The Rock of KC

- the Holy Spirit is a promise (John 14:15-18; 16:5-15) - the receiving of the promise (John 20:19-23) - Jesus breathed on the disciples (Gen. 2:7, 1 Cor. 15:45) - a baptism of the Holy Spirit - for the new testament believers, the Holy Spirit was a fact of experience. For many CHristians today, it is a fact of doctrine. (Acts 1:4-5,Luke 3:16) - our connection with the Holy Spirit - with (John 4:16-17), in (1 Cor. 6:19), upon (Acts 1:8) - new testament historical cases - the apostle Peter (Acts 2:1-4) - new believers in Samaria (Acts 8:14-17) - a new convert named Paul (Acts 9:17) - Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:44-45) - the disciples at Ephesus (Acts 19:6) - conclusions - the baptism of the Holy Spirit was an experience separate from salvation - a person can receive the Holy Spirit baptism the moment one believes - the baptism of the Holy Spirit was the normal experience for new testament believers - do all christians partake of the Holy Spirit? - the apostle Paul points to the universal experience of all christians as being , "baptized in one Spirit" (1 Cor. 12:13, Rom. 8:9) - while there is a beginning in the Holy Spirit which is the initial experience of Christ in response to repentance and faith, the fullness of the Holy Spirit is intended to be the continual state of the Christian (Gal. 3:2, 5:25) - the apostle Paul encourages us to be "filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18) - filled - it's a directive. "Being filled" is a responsibility that rests upon all believers. - it's plural and there for a universal directive - let the Holy Spirit fill you - being filled requires a believer's yielding to the work of the Spirit - the present tense implies a present and continuous appropriation of this filling

For the Silent ministry: - human trafficking is modern day slave trading. There are three times as many slaves today than there were at the height of the trans-atlantic slave industry - there's 2 forms of human trafficking - labor trafficking and sex trafficking - 2 children per minute are trafficked for sexual exploitation around the world and it happens right here in America - not just in other countries. The average age of a child to be sold into slavery is 13. - ministries of For the Silent - whatchmen project - their outreach program - burning bush - worship program nights - church trainings - "I have a voice" prevention and empowerment program - a 10 week program for girls getting out of juvenile detention - word for today is " Just Show Up" - just show up to His presence (Exodus 3) showing up to God's presence every day. - just show up to the battlefield (1 Sam. 13-14) God caused panic to ensue in the Philistine army after Jonathan and his armor bearer went forward and killed 20 men.

Rom. 8:1-2 - Two laws are mentioned here: 1. the law of sin and death - the body aging is part of the law of death - this law works in your body and also in yoru soul 2. the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus - what die Jesus do? - Jesus comes and breaks the power of sin,k He paid the ransom. To who? He paid it to the slave owner - darkness - death even outlasts the devil - "The last enemy that will be destroyed is death" 1 Cor. 15:26 - when Jesus died, He took our sins, walked into death, and took hold of the authority of death - David says, "You shall not leave my soul in death" Ps. 16:10, - Jesus says that the gates of death shall not prevail over His church in Matt. 16:18 - as a christian, you have already been transferred from death to life and not even death can separate you from Jesus - don't wait until you're dead to change your future, do it now while you still can - while you're alive - when Jesus knocks at your door, don't try to clean up before letting Him in, let Him in first and let Him help you clean - as a Christian, you're not just going to heaven when you die, you're already transformed and passed from death to life

- 2 Kings 4:1-7 - this widow had a problem 1. she came with a problem - she was at her end - there is nothing like a good problem that gets us to our knees and to God 2. she came with what she thought was important - appealing with her past, her accomplishments, and her track record - we must appeal to the mercies of God instead 3. she discovered what was really important - she is asked what do you want, and what do you have in your house - she thought she had nothing or what she did have was useless - God can make something from nothing but He delights in taking what we have and using it - it is not what you wish to have but what you have that God wants to use - we all have something 4. ask big (v.3) - get as many as you can 5. sometimes God does His greatest work behind closed doors (v.5) - it is when we become something that God becomes nothing - it is when we are empty that we can be filled - God seems to do His best work with broken and empty things

