How the Holy Spirit Is Transforming Your Life - Best of Bill Johnson Sermons | Bethel Church

0:00 He's so confident of His work in us that He put the Holy Spirit in us. And so when the Holy Spirit is given to us to make us into the image of this one who is glorified at the right hand of the Father, there is a purpose in the assignment. It says, for all have sinned, fallen short of the glory of God, which tells us that the original destination for every created human being was to live in the glory. So when you see this phrase, this term used over and over again, God is reminding us that he is restoring us to our original purpose and original target. The glory of God is the manifested presence of the Lord. And we have different times in our gatherings together where there's different measures and levels of glory. Sometimes we've had times where it's just overwhelming, where nobody can do anything for extended periods of time.

1:00 Other times it's different, but it just happens through the years. and what was mentioned earlier in one of the testimonies was just that sense of presence that came upon someone in a very special divine moment. And that presence, when he comes like that, it's that glory, it's that radiance of his person that comes to rest upon a person. And when he does that, he's always rewiring us. He's always reconfiguring us. He's always transforming us, transforming us from glory to glory. I can tell you this. You can spend 50 years serving Jesus, coming to church every week, raising your hands, you know, be in the presence of the Lord during a half hour long worship service.

1:57 And that will have a certain effect on your personal transformation. but there is nothing like standing in the glory in your own home or here gathering. An hour in the presence will do more than a year of just church life. An hour in the glory. I mean the glory that has impact. It's like potter's hands. It just shapes and conforms us. And that glory, when that glory, when you begin to sense that glory, just put everything else down. Get rid of the phone. Get rid of every distraction because he's summoning us to something higher and more significant. He's calling us. He's touching that deep place in our heart. Deep calls to deep. The deep of God is calling to the deep of you. And he's bringing us into these places where there are no words. There are no, you know, when the experience is over, you walk away and say, boy, that was great.

2:52 And then you give a full definition. No, you walk in mystery because this glory that is permeating our souls, that is permeating our homes, he's rewiring us so that we actually find it easier to recognize when he comes. We may not be able to define it. We never want to control it, but I do want to get in the middle of it. I want to be in the way of that wave as that sense of presence comes. Now here's where I wanted to take you, and we're going to use this as a springboard. Verse 9 says, But as it is written, I have not seen nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him. That's an extraordinary passage. It's a quote from the Old Testament, but I want you to hear it again. This verse, I love this verse, but it's a frustrating verse because of how it's been used. it's almost always read at a funeral.

3:53 listen to it again, I has not seen, nor ear heard, nor entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him. I wish people would read the next verse. Verse 10, but God has revealed them to us. In other words, it's not a declaration of what you can't have in this life. It's actually a proclamation of what God is in the middle of doing. He has revealed them to us through his spirit. For the spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. Are you alive? All right. The spirit searches all things, the deep things of God. Keep reading. What man, verse 11, knows the things of man except the spirit of a man which is in him?

4:48 Even so, no one knows the things of God except the spirit of God. So if nobody knows the things of God except the spirit of God, then who are you going to have to listen to? he's the one who reveals and opens up the mysteries and the hidden things of God are you tracking with me? alright verse 12 we're not even in school and I'm making you act like you're in school let's just call this school you're now in school this is Sunday night school now we have received now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. verse 12 again we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit who is from God that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. What things?

5:52 The things in verse 9 things which God has prepared for those who love him the things that for all of history have been outside of the reach of every human being. They've been relegated to the realm of mystery reserved for this period of time. And in this period of time God has given you the Holy Spirit and He has the key to the secrets, the mysteries of the Father. And He searches the heart of the Father. This is an amazing thing to me. He searches the heart of the Father for the secrets, the mysteries, the hidden keys, the insights, the graces that are in the heart of the Father. He's looking, he's the ultimate search engine. He's looking for everything that would be needed in this moment so that when he comes to you and ministers to you, he gives you exactly what was in the heart of the Father that was designed for you.

6:47 He searches the mind of the Father. Now the challenge is let's read a couple more verses, then I'll try to just talk for a bit. Verse 13, these things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches, but what the Holy Spirit teaches, compare spiritual things with spiritual. The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God. They are foolishness to him, nor can he know them because they're spiritually discerned. All right, what are we saying? Right now in the air, right here, right where my hands are, there are signals. there are TV signals if I had a proper receiver I could show you what actually just passed by there are radio signals there's shortwave, there's AM, there's FM there's all different kinds of military type signals all those things are actually in the unseen and they're right here you just have to have the proper receiver If we saw what was in the air, it would terrify us.

