Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] Welcome to the Chroma Church podcast.
[00:00:07] Now, I'm going to move quite quick. If you've got a Bible, find John chapter, chapter 16. Because I just want to show you a few things and then we'll pray. Pray for some of you.
[00:00:17] John, chapter 16, verse 5. Why don't you stand while we read? I'm going to get straight on with it. But now I go away to him who sent me. And none of you asked me, where are you going? But because I've said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth, it is your advantage that I go away, for I do not. For if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send him to you. And when he has come, he will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. Of sin.
[00:00:50] Sorry, of sin because they do not believe in me. Of righteousness because I go to my Father and you will see me no more a judgment because the ruler of this world is judged.
[00:01:00] I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the Spirit of truth has come, he will guide you into all truth. For he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak and he will tell you the things to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All things the Father that the Father has are mine. Therefore I said, he will take a mine and. And declare it to you. Amen. Take a seat. Okay.
[00:01:33] You know, my journey with the Holy Spirit has been wonderful over the last 48 years. I received the Holy Spirit when I gave my life to Jesus. He came into my life and changed. And you know, often on a Sunday, I talk about our journey over the last seven years. You have to understand, that's the journey of the church. That's not my journey with the Holy Spirit.
[00:01:55] My journey with the Holy Spirit started 48 years ago when I gave my life to him in a little back room as a 13 year old kid. And the old guy who was 20 at that time, said to me, steve, you're not a Christian.
[00:02:13] Do you want to give your life to Jesus? I said, yes. I said, I want whatever you have because they had the Holy Spirit. And I remember them. We knelt on the floor in this little back room and he said, you need to confess your sin. Sin a little bit like we're going to do in a minute. And I couldn't think of any sins that I'D really done. I'd come from a really nice family. I was a good kid. I was 13 years older. You know, how much trouble can you get into? Although I. Two. Two big sins in my life were. Number one, I'd. I'd. I tried a cigarette and I. And I. But I done it up a tree.
[00:02:49] Never take your first drag of a cigarette up a tree, because I did. And I remember breathing in and my whole body being on fire. And I fell out the tree and I was healed, okay? Never touched another cigarette again. Nothing to do with the Holy Spirit. It was pure stupidity on my account. The second one, however, was to do with the Holy Spirit.
[00:03:12] And I told this story many times. I'd stolen from this farm and not much, just a little bit of money. But when he said, confess your sin, all I could think of was that.
[00:03:23] And in that moment, the Spirit of God came on me. And the only way I can describe it is I felt vile.
[00:03:41] I was just so aware of my sin. I had an Isaiah moment.
[00:03:46] Woe is me. Isaiah 6.
[00:03:49] I'm a man of unclean lips, and I live amongst a people of unclean lips. Why was Isaiah so aware of this? The glory came.
[00:03:58] Why was I so aware? The Holy Spirit came upon my life, and I was so aware of my sin. That's why Jesus says, the Spirit will convict of sin.
[00:04:08] And I never want to go back there. You see, you cannot understand grace unless you understand your sin. Put you on the cross. Put Jesus on the cross and, you know, you might go, well, Steve, you just had a little sin. And some people have big sins. And that's why Jesus said often the ones with the big sins love more because they're forgiven much. But my sin, my separation from God was just as vile as anything anyone else could have done. And in that moment, I was totally aware of it.
[00:04:44] But God.
[00:04:46] And whenever you read those words in the Bible, your heart should leap because in that moment of feeling vile, he was before me. Or can I say, the only way I can describe it, is literally between me and my sin.
[00:05:02] And, you know, he asks a simple question. Do you believe in me?
[00:05:07] That's why Jesus says of sin, because they do not believe.
[00:05:12] And in that moment he says, do you believe in me? Because your sin stands between you and Jesus and you can keep it or release it. It's your choice. It was my choice. We often think sin is the bad things we do, but Jesus says sin is an attitude of heart. That's why we need you. Hearts, he says, they don't Believe in me.
[00:05:32] Sin is conceived in the heart. The law says, don't commit adultery. Jesus says, don't worry about the adultery, but don't look lustfully. Why?
