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May 28, 2024
The Transformative Power of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost
When my back gave out, I faced not only physical agony but also a test of faith. Through the collective power of prayer, our community became a conduit for healing, guiding me toward a profound realization of the Holy Spirit's active role in our lives. In this powerful episode, we unpack the essence of Pentecost Sunday, marking both the birth of the church and the moment the Holy Spirit was graciously bestowed upon us. As we celebrate this historic day, we reflect on the teachings of Jesus and the unrelenting strength provided to believers through the Holy Spirit, enabling us to surmount life's adversities with divine empowerment.
The gospel's reach, as witnessed by the early church's mission, continues to expand through us, testament to the Holy Spirit's enduring guidance.
The Apostle Paul's wisdom in Romans and Corinthians offers insight into the role of the Spirit in fortifying us when we are weak, especially in prayerful communication with God. Speaking in tongues emerges as a profound form of prayer that transcends human understanding, providing personal edification and aligning our will with God's. Join us as we delve into these mysteries, prompted by spiritual hunger and the pursuit of the Holy Spirit's baptism, and discover how our lives can be transformed through the pursuit of deeper spiritual connection.
Chapters
00:00 - The Power of the Holy Spirit
08:08:00 - The Power of the Holy Spirit
21:33:00 - Power of Holy Spirit in Prayer
27:31:00 - The Power of Speaking in Tongues
36:27:00 - The Power of Speaking in Tongues
Transcript
00:00 - Speaker 1
The devil wants to lock you up and he wants you not free and he wants anything that is demonstrative. He wants to shut that down, because when the Lord does show up, notice he doesn't say that when the Holy Spirit came, it was a simple gust of wind Psh, psh, it was a mighty rushing wind. When God comes, he shows up and shows out.
00:26 - Speaker 2
Welcome to the City Light Church podcast. Thanks for joining us today as we look into God's Word and discover the hope and truth that he has for us. If you want to connect with City Light Church, feel free to visit us at CityLightNYCcom. That's CityLightNYCcom. That's citylightnyccom. Pastor Boyan Jancic and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is already working in our hearts and minds. As you listen to today's teaching, remember that you are deeply loved by God, that you are surrounded by His grace and that he has a real hope and a future for you.
01:05 - Speaker 1
Hallelujah, so wonderful to see you all and it's good to be here. Yeah, so I hurt my back. I believe the medical term is. I blew out my back Last Saturday. I didn't mention how I did it. I did it. I'm so glad if I did it the way I did it. I was dead lifting. Who knew it? I can't see in the darkness, but here's the thing I could have easily it's going to happen happen me, like baking cookies or bending over and picking a flower, and then I'd have to sit here and say I was in my garden bending over picking a flower and I blew up. At least I was doing something rough and tough, you know. At least I was in my basement, dead lifting, right, I brought, just so you know. Know it was almost no plates. This wasn't me trying to be manly or this was a warm-up set got in one rep and just I mean, have you ever seen the colors of pain? I haven't. I did one rep and all of a sudden I was teleported to another world, a kaleidoscope of colors, and the next day couldn't move. It would take me about 20 minutes just to get out of bed, as I strategically planned how I was going to do it, and every direction was pain and I received so many encouraging texts from so many of you letting me know that you're praying for me, standing with me in faith, and so I actually got concerned. Because Monday came around. I spent every day either going to a chiropractor, going to some doctor, and nothing was really changing, and then Thursday, right around 1 pm and in the space of about an hour to an hour and a half, I got 60 70 percent better to where I could move and do things like brush my teeth while not having to sit down and things like that. So I believe in the power of prayer. Thank you so much for praying and standing with me. Next time you see me, we'll get this table out of the way, although it is kind of nice, kind of liking it, but I'll be as limber as my boy, who's nine and a half Amen, nine and three quarters. He turns ten in two weeks. Hallelujah, hallelujah.
03:41
I want to also just let you know that that lady Marcy Erickson, you know, who greeted us and thanked us for our partnership, she is no joke of a woman. She was born in Naples, florida not exactly the hardest of places in America when you think of hard people and she turned 18, coming from the burbs in Naples, florida. She turned 18 and wanted God to use her life and flew herself over to Ethiopia and just started an orphanage from scratch. This is like 25 years ago now, a long time ago, and maybe it wasn't 25. I don't want to put more age on her then, but she's going strong, she has. I just spoke to her. She said did you know I had another child. And I said what do you mean? You had another. So I don't know if she's up to a dozen or 13 at this time, but she, she has had many natural children. She's adopted many and the reason why you so rarely see her is because I think it takes a whole administrative team just because she won't go alone.
04:44
She brings her whole family and her husband and she'll be coming this July, towards the end of July. I know this is the first time you're hearing of this, pastor James, because it's not solidified, but as it becomes clear I'll let you know. But just plan to be here for that Sunday in late July. If you had a vacation planned, just cancel it. You'll want to receive from her. She's this very special woman who you know she just showed a little bit of what happens there.
05:19
I mean the stuff she survived and we take it so for granted that we live in America and guys with submachine guns don't just come in and come into our orphanage and say we'll take this one, this one, that one, and then you can't even say anything about it. We think this is the default state of most of the earth, and the freedom and the liberty and the law and order we experience in America is not the default state. The default state is pandemonium and tyranny, and so that's also why we have to watch over and pray over our country that we not just stay this way but continue and make progress when it comes to liberty and civility. Amen, hallelujah. Well, happy Pentecost Sunday everybody. Let's go to Luke, chapter 24, verse 49.
06:07
Pentecost Sunday is important because it was Pentecost Sunday that the Holy Spirit was given and the church was birthed, pente meaning 50. The day of Pentecost was celebrated 50 days after Passover, and I encourage everybody when you're placing a particular amount of emphasis on something from the Bible, a good way to not get into error or excess or just bad doctrine and theology is don't put more emphasis on it than the scriptures put on it. So if there's one obscure verse in a corner of the Bible somewhere, you can't build an entire movement on that, amen. Nor should you build your entire life around that. But we celebrate the giving of the Holy Spirit and the emphasis that Jesus continually placed on receiving the Holy Spirit. We do that, I believe, in proportion to how much emphasis the Lord Jesus himself placed on it, and he talked about receiving the Holy Spirit, also known as being baptized in the Holy Spirit, also known as being filled with the Holy Spirit. Those terms are all interchangeable Receiving the Holy Spirit, being filled with the Holy Spirit, being baptized with the Holy Spirit Jesus talked about it all the time. That means that we should put an adequate amount of emphasis on people being filled with the Holy Spirit and give people an opportunity not just to hear pretty words and hear good doctrine, but give people an opportunity to see their lives transformed and be filled with the Holy Spirit themselves. We want to give the Holy Ghost place, we want to give him an opportunity and give you an opportunity so that you can receive what he has for you Amen.
08:08
Now look at the emphasis that Jesus places on being filled with the Holy Spirit here in Luke 24, 49. He's talking to his disciples who'd been with him anywhere from three to three and a half years. You know what's really popular now Masterclasses. Right, have a masterclass. I'm coming to your town this Saturday. Come to my masterclass For an extra thousand dollars. I'll have lunch with you. You can ask me any three questions you want.
08:38
Jesus gave the masterclass of all masterclasses. They were with him for three and a half years. They not only got a front row seat to seeing the miracles and hearing the teachings, but they were able to ask him questions afterwards. And you actually see that in the scriptures. They pretended to know what he was talking about. When he was talking, they were like yeah, what he said, yeah, and then in the back they're like Jesus, what did you mean when you said that?
09:03
Yet even with that kind of intimacy and proximity to Jesus, he tells him don't even think about going and ministering, don't even think about spreading my word until you're first filled with the Holy Spirit and endued with power from on high. Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you, but tarry. Tarry means wait. Some churches still use that term tarry for the Holy Spirit. They had to wait because the Holy Spirit hadn't been given yet he came 2,000 years ago, on the day of Pentecost, the day we're celebrating today. Guess what, though? You don't have to wait. They had to wait. They were waiting for the day of Pentecost.
09:50
He doesn't come just every day of Pentecost. He came that one day of Pentecost and he never left. He's been here on earth since. You say what is he doing? He's the one who performs miracles, he's the one who heals. She said what is he doing? He's the one who performs miracles, he's the one who heals. He's the one who regenerates our heart, he's the one who fills us, and he's waiting for whosoever will, whoever will, whoever will say Jesus, I trust in you for my salvation. I believe you died on the cross for my sins. Come fill me, holy Spirit. He'll just come in.