8:00 But the right receiver can capture what is in the air. the spiritual man can receive the things of the Spirit of God. The natural man cannot. So when I'm in carnal mode, I have disengaged myself from what God is saying. Now here's the crazy thing. Is I can, let's say I'm just really angry or bitter or resistant to what the Lord is saying and doing. In that frame of mind, I can still quote all the scriptures and claim all the right stuff, but never hear from God because I'm in natural mode. I don't know how else to illustrate this.

8:53 AM, FM, do you still have radios in cars? AM, FM, radio, all right. So let's say that what you're wanting to listen to is on FM, but you've got your dial on AM. you can turn that dial from one end of the radio to the other. You can claim it all you want. You're just not going to receive anything. It's not until you get on his bandwidth. On his bandwidth. And all progress in the kingdom comes through surrender. It's always a yielding to his will, to his purposes. Here's the crazy thing. is he can be talking on FM for 24 hours right at you, but you got your dial on AM, you don't hear a word.

9:37 The whole point is, is that stream is always flowing. And what repentance does is it introduces us to the flow of the mind of Christ. Repentance means to change the way you think. So the only time I need to hear the word repentance about me repenting is when I've stepped out of repentance. repentance is a way of life repentance is um let me rephrase it repentance is engaging with the mind of christ it's embracing his thoughts his values his perception and learning how to walk in that frame of mind because it is that frame of mind that positions me to obey with great victory and great impact Let me just read this to you. It's in John 16.

10:35 Jesus is talking to his disciples and he says, I still have many things to say to you, but you can't bear it. Well, that's bizarre. He says, I got a lot on my mind and you need it. But you can't handle it. You can't handle the truth.

10:55 It says, however, when the Spirit of God comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own authority. Whatever he hears, he will speak. He will tell you things to come. Listen to this phrase, this verse. He will glorify me, for he will take of what is mine and declare it to you. All things the Father has are mine. Therefore... I said that he will take of mine and declare it to you. All right. That's in John 16. Jesus says,

11:38 all things, everything the Father has is mine. This is significant because he forfeited everything to become a man. So he has now reinherited everything as the spotless lamb, the son of man, our elder brother, which means now that he has re-inherited everything as our elder brother we are included in the inheritance. Thank you. he says he will glorify me the Holy Spirit will glorify me Jesus is saying he will glorify me because he will take what is mine and he'll declare it to you let's say that this stage represents everything that's in existence and the Holy Spirit comes and he finds that exact portion that is needed by you in this season and he says everything the Father has is mine the Holy Spirit will take what is mine and he will declare it to you every time he speaks there's a transfer of resource Thank you.

12:44 it transfers what is in Jesus' possession that belongs to the Father and he puts it into your account. His speech is not just empty words or flattering words or comforting words. He's actually making a transfer of resource from His account to yours.

13:11 He will take of mine and declare it to you for everything the Father has is mine and all that I have is yours. Jesus, who is the light of the world at one point said, you are the light of the world. And what fascinates me about this storyline that we see all through scripture is that whatever part of God's nature or person touches you, it changes your capacity to represent him. John chapter 1 says Jesus is the light that enlightens every person that comes into the world. So when you respond to that enlightening that Jesus comes to call you to himself, to salvation, when you respond to that, you then become the light of the world. What touches you changes you. Are you with me?

14:04 Yes, Bill, I'm with you. John chapter 7 says, Jesus says, come to me and drink. Come to me and drink, and out of your innermost being will flow rivers of living water. So it's fascinating to me that a drink can become a river. he exponentially increases our capacity to represent him well whenever we receive what he's doing in us.

14:37 Light touches us, you become light. You drink of him, you become a resource of drink. This passage, Isaiah 60, Arise, Shine, I believe so much as a prophetic word for the church. And the reason I don't put this off into the millennium, one of the most dangerous things we can do, if theologically, is to take the great promises of Scripture and put them off into a period of time for which we have no responsibility. It's easy to say, well, that'll be in the millennium. That'll be here. That'll be there. That'll be in Israel. That'll be whatever. Stop it. read God's word looking for the promise that draws you into covenant, that draws you into relationship to see his purpose as accomplished in the earth. It's a responsibility. We're supposed to be apprehended by promise.

