We Believe in the Holy Spirit

And if you take your Bibles, turn if you would to Joel. Joel chapter two. Joel chapter two. Joel chapter two. We're going to read verses twenty eight and twenty nine here in just a moment.

I've been doing a series on what Baptist believe and and what what we believe is is the scriptures and I think every Christian should believe the scriptures, don't you? Whether they call themselves a Baptist or not. We're going to look at one doctrine. We haven't yet touched upon. It sort of does dovetail with Christmas a little bit in a in a couple ways as we talk about the gift of the Holy Spirit this morning.

It was by the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus was conceived in Mary, the Virgin, who gave birth to Jesus Christ, our our savior. And the Holy Spirit is a gift that God has given to those who know him and who have put their faith trust in Jesus Christ. When we think of Christmas, we today think of gifts. I think most of us do. Gifts which we give to loved ones as an expression of our love for them.

I think that's a good thing. I don't think that's a bad thing, do you? I don't think so. We give things to those we love as expression of our love for them as God himself gave his only son, Jesus Christ for us. He gave him to die on the cross as an expression of his love for a lost world to save us from sin and hell and to bestow upon us everlasting life through faith in his son, Jesus Christ.

What a gift God gave to us that we celebrate at Christmas time but I I really do hope. Sometimes I I I kinda shudder a little bit as I mention that about Christmas because really as a Christian this is something you should be celebrating every day. This is something we should be celebrating every Sunday. Jesus Christ and the gift that God gave to us. It's sad that some some Christians were so called only come out to church on Christmas and and Easter.

Oh, how much they are missing out on. Yet, there is another gift which God promised to give to those who place their faith in Christ. The gift of the Holy Spirit. Promise long before Jesus came by the mouth of the prophet Joel. Later promised by Christ himself to his disciples, both the 12 and others who would follow in faith thereafter.

By the way, that would be you and me. If you put your faith in Jesus Christ, you too have become a disciple of the Lord. Look if you would in Joel 22 verses twenty eight and twenty nine. It shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh. And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions, and also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.

Let's pray. Dear Lord, thank you for the word of God that the holy spirit has brought to us as holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy ghost. Thank you Lord for the privilege of worshiping Jesus Christ, our savior here today and exalting the the name of the one who is and who is salvation. Who died for us, who rose again from the dead, who intercedes in the in our behalf before your throne in heaven. We thank you for Jesus Christ, our savior.

We pray that he would indeed be exalted as we worship here today. Lord, we we thank you Lord for all the many precious things we read about and are reminded about in scripture today of that have been promised to those that love you. Least of which is not the Holy Spirit which you have given to us. Lord, may we learn to appreciate that gift and walk in the spirit day by day. That we may be filled with your spirit.

That we may demonstrate your love. That we with boldness would preach and speak to others of the gospel of Jesus Christ that we might live holy lives to the glory of the one who has given us life in him. In Jesus Christ precious name, we do pray. Amen. Now, I I am not a Pentecostal.

I am a Baptist, okay? And as we look into this passage this morning, I don't believe that necessarily everything that happened on Pentecost ought to happen to you when you accept Christ today. But there are many things about the Holy Spirit in particular and the gift of the Holy Spirit who is the Holy Spirit himself. That is very true and that does happen to every person who comes to know Jesus Christ as Lord and as savior and it is important that we as baptists, do not shy away from the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. But that we learn to appreciate the Holy Spirit and that we learn to walk in the spirit that we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

That we might speak with boldness the gospel of Jesus Christ that many might come to know Christ as Lord and as savior. Beginning way back in the Old Testament, God promised to pour out his spirit upon all flesh and not just a select few prophets and leaders as he had done in Israel and in the old days. While the holy spirit was active on the very first day of creation, let's look at it here. Genesis one two. And the earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

There, our first mention of the holy spirit is in verse number what? Two of the Bible. He is a very important person and is involved in the very act of our creation. And although he gave the prophets the message of God which became the scriptures. Notice this, second Peter one twenty one, for the prophecy came not in old time, by the will of who?