10:24
And this was what Jesus was announcing was mind blowing to his listeners. They'd never even thought that almighty God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, could come and live inside them. You know why they never thought that? Because they'd never seen that before, because it never existed before In the Old Testament. You see that some would have an encounter with the Holy Spirit, like, for example, samson was anointed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would come upon him and he would do these miraculous works, but the Holy Spirit never took up residence within him. Same thing with every prophet, with even King David they were anointed by the Holy Spirit. I mean, I praise God for the Holy Spirit upon, but that's very different than the Holy Spirit within and now Jesus is announcing it's not just going to be a few that I select, that I'll put my Holy Spirit upon, but I'm giving you the promise of my Father You'll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the inside out. You could see just the wheels in their head spinning. This was too much for them mentally to bear a promise so great.
11:42
Then in Acts, chapter 1.8, I just want you to see the emphasis that Jesus places on being filled with the Holy Spirit, acts 1.8,. You see Jesus' final words. I think that's important, somebody's last words. I mean this is literally his final words while in bodily form. And then he gets caught up and goes into heaven and angels appear and say why are you standing around the same way? He left. He's coming back, go, get busy with the work of the ministry. But his final words you shall receive power, power. He did not leave a powerless church. He did not leave a powerless people. He did not leave a powerless people.
12:28
And let me tell you something If your Christianity is only cerebral, you are missing out on the power of God in your life. If your Christianity is only religious and you relate to God through rituals and touch, not taste, not rules and regulations only, you are missing out on the power of the Holy Spirit. That word for power in the Greek is dunamis, where we get dynamite from. He wants to fill you with dynamite, power from heaven, power to be a witness, power to live a victorious life, power to live free, hallelujah. A Christian life is meant to be a life of victory, not of defeat, and that can only come through being filled with the Holy Spirit of God, and it's available to everybody right now, every single person. 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. And, by the way, that's exactly how the gospel spread, just, I mean Jesus. He called it Jerusalem first, then Judea, then Samaria, and now here's us in the uttermost parts of the earth. Amen.
13:49
By the way, those of you who are wanting to get into ministry. That's exactly how the Lord will work it out in your life too. You know people want to get into ministry. They immediately want to stand on a stage in a foreign nation. No, get busy with your Jerusalem, your friends and family, and take another step out into Judea. Then, as you see the Lord with you, go into some.
14:07
I'm speaking metaphorically. Some of you are looking at me like how do I get to Judea? I'm talking about ever increasing distance from your safe space, amen, until you hit the uttermost parts of the earth. So you see, we have Jesus. I only picked two times. You want to go into John, chapter 14, 15, 16. All he's talking about is the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, who's going to come. I'm not going to leave you as orphans. I will come to you again. He's getting them ready for this new dispensation, the church age where anyone can receive forgiveness of sins from Jesus and there's an end. And after you have been made clean, you're filled with God himself. You're filled, baptized, with the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah, hallelujah.
15:01
So let's look at what happened on that faithful day of Pentecost in Acts, chapter 2. Verses 1 through 4. Some of you. You're having a good time right now. You see something's moving in there. You don't even know how your life you don't even know. It's funny to me because I know a little. I don't know it all, but in the spirit I'm catching a glimpse. So it's funny to me how some of you are going to walk out of here and you don't even know it yet. Hallelujah, hallelujah. I tell you what I feel the pleasure of the Lord. The Lord loves this. The Lord is going to get a hold of some of you. Some of you. You've been wanting him to get a hold. It's not like you're resisting. You want the Lord, but you never had anyone. Just connect the dots for you. Welcome to my TED Talk this morning. Holy Ghost TED Talk. You're going to be filled.
16:01
When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord, in agreement, in one place. You know how many of them? There were 120. Not just the first disciples, but all the people that had followed after Jesus, who were close to his ministry. You know who was a part of that 120? Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was there in need of getting filled with the Holy Spirit and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing, mighty wind.
16:38
Please notice that whenever God moves, he tends to how the hell can I say it? He tends to demonstrate his might and he's not anxious, he's not nervous, he doesn't mind loud noises. I have to say that, even though it was a precious lady, we had a mighty move of God, of the Holy Spirit, in the first century, so many people getting baptized. There was a precious lady who said I like to pray silently. I said you answered an altar call to get baptized in the Holy Spirit. Like there's nothing silent about that, like you will actually speak and you can't you get. It's like answer an altar call so you can see and you come in with blinders on. Is this thing on? You get what I'm saying? Because there's something in people there the devil wants to lock you up. He wants you locked up, he wants you not free and he wants anything that is demonstrative. He wants to shut that down.
17:38
Because when the Lord does show up, notice he doesn't say that when the Holy Spirit came, it was a simple gust of wind, it was a mighty, rushing wind. When God comes, he shows up and shows out and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues as a fire, and one sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And what happened? What was the evidence? The initial physical evidence of them being filled with the Holy Spirit, the initial physical evidence of them being filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them the utterance or the ability.
18:31
Now I'm going to put a pin here. I'm going to come back and show you how, every time you see somebody getting filled with the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts and the book of Acts is our map, that's our standard, that's our example Did you know it's the only book in the New Testament that doesn't end with an amen? Did you know that? Because there isn't an amen, we're still in it, we're still writing it, we're in Acts 29 right now. This service is in there. This service is in there, hallelujah, because it's our map.
19:06
I would say it's pretty important to note that every time someone was filled with the Holy Spirit, the initial evidence was their speaking in tongues. Yes, other things happened afterwards. You cannot deny the fruit of the Spirit, you can't deny other manifestations, but it just so happens I didn't put it in there. The scripture says it so that the initial physical evidence was their speaking in tongues. Because people will say do I have to speak in tongues? No, you don't have to do anything. But if you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit, it seems to me that the first physical evidence is going to be you speaking in tongues. So I wouldn't come with the mentality do I have to? No, you get to. You get to speak in tongues.
19:51
And speaking in tongues, even just the term speaking in tongues how do you say language in Spanish? Is it tongue? Tongue In Serbian, it's jezik. Right, where's my man? Where's my Montenegrin? I can't see him in the dark. It's jezik, which means tongue. Tongue just means languages, but in English, when you say tongues, it sounds already weird and mystical.
20:17
Speaking in tongues just means speaking in other languages. Satan hates it because it gives you so much power. So what does he do? He tries to corrupt that beautiful teaching. He makes it spooky, he makes it weird. Whenever you see it in media, it's always somebody really bizarre, really strange some wild church in the Appalachian Mountains, some guy barefoot dancing around with three snakes, and then he's speaking in tongues. Of course you're going to see that and go. I don't want that. No, I don't want that for you either. But don't let the weird, don't let the excesses, don't let the bizarre keep you from the promise of the Father, biblical truth and the power he wants to put in your life. So let's talk about talking in tongues what is it really for? What happens when you do, and let's try to take some of the spook out of it, amen.
21:17
Let's start in Romans, chapter eight, verse 26. Romans, chapter eight, verse 26. What is the purpose of praying? Praying supernaturally in this language, this language that you never, ever heard before, this language that you didn't study in school, nobody ever taught you. You do the speaking, but the Holy Spirit gives you an unction.
21:33
Here's one of the purposes Paul writing in Romans. He says likewise the spirit also helps in our weaknesses. And then he identifies this weakness, for we do not know what we should pray for as we ought. How many of you can relate to that? Paul is saying that's a weakness we all have. We don't always know how to pray like we should.
21:57
And isn't it true that the bigger the crisis, the more you don't know how to pray? Have you ever been? You get hit and you see the little Tweety birds flying around you and you don't even know where to begin praying, and praying seems hard and you can't even articulate in English. But then the Holy Spirit who's within you, he'll bypass your doubt-filled mind, he'll bypass your doubt-filled mind, he'll bypass your anxiety-filled mind and he will use your vocal cords to pray the perfect prayer that's totally in line with the Father's will to the Father. That's a distinct advantage, for we do not know what we should pray for, as we ought, but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now, he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
23:04
So when you pray in the tongues by the way, if you don't pray in tongues, you'll be able to leave here today praying in tongues. It's not a big deal. The Lord's been doing this since the day of Pentecost. I've seen it done through my ministry for the last 30 years, because I started doing this stuff when I was 16. Before I was in full-time ministry, I was praying for people everywhere to get baptized in the Holy Spirit. At my college they called me Boyan the Baptist. It's not a big deal for God. In fact he doesn't even have to send the Holy Spirit. He already sent him 2,000 years ago. He's here. All you have to do is receive him.
