The Holy Spirit, Our Greatest Need | Dr. David Shin

Summary

In a captivating sermon by Dr. David Shin, delivered through 2CBN TV, the necessity of the Holy Spirit in understanding the Bible and living a truly Christian life is explored. Rooted in Biblical passages, this message emphasizes that no matter how learned one might be, divine assistance from the Holy Spirit is paramount. Drawing on teachings from Ellen G. White and other scriptural contexts, Dr. Shin underscores the need for prayer and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to embody the attributes of Christ, strengthening our "inner man" on a daily basis. He also shares inspiring testimonies from his ministry experiences to illustrate the transformative power of inviting the Holy Spirit into personal and communal religious practice.

Highlights

• Dr. David Shin maintains that theological understanding requires the Holy Spirit's guidance. 🕊️
• Receiving the Holy Spirit is akin to welcoming Jesus into one's heart, according to Dr. Shin. ❤️
• The sermon draws on passages from the Book of John and Galatians to illustrate the need for the Holy Spirit in personal and communal spiritual life. 📜
• Remarkable testimonies from Dr. Shin's ministry showed the power of prayer and the Holy Spirit in transforming lives. 🚀
• The Holy Spirit strengthens believers, enabling them to comprehend deeper spiritual truths beyond mere cognitive learning. 🧠

Key Takeaways

• The Holy Spirit is essential for truly understanding and living the teachings of the Bible. 📖
• Biblical understanding requires divine assistance, regardless of one's intellectual or academic achievements. 💡
• Praying for the Holy Spirit should be persistent and prioritized for spiritual growth. 🙏
• Manifestations of the Spirit include love, joy, peace, and self-control among others, transforming Christians into representatives of Christ. 🌟
• Experiencing revival through the Holy Spirit involves confession, humility, repentance, and earnest prayer. 🔥

Overview

Dr. David Shin, through a profound sermon, elucidates the indispensable role of the Holy Spirit in comprehending the Holy Scriptures and nurturing a genuine Christian life. Without the Spirit, understanding the Bible's teachings is inadequate, no matter one's academic prowess. Drawing from John 14, Dr. Shin convinces believers that divine guidance is vital for spiritual insight and personal transformation.

Through various anecdotes and testimonies, Dr. Shin highlights how the Holy Spirit transforms lives and communities. He shares moving stories from his ministry experiences, illustrating how deep, sacrificial prayer and a yearning for the Spirit can lead to spectacular revivals and personal faith journeys. His account about college students discovering faith and experiencing radical life changes is both inspiring and humbling.

The sermon further explains that while our physical selves may weaken over time, our spiritual self can grow stronger with daily renewal by the Holy Spirit. The contrast is explored through parallel readings from Corinthians and Ephesians, emphasizing the spiritual rebirth that believers can experience continually. Dr. Shin calls for an earnest pursuit for revitalization, invoking commitment through prayer and a surrender to the Spirit's work.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 02:00: Introduction and Opening Prayer The chapter begins with an invitation from the speaker to open the Bible to John chapter 14, verse 26. In this verse, Jesus is preparing to leave for heaven and promises the gift of the Holy Spirit to his disciples. The setting suggests a devotional or religious context, possibly within a church service or study group. The chapter is likely centered around this passage and its implications.
• 02:00 - 07:00: The Gift of the Holy Spirit in John 14 In John 14, the chapter highlights the promise of the Holy Spirit, referred to as the Helper, whom the Father will send in Jesus' name. The primary role of the Holy Spirit is to teach and remind believers of all the things Jesus said. The chapter underscores the importance of the Holy Spirit as a divine guide and teacher in the spiritual life of believers.
• 07:00 - 14:00: The Significance of Being Filled with the Holy Spirit The chapter emphasizes the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit during Bible study. It acknowledges that while tools like checklists, knowledge of Greek and Hebrew, and theology degrees can aid in understanding scripture, they are not sufficient on their own. The presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit are essential for a true and profound engagement with the Bible. The chapter likely explores how the Holy Spirit aids in interpreting and applying biblical lessons to life.
• 14:00 - 29:00: Three Types of Individuals in Relation to the Holy Spirit The chapter discusses the necessity of Divine assistance in understanding the Bible, emphasizing the role of the Holy Spirit as a teacher and helper in biblical study. Jesus's teaching underscores the importance of the Holy Spirit as a crucial guide for individuals engaging with scripture.