15:31 I used to sign my letters back when we had actually paper. I don't know. Have you seen paper? I haven't seen paper for a while. Paper. And I used to sign prisoner of promise. Apprehended by a promise. So the Lord has given us, he has put us on mission. None of us are to live by our own mission. Our mission has to be an expression of his assignment over our life. The commission. Isaiah 60, arise, shine. I remind you there's not another light coming. Arise, shine, for your light has come. The glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, deep darkness the people. That's a mental depression.

16:23 But the Lord will arise over you, and his glory will be seen upon you. My goodness, I am so excited for the fulfillment of that verse. His glory will be seen upon you. There have been times throughout church history where the glory of the Lord has been visibly seen. we have had situations, occasions where the glory of the Lord was visibly manifest upon the people of God. Over this building we've had people see the flames of God's glory coming out of the roof of this building in times past. I look for him to put that mark of presence. Often when I pray for people in the last year or so the thing to me is the greatest prayer I can pray is I say God mark them with your glory. mark them with the manifested presence of King Jesus. for behold darkness will cover the earth deep darkness the people but the Lord will arise over you and his glory will be seen upon you Gentiles or nations will come to your light and kings to the brightness of your rising I believe so strong in the go of the gospel but I believe in the come of the gospel and this one proclaims that they shall come to you in the same way that you go to a garden to pick vegetables or to a fruit tree to pick fruit or to a river to drink water. So people are coming to the people of God, those in covenant with Him because there's something to eat. There's something to participate in that fulfills the longing of their soul. I believe it's the reason Jesus called the church the city set on a hill.

18:06 Cities don't pick up and move. People go to the city. And so there's the go of the gospel into all the world preach the gospel, but there's also the come. And this has to do with the glory of the Lord marking God's people. So verse 4 in the scriptures here with 4 and 5. Lift up your eyes all around and see. They all gather together to come to you. Your sons will come from afar. Your daughters shall be nursed at your side. Then you shall see and become radiant. Your heart will swell with joy. Look at the first phrase of verse 4, lift up your eyes. The first phrase of verse 5, then you shall see.

18:48 Lift up your eyes, then you'll see. A lot of people don't see. Listen carefully. When you were born again God gave you the capacity to see. John chapter 3 says, unless you're born again you cannot see the kingdom of God. It's a perception of the dominion of God that comes with conversion. But the scripture teaches often, lift up your heads, lift up your eyes. And here he says, lift up your eyes, then you'll see.

19:20 There's many folks, believers, who have their eyes focused on everything that's wrong and everything that's not going well. And they think that they're being responsible when actually they're bearing their faith, they're bearing their gift under a bushel. They're hiding the very thing that God caused them to thrive in. Arise, shine. There's no mixture in that commandment. Arise and shine. Because of what he's done, I have a responsibility to arise and to shine. Why? Because my light came. This responsibility is a part of the transformational influence. And there are so many ways that we represent him, obviously with kindness. justice is a huge thing that I think we're going to see play out in the years to come. It's going to be a very significant part of our intentionality to bring divine justice into broken situations.

20:15 There's the whole character issue. People can see the nature of Christ and who we are. But one of the other ways is through miracles. At the conclusion of this encounter, Jesus says, as the Father sent me, I send you. If you look at every verse that describes Jesus' coming as sent from the Father, the overwhelming theme is he was sent by the Father to reveal the Father. And so if we take that as Jesus' primary function to reveal the Father, and then Jesus turns to those who follow him and he says, as the Father sent me, I send you, then really what he's saying is your privilege in life is to reveal the Father. But I'd like to suggest to you, it's impossible to do adequately without being filled with the Spirit.

21:05 I'm not trying to make this a doctrinal issue. There are many who, I think praying in tongues is glorious. I can't imagine a life without it. I like what Paul said, I pray in tongues more than all of you. The language he uses there, he says, I pray more in tongues than all of you combined. In other words, I'm a tongue talker I believe in that breakthrough I know what it's like to be edified by just praying in the spirit and have the Holy Spirit pray through I love but it would be like if that's the goal it's a worthy goal but if that's the I almost did crowd surfing right there that would have been fun to see if you caught with no crowd down here that would have plop I'll be careful around that little hinge again I don't know what I was saying, but it was really good Help me out, somebody.

