On Eagles' Wings Pt 205 — Don Courville

Was just thinking of a story about that song Jesus paid it all. Told by dr. Walter Wilson. I've shared with you a couple stories about him he was he was speaking in a church preaching and at the last they had the invitation and a young lady started coming down the aisle and he noticed that as soon as she Made a move to come another older couple Moved out at the same time and she got to him first and she said dr. Wilson.

I am lost. I want to be saved. I want to find Christ in my Savior. I'm a sinner. No sooner and she said that That that older couple slipped up there right behind her and said dr. Wilson We'd like to introduce you to you one of our finest Sun School teachers that we have in our church.

And then he turned to them and he said Would you kindly? Let me have some time with this young lady. She's just expressed to me that she would like to be saved and we'd like we need some time to talk just the two of us and Then he took a break in his story and sharing that many times well-meaning friends can jump in and keep somebody from getting saved because they've assumed something and and What he did is he took her to Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 3 and he shared This with her and this is what opened up the light to her if you want to turn to Hebrews chapter 1.

Salvation by Grace Through Christ Alone

Maybe I'll take you through a few verses in Hebrews, but I was just thinking of this song. How Jesus paid it all and he paid it all by himself for our sins. There's nothing that that we can do along with the blood of Christ to get it saved.

It's by the blood alone that we're saved. It was the blood of Jesus Christ that cleanses us from sins and so many times in our churches church workers are thinking that something that they are doing is Helping to get them saved and that's a that's a doctrine from Satan.

Because the Bible says for by grace he is saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God and not of works. So that no man can boast. God said that so no one can boast when we get to heaven.

We're all going to have one song Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb and he shared this verse with her in Hebrews 1 3 talking about Jesus who being the brightness of his glory the brightness of God's glory and the express image of his person and Upholding all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high and the words that really Stuck out to her was by himself.

Jesus by himself. Did it for you and me? There was nothing that we could do to help him. We had nothing in us That had any ability to help him. Look over at chapter 2 9 as long as we're there in Hebrews look at chapter 2 9.

But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death. Crowned with glory and honor that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. Jesus Took my death.

He tasted my death For my sins that I'll never experience. If I had to experience that I would have to go to hell for all eternity. He did that. While you're there You can look up at verse 14 Hebrews 2 14 for as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood.

He also himself likewise took part of the same. That through death he might destroy. What him that had the power of death? That is the devil when Jesus died on the cross he destroyed the power that Satan had and Delivered them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

If you're living in fear. Let me give you some good news today. Jesus Christ died on the cross to deliver you from that fear and if you're concerned about dying and Going to hell then you need to stay afterwards and let's talk.

We have some men. We have some ladies. Let's just sit down and get our Bibles out and talk. You may be like the Sunday school teacher Teaching all those years the word but she had no peace in her heart.

When Jesus comes in he delivers us from that fear of death. We could go on on through Hebrews look at Verse I Was thinking I've got little crosses marked off through Hebrews. Look at 16 for 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we might obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Anytime you have a need You can come to Jesus and He'll help you if you need to be saved come to him. If you've been saved and you have a struggle in an area come To him you can always come. He won't have a closed on the door.

He doesn't keep his office open from 9 to 5. For us that are believers. Do you know what he's doing for you and me? Every moment every hour he is interceding and praying for us. That's what the book of Hebrews teaches.

Christ's Blood and the Once-for-All Sacrifice

This book of Hebrews is a tremendous book. I was over in the last night meditating back over in Hebrews 9 and 10 9 and 10. I got little circles around the word blood. See, it was his precious blood. For instance if you go to 9 and verse 19 when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law.

He took the blood of calves and of goats with water in scarlet wool and hyssop and sprinkled both the book and all the people saying this is the blood of the Testament which God hath enjoined unto me and When we have a communion service, which we we need to have one.

We haven't had one recently. Maybe we'll have one next Sunday. Whenever we take the juice and we drink it that is showing the blood of Christ. That his blood was shed and he wanted us to take communion.