• 29:00 - 40:00: The Need for Daily Renewal by the Holy Spirit The chapter explores the importance of daily renewal by the Holy Spirit, particularly in the context of Bible study. It emphasizes that understanding and interpreting the Bible requires the guidance and assistance of the Holy Spirit. The chapter references John 14:15, highlighting the connection between loving Jesus and keeping His commandments, and how this aligns with Jesus praying for us.
• 40:00 - 53:00: The Essentiality of the Holy Spirit for Spiritual Understanding This chapter discusses the critical role of the Holy Spirit in spiritual understanding. It opens with a quotation from Jesus about the sending of the Holy Spirit as a 'helper' who will be with believers forever. It highlights Jesus' assertion that the world cannot receive the Spirit because it neither sees nor knows Him. However, believers are assured of His presence, as the Spirit dwells with them and will be in them. The chapter emphasizes the necessity of the Holy Spirit for genuine spiritual knowledge and connection to God.
• 53:00 - 61:00: Prayer and Persistence in Receiving the Holy Spirit In this chapter titled 'Prayer and Persistence in Receiving the Holy Spirit,' the focus is on the presence of the Holy Spirit with the disciples. The term 'Paraclete' is introduced, emphasizing the spirit's role alongside them. The key message highlighted is that the Holy Spirit is not only with the disciples but will also be within them, signifying a deeper indwelling presence to come.
• 61:00 - 80:00: Personal Testimonies of Revival and the Holy Spirit's Work Jesus discusses the role of the Holy Spirit with his disciples, emphasizing a future change in their relationship with the Spirit. He explains that while the Holy Spirit is currently 'with' them, a time will come when the Spirit will reside 'in' them, indicating a deeper, more intimate connection.
• 80:00 - 85:33: Call for Revival and Conclusion Jesus speaks about the future coming of the Holy Spirit, which will not just be with the believers but within them. This event is fulfilled on the day of Pentecost when the disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit. The chapter emphasizes the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit, a concept further discussed in 1 John chapter 3.

The Holy Spirit, Our Greatest Need | Dr. David Shin Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 did you bring your Bibles this morning amen I invite you to open your Bibles to John chapter 14 and verse 26 John chap 14 verse 26 Jesus is getting ready to leave and go to heaven and in John chapter 14 and verse 26 he promises them the gift
• 00:30 - 01:00 of the Holy Spirit verse 26 of chapter 14 but the helper the Holy Spirit whom the father will send in my name he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance the things that I've said to you as much as these tools CU they are tools of Bible study
• 01:00 - 01:30 and even these these checklists can assist us in the process of reading scripture even knowing Greek and Hebrew even having a theology degree even having all of the tools at your disposal we need help in Bible study amen amen
• 01:30 - 02:00 we need Divine assistance we can't approach the Bible like we do any other subject and here Jesus frames for us the notion the implication that we need the Divine helper the holy spirit in the process of Bible study the teacher and and so as we are elaborating
• 02:00 - 02:30 on our theme give me the Bible I want to spend a little bit of time on the holy spirit because Jesus here indicates and by implication Bible study requires the assistance of the Holy Spirit and let's go back a few verses here to our scripture reading John 14:1 15 verse 15 is a familiar passage if you love me keep my Commandments and I will pray the
• 02:30 - 03:00 father and he will give you another helper that he may abide with you forever the spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him and this last part I want us to focus on but you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you notice that Jesus indicates that the holy spirit is with the
• 03:00 - 03:30 disciples at the time that he's speaking to them he says the holy spirit is with you alongside of you the word here for the spirit is paraclete and parah means alongside so he says the holy spirit is with you but notice what he says in the last part of this phrase he says he for he dwells with you and will be what
• 03:30 - 04:00 and will be in you in other words Jesus is indicating that the holy spirit is present with the disciples but there will come a time will be future tense that he will be what in you in other words the holy spirit in relationship to the disciples is going to take a position from with to in
• 04:00 - 04:30 at a future time at the time that he's speaking the holy spirit is with you and will be in you and we know that that took place on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell upon the disciples and the Bible indicates and uses this term that they were filled with the Holy Spirit now the significance of being filled with the Holy Spirit cannot be minimized because in 1 John chapter 3
• 04:30 - 05:00 and: 24 I invite you to turn there with me 1 John 3: 24 the Apostle John makes this statement that is similar to John 14: 1516 and 17 first John chapter 3 and: 24 notice the way that John starts here he says for he who keeps his Commandments abides in him have you heard that phrase before in John 14:15 what did Jesus say if you
