Hi, and welcome to this special series on the glorious person and work of Jesus Christ. In these messages, we journey through the scriptures from the astonishment of the temple to the road to Emmaus, from the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to the assurance of the Good Shepherd. Each sermon reveals how Christ meets us, renews us, and transforms us by His Word, by His Spirit, and by His finished work on the cross. Whether you're exploring Christ's comfort and obedience, the triumph of his cross, or the reckless love revealed in his resurrection, this series invites you to see Jesus more clearly and respond in faith. Because the Scripture reminds us faith comes by hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.
We pray these messages strengthen your faith and deepen your confidence in the gospel of grace. Here's Pastor John with a message called The Spirit's Outpouring, Christ's Victory Renews His People. I have a burden on my heart that I want to talk about with us as a church. And that's where these sermons are coming from. weeks because we have to look at The future.
Because we have to grow again. We just have to. We cannot stay static. That's not the mission of the church. The great mission is to.
is verse 18, obviously, the great indicative. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. All of it. The great announcement. Right.
The grade indicative. The gospel. Jesus is the ascended, exalted king. And because he is that, because of his ascension, he has poured forth the Holy Spirit, which I'm going to get to in here in just a second. And when he has poured forth the Holy Spirit, he says, even as the Father has sent me, so I send you.
And the Father sent the Son, empowered by the Spirit. And the sign sends the church empowered by the Spirit to complete the mission he sent us for. Just as the Spirit empowered Jesus to fulfill his mission, Jesus grants us the Spirit. to fulfill this great commission that he's given to us to go. To go and tell people the gospel.
I would venture to say And I don't say this pro, I say this as a fact. I don't think. Think that there is a church in our city that knows the gospel better than our church. I think every single person that comes to our church, who's been coming, who's a member of our church, can articulate the gospel perfectly. You're equipped to do that.
But This is what I want to look at. Where does the power come from? Wh where does the life of the church Come from. What is it that emboldens me? To take what I know and to share it with others and to say, just like, just like.
Andrew said to his brother, says, come and see Jesus. Come on. Come with me. I want to show you Jesus. We're going to implement Christianity Explorer, which is just so simple.
It's a simple way to bring people who know nothing. about church, nothing about Jesus. have no background, no Bible knowledge, nothing. And to introduce them to Jesus, we're going to do that. We're going to do it till Jesus comes back.
We're not going to stop. We have to reach out. There are people who must know. Christ who must be saved, who need to hear this good news, who need to be brought into the fold. Who need to come from the kitchen table to the Lord's table every Sunday.
And taste and see that he's good. Ianna had a great talk with Ryan when we went out to Colorado about this. And he's already gotten the curriculum. And I said, Ryan, we're not going to have committee meetings about this stuff. We're not going to sit around and debate how get the curriculum.
Contact Mac, contact Spencer, contact Michael Suttenberg, and do it. Do it. Because this is the mission of the church. How will our church grow? How?
Each person reaching out one person at a time saying, Let me introduce you to Jesus. Let me tell you about Jesus. Let me bring you to church and hear about Jesus. Why? Because if you come to this church every Sunday, what are you going to hear?
Jesus. Christ for you every single week. And you're going, oh, that just sounds so scary. I don't know if I can do it. I don't know if they'll understand it.
They're not going to understand it. They're dead. Listen, they're never going to understand apart from the work of the Spirit. And what is the ministry of the Spirit? Paul tells you, 2 Corinthians 3, verse 8, the gospel is the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Girl mission. And how is this church going to grow? It's like that commercial, the old-fashioned way. The way Jesus instituted it. Go take the gospel to unbelievers and bring them in and let's baptize them and bring them into the fold.
I want to see our church, and I want you to pray for this. I want you to pray every single day starting today for this. We want to start having constant baptisms in this church, and not just babies. I love baptizing babies. But I want to see constant baptisms occurring in this.
That's why we're here. That's the mission of the church. That's his mission. We are the embassy of Christ on earth. Representing the great King of Kings and Lord of Lords, we have good news.
The gospel has changed all of our lives. What about the thousands that hasn't? I don't want sheep growth conversion from other churches. Unless those churches are false churches, I'd be happy to clean those churches out. I want to see conversions.
Salvation. I want to see people, ex-nellocreation, sitting here as we watch them being baptized, going, wow, look at that miracle. Christianity explored is our tool. We're going to equip the church. We're going to do it.
We have no choice but to do it. That's how it does. That's how it's done. That's how we do it. We share Christ.
We call people to come, taste, and see. That the Lord is good. We have a great gift. As I've told you a thousand times, what is the Lord's Day every Sunday? It's Christmas morning.