To show and to remind us that he shed his blood. We we take the bread that shows us that his body was broken for us. He said do this to remember it was an object lesson. That's what it was an object lesson to he said don't ever forget what I've done for you and.

So all through the Old Testament they had the blood. That was shed and they would sprinkle it on the altar and then in different things every aspect of it, do you know that every aspect of the Old Testament spoke of something of Christ and I'll take you back and show you one little thing here.

Just a second. But let me let me show you in Hebrews 10 something in Verse 9 then said he lo I come to do thy will. Oh God, he take it the way the first that he may establish the second by the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

You see just as Christ died on the cross for you and me on the cross once. Once for all once was all it. Took he didn't need to keep going back. Once you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior once is all you need.

We're cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. Once you're saved you're sealed by the Holy Spirit the scripture says. Now this doesn't mean we're gonna be perfect. But once I became my mom and dad's son, there was nothing that could separate me from being my mom and dad's son.

It was by birth. So by spiritual birth. You become a child of God once now. My mom and dad had to do a lot of work on me. And my mom still thinks that she didn't get the job done good enough. Especially about some of my manners.

But I had to have spankings switchings and Those types of things that children really enjoy growing up. We've got a rod in our house. Matter of fact, we've had to get a couple of them. We keep one in the van even call it the hot rod.

This is saying listen little old dowel rod. You need to obey mommy and daddy. Get a little switched and a little stinging. God will do that to us, but we never do cease to be his child and. So once for all if you notice in the ten by the which will we were sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

He made that sacrifice in 12. It says but this man. This is Jesus after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever. You know what he did. He sat down on the right hand of God after Christ finished his work on earth.

He went up and he seated at the right hand of God. And we don't understand how this works out with him being God and the Holy Spirit being God but it's talking about a position of authority and There he is.

What's he doing? He's interceding for us. He's watching over and 13 from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool for by one offering. There it is one one offering. He had perfected forever them that are sanctified.

This may blow us away to think that Jesus Christ Did on the cross what we could never do but he perfected us by his blood. This doesn't mean that we're perfect in this body while we're on this earth, but in Christ.

We are perfect. God sees us through the blood of Christ. We and once we begin to see ourself as God sees us then it begins to alter our behavior. If I look at myself all the time, I'll get so discouraged.

I'll quit. But God says don't look at yourself. Keep looking at me. Looking at you look at the word and see how I I look at you wonderful thing and The blood was such a special thing, but just not only the blood but everything in the Old Testament.

These sacrifices spoke of Christ and his work for us. I was looking in Exodus 27. Did you know this? That you know. They had the candle auber and we can speak about the candle auber and how that spoke of Christ.

You can take anything in in the Old Testament like this and you can lead somebody to Christ. But it said thou shalt command the children of Israel that they bring the pure. They bring the pure oil olive, how would they get pure olive oil?

How would they get pure olive oil and he said bring it. Beaten for the light they would beat it. They would take that olive those olives and they would just beat them. Just literally beat them and then they would take the oil and they would strain it out however, they would do it and that was the pure oil that they would put in the lamp and The oil would burn they said let it burn forever.

It said for the light to cause the lamp to burn always. I Was um, I jotted down some notes on this. I don't know if I have them here or not. I don't guess I do but I had some things about this that the The light that was put off from the oil but it spoke of illumination and This was a type of the Holy Spirit.

Just like there were types of the blood this was a type of the Holy Spirit and do you know one of the things that happens to us as We go through life. Sometimes we began to get beat. We go through if you're in Christ, the Holy Spirit is there.

You're going to go through some beatings. You're going to draw some attacks on you because you're in Christ. And God allows these things to come but as you're beat it's going to show and reveal what's in there if The Holy Spirit is in there.

It's just going to be more illumination. You remember when they beat Stephen. The more they beat him the more light came out of him the more of the glory of God. Until they just couldn't stand it and they just gnashed on him on this and they were just so mad at him there.

He was dying. He looked up and he saw Jesus and he prayed for him. Father don't lay this charge just like Jesus don't don't lay this charge on them and. That illumination that came through that beating which is so bright it affected at least one young man standing there Paul.

