Essential Fuel for Fulfilling the Mission, Part 3

When the disciples watched users disappear into the sky must've felt abandoned dreams for the future advantage. After all, they dropped everything to follow Jesus and now he was gone today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll teaches from acts chapter 2 in this passage we see how Jesus fulfilled his promise to give the disciples a companion who would never leave their side, let's resume the study that started last week in acts chapter 2 title this message essential fuel for fulfilling. So were in the upper room here. The disciples love them and there were others that met with them the role hundred and 20 believers altogether in this room, large room, verse one all day of Pentecost. This came days from the first Sunday after Passover.

I find free evidences of the supernatural first find an audible evidence they are in the room and there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm so it sounded like a windstorm, but there was nowhere phenomenal supernatural second is a visible evidence of the supernatural. This sound filled the house where they were sitting. Verse three then what looked like the flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of the word. There is an oral evidence, and this is where confusion is really abounded. Observe verse four.

Everyone present was Phil with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other your Bible reads tongs and from this has come the whole teaching of tongs that has spread all around the world, but observe what it says. Other languages not gibberish, but they spoke for languages they had never learned before verse five. At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. And when they heard the loud noise than say they felt the wind. There was no wind. When they heard the noise.

Everyone came running and they were bewildered to hear what their own language being spoken by the believers. They were completely amazed how can that be, they exclaimed, and then they add these people are all from Galilee wasn't important because Galilee speak Aramaic. They were speak the language of Rome.

They were speak the language of the Egyptians. They speak Aramaic. That's what Jesus spoke and what were they hearing. Look at the end of verse 11 we all hear these people speaking in our own language.

It says again is Dr. Luke writes this rights in such a way that is almost redundant.

They hear about Jesus who died for them and rose from the dead and paid the penalty for their sins, they hear that they never heard something like this before they come to practice their their religion in coming up Passover but they don't know Christ until they hear about him through their own language spoken through the tongue of Galileans formally Aramaic speaking people. They stood there amazed and perplexed. What can this mean they asked each other was interesting is that those who heard them. The cynics verse 13 they ridiculed and said there are a bunch of drunks so that's a ridiculous response about this whole point of Peter's message as he begins were not drawn is not a clock in the morning. People are drinking as early in the morning. Where were telling you the wonderful works of God.

I think Peter is as amazed as they are that his tongue is conveying a language that he wasn't trained in this interesting that when missionaries go to the field and their involvement in an open work in another country that's different from their own. What to do. First they go to language school. Why, because that is the key that unlocks connecting with the people that are going to minister to when we were in Israel in this recent trip we we were with people, mainly the native guides that were able to do this, who were fluent in several languages.

They guided tours and were very close friends with the sinus module and of his nickname's ruling and I was with Willie one day and we were in a car he was speaking to be of course in English because I'm so dumb I only know one language and he has a buddy walk-up say something to them in Hebrew, and he dropped the window when he talks to him and communicates very clearly in Hebrew, gets a phone call that comes from a group from Italy that wants to do a tour. It is really speak to them in Italian. Then he turns and talks to me back again in English.

He's trained in those languages. He studied those languages. These men could speak those languages with no training. In fact suddenly when the spirit of God came upon them. Not only was there the sound. Not only was there the flame like presence in the shape of tongs interesting since there are miles and tongs would play a major role in carrying out acts 18 remember what we just read you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, that's my language says it and Aramaic speaking person in Judea that's my language in Samaria because of differences there. How about in the ends of the earth.

I need to be equipped with language that got it in this text starts the evangelism of the first century at these people now are equipped supernaturally with the ability to speak to whomever and whatever setting, telling them of the wonderful works of God so excited about the candidate. I just think about how the spirit of God came and brought something as practical as that that marvelous how he would do that is just the beginning.

You know what else he did. He brought to their remembrance. Everything that Christ to talk them while they were daydreaming or while they were afraid or while they were preoccupied with things of their own interest when the spirit of God came, he cleared the slate and all that numbness of their past and he riveted into their minds. The troop which brings me now to my my final comments because you see the spirit of God is still at work. We tell you how you can be sure that if you have learned anything today from the word of God, you have the spirit of God.