The gift giver is here to dispense his gifts. Who wants to miss Christmas Day? Nobody. Not buddy. And so was it.
I want us to turn our attention to the Holy Spirit. Because it is the Holy Spirit who is the Lord, the giver of life. We confess this in the Nicene Creed, don't we? Do we believe that? He is the Lord.
God, that means he's God of the Old Testament. He's God of the new. He's God. He's not a force. He's not a may the force be with you.
He's not an it. He's not, he's not energy. He has energy, but he's not energy. He is God. And he is the giver.
of life. History is marked by moments of change, great events that change history forever. Think about the fall of the Roman Empire. That's changed history forever. Think about our country, the sign of the Declaration of Independence.
That changed history forever. Think about all the August the 6th, 1945. What is that?
So when we dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, that changed everything forever. These events shaped. Empires, nations, the very fabric of history is history. But listen to this. We're going to turn to the next couple weeks.
Mohammed. That has deeper significance. And drop it and atop like a bomb. In fact, we could say God in His sovereignty dropped an atomic bomb on this day called Pentecost. Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit fulfills God's ancient promise.
As the sun pours out the new creation life. as the exalted ascended last Adam. Who has secured through his perfect obedience and his triumphant ascension? He was given the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out upon his church, bringing into, initiating the final last days. You understand, we live in the last days now.
He has the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was such a momentous event that it brought in the final error of God's kingdom, the final days, the last days. Look at Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2. In Acts chapter 2. And a couple of other scriptures I want us to look at for the next couple weeks.
How do I say it? Forge cruise. Realities of the Holy Spirit's outpouring that reveals Christ's fulfillment of God's ancient promise. That calls us as a church to live as transformed people of God. And this event that started the whole thing as Pentecost, the Spirit's outpouring launches last days and fulfills ancient prophecy.
Look at Acts chapter 2. Look at the verse 4 verses. From what the day of Pentecost arrived. They were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind.
And it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rest. on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak it. other tongue and languages.
As the Spirit gave them utterance, this is the turning point in human history. Where God's ancient promise to send the Holy Spirit comes to fulfillment, not just a dramatic event. But because of Christ's ascension, the Holy Spirit descends with, listen, rushing. When this mighty Mm-hmm. Tongues of fire rest on each disciple, signifying God's.
presence amongst his people. Why is this important? Because this takes us back to the tabernacle. This takes us back to the temple, the old covenant. God's presence, fire and cloud, once confined to a tent, once confined to a temple.
Now rests upon God's people creating this international temple of all people, of all languages, tribes, and tongues. And Peter explains to the stunned crowd: look at verses 17 and 18. He says, in the last days, there it is.
Now, today is the last days. The end times is now. It's me, God declares, that I'll pour out my spirit on all flesh. The scope you see is is universal. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.
Even all my male servants and female servants, in those days I will pour out my spirit, and they shall prophesy. Peter quotes Joel chapter 2 verses 28 through 32. But he changes Joel. Just a tad. that because he's an apostle.
Yeah. And it shall come to pass the after word, he changes to, and in the last days. To make it clear that this outpouring of the Holy Spirit is not just another moment in history. It's the dawn of a new creation. It is the end breaking of the kingdom of God.
It's what we call the escaton, the end times. When God's kingdom, God's... people in God's place under God's rule and blessing. When that kingdom begins to break into this old kingdom under Adam, and to begin to reverse the curse of Babel. Where all the nations were scattered by God for judgment.
The Spirit is poured out to reverse that curse. And all the people at Pentecost on that day, it says here in Acts 2, they heard the mighty works of God in their languages. The gospel, the ministry of the Holy Spirit began to hover over creation and create one new temple, one new people of God. that been scattered, brought together. And so the last days are now some far-off future thing of being left behind.
It starts here at Pentecost. In the Pentecost, the Holy Spirit is poured out.
Now who orchestrates this porn I'll look at? Verse. Thirty-three. Chapter 2, verse 33. The Spirit's outpouring flows from Christ's victorious ascension.
Look what Peter says: Being therefore exalted, all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, right? He has ascended physically, Acts chapter 1, into heaven. Therefore, being exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, when Jesus ascended, the Father granted him the Holy Spirit as a gift. And Jesus has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. Jesus ascends in victory.
The Father grants him the Spirit and He pours out the spoils of his victory, the gift of the Holy Spirit upon his people and empowers them for mission. After his resurrection, Jesus ascends to the Father's right hand. He receives the Spirit from the Father and He pours it out upon his disciples. He is the ascended, exalted King. He is reigning and he's giving this gift to his church.
And his ascension is not of little consequence. I don't know if you've ever thought about his ascension, but it is essential to the gospel. Isaiah 4 total of this, Isaiah chapter 11, verse 2: The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him. Isaiah 42, verse 1. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me.