And he never could get away. I don't think from the illumination that he had received that day of the Holy Spirit. So when you are beat you go through some days we we take a beating some weeks. We take a beating and.

And sometimes all we can do is just bow our head before the Lord. We don't understand there may be some things we don't understand. There's some confusion and and things we just keep our spirits submitted to the Lord as you go through these beatings.

The Holy Spirit will begin to shine more through your life now. One of the other thing is when we go through beating sometimes it reveals self. Why'd you hit me? Why'd you say that about me and we defend ourself?

We get angry then the Holy Spirit is showing you I'm not the illumination self is in your life and I'm gonna let you take a few beatings. You see the more we are pounded. We are brought into that fine Position just like the oil of the lamp.

We could take the lamp. It was beat to the and until it had the beautiful glow the gold, you know. That thing would probably be worth I think about 30. What is it? I figured up the other day almost a million dollars that lamp stand today by the ghost image but they take that gold and they beat it speaking of Christ and how he was Broken and beat for us and it brought out the beauty of the gold, you know gold you go find it.

It's not that really pretty out in the rough and the ore. But it goes through the process and as we go through the process it brings out the beauty of Christ. You know, he's talking I mean last week we talked a little about about how Jesus cares.

But basically the working of the Holy Spirit and then last week on the Holy Spirit. Let me share this statement with you about the Holy Spirit. Someone said all the weakness weaknesses both personal and corporate in the body of Christ all the weaknesses in The body of Christ corporate and personal in the church today May be traced to an incomplete understanding of and recognition of the Holy Spirit.

Sometimes we think God doesn't love me. He if he loved me, he wouldn't let this happen to me. No the actually that may be a dart of Satan coming in and It's because God does love you that he's letting something happen.

And we don't understand the Holy Spirit. So we are not submissive. We don't have submissive spirits to the Holy Spirit. I Don't like things to go wrong. Naturally, do you I? like to be in control and It seems like things almost on the verge of out of control that's life.

Because he wants us to understand. We think we got a hold of the steering wheel and we're driving the car of our life. But after a little while when we're growing in Christ, we get figured out this thing ain't even hooked on to nothing.

God Is unhooked it underneath the hood and he's got an angel down there steering. He is in control. The Holy Spirit is the one in control. You know, I was looking at this verse in 2nd Corinthians 3 9 how we are labors together with God.

Do you know this has been a great illumination to me the Spirit of God used a man. Oh, well, mr. Gothard one time. He said when I he said when I find out it's getting hard I'm doing it. That has helped me a lot when it begins to get hard.

It began to get hard yesterday. I'm wanting to do some things with my time. That I wanted to do. I want to have some time to study prepare for the day and pray and the Lord said no use. You stay with your family today.

Oh Lord, I don't want to go to job. I don't know. I just want to go. He says you stay with your family. Okay, Lord, I did that and I trying to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit in this area. So we're in this area.

So we're labors together with God. If I'm laboring with God, it's me and God working. In actuality, it's God working through me and. So when it gets hard, I have to look around. Wait, wait a minute. How come God isn't helping me?

How come that I'm beginning to struggle how come this thing. I'm going through this trials hard. I look around oh. We're to be laboring together. I'm pulling against you Lord. Just like don't be on a unequally yoked together.

Jesus had come into me all of you who are weary and heavy laden. You know, he says yoke up with me. My burden is like my yoke is easy. And only time the yoke gets hard when we begin to pull against it and strain we get out of step with the Holy Spirit.

We get ahead of a little bit behind to it and it gets hard. Dr. Walter Wilson shared this story and This is a good one for us to understand God's timing. God's timing and the Holy Spirit is the one that directs timing in the details of our life.

The Holy Spirit in Trials and Divine Timing

You wonder why you catch this train, you know, those of us that come this part of town. We can catch a train sometimes. Our you get delayed or this or that this happens. In some school young man sharing this morning Frank was sharing about he thought he was going to be late.

