There’s something about us that the world cannot comprehend. The Spirit has been sent to us and is now in us. We are one in Him and one in the Father and He and the Father and the Spirit are in us. What a joy and what a mystery. (John 14:15-20)

Speaker(s): Pastor Thomas Schaller
Sermon # 11399
7:30 PM on 1/10/2018

P. Schaller

Ps. 1 and 2 as a starter upper. Then I’ll have you break into little groups and have prayer. One little diagram too we will share. How do you learn? What do you learn? What are the elements for learning and growing? We can make a triangle. Messages or teaching at the top, but because we listen and the Holy Spirit teaches us but to be honest a lot of the things we listen to we don’t have a strong application. It’s maybe theoretical. Maybe you listened to a message and it went into your heart and it fed you, encouraged you, and you understood it. That happens. But sometimes I have the teaching and wonder very good message but I don’t know what that will do for me. I have to pay my bills, I lost my job, a problem with my girlfriend, and the dog is sick. One part of learning is the teaching. Another part is your crises, your troubles, and everyday living. This is where you learn. You learn by life. Life teaches you. This is what happens. Don’t get hurt when you get hurt.

This is Heb 3. When you get troubled, don’t let the trouble lead you away into more trouble. When you get troubled, this is the third one. Relationships. People. They help us. They may know about my life but they may not know about my life but love me. They might not know exactly what I’m going through, but they are part of my life because God has baptized us into the Body and made us members of each other. There are many gifts in our relationships with people. Not everyone I know will necessarily help me.

You have to understand Psalm 1 and 2. This is a short lesson for us. How do we learn? How do we grow? How do we survive? Someone could say, pastor, how do I survive? How do I abound in God, grow in God? How do I rest, have peace, grow? Is any of that happening in my life? If you are here tonight, it’s very likely it is happening. It’s for people that continue in faith. If you are here tonight, it’s because you have an attitude of faith. We live by faith. This is how we learn. When your relationships, this is why the people sitting around you are also a big part of your life. We see that when the service is ended. We talk a little or say hi. There is a part of Body life it’s undeniable. It’s amazing.

We just came back, Pastor T.J., Dave Stambowsky and I were in Moscow. A little bit about this triangle. We saw it. It’s really happening. The Russian speaking part of ministry is really growing. There is really an increase, a work of God. Pastor T.J and I flew to Hungary for 4 days. We had a fantastic time in this Spirit-filled life that we are partaking of and sharing, the teaching being a fundamental part of our life and growth.

At the same time, I have my life and hear the teaching that establishes me in my faith but it is you that helps me. It is you that receives the teaching and relate to God in faith. Then we survive, not only but really abide and are really growing. In some way we are abounding. I’d like you to take a few minutes, in prayer and loving each other make a circle around you.

Ps 1 and 2 those verses I think we will do another time. John 14:15 Jesus is at the Last Supper and says if you love me, you will keep my commandments.

vs. 16. Another helper. Let me explain something using the map. 1975 we had a team go to Finland. The Soviet Union, this is a map of the Soviet Union. 1978 we started Bible college. We started full time in 1978. P. Matti came in as a young man and many others. We had a vision for the Communist world which was an iron curtain. We did work in the Soviet Union. When things ended, we already had some foothold there. Now we were in Moscow and we have churches – Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Alma Alta and Belarus, Kaliningrad, St. Petersburg. They came from these places to the conference we had. What I saw was the H.S. that Christ gave to you and I and whoever believes. The H.S. is sent to do something.

vs. 17. Very important. The world cannot receive the H.S. The H.S. is in the world but the world’s mind, the world is of a different spirit. But you can. You and I and anyone who believes.

vs. 17. It’s faith. I don’t see him but I believe in Christ. I don’t know him. I believe in him. When I believe in him, the Holy Spirit is sent into us. We’re able to know him. The H.S. is sent into the world to reveal him to us. I’m sure you know this. You doctrinally understand it and have experienced it. It’s a constant joy. And a reference for the work of God in the world.

When Abraham wanted a wife for his son Isaac, he sent his servant back home, far away, 800 miles. He went back to the Euphrates and said try to find a wife for my son but she can’t be a Hittite or from any pagan nation. She has to be some relative. He said put your hand under my thigh and they made a vow. She has to be a relative and willing to come here. The servant said what if Isaac would go there? Then it won’t work. He has to stay here. The covenant is with God and me and this is our new land. The woman that will come, leave and come here then that’s, she could be the wife for my son Isaac.

In a way, Jesus did the same. God is saying, I don’t want the world. The world cannot come to heaven. The world cannot leave here and come to heaven. And heaven cannot go there. They are contrary. I have to send the H.S. into the world to find a bride for my son. That woman is going to be willing. The H.S. is sent into the world to find a bride for Christ and he is doing it. The lines I drew here, this is 1970’s, 1980’s, and early 90’s and now we are 20 years later. These people like you and I have the Holy Spirit and hear his voice. The H.S. is doing this.

vs. 17-18. We were one time our mother and father in a way were the world. We were fathered in this world by the world. The world was our world. When he saves us, we are not orphans without a home or father or direction or guidance or without the comforter. We are made, brought into the family. We are baptized into him.

vs. 18-19. You will see me. The world will not see me anymore. He’s gone. They don’t believe in him. You will see me.