• 05:00 - 05:30 love me keep my Commandments right and he also uses the term abiding so here the Apostle John says now he who keeps his commandment abides in him and he in him and by this we know that he abides in us who is the he here Jesus and by this we know that he Jesus abides in Us by the whom
• 05:30 - 06:00 by the spirit the Holy Spirit whom he has given us in other words the notion that John is bringing out here and the spirit of prophecy elaborates on this concept that when Jesus Took on the form of humanity he voluntarily chose to take on some limitations and by the way Ellen White states that Jesus will forever
• 06:00 - 06:30 retain the human nature think about the implications of that onethird of the godhead forever identified with Humanity in other words in the Redemption plan not only did he save us he elevated the entire human race and in that limitation
• 06:30 - 07:00 Ellen White indicates in the book Desire of Ages that he voluntarily gave up set aside the omnipresent ability he's not able to be everywhere at once and so Jesus where is Jesus right now important question for sth Day Adventist he's in the most holy place of the Heavenly sanctuary and by the way way if you ask our Evangelical friends
• 07:00 - 07:30 interesting question that will engage in discussion we know what Jesus did at the cross what is Jesus doing right now let's have a Bible study on that amen what is Jesus doing right now and Seventh Day Adventist have a unique message with a Biblical understanding of what Jesus is doing right now so Jesus is in heaven in the most holy place of the Heavenly sanctuary and Ellen White indicates that in in this physical
• 07:30 - 08:00 limitation the agency of the holy spirit is able to be everywhere at once praise the Lord praise the Lord everywhere at once and it is through this holy spirit that Jesus abides in our hearts the idea of Christ in us the hope of glory here it is and by this we know that he abides in Us by the spirit whom he has given us in
• 08:00 - 08:30 other words how does Jesus abide in our hearts it's through the holy spirit so when you receive the Holy Spirit whom are you also receiving by representation Jesus do you want Jesus in your heart receive the Holy Spirit he brings with him the holy the the spirit the presence of Jesus Christ now very quickly here I want to read from
• 08:30 - 09:00 Desire of Ages I was listening to Desire of Ages in my morning devotions and this just came just pressed upon my soul as it was being read by the narrator this is from Desire of Ages page 806 I've read the book Desire of Ages multiple times and this just spoke to me this morning specifically about the Holy Spirit listen to this Ellen White Desire of Ages page 806 the holy spirit is the breath of spiritual life in the
• 09:00 - 09:30 soul the impartation of the spirit is the impartation of the Life of Christ it imbus the receiver with the attributes of Christ only those who are thus taught of God and those who possess the inward working of the spirit and in whose life the Christlike life is manifested are to stand as representative men to minister
• 09:30 - 10:00 in behalf of the church I want to touch on these points very quickly I shared it in staff meeting want to share it here again shared it also with our canvasing leaders but very quickly there are three types of individuals according to the book steps to personal Revival highly recommend that book you can get that book online just Google it transform my life specifically in relationship to the holy spirit it's a reflection of the Bible and spirit of Prophecy on the gift
• 10:00 - 10:30 of the Holy Spirit and according to this book there are three types of people the first is the converted individual that is filled with the Holy Spirit and there are certain visible manifestations of a Spirit-filled person what are those visible manifestations Galatians chapter 5 and verse 22 the fruit of the spirit so turn there very quickly with me I'm going to touch on this just as an introduction to where we're going here this morning specifically in relationship to the word of God and and the Holy Spirit Galatians 5 and: 22 many
• 10:30 - 11:00 of you know that by heart the fruit of the spirit is the visible manifestation of a converted individual that is living in the spirit and the spirit is living in him Galatians 5:22 Paul says but the fruit of the spirit and notice he did not say fruits of the spirit it is fruit singular in other words these are different than gifts you can say I have
• 11:00 - 11:30 the gift of public speaking I have the gift of teaching but he did not say fruits you can't say I have the gift of love but I don't have the gift of patience oh loving that's just not my gift that may be yours he says but the fruit of the spirit in other words these are all a part of what means it means to be a Christian Galatians 5:22 but the fruit of the spirit is love joy peace longsuffering kindness goodness faithfulness
• 11:30 - 12:00 gentleness and self-control against such there is no law he uses an agricultural metaphor to describe a visible manifestation of being Spirit-filled in other words if you have the spirit within the natural result of abiding in Christ is a loving and lovable Christian amen now
• 12:00 - 12:30 now I assume you've worked in agriculture at some point Here Fruit takes time and so we need to recognize that we accept Jesus as our savior you're Justified then God goes through this process and we are all a work in progress