But he just went ahead and do what the Lord wanted to do and he come out on time anyway. But dr. Walter Wilson had some health problems and so he had to take some time. He needed climate to help him out to go to California so it was decided he'd take some months and and go out to California so the climate out there could help him and.

And he received a phone call from a friend. Sharing how years ago he'd been helped and he said now I want to help you. Dr. Wilson there's any way I can help you and he says I'll pray about it and. And so the Lord said, okay, he can help you by getting you a ticket to get out there.

And so he called him back up. He says I know a way you can help me. I need to go to California and if you would think it would be alright I could use a ticket train ticket to get out there and the man was very wealthy.

No problem in that area. And so he said I will send you a ticket. What date do you need? I will have you a ticket there by that date and so he got. Everything's all said he got ready to go to come up to that date.

Right up to the day and he's waiting. Well the ticket it'll be here. It'll be here today. Then he said and he came and it wasn't there. He's wanted well wonder what's going on? And so he waited another day wait another day wait another day and he waited a week.

And he just waited and every day he got heavier and he'd go down into his little prayer closet. And he prayed well Lord, what are you doing? You have something and every day he just bring this little thing to the Lord.

Well, Lord, I was supposed to leave on this day and finally, he's about ready to take matters into his own hands and Just go get him a ticket. And so he he proceeded to do that and then the ticket came.

He was thankful for the ticket and he took it and he went one row. Well, the Lord must have something in mind. He got up and I think it's Kansas City and while he was. Was he on the train. Or waiting you can't remember either huh?

I'm talking to my wife here. But anyway, either what he was waiting for the train or on the train. I think he was on the train. He was praying well Lord, who do you want me to he was always he was a soul winner.

What do you want me to talk to you today and this this lady came up to him and. And and he noticed or they sat down close to each other something like that and he noticed that she was really burdened.

Really burdened. Dressed in black morning. He knew something bad had happened. I mean, so he says I I sense that you you have a great burden. Would you like to share your burden with me so I might help you out?

And she gladly did she she began to share she shared she just lost her sister and. And to make it Short he led her to Christ. She needed Jesus and Then afterwards she shared about how she was delayed on this trip.

Her sister died. She was going to come in her sister died so she had to stay and she shared how she was just delayed and how she was wanting the Lord and. And when she shared her delay and the timing Dr. Wilson said that she could see the expression on his face just go he realized that the Holy Spirit had arranged this Arrangement and she said why are you looking like that?

And he was just he's just excited that the Lord had the timing and then he shared to her at the time and then they both Rejoice and she went on her way safe. See the Holy Spirit takes our delays. He takes our burdens as we learn to work with him.

I'm a learner. I'm a learner. This is the thing about the Holy Spirit that God wants us to learn about him. And then the book of Acts our lesson today was on the book of Acts and there's no way I can take you through the book of Acts in in the time remaining I was.

The Book of Acts as a Model of Spirit-Empowered Ministry

Every time I look in at the book of Acts. It's it's just full of the Holy Spirit leading their lives. You know, they're sitting in jail. It's the will of God the Holy Spirit's done it got it's it's exciting matter of fact.

They got thrown in jail. This isn't the first part of the book of Acts. Let me take and show you this. You see the Holy Spirit can get you out of whatever kind of jam that you get into the Apostles some of them got thrown in jail for preaching Christ and Last week I shared with you what they did to get thrown in jail.

They were walking into the temple. Remember Peter and John they saw this fellow there and. And they jerked him up and the Lord healed him. Well, they got into all kinds of trouble. This went on through chapter 3 and chapter 4.

Because they began they got an opportunity to preach pretty soon people getting saved. Pharisees didn't like that. So they come along we can't have this so I threw him in jail. Holy Spirit came along or the Lord sent an angel along maybe I should be more correct on that and said jailbreak time and Let him out of jail.

They were out preaching in the temple. They sent the Pharisees sent to get him out of jail. They came there they found the guard standing there guarding the door everything's alright and they open up the door no prisoners.

