Video Transcript: The Spirit-Filled Leader

With that, and with that heavy responsibility, I think it's perfect. That today we're talking  about the spirit filled leader, and the Holy Spirit because, oh, man, I just can't say enough  about how, in my church, I don't know your background, but my background is a more  conservative church where the Holy Spirit was avoided. We didn't talk a lot about and we  would never deny him. You know, of course, yeah, the Holy Spirit is very, very important. But  in all actuality, in day to day, week to week living, what's the difference between a person  with the Holy Spirit and someone without? And so when we come to this topic, I know some of us come from that background where we would theologically on a test, say yes, I have the  Holy Spirit in me. Yes, I believe in the Holy Spirit is I believe the Spirit of God. And, you know,  like, we have it up here, possibly. But he's not a real part of our everyday life. And then I've  talked to many others who come from churches, where they're always talking about the Holy  Spirit. But it's like they were giving the Holy Spirit credit for everything. And so even things  that may have been manufactured are like, Oh, what's that twitch in my show? I think that  was the Holy Spirit. Hey, you know, and then so pretty soon, everything's about the Holy  Spirit. And it's a different way of almost dumbing down the, the holiness of God, and the  amazing thought of the Holy Spirit of God and what He does, we don't want to trivialize him,  you know, with every little thing, at the same time, we don't want to neglect him. We want to  take a biblical stance. And, and the truth is, is I use this illustration a lot. It's like, man, if I'm  stuck on an island, and I just read this book, okay, I'm just on that island reading this book,  never been to a church, no one's ever preached to me. I've just read this over and over and  over what would I come away with. And I just was asking myself that question, you know, like, years ago, going, okay, just from the Bible, what would I say I needed to do, you know, pray a  prayer and ask Jesus into my heart, receive him, you know, what would it be? No, I think I  really would like, just go, Okay, I need to turn from living for myself, and follow Jesus, I need  to get baptized. And oh, man, I need this filling of the Holy Spirit, I need that Spirit of God to  enter into me or I'm not going to make it like this, there's going to be tremendous,  tremendous power, when the Holy Spirit enters in me. I mean, based upon what I read in this  book, he'll make me a slave to what's right. He's going to give me the power to have the  supernatural gifts to influence other people. But it's like, that's the difference between being  dead and living in the flesh and being alive living by the Spirit, I would expect this  tremendous power, you know, and then to, to, you know, to be rescued off that island and  brought to civilization like, what are my thoughts on what the church would look like? And,  man, I would assume it's these people that are not like everyone else. But a, I mean, wouldn't  you just expect a massive difference? Just from scripture, between a person with the Holy  Spirit and the person without if you go just by Scripture? And it's just crazy how, nowadays  we're not seeing much difference between a person who supposedly has the Holy Spirit in  them and a person who doesn't, and it's not right. I mean, we're talking about the Spirit of  God, we're talking about Romans 8:12, the Spirit of Him who raised Christ from the dead now  lives in us to think about that the Spirit of Him who raised Christ from the dead, to use that  idea of that that kind of power. I mean, imagine a crucified body laying up here could just  picture a dead body just dripping just blood everywhere, just mutilated. I mean, it just just  horrifying. And to see that body what if we could see that body? Stand up? Heal himself and  walk around? Can you imagine how terrified we would be? How in awe, like nothing matters  now that I've seen that kind of resurrection power and Romans 8 says the Spirit of Him who  raised Christ from the dead now lives in you like that kind of power man. I'm confessing you  guys. I don't get it completely yet. I don't want to fall short of this, I want to stay in pursuit. I  want to, I want to have a body around me that says, You know what? I believe that too. I'm  tired of people telling me I can't do this. I can't do this. I'll never figure it. No, man, I've got  tremendous power in me. I mean, do people that attend church services, and our gatherings?  Do they believe this about themselves? But it starts with us, right? We talked about this, we're the leaders. It's like, do we believe this about ourselves? When you look in the mirror, or you  just think about yourself, do you think about that kind of power being in you? Because I  forget, and I get insecure, and I'll go speak somewhere and go, Oh, man, I, I don't know if I  can pull this off. Or I'll be sitting next to someone you know, on the plane. And going, Man, I  don't know if I'll have the words to say. And I won't think through that, wait a second. I've got 

