Seven Things About The Spirit

WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH

PASTOR: TERRY VAUGHAN

SERMON TITLE: SEVEN THINGS ABOUT THE SPIRIT

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18

1 CORINTHIANS 2:9-12 “BUT AS IT IS WRITTEN, EYE HATH NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NEITHER HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN, THE THINGS WHICH GOD HATH PREPARED FOR THEM THAT LOVE HIM. BUT GOD HATH REVEALED THEM UNTO US BY HIS SPIRIT: FOR THE SPIRIT SEARCHETH ALL THINGS, YEA, THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD. FOR WHAT MAN KNOWETH THE THINGS OF A MAN, SAVE THE SPIRIT OF MAN WHICH IS IN HIM? EVEN SO THE THINGS OF GOD KNOWETH NO MAN, BUT THE SPIRIT OF GOD. NOW WE HAVE RECEIVED, NOT THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD, BUT THE SPIRIT WHICH IS OF GOD; THAT WE MIGHT KNOW THE THINGS THAT ARE FREELY GIVEN TO US OF GOD.”

I DON’T KNOW IF YOU CAUGHT THAT OR NOT BUT IT SAYS THAT NEITHER HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEARTS OF MAN, THE THINGS WHICH GOD HATH PREPARED FOR THEM THAT LOVE HIM. THAT TELLS ME THERE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT DON’T KNOW THE LORD. BUT WHETHER YOU LOVE HIM OR NOT, HE STILL LOVES YOU. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US. THE BIBLE SAYS GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN THAN THIS, THAT A MAN WOULD LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS. I WANT YOU TO KNOW YOU ARE HIS FRIEND AND GOD LOVES YOU AND HE SENT YOU HIS SON TO DIE ON A CROSS FOR YOU.

NOT ANYONE OF US CAN GET ANYTHING FROM GOD, WE CAN’T SEE THE THINGS OF GOD, WE CAN’T HEAR THE THINGS OF GOD AND WE CAN’T ACCEPT THE THINGS OF GOD WITHOUT THEIR BEING ONE FACTOR AND THAT’S THE SPIRIT OF GOD. IF YOU DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT GOD THE BIBLE SAYS THAT GOD IS A SPIRIT. GOD IS NOT NATURAL LIKE YOU AND I ARE. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT JESUS IS FROM ABOVE BUT WE ARE FROM BENEATH. HE SAID I AM NOT OF THIS WORLD BUT YOU ARE OF THIS WORLD. THERE’S ONLY ONE WAY THAT GOD CAN ALLOW US THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THE THINGS THAT PERTAIN TO GOD AND THAT’S WHEN GOD REVEALS IT TO US THROUGH HIS HOLY SPIRIT. I REMEMBER THE DAY THE LORD SAVED ME AND IT WAS NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT THE PREACHER SAID OR DID, NOT BECAUSE OF WHAT SONG WAS SUNG. I WAS SAVED SIMPLY BECAUSE GOD REVEALED HIS SELF TO ME THROUGH HIS SPIRIT AND LET ME KNOW I WAS LOST AND ON MY WAY TO HELL. AND BECAUSE GOD REVEALED HIMSELF TO ME, I GAVE MYSELF TO HIM. GOD IS STILL REVEALING THINGS TODAY WITH HIS SPIRIT BECAUSE THE BIBLE SAYS THE SPIRIT SEARCHETH ALL THINGS. YOU CANNOT GET IT WITH YOUR EYES OR YOUR EARS, NEITHER CAN IT ENTER INTO YOUR HEART BUT BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD TODAY.

I WANT TO SHARE A FEW THINGS WITH YOU ABOUT THE SPIRIT THAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW.

NUMBER ONE: BORN OF THE SPIRIT. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. I’LL TELL YOU WHAT JESUS SAID IN JOHN 3:6 “THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE FLESH IS FLESH; AND THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT IS SPIRIT. MARVEL NOT THAT I SAID UNTO THEE, YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN.”

THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD TODAY BECAUSE THEY’VE NEVER TAKEN PART IN BEING BORN AGAIN. JESUS SAID THAT NO MAN COMETH UNTO THE FATHER BUT BY ME. IF YOU WANT TO GET SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD, THE FIRST THING THAT HAS TO HAPPEN IS GOD HAS TO REVEAL HIMSELF TO YOU BY THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD. JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE A MEMBER OF WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH, JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE SITTING ON THE PEW IN GODS HOUSE, IT DOES NOT MEAN YOU’RE ON YOUR WAY TO HEAVEN. YOU’VE GOT TO BE BORN AGAIN. NICODEMUS SAID, HOW CAN A MAN BE BORN AGAIN WHEN HE IS OLD? HOW CAN ENTER THE SECOND TIME INTO HIS MOTHERS WOMB AND BE BORN? GOD SAID THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE FLESH IS FLESH AND THAT WHICH IS BORN OF THE SPIRIT IS SPIRIT. I’M GLAD I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BORN OF THE SPIRIT. I THOUGHT ABOUT SOMETHING SITTING AT THE PIANO. NONE OF US CAN REMEMBER THE DAY WE WERE BIRTHED INTO THIS WORLD. OUR MIND WAS TOO SMALL. MY PARENTS REMEMBER WHEN I WAS BORN AND I REMEMBER WHEN MY CHILDREN WERE BORN. IT WAS THE GREATEST THING I EVER SAW. IT WAS PRECIOUS AND IT’S PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD WHEN WE’RE BIRTHED INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD. WE MAY NOT REMEMBER THE DAY WHEN WE WERE BIRTHED INTO THIS WORLD BUT YOU BETTER REMEMBER THE DAY WHEN YOU WERE BIRTHED INTO THE FAMILY OF GOD. I BELIEVE IF YOU WERE SAVED BY THE GRACE OF GOD, YOU’LL KNOW IT.