Well, they thought the guards were in coot on that this is just the book of Acts. It's just like that all the way through. Wouldn't you like your life to be that exciting? It can be. It can be remember I shared with you Bill angel the guy up there in Joplin the Lord delayed me getting some food from a food co-op.

I stand there for an hour At a library waiting for food that never came. So I figured well the Lord's got something in on this. I'll spend some time praying so praying and and here's a guy standing there or sitting there eating lunch.

I'd watch somebody else give him give him some food. That's Lord. That's good Lord. That's nice and I saw this at first. I just sort of tried to stay away from him but then the Lord Brought me right face to face with him.

He's eating his food and the Lord said now I want you to talk to this man about Jesus. I didn't know what his need was and Remember, he got hit by a car a little over 24 hours later. He got hit by a car in Joplin and Some of us men we went up and prayed with him.

Week for last I think it was and the Lord put all that together. Now we think he might be saved running from God. But the Holy Spirit had me delayed if I hadn't been delayed I wouldn't have seen him. And so it can get exciting if we can get our all our chill bumps and all of our Want-tos under the control of the Holy Spirit the book of Acts is just a testimony of the Holy Spirit working through the lives of the church and that's what the Lord wants in every church and Actually when we come together here when we get together whenever we get together as Christians We should be so full of stories and excitement.

Maybe we've got some brother here on their arm. Here's Oh Jake got saved. Let me show it. Let's let's get the story. Well, we got this wild story how he gets saved and you'll share how the Holy Spirit led you didn't Jake.

He'll he'll share how the Lord been working on him. That's the book of Acts somehow along the line Satan's got into our lives and into our churches to shut off the power that was in the book of Acts in our churches today I'm telling you.

I want to see that same kind of power working. We're not here just to sit and play games we're here to see God work and so the book of Acts is full of the stories of the Holy Spirit working in lives and He's writing the chapter 1994 right now today He's writing it now.

Let me say a couple things and then maybe we ought to be thinking about closing the Holy Spirit and I'm just learning. I Will learn as long as I'm alive and in this body, I am a learner. That's all I am.

I'm a learner. I'm learning from you. I'm learning from experiences all the time. I seem like I'm always learning how weak I am and some lessons we have to learn over several times before they become a habit, but A .W. Tozer said the heart that learns to die with Christ Soon knows the blessed experience of rising with him and all the world's persecutions cannot steal the high vote of holy joy that springs up in the soul that has become the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

Why could they throw those early Christians to the lions and they died joyfully? Why could they take their property? Why could they they take their lives in all kinds of terrible ways and they had continual joy is because the Holy Spirit Was dwelling in Them in power and they understood the cross the Church of America.

We don't understand the cross. We don't preach the cross. Very few Sermons will have the message of the cross. The ones that God has used in power. Whether missionary or preacher or just whoever have been those that have understood the power of the cross.

This is the most unpopular message There is in the churches. Because the flesh does not like the cross the devil does not like the cross. Listen to what Spurgeon said drag out a sermon I gave last year on the Holy Spirit.

He said the greatest strongest mightiest plea of the Church of God to the world is the existence of the Spirit of God in its midst and the works of the Spirit of God. Are the true evidences of Christianity.

Is there evidence of the Holy Spirit working in your life? Is there evidence of the Holy Spirit working in your life? You have to answer that. But that is the mark of a believer the evidences of the Holy Spirit working in your life.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love. In our character love one fruit the fruit of the Spirit love and all those other things joy peace long-suffering talent all that comes out of love and the structure of the Greek and so if you have trouble loving people.

By the way personally if I could have my ways Lord. Let me go up in the mountains live in a cabin and stay away from people they bug me. You know, they they give me bills, you know, they run into my cars they.

And the Spirit of God comes back and says, huh I saved you. To reach out to people you see that's the flesh that's self. We want to curl up and stay away. We're talking about requirements for elders. Requirement for elders is actually sometimes to be a doormat to be a servant.

That is it to be a servant to people. Why did Jesus save us just so we can come in here and sit on these pews like a knot on a log? No. He saved us so we could go out and tell others that Jesus saved us get help them get saved so they can turn and.

