Holy Spirit Growth: full transcript and answers

▶ 0:00 Today we’re going to talk about and our fourth session on the Holy Spirit spiritual growth in Luke chapter 1 verse 80 we are following a progression of the Holy Spirit from Genesis all the way to Revelation talking about the Holy Spirit. Remember John he was filled with the Holy Ghost in his mother’s womb the babe John leaped for joy a baby in the womb at six months can feel joy they are human beings and so he was filled with the Holy Spirit in his mother’s womb and so for close to 30 years. We never hear about John but the scripture here says the child John grew. And how did he grow he became strong in the spirit now he was filled with the spirit but he had to grow in that spirit he was filled with the Holy Spirit but had to grow.

▶ 1:03 And it says he grew strong he had strength in the spirit and was in the deserts till the day his of his manifestations to Israel. Um now remember. John did no miracle. But when John started preaching the gospel. Out in the desert out by Jordan no nursery no children’s church program no youth program no air conditioning no pills. The people came out in that hot barren place. Because of his message. You see he grew in the spirit and the spirit gave him a message that of you repent from your sins and be baptized God will accept you forgive you and deliver you and you will have eternal life and the people came out but John grew in Luke chapter 2 verse 40.

▶ 2:11 The child Jesus grew. Jesus Christ grew. Now Jesus remember from last week was conceived. By the Holy Spirit. But Jesus who was as we learned last week the fullness of the godhead in physical form so when you got Jesus you got it all. You got the Holy Ghost you got God and you got Jesus. All right he’s the fullness of the godhead in bodily form physical form and Jesus grew and became strong in what the spirit now in the original in spirit is not in the original scriptures.

▶ 3:08 And they add things to make the scriptures more clear and they’re right here he’s talking about wisdom he was filled with wisdom which is wisdom from above the spiritual wisdom spirit of wisdom and the grace of God was upon him and you’ll notice the grace of God was upon him just like the Holy Ghost was upon them see be filled with the grace of God they were filled with the grace of God there’s that verb again there’s more to the grace of God than this favor thing it’s an empowerment it is an involvement of God in our life and so Jesus became strong in spirit he was filled with wisdom and the grace of God was upon him the divine enablement the divine involvement of God was in his life and what did he do.

▶ 4:04 He grew. He grew so at the age of 12 in verse 46 he was in the temple both hearing the teachers and asking them questions. Most of you know that know me for the last 40 years no I am a question guy you make a statement to me. And I don’t know the source of that and I don’t know the confirmation that I’m going to be asking you questions and if you get your stuff from nobody is in a bad source I’m going to find out real quick you see and Jesus he exercised asking questions and these guys couldn’t answer some of his questions so he answered them himself.

▶ 5:02 And they were astonished at his understanding of the scriptures and his answers you know when they come up with this Sabbath day’s journey and Corban doctrine that if you give to your parents you don’t have to give to the house of God and he goes where’s that out in the scripture. Show me in the scripture and they couldn’t show him in the scriptures their own opinion and then he could answer them. And these were the temple teachers these were the priests in the temple that 12 year old Jesus has grew at 12 years of age to have such understanding of the scriptures. By the Holy Spirit. I may know we need to grow. Yes. In verse 52 of Luke 2 Jesus increased he grew in wisdom up here he was filled with wisdom.

▶ 6:04 But down here. He. Grew in that wisdom you see there is initial impartation of the Holy Spirit and then there’s a growing in it and this is where us Pentecostals really missed it. You see is we would get the initial experience and we would rely on that the rest of our life and we didn’t grow in that Holy Spirit. And you can laugh at us pentecostals and charismatics if you want but you other people didn’t even get the initial. Hallelujah you wrecked it before you even got it started we wrecked it after we got started. And he grew in stature.

▶ 6:58 And in favor with God and men now favor is another word for grace here he grew in grace with God and men now it depends on what man he’s talking about what people he’s talking about because the religionist. And the civil leaders of his day killed him. He didn’t find favor with them. And they killed John the baptist they killed both of these guys. So obviously he’s talking about the other kind of people he’d go in favor with people that were wanting truth they were wanting God. Amen. And you got to watch religion as people religion is remember is when people add their own opinion their own doctrine then it becomes a religion.