22:03 Tongues. It would be like going through the River Jordan into the Promised Land, and you cross the river, and you've got houses built, you've got lands, vineyards planted, you've got all this stuff to inherit. You walk through this river on dry ground, you stand on the banks of the river, and you stand there for your entire life and never enter the purpose for going through the river. Yes, tongues are valuable. Yes, that shoreline is important, but it's the beginning of a breakthrough in which the Lord Almighty, the God of the universe, is represented and manifest through people that taste of his goodness and his provision. Isaiah chapter 61.

22:48 I fear that sometimes... I become too familiar with the passage. Sometimes I'll read it in a different translation. Sometimes I'll read it out loud. Sometimes I'll stop after each phrase and think. I need to jar myself from familiarity because some things are so huge. Some things are so weighty that it's easy to skim over the surface of something and not be impacted by its depth. And this is one of those passages. This is what Jesus read in his hometown of Nazareth. I think we studied it a week or two ago, a little bit. This is what he read to announce the beginning of his ministry from Nazareth. And so it's in verse one, he says, the spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

24:13 Such a wonderful, wonderful verse, And really what he's saying is, he's saying, listen, the Holy Spirit is upon me. I know the Holy Spirit lives in us. As I've stated countless times through the years, the Holy Spirit is in me for my sake, but he rests upon me for yours. We have to understand that when the Spirit of God comes upon us, it's always for action. It's always for impact. It's always to change something. We've been privileged to step into the middle of an impossibility. We may not know what's supposed to happen. And we just know God doesn't want it left the way it is. And we come in looking to him. Our hearts turn to him for solutions. We don't come as the smart people. We don't come with the people that always have the plan. Sometimes we know the least about a given situation. But we step into the middle of an impossibility knowing that the God of the universe, the creator of all, lives in us. And he has practical solutions for the situation.

25:07 And here we have this announcement that Jesus makes over his own life. And he basically is describing the broken, the poor, the blind, the lame, the imprisoned, the tormented, all this stuff. He says, I'm here to fix that. But then he comes to this, the end of verse 3, talks about these people that are broken becoming oaks of righteousness. I remember we used to, we'd go get firewood in Weaverville. and it was a love-hate relationship. It was fun to be outdoors, but man, it was work. And we'd go in areas, you know, where they had trees had fallen down because of the wind, windfall. And we'd get in there and chop them, or cut them up and get the rounds, put them into the truck. And it was always this very, very interesting journey.

26:02 But we would get on these logging roads and sometimes you'd have a friend that had a key to a gate and we'd get on these logging roads. and maybe the area hasn't been logged for, you know, like 20 years, 30 years, and there's these little pine trees about this big around that grow up right in the middle of the road. Well, in your truck, you just go right over them. It doesn't. It doesn't kill them. They just bend over, and then they bounce back up after you go past them. You run into an oak tree that size, you've got an issue because that thing isn't budging, and you now have damaged your car. And so we learned, uh-oh, oak tree, go around the oak tree. But we'd see the pines, they'd just bounce down and bounce back up. Oaks of righteousness are absolutely stable. And that's the goal of the Lord for the most broken of the world. Oaks of righteousness. He's saying, I will take the most broken among you. Remember, he doesn't choose us because we're qualified.

26:57 He doesn't choose us because we're gifted. If we have anything, it's only because he gave it to us. It's not about that at all. He chooses the least for a reason. In this passage, he champions the most broken. Why? Because that's where he receives the most glory. And so here are the most broken of the world. Jesus steps into their life. Are you, the anointed one, you, the one who carries the fullness of power of the Holy Spirit in your life, step into that person's life to see that individual restored. They're now set free. They sleep at night. They're not tormented anymore. Those that were so bound with fear and anxiety are now free to think creatively. They have an impact in their job. They have an impact as an entrepreneur. They influence other people's values. They don't do the addiction, the drug thing anymore. They're now reaching out to their friends that are bound by those addictions. And what happens is the person that were once the most broken in the community become the Oaks of Righteousness, that which has such firm roots that you just can't budge them, you can't move them.

