Normal or Supernatural – 10

 Normal or Supernatural – 10

Subject: I Remembered the Word of the Lord

by Rick Welborne

Acts 11:11-18 (NKJV)
¹¹  At that very moment, three men stood before the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea.
¹²  Then the Spirit told me to go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered the man's house.
¹³  And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, 'Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter,
¹⁴  who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.'
¹⁵  And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning.
¹⁶  Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
¹⁷  If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?"
¹⁸  When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life."

--Last week we talked about how salvation came to Cornelius (to Gentiles) and how, as Peter preached God’s Word to them, Holy Spirit fell upon them. Oh, how I would like to see that here.

--This is not my sermon but I guess it is a sermon within a sermon. What makes Cornelius different than us? We say we want Holy Spirit to fall on us and he actually experienced Him falling.

A. Cornelius was a God-fearing man. Where is our fear of the Lord?

B. Cornelius was a devout man. He did not put on a pretense. He was sincere.

C. Cornelius was a generous man to the poor. He sincerely cared for those less fortunate than himself.

D. Cornelius prayed to God always. He was hungry for a deeper relationship with God. He wanted more.

--I truly believe this explains why we do not have the same experience that he did. Think about this, he was not even born again and had all these wonderful traits. Lord, help us!

Matthew 5:6 (NKJV)                                                                                                                                  ⁶  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 

--I love how the Word of God does not try to sugar-coat when people of God are way off base. In Acts 11 the District finds out that Peter has gone to be with Gentiles.

--They were not glad Cornelius and his house had been saved and baptized with Holy Spirit power, they were concerned that Peter had spent time with the uncircumcised and ate with them. 

--Don’t we do the same? I remember David Houck, missionary to the forest, shared how he went in a bar to leave food for a needy family. The owner asked him how his ministry was doing.

--He shared how they needed $50,000 dollars to continue. The owner writes him a check. I heard a couple of people talking who should have known better, “What was he doing in a bar?”

--I’ll tell you what he was doing, he was reaching people for the Kingdom that neither you nor most of the church would have had the courage to touch with the love of God. 

--So many times we cannot be effective in reaching the world because we are too afraid that the “Do Nothing Disciples” may say something about it. Shake it off. Pastor Juan mixes it up with everyone.

--Another sermon within a sermon that we can learn from this story is how Peter handled the opposition from the District leadership. Actually those in authority over him.

A. He did not get angry but he chose to explain the course God took him through.

B. He shared the process God used to deal with his prejudice against the Jews. He struggled with this too.

C. He took six brothers with him when he went to Cornelius house. Accountability and wisdom.

D. He chose to let God do the work and let His Name be glorified.

--Today, as we consider going from normal to supernatural, we will have to consider what Peter recognized:

Acts 11:16 (NKJV)
¹⁶  Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'

--One of the passions of your pastor’s heart is that whatever we do, whatever we believe, what ministries we have, that we are biblical in all we do. We must remember the Word of the Lord!

1. To go from normal to supernatural we must remember the Word of the Lord. 

--Peter’s struggle with preaching to Gentiles and seeing them saved and baptized with Holy Spirit power was done away with when he remembered the Word of the Lord. 

--When I first became a Christian, many people began to (with good intentions) try to indoctrinate me with what the Assemblies of God believed. I was saved at First Assembly of God in Bastrop, Louisiana.

--I tried to be as kind as I could be but told them to give me some time to study God’s Word on my own so I believed what was in the Bible because I had read it myself. They still tried.

--My desire to read and study God’s Word was one of the ways I knew I had truly been transformed. I would work the 3-11 shift at the Paper Mill, come home, clean up, eat, and then, study till the sun came up.

2 Timothy 2:15 (NKJV)
¹⁵  Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.

--I knew if I was going to come out completely from the pig pen of life before Jesus that I would have to be diligent to study, memorize, and know God’s Word. I wanted to be a whole man.

2 Timothy 3:15-17 (NKJV)
¹⁵  and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
¹⁶  All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
¹⁷  that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

--We almost mock a religion that we all know that tells their people not to study God’s Word. We will teach you, they say. We encourage you to read it and so many simply neglect God’s Word. Why so many babies.

--God wants us to be complete or whole because we will be ready to do whatever God calls us to do. I stayed with the AOG because their beliefs line up with the Word especially Holy Spirit baptism.

--Peter struggled with the mission God had sent him on until he remembered the Word of God. This Word:

Acts 1:4-8 (NKJV)
⁴  And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me;
⁵  for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
⁶  Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"
⁷  And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.
⁸  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

--When we have God’s Word in our hearts and we find ourselves in situations that are way beyond us and our ability, Holy Spirit will help us remember God’s Word. Bring back to our memory. 