By the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy ghost. How did we get this word of God? It's brought to us by the holy ghost, by the holy spirit as he moved and carried along chosen people to write the words of God, record them, preserve them for us as the holy scriptures. And although he chose and empowered his leaders to do mighty works in his name, first Samuel eleven:six, And the spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings and his anger was kindled greatly and he he led in a great victory in the nation of Israel. Or second Chronicles twenty four twenty, and the spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada which stood above the people and said unto them, thus saith God, why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord that ye cannot prosper?

Because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath forsaken you. Who empowered Saul, emboldened him, and led him in victory, the spirit of God, the holy spirit. Who emboldened Zechariah and gave him the words to say, the holy spirit. We don't just meet the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. We meet the Holy Spirit way back in Genesis chapter one and verse two and we see that he is active all the way through the scripture.

However, in Joel two, we're reminded that there would come a day when God's spirit would be poured out upon what? All. Would be poured out upon all who believed. All who believe. Not not just the prophets, not just the leaders.

But all who believe. The young and the old, male and the female, prophet, the priest, the king, the accountant, the ditch digger, the mother and wife. All God's spirit would be poured out upon. There would be a change in the work of the Holy Spirit in this world Joel foretold. And Jesus spoke of that coming day to his disciples numerous times throughout his ministry and most notably near near the time of his return to the father in heaven.

Jesus also foretold of the coming. This change in the work of who? The Holy Spirit among men. He called it the promise of the father. Luke chapter 24 and verse 49 and behold, I send the promise of my father upon you but tarry you in the city of Jerusalem until you be endured with power from on high.

Here, Jesus calls the Holy Spirit, the promise of the father. Same thing in Acts chapter one and verse four and being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the father which saith he, you have heard of me. What is that promise? Rather, who is that promise? That promise is the Holy Spirit.

It was promised, foretold of back in Joel chapter two, and again by Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry. There was something that he wanted his disciples to look forward to when he went back to heaven. You see, they were concerned. They thought as Jesus spoke of his death and if Jesus spoke of his return to the father, they thought, oh no, you're going away. We're going to be all what?

Alone. We're going to be all alone. What are we going to do? They had walked and talked and been taught by Jesus for three years. They had seen him nearly every day.

How amazing that must have been and as I can imagine, when he talked about going away, they thought, oh no. Oh, no. No. No. No.

No. Don't let that happen. Don't don't go away. Don't go away. They wanted Jesus to stay, wouldn't you?

Sure you would. And so Jesus gave them words of comfort and he told them that there was someone coming. Who would be there to help them? That he would not leave them comfortless. He would not leave them alone.

That he would send the promise of the father, the holy spirit. Turn if you would in your Bibles to John chapter 14. John chapter 14. So, if you leave Joel there, turn if you would to John chapter 14. And look at verses sixteen and seventeen.

John fourteen, sixteen, and 17. Why did Jesus have to say about this promise, this gift that was coming to his disciples? John fourteen sixteen, and I will pray the father. And he shall give you another comforter. Another meaning, as Jesus was leaving, God would send another to be with them, to comfort them, to help them.

So, I will pray the father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you how long? Forever. So, Jesus said, well, I'm going back to heaven. They're concerned. Jesus said, don't be concerned.

When I go back to heaven, God, father will spend the comforter and he will be with you how long? Forever. Forever. Even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but you know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be what? And shall be in you.

He dwelleth with you now. Of course, God, the son, and God the holy spirit are both God and Jesus was with him and the holy spirit was active in the ministry and life of Jesus Christ. So, the holy spirit was with them but Jesus said, it'll be even better. He won't just be with you but he will actually be what? In you.

So, we see here that the promise would be their comforter, their helper, so that they would not be alone in the task that was laid out before them. That was the promise, the gift that Jesus spoke of. Look in chapter 15 and verse 26. Jesus says, but when the comforter, the helper is come, whom I will send unto you from the father, even the spirit of truth which preceded from the father, he shall testify of me. He will give you assurance.

He will give you faith. Help you to grow and to follow. He will be your helper. As I have been your helper, your comforter. He would be their teacher.