23:49
So when you're praying in tongues, you're stuck, you don't know how to pray, as you are. But then out of you, out of your spirit, you're praying out the Father's perfect will for your life. He's bypassing you. You're not knowing that weakness that you and I have, the not knowing, the confusion, the doubt. It's almost like cheating. It would be like me telling my son son, I'm going to buy you more Robux, you more Robux, if you can guess a number from one to a thousand. And he's like that's not fair, right? But then my partner that I'm one with my wife whispers in his ear it's 266. And he goes Dad, it's 266. And I go, you got it. You knew exactly what was in my mind.
25:01
The analogy. Listen, if you're a theologian out there, you don't like my analogy, just leave. I understand it's two separate people and the Holy Spirit is one with the Father. I'm just giving you an earthly terms. Did you catch what happened? And in that way, the Holy Spirit, who is God is in you, praying through you to the Father. Who is God? You say where's Jesus in all this? It's all going through Jesus and what he did on the cross. He's the mediator of everything, hallelujah.
25:32
Let's go to 1 Corinthians, chapter 14 and verse 2. If it was just that, if it was just that it would be enough. That's a distinct advantage. I would start off every day and take a few minutes and pray out your day, but bypass your mind. That has a weakness. It doesn't know what to pray for. You could have a big opportunity coming up tomorrow. You don't even know to pray about it. But guess, who knows the Holy Spirit? Who's God? And he lives inside of you. And now you open up your mouth and you pray out exactly what the Father's heart is for you. That's why we see life transformations. That's why we hear testimonies that go. I was in the right place at the right time. Many times you're not even aware you prayed that into place when you yielded to the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 14, starting in verse 2.
26:31
Paul in 1 Corinthians 14, he's trying, like he does in many of his letters. He's trying to remedy a problem, and the problem here is that he had a wild, wild church, very similar, I guess, to New York City, because Corinth was an urban center, had a lot of different people with different ideologies, from different backgrounds, different nationalities, and they were all new to Christianity and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. So they began in these house meetings they were having. They were so excited a bunch of newborn Christians and they're all speaking in tongues at the same time to one another. And Paul is saying, hey, that's not so great, because when we're together, everything should be that we get edified. And you can only get edified if you understand what I'm saying. Right, if I've been speaking in tongues this whole time instead of preaching to you in English, how would you like the service? So far, you'd be like that's nice for you. Pastor, you seem to be having a good time, but I'm not edified. I didn't catch one thing. You said.
27:31
That's the gist of 1 Corinthians 14, but there's a lot of hidden nuggets, hidden truths concerning the power of speaking in tongues in 1 Corinthians 14. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him. So just note speaking in tongues. It's not to speak in tongues to each other. You speak to God. No one is going to understand you. You don't understand you. You speak to God. No one is going to understand you. You don't understand you. But you speak mysteries In the spirit. You speak mysteries.
28:08
What do you think some of those mysteries are? I had a mystery in my life. Once I was $63,000 in debt spread across 16 different credit cards, and I was young and stupid and my outflow was way bigger than my inflow. Yet it was a mystery to me. How do I get out of massive credit card debt? What a mystery and it really was as far as I was concerned. I was befuddled. It was a mystery. But then when I you can pray out those mysteries. You have a mystery. I can't get along with my spouse. I was so in love with him. Now it's just nothing but strife. What a mystery. You can pray out that mystery. It seems like I can't advance in my career. It seems like I keep making the same my career. It seems like I keep making the same bad decisions. It's like a mystery.
29:04
Pray it out in the Holy Spirit, god, who knows everything and who lives inside you. It's not a mystery to him. And you can pray these things out in tongues, it'll change your life. Hallelujah. Next verse he who speaks in a tongue edifies himself. So we've already learned two things about the power of speaking in tongues. One you pray out mysteries. Two you edify or strengthen yourself when you pray in tongues. I just chuckled for a second.
29:42
You know, if everybody who prays in tongues actually said they prayed in tongues, you'd be shocked at some of the people who pray in tongues. Some motivational speaker who you know is Christian, but you just don't know how Christian they are. And then you meet them and you realize they're absolutely on fire, christian, and they speak in tongues. Not a lot, but a couple of actors in Hollywood, but people you would never, ever guess, ever guess. And Satan. I have to say this because Satan makes it always seem like it's the wild subway preacher swinging from the light bulb on the e-train, and he's the one who gets down with this stuff. No, this doesn't make you weird. It makes you more like the apostle Paul, amen. It makes you more Christ. The Apostle Paul, amen. It makes you more Christ-like and it makes you more powerful.
30:30
He who speaks in a tongue strengthens himself, but he who prophesies strengthens the church. What is the conclusion. Then Paul says I will pray with the Spirit. He's saying what is the conclusion then In a service? He's saying I will pray with the Spirit. He's saying what is the conclusion? Then In a service? He's saying I will pray with the Spirit. I can pray in tongues, but I don't have to do it so loud that I interrupt and bother everybody, confuse others, and I will also pray with the understanding. That means in the vernacular for us English. A couple of things to note here in the vernacular for us English. A couple of things to note here. Note that Paul says I will pray in the Spirit. That means you can will to pray in tongues in the Spirit whenever you want, once you're filled.
31:15
Initially, some people don't believe that. They believe they have to be in church. They believe they have to practically be tackled by the Holy Spirit. I got to start shaking. I know how he does it with me. The tears start coming. I got to really really feel it. And then, when was the last time you spoke in tongues? I remember it was six years ago at this revival meeting. No, you're robbing yourself. You can will. Did you know? You guys are making me have to stand up? Don't listen. I thought I had another 30 years before I became that preacher. Don't make me that guy. Listen, you guys, I got something to tell you. I got something to tell you. He says I will pray in the spirit. You can will how you're going to pray. Some Christians are just weird and they mess it up for all of us. Have you ever heard maybe you were turned off by speaking in tongues because some Christian came to you like Hikata Rabba, shoto Lama, solo, sounding like Jabba the Hutt from Return of the Jedi, so low, sounding like Jabba the Hutt from Return of the Jedi.
32:28
You can will to speak in tongues like a normal human being, like an actual language. You can will To not have a weird face, to not do bizarre things. You can will that he says he actually says he prays to himself Doesn't mean he prays. He's praying to God. But you can under my breath. I'm always speaking in tongues in service. You say why? Why not? Because I'm building myself up, I'm strengthening myself, I'm praying out mysteries.
33:00
The reason why I only look at 20% of my notes is because of all the speaking in tongues. I do, I speak in tongues and then I've been speaking in another language and I'm actually working it out and interpreting some of it, translating it as I'm preaching. I've seen the difference. If I don't speak in tongues, I'm note bound. If I'm speaking in tongues, I could have been praying for you five minutes before service and then it comes forth Hallelujah. So note that your will is at work. You can sing in tongues when you will. You can pray in tongues whenever you will. Hallelujah.
33:40
I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the Spirit. Can you just go back? Just let me finish that I will sing with the Spirit and I will also sing with the understanding Amen. Otherwise, if you bless with the Spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say amen? Did you know you can even bless with the Spirit? Like, if I'm going to pray for you, I want you to know how I'm blessing you. So I'm going to speak in English, but as my little kiddos are running around, I just might and I bless them and he knows dad does that stuff, so he receives Amen.
34:25
Mauricio and I could be out to lunch and we're not going to be all super formal, like the food isn't going to arrive. And then I look at Mauricio and he looks at me and says, pastor, would you like to say grace? And I say I would. I appreciate that, heavenly Father, we come before thee now in this McDonald's. No, the food might come and I might bless it in tongues. I might, just because we, we know each other.
34:49
He's not the uninformed, he's mature in the faith. So I might say look at this. And he goes and he just flows out with the other. Now I'm not gonna do that around you, I'm not gonna. That's not something you whip out at Thanksgiving with your unsaved relatives. But what Paul is trying to say here is there's things you can do when it's just believers that you wouldn't do with the uninformed.
35:20
And in a city light service, over 80% of you speak in tongues. That's my conservative estimate. Yet notice that nobody's doing so right now or has ever done it in a distracting way, or that we've ever had to never have we had to quiet someone down and say you know you're really getting out of hand. Can you go to the tongue speaking section in the back of the sanctuary? The Lord is in control and the Lord moves it, and really some of you just haven't been exposed to some of the weird stuff so you never emulated it. Amen, that's a big plus. If you were saved in a Pentecostal church in the seventies, that might be different, but that's another story. Hallelujah, hallelujah.