--Years ago I was witnessing to the beast of the Bastrop Paper Mill. I felt I was not getting anywhere until I remembered the Word of the Lord. Just one Scripture.

--Larry broke down and began to cry so loud people in the mill could hear him all over. Mills are loud. Larry asked Jesus into his heart and he was transformed. Years later he was still serving God. One verse did that.

--Studying, memorizing, and remembering His Word will help take you from normal to supernatural.

2. Peter remembered the Promise of the Father, Holy Spirit.

Acts 11:15-18 (NKJV)
¹⁵  And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning.
¹⁶  Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
¹⁷  If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?"
¹⁸  When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, "Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life."

--Some of you think I over-emphasize Holy Spirit and I don’t think the church gives Him the honor due to Him. He is God, the Holy Spirit.

--Peter was saying here that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, the door has been opened to the Gentiles, just like it was to the Jews. How did he know that?

--He better know it because he knew the District would give a tough time about uncircumcised Gentiles being welcomed into the Kingdom of God, and why was he eating with them anyway?

--Peter knew the door had been opened to the Gentiles because, “God gave them the same gift (Holy Spirit) as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?" 

--Believing in Holy Spirit and His power was never intended to be something divisive between churches where you have to choose whether you are pro or con Holy Spirit.

--The doctrine of Holy Spirit has always been intended to be the unifying doctrine that lets churches know they are on the same team instead of competing with each other. 

--There was a reason the District (the disciples and believers in Jerusalem) were silent according to v.18. It was because they had come to believe God was exclusive instead of inclusive. Because they were wrong.

--Lest I be misunderstood, let me clarify. As being inclusive, I definitely do not mean anything goes. I spoke with a pastor from Dallas Texas about a man attending our church who was obstinate. Wanted to be a member.

--He shared how seven years previous they made the decision anyone could become a member no matter what. He said, the man you are dealing with came during that time with all his baggage. Not willing to change.

--He said, at first, our church grew by leaps and bounds, but then, the poo hit the fan. He continued, we have been trying to clean up the mess ever since. Now we are being much more cautious. 

--My point is this…Holy Spirit has been so neglected by the church that great men of God are writing books like “Forgotten God” and “The God We Never Knew”. Peter said Holy Spirit connects us not divides us. 

Ephesians 4:1-4 (NKJV)
¹  I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
²  with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
³  endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
⁴  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 

3. The District glorified God because Peter remembered.

--Think about this…you and I are here today because Peter remembered the Word of God and because there was the witness of Holy Spirit to the Jew and to the Gentile. 

--God has had the answer to racism for a long time. The problem is not with Him but with His church. If the churches of America went after a Holy Spirit revival, things would change.

--We need the full gospel. We need the gospel that doesn’t leave out Holy Spirit and His power. The gospel can change the Jew, the Gentile, the black, the white, the brown…all people of all nations.

Romans 1:14-16 (NKJV)
¹⁴  I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise.
¹⁵  So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also.
¹⁶  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 

--This is revival!

Normal or Supernatural – 9

 Normal or Supernatural – 9

Subject – Cornelius Going from Normal to Supernatural

by Rick Welborne

Acts 10:1-8 (NIV)
¹  At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment.
²  He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
³  One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!"
⁴  Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.
⁵  Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter.
⁶  He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea."
⁷  When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants.
⁸  He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa. 

--As I continue reading through the Book of Acts I see this theme over and over where God is taking someone or a group of people from the normal to the supernatural. 

--So far we have seen the disciples and the 120 go from normal to supernatural. We have seen a lame man at the gate of the temple be transformed. We have seen persecuted believers re-filled with Holy Spirit.

--We have seen ordinary men of God, considered laity in the church, be transformed by Holy Spirit power and become deacons in the church. They were used to do the supernatural.

--We saw how Stephen who had been anointed for service stand before obstinate leaders with boldness, preach God’s Word with power, and lay down his life as a martyr. Supernatural enablement. 

--We saw Philip in a city in Samaria used by God to see the sick healed and those with evil spirits set free. He showed us what it meant to be transported by God to another place of ministry. Supernatural. 

--We witnessed the total transformation of Saul as God took him from being a normal angry man seeking to kill the Christians and the church to a supernatural, Spirit-filled preacher of the Gospel.

--We saw Peter used of God to heal a paralytic who had been bed-ridden for eight years and a lady named Tabitha raised from the dead. Normal dead. Alive supernaturally. 

--Cornelius was evidently an incredible person. He was a leader (a centurion), he was a family man, he was devout and God fearing, he was generous, and he was a man of prayer. 