▶ 7:54 Otherwise it is a living organism the body of Christ is a living organism it is a living thing but when you started adding man’s doctrine to it you become a religion. All right and there’s a difference between religion and reality and Jesus’s reality truth is reality in Ephesians chapter 4. It tells us. God is placed in the church. Apostles. Prophets evangelists pastors and teachers an apostle is one that has the full authority of the sender he’s got it all he has miracles and if you don’t have miracles don’t be calling yourself an apostle I don’t care what people tell you an apostle is not just a builder of a church.

▶ 8:47 An establisher of a church an evangelist is more of establishment of a church but an apostle can speak the word with power and authority and they can do miracles and they can heal the sick prophets they this is the office of a prophet here this is not your prophet of edification or exhortation and comfort in the church this is the office they can predict things and they happen 100 percent. Have I seen prophets and days of old I’ve seen them in my lifetime. God drew back from all of that evangelist he can go out to a neighborhood or nation or country and he can preach the baby doctrines of Christ and people will get saved and they can do miracles. Philip was one of them okay.

▶ 9:42 But Philip needed the apostles come down for them to be filled with the Holy Spirit. See the apostles have authority in all areas they’re ambassadors. And have I seen apostles in my day I really can’t say honestly that I have the Bible says he will send us prophets and teachers and apostles we’ve seen the teacher restored we’ve seen the prophets restored honestly I can’t say in my life that I’ve seen the restoration of the apostle yet all right people close to it but not totally. Pastors the Bible says is a feeder of the flock and a protector of the flock you know I placed in the church apostles prophets evangelists pastors and teachers a teacher is one that doesn’t machine gun.

▶ 10:41 He shoots the arrow and hits the bullseye every time he’ll take a topic and you will leave with clear understanding. Most ministers in America they just machine gun they say enough words and they spread it out and quote enough scriptures that you know a here person will get something and that one gets on the teacher he will push right into your heart. That’s the office of a teacher. Are you with me now he says I put them in the church for the perfecting of the saints the complete equipping of the saints not for us to honor ministers. Not for us to exalt people he put these people and I and I told the Bible study Friday night the scriptures were written by men who were moved upon by God they had no other choice but to obey God and if they didn’t God fixed a fixed to fix them so that they did they had no choice but to speak what God said to speak.

▶ 11:46 Are you with me. And so the ministers are given. A position in God to fully equip the saints not make money off the saints and not be exalted by the saints but to equip the saints the second thing is to do the work of the ministry ministries are supposed to be serving the people to equip them they’re not supposed to be up there so they can have a rolls-royce silver shadow in their thing and be preaching that gain is godliness and you know you know you know how deep you are in God but the clothes you wear and how many diamonds you got and jewelry and all this stuff and I’m in churches that do this I I’ve preached everywhere. The third thing is.

▶ 12:44 For the maturing of the saints. For the maturing of the body of Christ the growing of the body of Christ. You see is the church in America growing. No we’re hearing the same message it’s same baby stuff over and over and over. And God’s people. Get excited about baby stuff. And then he says to bring them to the full measure of the stature of Jesus Christ Ephesians chapter 4. A measure of the full stature Jesus grew in what. Stature we are to grow in the stature of what the fullness of Jesus Christ and what was the fullness of Jesus Christ we learned last week.

▶ 13:40 That all the godhead was in him. The fullness of the godhead bodily was in Jesus Jesus was the physical part. God he did miracles by thee. Power of the almighty a power of the highest he was filled with the Holy Spirit he had the Holy Spirit he had God and he was Jesus with the godhead. Totally in him Jesus was it. That’s why there’s no other name given. Than the name of Jesus Allah is nothing brahma is nothing and hindu gods are nothing the name of Jesus has the fullness of God in him.

▶ 14:33 And this is the Jesus. That Stephen saw standing at the right hand of the father see he ascended and his body is in heaven but Jesus can come back to earth even though his body is in heaven he is God and how do I know that. On the road to Damascus who appeared to Paul Jesus but Jesus is up there by the right hand of the father he’s God he can be anywhere. You get it Jesus appeared to Paul Jesus is the savior he’s the one that turns us around he’s the one that can forgive us and deliver us of sin. Hallelujah. And so he wants us to come to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ so we are not children anymore tossed by every wind of doctrine we are not what.

▶ 15:28 Children say it children. You see there’s four stages to the Christian growth babyhood childhood adolescent or adulthood or uh. Young adult and then adulthood. Maturity. And God wants us to be mature and how are we going to be mature if we’re not taught to grow in God and how to grow in God now we go to second Corinthians I think it’s chapter 3 verse 18 he says that we are changed into the image of the Lord Jesus Christ from glory to glory. By the spirit of God. Change there is metamorphosis we go from an ugly sinner to a beautiful butterfly that has the character.