[00:05:42] Because it's where sin is conceived, in the heart.
[00:05:47] You see, sin is way more I am master of my own life than you are an adulterer hearing me. I'm not saying adultery is right. What I'm saying is where it starts. You know, your adultery is sin, but the root is, I'll do as I please, God. And you have no say in my life.
[00:06:05] No one is going to show me how to live.
[00:06:08] You know, why am I faithful to Juliet?
[00:06:13] Well, obviously, one, because I'm scared of her.
[00:06:17] But secondly, more importantly, the Spirit is in me.
[00:06:23] You see, I might have a lustful thought, okay? But he takes it captive and enables me to change my gaze because his holy presence is in me. You know, we have an argument. It's hard to believe, I know, and obviously I'm right, okay? But the Spirit says, isn't it better to be wronged?
[00:06:47] So we yell at each other a bit, but the Spirit is constantly saying, don't let the sun go down on your anger. But I want it to go down on my anger. That's my flesh. But the Spirit is saying, you don't want to go back to the sin.
[00:07:01] You don't remember. Remember what I saved you from. Remember that encounter. Don't go back there.
[00:07:08] I am calling you into what the Bible calls righteousness because I never want to go back to sin. You know the word that when Jesus says, I'm going to send the helper, the word is paracletus. And I've generally lived. This is what. This is what Strong's commentary says about the Paracletus. The helper, the advocate, the comforter, the intercessor, the consoler. It is called to one's aid. One who pleads another cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, an intercessor of Christ at God's right hand, pleading with God the Father for the pardon of our sins. The Paracletus, that's what he does. That is the Holy Spirit in our lives, pleading and calling us. And so he convicts us of our sin, but then he calls us to righteousness.
[00:08:07] That's why he comes into our life.
[00:08:10] You see, when Jesus comes to earth, he shows us what God is like, but also how to live.
[00:08:17] And he clothes us with righteousness. Galatians says, we're clothed in Christ.
[00:08:22] We put on the life of Christ how the Paracletes, the Holy Spirit The Holy Spirit comes into our life. He comes alongside us and he walks with us and he clothes us. He is in us and he is over us.
[00:08:42] Not only that, he cheers us on.
[00:08:46] He's calling out our name. It's like, I don't know if you.
[00:08:50] I don't go over to Leicester City very, very often, mainly because they lose too much and I just get. I just get depressed, you know, what's the point in supporting a team if they don't win anyway? But you hear them. And then the crowds are cheering and cheering and cheering. Would somebody just score a goal?
[00:09:13] Well, the Holy Spirit's doing exactly the same for you. He's cheering you on. But the way he cheers you on, he calls you to righteousness. He says, don't go back that way. Come this way with me.
[00:09:24] And then he lifts us up.
[00:09:29] John the Apostle John says, as he is, so are we in this world.
[00:09:34] Think about that. How is Jesus?
[00:09:36] He's seated at the right hand of the Father, glorified, raised from the dead as he is, so are you in this world.
[00:09:45] So just as he walked alongside me in my sin, he now bestows righteousness upon me and leads me in his right ways. I am now righteous, you know? So I'm in a store and they give me too much change. Amazing.
[00:10:04] The spirit of God's going, no, don't steal. Give it back.
[00:10:08] Be righteous.
[00:10:10] That's his voice. The flesh is going, no, I want it.
[00:10:14] The flesh is going, they should just get better. Staff.
[00:10:18] The spirit of God. No, I'm pulling you into my righteousness. I'm watching a TV and a sex scene comes on. My flesh goes, yes, but the spirit is going, do not look lustfully. And he's pulling my eyes away because he's calling me to righteousness. I'm in a conversation and it turns bitter.
[00:10:40] That's why the Bible says, don't be a busybody.
[00:10:43] The spirit says, now call out the gold in them.
[00:10:47] Now tell them what I see in this person.
[00:10:49] Speak the gold.
[00:10:51] I'm in a rush and someone's begging, and I try not to see the poor. But the spirit of God sees them and says, you have time. The flesh says, I don't have time. I've got to be here. But the spirit of God is going, you have time. Because I have time.