tremendous power, not just some human being walking around trying to use his human brain. Like, I've got the Spirit of Him who raised Christ from the dead in me. And I need to display  that to the world that you display to the church. So that I'm an example that people around  me, where again, they're going to follow our example. And so evaluate your life right now.  Because we're not looking for people to just do things in the flesh. You know, and I think  church can become that very easily. And I think that's what we've kind of grown accustomed  to, is okay, you're, you're strong, once you move chairs, you know, we just give task and this  and this and this. And we just do things like you can lead a Bible study without the Holy Spirit  of God. You know, if you can read, you can lead a Bible study, if you ask a question, you can  lead a Bible. But we're talking about something so much greater than that, which is an  example of a spirit filled human being where the world would be shocked by the things that  we do. So just as we talk about this, something I want you to think about is we as leaders,  should be constantly changing. Like, I hope you're not the same person you were three  months ago. Because we're teaching the Word of God, and this should be impacting us, like,  we should be changing, we should be growing in our courage is growing in our boldness,  growing in our holiness. So just always ask yourself, Man, am I a different person, am I  different man or woman than I was three months ago, because I've got the Spirit of the Living  God inside of me. And he's leading me into this process of sanctification and making me more and more like Christ. I love the passage in I Thessalonians chapter one. In I Thessalonians  chapter one, verse four, Paul's talking to this church. And in verse four, he says, For we know,  brothers, loved by God, that He has chosen you. Because our gospel came to you, not only in  Word, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with full conviction. You know, what kind of men we prove to be among you for your sake, and You became imitators of us and of the  Lord, for you receive the Word and much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit. So that you  became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia, for not only has the word of the Lord sound forth from you, and Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone  forth everywhere, so that they need not so that we need not say anything about us, or that  we need not say anything, for they themselves report concerning us, the kind of reception we  had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and  to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from  the wrath to come. So So Paul starts off, you know, writing this letter to these people, and he  says, Look, I know that God chose you. Basically, I know you're saved. But But how do you  know that they're saved? He doesn't say because I remember when you prayed that prayer. I  remember when you cried, I remember when you got baptized. He didn't say any of that. He  goes, You know what I know. We know brothers love by God that he's chosen you what  because our gospel came to, not only in word but in power in the Holy Spirit was full  conviction. Then he goes on and he lists, we saw the changes in your life, you started  imitating us, you know, you turn from your idols and you start to fall, he names all their  actions, but it's all about, look, I know you're saved, because we saw the words than just land  on flesh. But it was like, wow, that came in the power of the Holy Spirit. Because your whole  life changed. You started getting persecuted, you didn't back down, you held on and you had  this joy in the Holy Spirit, even though the Holy Spirit was telling you to repent, and a turn  from those things. You just did it. And he goes, we don't have to talk about your faith. And to  tell people how the Thessalonians became Christians, cuz you're, you're talking about it all  the time. You're like, trumpeting is that word there? It's like sounding forth from you. And I just think, again, we live in a time where we don't talk about the results of the Holy Spirit, we  don't talk about the power of the Holy Spirit. It's all about, oh, we passed on this knowledge.  And he intellectually said, he believed that. And Paul here is saying, Now I know that you guys are real. Because I see it in your life, I see it in your actions. I see. When we give you we read  the Word of God to you, like you receive it with joy, even in persecution. It's all right. And, and there's no there's action to it, you know. So I just I guess one of the things that was so  frustrating to me was I looked at so much of what we did in quote, unquote, church. And I  thought, This is so explainable, even if there's no Holy Spirit. And that, that just doesn't seem  to be congruent with his book. Like, who wants to do that, and what I mean by this is, I  believe I can draw a crowd, to any religion. I don't mean to be cocky, or whatever, I just think 

