Pastor Phil preaches today on Israel’s temples and how their history relates to church growth.

There’s only one thing that will last; and that is what God builds. Everything else is going to be destroyed and come to an end. Our plans need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit in order for them to come to pass.

What are the bottom line issues in the church? Love is the bottom line. It determines what is Kingdom loss and Kingdom profit.

If you learn only three words in the Christian faith, learn these: I LOVE YOU.

In verse 3 Paul says if you give all you have to the poor but have not love, you gain nothing. The second part says if you surrender your body to the flames but have not love, you gain nothing.

Polycarp died because of his unwavering faith in Jesus Christ. He was burned alive. His life is an inspiration to us. The bottom line of the inspiration is love. Unless everything is motivated by love, we have gained nothing. People all over the world die for their religion. But, are we willing to die for love?

The nature of love is more than deeds. Love is patient. Love is kind. The moment ‘love’ departs from patience or kindness is it no longer ‘love.’ Love is not jealous. Love is always patient, kind, and never jealous. Love doesn’t brag. Love is not puffed up, it is not arrogant. There is no “I’m better than you are” with love. Love is never proud. It does not act unbecomingly. It never does anything to damage the reputation of Jesus Christ. It does not seek its own. It does not rejoice in unrighteousness. It rejoices with the truth.

Love never fails!

Pastor Phil Schoonmaker

No Condemnation — Romans 8:1-11

There is, right now, no condemnation if you are in Christ Jesus. We have been freed from the power of sin that leads to death. We walk according to the Spirit and not the flesh. When we don’t know how to pray, the Holy Spirit prays for us. He knows how to intercede. The Spirit helps our weakness. See Romans 8:26. Those who live according to the flesh are setting their minds on the things of the flesh. The mind set on the flesh is death; spiritual death. The mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. The mind set on the flesh is hostile to God.

If we give it all to Jesus, He can do all things. What is impossible to man is possible with God. That is the power in the cross. Remember, we are not in the flesh, we are in the Spirit. The Spirit gives life because we have been made right with God. The Spirit dwells within us. He will give life to our mortal bodies.

No Corruption — Romans 8:21

God did not create paradise to have natural disasters. These things happen because the earth is under corruption. We live in a fallen world. But, if we are in Christ, we are free from slavery to corruption.

1 Corinthians 6:20 says we have been bought with a price. We are not our own. We have no say in how we live as Christians. Jesus is the only authority in our lives.

No Separation — Romans 8:31-39

Who can separate us from the love of Christ? No matter what we are going through, we overwhelmingly conquer through Christ. Nothing can ever separate us from the love of Christ. If we live in His presence, nothing can separate us from His love.

The Holy Spirit wishes to dwell with us permanently and continually.

Acts 2:4- All filled with the Spirit

Unity- All came to one place (unity of place) and one accord (unity of spirit) Act 2:1

The Spirit filled the whole house (Acts 2:2)

What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit?

Acts 2:38- Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit

Acts 8:15-faith in the Lord but had not yet been filled (received here means filled) the Spirit.

Acts 2:4- they were filled

Temporal filling

Acts 9:17- Paul was already converted but had not yet been filled (received here means filled) the Spirit.

How the Spirit interacts with us.

1) Outpoured- thoroughly soaked Acts 2:17

2) Immersed-Overwelmed, us in the Spirit Acts 1:15

3) Filled- Spirit in us Acts 2:4, 1Cor 12:13, John 7:39

Purpose of the Spirit.

Initiate us deeper into the Spirits mission for the church

Deeper into worship

Thrust us into the world to the work of the Spirit, deeper desire to serve.

What is Pentecostal?

Operating how the early Church (the church in Acts) operated, in and through the Spirit. Hungry for God, actively seeking His face.

Routine and frequent filling of the Spirit

a. Inward baptism, born again, salvation, conversion, etc. Your life became immersed into the life of Christ. You are a new creation under the blood.

b. Gal 3:26 (Baptism into Christ)

c. Rom 6:3 (Baptism into Christ)

d. 1 Cor. 12-13 (Baptism in Spirit)

i. 12-27 – we are Christ’s Body

e. The Spirit (Agent) performs this baptism of the new believer into one body, Christ’s body (element)

2) Water Baptism (by the minister, outward)

a. A Minister (Agent) baptizes a Believe in water (element).

b. Public physical immersion, symbolizes the first baptism (into Christ) as a testimony.

John 3:1-23 – John the Baptist in and with water symbolizing the baptism of repentance (Baptism into Christ)

2) Spirit Baptism (into the Spirit)- The Promise of the Father

a. Immersion in the Spirit (element) by Christ (agent)

b. Both inward and outward

i. Inward- power, energy/fuel, increasing faith

ii. Outward- fruit, tongues,

Acts 19:2 – Did you also receive the Spirit

John 20:22- Jesus breathed into them the Holy Spirit

Acts 2:1-4 – The Spirit came upon them and they spoke in many tongues-(outward evidence of the baptism)

2) The Holy Spirit is Divine and infinite.

Life in the Spirit is glorious.

Holy Ghost (KJV) = Holy Breath

The Holy Spirit is a person,

• John 16:13 also uses a personal pronoun in describing the Spirit. The description of how the Spirit speaks mirrors how Jesus spoke, ie. Only what he hears from the Father.
• John 16:15, All the things of the Father have been given to Jesus and Jesus gives it to us through the Spirit.
• The Spirit is not an it or a force. The Spirit is the third person of the Trinity (John 15:26-Helper/Comforter comes). The Spirit is a person; he has a name, Comforter.
• Personal Characteristics- 1Corinthians
  • Intellect- Knows the thoughts of God because he is God. Full access to God and man
  • Emotion (feelings)- Do not grieve the Holy Spirit (Cor), (Eph 4:30)
  • Will- 1Cor 12:11 gifts as he wills
  • Actions- He Speaks, testifies about Jesus, teaches what Jesus taught, convicts, intercedes (Rom 8:27-28), guides into truth, prophecy,

The Holy Spirit is Divine

• Divine and infinite.
  • In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
    • Name is singular, one person, one God, three equal parts Love, Grace and Fellowship

· The Spirit shares the attributes of God

· Eternal

· All knowing all seeing, omniscient.

· All powerful, omnipotent

· All present, omnipresent

· Involved in creation, hovering over the waters

· Involved in regeneration, renew the face of the earth

· Involved in redemption, new heart and new spirit, born of the Spirit

· The Spirit is active in bringing us the Word of God

All scripture is God Breathed, inspired.

The Spirit longs for Jesus (Rev 22:17)

Matthew 13:45-46 ASV

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a merchant seeking goodly pearls: and having found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

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