--Probably any pastor I know would want Cornelius to be a member of his church and would undoubtedly have him in some type of leadership position. 

--He was extremely sensitive to God and His voice in his life. He was willing to quickly obey whatever God spoke to him or to do what he felt was right. Interesting what Jesus said about obeying His commands:

John 14:15-17 (NKJV)
¹⁵  "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
¹⁶  And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--
¹⁷  the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

1. For Cornelius to go from normal to supernatural he must be born again. 

--Does God answer the prayers of sinners? I had someone tell me that Jesus would never answer the prayer of a sinner. Really? My response was how could we ever be saved if that were true?

--Someone here at our church many years ago asked me a very common question people ask who are not very familiar with the Word of God. 

--Pastor, don’t you believe there are people in every religion who are saved? Won’t they make it to Heaven?

--I asked this person if he believed people of other religions would make it to heaven as long as they were crying out to God (their version of who he was) in sincerity? He said “yes” which was disconcerting to me.

--God would never send a person to hell who, in their heart, felt like they were praying to the right being. I told him I understand the dilemma we have with people’s sincerity but they can be sincerely wrong. Many are.

--Let me ask all of us here today and those who are livestreaming with us…was Cornelius born again according to God’s Standard, the Word of God? Look again at our text:

Acts 10:2 (NIV)
²  He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 

--As far as we know, Cornelius and his house had not become proselytes of the Jewish religion but had gravitated toward the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He prayed. 

--There are many people who pray regularly and who are generous. You could definitely say that they have a godly fear and want to do what was right.

--My mom was a difficult case because she was generous and she acknowledged God was real and that He was ultimately in charge. She was not saved or born again.

--She would tell me…Ricky, I am better than many of those people who are down at your church. I would say to her…you are right but being good does not make you right in God’s eyes.

Philippians 3:8-10 (NLT2)
⁸  Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ
⁹  and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.
¹⁰  I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,

--Many people pray (I did before I got saved) but are not right with God. Many people acknowledge there is a God (so do demons and they tremble), and many people are generous but they are not saved. 

--Cornelius had so much going for him and he even had a desire to know this God in a more intimate way. This is why God thru an angel had him send for Peter. 

Acts 10:33-36 (NKJV)
³³  So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God."
³⁴  Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.
³⁵  But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
³⁶  The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ--He is Lord of all.

--Again, Cornelius was God fearing, generous, and a man of prayer but there was one thing that was lacking in his life.

Acts 4:10-12 (NKJV)
¹⁰  let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.
¹¹  This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.'
¹²  Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

--Think about this…many of the countries our missionaries go to are filled with people who pray regularly but the reason we send missionaries is so they can hear Jesus preached. No other Name!

--Pastor Rick, you still have not convinced me Biblically that Cornelius was not already saved before Peter came and preached to he and his family. He prayed and he was generous! Ok! Watch this: Peter’s defense: 

Acts 11:13-14 (NKJV)
¹³  And he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his house, who said to him, 'Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon whose surname is Peter,
¹⁴  who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.'

--Cornelius needed Jesus just like we need Jesus to be saved. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life!

2. For Cornelius to go from normal to supernatural he needed a Gentile Pentecost.

Acts 10:44-48 (NKJV)
⁴⁴  While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.
⁴⁵  And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.
⁴⁶  For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered,
⁴⁷  "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"
⁴⁸  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.

--Think about this…even the Christian or completed Jews did not think that a Gentile could be saved, much less, be filled with Holy Spirit power.

--Peter, again is obedient to the Great Commission and to go where God wants him to go. How many awesome things would happen in our lives if we would simply just do what God tells us to do.

--When I was a youth pastor in Covington, Louisiana, I was out on a Friday night. The Lord said, “Go to Pizza Inn for dinner. I knew He was trying to set me up like He did Peter.

--I got to share Christ with several tables of young people who ended up coming to my youth group. On the way out a young lady (Desiree) was sitting alone. God said speak to her and I did. She got saved that Sunday.

--Cornelius represents so many people who are out there who are hungry and are looking for Jesus. They may not know that’s what they need and that is where we come in. Go and tell them!

Matthew 5:6 (NKJV) ⁶  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. 

--Cornelius was hungry for something better. What happened? Jesus was preached, salvation came, and Holy Spirit fell on him and his house.

--He and his house received Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues just like they had done in the beginning. This promise is for you, your children, your children’s children, to all who are afar off. Everyone!

--God had opened up a new door of ministry to the Gentiles. The Great Commission expanded! PTL!

--God is always looking for people who are hungry and thirsty for Him and who are desiring more of Him and His presence! 