36:08
Let's go to John, chapter 4, verse 13. Oh no, I'm sorry, we didn't finish. I'm sorry, let's finish. This is important, I'm sorry. Back to Corinthians. What was verse 16 right before then? Ah, okay, verse 17.
36:27
For, indeed, for you indeed give thanks, like if I did bless someone in tongues. Paul once again says hey, you give thanks well. That's another thing. When you pray in tongues, you can be rest assured that you give thanks well. But the other is not edified. He didn't understand what you said. And then this is what the great apostle Paul. He says I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all. That's important to note, because there's some people, for whatever reason, they're anti-tongues, maybe because they were in a church where everybody was hollering at them in tongues, or they had a bad experience, or maybe they're just bound by a religious spirit and it's not something that they want to. They pigeonhole God and put him in a box, whatever it is. Just note that the apostle Paul says I pray in tongues more than any of you, and he was the one used by the Holy Spirit to write over half the New Testament and he closes that whole chapter by saying forbid not to speak in tongues, amen. Just note that. All right, john 14. Some of you are about to get booster rockets slapped onto your jet pack. Your jet pack of Christianity is about to get bammed, kicked up a notch.
37:49
Jesus and the woman at the well. Jesus answered and said to her whoever drinks of this water will thirst again. But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain. A fountain Can you do me a favor and shout out that word fountain. The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. So Jesus here likens salvation to a fountain.
38:30
Let's fast forward three chapters to John, chapter 7 for another water analogy. This was during the week of Passover, days before Jesus was crucified, and it says On the last day, that great day of the feast, jesus stood and cried out saying If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers. Shout rivers. All right, this is where we get real advanced. Note that there is a difference between a fountain and rivers. Can we all agree on that?
39:26
Jesus, speaking of salvation, called the salvation anointing a fountain. You can drink from a fountain. It springs up to life everlasting. But there is something subsequent to salvation that's not just a fountain, it's rivers. And it's not for you, it's for others. First you get a fountain, then you can get baptized in the Holy Spirit After salvation. Now you have rivers. Say, how do you know?
39:59
Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit. Well, I'm so glad that, john, he actually tells you that in the very next verse. What was Jesus talking about? But this, he spoke concerning the Spirit. But this he spoke concerning the Holy Spirit whom those believing in him would receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given. He wasn't yet given because Jesus hadn't gone to the cross to make everyone justified. Yet the Holy Spirit cannot indwell a sinful temple, but through Jesus' cross we're made clean. So the Holy Spirit has been waiting for Jesus' death, burial and resurrection so we can come into man. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified.
40:51
So you know what I find that's a little disturbing still in the American church is a smug I don't know how else to say it, but a smug fatness. I don't know how else to say it, but a smug fatness I found. I found I was getting that way on our cruise that we went. Last year we went on a cruise and was it a 10 day or you know, in the beginning you show up and you're like, wow, this is so awesome and it's a buffet that doesn't end. It's top quality food and you're really appreciative.
41:30
Right around day five or six, you're like the lobster today, I don't know, maybe I'll get the steak. How's your shrimp Good today? And that's how we become as an American church. We have this smug fatness so that when the lord offers you all these things, you're like rivers. I don't know. A fountain is good.
41:53
No, you gotta be hungry, you gotta be thirsty. You can't be like, oh, whatever, you know. No, the things of god must be pursued, he must be sought. You can't have an attitude that says, well, if he wants me to have rivers, he'll give me rivers, right? No, jesus never operated that way. There was no blind person, deaf person, sick person who said, well, if Jesus wants me well he'll heal me. No, they ran to him, they got his attention. They waved his hands in his face, they climbed up trees, they tore off roofs just to get to him. You got to have a hunger and if you're not baptized in the Holy Spirit here today, today is your day. Amen, hallelujah. It's something he loves to do. You'll see. All you have to do is come open. Acts chapter 8. Hallelujah. So don't settle for a fountain when you can have a fountain and rivers. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Acts chapter 8.
43:08
Looking at how the first century church treated the baptism of the Holy Spirit and with what emphasis. So in Acts chapter 8, you have this entire region, this entire city of Samaria getting saved. Let's see what the first century church did next. Now, when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. Now they send their top two apostles, peter and John, the dynamic duo. Why Samaria had just received the word of God. Why are they sending out Peter and John who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit? So they sent Peter and John to Samaria that this group, who had just gotten saved, might be filled or receive the Holy Spirit. Do you see all that Uh-huh? For as yet he had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
44:19
Now, if I gave you a report from Guatemala, we just came back from a missions trip in Guatemala and I said you won't believe it. We went to this village and they received the word of God. You'd go, yay. And then you won't believe it. We took them by the river, baptized all of them. Yay, come home, pastor, your work is done.
44:38
Yet the first century church wasn't contented to just see them receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. They didn't even stop at seeing him get water baptized, but they immediately said Peter and John, get over there, get them filled with the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah. And that is the urgency. I can sense it in the spirit, in the air here today. There is an urgency that's come upon some of you. The Lord is putting it there. You're going to quit putting it off and putting it off, and putting it off.
45:07
And some of you, you got baptized in the Holy Spirit a long time ago and you never, ever, reactivated the gift that he put inside of you. You can do that at any time. Don't be waiting for the Lord to come and attack you. That's the attitude some people. I'll speak in tongues again when he really comes upon me, when In heaven you will, you will. Just like Paul said, I will pray in the spirit. You can will to pray in the spirit.
45:34
What happened with some people? You know. You said a few words and then immediately froze up because you got nervous, you anxious, whatever reason. It's it. When you start speaking in tongues there's no other way to put it you're moving over into the supernatural realm, and and when some people start doing that, they, even though it's wonderful and lovely, it's not our normal. It should be our normal, but for too many of us it isn't, and so we freeze up and and sometimes then even pull away because it's so unnatural to us. And some of you did that when you were baptized and the Holy Spirit said a few words and never said them again.
46:13
But you can be filled afresh and you can pray in tongues whenever In your shower, walking the dog, making breakfast, cooking dinner, going for a stroll, you can pray in the Spirit and you'll know that when you're praying in the Spirit, praying in tongues, you'll know you're doing several things. You're praying the perfect will of the Father, you're giving thanks, well, and you're edifying yourself. On top of that, you're speaking mysteries, hallelujah. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. And when Simon saw Simon was a sorcerer Note this Simon saw that, through the laying on of the apostles' hands, the Holy Spirit was given. He offered the money. I just want you to see that Simon saw something. You catch that. I want you to see that Simon saw something. You catch that. I want you to see that Simon saw something, because if there was nothing to see, simon wouldn't have seen anything. In other words, when you're filled with the Holy Spirit, there is something to see. There is going to be a demonstration of some kind, and what we see over and over again in the Scriptures is that demonstration is.
47:26
Speaking in tongues worship team, come on up. I'm going to read Acts, chapter 10, and I'm going to open up this altar. Hallelujah, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is the doorway to the supernatural. You can't go into the deep, deep things of the Spirit and the anointing without first going through this doorway, where you're filled with the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues. You say do I have to speak in tongues. No, you get to speak in tongues. So what if I don't speak in tongues? What if you do? Hallelujah, quit being afraid. You know what. I'm not going to end here. I'm going to read.
48:18
I feel that I'm going to read a passage for the ones, because there are a number of people that you're afraid, and I understand that. I'm now bold. I've been walking with the Lord for 30 plus years, but when I was 16 years old, I was quaking in my boots. It was terrifying. The thought of God coming inside of me and me speaking another language supernaturally, like doesn't get more out there than that.
48:38
But I'm going to read you the words of Jesus, just for you. You know what? Let's not do? Acts 10. Let's do the words of Jesus. It's in Luke. Let me find it here. Oh, it's so beautiful as only Jesus could.
48:55
Luke 11, verses 9 through 13. He's actually talking about the Holy Spirit here. You'll see at the end. So I say to you ask, and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds. And to him who knocks, it will be opened.
49:20
If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone. Or if he asks for a you, will he give him a stone. Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish. Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly father give the holy spirit to those who ask him? Amen, so that goes out to those who are sitting there going.
49:57
This is really freaky, pastor. I see it in the word, I believe it. But you know what if I'm asking for the Holy Spirit? What if another spirit comes in? Or can the devil come and come in? Or can something negative at all happen? Jesus here is saying when you ask for bread, you're going to get bread. When you ask for an egg, you're going to get an egg. When you ask for fish, you're going to get fish. I'm not going to allow a scorpion to be snuck in there instead of a fish. So when you ask for the Holy Spirit, that's all you're going to get Pure, unadulterated Holy Spirit, not some other spirit. Amen.