- who is the Holy Spirit? What does He do? How does He work? - His identity - Hebrew word "ruwach" means wind/breath - Greek work "pnuema" means breath/breeze - we can literally think of the Holy Spirit as the "Breath of God" - the Holy Spirit is the third person of the trinity - omnipotent - all powerful (Luke 1:35) - omnipresent - everywhere at once (Ps. 139:7) - omniscient - all knowing (1 Cor. 2:10) - eternal (Heb. 9:14) - equal (Matt. 28:19, 2 Cor. 13:14) - the Holy Spirit was part of all things, from the very beginning of Scripture to the very end - He moved upon the face of the waters and was the active agent in creation. Jesus was the Word, the Holy Spirit moved. (Gen. 1:1-2, 27) - in the Old Testament, Job recognized He had given him life (Job 33:4) - King David of Israel knew the presence of the Holy Spirit (Ps. 139:7-10) - the prophet Joel prophesized that the Holy Spirit will be given in future days (Joel 2:28-29) - the Holy Spirit gave us the Word of God (2 Peter 1:20-21) - the Holy Spirit has always worked with Jesus: birth (Matt. 1:20), life and ministry (Luke 4:1,18,Heb. 9:14), the resurrection (Rom. 1:4) - the Holy Spirit regenerates our spirit when we accept Jesus into our life and is present throughout the ages (John 3:6, Rev. 22:17) - Personhood of the Holy Spirit - the Holy Spirit has emotions - grieves (Isa. 63:10), loves (Rom. 15:30), has a mind (Rom. 8:27), speaks (2 Sam. 23:2, Acts 13:2, Rev. 2:7), knows (1 Cor. 2:11) - the Holy Spirit relates to us as a person - He teaches us things about God and ourselves (John 14:26), He guides us in truth (John 16:13), He prays for us (Rom. 8:26-27), He gives us life (John 6:63) - the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to primarily serve two purposes in the life of every believer. It will produce a quality of life that is referred to in Scripture as holiness (Gen. 5:22-25). It will also provide the power for us to participate in the works of the Kingdom of God, including fulfilling the Great Commission (Mark 16:15-18). - He convicts us of our need for God, prompting repentance (John 16:8-11), He affirms our position as children of God (Rom. 8:15), He changes us (Gal. 5:22-23), He speaks truth (John 16:12-14), He comforts us with peace (Acts 9:31, 2 Cor. 5:5-7), He gives us spiritual gifts and empowers us to be on mission (Acts 1:8) - important principles to remember: 1. the Holy Spirit is God, but He is a person, not an "it" 2. the Holy Spirit's mission is to reveal Jesus and build His charcter into our lives 3. the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts and empowers us to do what God has called us to do

Deut. 6:4-5 - 24 million children in America - on out of three - live in biological father-absent homes - Father factor - in poverty, in emotional and behavioral problems, in maternal and child health, in incarceration, in crime, in teen pregnancy and sexual activity, in child abuse, in childhood obesity, in education. - three "super powers" every man has: 1. the super power of example - "you are important to me - so I'm here." Example is a statement declared by our actions. 2. the super power of safety - a strong man is a safe man. He is safe to be with, safe to talk to, and safe to trust. True strength means that your contribution brings strength to the lives of others. 3. the super power of faith - did you know that when both parents attend church regularly with their children, then 72% of the children will remain faithful to attend church? When dad attends with their children 55% remain faithful; when mom attends with their children 15% remain faithful to attending church regularly. When neither parent attends church, only 6% remain faithful. - when fathers are absent, negative things happen. Children go searching for love in the wrong places - bad things heppen when dads don't show up, but really, really good things happen when dads do show up - every man wants to be a hero to someone.

"I will restore" - God - as we journey through life, things happen - sometimes it's God pruning us (John 15:2) - sometimes when we lose ground, it's simply our fault (Prov. 19:3) - sometimes it's others choices or actions - sometimes it's the devil (John 10:10) - sometimes then there are times when we feel like things are taken away from us. - no matter what the reason is, God is a restorer. - Isa. 61:7, the Message, NASB - double with joy - Joel 2:25-26 - Job's real story is a story of incredible restoration (Job 1:1-12) 1. God's hand on = blessing, God's hand off = curse (Job 1:10, Mal. 3:8-10) 2. the restoration story is bigger than you 3. God always restores to better than before (Job. 42:10-13)

- what if the church comes together under three basic values? 1. Christ centered - confessing Jesus as Lord (Matt. 16:13-20, Rom. 10:6-15, Eph. 4:3-5) - no congregation is everything to everyone. But every congregation is something to someone. 2. catalyzing relationships - across visible & in visible lines (racial, denominational, socio-economic, etc) (John 13:34-36, John 17) 3. city transformation - bringing spritual and physical wholeness to our city (Micah 6:8-9, Isa. 58) - when the church comes together barriers come down (Matt. 16:13-19) - there are all kinds of barriers in Kansas City: economic, ethnic, political, religious, etc. - how can we see the barriers come down in our city? 1. we must agree on who Jesus is - "you are the Christ, the son of the living God" - if I believe in Jesus - and you believe in Jesus - we have more in common than all of our differences combined 2. we must decide to love - especially when it is hard (John 13:34-35) - how will we convince the world that we love them when we don't even love each other? - if God is blessing what you are doing, then I like it - even if I don't understand it. 3. we must charge the gates of hell together - Jesus did not describe or desire a church in retreat mode. (Matt. 16:18) - God wants to partner with us in plundering hell and populating Heaven. There's no better time to start than now. - Ps. 133:1-3 - choose the commanded blessing over the general blessing

