that is the son of man who
is in heaven
so it’s like Jesus talking to us saying
no one’s a sin no one’s gone into heaven
except for me I came down but I’ve been
going up too and I actually I’m there
right now
when we hear the mysterious
examples of scripture they are to wow us
but they are to make us hungry
God can easily impress us with his
understanding his wisdom his inside his
power all those things but none of them
are done merely to impress us they are
all to create in us an affection for a
world that we cannot see to Anchor our
affection our values for things that we
cannot see