• 12:30 - 13:00 amen and God is very patient with us in this process and so there is a maturity that takes place in the Christian experience but Ellen White indicates in the book Christ object lessons that we can be perfect in God's eyes at every stage of the growth of the trajectory it's being in the trend the trajectory more so than an introspection about where I am in the
• 13:00 - 13:30 trajectory so that's the first category and that's the category by the grace of God that we all want to be the Spirit-filled converted Christian that has these visible fruits in the life now in that same chapter the Apostle Paul brings out that there's another category in relationship to the spirit that's a person that has the absence of the spirit and there are certain visible manifestations of a person that does not have the spirit so category number one spirit filled category number two no spirit no Holy Spirit In The Life and
• 13:30 - 14:00 that also has visible behavioral manifestations of an individual that is devoid of the spirit of God and it's in the same chapter of Galatians Galatians chapter 5 so let's go to Galatians chapter 5 verse 19 and onward but the works of the what but the works of the flesh the others are the works of the spirit or the fruit of the spirit and these are the fruit of the flesh these are visible markers visible indications
• 14:00 - 14:30 of a person that is not filled with the spirit of God Galatians 5: 19 but the fruit of the flesh or the works of the flesh are evident and look at this list adultery fornication uncleanness lewdness idolatry sorcery hatred contention jealousy outburst of Wrath selfish ambition dissension
• 14:30 - 15:00 heresies Envy murderers drunkenness revelries and the like of which I told you beforehand just as I told you in time past that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God quite a list isn't it those visible manifestations are an indication that there's no Spirit anyway the holy hly spirit in the life now some
• 15:00 - 15:30 of those are just heinous to our eyes sorcery murder but some other ones of these are a lot more ubiquitous don't raise your hands but how many of you have ever had an outburst of Wrath huh how about hatred how about self selfish
• 15:30 - 16:00 ambition how about dissension you ever been jealous before so so some other ones of these are prevalent everyone at some point in the Christian experience struggles with with aspects of this and we have this condition where the Fallen nature coexists with the spiritual nature all the way until the second coming now it doesn't mean that we're succumbing to the Fallen nature
• 16:00 - 16:30 but by the spirit of God we're able to walk in the spirit and not in the flesh and so this is an individual that is the natural man so category number one a person that is Spirit-filled category number two the natural man a person that is devoid of the spirit and category number three is a fascinating category and it's found in 1 Corinthians 3: 1-4 let's go a few books back here 1 Corinthians 3 veres 1-4 this is the third category and here Paul
• 16:30 - 17:00 is writing to the church in Corinth he's writing to Believers and he makes a fascinating statement in regards to the spiritual condition of the church members there in Corinth 1 Corinthians chap 3: 1-4 and I Brethren could not speak to you as spiritual people in other words I cannot speak to you as Spirit-filled individuals but as to what as to
• 17:00 - 17:30 carnal in other words Paul is elaborating on this concept that you have the Spirit-filled Christian you have the person that is devoid of the spirit but then you have this third category that he calls the carnal Christian in other words an individual that takes on the name of Christ but is exemplifying some carnal aspects and notice what he says here I fed you with milk and not with solid food for until
• 17:30 - 18:00 now you were not able to receive it and even now you are still not able for you are still carnal for where there are and listen to this where there are Envy have you seen that before in the previous list for where there are Envy strife and divisions among you are you not carnal and behaving like Mere Men in other words there is this ambiguous middle ground that he brings out an
• 18:00 - 18:30 individual that is lukewarm and that by the way is the condition of leoda the carnal Christian a person that is not fully surrendered to Jesus and although they may not have the visible manifestations like murder and drunkenness and sorcery there are other ones like Envy strife and divisions and he says you're carnal the carnal Christian and it's interesting because the
• 18:30 - 19:00 lukewarm condition of leoda epitomizes the Corinthian Church as well you're neither hot nor cold you're just lukewarm and notice the solution for leoda Revelation 3:20 behold I stand at the door and knock If any man open the door and notice what Jesus wants to do he says I will do what I will come in
• 19:00 - 19:30 that is the solution for lead DEA so we cannot underestimate or minimize the essential reality that we need the holy spirit daily in our lives amen I won't have you turn there but for the sake of time I'll just have us read read from 2 Corinthians I'll read from 2
• 19:30 - 20:00 Corinthians 4:1 16 And1 17 therefore we do not lose heart though outwardly we are wasting away yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day in other words Paul brings up this interesting dichotomy between our physical and our our spiritual nature our our exterior our physical nature is headed in a path of degeneration it's wasting away and uh I'm beginning to recognize