50:41 - Speaker 2
This is the City Light Church podcast. If you've missed any part of today's message or if you would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jancic and City Light Church, visit us at citylightnyccom. That's citylightnyccom. Feel free to visit us online or in person anytime. We would love to connect with you. We pray that you have been encouraged today, that you have been reminded how much God loves you and that you are surrounded by grace. Thank you for listening. Make sure that you subscribe to City Light Church Podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts worldwide.
The devil wants to lock you up and he wants you not free and he wants anything that is demonstrative. He wants to shut that down, because when the Lord does show up, notice he doesn't say that when the Holy Spirit came, it was a simple gust of wind Psh, psh, it was a mighty rushing wind. When God comes, he shows up and shows out.
00:26 - Speaker 2
Welcome to the City Light Church podcast. Thanks for joining us today as we look into God's Word and discover the hope and truth that he has for us. If you want to connect with City Light Church, feel free to visit us at CityLightNYCcom. That's CityLightNYCcom. That's citylightnyccom. Pastor Boyan Jancic and his team believe that the power of the Holy Spirit is already working in our hearts and minds. As you listen to today's teaching, remember that you are deeply loved by God, that you are surrounded by His grace and that he has a real hope and a future for you.
01:05 - Speaker 1
Hallelujah, so wonderful to see you all and it's good to be here. Yeah, so I hurt my back. I believe the medical term is. I blew out my back Last Saturday. I didn't mention how I did it. I did it. I'm so glad if I did it the way I did it. I was dead lifting. Who knew it? I can't see in the darkness, but here's the thing I could have easily it's going to happen happen me, like baking cookies or bending over and picking a flower, and then I'd have to sit here and say I was in my garden bending over picking a flower and I blew up. At least I was doing something rough and tough, you know. At least I was in my basement, dead lifting, right, I brought, just so you know. Know it was almost no plates. This wasn't me trying to be manly or this was a warm-up set got in one rep and just I mean, have you ever seen the colors of pain? I haven't. I did one rep and all of a sudden I was teleported to another world, a kaleidoscope of colors, and the next day couldn't move. It would take me about 20 minutes just to get out of bed, as I strategically planned how I was going to do it, and every direction was pain and I received so many encouraging texts from so many of you letting me know that you're praying for me, standing with me in faith, and so I actually got concerned. Because Monday came around. I spent every day either going to a chiropractor, going to some doctor, and nothing was really changing, and then Thursday, right around 1 pm and in the space of about an hour to an hour and a half, I got 60 70 percent better to where I could move and do things like brush my teeth while not having to sit down and things like that. So I believe in the power of prayer. Thank you so much for praying and standing with me. Next time you see me, we'll get this table out of the way, although it is kind of nice, kind of liking it, but I'll be as limber as my boy, who's nine and a half Amen, nine and three quarters. He turns ten in two weeks. Hallelujah, hallelujah.
03:41
I want to also just let you know that that lady Marcy Erickson, you know, who greeted us and thanked us for our partnership, she is no joke of a woman. She was born in Naples, florida not exactly the hardest of places in America when you think of hard people and she turned 18, coming from the burbs in Naples, florida. She turned 18 and wanted God to use her life and flew herself over to Ethiopia and just started an orphanage from scratch. This is like 25 years ago now, a long time ago, and maybe it wasn't 25. I don't want to put more age on her then, but she's going strong, she has. I just spoke to her. She said did you know I had another child. And I said what do you mean? You had another. So I don't know if she's up to a dozen or 13 at this time, but she, she has had many natural children. She's adopted many and the reason why you so rarely see her is because I think it takes a whole administrative team just because she won't go alone.
04:44
She brings her whole family and her husband and she'll be coming this July, towards the end of July. I know this is the first time you're hearing of this, pastor James, because it's not solidified, but as it becomes clear I'll let you know. But just plan to be here for that Sunday in late July. If you had a vacation planned, just cancel it. You'll want to receive from her. She's this very special woman who you know she just showed a little bit of what happens there.
05:19
I mean the stuff she survived and we take it so for granted that we live in America and guys with submachine guns don't just come in and come into our orphanage and say we'll take this one, this one, that one, and then you can't even say anything about it. We think this is the default state of most of the earth, and the freedom and the liberty and the law and order we experience in America is not the default state. The default state is pandemonium and tyranny, and so that's also why we have to watch over and pray over our country that we not just stay this way but continue and make progress when it comes to liberty and civility. Amen, hallelujah. Well, happy Pentecost Sunday everybody. Let's go to Luke, chapter 24, verse 49.
06:07
Pentecost Sunday is important because it was Pentecost Sunday that the Holy Spirit was given and the church was birthed, pente meaning 50. The day of Pentecost was celebrated 50 days after Passover, and I encourage everybody when you're placing a particular amount of emphasis on something from the Bible, a good way to not get into error or excess or just bad doctrine and theology is don't put more emphasis on it than the scriptures put on it. So if there's one obscure verse in a corner of the Bible somewhere, you can't build an entire movement on that, amen. Nor should you build your entire life around that. But we celebrate the giving of the Holy Spirit and the emphasis that Jesus continually placed on receiving the Holy Spirit. We do that, I believe, in proportion to how much emphasis the Lord Jesus himself placed on it, and he talked about receiving the Holy Spirit, also known as being baptized in the Holy Spirit, also known as being filled with the Holy Spirit. Those terms are all interchangeable Receiving the Holy Spirit, being filled with the Holy Spirit, being baptized with the Holy Spirit Jesus talked about it all the time. That means that we should put an adequate amount of emphasis on people being filled with the Holy Spirit and give people an opportunity not just to hear pretty words and hear good doctrine, but give people an opportunity to see their lives transformed and be filled with the Holy Spirit themselves. We want to give the Holy Ghost place, we want to give him an opportunity and give you an opportunity so that you can receive what he has for you Amen.
08:08
Now look at the emphasis that Jesus places on being filled with the Holy Spirit here in Luke 24, 49. He's talking to his disciples who'd been with him anywhere from three to three and a half years. You know what's really popular now Masterclasses. Right, have a masterclass. I'm coming to your town this Saturday. Come to my masterclass For an extra thousand dollars. I'll have lunch with you. You can ask me any three questions you want.
08:38
Jesus gave the masterclass of all masterclasses. They were with him for three and a half years. They not only got a front row seat to seeing the miracles and hearing the teachings, but they were able to ask him questions afterwards. And you actually see that in the scriptures. They pretended to know what he was talking about. When he was talking, they were like yeah, what he said, yeah, and then in the back they're like Jesus, what did you mean when you said that?
09:03
Yet even with that kind of intimacy and proximity to Jesus, he tells him don't even think about going and ministering, don't even think about spreading my word until you're first filled with the Holy Spirit and endued with power from on high. Behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you, but tarry. Tarry means wait. Some churches still use that term tarry for the Holy Spirit. They had to wait because the Holy Spirit hadn't been given yet he came 2,000 years ago, on the day of Pentecost, the day we're celebrating today. Guess what, though? You don't have to wait. They had to wait. They were waiting for the day of Pentecost.
09:50
He doesn't come just every day of Pentecost. He came that one day of Pentecost and he never left. He's been here on earth since. You say what is he doing? He's the one who performs miracles, he's the one who heals. She said what is he doing? He's the one who performs miracles, he's the one who heals. He's the one who regenerates our heart, he's the one who fills us, and he's waiting for whosoever will, whoever will, whoever will say Jesus, I trust in you for my salvation. I believe you died on the cross for my sins. Come fill me, holy Spirit. He'll just come in.
10:24
And this was what Jesus was announcing was mind blowing to his listeners. They'd never even thought that almighty God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, could come and live inside them. You know why they never thought that? Because they'd never seen that before, because it never existed before In the Old Testament. You see that some would have an encounter with the Holy Spirit, like, for example, samson was anointed by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would come upon him and he would do these miraculous works, but the Holy Spirit never took up residence within him. Same thing with every prophet, with even King David they were anointed by the Holy Spirit. I mean, I praise God for the Holy Spirit upon, but that's very different than the Holy Spirit within and now Jesus is announcing it's not just going to be a few that I select, that I'll put my Holy Spirit upon, but I'm giving you the promise of my Father You'll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the inside out. You could see just the wheels in their head spinning. This was too much for them mentally to bear a promise so great.