2 Chronicles 16:9 (NKJV)
⁹  For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…

--Cornelius wanted all God had for him. He received more than he could even imagine. He found out Jesus was to be Lord and Savior. He also, was baptized in Holy Spirit power! Can you imagine the witness he became?

3. Cornelius wanted even more. 

Acts 10:47-48 (NKJV)
⁴⁷  "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"
⁴⁸  And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.

--After salvation and Holy Spirit baptism Cornelius followed the Lord in water baptism. He wanted to identify with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. 

Romans 6:3-5 (NKJV)
³  Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
⁴  Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
⁵  For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,

--And they wanted even more…They asked Peter to stay a few days! So hungry for more! They wanted to go from normal to supernatural! More, Lord!

 

Normal or Supernatural – 8

 Normal or Supernatural – 8

Subject – Saul (Normal) Becoming Paul (Supernatural)

By Rick Welborne

Acts 9:1-6 (NKJV)
¹  Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
²  and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
³  As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.
⁴  Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"
⁵  And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads."
⁶  So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." 

--Here it is, pretty much from the beginning, the church is under attack and the enemy (in this case Saul) is doing everything he can to destroy believers and their ability to meet. 

--Many are trying to take advantage of Covid 19 to stop the churches from meeting. You know it is an attack when abortion clinics and liquor stores can be open but not churches.

--Saul, later to become Paul, was on a mission to destroy any who were of the Way (Christians). It seemed to be personal with him. I wonder where his deep hurt came from.

--Who was truly praying for Saul? Don’t you feel that there were people bringing him before God’s throne daily? Hopefully someone was saying…If that man would just give his heart to the Lord.

--I am sure people have not changed that much from then to now. Most where hoping and praying that God would kill him or stop him some way. Few, I believe, were truly praying for his conversion.

--Let’s bring it home; how many of us are praying for Bill Gates, George Sores, or any of the rioters who have been on the streets? Are we too fearful or too angry to think about praying?

--Let’s face it, if God could change Saul, he could change anyone in our day. Can you think of anyone who had a big influence on Saul’s life?

--Pastor, I just believe God saw what Saul could become and dealt with him directly on the road heading to Damascus. I believe that, but I also believe someone else touched his life.

1. Stephen helped Saul go from normal to supernatural.

--Stephen could have been a great witness to Saul; how, Pastor Rick? How many of you remember how Stephen was chosen to be one of the first deacons in the newly born church. What qualified him?

Acts 6:5 (NKJV)
⁵  And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, 

Acts 6:8 (NKJV)
⁸  And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.

--We have already spoken in this series about the laity of the church and how important it is for them to be filled with Holy Spirit power and faith. 

--Each one of us have influence over people in our sphere of influence and none of us know how that person can become a life changer. We just never know. 

--Not sure if it is true but I have heard how an evangelist preached a camp meeting in a certain city and was so disheartened because only one person came to Christ. The one person was Billy Graham. 

--Years ago when Tricia and I were youth pastors in Bartow, Florida we had a group of young people who would make almost any pastor cuss or want to give up.

--They were mean, they were disrespectful, they constantly said hurtful things. We would get home from youth service or a youth event and be brokenhearted.

--One day as I prayed in the Spirit for them (I didn’t know any other way to pray for them) God spoke to me. He said lead this one young man to Me and everything will change. I said okay.

--I started meeting with him and feeding him every week. The walls began to fall after a period of time. I would make him laugh and we became good friends. His girlfriend, a deacon’s daughter was not too happy.

--One day in Wendy’s in Lakeland I could tell Randy was bothered. I thought it may be family related because his family was so dysfunctional. With his head down I asked was he okay.

--He looks up and says…I need Jesus in my life. We prayed and he was gloriously saved. His life was transformed. He comes to youth and asked could he share. I said sure.

--He tells of his being born again, and then, he says we have not been doing right in the youth group. He asked Tricia and I for forgiveness and said things would be different. They were.

--This is not the end of the story. God calls Randy into ministry. He becomes a youth pastor, then a missionary we supported, and now he is an inner city pastor touching many lives for Christ. You never know.

--Stephen is arrested and brought before the Council. The glory of God was on him. His face was like an angel. He testified to all of them about Jesus. They were furious with him when he challenged their heart’s condition.

Acts 7:55-60 (NKJV)
⁵⁵  But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,
⁵⁶  and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"
⁵⁷  Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord;
⁵⁸  and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
⁵⁹  And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
⁶⁰  Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

--So how does Stephen have influence on Saul? Saul was there watching. Watching Stephen preach. Hearing Stephen say I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing. Saul heard him forgive the people. 