• 20:00 - 20:30 even though my features sometimes do not give it away my true age I'm there's some days that I'm struggling physically some of you know what I'm talking about cuz in here I still think I'm 25 but body is just not cooperating and so Paul brings out the ex ior is headed in a path of
• 20:30 - 21:00 deterioration but by the grace of God the spiritual nature is headed in the opposite direction of regeneration now there will be a one day at the second coming of Jesus praise God when we're given immortality and the spiritual and the and the physical will will be in in alignment with each other but right now we're in this strange state where our physical nature is headed down and he says yet at at the same time we have the privilege and opportunity of having our
• 21:00 - 21:30 spiritual nature in a path of upward trend of regeneration and he says it is the what it is the Inner Man inner man that is being renewed how long day by day the inward man is being renewed day by day even though our physical nature is deteriorating by the grace of God we can receive spirit spiritual help spiritual regeneration so
• 21:30 - 22:00 our characters are going upward even though our bodies are headed downward now I do want you to turn to this passage here Paul in Ephesians chap 3: 16-19 brings together the Theology of the holy spirit in the most profound way that I have I've read to this point in in his writings I mean he just he just synthesiz izes the Theology of the Holy
• 22:00 - 22:30 Spirit and it's found here in Ephesians 3: 16 17 and 18 you have to read this in your own Bible Paul the Theologian the missionary to the Gentiles synthesizes the Theology of the Holy Spirit and and brings together everything that we've been talking about to this point Ephesians chapter 3 verses 16 17 and 18 and 19 that
• 22:30 - 23:00 he now he's talking about Jesus here in the context because let's just go to verse 14 for this reason I bow my knees to the father of our Lord Jesus Christ from whom the whole family in heaven is named that he would Grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened through his spirit in the way in the Inner Man and we just read prior to that that the inward man is being renewed how often day by day now what is the power The
• 23:00 - 23:30 Entity the person of the godhead that renews that inner man according to Paul the spirit the holy spirit is strengthening the Inner Man praise His name and then look at what Paul says in verse 17 what happens when the Holy Spirit comes in to strengthen the Inner Man day by day he says that Christ May dwell in your hearts through faith in
• 23:30 - 24:00 other words when the Holy Spirit comes in who else is there by representation Jesus when you receive the Holy Spirit In Your Inner Man Jesus is there by faith that's what Paul says that Christ May dwell in your hearts through faith that you being rooted and grounded in love in verse 18 is the point I want to hone on here this morning specifically in relationship to the word of God he says that you may be able to what
• 24:00 - 24:30 that you may be able to what I can't hear you this morning that you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and the length and the depth and the height I mean this is four-dimensional here and to know the love of God three-dimensional anyways to know the love of God which passes all knowledge that you may be filled with all the knowledge of God in other words look at the steps that he brings out here he's
• 24:30 - 25:00 going to pray to the father that Jesus would give us the Holy Spirit and when the Holy Spirit comes into our lives it renews the Inner Man and brings with him the presence of Jesus Christ and the result of this is that you might know that you may comprehend that you may understand that you may realize the love of God in all all of its
• 25:00 - 25:30 Dimensions amen look at the steps for Spiritual understanding this is epistemology how we know what we know in other words we have no business approaching this book without Divine assistance and asking God for help that we would be thoroughly
• 25:30 - 26:00 converted and surrendered amen knowing follows being converted and spirit filled I tell you I began pastoring in 2003 don't let this baby face fool you I didn't start pastoring at 12 all
• 26:00 - 26:30 right 2003 to the fall of 2020 17 years it's not the longest time but it's long enough to recognize that in Ministry to individuals I've gone over argument over
• 26:30 - 27:00 argument teaching after teaching with individuals and finally I came to the point of recognizing experientially that spiritual things are spiritually discerned in other words if you want to understand a spirit inspired book we need to be a spiritually converted
• 27:00 - 27:30 person that's the reality this is Ground Zero for Bible study Ellen White says in the book great controversy one reason why many theologians have no clear understanding of scripture is because they close their eyes to the truths they do not wish to practice it's not because they don't know Greek and Hebrew it's not because they don't have the tools it's not because they don't have the intellect it's moral it's the
• 27:30 - 28:00 heart and that's why Jesus says in John 717 he that Wills to do his will shall know concerning the doctrine in other words I will matters more than IQ and if you have a heart of understanding and desire to know the truth and say Lord give me a desire to desire help me to surrender my thoughts and my ideas to the holy word of God you will know you will know and yet a person that's a