[00:11:06] Because he's leading me into righteousness.
[00:11:11] I'm feeling anxious. Besides, I haven't done something right, or I lie. But the Holy Spirit is shining the light on it and it says, let's just talk about this, and let's bring it all into the light.
[00:11:24] But, Lord, I don't want them to know I lied.
[00:11:28] Could I not just say I forgot?
[00:11:32] And the Holy Spirit is going, no, you didn't want to do it. That's why you didn't do it. Because he's calling us into righteousness. Because we don't want to go back there in all the vileness. He's calling us to so much more, you see, because he's at my side to intercede, to aid, to keep me in the throne room, the Holy Spirit. You see, I'm only as Christ in this world. If the Holy Spirit is at my side, I can't be raised with Christ.
[00:12:08] If the Holy Spirit isn't raising me with Christ, the Holy Spirit is the one that lifts me into the throne room. And he's saying, stay there.
[00:12:18] Enjoy the throne room. My flesh wants to be over here.
[00:12:24] Am I making any sense whatsoever? This is just good, Good.
[00:12:29] Look, if I look lustfully, my flesh says, don't you know I have needs?
[00:12:37] And the Holy Spirit says, dead people don't have needs.
[00:12:42] You're dead.
[00:12:43] You've died to your old life, and you're now alive in the Spirit.
[00:12:48] You know, but they stole my money.
[00:12:52] They robbed me.
[00:12:56] And the Holy Spirit says, haven't you seen how the Lord clothes, the grass, the flowers, nature.
[00:13:04] Do you think he's broke?
[00:13:06] Do you think it matters?
[00:13:12] Do you think Elton Musk cares if somebody steals one of his Teslas?
[00:13:20] Do you think he's up all night going, I don't know what I'm going to do with my life anymore? Somebody stole a Tesla.
[00:13:27] He doesn't care why, because he's rich.
[00:13:32] We don't care why, because we're rich.
[00:13:35] We have the Holy Spirit.
[00:13:37] He's pulling us out of all the muck and the mess. And he says, be seated with Jesus Christ, the Paracletus, the Holy Spirit, who comes into our life and really quickly. And I know, but he says so. He says three things. He says he's going to convict of sin. He's going to convict of righteousness. And thirdly, he says he's going to convict of judgment. The person of the Holy Spirit is the one who speaks again and again. Not guilty.
[00:14:05] The ruler of this world is judged and bound.
[00:14:09] Jesus says, but he still accuses. You know, you're not a very good Christian, and you hear it all the time. How many of us hear that? You know, you hear that whisper in your voice, you're not a good Christian. Anyone here is it Only me.
[00:14:21] That's the enemy. He's whispering. And the truth is you're not a very good Christian. But Jesus is.
[00:14:29] He's a great Christian. And you're clothed with Christ.
[00:14:33] You don't read your Bible enough.
[00:14:37] Correct? We could all read our Bible more, right?
[00:14:40] But the Spirit is writing the word of God on our hearts. Now that doesn't mean you don't read your Bible. As Estelle found out, you still read your Bible. But now it's not about. If you don't read your Bible, somehow you're out. Now it's about the Spirit opening up the treasures of the Scriptures. And you go, this is amazing. Because this book is a manual for how to live.
[00:15:05] It's how to pull us into righteousness.
[00:15:10] You have sinned, you know. You hear that voice. You're just a miserable sinner. Correct.
[00:15:17] But I'm a forgiven, transformed, rescued sinner.
[00:15:23] All of my sin on the cross, it's all gone.
[00:15:27] It's all gone.
[00:15:31] Do you realize this is Paul writing to Romans? Do you realize that all the wealth of his extravagant kindness is meant to melt your heart and lead you into repentance?
[00:15:42] The extravagant kindness of God, the goodness of the Holy Spirit in our life is meant to melt our hearts and lead us into a repentance just means a new direction. The direction of rightness. That's what righteousness means.
[00:16:01] You see, his kindness has led me into freedom. I have a new heart. It melted. And now it beats in time with his alongside the Paracletus, the Holy Spirit.