--Please do not try to tell me that Stephen’s soul print was not imbedded into Saul’s spirit. Stephen was filled with power so he was a witness to a young man named Saul. They usually get worse before they surrender.

Acts 8:1-4 (NKJV)
¹  Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
²  And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
³  As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.
⁴  Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. 

--Jesus tells us that unless a seed falls into the ground and dies, it does not bring forth much fruit. He was talking about His death but also about Stephen. They were scattered and went everywhere preaching.

2. Jesus and Holy Spirit have to do the work.

--What we often see in the church is not people being used of Holy Spirit but we see people trying to be Holy Spirit. He comes to convict people of sin and we feel He needs our help. Nope, He doesn’t. Not for this.

--Many times people cannot hear God’s voice because all they hear is ours. They feel if God is anything like the people who are hammering them, they want nothing to do with Jesus.

--Take your hands off so God can place His hands upon them. You pray in the Spirit for them because you know you are praying God’s will. Don’t be a nag or a hindrance, work with Holy Spirit.

John 15:26 (NKJV)
²⁶  "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.

--It is great for us to lovingly share Jesus with our prodigal family or friends but it takes Holy Spirit to testify to them about Jesus. We have to know when to press and when to back away. 

--Saul had encountered a believer who had received power to be a witness (a martyr – Stephen) from Holy Spirit. You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. Saul encounters Jesus on the road:

Acts 9:4-6 (NKJV)
⁴  Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"
⁵  And he said, "Who are You, Lord?" Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads."
⁶  So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" Then the Lord said to him, "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

--Saul has encountered a Spirit-filled man and now he is having an encounter with Jesus. Why are you persecuting Me? Funny verse…Who are you, Lord? Notice he called Jesus Lord.

--Notice Saul is going from his normal to God’s supernatural by Holy Spirit and Jesus. Lord, what do you want me to do? This is evidence of the transformation from normal to supernatural. This should be our first step.

--Lordship means, not my will but Yours be done. What do you want to do with my life from this experience going forward? Not what I want but what You want. 

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV)
¹⁹  Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
²⁰  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

3. Be filled with Holy Spirit.

Acts 9:17-18 (NKJV)
¹⁷  And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."
¹⁸  Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.

--Poor Ananias was given a job none of us would have ever wanted…go talk to Saul for Me!

--Ananias could not imagine how God was taking Saul from the normal to the supernatural. Saul got the same message that Peter had received. This transformation will cost you everything.

 Acts 9:15-16 (NKJV)
¹⁵  But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.
¹⁶  For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."

--The decision for Peter and Paul to go from normal to supernatural was not just a flippant decision that would be something to just give goosebumps. Beatings, stoning, suffering, and eventually crucifixion. Everything!

--Brothers and sisters, if there was ever a prayer that needs to be prayed over the church of Jesus Christ is that the scales would fall off so we can receive our sight and that we are filled with Holy Spirit power.

--Without a vision people perish but hear your pastor, without Holy Spirit operating in your life so that you can be an effective witness, people will perish for sure. We need Him.

--I was so interested about when Saul became Paul. I want you to notice the first time the Bible talks about Saul becoming Paul, listen to what it says about him:

Acts 13:9 (NKJV)
⁹  Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him…

--I am sure many of you think that it is ridiculous how much I mention and preach about Holy Spirit. Can I tell you there is no way to overestimate the value of Holy Spirit in our lives.

--If we will go from normal to supernatural, it will never happen because we learn more, study harder, or any other spiritual exercise, it will only happen as we are filled with Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:15-18 (NLT2)
¹⁵  So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.
¹⁶  Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.
¹⁷  Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.
¹⁸  Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 

Do Not be Afraid – 7

 Do Not be Afraid – 7

Subject – Leaving the Cave

By Rick Welborne

1 Samuel 22:1 (NIV) 

1 David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam...

–Key - You need to know that it is when we are in the cave that God does His best work in molding and shaping us. 

2 Corinthians 12:8‑10 (NLT) 

8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 

9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 

10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

–Sermon tonight:

1. Courage to venture out.

–How is it possible for us to receive divine encouragement from God? I believe the first place to begin would be to honestly face and name our discouragement

–Last week we read where David did this:

Psalm 142:1‑3 (NLT) 

1 I cry out to the LORD; I plead for the LORD’s mercy. 

2 I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles. 

3 When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go, my enemies have set traps for me. 

–Silly question for most of us...are you able to complain? Some of you may have discovered that complaining is your spiritual gift.

–Old Testament scholars tells us that there are different kinds of psalms: Psalms of Thanksgiving, Enthronement Psalms about the King, psalms of wisdom.

–The single post popular category is called the psalm of lament. The most frequent psalm consists of someone complaining to God...Why the Book of Psalms is so popular!

