Good morning, CHURCH!

(Opening joke)

Something unbelievable happened at a church recently.

A few minutes before the church service started, the congregation was sitting in their pews and casually talking.

Suddenly, Satan appeared at the front of the church.

Everyone started screaming and running for the back entrance, trampling each other in a frantic effort to get away from evil one.

Soon the church was empty except for one elderly gentleman who sat calmly in his seat without moving.

He seemed oblivious to the fact that God’s ultimate enemy was in his presence. So the enemy walked up to the man and said: “Do you know who I am?” The man replied: “Yep, sure do.” “Aren’t you afraid of me?” he asked. “Nope, sure ain’t,” said the man. “Did you know that I can cause you profound, horrifying agony for all eternity?” “Yep,” was the man’s calm reply. “And you’re still not afraid?” he asked. “Nope,” said the old man. More than a little perturbed and perplexed, He asked: “Why aren’t you afraid of me?” The man calmly replied: “I been married to your sister for 48 years, it can’t get no worse than that.”

Are you ready to be equipped today?

Let me see your Bibles.

Let’s go to the book of John 6:39 ESV for this week’s wisdom Vaccination.

This Week’s Wisdom Vaccination

John 6:39 ESV

And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me but raise it up on the last day.

There is an assurance to those who have believed in Jesus as the son of God who died for the sins of the world and rose from the grave and ascended to heaven.

Believe - (moteuw) in the Greek is a deep word.

To believe to the extent of complete trust and reliance.

To believe in, to have confidence in, to have faith in, to trust.

If this is you, I believe you should have a confidence or an assurance that Christ will raise you up victorious on the last day.

Today’s message title is:

The work of the Holy Spirit

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 ESV

Apostle Paul was so sure that nothing would be able to separate him from God.

How was he so sure?

It was by the working of the Holy Spirit that he was assured.

Point #1

We are sealed

Ephesians 1:13 ESV

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

I’m reminded of this summer when Dr. A and I went to the ethnic enrichment festival in swope park, formerly known as the heritage festival.

Every station represented a different location in the world and each location had a stamp of the country it represented.

When you entered the park, they had given you a replica of a passport.

I had some fun with it because at the time had not acquired a real passport.

When you travel out of your native country, you must show a passport from the country of domicile.

And that passport has a seal.

Without that seal, it will not be accepted.

The passport I got at the heritage festival would not be enough for me to travel the world with.

But when I wanted to apply for my real passport, I needed my birth certificate.

Not a copy of it but the actual certificate with a seal on it.

God the Father has set His seal on us by the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 4:30 ESV

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

(Greek word used for seal sphragízō is like validation.)

4972 /sphragízō ("to seal") signifies ownership and the full security carried by the backing (full authority) of the owner.

"Sealing" in the ancient world served as a "legal signature" which guaranteed the promise (contents) of what was sealed.

We also have seals on our water bottles and containers with liquids in them, which let us know that the contents on the inside have been protected and not contaminated.

Only the Holy Spirit can seal us for eternity.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 ESV

And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, 22 and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

We have a lifetime warrantee.

I can’t say we have a money back guarantee because we didn’t pay for it.

Jesus paid it all.

And with this seal also comes adoption.

Point #2

We are adopted

In society today, adoption often gets a bad rap.

I know there are some people that adopt kids and don’t treat them well, but this ain’t that kind of party.

According to Roman Law when a son was adopted, he:

(1) lost all relationship to his old family

(2) gained all rights to the new family

(3) became heir to the father’s estate

(4) was forgiven of all prior debts

(5) was now lawfully son of his new father.

Galatians 4:4-7 ESV

But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

We listed out some benefits of adoption by Roman Law.

Let’s look at some by Godly adoption.

(1) So, now I am no longer a part of Satan’s family.

(2) I have gained all rights and privileges to the family of God.

(3) I am a joint heir with Christ of the Fathers estate.

(4) I have been forgiven of all prior debts related to sins wages.

(5) And I am legally and lawfully a child of my new father, Elohim.

It’s as if through the Holy Spirit we have received our Certificate of Decree of Adoption.

And just like in Part IV of the adoption paperwork in the state of Missouri, the certification of clerk of court must seal that document, the Holy Spirit seals us.

The passage said we are sons and that we are no longer slaves.

We are not slaves in fear that the master won’t approve of our work and therefor look to punish us.

We are not in fear that we will be sold and put out of the house or off the property.

And it’s the Holy Spirit that confirms this transaction from slave to son.

Romans 8:16 ESV

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

And as children who have been adopted, he has removed the punishment for our sins from us.

Psalm 103:12 ESV

as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

Why didn’t He say as far as the north is from the south?

Why did He say from east to west?

(North will meet south but east never meets west.)

Sometimes we think that when God looks at us, He sees the sins we commit.

Micah 7:19 ESV

He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.

Isaiah 43:25 ESV

“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

The father has made it very clear that he wants us in the family, and he has gone to great lengths through his son on the cross to see to it that we are apart of the family forever.

Point #3

Sometimes I’m not convinced

If this is you and at times you don’t feel convinced that you belong to God and you are His child.

There is a battle going on between your soul and your spirit.

Galatians 4:8 ESV

Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods.

You are still. Probably enslaved to the thoughts that the enemy has fed you throughout your life.

Galatians 4:9 ESV

But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?

Without that intimate relationship with Holy Spirit, you can find yourself back and forth between wanting more of God and more of the world.

You can find yourself between believing who God says you are and who you believed you were from the lies of trauma.

You can find yourself saying yes to the desires of the flesh led by your old nature, instead of following your new nature in Christ and developing new desires that please God.

There must be a process of time in which those things that were once in your sub-conscious are replaced with new thoughts that become your new sub-conscious.

(Closing illustration)

If you’re watching online or here in the room, I have a very important question to ask you.

What is Holy Spirit saying to you right now?