Suppressing the Spirit: July 4, 2020: full transcript and answers

▶ 8:12 People. Opposes. Israel. Play to the people of Egypt but there was no. Welcome everyone it’s good to have everybody thank you for joining us during this time of the word I’m going to ask the kids to be quiet the young people let’s respect God’s word God’s time that was a great utterance that mrs.

▶ 9:42 Fambrough just made and today we’re gonna be talking about quenching the spirit or suppressing trying to snuff out the spirit of God as she mentioned in that example. But also there’s an example where they came. Jesus was riding on a donkey into Jerusalem and the people started to praise him they people started to worship him and the Pharisees and the scribes says hey what’s going on here do you hear what they’re saying about you Jesus and he says if they don’t. Praise me the rocks will cry out and you see that’s what was going on the religious people of that day we’re trying to quench and shut up the spirit of God and that is not right.

▶ 10:37 Today we’re going to talk about our independence day July. 4th 1776 as many of you know that is when our founding fathers signed the declaration of independence and they in the session of independence they talk about their separation and they say why they’re doing it from the colonies are separating from great britain and they have a list over 20 things of grievances what they call grievances and at the end they declare war and they commit their fortunes their lives and what they call their sacred honor. Some of those grievances were that that the colonies made laws and the king would not abide by them he was above the law.

▶ 11:33 The king would forbid laws from being passed and neglected to saw all the problems that the law is solved. The king refused to protect the colonies also attacked the colonies when the colonies would send out their ships to trade the british army would attack the colony ships. They cut off trade this is all in the declaration I’m summarizing stuff this is some of them the king abolished valuable laws that the colonists had made to protect citizens and whatnot I don’t have the examples but and there’s many other things taxation without consent. Without representation.

▶ 12:22 And so it is true with the spirit of God the Bible says in Ephesians 4 chapter 30 do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption you see the Holy Spirit has some grievances and when you look at this list right here when you look at the lists of the declaration of independence and you try to relate that to today see the American church or Americans we believe that we are above God’s law and that we do not have to follow it. We forbid the passing of right laws and it’s true in America and we neglect to solve the problems that that God’s law is solved like the family a lot of kids grown up today are being aborted are being neglected they’re being hurt because they’re not following God’s law and America is not standing up for the children and the family.

▶ 13:41 And the spirit this grieves the spirit. Refused to protect Americans the American church refused to protect what God had in place here he was in schools he was being taught he was being promoted all that has been pushed out and we do not protect it and American leaders are responsible church leaders are responsible we are responsible. Taxing without consent. We push God out and then we say hey we want miracles give us the goodies we want miracles we want healings. We want all this stuff but we don’t want you telling us what to do. That’s our approach.

▶ 14:36 To the spirit of God and it’s wrong. So we’re gonna look at some examples today of those who resisted the spirit those who consented and those who fought for the spirit and I tell you today I want to be one who fights for the spirit the church we got to be people that fight for the spirit of God. Mark chapter 6 verse 18 John said to Herod it is not lawful. For you to have your brother’s wife now was there a roman law about this was there was there a roman law about this probably not. But he John the Baptist was talking about God’s law and see God’s law is important today in America we’ve got to follow God’s law.

▶ 15:28 It is not lawful John says and see America the church in America we have really ruined this law of sexual immorality we have completely. Defiled God’s law marriages between men and a male and a female the marriage bed is undefiled marriage is honorable. See that’s where sex should be in the marriage but we have completely violated it every form in every way and we promote it on all of our shows that we have that we watch it’s promoted and it grieves the spirit and now the church is supporting sexual immorality. And you know this is true and you know what I’m talking about.

▶ 16:29 There for Herodias that is Herod’s girlfriend held it against him wanted to kill me she wanted to kill John the Baptist but she could not and you see that’s how it is with people who resist the spirit do they accept the conviction no they reject it and you cannot be like that we have to accept the spirits conviction. And. As we know the story goes on yep now I want to stop for here for a moment mark chapter 6 verse 24 Herod feared John see Herod he was starting to get the conviction and respond right the king here can you believe this John’s preaching actually had an effect on Herod he was taking it in he was feeling the conviction he was starting to lend his ear to John and listen.