• 28:00 - 28:30 genius that has an IQ off the charts that approaches the scriptures with arrogance and pride and hostility will see nothing but contradictions he will not see it and that's why Ephesians 3:1 16-19 is so foundational we need to pray to the father that Jesus would send us the Holy Spirit to strengthen us in our inner man so
• 28:30 - 29:00 that we can have the presence of Jesus so that we can know so that we can understand so that we can perceive this this is Ground Zero for Bible study friends Ground Zero great controversy page 600 the Bible should never be studied without
• 29:00 - 29:30 prayer the Holy Spirit alone can cause us to feel the importance of those things easy to be understood or prevent us from wrestling truths difficult of comprehension never open this book without praying to God and saying please send me the holy Holy Spirit to help me the posture of
• 29:30 - 30:00 prayer you know what prayer is look you don't need to pray if you can do it all why pray you can do it all the the very posture or the implications of prayer when you pray by implication you're saying I need help I need help you don't pray if you can do it all you only pray the recognition that look I need help she said says never open this book without
• 30:00 - 30:30 praying saying Lord I need help and another quote I don't have it here but I've cited it previously in my Ministry she actually says when you open the Bible with pride and arrogance without prayer she says that it dictates the the individual that is by your side she says Satan is actually by your side to twist the scripture and she says reading like that is actually an injury to your spiritual soul never never open this book without prayer steps of Christ page 110 but
• 30:30 - 31:00 without the guidance of the Holy Spirit we shall continually liable be liable to rest the scriptures or misinterpret them in other words without the Divine tutor praise God we have a tutor that can be everywhere at once that is accessible at any time so that when we're reading this we're not twisting things
• 31:00 - 31:30 around to meet my own selfish Ambitions because the human heart is very deceitful if we approach the Bible without prayer without the assistance of the Holy Spirit you will twist the Bible to say what you want it to say to meet your carnal desires never open the Bible without prayer and so how do we receive the Holy
• 31:30 - 32:00 Spirit the holy spirit is the Most Blessed gift that heaven longs to bestow upon men Zaria says the Holy Spirit given by faith if received by faith brings all other blessings in its train you have the Holy Spirit you have everything else so so how do we receive this gift the gift of the Holy Spirit one essential element there are
• 32:00 - 32:30 conditions for receiving the Holy Spirit but here is Ground Zero again go here to Luke 11 Luke 11: 9-13 if you're in my hermeneutics class this will be familiar to you Luke 11:9 through1 13 here is a familiar passage that we often quote and we only quote the first part of the passage particularly when we want a new car a new house a new
• 32:30 - 33:00 suit we say so I as so you say to so I say to you ask and it'll be given to you seek and you will find knock and it'll be open to you for everyone who asks receive for he who seeks finds to him who knocks he'll be opened if a son asks for bread from any father among you will he not give him a stone if he asks for a fish will he give him a serpent if he asks instead of a fish or if he asks for an egg will he offer him a scorpion if you then being know how to give good gifts to your children and we typically
• 33:00 - 33:30 stop there you know we we like to quote the beginning of this part but notice here what Jesus is actually talking about he says if you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more will your heavenly father give the whom give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him the context of this is the holy spirit now I'm not saying it can't apply to other promises that God has given but
• 33:30 - 34:00 specifically exegetically Speaking In this passage he's talking about the gift of the Holy Spirit and this is this is the thing when you ask for certain things it's always yes you ask for a house new car new suit it may not always be yes but you ask for
• 34:00 - 34:30 forgiveness it's always yes El white States for forgiveness of sin for a Christlike temper how many of you want a Christlike temper Christlike character for wisdom and strength to do his work how many of you need that and then she says for the Holy Spirit she says you may ask and you will will receive amen So when you say Lord I
• 34:30 - 35:00 need to be like Jesus please help me yes forgiveness yes wisdom and strength to do his work yes this is another yes prayer you say Lord I need the Holy Spirit today yes yes and and the tense here in the original the ask it's actually keep keep on
• 35:00 - 35:30 asking keep on asking for the holy spirit cuz how often do we need the Holy Spirit every day every day and prior to this is the friend that comes at midnight you know that that's that's the context of this the friend that comes at midnights and keeps on knocking you know the The Reluctant neighbor you remember that story keeps on knocking and knocking and knocking and and finally the person gets up even though he's in his bed and gets up and and he gives him the bread now this is not saying that God is a reluctant individual to give us the Holy Spirit but the the key word in the