27:54 Well, there's a reason for that. There's a purpose. There's an unto something in that great miracle. It's verse 4. they shall rebuild old ruins. They shall raise up former desolations. They shall repair the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations. This is one of the most beautiful pictures in the Bible. You've got the most broken become the most stable, but they don't stop with their own personal stability. They don't stop by saying, I can now prosper. They're saying, all right, let's rebuild the city. Let's rebuild the city. Here's the point that I want to share out of this. You don't get the rebuilders if you don't get broken people healed. If you don't get broken people healed, you don't get rebuilt cities. We keep crying out for our city to be healed and restored and, you know, all the stuff that's in our heart. This only happens when you have people here that are filled with the Spirit. There's a cause and effect. There's people that carry this fullness of the spirit that live under the influence of this outpouring, this constantly changing ebb and flow and constantly moving from this to that because it's relational. It's not, it's not we memorize six principles and then change the world. It's a relational, it's a relational thing.

29:09 So here's, here's the point is we've got verse four. We've got this beautiful, beautiful declaration of God. Can I put it this way? Verse four, rebuilding cities that was the target God began with when he began to fill people with the spirit it was the target he was saying alright so you've never dealt with addiction but guess what I'm going to put the spirit of God upon you in such a profound way I'm going to have you talk with somebody who's bound by addiction you're going to bring freedom that fullness of the spirit on you is to bring freedom to them and that person that becomes free they are going to become stable. And as they become stable, they will become the rebuilders of broken cities. It all starts with somebody saying, Holy Spirit, come.

30:02 Baptize me anew. Baptize me afresh. Fill me with your spirit. Many people stop short of a divine encounter because they're satisfied with good theology. They're happy with meeting whatever qualifications they may have for being filled with the Spirit. When I pray in tongues, when I do this, I do that. Listen, the point is, is there power coming forth from your life that sets captives free? That's the issue. It's the issue. The Holy Spirit's in you to comfort you, to bring peace to you, to give you insight, all that stuff. That's for you. But this Spirit of God who comes upon us, that is for us to bring about transformation in the events and stuff around us. That's the purpose. It's measurable. the fullness of the spirit is measured by impact. Verse 1, And he said to them, Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.

31:06 After six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John, led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves, and he was transfigured before them. His clothes became shining, exceedingly white like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. And Elijah appeared to them with Moses and they were talking with Jesus. This is the story of the transfiguration of Jesus, referred to in Scripture as the Mount Transfiguration. The reason I'm using this story is because this word, transfigured or transfiguration, is actually the same word as is renewed mind. Thank you.

31:59 the renewed mind, the transformed mind, the transfigured mind, and the transfigured Jesus. I would like to suggest to you that this that they saw on the mountain with Jesus, the shining clothes, the face that became brilliant, this transfiguring that took place over him, it was a physical illustration of what the renewed mind looks like in the spiritual This story is remarkable for so many reasons. One is this story of the Mount of Transfiguration is mentioned in the Synoptic Gospels, which are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

32:51 And in these three stories, each time before the story starts, there is a statement made at the beginning. And the statement made is, there are some of you standing here who will not taste death until you see the kingdom come with power. Six days later, the Mount of Transfiguration. I would like to suggest two things to you. Number one, that the Mount of Transfiguration carries a very necessary revelation to that statement, the kingdom come with power. But that also, the Mount of Transfiguration was not the fulfillment of that prophecy. All right. It would be like this. Jesus standing before a crowd saying, there are some of you standing here who will still be alive in six days.

33:48 that's kind of a pointless prophecy. That can't be the intent that he had in making this decree over this multitude. There are some of you standing here who will actually be alive in six days. That wasn't the point. The point was, there are some of you standing here that will see the kingdom come with power, but in each occasion, the situation that followed that pronouncement was the Mount of Transfiguration. What's the point? There are ingredients in this story that helped to clarify what actually happened when the kingdom came with power. When did the kingdom come with power? I believe what he was referring to was the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 2 for a lot of reasons. Because that's when the power of God was released to the people of God and the kingdom was contained in the Spirit and it was the Spirit that possessed and filled these believers. I'm going to leave that subject.

