If I can stand up for three hours and cheer for the cowboys, if I can pay $225 for a ticket and $125 for a parking, if I can pay $28 for a Frito pie and some drink, surely I can give God my best praise in the house of the Lord.
Is there anybody know that your life and spiritual account is connected to God? God, that when you go spiritually bankrupt, God is your guarantor.
[01:05:32]
And so can I tell you, I've realized in my spiritual journey that my purpose is not to get rich. My purpose is not to be popular among men. My purpose is not to have glory on this side. But my purpose is to be a witness to the goodness and the grace of God.
[01:07:11]
But your primary concern should not be about political power that comes with the restoration of Israel's kingdom. But it ought to be about spiritual power that will come through the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
[01:08:34]
You know, too often we look for earthly power. But is there anybody in here that says, I need spiritual power? Earthly power is temporal. But spiritual power is eternal. Earthly power is problematic. But spiritual power is full of promises. Earthly power is prideful. But spiritual power is purposeful.
[01:09:29]
This power that comes from God by way of the Holy Spirit, it is not limited to strength beyond the ordinary. But that power also involves courage, boldness, confidence, insight, ability, and authority.
[01:10:17]
When you receive the power of the Holy Spirit, you'll be able to speak the word of God boldly and with conviction. When you have the power of the Holy Spirit, you'll be able not to walk timid in the grace and the mercy that God has given unto you.
[01:10:55]
After Jesus' ascension, the Holy Spirit will come to be our connection with God. And in the 14th chapter of John, Jesus told them that the Father will send another counselor who will never leave you, and that is the Holy Spirit. Come here, let me tell you, God never leaves us without his presence in our lives.
[01:11:42]
In order to receive the power of the Spirit, you first have to have an experience with the Spirit. Too often we want the power, but we don't want the experience. Let me say that again, too often we want the power, but we don't want the experience with the Holy Spirit.
[01:12:50]
When you have an experience with the Holy Spirit and you let go and let watch where God takes you in your life. Watch this, the sad reality is that sometimes as believers, we're not on the same page. Watch this, sometimes we want to witness without worshiping. And sometimes we want to worship without witnessing.
[01:13:58]
Worship is a lifestyle. And worship goes beyond a Sunday morning praise. See, some folk, the only time you worship is when you come to church on Sunday morning. But do I have a few folk in here that say, my worship is a lifestyle. Testify, somebody here, testify, I've been through too much not to worship.
[01:14:55]
Worship connects us with the divine. It means, it is a means of personal and community transformation. Watch this, worship reorients our focus. Watch this, from us to God. Scripture says, I must decrease in order for him to increase.
[01:16:07]
If you want to be witnesses, you've got to be filled with the Holy Spirit. And more than any course of training in evangelism is the filling of the Holy Spirit.
[01:17:02]
When I come to worship, I've come to lift up the name of the Lord. How many of you, you get so ingrained in worship that you need to tell your neighbor, excuse me, if I get a little emotional, I might slap you across your face. It's not me, but it's the goodness of the Lord.
[01:17:40]
God is not going to give you power to elevate yourself. Look, I've been in ministry long enough to know if you put yourself on a pedestal, folks are going to be sure to knock you down. But watch this, when God elevates you, John says that when I'm in his hand, no man is able to pluck me out of my father's hand.
[01:20:21]
A witness is one who gives their testimonies to the things that they have seen and the things that they have heard. I'm old enough to date myself back to Matlock. I love law and order. I even used to like night court. Not the new night court, the old night court, you understand. And the thing that I realize about a witness is that you are called just to tell your truth on the things that you have seen and heard.
[01:21:04]
That's why your test is a precursor to your testimony. You can't have a testimony until first you've had a test. And when you have an experience with the Lord, you can't help but to be a witness and to share your testimony.
[01:24:48]
Sometimes our persecution is God trying to tell us to get out of our comfort zone. Sometimes he has to move us because we won't move ourselves. Somebody ever been moved and it wasn't your doing. But it was through some drama or traumatic experience and you had to move not on your own doing. But after a while, you say, Lord, I thank you. Because if you hadn't have moved me, I wouldn't be where I am right now.
[01:27:11]
Some folk might say, it don't take all of that. But you don't know how good God has been to me. He's picked me up from the muck and the mire. What can wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus.
[01:37:07]
I serve a God who is the greatest thing in my life. I like that song that say falling in love with Jesus was the best thing that I've ever done.
[01:37:55]
Can I tell you, tomorrow is not promise. But what we have is our right here and our right now. I can't tell you where you're going to be next Sunday. But I do know where you are right now. And God is saying it's a good time to come.
[01:39:36]