–Amazingly, God is not put off by this. God allows people to do this...in fact, I believe He encourages it. This is what David does while he is in the cave.

Key - He gets quiet enough before the Lord to get to the bottom of his pain and discouragement...He finally gets transparent with God even though God sees all.

–So many people never have the courage to do this, instead they bury their discouragement deep down inside.  They put on the front...they force the smile.

–Failure in our day carries with it shame...the shame not just of having experienced failure, but of being a failure. Facing this is so hard for us humans to do. 

–William Shakespeare is buried in Strat-ford-upon-Avon at Holy Trinity Church and he is buried 18 feet deep so no one will try to dig him up. Isn’t that what we do with our hurts and failures?

–We attempt or desire so many things to happen in our lives and when those things do not happen or we fail when we try...we get so disappointed.

–Most of us are not real surprised that we fail at something...what we regret the most is that the pain of failure caused us to not own our failure and to learn from it.

–When you fell...own it...move on...and heal...don’t bury it...pray a prayer of lament.

–When we are honest about it and begin to explore beneath the surface, we discover that much of the pain of failure is not just that we did not achieve something...it is what others might think of us as failing.

2. Elijah found himself in a cave and he had to deal with his fear and failure.

–Obviously he had been a very successful prophet of God...took on 450 prophets of Baal, took on an evil king along with his wicked wife and predicted the weather like no one else...powerful.

–The opposition of one queen (Jezebel) triggered something in him...he became fearful and discouraged.

1 Kings 19:1‑4 (NKJV) 

1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, also how he had executed all the prophets with the sword. 

2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time." 

3 And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life, and went to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 

4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!" 

–Something amazing did not happen...God did take his life. God was not finished with Elijah yet and I suspect He is not finished with you either. God was very tender with Elijah.

1 Kings 19:5‑8 (NKJV) 

5 Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat." 

6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. 

7 And the angel of the LORD came back the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you." 

8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God. 

–The original angel food cake! God treated Elijah much like you would a cranky toddler...Have a snack, take a nap, and we will talk when you are more human...toddle another day.

1 Kings 19:9 (NKJV) 

9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 

–God tells Elijah that He is about to pass by...there was a great wind, an earth quake, and a fire but God was not in those...His sweet whisper. What are you doing here, Elijah?

–The best part of this question is that God did not say “What are you doing there?” God was in the cave with Elijah...What are you doing here in a cave with Me?

–I wonder if Elijah was surprised by this...we have no trouble believing God is with us when we are defeating false prophets or seeing fire fall from Heaven...or a widow’s child living.

–You see, the cave is the most wonderful place of all to find out that God loves you and that He is with you. If God can love me here...He really does love me.

–The great gift of the cave when you are there and you feel like a failure is that you are loved and valued by God. It was in the cave that David cried out and said:

Psalm 142:5 (NKJV) 

5 I cried out to You, O LORD: I said, "You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living. 

–As long as my sense of being valuable and significant is tied to my success, it will be a fragile thing.  

--But when I know in my heart of hearts that I am loved and valued by God even when I fall on my face...I am gripped by a love stronger than success or failure.

John Ortberg: You can risk being fully honest with God for a very important reason: God is never a God of discouragement. When you have a discouraging spirit or train of thought in your mind, you can be sure that it is not from God. Always, His guidance leads to motivation and life.

–Ortberg asked one of his spiritual mentors: How do you assess the wellbeing of your soul?  How do you gauge your spiritual condition?

–His friend said that the first question he asked himself was this: Am I growing more easily discouraged these days?  

--Because he said, if I’m walking closely with God, if I have a sense of God being with me, I find that problems lose their ability to damage my spirit.  

–Ever been there? Things pile up...pressure builds...you find yourself in a place where little things begin to bother you tremendously...what do we do?

3. Take action when you find yourself in a cave!

–When David was faced with the reality that his city was burned, his family was taken (everyone else’s also), and his men were speaking of stoning him...he took action!

1 Samuel 30:6‑8 (NLT) 

6 David was now in great danger because all his men were very bitter about losing their sons and daughters, and they began to talk of stoning him. But David found strength in the LORD his God. 

7 Then he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring me the ephod!” So Abiathar brought it. 

8 Then David asked the LORD, “Should I chase after this band of raiders? Will I catch them?” And the LORD told him, “Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!” 

–The ephod was a reminder of God’s presence. Usually for the priest. There are times you do not have time to call the preacher or a mentor.

1 Peter 2:9‑10 (NKJV) 

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 

10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. 

–You are a royal priesthood...you can call upon God...why go thru man when you can go directly to God? In his pain and discouragement David was able to hear from God...Pursue and you will surely overtake them.  