34:41 You can study it on your own. Perhaps we'll do it at another time. But the point I'm trying to make is that this passage, some of you standing here, not taste death until you see the kingdom come with power. And then to have this amazing experience on the Mount of Transfiguration, there is a connection between that experience of Transfiguration and the day of Pentecost. I don't know if you realize this, but it would be normal for believers to think God's ultimate goal for our life is for us to be saved.

35:18 Well, I mean, that's a pretty glorious goal. But I would like to suggest to you that your conversion qualified you for his ultimate goal. In other words, the initial target prepared you for the ultimate target. I used to bowl as a kid. I haven't bowled in years, and I plan to never bowl again in my life, only because I stink at it. But anyway, I could do it with my grandkids, I suppose. That would be fun. But I know that a good bowler knows how the ball rolls, and there's markers in the lane, and they know to aim at an initial target so that they can hit the ultimate target. The initial target of the Lord Jesus for you was your conversion. The ultimate target was for you to be filled with God's fullness. The fullness of God would fill you completely. The ultimate target, the immediate target. I'd like to suggest that Mount of Transfiguration merely illustrated what happened to one person, Jesus, the Son of God.

36:20 What happened to him was to become the prototype for every believer. That sounds very impractical, but I think when you realize that that's what the transformed mind looks like in the spiritual realm, then it gives us something to aim towards. One of the most bizarre truths in Scripture for me is to see that John the Beloved, The disciple that Jesus had such a tenderness for, and he had such a tenderness for him, unusually so. We see him at the Last Supper. We see Jesus announcing that one of the twelve is going to betray him. None of them know who it is, so there was nothing in the behavior that would reveal to any of the disciples who it was. We see John leaning his head against Jesus' chest. We see that friendship, that incredible closeness.

37:16 And that John could describe to you in detail what Jesus was like. And yet that John, in Revelation chapter 1, saw Jesus again. This time he saw him with eyes of fire, hair white like wool, feet like burnished bronze. he looked completely different than the Lamb of God at the supper.

37:49 This time he was looking at Jesus who was resurrected, ascended, and glorified at the right hand of the Father. That John wrote in 1 John 4, verse 17, as he is so are we in this world You see, the Mount of Transfiguration is a prophetic picture of a generation that sees the kingdom come with power. Luke's gospel adds some spice to this transfiguration story. Luke's gospel says, and Jesus, his appearance became altered. The word there is other.

38:42 He became other. In other words, the disciples who knew him well, knew exactly what he looked like, all of a sudden they didn't know what he looked like anymore. Because he was different. But they saw it happen to him, so they knew it was him. And his clothing, in Mark's gospel says, became shining. And the use of that word back in its day is it was a supernatural shining. But Luke found a different word that I like even better. in Luke 9. He says, and his clothing became glistening. But the word glistening is a word that means like lightning flashes. So imagine you're Peter, James, and John. You're a little sleepy. Jesus prays long prayer meetings. You've been there forever. It's the middle of the night. It's dark. It's starting to fade just a little bit. And all of a sudden, Thank you.

39:39 Jesus' clothes turn to lightning. That might spark up any dull prayer meeting. Jesus' appearance becomes other. He changes right in front of you. And then Moses and Elijah show up. That just would pretty much liven up any prayer meeting I've been in. And that environment is somehow prophetically displaying, illustrating the kingdom come with power. I'd like to suggest to you that the renewed mind, as God transforms how you and I think about reality, how we learn to draw from unlimited resources to alter and to change the nature of the world around us, that there is something happening in the unseen world. And while you and I may not see it, he is actually declaring this over us, that as he is, he is impacting us so profoundly that we are like him there.

40:38 we are like him here. That glorified, resurrected Jesus that is victorious over everything that would be an ailment to humanity, you have that DNA in you to defeat and conquer any of those things that would come your way and literally carrying the appearance of this Christ. I believe the renewed mind, this is divine knowledge, renewed mind changes our countenance, changes our outlook, changes our availability to his purposes, his will. It works so deeply in us at targeting who we are in him. There's two things that are going to happen. when you get to heaven. There's a bunch of things, but there are two things uniquely that I think will have tremendous impact.

41:36 One is you will see the devil, and the Bible describes what will happen. You will look at him, and you will say, It was you? you'll be shocked at the puniness of the one that had you so distracted.