▶ 17:35 It says that he knew that John was a just and holy man he knew it in his heart. And he. Protected him. Herod protected John the Baptist of course he protected him in prison thanks for your protection. When he heard him he did many things and hurt him gladly see heron he heard John’s message he was glad when he heard about it he was oh man this is what I’ve been looking for. But. He had ties with. Bad people and that’s what happens he still had Herodias and Herodias his daughter and they had a party you know he liked the message but he didn’t want to give up the junk so he went to his party they had to dance and she did I don’t know what she did you know it could have been really bad could have been who knows she danced it pleased him and he said up to half my kingdom I’ll give you whatever you want did he ask John the Baptist I’ll give you whatever you want no.

▶ 19:00 And she said I want the head of John the Baptist and the king was exceedingly sorry oh. What have I done but he caved to the pressure. He knew John was a just and right and good man he knew it in his heart he knew what was right to do and still. He capitulated. Because of the o’s because of those who sat with him he did not want to refuse her you see the pressure came and he buckled under the pressure. And see that’s how it is we know what is right we know the right way but we reject it.

▶ 19:56 And see when you have ties to the kingdom of darkness and you will let him go this is the kind of situations you put yourself in but you got to stick with the right choice what is right hera did not make the right choice and immediately he sent an executioner commanded his head to be brought so now he went from protecting John to murdering John the Baptist why do I say that because Herod knew he was a just man and he ordered him to be killed. You can’t just sit there and say oh it was Herodias his daughter known you made the order. And so Herod Herodias Herodias his daughter they thought they were above God’s law Americans do we think we are above God’s law I.

▶ 20:58 Submit to you today if you think that you are wrong and you know you’re wrong. It is time to listen and obey God’s law God’s word above your own word I. Want to tell you a story about Ebed-Melech has anybody ever heard of Ebed-Melech except don’t answer this question Ebed-Melech has anybody ever heard of this guy huh hey remember this guy’s name see that’s good this is good pay attention this is good story. This is in the days of Jeremiah chapter 38 verse 2 thus says the Lord he who remains in this city shall die so Babylon had come with their army they were going to take they were going to take Israel captive and of course the Israelite so they’re gonna fight oh they’re gonna fight for their kingdom.

▶ 22:00 That you see you got to know what does God say what is the time [unclear]; they understood the times they knew what choices to make and you see Jeremiah was there he had a word from the Lord and when you got a word from the Lord what do you do you follow it. He said he who remains in the city shall die by sword famine or pestilence but he who goes over to the child hand shall live if you go into the captivity you’re gonna live why because God is passing judgment on the people don’t fight against God it is his will that you be taken captive now we have those who rejected the spirit God’s word they said that the princes says in 38 verse 4 the princes said to the king let jeremy I be put to death.

▶ 23:07 And this is the these are the princes the princes wanted to kill him they took Jeremiah cast him into a dungeon there was no water and Jeremiah sank in the mire and zedekiah was there chapter 38 verse 5 he was there the king he dead he didn’t agree with the princes he didn’t want to kill Jeremiah. But this was his statement to the princes he says hey look. Jeremiah he’s in your hands what can I do I can do nothing against you baloney. He’s a king. He has a voice and he didn’t stick up for Jeremiah. So here we have he consented right.

▶ 24:02 He gave in to the pressure. But there was a man named Ebed-Melech and he was an Ethiopian he wasn’t even a Jew he was a eunuch and if you don’t know what a eunuch is look it up. It’s it’s not a fun thing and we don’t know if he was a eunuch naturally or by force but here we was from another nation and he had been maybe mistreated probably in the service of the king and he stands up for Jeremiah. And he says my Lord the king these men have done evil and all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet.

▶ 24:58 He’s likely to die from hunger and so the king Zedekiah said okay go get him and Ebed-Melech came with the men and they put the rope down with rags and such and pulled Jeremiah out from the dungeon that was a bed malin. And Ethiopian. See you don’t have to be American you don’t have to be a Jew. Ebed knew what was right. You know whatever country you’re from whatever the color your skin is you know right from wrong. The spirit speaks to anyone and will convict anyone and even saw it and said no this is not right and I’m gonna stand up for Jeremiah.

▶ 25:59 Jeremiah 39 verse 16 the reward Ebed-Melech later you know he’s not mentioned anywhere else in the Bible nowhere else only once in this story. God had a special message for Ebed-Melech and he calls him by name and he tells Jeremiah go to Ebed-Melech. Don’t you want God to call you by name. Go to mike go to lucilla go to jim tom go to Paul gomez. Go to even the Ethiopian and say I will deliver you in that day I will deliver you.

