When Jesus sends you, he almost always sends you home.

Steve Brown:
When Jesus sends you, He almost always sends you home. Let’s talk, on Key Life.

Matthew Porter:
Being adopted into the family of God is not about doing more or trying harder. It’s about being welcomed by God because of His radical grace, free from the penalties of sin and never alone in your suffering, that grace is what Key Life is all about.

Steve Brown:
Thank you Matthew. Hope you had a great week-end. Hope your pastor’s sermon was as good as my pastor’s sermon. We’re coming sort of to the end of our study in the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. We’ve been doing this for a long time, and I really thought I’d be finished by now, but I felt that before we finished our study in the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, we ought to look at the Holy Spirit’s involvement In the main calling of every believer who can hear my voice right now. We are here, not for ourselves, but for them. And we are what God has ordained as his methodology to draw people to himself. It’s you. It’s me. And so, when I was ready to land the plane, I decided, you know, I’ve got to at least spend some time in the involvement of the Holy Spirit. Last week, we looked at a lot of verses in the Book of Acts about the Holy Spirit’s involvement in the work of the church. And we saw in the first chapter of Acts that Jesus says to them, they’re to go to all the world. But first, they need to wait until the Holy Spirit, which was promised, comes. And then, go where he sends you. And we saw, and we’re talking more about it today, that when Jesus sends people, he almost always sends them home. Before we look some more at evangelism and the Holy Spirit, let’s pray. Father, we are thankful for the reality of our salvation, for the reminder in a thousand means of grace that you love us, that you care about us, that you’re good all the time, that your promises are secure, and that you have called us to smell like Jesus. Father, keep us faithful, don’t let us duck so much. Father, use us in the lives of the people we love, and that we know, and that we care about. And then, Father, you know everybody who’s listening to this broadcast, and you know everything about them. The good and the bad, the sin and the obedience, the sleepless nights, the secrets, the joy and the laughter, all of it is from you, and you’re a sovereign God, and we worship you. And then Father, as always, we pray for the one who teaches on this broadcast, forgive him his sins, for they are many. We would see Jesus and him only. And we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen. We’re doing some of the pedagogy of the Holy Spirit. That means the teaching things about the Holy Spirit. We’re doing it in a kind of Socratic way, by asking questions and looking for Biblical answers. What to do first, for instance, and we saw that you’re to do nothing first. Don’t leave until you’ve been loved. Tell the Holy Spirit as I did, and I told you that I went to my congregation, and I realized that they knew Jesus more than I did. And I prayed, Father, my sin is more real to me than you are. I know theology. I’m a Bible teacher. I’m fairly smart about those things. But the people in my pews, and I was a pastor at the time, who’ve never read a theology book, never been to seminary, who don’t know even a little bit of what I know about you, they know you better than I do. And that’s not the way it ought to be. Could you fix it? Could you change me? And his commandment was go. No, his commandment was be still. Be still and let me love you and I’ll show you things about me that will change your life. And so, the first question is, how do I go? What do I do first? Nothing. And the second question is, to whom shall I go? And we have seen that when Jesus gave his commandment to his disciples in the first chapter of Acts, go into all the world, start at Jerusalem. Why would you start at Jerusalem? Because Jerusalem is home! That’s where they lived, that’s where they raised their children, that’s where their children went to school, that’s where they played ball, that’s where, that’s where they lived. And God always says to his people, I want you to be my witness. But I want you to bloom where I’ve planted you. You ever think that it’s no accident that you were born when you were born? And that you live where you live? And that you have the family that you have? And that you have the friends that you have? That you’ve been trained the way you’ve been trained? It’s no accident that you’re in a particular place at a particular time right now. And that’s your mission field. That’s where you have been called first. Doesn’t mean you don’t ever go anywhere else. But it means that you start there. And you don’t start there, and I’ve said this over and over again, because I really don’t want me, and I don’t want you, to do this wrong. All we have to do is to show and never duck when we have an opportunity. It’s that simple. And if it’s authentic, and if it’s real, God will use it. Galatians 2:20 and this is a side road, and you’ve probably heard me say it before, says, and well, Paul says.

I’m crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, yet not me, but Christ lives in me.

Now, that’s not a commandment. Paul is not saying, be crucified with Christ. Paul is saying this is the reality of who you are. If you are saved, if you belong to Jesus, that means that you are filled with Jesus. And so, all you have to do is to show up. I think Christians, well, show up and don’t remain silent. But, when you speak, speak appropriately. Somebody says, as they did, Jeremy, and I’ve used that as an illustration a couple of times. He’s the producer of this broadcast and has a band. They tell everybody, they all met in church, and then they play rock and roll. You go, how can they be Christians and play rock and roll? Because Jesus likes rock and roll as much as they do. But they make sure that everybody knows that they met in church. And when they say they met in church, they’re saying something that is really important. And wherever they play that band, there’s the smell of Jesus because of Galatians 2:20. And so, when you’re playing golf, when you’re teaching your class, when you’re having a good time with your friends, when you’re eating at a restaurant, when you’re walking in your neighborhood, when you’re having a cookout in your backyard, just be who you are, and when the Holy Spirit opens a door, make sure you walk through it. Not as a fanatic, but as a fact. A fact of who you belong to. You know, it’s amazing how many times we miss opportunities to let people know who we are. I had a man say to me one time, what do you do? And I started to say, well, I’m a teacher in a graduate school, but I decided to be honest. And I said, I tell people about Jesus, that I’m a preacher. And if they want to know, I like to tell them about it. He said, you’re kidding. I said, no, that’s what I do. He said, I’ve got some questions. And I said, I’ll not always write about my answers, but if you ask your questions, I’ll tell you what I think. And he did. And I did, and before that conversation was over, Jesus had come. And there was a new name on the Lamb’s Book of Life. Don’t hide who you are. Be honest about who you are. Let your neighbors know when you leave for church on Sunday. When you’re talking in conversation, say, let me tell you something my pastor said this morning, and it blew me away. It’s the normal whiff and whaff of what it means to live with people. And those people are your mission field. You don’t have to present theology or doctrine or defend your position. You just got to let them know where you are and be prepared to answer questions. And I’ll say it again, when Jesus sends his people, he sends them home. You think about that. Amen.

Matthew Porter:
Thanks Steve. That was Steve Brown beginning our final week of exploring the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Today, we discuss the fact that when God sends us, He first sends us home. And tomorrow, we’ll examine the importance of being who God made us to be. Don’t miss it. And something else I don’t want you to miss, the latest edition of Key Life Magazine. It is bigger and better than ever with a redesigned format. That means there’s more to read and it’s easier on the eyes to read. And of course, it’s packed with new pieces from Steve, Chad West, Alex Early, and Kendra Fletcher. Claim your free copy right now by calling us at 1-800-KEY-LIFE that’s 1-800-539-5433. You can also e-mail [email protected] to ask for the magazine. Or to mail your request, go to keylife.org/contact to find our mailing addresses. Again, just ask for your free copy of Key Life Magazine. And finally, if you value the work of Key Life, would you support that work through your giving? Giving is easy. You can charge a gift on your credit card or include a gift in your envelope. Or pick up your phone and text Key Life to 28950 that’s Key Life,, one word or two. It doesn’t matter. Just text that to 28950, then follow the instructions. And as always, if you can’t give right now, or maybe you’re not called to, no worries. But if you think about it, please do pray for us, would you? Always needed, always appreciated. Key Life is a member of ECFA in the States and CCCC in Canada. And we are a listener supported production of Key Life Network.