And then he says, I have put my spirit upon him. All throughout the book of Isaiah, Christ, anointed with the Spirit, finished his saving work, and now He imparts the Spirit to us as a gift. Listen to Paul as he deepens this in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, verse 45. Thus it is written: the first man, Adam, became a living being. The last Adam, Christ.
Became a life-giving spirit. Adam was given life by God's breath. In creation. And he lost this life through sin. Christ, the last Adam, attains this life and he pours out what's called this eschatological life, launching this new creation that far surpasses what Adam lost.
And Christ's exhortation, as exaltation, as a life-giving spirit, is the source of Pentecost power. Fulfilling God's promise through his victory. What did Jesus do when he ascended to the throne? All authority was given to him. What did he do?
He poured out his spirit. What does this mean for us today? Just very quickly, two things. I'll come back to it. The weeks ahead.
Here's the verse. The Holy Spirit's outpouring assures our redemption. Assures us of our redemption. Assurance. Comfort.
One of the greatest benefits that we receive from Christ's ascension is the sending of the Holy Spirit, whose mission. It is to gather a people into the church. Sustain them and protect them until the end of time. Paul calls the Holy Spirit our pledge, our guarantee. Which emphasizes God's unbreakable promise.
Listen to 2 Corinthians chapter 1. One verses 21 through 22. It is God who establishes us with you in Christ. And has anointed us. All of us are anointed.
Why? And who has also put his seal on us and given us his spirit in our hearts as a pledge, as a guarantee, as a down payment for the future. A guarantee. Pentecost guarantees glorification. But new creation to come.
which we are already a part of now. Because the Apostle Paul says If any man be in Christ, he is in what? New creation. The old creation in Adam has passed away. Behold, the new has come.
We are already part of the new creation, not yet consummated. But the Spirit given to us guarantees. as they pledge our consummation. That's assurance. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 5, He who has prepared us for this very thing is God who has given us the Spirit as a pledge, as a guarantee.
Listen to how Paul expands this in Ephesians chapter 1, verses 13 and 14. In him, in Christ. You also, after listening, hearing, you see, It's the most important thing we do at church. Pick a church carefully. Why?
Because what you hear is what you become. Amen. In him, you also, after listening to the message of the truth, the gospel, imagine that. The gospel of what? Of your salvation.
Having also believed, what do we do? We hear the gospel. We. Believe the gospel because faith comes from hearing. And when we heard and when we believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit.
Of promise. Who is given as a pledge, a guarantee, a down payment of our inheritance? With a view to the redemption of God's own possession to the praise of his glory, the Holy Spirit's presence is a down payment assuring us of our eternal redemption and resurrection place to the new creation to come in the consummation. When you believed. The gospel, when you heard it, Paul says, you believed it.
And God filled you with his spirit, and his spirit says to you, you're mine. And he says, and I'll bring you home. You're God's inheritance, and the Holy Spirit will bring you home. This pledge ties Pentecost outpouring to your future glory, to glorification. And the Spirit who assures our future transforms us in the present.
Here's a l here's a n. Just quickly, the last benefit. The Holy Spirit's outpouring transforms all people. This new covenant work of the Spirit brings a permanent, internal renewal through the Spirit. Listen to the promise of Ezekiel 36, 27.
I will put my spirit within you. and caused you You see that? cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my commandments. It's a gift of the Spirit. Galatians chapter 5, verse 5, for through the Spirit.
By faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. Glorification. Adam. Right? The first man in Genesis, he was made this living being by God's breath.
But he said and he lost this chance at this life that the Holy Spirit gives. But in contrast, Jesus, the last Adam, He doesn't fail, and through His faithfulness. He attains this eternal life, and he pours out the Holy Spirit, earning the right to give it to us. And Paul says he's not the Holy Spirit, but he's the life-giving Spirit. He bestows the Spirit.
As the blessing of his completed work, starting a new creation that surpasses what Adam lost, the old. Jesus foretold this in John chapter 7. Let me just finish with this. I'll come back next week and finish this point. Or actually, maybe the next week, because Dave is going to preach, but.
Listen to what Jesus says here in John chapter 7. It says, on the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Amen. As the scriptures have said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. Isn't that beautiful?
Now this he said about the Spirit Whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not yet been given, poured out at Pentecost. Why? Because Jesus was not yet glorified, ascended.
Now, listen very, very carefully. I'll come back in greater detail because I don't have time to develop it. Let me just finish with this. This phrase, out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water out of his heart, that phrase. refers to Christ.
It does not refer to the believer. Most people think it refers to the believer. It does not. It refers to Christ, who is the Temple of God. Where this river flows from, where the Holy Spirit flows from.