the Lord's given me some gifts and leadership, and I can get the right people in place and  draw crowd together and create energy. Get a good band, and whatever else. I believe, if I  was president of Kentucky Fried Chicken, I could fire up, you know, managers and workers  and, you know, and just make the colonel someone to be admired. Like, you know, like we  have, people have natural gifts. And, and it's like, we can put on these church services where  

we'll bring in like, you know, an illusionist, David Copperfield, it's coming, you know, and we'll  fill out a stadium and, and we'll get some, you know, crossover bands, calm, you know, that  kind of half Christian God not, you know, and, and get them and get everyone all fired up. And then I'll come up and just, you know, give some motivational message. Yeah, you know, and  at the end of a while God really moved. It's like, I don't know, like, that would have worked for  anything. You know, what I see in Scripture is just like, God wants to do things that you  couldn't have done in any other way. Like, that was impossible. Like fire literally came down  from heaven and consume that sacrifice, or fire came down and landed on their head. And  they started speaking in other languages. I mean, that early church, it was like the  supernatural, like power. And I, and I'm still seeking more of this, and thank God, I don't, I do  look at my life and go, gosh, that's incredible. Where you took me from, like, that didn't make  any sense. Why did you take me from that I was nothing. I was doomed. And you took me to  this place. And I'm just saying, there's just still so much more. And I just don't want to do  church in such a way that's explainable. Where it's like, well, if you get the best businessmen  together, you know, the best artists together and the best communicators together and then  you can create a stir, but you really can do that for anything. Yeah, for Burning Man, you can  do he just, this is our world, you know? And, and the thing is, is he can bring, I mean,  whoever, Beyonce can fill a room and create energy, you know, and it's like, okay, but what  this book tells me is, there's something so much more, and I want all of it. And I'm saying I  haven't been able to experience all of that. And maybe it's because I've never really just  pursued a body of Christ where I go, come on. You guys, you all believe this right? And we all  want something more. And I think we need to do this together to remind each other of the  power that's in us. Too often when when people sin, we just put our arms around them go,  Yeah, I sin also, rather than, like on men, do you understand how much power is in you know  how much power is in me, we don't have to fall. We don't have to have these meetings every  week, where we just confess the same old sins over and over and over and comfort each  other as I go, we're still sinning, you know, but to really go, No, we can put this to death.  According to Scripture. Let's put this thing to death. You know, let's live in a different way. And let's seek a greater power. That's not just using our human giftedness. But saying God, no,  this is a manifestation of your spirit. So there ought to be more. Man, I, um, I hope you hear  me like, I'm amazed at what God's done and allowed me to be a part of in my life. I just don't  want to end life like this. I think there's more. I think there's a lot more from what I read in this book. I think there's more, and I want to pursue it. And I want to trivialize the Holy Spirit.  Ephesians chapter five. Passage, I'm sure you're all familiar with Ephesians 5, verse 18. Where it says, do not get drunk with wine. For that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,  addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody  to the Lord with all your heart, with your heart, Giving thanks always and for everything to  God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of  reverence for Christ. He starts off that phrase, he says, don't get drunk with wine, because  that's debauchery but be filled with the Spirit. I love that analogy because he compares being  drunk with wine to being filled with the Spirit. Picture a drunk person. I mean, we've all seen it or been it. You know, it's just, you know, when someone's just drunk out of their mind. Like,  it's so obvious. It just you just look, it doesn't take very long or 10 seconds. And you go, Man,  that guy is on something. He is just, he's out there. And he uses that picture. And he says,  Okay, I want you to be filled with the Spirit. That type of person where they spend just a few  seconds with you a few minutes with you and go, Okay, what is this about? Okay, there's,  there's something different about you. I mean, I believe it can be to that extreme. But it's  interesting after he says that, be filled with the Spirit. He explains it addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with the heart  Giving thanks always for everything like these are the these are the participles he uses to 