Look, if you would in John fourteen twenty six. John fourteen twenty six, but the comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things and bring all things to remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you. This promise of the father would be a comfort to them. He would also be a teacher. He would be an instructor.

Reminding them of all that Christ has said and would need to know in the future. Christ had taught them a lot of stuff and as is evident during his ministry, some of it seemed to go in one ear and what? Out the other. Several times, he told his disciples, I'm going to be crucified and I'm going to what? Rise again and yet when he rose again, they were shocked.

Why? Because they they quit listening with the I'm going to die part, okay? They didn't want to hear that and they never got to the, oh yeah, I'm going to rise from the dead part, okay? But Jesus says, when the Holy Spirit has come, he will teach you. He will remind you, give you understanding into all those things that I taught you and things that you need to know going forward.

He will be your teacher. Jesus had been their teacher. He had been there with them to comfort them. He had been there with them to teach them. They were concerned.

God said, I'm going to send you the comforter. Don't be concerned. He will what? He will be your, he will be your new teacher. Look, if you would in John chapter 16, this promise of the father would also be their guide, their guide, and and their assistant, their guide and assistant in the ministry of the gospel.

They weren't sent out alone. They were sent out with a guide to point the way. They were sent out with a guide to go before them. Like someone who cuts the path before you. That was that was the holy spirit.

He would be their guide. He would point their way. Help to light their path, assist them because the ministry of the gospel is not something we can do in the flesh. It's not something we can do alone. It is something that is meant to be done in the guidance and power of who?

Of the Holy Spirit. And so we read in John 16 verse seven. John 16 verse seven. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is expedient. What's that word expedient mean?

It means good for you, beneficial for you that I want, that I go away. They were they they didn't believe that. I don't think at the time but that's what Jesus told them. It's beneficial for you if I go away. For if I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you but if I depart, I will send him on you.

When he has come, he will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgement. Of sin because they believe not on me of righteousness because I go to my father and you see me no more of judgement because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you but you cannot bear them now. How be it when he, the spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into all truth for he shall not speak of himself. For whatsoever he shall hear that shall he speak and he will show you things to come.

He shall glorify me for he shall receive of mine and shall show it unto you. So, Jesus said, I have left you a guide, a guide to help you. Guide you, point the way, and go with you. Convict the world of sin. To demonstrate the righteousness of Christ in us as Christ is in heaven.

And to help them as they give forth the gospel to draw souls unto Jesus Christ. What a gift we have as Christians which we so much take for granted. A person that as it said in Ephesians, sadly, we often grieve because we're not listening to him. We're not walking in his guidance. We're not depending upon his power.

A gift God gave us. Us. A tool that sadly, we often don't use. Our teacher, our guide, our comforter, and our enabler. In Acts chapter one and verse eight, Jesus said, but you shall receive power, enabling power.

After that, the Holy Ghost has come upon you. You shall be witnesses to me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and unto the what? The uttermost part of the earth. Jesus said, when he was going back to heaven, you go back to Jerusalem and you what? You wait for the promise of the father.

Because you are not meant to face this journey. You're not meant to take on this mission alone. And that was evident in them during Christ's ministry. One minute, Peter would would say, thou art the Christ, the son of the living God. In boldness, as God, Jesus said to Peter, flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my what?

My father which is in heaven and the just few verses later, when Jesus said he was going to die on a cross, Peter, Peter grabbed him and said, no, Lord, may it not be. And Jesus said, get behind me what? Get behind me. Say, they weren't ready. They weren't prepared yet.

They weren't meant to do this alone. The same Peter that said, oh Lord, no, may it not be that you're going to the cross. It's the same Peter as we'll see today that stands up on the day of Pentecost and preaches in 3,000 souls get saved. Holy Spirit made a difference in his life. He also makes a difference in ours especially if we acknowledge him.

Especially if we listen to him and his word. He will do mighty things through us as he did through them. So, they weren't ready yet. So, Jesus said, don't don't leave Jerusalem as he's ascending up into heaven. Don't leave Jerusalem yet.