▶ 16:32 And the outward beauty of Jesus Christ the outward behavior. Man how do we do that from glory to glory step by step by step you don’t come in and salvation and you’re an adult Christian you don’t get filled with the Holy Ghost and you’re. Mature Christian we just saw John had to grow Jesus had to grow in the spirit didn’t it if they had to grow in the spirit do we yes. And he says you are changed by that image into that image by the spirit of God do we need the Holy Spirit. Is he is that part of the God is that part of God important to the church yes. Is the Holy Spirit in Jesus is Jesus the baptizer in the Holy Spirit see why can’t he baptize us in the Holy Spirit because he has the Holy Spirit.

▶ 17:37 He can give it to us. Amen. Now let me submit something to you. If I go to Jesus. He is going to convert me into being a Christian. I-a-n is a suffix meaning like the previous word from the previous word or of the previous word so Jesus is going to convert me to be like Jesus of Jesus from Jesus amen. If I go to the scriptures and really let’s say I go to the Holy Spirit what’s the Holy Spirit going to do convert me to being a Christian like Jesus he the Holy Spirit won’t boast of himself he only boasts of Jesus why because the fullness of God is in Jesus are you with me so the Holy Spirit’s going to convert me to what.

▶ 18:42 Being like Jesus from Jesus and of Jesus if I go to the scriptures and really get on my knees and read them and ask the scriptures. To open my understanding the scriptures are spirit by the way you say you you you talk to scriptures yes I do the scriptures our spirit the scriptures are truth and so I want the scriptures. To be revealed to me in truth and in spirit and by the spirit and so forth is the scriptures going to convert me to being like Jesus of Jesus and from Jesus absolutely now my point is this if I go to the baptist church what are they going to convert me to. I’m going to become a baptist if I go to Calvary Chapel what am I going to be converted to Calvary Chapel.

▶ 19:37 If I go to the Vineyard what are they going to convert me to. A Vineyard if I go to the catholic church what are they going to convert me to catholicism. You say how do you know that they all have a little subtle differences in doctrine and they’re going to teach you that their doctrine is the supreme one. They’re going to tell you they are the real church the catholics think they are the real church and the protestants have got to come back into the fold. If I go to the assembly of God what are they going to meet me. Assembly of God. Christianity of God person. And I got saved in assembly God church. All these churches are are fine they’re you know they’re all trying to do a good work and all that but let me tell you they’re going to convert you to what they believe.

▶ 20:40 And if you disagree with them you’re going nowhere in their organizations if I go to the Jewish synagogue what are they going to make out of me a Jew. If I go to the muslims who are they going to make out of me a muslim the Jews don’t even believe Christ has come yet so they’re going to teach me that Jesus is phony. The muslims are going to tell me that Jesus didn’t die on the cross because you can’t kill God they don’t have enough brains and the angel that talked to Muhammad was so stupid. That he told Muhammad that Jesus couldn’t die on the cross you cannot kill any spirit you can’t kill my spirit my spirit will go on living but Jesus’s physical body died on the cross for the sins of the world folks and if Muhammad’s angel was wrong in that area how many you know he’s just wrong.

▶ 21:33 Amen. End of discussion. You go to the hindu they’re going to make a hindu out of you and they’re going to think you’re make you think you’re going to come back reincarnated as a cow or a spider or you know something and if you go down to that river once a year and you bathe in that dirty rotten river you want to be cleansed. And these people believe it why because faith comes by hearing whatever you give your ear to hear right that’s why the Bible says to keep what you hear and take heed how you hear don’t just put anything into your ears because you do it enough you’re going to believe it you’re going to put your faith in it. Now that was good stuff. Hallelujah.

▶ 22:28 I submit to you we need to go to Jesus. We need to go to the Holy Ghost and let him convert us. To the image of Christ amen and that’s how I wound up in an independent church they allowed me to have my stupid doctrines until the Holy Ghost could open my eyes. They didn’t hinder me they didn’t ostracize me separate from me because they knew this church knew that only the Holy Ghost and the scriptures can change a person. And until God does it you got to accept that person where they’re at is that an amen hallelujah there’s churches that believe if you don’t speak in tongues you don’t you’re not even saved that is stupid.