explain, being filled with the Spirit. So being filled with the Spirit equals addressing one  another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Like you're so filled with the Spirit, boom, it's just like, gosh, Psalms come out of your mouth. Hymns come out of your mouth. Like I haven't met that many people like that, like I want to be come more like, you know, one person that  comes to my mind is, is Joni Eareckson. Tada, you know, who's been a paraplegic for almost  50 years now. But every time I see her, like, I can't spend two minutes with her without her  quoting a verse, or she'll literally just start singing. I mean, but this girl, you know, this  woman, she just talks about man I've been in this wheelchair for almost 50 years now. You  know, diving accident when she was a teenager. And she goes, If I ever stop praising God or  singing or whatever, I'll just lose it. i She every morning to when you wake up. All that means  is your eyes open. And now someone's got to pick you out of bed, change, you bathe you take you to the bathroom feed you do it all day long, and then lay you back in the bed to the next  day. And to do that for almost 50 years now. Jesus Christ if I don't if I don't praise God  incessantly. I'll just want to kill myself. You know, but it's, I want to I want to be that type of  person that now I'm just those things you know where where you're just when you address  people it's like, you tell them about what you're reading in God's word and, and and you're  thankful for everything. Like every that's why I just try not to complain about anything in my  life like really just literally never complain. But give thanks to God for everything. I mean, you  know, for everything in the Name of Lord Jesus Christ, like the moment you wake up, it's like,  wow, God, another day to serve you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for this  bread. Thank you that I can think today. Thank you that I can get up my friend Joni she can't  even get out of bed man. I'm up. I'm up. I'm up. Thank you that I know you. Thank you. I can't believe I'm talking to the God of the universe. Thank you. Because if I if I wrecked my car, I  die. There's nothing to fear I get to be with you. Thank you that the all my sins are forgiven,  like, all through the day thanking God for everything coming here. Go, man, it's Sunday  afternoon. Yeah, I'm a little tired. I feel a little sick. You know, whatever. But like, you know  what? This is so cool. Look at this. Now we have brothers and sisters here. They're talking  about No, let's do church, the Real Way, let's just go 100% After this, I've got people that are  devoting their lives that work full time jobs and are shepherding people and shepherding  them well as like, Wow, we got a little army here that's become like a family, you know, like  thanking, thanking, thanking, like, that's what the Spirit filled person is compared to the  person who just find something wrong in everything. You know, and a lot of times when we  talk about being spirit filled, we don't talk about what Scripture says, We, you know, and what Scripture emphasizes, but at the spirit filled person, he'll be addressing you, she'll be  addressing you with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. I love that idea of singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. Like just an ongoing song in your heart throughout the  day. You know, it's just, you're driving, you know, just in your heart, you're just worshipping  him, you got this melody going, how great is our God, you know, and then you see someone  and you just say, man, not great. Isn't God, amazing? Is this intense? I mean, what an  amazing day to day was and just tell them about your Thanksgiving or whatever. Like, I mean, what if we were all like that, you know, like, this is what God wants, is, this is what a spirit  filled person does. And for us to be that type of community, that regardless of everything,  we're giving thanks to God for everything in Christ Jesus. And then it says, and submitting to  one another out of reverence for Christ. That's a sign of a spirit filled person is a desire to  submit to others, out of reverence for Christ. And then he goes on his wife, submit to your  husband's husband's, love your wives, and then he talks children's, to obey your parents.  bondservants, obey your earthly masters, with fear and trembling, this is all a part of being  spirit filled, spirit filled person and not a rebellious, anti authority, type of person, but you take on the Spirit of Christ, who gladly submitted to his father, and comes under his leadership.  That's why we're trying to create a, you know, a picture to the world of man authority can be  a great thing. You know, that's why we don't want to any negative talk in here about the  elders or this pastor, and we can't allow that in the church. Because it's like, no, we're trying  to give the world a beautiful picture of authority. You know, it's like when, you know, I've said  that before, when I adopted the law, it's like, I go, honey, I want it. I want you to one day love  authority. Because I don't think you've ever liked authority. You know, most people don't. But I