I know I've given you a task to do but first, this is what I want you to do. I want you to go back to Jerusalem and I want you to stay there together and I want you to pray for the coming of the promise of the father and so they did. For several days, they went back and they prayed. They gathered together in the upper room, probably the same upper room where they had celebrated the Lord's supper with Christ before he was crucified. They're in in Jerusalem and they prayed and and encouraged one another.

And then God gave the promise Can't you remember when you were a child and you knew that very soon you were going to get the greatest greatest present ever? Or at least thought you were? Do you remember you just couldn't wait till your birthday or Christmas morning? Do you remember waking up that morning early and not being able to go back to sleep? Because you you just knew what was underneath that tree and you had to go in there and rip it open.

Now, what we had to do is we had to go down to my aunt's house and we had to have breakfast before we could come back up and open the presents. We would go have breakfast at her house and and we would pray and we would read the the Luke two and then we'd open the presents and when you're a kid and you're seven or eight years old, that just seems like an eternity on Christmas morning. Better yet, I can remember the day of my graduation from college. The day of my wedding, my ordination, the anticipation of the moment momentous events in my life. I was about to embark on something new.

And so were Christ's disciples. So, they gathered together there in the upper room along with other believers awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit as Christ had foretold. Can you imagine their anticipation as they waited and prayed? And then, the promise of the father came. Look if you would in Acts chapter two.

Acts chapter two. This is a part one of parts two or three maybe on message on the Holy Spirit. We're not going get to everything today. So, if I don't touch on something, don't worry. I might get back to it, alright?

Acts chapter two beginning in verse one. When the day of Pentecost was fully come. Now, the day of Pentecost was a feast of a holiday celebration of the Jews celebrated fifty days, Penta meaning fifty days after the Passover and many Jews had come from all over the world to celebrate the day of Pentecost there in Jerusalem. As commanded in the Old Testament law. When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

That is the believers there. In the upper room, suddenly there came a sound from heaven as a rushing mighty wind filled all the house where they were sitting. There appeared under them cloven tongues as like fire and it sat upon each one of them and they were all filled with the holy ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance. They were dwelling at Jerusalem, devout men out of every nation under heaven. They had come there for the day of Pentecost or maybe other reasons.

And now, when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and when confounded because that every man heard them speak in his own language. So they they came from from Asia Minor and they came from Italy and they came from Greece and they came from Syria and they came from Egypt and they they came from other places where the native tongues of their people were not normally spoken in Jerusalem where the common language was Aramaic or Greek or maybe Hebrew and yet, when these people came out of the supper room, one guy heard somebody speaking in in Syriac and one guy heard somebody speaking in Aramean. One guy heard somebody speaking in this language and that language and they were they were confused. What is going on here? Was, I hear I hear these Galileans they look like to me.

These uneducated people and they're speaking in my, you know, from a distance, it got all muddled and sounded like there was some wild going on evidently because as we read here, that from a distance as some were listening, it says in verse seven, they were all amazed and marveled saying to one another, behold not all these which speak Galileans and how here we every man in our own our own tongue wherein we were born. Parthians and Medes and Elamites and dwellers of Mesopotamia and Judea, Cappadocia, and Pontius, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphilia, and Egypt, and parts of Libya, and Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews, and proselytes, Cretes, and Arabians. We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. They were amazed and were endowed saying to one another, what meaneth this? Others mocking said, these men are full of what?

New wine. They thought they were drunk. Well, that's because they were either listening from a distance and it just got all muddled together. They didn't know these other time, these other languages and they thought, boy, this is strange. Something weird is going on.

Well, something great was going on. Something God wanted to get their attention about. This special day, the day of Pentecost had come. God had fulfilled his promise in the book of Joel to pour out his what? Pour out his spirit.

And on this particular wonderful occasion to get the people's attention in Jerusalem, the spirit gave them utterance into languages that they did not want, that they did not know, that they had not studied, so that others there heard, them speaking in their own in their own languages. Amazing. Now, just because it happened on the day of Pentecost doesn't mean that you should expect everybody that gets saved and gets the Holy Spirit to speak in a language that they've never learned before. This was a unique what? This was a unique event, okay?