▶ 23:22 That is so dumb. And you go to that church you’re in problem you’re having problems only I’ve told you before many times only one out of three people and charismatic pentecostal churches speak in tongues only one out of three. Why because the Bible says do all speak in tongues we all prophesy do all do miracles no. We can only do things that’s what the Holy Spirit grants them. Are you with me I cannot be what God does not want me to be I cannot be that I don’t care how much faith I muster up or anything I cannot be anything above what God has called me to be and if he called me to be a a father of a home that works and provides for the home or raises his kids in the ways of God and maybe be an usher in the church or something like that or a toilet cleaner and that’s all he’s called me to be and I love my wife and love know my kids how many of you I am perfect in God yes hallelujah.

▶ 24:33 Okay. Folks God wants us to grow to the measure of the stature of Christ he wants us to grow and be like Christ he wants us to be a real light to the world okay it says in Ephesians for that these ministers are put in for the unity that we all come into the unity of the faith I submit to you is the American church in the unity of the faith no way. That’s why we have the different groups we don’t believe what the other group don’t believe. And then I submit to you does all scriptures have to be fulfilled. Before Christ comes. Then folks he isn’t coming right now.

▶ 25:27 Was the early church in unity. Absolutely. Is the glory of the latter house greater than the former yes is this latter church going to come into the unity of the faith the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ you’ve got some Christians believe in he wasn’t born of a virgin. You got some Christians believing he didn’t do the miracles that it said in the Bible. Are you with me. You see the knowledge of Christ is the important one. And what we think and believe in Christ is very important to our growth. All authority has been given to him in heaven and earth am I right you know in him is everybody God the Holy Ghost come on Jesus is exalted.

▶ 26:27 By the father in heaven because everything is in him and when people take away from Jesus. We are missing the boat. Now. Do we need to grow spiritually. Yes. We do. Both of these guys as I said before was murdered by religious and civil leaders. You got to watch religious people they will be out after you because they want to protect their own opinions. And civil leaders will like Pilate do whatever is necessary to gain the favor of the crowd. And we’re in a presidential election watch how these candidates talk. Do they talk to please the crowd or do they talk to really bring our nation back to what it used to be in other words are they really concerned about our nation or are they only concerned about what people want and them getting in position.

▶ 27:43 Foreign. Luke 4:14 Jesus return in what. Say the word power remember he just came out of 40 days of testing. And us charismatics and pentecostals we ignored that testing period hallelujah. But folks you’re going to be tested. Just like everybody as the Bible says is tested it’s common to all men you’re going to be tested in the situation you’re in you’re going to be tested by you know you’ve got to see a miracle to believe in God you’re going to be tested by how and who you worship. And you’re going to be tested with money in position. He came out of that testing spirit period.

▶ 28:37 With no problem. And he returned then in the power of the spirit it could be that we don’t have the power of the spirit because we haven’t passed the tests. You know we want God to do what we want him to do you know I need a husband or I need a wife God you give me a husband a wife and I’ll really get serious with you. Yeah God give me a better job and I’ll I’ll really serve you. God just take me as I am I don’t want to lift kneel my hands I don’t want to I don’t want to do this emotional nonsense. Until you pass the test there is no indication in the Bible that you will ever be given the power because God can’t trust you to handle it.

▶ 29:35 If you’re not faithful than the little things he will not give you what the spiritual thing. He returned in the power of the spirit remember he was conceived by the spirit or we conceived by the spirit by the way yes unless a man be born of the spirit he cannot enter or even see the kingdom of God God has to be involved God is feared he has to be involved in our salvation so we get saved does that mean we’ve that’s it no they grew. And. Remember John did no miracle and they came out to the desert to hear his word he did no miracle. The word was so powerful people came to hear what he had to say and so growing in the spirit and then John was then released in the power of the spirit and so was Jesus and the news of him went out through all the surrounding region.

▶ 30:35 He didn’t put up any bulletin board any uh billboard he didn’t advertise on the radio he didn’t advertise on tv he had no radio ministry he had no tv ministry he had none of that and yet the people are coming to him from all over. Because of the word that he taught. By the power of the spirit. So when we get our eyes off of Jesus in growth we support it with programs. Laughs. You know when we can’t do things God’s way then we substitute men’s way and then men’s way become the method.

▶ 31:29 I submit to you we need to get back to the Bible plan could that be an amen. He taught in their synagogue. Being praised by all now listen to me it says there that he went into the synagogue as was his custom. You can’t even get Christians to go to church regularly let alone think about the power of the Holy Ghost. Am I right. Now they got every excuse in the book not to assemble. How many you know you can do all things decently in order. All things decently and in order and so it was his habit and we saw that Simeon was driven and guided to the house of God by who.

