Title: "INCONVENIENT DETOURS"

Inconvenience: something that causes trouble, difficulties, or discomfort, they are awkward, inopportune, untimely, and unfortunate.

"What we see as an inconvenience, God sees as an opportunity"

Detours: Long, or roundabout routes taken to avoid something or to visit along the way.

"Detours may take more time than planned and may take more planning than we have time, but God uses them for our good and for His glory"

"Sometimes God has to allow inconvenient detours so that we can see more clearly the path He has already laid out before us."


Exodus 14:5-14

When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people and said: “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.” 6 So he got his chariot ready and took his troops[a] with him; 7 he took 600 of the best chariots and all the rest of the chariots of Egypt, with officers in each one. 8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the Israelites, who were going out triumphantly.[b] 9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, his horsemen,[c] and his army—chased after them and caught up with them as they camped by the sea beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians coming after them. Then the Israelites were terrified and cried out to the Lord for help. 11 They said to Moses: “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you took us to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt: Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

13 But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation He will provide for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet.”

v. 21-22 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back with a powerful east wind all that night and turned the sea into dry land. So the waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left.


POINT #1: Don't allow the DETOURS to INTIMIDATE

v. 10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians coming after them. Then the Israelites were terrified and cried out to the Lord for help.

"The enemy always works from behind. He doesn't have the power to go before you."

"God determines your steps, He maps out your path, and I can assure you that He doesn't share the directions with Satan."


POINT #2: STOP dwelling on the Detours

v. 11-12 They said to Moses: “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you took us to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt: Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

"They would have rather died serving as slaves, than to follow the detour to their freedom"

Genesis 45:5 And now don’t be worried or angry with yourselves for selling me here, because God sent me ahead of you to preserve life.

"Inconvenient detours create a clear path into our destiny"

"Stop dwelling on the detours as a derailment, but look at them as God's way of redirecting you for something better than you could have ever imagined."


Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or imagine-according to the power that works in you...


POINT #3: The Detour could TURN out to be your SALVATION

"What you presume to be as an "inconvenient detour", God assures you that He is redirecting:

-Your WORRY and turning them into WORSHIP

-Your TRIALS and turning them into TRIUMPHS

-Your PROBLEMS and turning them into PEACE

-Your DISCOURAGEMENT and turning them into DETERMINATION

-Your POUTING and turning them into PRAISE

"God is still in the business of parting your RED SEA"

"God's detour is directing you to your Promise Land"

"It’s time that you take the detour and start walking on dry ground"

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.

Psalm 37:5 "Surrender your way to the Lord; and He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn."

Proverbs 16:3 "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans."

Title: Tongues of fire and Misinterpretation

Acts 1:5- "For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. "

"By being immersed(baptized in the Holy Spirit) is when you will see the works(supernatural) of the Holy Spirit."

"You cannot expect the Holy Spirit to manifest any of the gifts through you if the Holy Spirit is not consistently living inside of you"

1 Corinthians 12:1, 4-7, 11
V. 1-“Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant:”
V. 4-7- “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:”
‭‭v. 11- “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”
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Point # 1: Speaking in tongues is Holy Spirit ENABLED.

Acts 2:4- “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
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So if the Spirit enables, the Spirit decides.

Acts 1:8- But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses.

Point #2: Tongues are REAL languages

1 Corinthians 14:9-11 “So likewise you, unless you utter by the tongue words easy to understand, how will it be known what is spoken? For you will be speaking into the air. There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and none of them is without significance. Therefore, if I do not know the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to me.”
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"Speaking in tongues is a gift FROM God, directly TO God, for the glory OF God."

V. 18-19 “I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.”
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POINT #3: Tongues are for understanding not confusion

V. 16- “Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say?”
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1 Corinthians 14:2-4 “For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries. But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.”

POINT #4 Tongues are for EDIFICATION and MULTIPLICATION of God's kingdom

Acts 2:3-4 “Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”
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V. 11- “we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God."

V. 41-42. “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

‭‭v. 47 “praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
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1 Peter 4:10 “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”
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TITLE: 100% GUARANTEED

“If we treat the Holy Spirit as if He is a super hero, the truth about the Holy Spirit will only seem like a fairy tale and the reality of the Holy Spirit will be suppressed by our limitations.”

“The Holy Spirit’s presence is not based on our feelings, but on the faith that gives us assurance.”

“The assurance of the Holy Spirit is an inference due to the DEPOSIT, the SEAL, and the EARNEST that God has given us.”

How can we have certainty that the Holy Spirit abides in the believer?

POINT #1: By the WORD of God

2 Timothy 3:16- "All Scripture is inspired by God[a] and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

1 John 5:11-13 “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in HIs Son. The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.”

POINT #2: By the PROMISES of God

2 Corinthians 1:20 “For everyone of God’s promises are yes and amen!

Romans 10:19 “That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

John 5:24 “I assure you: Anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgement but has passed from death to life.”


“But a Promise is only as good as the PROMISOR!!!!

POINT #3: By the CHARACTER of God

1 Corinthians 1:9 “God is FAITHFUL; you were called by Him into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

1 Thessalonians 5:24 “The one who calls you is FAITHFUL and He will do it.”

Hebrews 10:23 “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we possess for He who promised is FAITHFUL.”