And God has a purpose for everything he does and this one had a what? It had a purpose to get the attention of those who came from other what? Other parts of the world. That they might hear that which was to what? That which was to come.

Verse 14, but Peter standing up in the 11 lifted up his voice and said unto them, you men of Judea and all you that dwell Jerusalem, be this known unto you and hearken to my words, for these are not drunken as you suppose, seen it be but the third hour of the day, That's 09:00 in the morning by the way but this is what that which was spoken by the prophet Joel and it shall come to pass in the last day saith God, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh, your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your young men shall see visions. Your old men shall dream dreams. And on your servants and on your handmaidens, I will pour out in those days of my spirit and they shall prophesy. So Jesus Peter got up and said, this that you're seeing, this is the day.

This is the day. This is the moment when everything is gonna change in respect to the work of the what? The Holy Spirit. And as Joel prophesied, God poured out his spirit with great fanfare. This particular moment and event that others would recognize that this was fulfillment of God's what?

Prophecy concerning the pouring out. Of his spirit. Look if you would down at verse 37. As things calm down, Peter got up in the midst of the group and Peter spoke in a language that everybody understood. It was either Aramaic or it was Greek, probably Aramaic.

It's recorded here for us in Greek as Peter spoke to the crowd that day and proclaimed the what? He proclaimed the gospel. He proclaimed the good news. That Jesus Christ had risen from the dead and that Jesus Christ had went back to the father and this that they had seen that day was the fulfillment of Jesus's promise to send who? To send the Holy Spirit.

To be with them. And so he preached the gospel. And then in verse 37, now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart. They were convicted in their heart. They were convicted because many of them had been there just weeks earlier when they had crude out, cried out what?

Crucify him. And rejected their Messiah. And as Peter preached in the power of the Holy Spirit and preached the gospel, they were convicted. Who do you think convicted them? Was it Peter?

No, it was the Holy Spirit. As God had promised, that convicted them as the word of God was preached that day. Verse 37 again and when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? They had crucified the savior. They had rejected him.

What what what could they do? They stood condemned. Then, Peter said unto them, what? Repent. Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remissions of sin and you shall regift, receive the gift of the holy ghost.

You shall receive the gift of the holy. The gift of the holy ghost is what? Or who? The holy ghost. The gift of the holy spirit is not speaking in tongues.

The gift of the Holy Spirit is not whatever. The gift of the Holy Spirit is the Holy Spirit. Now, the Holy Spirit does give us gifts to be used as tools in his what? In his service. The gift of the holy spirit is the holy spirit and Peter said, repent and be baptized, you shall receive remission of sins and receive the gift of the holy spirit for the promise unto you and to your children and to all and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord, our God, shall call and with many other words, he testified and he did did he testify and exhort saying, save yourselves from this untoward generation.

Then, they that gladly received his word were baptized in the same day they were added unto them what? About 3,000 souls. 3,000 souls were saved that day. That was the great evidence of the coming of the what? The Holy Spirit.

As he took the word of God preached by one and dwelt by his spirit and 3,000 souls got saved. He filled them and baptized them into one body, the body of Christ, the church. It says in first Corinthians here, for by one spirit are we all baptized into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been all made to drink into one spirit. What spirit is that? That is the what?

The person of the Holy Spirit. We too are baptized into that one body in Christ as they were that day. He enabled them on that day to come forth out of their gathering place speaking in native tongues to the people gathered Jerusalem from all over the world to grab their attention that they might be prepared to hear the what? To hear the gospel. Spoken in plain language, they could understand that the Holy Spirit took, convicted them, and brought them to Jesus Christ.

He emboldened and enabled Peter to preach the good news of Jesus, offer of salvation to the crowd, and 3,000 souls were saved. And those who had cried out, crucify him just weeks previous now confessed Jesus as their Lord and yet others would follow turning the world upside down as one critic would later comment of Paul and his associates, his preachers of the gospel, who by the power of this same spirit brought the good news of the gospel to the Gentile world. And brought the good news of the gospel to you who know Christ as savior. If you're saved today I didn't save you. Whoever preached to you that day didn't save you, God saved you.