John 17:20-23 - what God began five short years ago has grown significantly. During that time frame, over 50 churches in Kansas City have participated in "What if the Church". - this year, our Big Idea focus for this series is "Because Jesus is Lord, the Church comes together, barriers come down, and the city is transformed." - as the Israelites are taken captive and relocated to Babylon, God gives one of his prophets, Jeremiah, this message from Jeremiah 29:1,3-7 - how would we respond today if we were put in that same situation? - Jesus tied this together when he taught we are a city on a hill: Matt. 5:14-16 - we can feel like exiles in our own land, when the world around us is wrong or evil or whatever. So how do we live well as Christ followers? - we, like the Israelites, have one of three options: 1. we can assimilate (the Babylonian way) - just like everyone else in every way - intellectually, socially, culturally, and spiritually. Christians lose our ability to be distinctive and become just like everyone else. 2. we can isolate (Jewish way) - develop a culture of tribalism - we exist within the culture, but as minimal as possible. Whatever we do is only for personal gain. 3. we can integrate (God's way) - build homes, move in, raise our families, and passionately and persistently seek the peace and prosperity of all parts of our city. - when it comes to our communities or cities, we have the opportunity to live this out locally as we partner and serve our local schools. - if we together collectively take the rist, we can see dramatic, supernatural things happen - how do we gain influence in our schools by absolute service? Not with our agendas, or for personal gain, but in service to those in leadership - in service to those in need.

- becase Jesus is Lord, we can come together - 3 values: 1. Christ centered 2. building relationships, connecting congregations together (unity is essential) 3. city transformation - bringing spiritual and physical wholeness - Mark 12:29-31 - love God and love people - loving people blesses and encourages us - Jesus invested Himself to help people become whole - 1 John 4:7-12, Ps. 133:1-3 - Eph. 4:3, Prov. 6:16-19 - God desires that we work in unity - Col. 3:12-14, Gal. 5:22-23 (the Message, NIV)

- 2 Tim. 1:1-5 - real Manhood knows the heart of God for the daughters of His heart - unless a man looks to Jesus, a man doesn't know how to treat a woman - God chose to make His entry point into the world through the holy space of a woman, to envold Himself inside of a woman, to drink of a woman, be held and nourished and cared for by a woman - that's the jolting truth of how God loves His daughters with His honor. - that Christ didn't degrade women in His talk, but He made women heroes in His stories - 3 ways God loves His daughters: 1. with His words 2. with His grace - He entrusted the veracity of His resurrection to the testimony fo the women 3. with His regard - let Christ shape your view of women - real Manhood never objectifies women. Real Manhood edifies women. - real Manhood means you don't get drunk, and a man can get drunk on a lot more than alcohol - you can choose your choices, but you can't choose your consequences - real Manhood means peer pressure only makes you stronger in Christ - real Manhood means you take responsibility for your body - a woman's immodesty is never an excuse for a man's irresponsibility - responsible men are response-able - you've got to be responsible for your attitude - real men never pressure but treasure. No one tries to crush a diamond - real manhood means you hallow womanhood - a woman is of your rib, who birthed your rib, who cupped your rib, who is meant to be gently cherished at your rib, at your side - the culture of boys will be boys - means girls will be garbage and you were made for more than this - mom's have the ability to influence and to impact their sons for good, to show them what strength, humility, honor, really looks like.

- Jonah - Ps. 139:13-16, Jer. 29:11, 1 Cor. 6:19-20 - Daniel 6 - Daniel prays to God even though a law was passed that made it illegal - your sin not only affects you, but your family also - we can be scared to face our lions, but God has a big blessing in it - courage is defined by one small act of faith at a time; and when you're faithful in the little things, you become stronger and you can be faithful in the biggter things

- 2 Tim. 3:1-5 - In this part 7 of the series, In Pursuit of Godliness, Pastor Phillip O'Reilly continues to give examples of how people will be in the last days based on 2 Timothy 3:1-5. How many of these characteristics do we see in others and how many of these do we see in ourselves? There is hope and forgiveness in the power of Jesus. - continuing from the last message in the series, in the last days, people will also be: - ungrateful - unholy - without love - unforgiving - slanderous - without self-control - brutal - not lovers of the good - treacherous - rash - conceited - lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power

- Matt. 12:9-14 - it doesn't matter what day of the week it is. If you are shriveled in any way, the heart of God is to restore you. - there is no better place for those with shriveled lives, than the house of God - we are all a little shriveled, emotionally, relationally, etc. - if my muscles have memories that I didn't know about, how much more do my emotions? - how many of us won't engage in relationships, leadership roles, or dreams because of a bad experience in our past? - John 4:13-18 - Jesus goes after the place this woman is shriveled and hurt the most. She's been rejected by 5 men already. - God wants to see you completely restored - Matt. 12:13 - some of us are just one stretch away from a miracle restoration - Heb. 10:39 - "believe" is a verb, not a noun - it's not time to shrivel back in fear, but to step forward into healing and what God's called us to

Shane Baxter, the Senior Pastor of Enjoy Church, speaks to the men of the Rock at our Men's Breakfast.