11:42
Then in Acts, chapter 1.8, I just want you to see the emphasis that Jesus places on being filled with the Holy Spirit, acts 1.8,. You see Jesus' final words. I think that's important, somebody's last words. I mean this is literally his final words while in bodily form. And then he gets caught up and goes into heaven and angels appear and say why are you standing around the same way? He left. He's coming back, go, get busy with the work of the ministry. But his final words you shall receive power, power. He did not leave a powerless church. He did not leave a powerless people. He did not leave a powerless people.
12:28
And let me tell you something If your Christianity is only cerebral, you are missing out on the power of God in your life. If your Christianity is only religious and you relate to God through rituals and touch, not taste, not rules and regulations only, you are missing out on the power of the Holy Spirit. That word for power in the Greek is dunamis, where we get dynamite from. He wants to fill you with dynamite, power from heaven, power to be a witness, power to live a victorious life, power to live free, hallelujah. A Christian life is meant to be a life of victory, not of defeat, and that can only come through being filled with the Holy Spirit of God, and it's available to everybody right now, every single person. 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. And, by the way, that's exactly how the gospel spread, just, I mean Jesus. He called it Jerusalem first, then Judea, then Samaria, and now here's us in the uttermost parts of the earth. Amen.
13:49
By the way, those of you who are wanting to get into ministry. That's exactly how the Lord will work it out in your life too. You know people want to get into ministry. They immediately want to stand on a stage in a foreign nation. No, get busy with your Jerusalem, your friends and family, and take another step out into Judea. Then, as you see the Lord with you, go into some.
14:07
I'm speaking metaphorically. Some of you are looking at me like how do I get to Judea? I'm talking about ever increasing distance from your safe space, amen, until you hit the uttermost parts of the earth. So you see, we have Jesus. I only picked two times. You want to go into John, chapter 14, 15, 16. All he's talking about is the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, who's going to come. I'm not going to leave you as orphans. I will come to you again. He's getting them ready for this new dispensation, the church age where anyone can receive forgiveness of sins from Jesus and there's an end. And after you have been made clean, you're filled with God himself. You're filled, baptized, with the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah, hallelujah.
15:01
So let's look at what happened on that faithful day of Pentecost in Acts, chapter 2. Verses 1 through 4. Some of you. You're having a good time right now. You see something's moving in there. You don't even know how your life you don't even know. It's funny to me because I know a little. I don't know it all, but in the spirit I'm catching a glimpse. So it's funny to me how some of you are going to walk out of here and you don't even know it yet. Hallelujah, hallelujah. I tell you what I feel the pleasure of the Lord. The Lord loves this. The Lord is going to get a hold of some of you. Some of you. You've been wanting him to get a hold. It's not like you're resisting. You want the Lord, but you never had anyone. Just connect the dots for you. Welcome to my TED Talk this morning. Holy Ghost TED Talk. You're going to be filled.
16:01
When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord, in agreement, in one place. You know how many of them? There were 120. Not just the first disciples, but all the people that had followed after Jesus, who were close to his ministry. You know who was a part of that 120? Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was there in need of getting filled with the Holy Spirit and suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing, mighty wind.
16:38
Please notice that whenever God moves, he tends to how the hell can I say it? He tends to demonstrate his might and he's not anxious, he's not nervous, he doesn't mind loud noises. I have to say that, even though it was a precious lady, we had a mighty move of God, of the Holy Spirit, in the first century, so many people getting baptized. There was a precious lady who said I like to pray silently. I said you answered an altar call to get baptized in the Holy Spirit. Like there's nothing silent about that, like you will actually speak and you can't you get. It's like answer an altar call so you can see and you come in with blinders on. Is this thing on? You get what I'm saying? Because there's something in people there the devil wants to lock you up. He wants you locked up, he wants you not free and he wants anything that is demonstrative. He wants to shut that down.
17:38
Because when the Lord does show up, notice he doesn't say that when the Holy Spirit came, it was a simple gust of wind, it was a mighty, rushing wind. When God comes, he shows up and shows out and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues as a fire, and one sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And what happened? What was the evidence? The initial physical evidence of them being filled with the Holy Spirit, the initial physical evidence of them being filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them the utterance or the ability.
18:31
Now I'm going to put a pin here. I'm going to come back and show you how, every time you see somebody getting filled with the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts and the book of Acts is our map, that's our standard, that's our example Did you know it's the only book in the New Testament that doesn't end with an amen? Did you know that? Because there isn't an amen, we're still in it, we're still writing it, we're in Acts 29 right now. This service is in there. This service is in there, hallelujah, because it's our map.
19:06
I would say it's pretty important to note that every time someone was filled with the Holy Spirit, the initial evidence was their speaking in tongues. Yes, other things happened afterwards. You cannot deny the fruit of the Spirit, you can't deny other manifestations, but it just so happens I didn't put it in there. The scripture says it so that the initial physical evidence was their speaking in tongues. Because people will say do I have to speak in tongues? No, you don't have to do anything. But if you want to be filled with the Holy Spirit, it seems to me that the first physical evidence is going to be you speaking in tongues. So I wouldn't come with the mentality do I have to? No, you get to. You get to speak in tongues.
19:51
And speaking in tongues, even just the term speaking in tongues how do you say language in Spanish? Is it tongue? Tongue In Serbian, it's jezik. Right, where's my man? Where's my Montenegrin? I can't see him in the dark. It's jezik, which means tongue. Tongue just means languages, but in English, when you say tongues, it sounds already weird and mystical.
20:17
Speaking in tongues just means speaking in other languages. Satan hates it because it gives you so much power. So what does he do? He tries to corrupt that beautiful teaching. He makes it spooky, he makes it weird. Whenever you see it in media, it's always somebody really bizarre, really strange some wild church in the Appalachian Mountains, some guy barefoot dancing around with three snakes, and then he's speaking in tongues. Of course you're going to see that and go. I don't want that. No, I don't want that for you either. But don't let the weird, don't let the excesses, don't let the bizarre keep you from the promise of the Father, biblical truth and the power he wants to put in your life. So let's talk about talking in tongues what is it really for? What happens when you do, and let's try to take some of the spook out of it, amen.
21:17
Let's start in Romans, chapter eight, verse 26. Romans, chapter eight, verse 26. What is the purpose of praying? Praying supernaturally in this language, this language that you never, ever heard before, this language that you didn't study in school, nobody ever taught you. You do the speaking, but the Holy Spirit gives you an unction.
21:33
Here's one of the purposes Paul writing in Romans. He says likewise the spirit also helps in our weaknesses. And then he identifies this weakness, for we do not know what we should pray for as we ought. How many of you can relate to that? Paul is saying that's a weakness we all have. We don't always know how to pray like we should.
21:57
And isn't it true that the bigger the crisis, the more you don't know how to pray? Have you ever been? You get hit and you see the little Tweety birds flying around you and you don't even know where to begin praying, and praying seems hard and you can't even articulate in English. But then the Holy Spirit who's within you, he'll bypass your doubt-filled mind, he'll bypass your doubt-filled mind, he'll bypass your anxiety-filled mind and he will use your vocal cords to pray the perfect prayer that's totally in line with the Father's will to the Father. That's a distinct advantage, for we do not know what we should pray for, as we ought, but the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now, he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
23:04
So when you pray in the tongues by the way, if you don't pray in tongues, you'll be able to leave here today praying in tongues. It's not a big deal. The Lord's been doing this since the day of Pentecost. I've seen it done through my ministry for the last 30 years, because I started doing this stuff when I was 16. Before I was in full-time ministry, I was praying for people everywhere to get baptized in the Holy Spirit. At my college they called me Boyan the Baptist. It's not a big deal for God. In fact he doesn't even have to send the Holy Spirit. He already sent him 2,000 years ago. He's here. All you have to do is receive him.
23:49
So when you're praying in tongues, you're stuck, you don't know how to pray, as you are. But then out of you, out of your spirit, you're praying out the Father's perfect will for your life. He's bypassing you. You're not knowing that weakness that you and I have, the not knowing, the confusion, the doubt. It's almost like cheating. It would be like me telling my son son, I'm going to buy you more Robux, you more Robux, if you can guess a number from one to a thousand. And he's like that's not fair, right? But then my partner that I'm one with my wife whispers in his ear it's 266. And he goes Dad, it's 266. And I go, you got it. You knew exactly what was in my mind.