▶ 26:55 You will not be getting in the hand of the man whom you are afraid I will deliver you you will not fall by the sword your life shall be a prize because you have put your trust in me a bed stood up for the spirit of God he fought for the spirit of God he fought for what was right he put us trust in God church American church whoever you are leaders it doesn’t matter wherever you come from whatever your nationality is your race male or female whoever you are God is asking you will you put your trust in me the spirit respond right to the spirit.

▶ 27:52 Last example of course we have the story of steven in acts chapter 6 there arose some of what is called the synagogue of the freedmen disputing fighting with Stephen and they stirred up the people and they seized him see this has been going on for a long time you know the the religious people right here they couldn’t find anything wrong with Stephen but they wanted to shut him up so they stirred up the people they made it look like something was going on when there was nothing going on that’s going on today. It’s baloney it’s not the full story it’s not the truth going on you see there they’re making things up about Stephen that aren’t true and Stephen stands before the council and he says you stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart we don’t want to be stiff nick you want to be tender hearted you always resist the Holy Spirit we don’t want to resist the Holy Spirit we want to receive what the Holy Spirit says.

▶ 29:08 As your father’s did so do you which of the prophets did your father’s not persecuted. They killed those who produced one Jesus Christ whom now have become murderers and betrayers he was telling and telling them that they had become murderers and for traitors of Jesus Christ the son of God you receive the law from the angels but have not kept it you receive the law but you don’t keep it. See like the fir the second grievance on the list and the declaration of independence where it says that. The king he forbid laws and he would not solve them and I thought to myself you know.

▶ 30:06 The church in America are we doing something about all this are we neglecting to solve are we doing our part. And God is reminding us today that we can do more on our part. Acts chapter 7 verse 54 when they heard these things they were cut to the heart they were convicted and they cried out with a loud voice they stopped their ears they didn’t want to hear it do we respond this way those on line those in the room is that the way you respond to the spirit you stop your ears I don’t want to hear it anymore is that how we respond to the truth of God’s word when the Bible is spoken when the truth comes out from God’s word do we stop our ears and I don’t want to hear.

▶ 30:59 Marriage in America. Do we want to when somebody says oh I want to have a marriage accord in the Bible what I. Don’t and you say oh that’s that’s that’s a oppressive God’s marriage is oppressive. You stop your ears I don’t want that in my I don’t want that kind of marriage. Is that how we respond. They cast him out of the city and they stone him this is the extent of their resist resistance of the Holy Spirit. And. Now Saul was consenting to his death you see you don’t want to be a concentr we don’t want to fall into consenting. We don’t want to consent like king Herod we don’t want to consent like Saul we don’t want to consent like king Zedekiah we’ve got to fight and stand up for the spirit of God and the truth you think the spirit can’t stand up for himself.

▶ 32:10 Of course he can and he will. But God uses his people. He used Ebed-Melech, he used Stephen he used Paul he used Peter. Because they fought for the spirit of God and even though they were suppressed and they tried to quench them they tried to put them out they could not. Because the spirit of God is more powerful than any other force. Stephen full of faith he fought for the spirit he was full of faith and power he did great wonders and signs among the people I want great wonders and signs well if I can just throw out some wonders in signs I would do it.

▶ 33:18 But we can be filled with the faith you know at the during the week when you go home your relationship with Christ it can be full of faith you can have a powerful relationship with God it is not dependent on the outside forces. What is going on around you John the Baptist’s lived in the roman nation he lived under those religious people that hated Christ and still he brought many people to the desert to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because it didn’t matter what was going on around him it mattered on his relationship and his decision to follow the spirit of God from when he was a baby he was filled with the spirit and all of his life he knew everyday what he was going to do when he grew up what are you gonna do oh I’m gonna settle no nuts I’m going out to the desert what.

▶ 34:18 I’m gonna eat me some locusts and honey and I know we’re camels. He knew what he was gonna do I know who I am I know where I’m going I’m gonna serve the king of kings I’m gonna make his paths straight. You see we can have a relationship with God like that the spirit we can be filled with the spirit just like John we can be filled with the spirit just like Peter you know and we like the Peter story better I mean John you can’t find much wrong with him you know I already already messed I’m not even close to John right now he died in his 30s I’ve already passed John’s age and I haven’t even done what he’s done right so you got us okay on to the next guy Peter here I.

▶ 35:14 Want to be like Peter I’m just kidding. We can have a relationship with God that is full of faith in power. They were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke and we know that we get wisdom from God we get risdon when we go to God and ask from God it says ask of me and also you’ve got to read there’s a book of wisdom you got to read the book you got to ask after was and pray and and seek it out these things don’t just come because you’re a Christian now we have to do something. Ephesians. Back to that verse and fuse chapter 4 do not grieve the Holy Spirit let all bitterness wrath anger and evil.