What do you say go and make disciples? This is a disciple making machine the church is to be a disciple making machine and we're to exhort one another and so we're we're asking Lord to teach us about the Holy Spirit and I've learned several different little things about the Holy Spirit that you wouldn't have ever thought of.

Had one man who was a real soul winner. I mean anything that moved he was going to witness to it. J. O grooms Jerry Falwell's soul winning pastor used to be and he came out a couple times tremendous man to be with.

But he said this he said watch out for those that write books and don't win souls. I Thought well, that's a strange statement. A lot of people write books and here's what he said because those that write books he said many times.

They'll go astray if they're not winning souls because he says a soul winner is used to being checked by the Holy Spirit. He's used to being checked by the Holy Spirit. Leave this guy long share Christ with this one go over here turn right turn left knock on that door that Directly you can be impressed with your spirit.

So that's what he said and here's something that God has just sort of taught me About the Holy Spirit myself that the most dangerous place in all the world to be is where? The most dangerous place to be is in a church where the Holy Spirit is working.

You understand that. Because wherever the Holy Spirit is working the enemy is going to move in and start throwing darts in there, too and. So just warning but also the most blessed place to be is a place where the Holy Spirit is and This is why we open up the scriptures and we preach Christ and we haven't really got into the scriptures a lot this morning.

But I'm just sharing my heart with you. The devil doesn't like it and I I do this many times when things get peaceful not too many problems rolling around. I Look around say Lord What am I doing wrong?

Where am I? What's wrong? And I don't like problems you don't either. But like Paul said a great and effectual doors opening to me, but there are many adversaries. And so as you and I learn to be filled with the Holy Spirit now you read the book of Acts.

This this is I'm not going to take off on it now. We're going to close down but this is so full of exciting things, you know Acts 13 52 says the disciples were continually filled with joy in the Holy Spirit that takes you right back to Numbers 27 how they were to be the lamp was to burn continually.

Maybe sometime I'll give you an illustration on that from a lamp and show you something from that's going to do it this morning. But I didn't. I didn't have the lamp. I couldn't get one rounded up. Let's pray now father I Thank you for struggles.

Prayer for Spirit-Filled Discipleship

Thank you that you lead and guide us and now Lord the message of today is Is in us as the Holy Spirit goes? Through our bodies out to wherever we go today. And we pray that we'd be like the early disciples.

They were continually filled with joy in the Holy Spirit because they were filled with your spirit. And they wasn't filled with self and so they wasn't sitting over in a corner having a pity party. Father I pray that you would help us to keep our eyes on your Holy Spirit Holy Spirit.

We thank you for your presence and the power that you manifested in the book of Acts you you want to Manifest through our lives today and you've been bringing us together you've been bringing us out of different places and building a church and We pray that it would not just be a non-functioning church, but it'd be a church where you are working in all our lives and You rub us against each other and we have little differences and things and we learn From these things and we make mistakes and we learn from our mistakes and we learn through all of this how to love one another more.

How to sacrifice one or more another more and we learn how weak we all are. We have no confidence in the flesh as Paul said. And all our sufficiency is of you. You said you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost come upon you.

We pray by faith father you'd give us the power you'd fill us Holy Spirit. You commanded us to be filled and be not drunk at wine. Where is the excess but be fill continually fill with the Holy Spirit?

This is your word you've told us and I pray for your mighty anointing power on us as we go out this week. And we touch life. And father that we forget ourselves and we forget What people look like and that we'd remember you and that we would be like the Apostle.

Paul said that the love of Christ constrains compels us. Controls us that be that we love Jesus that we endure it be that we love Jesus that we give it be that we love Jesus that we take the beating that we might have to take and.

That through all of this that be more of the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Lord, I pray for each one here. How precious everyone is to me? Oh Lord what a burden sometimes it is to me to think and and the other men that we're working together as elders that we have the responsibility of guarding keeping shepherding the flock.

But thank you that you are working it out. We pray now for your blessing and thank you for the young folks here today. What a blessing to see how you're using the older young folks to to work with the younger ones.