42:02 And number two, I don't think any of us will be enraptured with each other. The worship goes to Jesus. However, I think there's going to be a great awakening to discover how significant our conversion was. It's transforming our impact on the nature of the world around us. So the renewed mind... lives with an awareness that God sometimes wants to do things through us, not for us. The renewed mind lives with an awareness. that your internal victory becomes a public victory for everyone around you. The renewed mind lives with the awareness.

43:02 that when he changes your thinking on the inside, it is recognizable on the outside by every spiritual realm that exists. I remind you of Ephesians chapter 3. He said that God would display his wisdom through the church to the principalities and powers that exist in heavenly places. What is happening as the mind of Christ, the renewed mind, takes root and becomes illustrated?

43:40 When you live aware of the significance of the moment you're in, the significance of the investment of God putting the Holy Spirit in you, what did Jesus say? You can blaspheme the Father, you can blaspheme the Son, but don't blaspheme the Holy Spirit. What is he doing? He's describing to us the tenderness, their fragile nature. I'm probably not saying any of that right, but you get the point, of the Holy Spirit. And that's the one God trusts us with. He's so confident of his work in us that he put the Holy Spirit in us. You can tell how much somebody trusts you by what they entrust to you.

44:26 And so when the Holy Spirit is given to us to make us into the image of this one who is glorified at the right hand of the Father. There is a purpose in the assignment. And it's more than singing songs on a Sunday night. It's more than going to work tomorrow and just making a wage and paying your rent and eating. It's more than that. It's the effect that your awareness of his assignment over you, it's the effect that has on how you carry yourself. again it's not a self-serving it's not trying to attract people to somehow worship or glorify or do that nonsense I don't like that at all but it does say arise and shine, get up in other words stop sitting there waiting for something else to happen, you don't need five more prophetic words to act on what God's already said, get up shine he didn't say he didn't say arise and reflect Anycut?

45:24 he said shine because light is within you well i don't know what that means well then figure it out figure it out don't sit there ignorant when he's given us a resource manual that instructs us on how to do life i can tell you number one righteous acts of the saints is the righteous clothing and it is the radiance of god himself that shines into the lives of humanity. So it's shifting from a self-serving lifestyle into a servanthood lifestyle where we live aware we have all the resources needed to be effective in our serving of humanity, people around us. God's the one who takes the simple act of the cash that you give to the guy on the outside of Safeway who hasn't eaten. He takes that act.

46:23 He takes the visit that you do to your neighbor who's been sick. He takes those simple acts, the phone call of a friend that you haven't seen for years, and they keep coming to mind. And you just step out of what's convenient, and you make that call of friendship. we oftentimes think in terms of having unlimited financial resources in our possession so that we can do great things for God when he's the one who breathes on the simple things that we're capable of doing and makes them supernaturally effective. Fear, anxiety, and busyness deadens our awareness to who he says we are. I'm not opposed at all to a busy lifestyle. I live one.

47:18 But what I don't like is when I feel things robbing me of my peace. In fact, let me put it in two different ways. I'm gonna call this two sides of the same coin. The peace, but also it's my adoration for him.

47:40 The adoration, my adoration, my times of really not saying a whole lot in prayer, but being in those moments engaged in deep adoration of him. that's the strength of my prayer life that is the anchor it is I believe in prayer, I believe in contending I believe in all the stuff and I do it and I love to spend the time but you know the adoration it's the affection for him that does more to change my awareness of his presence of his purpose, of who he's made me to be. Everything shifts in that tender place of adoration. It's that deep place of affection for him. And whenever I seem to lose my peace, it's because I've lost my adoration.

48:35 I'm no longer awed. What happens in fear? We see a problem and we become awed. You can't awe two gods at the same time. Only one can be in the position to affect how I think,

49:02 what I value, how I reason, how I anticipate, my awareness of purpose. All those things are defined by where my affection is anchored. in those moments where I lose my peace, I have to find out where I left it. for me I'll stop and think man I feel so anxious what happened to my peace where did I leave it because I left it somewhere it is mine it's my possession so it's like my phone I can lay it down if I want to where did I leave it where is that where is that peace of mine I go, oh, I remember.