Listen carefully to what Jesus says. If you're thirsty, come to me and drink. Why? Because I am the temple from which this great river flows, which is the Holy Spirit. And whoever believes in me...
As the scripture has said, out of his heart, whose heart? Out of Jesus' heart, when you believe in him, the Holy Spirit, like a great, mighty, rushing river, will flow to you and give you eschatological life, make you new creation, and quench your thirst. That's what Jesus is saying. Jesus is the exalted, victorious, glorified, ascended Christ Messiah. Glorified after his ascension, he pours out the Holy Spirit like a river of life.
He is the life-giving Spirit who transforms us. I have to finish Ezekiel, turn to chapter 47 of Ezekiel. And I'll come back next time and I'll show you how. This transformation echoes what took place upon Mount Sinai. Because that's where this fire comes from.
That's where this wind comes from, Sinai. But we don't have time to do that, so we'll do that next time. Uh just look at chapter 47 of Ezekiel. Jesus is fulfilling Ezekiel's vision of this future temple. That that Ezekiel talks about.
Where this living water flows from a future temple. That's Christ, who is the ascended victorious Lord. He is the temple because he told the Jews, destroy this temple, and in three days I'll raise it up again. They said, well, you can't do that. It took this amount of time.
And he said, but he spoke of his body when he was raised from the dead. Jesus is the dwelling place of God. And what comes from Jesus is life. And it's not just this ethereal idea of life. It is the very person of the Holy Spirit who is God, the Lord, the giver of life.
Jesus is the temple. Believe in him and you're thirsty. His life flows to you by the power of the Holy Spirit and changes you. And this is what happens in Ezekiel. Look at 47.
Then he brought me back to the door of the house, and behold, water was flowing from the threshold of the house toward the east, for the house faced the east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from the south of the altar. He brought me out by the way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate by the way of the gate that faces east. And behold, water was trickling from the south side. When the man went now toward the east with a line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits and he led me through the water, water reaching the ankles.
And again, he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the knees. Again, he measured a thousand and led me through the water, water reaching the low ends. Again, he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not ford, for the water had risen enough water to swim in, a river that could not be forded. He said to me, Son of man, have you seen this? Then he brought me back to the bank of the river.
Now, when I returned, behold, on the bank of the river, there were very many trees on the one side and on the other. Then he said to me, These waters go out toward the eastern region and go down into the Ereba. Then they go toward the sea, being made to flow into the sea. The waters of the sea became fresh. And it will come about that every living creature which swarms in every place where the river goes.
We'll live. And there will be very many fish, for these waters go there and the others become fresh, so everything will live where the river goes. Look at verse 12. By the river on its banks, on one side and on the other, will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither.
No more fall, no more autumn, no more raking leaves. They don't wither. They don't die. And their fruit will not fail. They will bear every month because their water flows from the sanctuary, the temple.
And their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing. That's Christ. Pictured Ezekiel giving people the Holy Spirit. who gives them life. Wherever the river flows, they will live.
Listen again as we finish. If anyone Thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the scriptures have said, Out of his heart, the temple, Jesus, will flow rivers of living. Water. We are going to invite our city to come and drink.
And to experience life in the Spirit. Amen. Let's pray. Heavenly Father. We thank you for the gift of your ascended, exalted, glorified Son.
And we thank you that you have granted him by his perfect work. The Spirit without measure, and He has poured the Spirit upon us as a gift to empower us. to transform us. to assure us. and to equip us for this mission.
Help us as we go forth from here today. and for the rest of our life that you give. To tell people if you're thirsty, come and drink. And we pray, Holy Spirit, flow again, flow, flow, flow like a mighty rushing river through our lives. and this church and your church body, your people.
And bring life wherever it flows. We ask. to the praise of your glory. Amen. Yeah.
John Fawnville sends his thanks for listening today. And before we wrap up, can I tell you about an encouraging book you might want to get soon? It's called Hope and Holiness: How the Gospel Enables and Empowers Sexual Purity. You're not alone if you've tried to conquer sexual temptations and tried all the methods available, only to find yourself feeling defeated again. This book may be just what you're looking for.
With his shepherding heart, John shows that the gospel, not practical steps or more self-discipline, is God's provision for the power to live a life of sexual purity. and it's available to every Christian. What I like is the book is available in three convenient ways, paperback, audiobook, or Kindle. The links are in our podcast descriptions, or just search for Hope and Holiness by John Fawnville on Amazon to get a copy for you, and it's a wonderful book to go through with a small group. Him We Proclaim is a ministry of Paramount Church in Jacksonville, Florida.
You can find us at paramountchurch.com. We'll talk again soon.