We met as pastors in Moscow in the morning for a pastor’s time. I heard some interesting stories. I’ll share a little bit with you. There was in the mountains a little boy selling cookies or crackers to people driving on the road in Azerbaijan. I saw his picture. The pastor gave him a Samaritan Purse shoe box filled with little gifts. The pastor told him about Jesus and he was so happy. He was shining. He went home and told his family. He gave something to his grandmother, sister, and brother. And he said they told me about Jesus and this is what they said. The little boy was so happy about it. Unfortunately, the next day the little boy was killed. A car hit him and he died. The family was devastated. They got a hold of the phone number of the material the pastor gave in the box. They called him and said did you give my son a box the other day as a gift and told him about Jesus? The pastor said yes I did. The man said he was killed. I want to talk to you. The pastor is saying okay. This is a Muslim country and he doesn’t know if he is getting in trouble. There were 16 relatives at the house and the father said when our son came home, he was shining as an angel. We want you to come here and tell us as much as you can about Jesus. The pastor started talking to the whole family and I understood 12 accepted Christ. They were very happy to hear the good news of where their son is and one day they will see him again. Missions is powerful. It isn’t people going on a trip or a vacation. It is the H.S. calling people out of the world. The H.S. is sent into their life and makes them different. The H.S. shows them Jesus. This family was so convinced that he had an amazing event in his life. They could have turned it the other way and saw it as a curse and the reason he died but they saw it the other way. The H.S. answers our prayers in our work. The Holy Spirit is sent into the world to find a wife for Christ that is like her.

Ge 24 the servant brought 10 camels all the way. He didn’t know how to find a woman so he prayed a prayer. Simple. God, may the woman who offers to water my camels be the woman that would be the wife for Isaac. He comes to the well, sits down. Rebekah comes. She was attractive, young, a marriageable age, and a maiden. She said would you like me to water your camels? He said yes. She went quickly and she did it. There is something about us that brings water to people. Where we are moving in a mission. You don’t even have to convince me. I’ll water your camels.

God is with me. I want to do this. I’m happy to do it. Just say the word. The world isn’t like that. Do I really have to do it? How much are you going to pay me? I’m not sure. The world cannot understand the ways of God. When we learn to walk with God, we find something. We find our calling. We find our purpose. We find the H.S. showing us Jesus Christ.

Another story. I don’t want to point out which country. The KGB do a lot of policing in this country. They don’t want Islamic terrorists to take over or murder or overthrow governments. They know a lot. This KGB police force came to one of our pastors and said I’d like the names and addresses of ten of your people and we will pay you and you can work for us. The pastor said I can’t do that. The police said we will get that information. It’s not a problem. We would pay you for it. We will get it with or without you. We can pay you for it.

This is important. It’s important we would have a resource different from the world. We would have something more than our osn. We would have the Holy Spirit and we would have convictions. Lot’s wife was tempted. She could not turn around and look. These temptations all of us have. I’m tempted to be intimidated, afraid, to compromise. I’m attracted to Sodom and Gomorrah or what Rebekah is doing. Do you want me to water your camels? Water for ten camels? Rebekah must have been a weight lifter! I wonder how long that would take. What spirit is that? What is God doing in this world? That’s our thought tonight. The pastor doesn’t have a problem saying no to the KGB cause he knows who they are. When we work in the world, we work in the world but when we are made these offers, given these options, we know what spirit we are of and how we think and trust and pray and how we believe God’s ways are different. To be celibate, no sex until marriage. What does the world say? No sex with my girlfriend or boyfriend until marriage. What does the world say about it? What does the world say? Everybody’s doing it. Are you kidding me? The world is saying you can lie a little bit, you cheat a little, and everybody does it. You are going to be honest? With one lie you can get another 10 thousand dollars. With one lie. What do you think? There is something about you and me that we didn’t have before. That’s the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 25 the Holy Spirit shows us a different way. The world says we are stupid. We are learning no. I have chosen this way cause there is something else going on. Rebekah is a good example. The H.S. is sent into the world to get a wife for Christ. The servant goes to get Rebekah, Rebekah being one with him is a picture of how we have a different thing going on in our life. She’s the one. She goes with him back. They get married and the story goes on. It’s a great story.

Jn 14:20 couldn’t be anything more confusing than that! Do you know what that is called? A mystery. That day you will know something. You will know it. Maybe you can’t explain it but you will know it. I am in you. You are in me. And you will know that. That makes sense to me. I can’t explain it but I feel I’m one with God.

It’s amazing we have a group of teens from southern Russia and they came…18 hours. They were so excited to be with us. Finnish people came and we had a beautiful time of fellowship and the H.S. speaking to us. This conference is so important for the Russian speaking world. Let’s believe things will double. God will do his work and save souls. Yes there is persecution but we are well able. That’s the spirit of it. Our prayers, fellowship, oneness with God, our testimony in our country and we are saying we are part of something absolutely incredible. God has called us to be the bride of Christ. Amen.
 

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