David took action! The reason so many people get paralyzed by fear is because they fail to be honest and transparent about where the failure came from and they fail to take action to fix it.

–When you realize that you have failed in some area or that you are weighed down by discouragement the single most destructive thing you can do is nothing!

Psychologist David Burns: When I am faced with a challenge and I do nothing, it leads to distorted thoughts–that I am helpless, hopeless, and beyond change. These in turn lead to destructive emotions–loss of energy and motivation, damaged self-esteem, feeling over-whelmed. The end result is a self-defeating behavior–procrastination, avoidance, and escapism. These behaviors then reinforce negative thoughts, and the whole cycle spirals downward.

–The good news is that taking one single step of action can be extremely powerful in robbing failure of its power. When we take action...even if it is small steps...hope gets born and hope always triumphs. 

–Failure does not have to be fatal...failure can be the motivation to take action and make the changes that will lead to a new hope and a new life.

–This is your life. You can’t get out of it. So get into it. Take one step toward trusting God in an area where you feel you have failed. One small step of action is often worth more than a hundred internal pep talks.  

Ephesians 5:14‑18 (NKJV) 

14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light." 

15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 

16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 

17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 

18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 

Normal or Supernatural – 7

Normal or Supernatural – 7

Subject – Supernatural Healing

By Rick Welborne

Acts 3:1-8 (NKJV)
¹  Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.
²  And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple;
³  who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.
⁴  And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, "Look at us."
⁵  So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.
⁶  Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."
⁷  And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
⁸  So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them--walking, leaping, and praising God. 

--Last week we discussed how, as we go from the normal to the supernatural, the laity of the church must be involved and they must be filled with Holy Spirit power. They are not exempt. 

--I hope and pray that you are seeking God with all your heart to be filled with Holy Spirit and that you are attempting to be extremely sensitive to what He wants to do. 

--Jesus is a friend who sticks closer than a brother and Holy Spirit is another Counselor Who will be right there with you at all times. He is another just like Jesus.

John 14:16-18 (NIV)
¹⁶  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--
¹⁷  the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
¹⁸  I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

--I recently was sharing with our pastoral staff how much I love having Holy Spirit being with me everywhere I go, being able to hear when He speaks, and to follow as He leads. It’s amazing!

--Today we are continuing through the book of Acts (if you want to learn more about Holy Spirit, read this book over and over) and we will again see how God wants to take us from normal to supernatural. 

--In Acts 2 we see the disciples (120) have been filled with power (You shall receive power) and God is using them to be witnesses in Jerusalem and eventually all over.

--As we move on to Acts 3 we once again see that Jesus is wanting the disciples to be witnesses but in a different way. Lives are about to be transformed because someone’s body is about to be healed.

--As has been stated in this series already, Jesus came to seek and to save the lost and He always has salvation on His mind. God so loved the world that He gave His only Son.

--As this story continues in Acts 4 we find out that this man is over 40 years old. Can you imagine being born cripple and being laid at the church’s door daily to beg. 

--Church people passed him every day but no one had anything that could help him until now. Holy Spirit had not been poured out, but now, supernatural power has been given to the disciples.

--I always think it is so significant about naming children or naming churches. In this case a gate Beautiful!

--I am sure those who named the gate Beautiful years before had no real idea that Holy Spirit was about to be poured out and neither did they know there would be a miraculous healing. God knew!

--Obviously, I believe it is significant what we named our church. Life Church. Living in freedom every day! I believe God intended for us to have this name because He wanted people to find true life here.

John 10:10 (NKJV)
¹⁰  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

--This nameless beggar sees Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asks for alms, and the text says that he looked at them expecting to receive something from them.

--I have never brought this out before, but do you just suppose this beggar could see something different about these men. I am sure their demeanor had changed because of Holy Spirit’s presence. 

--Peter and John have gone from fearful to bold, from timid to looking for opportunities to witness, and they have gone from normal to supernatural. 

--Peter tells the man “Look at us!” Silver and gold we do not have! They said we are Pentecostal preachers and we don’t have money. We have something greater for you than money.

--Don’t ever miss this, behind every cry from the lost in our communities and in our world, what they are asking for is not all they need. They need Jesus and they need the power of Holy Spirit which is in you.

--Protesters may be crying out for justice for George Floyd but what they also need is Jesus. People may ask for food but they need Jehovah Jireh. Don’t forget, people need Jesus.

--Behind people’s pain, behind their anger, behind their need, is a cry of a broken heart that says they need Jesus. Jesus came to heal their broken hearts.