▶ 36:12 Speaking be put away from you with all malice in the church do we have anger. Do we are we speaking evil are we speaking what is right. Just because God’s law is offensive to some people does not mean it is evil speaking it does not mean it is a bad thing does not mean it’s a you know they can label it whatever they want. They can label it a hate crime they can label it hate speech but we do not God is the first one that we love and the first one that we listen to. Be kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another are we forgiving one another are we kind do not grieve this I’m bringing this up because it is part of the scripture that says do not grieve the Holy Spirit we can grieve the Holy Spirit by going to our brothers.

▶ 37:27 And sisters and being angry going to our brothers and sisters and speaking evil gossiping about them [unclear] saying things to hurt one another even if they’re in another church doesn’t matter if they’re in this church or in the next year we’ve got to love and forgive one another. Quench not the spirit first Thessalonians 5:19 rejoice pray without ceasing and everything give thanks despise not prophesying prove all things hold fast witches abstain for the appearance of evil let me ask you this question oh. What happened here. It’s not working.

▶ 38:23 How long has it been frozen for. Oh still free. Technical difficulties. Alright. First Thessalonians 5:19 says rejoice evermore pray without ceasing the Bible says when you pray say how are we supposed to come to church and pray with our mouths closed you cannot pray with your brain and your mind you’ve got to open your mouth. We are reminded in the New Testament forsake not the assembling of yourselves together I’m saying this because they’re coming out with rules now that we can’t talk that we can’t open our mouths it says in everything give thanks when you give thanks you are opening your mouth when you come into God’s house you are singing because Psalm says to sing.

▶ 39:24 You don’t have to go to church and see you don’t have to open yes you do just like the church has to assemble. Physically. When God sees you getting up in the morning getting out of bed getting dressed brushing your teeth coming to church. Getting off you’re. Getting off your bottom getting off your couch no couch potato I’m going to church what God loves that and he loves it when we open our mouth and pray and give thanks. Despise not prophesying quench not the spirit you can’t shut people up. You can’t that’s quenching the spirit and if church leaders come out and say all we got to be close or not come on guys we can’t close our mouths.

▶ 40:33 Prove all things first the church leaders were saying that we don’t have to meet yeah we do. And. We complied for a while at their request but you know what come on we need to assemble. Abstain from all appearance of evil and this is what the church needs to get back to abstaining from evil seems like we want to gravitate towards that. Still frozen. There are three types as we learned today those who reject those who consent and those who fight for the spirit of God I submit to you today don’t be someone who resists the Holy Spirit when God comes to you and convicts you received a conviction and respond right I submit to you today do not just receive it and and be like Herod who gladly heard but later when it came to a crossroads in his life he did not follow through we cannot consent to letting people just in part because when you start with consent you become a participator of quenching the spirit of doing what is wrong and those.

▶ 42:00 Who fight. Like I said earlier Ebed-Melech he stood up it had to be someone from another country I mean why didn’t anybody else stand up for Jeremiah why. There there was no other Jew there that would stand up for Jeremiah it was an Ethiopian from another country. My goodness. And maybe in the church today maybe it’s gonna be somebody outside who stands up for the spirit and my goodness that would be a horrible day to put us to shame where we not stand up for the spirit ourselves. Elevations chapter 2 verse 29 he who has an ear let him hear what the spirit says to the church I.

▶ 43:03 Submit to you today again we need to have an ear to hear what the spirit says to the church we’ve got to respond to what the spirit says as worship team comes we’re going to sing I pledge allegiance to the land and I want to encourage you this morning as we sing this let it be a commitment that you are going to be a warrior for the spirit of God you’re going to fight for the spirit not grieving the spirit not quenching the spirit but fighting and standing up for the spirit of God. Let’s stand together this morning.

▶ 47:42 We would have hearts. Stand up and speak truth. Leadership.

▶ 48:49 Positions. Separation out a voice for the spirit of God voice for the families of America for the children of America that are being destroyed. From sin. Jesus Jesus prayed Lord in his church worldwide. Relationship

▶ 51:04 Jesus Christ that was full of faith and full of power and I were finally in there this morning if you want that in your life. Now. Now

▶ 52:56 I wait around five or six feet apart but reach your hand for your neighbors. Raise your hand your neighbor says. To this party. You’re

▶ 57:11 the God. Fabulous.