49:57 It was when I got that phone call. Instead of moving into trust, I moved into fear. And when I did, I received fear and exchanged it for my peace. so you don't go and just pick it up you actually repent your way back to finding it God I actually feared something above you I wasn't aware of it I just got stupid forgive me for becoming anxious actually exalting a problem over my awareness of your promise and in those moments you become re-engaged with peace, the atmosphere of heaven itself. in those moments, the affection of your heart becomes ignited for the one who you will never be able to exhaust the resource of adoration in your soul.

50:58 Because every time... every time you turn your heart towards him, he just moves ever so slightly and you see something brand new about him. And you're locked into that place of adoration again. I've heard people say, I heard one Bible teacher I have great respect for, he said in the book of Revelation, and it talks about the beasts or the angels that are around the throne that say, holy, holy, holy, 24-7. They never leave that place. This Bible teacher said, nobody makes them stay. it's just the eternal one all he has to do is just turn ever so slightly and they see a whole new wave of holy, holy, holy holy and it's the eternal increasing the glimpse into who he is and a whole new round holy, holy, holy there's more possible in our lifetime than we've ever imagined and you'll we'll never be able to equal god's purpose and plan with our imagination he doesn't expect us to but he does expect us to lean in the right direction He does expect us to anticipate and lean into what He says about us.

52:33 What does He say about you? He says, as He is, so are you in this world. that's what he says he says it's all yours the world today, tomorrow life, death it's all in your account Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. This he spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in him would receive, for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. but now he's glorified and the Holy Spirit lives inside you inside me for this purpose that the glorified resurrected Christ would be discovered, realized and witnessed all through the earth that's who you are alright, you ready?

53:37 very confident response filled with faith we're going to pray for each other in just a moment the best thing that could happen right now is that anybody in the room who has no personal relationship with Jesus you don't know what it is to be born again you've never asked him to forgive you believed in him to forgive you of all sin make you different from the inside, adopt you, bring you into his family. It's never happened to you, but yet you find yourself here with us tonight. And the greatest thing in the world would be for you to realize why God brought you here and to say, I really, really, really want to give my life entirely to Jesus.

54:35 And if that's you, I just want you to put a hand up right where you are. Just put a hand up real high, and I'll just make agreement with you that Jesus would so fill your life with his peace, his forgiveness, his order. Church, let me tell you, in these moments, and we're going to be hitting this week after week after week, as soon as you see that any one of us are going to talk to bring people into the kingdom, start praying. Start praying. Because it is the heart of God that everybody in this room know what it is to know Jesus. We had one of our teams down in San Francisco some time ago, and one of our little 14-year-old girls was witnessing on the streets, and there was an elderly man literally sitting on the curb of a street corner. She sat down next to him, shared the love of God with him, and he received Jesus right there, right on the corner in San Francisco.

55:36 He was so overjoyed and so, thrilled with this that God had done for him. She went on and was in other parts of that city. She heard an ambulance. There she ran to see what had happened. And that man that she had just led to Christ just passed away.

55:59 Sounds like something you'd put into a book, but it actually happened. And he's in eternity because a 14-year-old girl took a moment to share it. If there's anyone here that needs to get right with God, you can say, Bill, I don't want to leave until I know I'm right with God. Put a hand up.

56:21 Okay? I'm going to assume you're all in. Put a hand on the shoulder of somebody next to you. I want you to pray for them several things I want you to pray that they would discover new ways to walk in peace that the affection of their heart would burn for him that there would be a connection to the presence of God that is new, pray that for them. Then I'll give you another direction in a moment. Just pray those two things. Fill them with peace, God. The shalom of heaven.

57:19 Fill them with peace. Now I'm going to have you pray for a big one. I want you to pray that God would give them revelation, insight, perspective on the glorified Christ. wonderful wonderful Jesus open your eyes just pray earnestly that the Lord would allow them to see the glorified Christ.

58:23 Because as we see Him, we become like Him. Put your hand on your own heart. Pray the same prayer. God, open my eyes to see. I'll open my eyes to see. I want to see, God. I want to see more than I've ever seen. come to him right now with a heart of absolute surrender you actually have to say yes before he gives the direction Open my eyes to see, Lord. Open my eyes to see. now I just pray one more thing I want you to pray that the church not institutions not buildings, the people, the church would be a praise in the earth that something about our lives would cause people to become just connected to the Father they would see our good works but glorify the Father who is in heaven just lift your voices, pray for that right now Just contend for that.

59:42 It's got to happen.