25:01
The analogy. Listen, if you're a theologian out there, you don't like my analogy, just leave. I understand it's two separate people and the Holy Spirit is one with the Father. I'm just giving you an earthly terms. Did you catch what happened? And in that way, the Holy Spirit, who is God is in you, praying through you to the Father. Who is God? You say where's Jesus in all this? It's all going through Jesus and what he did on the cross. He's the mediator of everything, hallelujah.
25:32
Let's go to 1 Corinthians, chapter 14 and verse 2. If it was just that, if it was just that it would be enough. That's a distinct advantage. I would start off every day and take a few minutes and pray out your day, but bypass your mind. That has a weakness. It doesn't know what to pray for. You could have a big opportunity coming up tomorrow. You don't even know to pray about it. But guess, who knows the Holy Spirit? Who's God? And he lives inside of you. And now you open up your mouth and you pray out exactly what the Father's heart is for you. That's why we see life transformations. That's why we hear testimonies that go. I was in the right place at the right time. Many times you're not even aware you prayed that into place when you yielded to the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 14, starting in verse 2.
26:31
Paul in 1 Corinthians 14, he's trying, like he does in many of his letters. He's trying to remedy a problem, and the problem here is that he had a wild, wild church, very similar, I guess, to New York City, because Corinth was an urban center, had a lot of different people with different ideologies, from different backgrounds, different nationalities, and they were all new to Christianity and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. So they began in these house meetings they were having. They were so excited a bunch of newborn Christians and they're all speaking in tongues at the same time to one another. And Paul is saying, hey, that's not so great, because when we're together, everything should be that we get edified. And you can only get edified if you understand what I'm saying. Right, if I've been speaking in tongues this whole time instead of preaching to you in English, how would you like the service? So far, you'd be like that's nice for you. Pastor, you seem to be having a good time, but I'm not edified. I didn't catch one thing. You said.
27:31
That's the gist of 1 Corinthians 14, but there's a lot of hidden nuggets, hidden truths concerning the power of speaking in tongues in 1 Corinthians 14. For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him. So just note speaking in tongues. It's not to speak in tongues to each other. You speak to God. No one is going to understand you. You don't understand you. You speak to God. No one is going to understand you. You don't understand you. But you speak mysteries In the spirit. You speak mysteries.
28:08
What do you think some of those mysteries are? I had a mystery in my life. Once I was $63,000 in debt spread across 16 different credit cards, and I was young and stupid and my outflow was way bigger than my inflow. Yet it was a mystery to me. How do I get out of massive credit card debt? What a mystery and it really was as far as I was concerned. I was befuddled. It was a mystery. But then when I you can pray out those mysteries. You have a mystery. I can't get along with my spouse. I was so in love with him. Now it's just nothing but strife. What a mystery. You can pray out that mystery. It seems like I can't advance in my career. It seems like I keep making the same my career. It seems like I keep making the same bad decisions. It's like a mystery.
29:04
Pray it out in the Holy Spirit, god, who knows everything and who lives inside you. It's not a mystery to him. And you can pray these things out in tongues, it'll change your life. Hallelujah. Next verse he who speaks in a tongue edifies himself. So we've already learned two things about the power of speaking in tongues. One you pray out mysteries. Two you edify or strengthen yourself when you pray in tongues. I just chuckled for a second.
29:42
You know, if everybody who prays in tongues actually said they prayed in tongues, you'd be shocked at some of the people who pray in tongues. Some motivational speaker who you know is Christian, but you just don't know how Christian they are. And then you meet them and you realize they're absolutely on fire, christian, and they speak in tongues. Not a lot, but a couple of actors in Hollywood, but people you would never, ever guess, ever guess. And Satan. I have to say this because Satan makes it always seem like it's the wild subway preacher swinging from the light bulb on the e-train, and he's the one who gets down with this stuff. No, this doesn't make you weird. It makes you more like the apostle Paul, amen. It makes you more Christ. The Apostle Paul, amen. It makes you more Christ-like and it makes you more powerful.
30:30
He who speaks in a tongue strengthens himself, but he who prophesies strengthens the church. What is the conclusion. Then Paul says I will pray with the Spirit. He's saying what is the conclusion then In a service? He's saying I will pray with the Spirit. He's saying what is the conclusion? Then In a service? He's saying I will pray with the Spirit. I can pray in tongues, but I don't have to do it so loud that I interrupt and bother everybody, confuse others, and I will also pray with the understanding. That means in the vernacular for us English. A couple of things to note here in the vernacular for us English. A couple of things to note here. Note that Paul says I will pray in the Spirit. That means you can will to pray in tongues in the Spirit whenever you want, once you're filled.
31:15
Initially, some people don't believe that. They believe they have to be in church. They believe they have to practically be tackled by the Holy Spirit. I got to start shaking. I know how he does it with me. The tears start coming. I got to really really feel it. And then, when was the last time you spoke in tongues? I remember it was six years ago at this revival meeting. No, you're robbing yourself. You can will. Did you know? You guys are making me have to stand up? Don't listen. I thought I had another 30 years before I became that preacher. Don't make me that guy. Listen, you guys, I got something to tell you. I got something to tell you. He says I will pray in the spirit. You can will how you're going to pray. Some Christians are just weird and they mess it up for all of us. Have you ever heard maybe you were turned off by speaking in tongues because some Christian came to you like Hikata Rabba, shoto Lama, solo, sounding like Jabba the Hutt from Return of the Jedi, so low, sounding like Jabba the Hutt from Return of the Jedi.
32:28
You can will to speak in tongues like a normal human being, like an actual language. You can will To not have a weird face, to not do bizarre things. You can will that he says he actually says he prays to himself Doesn't mean he prays. He's praying to God. But you can under my breath. I'm always speaking in tongues in service. You say why? Why not? Because I'm building myself up, I'm strengthening myself, I'm praying out mysteries.
33:00
The reason why I only look at 20% of my notes is because of all the speaking in tongues. I do, I speak in tongues and then I've been speaking in another language and I'm actually working it out and interpreting some of it, translating it as I'm preaching. I've seen the difference. If I don't speak in tongues, I'm note bound. If I'm speaking in tongues, I could have been praying for you five minutes before service and then it comes forth Hallelujah. So note that your will is at work. You can sing in tongues when you will. You can pray in tongues whenever you will. Hallelujah.
33:40
I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the Spirit. Can you just go back? Just let me finish that I will sing with the Spirit and I will also sing with the understanding Amen. Otherwise, if you bless with the Spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say amen? Did you know you can even bless with the Spirit? Like, if I'm going to pray for you, I want you to know how I'm blessing you. So I'm going to speak in English, but as my little kiddos are running around, I just might and I bless them and he knows dad does that stuff, so he receives Amen.
34:25
Mauricio and I could be out to lunch and we're not going to be all super formal, like the food isn't going to arrive. And then I look at Mauricio and he looks at me and says, pastor, would you like to say grace? And I say I would. I appreciate that, heavenly Father, we come before thee now in this McDonald's. No, the food might come and I might bless it in tongues. I might, just because we, we know each other.
34:49
He's not the uninformed, he's mature in the faith. So I might say look at this. And he goes and he just flows out with the other. Now I'm not gonna do that around you, I'm not gonna. That's not something you whip out at Thanksgiving with your unsaved relatives. But what Paul is trying to say here is there's things you can do when it's just believers that you wouldn't do with the uninformed.
35:20
And in a city light service, over 80% of you speak in tongues. That's my conservative estimate. Yet notice that nobody's doing so right now or has ever done it in a distracting way, or that we've ever had to never have we had to quiet someone down and say you know you're really getting out of hand. Can you go to the tongue speaking section in the back of the sanctuary? The Lord is in control and the Lord moves it, and really some of you just haven't been exposed to some of the weird stuff so you never emulated it. Amen, that's a big plus. If you were saved in a Pentecostal church in the seventies, that might be different, but that's another story. Hallelujah, hallelujah.
36:08
Let's go to John, chapter 4, verse 13. Oh no, I'm sorry, we didn't finish. I'm sorry, let's finish. This is important, I'm sorry. Back to Corinthians. What was verse 16 right before then? Ah, okay, verse 17.