• 35:30 - 36:00 parable is persistence persistence now this is not to indicate that God is up there saying oh I guess you know you've prayed hard enough you've kept on asking I guess I'll give you the Holy Spirit now but according to Ellen White she indicates that the persistent asking creates in us a deeper desire for the Holy Spirit the capacity to receive is enhanced in our Persistence of the Holy Spirit of
• 36:00 - 36:30 asking for the Holy Spirit do you recognize that in the book of Acts that if the Holy Spirit were to be taken away that everything would have stopped and everyone would have known the difference you remove the Holy Spirit the book of Acts comes to screeching halt and everybody's like what
• 36:30 - 37:00 happened aw toer says in the Church of today you remove the Holy Spirit and everything keeps going on like it was before and nobody knows the difference the holy spirit is our greatest need our greatest
• 37:00 - 37:30 need when I was at the East Lancing church was pastor of the University Church that was right across the street literally right across the street from Michigan State University 40,000 students that were on the campus
• 37:30 - 38:00 there um you know that church was like any other Church there were good things and some bad things and I arrived there and I was at a Wednesday night prayer meeting I remember it distinctly and there's the typical Wednesday night prayer meeting there were like four people there I just
• 38:00 - 38:30 started my Ministry and I'm sitting there with this humble group and and we got into talking about praying for the Holy Spirit and Revival and and they they said pastor like this Wednesday night prayer meeting this is not prayer meeting I mean we appreciate you coming out and everything but this is like bible study this is not praying I mean we pray for like you know just these ceremonial reasons and stuff but we want to spend extended time in prayer and we want to pray sacrificially sacrificially and and I
• 38:30 - 39:00 said brothers and sisters if I'm hearing you correctly you want to pray sacrificially for the Holy Spirit and Revival is that right and they said we're right yeah that's absolutely right pastor we we need to pray like never before sacrificially for the Holy Spirit and I turned to them and I said I'll tell you what this Sunday morning I'll be here at the church at 4:00 a.m. join me and you should have seen their faces they were just
• 39:00 - 39:30 like and I I found out later this one husband and wife couple they they were leaving the church and they said that man is crazy why didn't you stop him and the other person the the wife said why didn't you stop him and so I I showed up in church at 350 a.m. and uh I I'll admit I was I was not expecting
• 39:30 - 40:00 much I was expecting to come in have a wonderful time with the Lord by myself and go home and then the next Sabbath ah next Wednesday night prayer meeting I was going to say brothers and sisters I was here where were you and uh say uh I thought we wanted to pray sacrificially and and so I was there and and I was and I was settling down getting getting ready to pray and spend my time with God when I heard the door open and in came in the bloodshot eyes and and the disheveled hair of of these four church
• 40:00 - 40:30 members that came in the morning at 4 a.m. these are Adventist friends Adventist that sometimes have trouble coming to church at 9:15 come on I mean 4 a.m. on Sunday morning for sacrificial prayer I said I can't believe this and so we got together and we were praying for one thing the Holy Spirit and we said we want to create the upper room here at East Lancing The
• 40:30 - 41:00 Upper Room mind you this was 2007 the bottom had fallen out of the American economy and this was Michigan Mass closures the Auto industry bailout I mean this you know housing prices falling off a cliff you know our our finances are bleeding you know I'm wondering if we're going to have a church you open the books you know it's all red we're slashing
• 41:00 - 41:30 programs like crazy I mean it's crisis mode and I'm wondering I was like oh wow I mean what's the conference going to think David you we send you down there and you got to close the church I mean what are you doing and so so I'm here and I'm praying with these folks I mean we got we got problems we got problems we got a mission field across the street you know drunkenness debauchery everything football games going on Sabbath we we can't even find a parking spot you know just major major issues in this church and we got this humble group praying for the holy
• 41:30 - 42:00 spirit that group continue to pray for five years during the tenure of my Ministry there and they continued on afterwards we eventually moved the time from 4: to 7
• 42:00 - 42:30 we did pray at 400 a.m. for 6 months in that Core Group they still look back on those 4:00 a.m. 6 months with with just glowing eyes they said you know what pastor we appreciate the 7: a.m. but there was something about the 4:00 a.m. and we were pouring out our hearts to God for us to receive the Holy Spirit and to impact
• 42:30 - 43:00 that mission field across the street and that's when Miracles started to happen Miracles students that were leoan started to catch on fire for God we send them sent them Tyler to Emanuel Institute they came back