To think if he were not present you. Most of you would've walked out by now only a few of you have walked out a few of them have walked out but for whatever reason but you're here here and you find yourself, I would hope interested in what your you know why the spirit of God. He is igniting your mind so that you can compare spiritual things with spiritual truth and they blend together and makes sense and would you leave your different. So the first benefit of the spirit. The difference you make is how we think he makes a difference in how we think, when he transforms you at the time of salvation. The spirit of God invades your life becomes a part of your existence. He changes the way you think he alters your attitude. He removes so many of the things that were read you and troubled you he releases you from fears that you've had all through your life because the spirit of God doesn't work within us mentally and how grateful we are for that secondly makes a difference in what we do, were no longer in life for ourselves that comes from the spirit of God is on government media it it it it it doesn't come from not just your your buddies from college.

It comes from the living God who gets inside your life and alters you from with in.

He opened stores that had otherwise been closed, and he closes doors that were otherwise open that you to be tempted to go into but because he changes what we do. Removing barriers as well as setting up points that are warnings to keep us from going there.

He begins to do a work in the way we live our lives. Here's a 30 makes a difference in why we serve is no longer about us.

It is no longer about feeding our own ego. I seldom referred to this but I'm going to say this today.

It seems to fit when Sunday morning comes I am so excited I I just simply cannot cannot sleepily I normally don't I'm I'm an early riser, but I mean Sunday morning we talk at 3 o'clock Archuleta no call you anyway. I'm always absolutely wide-awake by four. Why because I am so motivated about the thrill of being able to set forth the truth from the Scriptures. For those of you who want to take to get them knowing the difference they can make in your life knowing that if you really grasp what the Scripture says you will be different. You will be as selfish as you have been you will hold a grudge is that you've held most of your life you you you will drop the prejudices that you have for all your years head the spirit of God goes to work and it will do a number on why we serve. We serve for the sake of others. He will make it clear on who is important and that's the living Lord. I heard the song today from acquiring the talked about crown him king I crown him Lord and I was moved over that you know why the spirit of God, but given my own desire unpunished in crowning anybody else king on his and crying myself king. But when Christ is a work in your life in the spirit of God takes over. He's enthroned, and he shoves yourself off the throne and puts Christ. There and you can't wait to carry carry out his will. Which brings me to the final promise he makes a difference in where you go is not interesting, you realize all of these Galileans would have gone right back to Galilee and stayed right there in that little by little terrain of Galilee. The rest of their lives. That's all they knew we go back to the familiar, but none of them stayed there. They left when here they're here there and they died. Martyrs for the cause of Christ because they were willing to go where he led them to go.

I had a couple stop the after the first service or the cave. I was standing down front and in the Sidwell out of the house live in California as they left here at the movie California they hated leaving here but they were going to go live in California and they said actually were in Florida as a that's not all I California. They said now we know. But you know it's funny how the Lord leads perfect example and they said we were never thinking about it before this opportunity came and the door flew open and we said yes and we never been happier going exactly where the Lord is leading. All I want to mess up some of your lives right now on. I really some of you need to go somewhere else. I probably didn't say that right but you think you belong right here for the rest your life you got your house need you got your stuff in, and every everything is rock and long who says that lets you talk you know that rarely. In all the moves I've made. I count them up. The other day.

I think you're about six major moves, all but one I had no interest in in in moving. In fact, I resisted, but I couldn't resist enough to keep from doing. Then after the fact. Looking back I go live on earth did I resist that. Look at what the Lord plan as he moved me here or there that that that's how it is. Many of you could testify that you never dreamed you would wind up where you are now in here this preachers appear telling you, you may not be here forever. You know what else then again you maybe because the same spirit of God, who moves also keeps and holds you're right there, saying it's God's will that all of us move that's not the plan on saying that some some of you are resisting and you know you are not only to hear from you or hear about. I can change any of that.

I just would say it's a losing battle. If the spirit of God is leading you elsewhere and you're not going, you're wasting your effort was in the end God wins.

I found that no one is a match for the living God, and these disciples were about to have their whole little world from expanded to a place that they never dreamed.