36:27
For, indeed, for you indeed give thanks, like if I did bless someone in tongues. Paul once again says hey, you give thanks well. That's another thing. When you pray in tongues, you can be rest assured that you give thanks well. But the other is not edified. He didn't understand what you said. And then this is what the great apostle Paul. He says I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than you all. That's important to note, because there's some people, for whatever reason, they're anti-tongues, maybe because they were in a church where everybody was hollering at them in tongues, or they had a bad experience, or maybe they're just bound by a religious spirit and it's not something that they want to. They pigeonhole God and put him in a box, whatever it is. Just note that the apostle Paul says I pray in tongues more than any of you, and he was the one used by the Holy Spirit to write over half the New Testament and he closes that whole chapter by saying forbid not to speak in tongues, amen. Just note that. All right, john 14. Some of you are about to get booster rockets slapped onto your jet pack. Your jet pack of Christianity is about to get bammed, kicked up a notch.
37:49
Jesus and the woman at the well. Jesus answered and said to her whoever drinks of this water will thirst again. But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain. A fountain Can you do me a favor and shout out that word fountain. The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. So Jesus here likens salvation to a fountain.
38:30
Let's fast forward three chapters to John, chapter 7 for another water analogy. This was during the week of Passover, days before Jesus was crucified, and it says On the last day, that great day of the feast, jesus stood and cried out saying If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers. Shout rivers. All right, this is where we get real advanced. Note that there is a difference between a fountain and rivers. Can we all agree on that?
39:26
Jesus, speaking of salvation, called the salvation anointing a fountain. You can drink from a fountain. It springs up to life everlasting. But there is something subsequent to salvation that's not just a fountain, it's rivers. And it's not for you, it's for others. First you get a fountain, then you can get baptized in the Holy Spirit After salvation. Now you have rivers. Say, how do you know?
39:59
Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit. Well, I'm so glad that, john, he actually tells you that in the very next verse. What was Jesus talking about? But this, he spoke concerning the Spirit. But this he spoke concerning the Holy Spirit whom those believing in him would receive. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given. He wasn't yet given because Jesus hadn't gone to the cross to make everyone justified. Yet the Holy Spirit cannot indwell a sinful temple, but through Jesus' cross we're made clean. So the Holy Spirit has been waiting for Jesus' death, burial and resurrection so we can come into man. For the Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified.
40:51
So you know what I find that's a little disturbing still in the American church is a smug I don't know how else to say it, but a smug fatness. I don't know how else to say it, but a smug fatness I found. I found I was getting that way on our cruise that we went. Last year we went on a cruise and was it a 10 day or you know, in the beginning you show up and you're like, wow, this is so awesome and it's a buffet that doesn't end. It's top quality food and you're really appreciative.
41:30
Right around day five or six, you're like the lobster today, I don't know, maybe I'll get the steak. How's your shrimp Good today? And that's how we become as an American church. We have this smug fatness so that when the lord offers you all these things, you're like rivers. I don't know. A fountain is good.
41:53
No, you gotta be hungry, you gotta be thirsty. You can't be like, oh, whatever, you know. No, the things of god must be pursued, he must be sought. You can't have an attitude that says, well, if he wants me to have rivers, he'll give me rivers, right? No, jesus never operated that way. There was no blind person, deaf person, sick person who said, well, if Jesus wants me well he'll heal me. No, they ran to him, they got his attention. They waved his hands in his face, they climbed up trees, they tore off roofs just to get to him. You got to have a hunger and if you're not baptized in the Holy Spirit here today, today is your day. Amen, hallelujah. It's something he loves to do. You'll see. All you have to do is come open. Acts chapter 8. Hallelujah. So don't settle for a fountain when you can have a fountain and rivers. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Acts chapter 8.
43:08
Looking at how the first century church treated the baptism of the Holy Spirit and with what emphasis. So in Acts chapter 8, you have this entire region, this entire city of Samaria getting saved. Let's see what the first century church did next. Now, when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. Now they send their top two apostles, peter and John, the dynamic duo. Why Samaria had just received the word of God. Why are they sending out Peter and John who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit? So they sent Peter and John to Samaria that this group, who had just gotten saved, might be filled or receive the Holy Spirit. Do you see all that Uh-huh? For as yet he had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
44:19
Now, if I gave you a report from Guatemala, we just came back from a missions trip in Guatemala and I said you won't believe it. We went to this village and they received the word of God. You'd go, yay. And then you won't believe it. We took them by the river, baptized all of them. Yay, come home, pastor, your work is done.
44:38
Yet the first century church wasn't contented to just see them receive Jesus as Lord and Savior. They didn't even stop at seeing him get water baptized, but they immediately said Peter and John, get over there, get them filled with the Holy Spirit. Hallelujah. And that is the urgency. I can sense it in the spirit, in the air here today. There is an urgency that's come upon some of you. The Lord is putting it there. You're going to quit putting it off and putting it off, and putting it off.
45:07
And some of you, you got baptized in the Holy Spirit a long time ago and you never, ever, reactivated the gift that he put inside of you. You can do that at any time. Don't be waiting for the Lord to come and attack you. That's the attitude some people. I'll speak in tongues again when he really comes upon me, when In heaven you will, you will. Just like Paul said, I will pray in the spirit. You can will to pray in the spirit.
45:34
What happened with some people? You know. You said a few words and then immediately froze up because you got nervous, you anxious, whatever reason. It's it. When you start speaking in tongues there's no other way to put it you're moving over into the supernatural realm, and and when some people start doing that, they, even though it's wonderful and lovely, it's not our normal. It should be our normal, but for too many of us it isn't, and so we freeze up and and sometimes then even pull away because it's so unnatural to us. And some of you did that when you were baptized and the Holy Spirit said a few words and never said them again.
46:13
But you can be filled afresh and you can pray in tongues whenever In your shower, walking the dog, making breakfast, cooking dinner, going for a stroll, you can pray in the Spirit and you'll know that when you're praying in the Spirit, praying in tongues, you'll know you're doing several things. You're praying the perfect will of the Father, you're giving thanks, well, and you're edifying yourself. On top of that, you're speaking mysteries, hallelujah. Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. And when Simon saw Simon was a sorcerer Note this Simon saw that, through the laying on of the apostles' hands, the Holy Spirit was given. He offered the money. I just want you to see that Simon saw something. You catch that. I want you to see that Simon saw something. You catch that. I want you to see that Simon saw something, because if there was nothing to see, simon wouldn't have seen anything. In other words, when you're filled with the Holy Spirit, there is something to see. There is going to be a demonstration of some kind, and what we see over and over again in the Scriptures is that demonstration is.
47:26
Speaking in tongues worship team, come on up. I'm going to read Acts, chapter 10, and I'm going to open up this altar. Hallelujah, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is the doorway to the supernatural. You can't go into the deep, deep things of the Spirit and the anointing without first going through this doorway, where you're filled with the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues. You say do I have to speak in tongues. No, you get to speak in tongues. So what if I don't speak in tongues? What if you do? Hallelujah, quit being afraid. You know what. I'm not going to end here. I'm going to read.
48:18
I feel that I'm going to read a passage for the ones, because there are a number of people that you're afraid, and I understand that. I'm now bold. I've been walking with the Lord for 30 plus years, but when I was 16 years old, I was quaking in my boots. It was terrifying. The thought of God coming inside of me and me speaking another language supernaturally, like doesn't get more out there than that.
48:38
But I'm going to read you the words of Jesus, just for you. You know what? Let's not do? Acts 10. Let's do the words of Jesus. It's in Luke. Let me find it here. Oh, it's so beautiful as only Jesus could.
48:55
Luke 11, verses 9 through 13. He's actually talking about the Holy Spirit here. You'll see at the end. So I say to you ask, and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds. And to him who knocks, it will be opened.
49:20
If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone. Or if he asks for a you, will he give him a stone. Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish. Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly father give the holy spirit to those who ask him? Amen, so that goes out to those who are sitting there going.
49:57
This is really freaky, pastor. I see it in the word, I believe it. But you know what if I'm asking for the Holy Spirit? What if another spirit comes in? Or can the devil come and come in? Or can something negative at all happen? Jesus here is saying when you ask for bread, you're going to get bread. When you ask for an egg, you're going to get an egg. When you ask for fish, you're going to get fish. I'm not going to allow a scorpion to be snuck in there instead of a fish. So when you ask for the Holy Spirit, that's all you're going to get Pure, unadulterated Holy Spirit, not some other spirit. Amen.
50:41 - Speaker 2
This is the City Light Church podcast. If you've missed any part of today's message or if you would like to find out more about Pastor Boyan Jancic and City Light Church, visit us at citylightnyccom. That's citylightnyccom. Feel free to visit us online or in person anytime. We would love to connect with you. We pray that you have been encouraged today, that you have been reminded how much God loves you and that you are surrounded by grace. Thank you for listening. Make sure that you subscribe to City Light Church Podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts worldwide.
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