▶ 32:27 The Holy Spirit when you have the Holy Spirit he won’t let you. Stay away from assembling because the Bible says. Forsake not the assembling of yourself together even the more so as you see the day approaching provoking one another to what love and good work where am I going to grow then. In the house of God in verse 32 they were astonished at his doctrine and the were and his word was with power so he came out and the power of the spirit and the power of what. The word say it the word and that’s the two things I’ve been trying to get through to people for 40 years the two things we need is the power of God’s presence and the power of his word that’s what makes the difference.

▶ 33:25 It’s not how well you can speak publicly. It’s the power of the spirit touching our lives pricking our hearts like it did on the day of Pentecost stirring our heart it’s the power of the word stirring our heart that begins to change people and they say what do I got to do man something is stirring inside of me what do I gotta do and that’s where we’ve got to lead them from baby hood to adulthood. Luke 4:36. All. Were amazed saying what a word he has. With authority and power he commands unclean spirits and they come out his fame went to every place we need his fame going out through America and all I hear if I go to Calvary Chapel how great Chuck Smith was if I go to Crystal Cathedral how great Schuller was if I go to the TV evangelists how great Joel Osteen and and uh Benny Hinn and all the how great they are how you know if they’re oh how great how great well where’s Jesus.

▶ 34:38 You know when you have encounters with Jesus you talk about Jesus when you have encounters with a church or a group or a minister you talk about them and we don’t need encounters with ministers and church group we need encounters with who Jesus Christ the fullness of the godhead bodily. Everything is in him he laid hands on all the diseased and healed them wow. Here’s the multitude following him hundreds thousands of people. And he laid hands on all of them. And healed all of them and Luke 6 it says the power of the Lord was present to heal did you catch that.

▶ 35:32 Many came to him from Sidon and uh. Tire. And folks that is the big key is the power. Of God the spirit is present to heal because he does the healing. Religious people oppose spiritual growth and Luke 4:22 the group said it’s not it’s that’s not Joseph’s son it’s not his his his. Mother Mary with us and it’s not his four brothers James and Joses and Judah and and uh I forget the other one aren’t they with us and his sisters they’re with us and the catholics really who say Mary had no other children.

▶ 36:29 They’re just lying to the people so they started questioning Jesus. And uh it says that. They were offended at him now that word offend is is like the word we used last week fall away they renounced him they rejected him they deserted Jesus it’s not like oh you hurt my feeling. It’s they rejected Jesus all right. And so Jesus and and Jesus said I came down from heaven and they go how can you come down from heaven you are Joseph’s son you are Mary’s son you got brothers and sisters how can you say you come down from heaven they hadn’t even done their research to know Jesus was born of a virgin and that’s the problem in America Christians are not doing their scriptural research to see if what they’re being taught is truth or not amen.

▶ 37:30 So they got God themselves now he’s in the synagogue talking to these people God himself is that they’re there to worship God they’re there to learn of God and God is there. In the body of they got God with them and they rejected him. They would rather have their form they would rather have the religion than the real God. So Jesus answered them back and said a prophet is without honor in his own country. And then he gives the illustration there were many widows and lepers in Israel but Elijah was only sent to the Sidonian widow and the Syrian leper there were many lepers in Israel God’s people there were many widows. In God’s people the what they had rejected the power of God they had rejected the growing in God they had rejected that and so where did Elijah go to some people.

▶ 38:31 That accepted it unbelieving nations. Could that be true in America today. That we’ve become so religious we wouldn’t even recognize Jesus if he did show up. We’re not even looking for him. And if Jesus did something he’s healed in the sick and all that and and they wanted him to do a miracle because they just went like Herod Herod wanted to see a miracle he didn’t want God he didn’t want to change his life he didn’t want to repent he just wanted to see a miracle. And that’s what these people oh show us a miracle. Remember one of the testings is you need a miracle. Before you believe. So when he said this all in the synagogue where they at in the house of God come there to worship God come there to learn about God come there really to learn about their religion.

▶ 39:38 And they were filled with anger. Believers in God. Getting a violent temper losing their temper. And they took Jesus out of the city to the cliff to the hill to cast him down they’re going to try and kill God. Luke 6:17 people from Tyre and Sidon came to hear Jesus and to be healed of their diseases so here again Jesus’s parable comes to pass that he had to go outside of his own people. To people who would not reject him but accept him listen to him and he was healing them. When there were many people that believed in God. Who didn’t even believe in healing.