• 43:00 - 43:30 energized they would join our prayer group on Sunday mornings one of them his name was Carlo Dov if you've been to gyc he he plays the trumpet he's got one arm Soul winner that brother was at a bus stop he had a card free Bible studies he made from Vista Print and and he was at he was at the bus stop and he's always looking for a soul to witness to and he looked at this Chinese student we have about 3 th000 Asians that come to our church that come to to Michigan State
• 43:30 - 44:00 University from from Asia from China the mission field comes she she's she's atheist she's atheist he gives her a card long story short she starts coming to our church gets Bible studies NE nine months later my associate pastor Daniel Jean franois is baptizing her she came to this country as an atheist and left as a sth day adven is doing medical missionary work in China right now and it began in that upper
• 44:00 - 44:30 room I mean this is not because of me I mean I I I don't know what I'm doing I still don't know what I'm doing I'm talking about the Holy Spirit the holy spirit that same Carlo he goes in the music program he's a Trumpeter he starts associating with individuals in the music program there's an individual by the name of Anthony Burell he's a rising star in the music program jazz musician a with the saxophone Carlos says look do you want
• 44:30 - 45:00 to study the Bible he's this and and this this Anthony Burell is the son of a Baptist preacher well vered in scripture so he thought and and so in his testimony later on he says look look uh you know he thought that he would show Carlo a thing or two and Carlo go takes him to Daniel chapter 2 and does a very simple simple study on the dream of Nebuchadnezzar and Anthony Burell is floored he he says Carlo you you're a Bible
• 45:00 - 45:30 scholar you're a scholar Anthony starts keeping the sabbath coming to my church and let me tell you by this time church is packed people are sitting in the lobby I mean there there's something happening in the
• 45:30 - 46:00 congregation by the way our church finances and the Lord puts his money where his mouth is I didn't have to get up there and make appeals to give offering one stewardship sermon a year and it wasn't a guilt trip just the blessing of stewardship that's it every single year after that church budget ended in the Surplus Surplus when I left that church is $40,000 in the black and glor is to
• 46:00 - 46:30 God people were giving Anthony Burell calls his father the Baptist pastor and says Dad I'm about to join the sth Adventist Church and his father tells him son you follow your convictions
• 46:30 - 47:00 we baptize that man and then he's sitting in my office a couple weeks later and he says Pastor I can't keep continuing in this jazzz program anymore I can't do it now mind you it's a $440,000 annual scholarship to Michigan State University he drops out of the program he's evicted
• 47:00 - 47:30 from the dorm he loses everything and that man sat in my office and said he's walking away from it all excuse me um the church took care of him sent him to Emanual Institute hired him as a Bible worker he's a minister in the pic conference
• 47:30 - 48:00 today we we baptized his friend Corey Matsui who was a guitarist in the rock band she's now a pastor's wife married to none other than Leroy Hernandez Crystal Hernandez's sister a graduate of this
• 48:00 - 48:30 institution and for friends we need the Holy Spirit as never before God is about to wrap up things here on planet Earth and from my human
• 48:30 - 49:00 perspective there is not a place on Earth I'd rather be than right here I believe from my human perspective that this is one of the places on planet Earth that is striving by the grace of God to follow the model of true education and if ever there's a place that the Holy Spirit needs to be poured
• 49:00 - 49:30 out it's here amen I believe the holy spirit is here don't get me wrong but I'm talking about just the unleashing of divine power and divine assistance here I mean aren't you tired of mediocre I'm not saying we're mediocre I
• 49:30 - 50:00 I I I I want you to understand me I'm not say we're anything but mediocre I'm not saying that I'm not talking about the institution but I'm just saying in general aren't you tired of average aren't you tired of just getting by I mean what about the book of Acts I mean that can happen and that can happen here today by the grace of God for you individually you can receive the spirit
• 50:00 - 50:30 of God as we wrap up selected messages 121 a Revival of true godliness Among Us is the greatest and most urgent of all our needs to seek this should be our first work there must be earnest effort to obtain the blessing of the Lord not because God is not willing to bestow his
• 50:30 - 51:00 blessing upon us but because we are unprepared to receive it our heavenly father is more willing to give his holy spirit to them that ask him than Earthly parents to give good gifts to their children praise His name but it is our work and here's the conditions but it is our work by confession humiliation repentance and earn Earnest prayer to fulfill the conditions upon which God
• 51:00 - 51:30 has promised to grant us his Blessing a Revival need be expected only in answer to prayer you want to pray for Revival amen you want to pray for your own personal Revival you want to say Lord change the world and let it begin with me let it begin with us you want to pressed to the throne room of God and said Lord give me the Holy
• 51:30 - 52:00 Spirit today and every day I pray that there's a Revival on this campus that is unprecedented amen