[00:16:13] Now this is important. And we're almost done. The ruler of this world has been judged guilty. He is bound. He is stripped of his power to control. He is imprisoned. Jesus is really clear. You have been pronounced not guilty. Therefore, we are free to plunder the devil's house.
[00:16:38] And we do this by declaring the blood of the Lamb that we're forgiven. And the words of our testimony, the. The blood of Jesus has set us free. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee of that. That's how you know. Know you're saved. And we declare his goodness. And men and women are set free. And his kingdom comes.
[00:17:02] That is what revival looks like.
[00:17:06] This. This is my story of 48 years walking with the Holy Spirit, my wife, my children loving Jesus.
[00:17:16] The. The. The. The Spirit. Look. So we've seen many moves of the Holy Spirit over recent, recent years.
[00:17:29] We've seen people healed and outpourings of the Holy Spirit.
[00:17:36] The problem is they've never left the building.
[00:17:41] The church got blessed. The church got a few New songs and a few people got healed.
[00:17:47] There is a wind that is now blowing across this nation.
[00:17:52] Do you understand? In the last five years, if the stats are correct, 2 million more people are going to church now than they were five years, which now there was only 2 million before. So that takes it up to 4 million. That's not revival, but it is the start.
[00:18:06] The wind of the Spirit is starting, is starting to blow across this nation, and you are part of it.
[00:18:14] God. God is moving. But. But the church must leave the building.
[00:18:20] We must understand that when we come in, you know, the last few weeks, that we keep getting this word, rivers. You know, Paul Manwaring came. I didn't ask Paul to talk about rivers. I asked him to talk about glory.
[00:18:32] So disobedient. He talked about rivers? No, he was talking about glory. Pastor Ricardo comes, talks about rivers. It's really interesting. And he. If you weren't here, you can listen back. He talked about the vision Ezekiel has and where the water comes up to the ankles. He's talking about the Holy Spirit. And then it comes up to the knees.
[00:18:51] And, you know, lots of us have been there. And then he says. And then it comes up to the waist, and he says it's hard when the water's up in the waist. I've never heard anyone say this before. And that's often where we get to as a church. This presence of God is coming up and we're trying to walk through the water. Have you ever tried to walk through water when it's up to your waist? But if you stop there because it's hard, it will never get up to your neck. The moment it's up to your neck, you start to go in the river and you start to flow and it's. Suddenly everything changes.
[00:19:23] Revival is when we push through the waste and it's up to our neck, and we are in the flow of the river. God doesn't want a pool.
[00:19:32] He wants a flowing river.
[00:19:35] And the river flows. When the church starts to leave the building full of the Holy Spirit, declaring the goodness of God, the church can't help it. I'm not telling you you've got to share your faith more. I'm telling you you've got to be filled with the Spirit more. So you can't help yourself. That's what Jeremiah said. If I don't speak about the Lord and his holy words, my very bones will burn. You'll be in your workplace on fire.
[00:20:01] Okay? You'll be sitting at your desk trying to. Trying to work, and your whole body will be consumed with fire if you don't preach.
[00:20:10] That's what happened to Jeremiah. If you don't share. That's what's coming.
[00:20:15] But what we're experiencing is the water coming up. It's at our waist, and now we've got to push through because we want it up to our neck where we're in the river and we flow. Does that make sense? That's what he's calling us to.
[00:20:30] And my question is, will you walk with him?
[00:20:34] Will you obey him?
[00:20:37] I look back at my life. I am so grateful. But I know this next season will be even better.
[00:20:46] Be filled with the Paracletos, the Holy Spirit of God, your best friend. He will never leave you. And he will lead us into this new season.
[00:20:57] He will convict us on what is wrong. He will show us what is right. And he will empower us to change the world.
[00:21:07] And the call on each of us is church live.
[00:21:11] Church be alive.
[00:21:14] Church be filled.
[00:21:16] Thanks for listening to the Coma Church Podcast. If you enjoyed this message, you can like and subscribe. You can also join us in person or online every Sunday at Cromer Church. For more information about us, including our ministries, events, worship and how to donate, visit our website at Chroma Church.