“If God said it, you can trust it.”

POINT #4: By the SPIRIT of God

Ephesians 1:13-14 “When you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believe in Him, you were also sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory. The Holy Spirit has been given to us as a SEAL, as a guarantee of His promise.”

A SEAL indicates ownership and security.

1 Corinthians 6:19 “Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.”


The Holy Spirit s our EARNEST- the guarantee of our inheritance.

“As the seal, He guarantees that we ourselves will be kept safely for the inheritance. As the Earnest, he guarantees the inheritance will be kept securely for us. The guarantee looks forward to the full redemption, just as the first fruits look forward to the completed harvest."

Title: Who Is He and How do I get Him?

Supernatural- attributed to some force beyond scientific understanding or the laws of nature.


John 16:7-15 Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth. It is for your benefit that I go away, because if I don’t go away the Counselor will not come to you. If I go, I will send Him to you. 8 When He comes, He will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: 9 About sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see Me;11 and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
12 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me, because He will take from what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is Mine. This is why I told you that He takes from what is Mine and will declare it to you. HCSB

Question #1: Who is the Holy Spirit?

Who He is NOT:
-Some mystical force,
-He doesn’t come in doses,
-He is not a distant, impersonal characteristic of God,
-He isn’t freakish, loud, obnoxious,
-He is not a hovering spirit who goes around possessing people with uncontrolled whaling or tongues,
-He doesn’t act arrogantly, prideful, or force himself on anyone.
-He is not a manipulator
-He is not a control freak
-He doesn’t cause us to do anything outside of the will of God

Who He IS:
-He is a person, not an IT
-He is divine, with a mind, with reasoning, emotion and a will
-He is a gentleman

“He will not force himself on anyone, but waits for anyone to openly invite Him in.”

The Bible describes the Holy Spirit as:
-God
-Helper
-Comforter
-Third person in the trinity (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit)
-Paraklete (Our Advocate)
-Guide
-Convicter of sin
-Fire, Wind, Water
-Omniscience (all-knowing)
-Omnipresent(ever-present)
-Omnipotent(all-powerful)
-Deposit, Seal, Earnest
-Peace
-Indwells Believers
-Intercessor
-Reveals Truth
-Spirit of Almighty God
-Teacher
-Witness

Genesis 1:2 “Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.”

John 16:7b- “It is for your benefit that I go away…”

The Holy Spirit is a BENEFICIAL GIFT.


Question #2: How does a person GET the Holy Spirit?

Acts 2:38-41 “Repent,” Peter said to them, “and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off,[a] as many as the Lord our God will call.” 40 And with many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt[b]generation!”
A- “The Holy Spirit is not something that you GET. The Holy Spirit is a person that you RECEIVE.”

“A person either has ALL of the Holy Spirit or NONE of the Holy Spirit.”

1 John 1:12- “The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

The Reality: “You are either living for you, or the Holy Spirit is living through you.”


How does a person Receive the Holy Spirit?

A- By the Word of God being proclaimed.
Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.”

Through: preaching, teaching, worship, reading, listening: however the message is proclaimed.

B- By God calling men and women to himself, or they will never come.
John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent Me draws him…

Jesus said, “If I be lifted up, then I will draw all people to myself.”

“We use all of our talents and all or our tools to exalt Jesus because we desire for Jesus to draw people to Him”

C- We must RECEIVE the message of Jesus

Receiving the message of Jesus means:
-it becomes who you are so that you trust the Christ it presents.
-You trust His provision for your forgiveness
-You trust His direction for your life
-You trust His power to help you obey
-You trust His promises for your future

Title: It's Not Optional...pray

"Prayer should be a natural conversation with a supernatural God"

The reasons Christians don't pray-
They don't know how to, they don't understand the power, they have unconfessed sin, they are too busy, they don't see the fruit, we fall out of love with Jesus, we don't believe, afraid of what God may say.

John 17:1-5 “Jesus said these things. Then, raising his eyes in prayer, he said: Father, it’s time. Display the bright splendor of your Son So the Son in turn may show your bright splendor. You put him in charge of everything human So he might give real and eternal life to all in his charge. And this is the real and eternal life: That they know you, The one and only true God, And Jesus Christ, whom you sent. I glorified you on earth By completing down to the last detail What you assigned me to do. And now, Father, glorify me with your very own splendor, The very splendor I had in your presence Before there was a world.”
‭‭John‬ ‭17:1-5‬ ‭MSG‬‬
http://bible.com/97/jhn.17.1-5.msg

3 Reasons why we should pray

#1- Prayer is Commanded
1 Thessalonians 5:18- Pray without ceasing.
Matthew 26:41- "stay awake and pray, so that you won't enter into temptation. The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Luke 18:1- The need to pray always and not become discouraged.
Romans 12:12- Be persistent in prayer.

#2- Prayer is Communication

John 10:27- "My sheep hear my voice, I know them, and they follow Me."

How do we communicate with God through prayer?
A-Set aside time to talk with God.
B-Be persistent when you pray
C-Just talk to Him

#3- Prayer is Conventional

Ephesians 6:18 “Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert in this with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.”
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