Luke 4:18-19 (NKJV)
¹⁸  "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
¹⁹  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." 

--Today I want us to look at this miraculous healing and how it was again, “You shall receive power when Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be witnesses.” Let’s look at Peter’s words.

1. What I do have!

--What did Peter have? What do we have? When we are confronted with situations where supernatural power is needed, can we say like Peter, “What I do have.”

--Anyone who reads the gospels knows that Peter was not always in the same place he is in this story with this beggar. What I do have was not that much.

--What I am about to share with you about Peter has a two-fold purpose. First, to share how messed up we can be and second, the hope when we receive Holy Spirit power.

--Jesus has just questioned the disciples about who people are saying He is. Peter has the answer, “You are the Christ” and is commended by Jesus. Flesh and blood has not revealed this but My Father.

--What this shows me is that people who are not filled with Holy Spirit power can be used by God and even have wonderful revelations but they need more.

--Jesus continues and tells the disciples that He will go to Jerusalem, be arrested, and eventually will die. Peter rebukes Jesus (that’s funny) and tells Him that will never happen. This is the normal Simon Peter.

Matthew 16:23 (NKJV)
²³  But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men." 

--I have heard people who are much smarter than I am and people who have greater ministries than I do say that Jesus was not saying this to Peter but to Satan. Okay Jesus did address Satan but the verse says…

--He turned and said to Peter…I am no genius or great Bible scholar but if it says He said to Peter, I just take the Word for what it says. We all do this…Angel, you didn’t do your homework!

--I don’t want to belabor the point about how Peter was lacking in “What I do have” but he did sleep while Jesus was in the garden. He did desert Jesus and he did deny Him three times as predicted. 

--Even after Jesus had been raised from the dead and had already appeared to them twice, Peter still makes the decision to go back to the normal…fishing. What I do have is not much. 

--But now, something has changed, something has been transformed, someone has moved from the normal to the supernatural. He has just preached to thousands and watched three thousand be born again.

--There is a power, there is a holy confidence, there is a supernatural spirit (Holy Spirit) upon him and indwelling in his life. He has something with which to help this man.

--I am not sure why there has been what appears to me to be a concerted effort to purposely leave out or ignore the third person of the Trinity.

--Some churches, even some A/G churches, act like they are embarrassed to acknowledge Holy Spirit much less to invite Him into their services and lives. 

--I do acknowledge there have been abuses in churches where people do crazy things, act out in crazy ways, and then, attribute what is happening to the Spirit. It was a spirit but not Holy Spirit.

--Peter, after the baptism in Holy Spirit power, could look at a man who has been crippled for more than 40 years and declare to him…What I do have! Holy Spirit power!

2. I give you!

Acts 3:6 (NKJV)
⁶  Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." 

--Maybe this is the key to why people ignore Holy Spirit…you become givers…I give you! We become witnesses, we become martyrs, we lay done our lives, our pride, to touch others.

--Holy Spirit was not given or poured out so the disciples could stay in Jerusalem and have exciting church services. Tongues and interpretations, prophecy. This is good but there is more…being witnesses. Giving!

--As I started thinking about the people in our church who are used in the vocal gifts of Holy Spirit, I asked myself the question, are these people witnesses in their communities and everywhere they go? Yes.

Mark 16:15-18 (NKJV)
¹⁵  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
¹⁶  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 

¹⁷  And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;
¹⁸  they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

--The Great Commissions screams to the world…I give you! I give you the gospel! I give you freedom from demons! I give you power to pray! I give you protection! I give you healing! I give you Jesus!

--Holy Spirit power is not about kooky or cool but to make you a witness and a giver! What I do have, I give you!

--When you move from normal to supernatural you become a giver of the greatest kind. Peter and John didn’t have money but they had power to heal from Holy Spirit. The beggar was healed!

3. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!

--Holy Spirit is on you, Holy Spirit is in you, Holy Spirit power is available to you, but hear this, it is never nor should it ever be about you. It is about Jesus!

Acts 3:6 (NKJV)
⁶  Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk." 

--Another hurtful thing to the church and to Pentecostal believers is when we make what Holy Spirit is doing is about the person being used. The focus must be on Jesus always.

--This truth God dropped into my spirit during this study is that, yes, Holy Spirit is given so we can have power to see the sick healed, but nothing surpasses the power to be witnesses. 

--The healing was more than just a man being able to walk again. It was about the gospel being preached and souls being save. Because of his healing Peter got to preach again. The healing itself is a witness. 

Acts 4:4 (NKJV)
⁴  However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. 

--This cripple experienced going from his normal (not being able to walk) to the supernatural (walking, leaping, and praising God!) Why? So Jesus would be lifted up and souls saved!