By the sacrifice of his son, Jesus Christ, and by the regening power, regenerating power of his holy spirit. Who now is yours. This person and gift of God would change their lives and our lives forever. Maybe you already know him. Do you remember the day when he came into your heart and life?

I do. I was nine years old. Came forward at the end of a service. Realized if I died that day, I knew exactly where I was going and it wasn't heaven because I was a lost sinner on my way to hell but that Jesus loved me. He died for me and he would save me and I came forward that night and I trusted in Christ.

I called upon him in faith to be my Lord and savior and he saved me. I was born again by his spirit and sealed till the day of redemption. If you can't remember that, maybe you can before you leave today The Holy Spirit can be your present, your gift too But you say how? Well, Peter tells us how in Acts chapter two and verse 37. Bear with me for just a couple more minutes.

I I know that clock says it's after twelve but we gotta finish. When they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said unto Peter and all the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do? And Peter said unto them, repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ, the remission of sins and you shall receive the Holy Ghost which means you shall be what? Saved or born again as Jesus put it to Nicodemus in John three. He said, repent, repent which meant to choose and confess the risen Christ by faith as Lord and savior from sin, turning from their previous choice to reject him to instead embrace him.

The word repentance, the idea of repentance is mean I turn from whatever I was trusting and whatever I was doing, I turn in faith to Jesus Christ and I embrace him as my savior, as my Lord. I call unto him. Lord, save me from my sin. And I'm born again Repent, believe. Bible says in Romans ten nine, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be what?

Thou shalt be saved. The Bible says, but as many as received him, to them gave you power to become the sons of God even to them that what? Believe on his name and that those that believed on his name that day and those who were saved from their sin, they followed the Lord's command obediently to be baptized and to confess him what? Publicly. We're not saved by the waters of baptism.

We're saved by faith in Jesus Christ. But a faith that saves, a faith that demonstrates it in our life and in our works. Those that were saved that day were baptized to identify themselves with their new savior, Jesus Christ that God asked us to do also. They didn't have to be baptized before they received the holy spirit. If you look a few chapters over in Acts 10, we meet a man named Cornelius.

Cornelius was a Gentile, a centurion, a Roman soldier who sent messengers as led by the Holy Spirit to Peter to bring him the gospel and as he listened and he received the word of the gospel by faith, the Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius before he was what? Before he was baptized. He was saved by faith. You and I are. And then he was baptized as a public confession of what Christ had done in his life and in mine.

Bible says in John one twelve, as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God even to them that believe on his name. Have you believed on his name? There's only one way to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit who will seal you. We'll look at that maybe next week or another service. Seal you until the day of redemption and give you a home in heaven.

Make you a child of God. Only one way and that's through faith, Jesus Christ. Have you called upon him in faith to be your Lord and savior? For whosoever shall call in the name of the Lord shall be saved. God speaking to you.

Have you come to him? Have you embraced him by faith? If you have, you have a home in heaven. You have the Holy Spirit who is with you and who wants to fill you and wants to lead you and guide you and teach you. If you will let him.

If you're here today and you've never trusted Christ, you don't have the Holy Spirit. You don't have a home in heaven and you don't have eternal life. But you can. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whoso believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world to him might be saved.

He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. Would you come as we sing this hymn of invitation in a moment? Would you come? And I'll be glad to show you how you can know Christ as savior today. Let's pray.

Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord for your word. Thank you for the spirit that you have given to us, who abides with us, who has sealed us, who who is our guide and our teacher, our friend, who's not left us alone. Thank you Lord that he's with us here as we meet this day to carry forth the word of God to prick and convict hearts. Lord, that we who know you as savior might learn to walk in your spirit and appreciate the spirit we've been given and not grieve you by our disobedience and Lord, that there be one here today who doesn't know Christ as savior, who hasn't made that decision, who is struggling with it today, that you might bring them to faith and salvation in Christ, that they might come as we give this invitation today that we might show them how to be saved. What an exciting day that would be.

For us, more importantly, for them. In Jesus name, we pray, amen.