want to show you such a good picture. You know, that by the time you graduate high school,  you're going man, I'm so glad that Francis was my authority. Like, that's my goal is to be that  great of a leader because I because that's why I view God and His authority, like it's a good  thing, and that these laws or whatever he gives me, Mandy, they lead to life. And so this is all  a part of being spirit filled. And so that challenge you what that passage just to evaluate, Man, am I that person, that when people meet me, like, I just want to share what God's teaching  me. I want to share these, these words of praise. And throughout the day, I've just got this  melody going on in my heart, and I'm thanking God for everything. And I'm not rebelling and  cursing leadership. I'm happy to come under, you know, godly leadership. And it just, it's, it's  all good. I mean, wouldn't you love to be around a person like that? You know, I mean,  imagine how many more friends you would have, if it was this way it, you know, it's just like  Gosh it is always uplifting. And so this is what the Holy Spirit can do in us. And then obviously, you've got the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians, 5 verses 22 to 23. The fruit of the Spirit is love,  joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. Against such  things, there is no law for the spirit, love, joy, peace, patience, kind of like are these the  things that people when they spend just a few minutes with you, this is what they see. Oh my  gosh, that's the most loving person ever met the most joyful person, most peaceful, the  kindest. And maybe you're listening, you know, you're you're hearing this list and, and you're  very convicted. Like the idea this is not the bum you out like, oh, man, none of that. You  know? I mean, if you're none of it, yeah, maybe you should think and consider it. Wow, what  what's going on is the spirit in me. But again, understand what we're going through a lot of  stuff over these weeks of what we want our leaders to be like, we're not saying okay, so by  the end in the next week, I want all these things in your life. But I'm just saying now, and we  agree, this is what we want, this is what we want to be. And let's pursue this and pray for  each other. And then the joy of knowing the Spirit of Him, who raised Christ from the dead  lives in us. And so if you're not a naturally patient person, you're not a naturally joyful person. You're not a naturally loving person. It's like, that's okay. Could the Spirit of God is in me, and  he can make me all of these things. That's what he wants to do with me. Rather than him too  often in church, we have these excuses, like, Well, I'm just an angry person. God knows that,  you know, what does that mean? What are you Why do you even talk like that? It's like, we  can't talk like that. That's not the way spirit filled leader talks. And, and I just think about what God has done in my life, just with anger, and lack of joy. And gosh, it's just patience and stuff,  I just certain things I didn't think I'd ever overcome, you know, anyone I was younger, just  thought I'd be an angry person. And I still remember, you know, like, we all have weird  childhood memories. And I just, I just remember as a kid, like, my aunt who lives out in there,  Cisco. I just remember her looking at me one time and just going, why you never happy? You  always, you know, you look so sad. You know? And, and, and I remember this other time, you  know, because you remember little things. I remember one time my dad was cooking a fish.  And, you know, Chinese we cook the whole fish or what you waste the head, you know, and  you just put the whole thing on there. And I remember just walking by you know, that fish,  you know, that has like a natural frown. I don't know if he does that before you catch him. But, you know, it's just got that, you know, and I just want to make a little stupid comment as I'm  walking, walking by my dad and going wow, that fish look sad. And I still hear my dad looked  at me he goes, that how you always look? Wow, you know, like, I still remember just stuff.  Like, that's how I always look, you know, like, it's just, I just not happy like this. And, like, I just I think of that and I you know, some people they're just by nature, they're just joyful, like,  Christian or not, like they're just born happy. And they're the happy kids in elementary school  or whatever. And I I just wasn't that you know, and and I just, yeah, it's weird. I remember the  day I took my eldest Rachel to a camp, you know, speaking at and, and unbeknownst to me,  they took her aside and interviewed her. They said, Hey, we don't want your dad here. We just want to interview you. And just what do you think of your dad? What's the first thing you think of when you think of your dad? And because joy he's just got so much joy. Oh, Really, and  then I remember is right after that, that I, you know, we were on the plane home or  something and, and it's talking to some stranger next to me and we just talked about  whatever and she goes, You know, I hear what you say but what you believe what I want to 

say is, I think you're the most joyful person I've ever met in my life. Like, seriously, that's so  cool. I was like, that's just so not me. Like, you're just worried, nothing seems to faze you.  Good, thankful. And it's like, man, that's so cool. It gives me hope for the other areas in my  life too that I'm growing in with patience, or, or whatever else it may be. But we have to just  look at even our worst characteristics and say, Wait, if the Spirit of Him who raised Christ from the dead is in me that I want a supernatural turnaround. I want a miracle. Now remember, like with the anger when Rachel was like two years old, and she was like, crying in her crib, or  whatever, I remember just picking her up and just screaming in her face. I mean, this is like a  two year having no she's two yet. Just go on Shut up. Like, ah, and I just remember just  dropping her in her crib and just is gone, man. I can't believe I just did that. Like, I could just  feel my shaking over a baby. Like I didn't know I was, you know, that much anger. And I just  never remember, you know, the way my dad would look at me and the way he would hit me  and that anger a lot of times, I'm just going, Man, that's totally me now. And now I'm doing  this. And I remember telling Lisa, oh, man, I just yelled at Rachel. What I'm doing is like I'm  out of control. And I remember just going out in the living room and getting on my knees and  say, God, I know I have power over this. I don't want to become this angry person. I don't  want to make her think that I'm just always angry at her, like change me. Like I don't I don't  ever want to yell at her again. And, man, it was just coming before God and I can honestly say like, from that day on. I mean, not every sin in my life like that, where it's like I pray and  boom, it's gone. But I can say like with that it really did. Like I never did that again. I never  yelled at her again. One time in junior high. You know, I called her a bad word. So bad. Okay.  But other than that, you know, it's like, the pattern of my life. And so as you look at your life, I mean, this isn't about you. This is not Oh, look at Francis, how good he is. It's like I'm going,  what the heck, I'm joyful. Where'd that come from? Like, man, like, I don't get mad like that.  That's crazy. Like I thought, let me just angry, bummed out, you know, this is just, you know,  different areas. It's just, that's what God can do. And I think some of you have seen that in  your areas in your life. And I said, No, I want this with everything. Supernatural, like  miraculously. And I'm praying that for my courage now and saying, God, I I don't have that  with the courage of I want that where I want to be shocked one day, at how courageous I am.  Right now. It just feels like I'm gutting out and forcing myself and disciplining myself and I  need help to stay bold. But God I want that miracle, Miracle Holy Spirit boldness, where he  didn't you know, I Paul told Timothy, God didn't give you a spirit of fear of timidity, but of  power, and love, and self control, okay. Like, this is what God gave us when He put His Spirit  in us. A spirit of power. Not sitting around going, I don't think I can do anything great for the  church. I don't think I have a lot to offer the church. Yes, you're not speaking by the Spirit  right then. Because that's not what he said. He says he gave you a spirit of power and a spirit  of love. Okay, that He's given us an ability to love the most unlovable, you know, the most  harsh, aggressive to love ISIS to love rapists to love those not only the victims of sex  trafficking, but the perpetrators going man, Okay, God, I want that I want that you said I can  have that that spirit of love and a spirit of self control, where the addictions that are I don't  know what the numbers they say are just staggering of how many people are addicted to  pornography nowadays. And they go on to look at any of that. God, you gave me a spirit that  goes beyond all this. I have self control. I don't have to stare at her. I don't have to think those thoughts. No, not to believe these lies. It's like, No, this is who I am. The spirit of me raised  Christ from the dead is in me. And I've got this spirit now of power, love and self control. And I just want to be this person that has this love, joy, peace, patience, and thanking God for  everything. You know, all of this is that, that just like a person who's drunk, you could tell in a  few minutes, lay out and be so filled with the spirit that people could see that everyone could  see. Like, that's what we're after, as a supernatural group of people. So that when people  walk in, and this is the character, you know, what these people are known for as a gatherer  and they love each other so much and care for each other so much, that they go, Okay, you  can't manufacture that. That's not a concert that's not just putting on a good service. That's  like a group of people that have been radically changed and transformed, they can't, they  went from death to life. I know how she used to be. And now I see her I know the way that  guy used to be, and I see him now. And the way that this body performs. It's like, wow, this is 

the way God created human beings to be like, that's what we want to be as the church. And  so this is what we're pursuing. And so, last passage I'll leave you guys with is, II Peter. II Peter, chapter one. Verse three, his divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and  godliness, through the knowledge of him who has called us to His own glory and excellence,  by which he is granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them, you  may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that's in the  world because of sinful nature. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your  faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge and knowledge with self control. Self control with  steadfastness, steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and  brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours, and are increasing, they keep  you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Just just  reminding you that his divine power, His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness. talks about how he, he's, no one has an excuse in this room. Okay, he's  given us everything we need for life and godliness. He's made us partakers of the divine  nature. But then what I love about it is He says, For this very reason, make every effort to  supplement your faith. So it's not a passive thing, either. Okay, I don't want you to think that.  Okay, yeah, he's given me the Holy Spirit. So all this stuff's just going to start happening to  me. No, there's this truth that yes, he gave you His Holy Spirit. So this stuff will happen. But  it's not exclusive of exclusive of you making every effort. You see how the Holy Spirit of God  and him entering in us, and then our effort work together in this somehow there's a marriage,  I don't get it completely. All I know that I can't say that I don't have to work at some of these  things. I'm amazed at how it's changed. I'm amazed at how quickly certain areas have turned  around in my life. But other ones man is just like this constant work. And so I don't want you  to think that, oh, once we receive the Holy Spirit, all these character qualities happen to us  passively, even if we don't want them to. It's not like it's forced upon us. We make every  effort. And God Himself gives us this tremendous power. And then we become these people.  And so so as we talk about our churches and and our people, I just want to make sure we  don't just get into a habit of running meetings, and having gatherings and doing things that  could be easily explained in the flesh. But to say, Gosh, this book is about the Holy Spirit, our  my youth pastor used to say, you know, it says the Acts of the Apostles, they really should  have been called the acts of the Holy Spirit. You know, like, like, let's, let's be careful, even  this morning in our gathering, there's like, okay, let's, let's remember who's doing all of this  stuff. And so that it's that it's not about Paul, it's not about Peter, you know, or Timothy, but  it's about the Holy Spirit in the same Holy Spirit today, who wants to do that through us. And  that should give us confidence to go, I'm not looking at myself in the flesh. God tells me not to do that I'm a new creation now. And I've got a tremendous power. And as we live this way,  and just start thinking this way and talking this way. The people are going to pick up on it.  And, and I just, I just want to, I just think God for you guys. And this is really fun for me, even  as I teach this and look you in the eyes and, and, you know, sometimes it's like a blank stare  from certain crowds. Like, I don't know, I don't know about this. And yet with you guys, it's  like, I feel like it's something where you've always thought this, you've always believed this.  And, and it's almost like I'm giving you permission to go, No, it's okay. We all believe this in  this room. And we're all going after this. And we kind of need each other to do this. Because  for too many years, we've been discouraged. And people telling us well, that was back then or you don't have to be so hard on yourself or this or that or the other thing. Sec. Now. There  should be tremendous power. And I'm not going to make excuses for my sin. I'm going to  make every effort I got power over it. And don't let me go on my stuff. You know, you tell me  and and say no, you got more power than that. Because this is what we all want. And, and I  just want to become this supernatural, spirit filled body that the world looks on and goes Wow. I've never seen anything like that. And what a perfect time to do that.