Access Church

John 16:7  //  But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

RUACH – a wind, breath, a violent exhalation, blast of breath.

Genesis 1:2  //  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

PNEUMA – a current of air, blast of breath, a strong breeze.

John 6:63  //  The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

 

Wind is UNSEEN.

John 14:16-17  //  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

 

Wind is UNPREDICTABLE.

John 3:8  //  Jesus answered...“The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

 

Wind is REFRESHING.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10  //  “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"-- but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.

That (bleep) was AWESOME!

 

Wind is POWERFUL.

Acts 1:8  //  “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.”

1 Samuel 10:6  //  The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person.

The Holy Spirit gives us power for:

• Witness

• Holiness

• Living

 

Baptism: To be IMMERSED in

Baptized into the Body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:13  //  For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body...

Galatians 3:26-27  //  So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Water baptism.

Acts 2:41  //  Those who accepted his message were baptized...

Baptism is a PUBLIC declaration of a PERSONAL decision.

Matthew 10:32-33  //  Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.

Next Baptism: September 8

Baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:14-17  //  When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

What is it?

Father, Son, Spirit

Creator, Savior, Helper

John 16:7  //  But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

Jesus was God WITH us. The Holy Spirit is God IN us.

Paraclete

Acts 2:12-16  //  Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel.

We REJECT what we don’t UNDERSTAND.

Acts 19:1-2  //  While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

Huh?

Who wouldn’t want that?

5 Things We Love About the Holy Spirit

 

1. He COMFORTS Me.

John 14:26  //  But the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Condemnation & Conviction

2 Corinthians 1:4  NLT  //  He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.

2. He CONVICTS Me.

John 16:8 //  When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.

2 Corinthians 7:10 //  Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

Psalm 32:3-5  //  When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.

3. He LEADS Me.

John 16:13  //  But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

4. He REMINDS Me.

John 14:26  //  But the Comforter, who is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

5. He EMPOWERS Me.

Acts 1:8  //  But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Who wouldn’t want that?

Luke 5:16 // "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places to pray."

Big Idea: When you follow Jesus, he will teach you how to pray.

There is a wrong way to pray!

We need to pray because…

We need a relationship with God.

He is worthy.

We need to submit to God.

We need God’s provision.

We need God’s forgiveness.

We need God’s guidance.

Application:

What aspect about prayer stands out to you the most?

What decision will you make to learn to pray this week?

What obstacles do you see with your decision?

Matthew 6:9-13 // "This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'"

Matthew 6:33  //  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33  //  But seek FIRST his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

PRIORITY - Treated as more important.

Matthew 6:19-24  //  “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

My HEART follows my MONEY.

Heart —> Money

First century people treasured:

Garments // Grain // Gold

Matthew 6:33-34  //  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

What do I TREASURE?

ETERNAL > TEMPORARY

Romans 12:2 NLT  //  Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Transform - Metamorphao

Everything begins with a thought.

Ecclesiastes 10:2 MSG  //  Wise thinking leads to right living; Stupid thinking leads to wrong living.

What we think determines how we feel.

Redirect your thoughts.

Isaiah 26:3 NLT  //  You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Matthew 22:37-39 // Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."

We can love GOD and OTHERS because He loved us first.

I am deeply LOVED, fully FORGIVEN, fully PLEASING, totally ACCEPTED by God.

We think our value is established by what WE do rather than what CHRIST has done for us.

God's Love = Christ's Sacrifice

Colossians 1:21-22 // "You yourselves are a case study of what he does. At one time you all had your backs turned to God, thinking rebellious thoughts of Him, giving Him trouble every chance you got. But now, by giving Himself completely at the cross, actually dying for you, Christ brought you over to God's side and put your lives together, while and holy in His presence."

Titus 3:3-5 // "At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lives in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things had done, but because of His mercy."

Philippians 4:4-7 // "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

John 13:34-35 // “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

The primary goal of spiritual life is human TRANSFORMATION. - John Ortberg

Learning To Influence

Don’t be a JERK!

1 Peter 2:12 (ESV) // Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

Philemon 1:4-6 (NIV) // 4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints. 6 I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.

Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV) // 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The action is to GO.

Don’t RUN from darkness, SHINE in that darkness!

Why don’t we share our faith?

1. We don’t feel like we know ENOUGH.

Share – Lives – Understanding – Outward

2. We don’t know WHAT TO SAY.

Luke 12:11-12 // “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

3. We simply don’t CARE.

Matthew 9:35-38 (NIV) // Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 28 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Followers of Christ view life through the LENS OF ETERNITY.

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Do you believe that Jesus still heals?

Confessionist Group

Cessationist Group

James 5:13-16  // Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

God still heals people.

Hebrews 13:8  //  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Hebrews 11:39-40 NLT  //  All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had something better in mind for us…

God is more concerned about my soul.

Matthew 10:28  //  Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

God wants me to grow in my faith.

Matthew 7:7-8  //  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Family member with Cancer Diagnosis

Marriage Healing

Thyroid Cancer

Family eye surgery

Brain Aneurysm

Learning to Listen

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Matthew 7:24-25  //  Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

What is the FOUNDATION of my life?

How God Speaks:

1. Prayer

1 Kings 19:11-12  //  The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

2. Circumstances

Proverbs 3:5-6  //  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

3. The Church

Acts 2:46  //  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.

4. The Bible

Psalm 119:105  //  Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.

Psalm 119:10-11  //  I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.

11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

God’s Word is my AUTHORITY.

2 Timothy 3:16-17  //  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

How the Bible Helps Us:

1. Teaching

2. Rebuking

3. Correcting

4. Training

James 1:19-26  //  19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. 21 Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

Action > Hearing

Most Christians are more EDUCATED than they are OBEDIENT.

Deep is about ACTION, not INFORMATION.

5 Day Bible Reading Plan: www.access.tv/follow

You become like those with whom you spend time.

Matthew 11:28-30 // “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Jesus wants to be with you.

Jesus wants to carry your burdens.

Jesus wants to train you.

Jesus wants to teach you a better way.

Ways you can spend time with Jesus:

Large Group - Take notes & make a decision.

Small Group - Listen, learn, serve, pray.

1-on-1 - Be open, be accountable, pray.

Quiet Time - Read Scripture, memorize, take notice, commit, pray.

Will you come to Jesus?

What burden will you let Jesus carry?

Will you submit to Jesus’ training?

What will you do to learn from Jesus?