I mean after all, they now have the language they are now equipped and that was for this time limit to me. Let me add that just is a little a little caveat of you if you don't, you don't need this very experience to be in the center of the will of God that was then this is in a transition. Where all this time everything is been concentrated on the teachings of Jesus and a small band of people that were right there in Galilee and in Judea and the Lord had plans to expand it to beyond. As we read injured in the acts 18 no try to duplicate this and say unless it's like that in my life. I'm not in the will of God as best I can tell I don't see this commanded in our lives today that we have the same experience. The early apostles. In this era, it was necessary, but it could very well be if the Lord wants to use you in another language or another place that requires language you had to go through language study. Chances are good you will wake up in the morning speaking that language. Chances are good you go through study and you will learn the language and all the goes with anyway now that I messed up your life. Let me lead us in prayer bow with me with you. I was being facetious. I really haven't messed up your life. I made you aware that you're not in charge of your life. Which brings me to have a very direct word to you never trusted in Christ.

Some of the things I've said because you don't know the Lord sound like a lot of gibberish, some of you would have to say have never anything like this before.

While there are number of things you haven't heard before, because you're on the throne of your own life and you are blinded to truth that would otherwise be available to you if you would simply trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. He died that you might live.

He took your place on the cross, even though you deserve to pay for your own sins in grace.

He took your place, and now he invites you to trust him with your sins forgiven. He has a future for you that is exciting beyond words.

You couldn't guess it if you try, but it begins by your coming to the cross. You acknowledge that you're the center he's the Savior you're lost and he's willing to take you just as you are and to transform your life if you trusted your surrounded by those who have done that. It's your turn. Do that now.

Thank you father for the way you speak to us in terms we can understand maybe hear what you have written. May we understand it. Guard us against reading into it what other people think it says rather than what we see that it says may we embrace the truth which sets us free and may that freedom lead to a life of obedience to Christ in whose name we pray. Everyone said amen amen sensing the God is nudging step forward and follow him. Let me point you to a dedicated webpage where you can learn more about your personal relationship with God. Define helpful articles and resources it insight world.org/how to know God you're listening to Insight for living in our Bible teacher, Chuck Swindoll is talking about essential fuel for fulfilling the mission and I Chuck is in the studio to share a closing comment with you so please keep listening and if you like to learn more about the ministry of insight for living. Please visit us online@insightworld.org then I like to take a moment to remind you that insight for living produces a wide variety of resources that are perfectly suited for any occasion. So please take a few minutes to browse through the online store where you find a vast array of books such as the Swindoll study Bible.

In addition, you love access to the beautiful coffee table books on Christmas, Easter and even the journeys of Paul for more unique gift idea, you might consider our selection of whole being coffees from around the world. All of this and more is founded insight.org/store now. You'll be pleased to know Chuck is written and in-depth commentary on the Gospel according to Matthew that comes into hardbound volumes. You'll find all the details for requesting a copy@insight.org/store. Thanks Dave. It was a revered pastor and author AW toes are who made this brilliant observation many years ago he wrote these words. What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us now stop and ponder that statement. To paraphrase AW toes are the most important thing about you is what you think about God.

So here's the question. When you think of God is he a big God with a G or a little God with a small sheet old. I'm not talking about the dimension I'm referring to God's competence is significance. What do you think about God well at insight for living ministries. We fully submit ourselves to the majesty and the magnitude of a big God with a G of course the God who does the impossible.

Remember what the resurrected Lord said to his disciples when he was in Galilee.

He said go and make disciples of all nations doesn't sound a bit grandiose maybe over the top, perhaps even audacious, well, not if your God with God. You see, nothing is impossible at insight for living ministries. This accurate view of God is what shapes our entire mission were driven to pursue the impossible. And that is to make disciples of all the nations. Just as Jesus commanded and gratefully we have big minded and generous friends like you who come alongside us and enable us to make that happen.

As we come to the end of another year.

I'm calling upon you to lock arms with us as we pursue an impossible God -sized goal of reaching all 195 countries in this entire world with the good news of Jesus Christ. You're special here in donation will make all the difference.

Believe me, so are you with us in this cannot count on you to stand alongside us. Let's introduce people to the great God, who says behold, I am the Lord God of all flesh is anything too difficult for me so it's your move.

Let's do this together okay. Let's do this together. Well here's how to respond to Chuck Swindoll give us a call right now listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 phone number again is 1-800-772-8888 or if you prefer may be quicker to get online@insight.org/donate. Thank you for generously supporting insight for living ministries. Swindoll gives what he calls an original snapshot of the first church Tuesday on insight for living. The preceding message essential fuel for fulfilling the mission and the sound recording were copyrighted in 2018 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited