Transcript of a published sermon by Dan MacLeod, transcribed from the podcast recording. An attributed primary source — not Acts 2:38 Life doctrine text.
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Summary
Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.
Walk in the Spirit: the competing influences
- I want to read from Galatians chapter 5, beginning at verse 16: walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh — for the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would; but if you be led of the spirit, you are not under the law. The Apostle Paul is talking about the competing influences in our life: we can allow our mind and our actions to be influenced by the flesh, or by the spirit. I want to talk to you today about the increase of spiritual influence.
- Walking in the spirit is not a promise that life will be without difficulty. The Bible speaks of Jesus in Luke chapter number 4: he was full of the Holy Ghost, and he was being led by the spirit, and he was tempted of the devil — for 40 days he was in the wilderness, and the Bible tells us of three temptations that the enemy brings to him. But in each and every temptation, Jesus said, It is written. I have no power in myself; but when I live by his word, and when I obey his word, and when I speak his word, then I have the power in the authority of his word. At the end of those 40 days of temptation, Jesus returned in the power of the spirit: there is a difference in simply being led and being in the power of the spirit — it is one thing to be full of the spirit, but it is another thing to actually walk in the power of the spirit, and if you want to walk in the power of the spirit, you are going to have some battles in your life. It was the battle that helped me grow; it was the battle that showed me how good God is, and how strong the Lord is.
Scriptures: Galatians 5:16-18; Luke 4
Gaderah: no advancement without confrontation
- A story in several of the Gospels: Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee, and there on the eastern side is a land called Gaderah, and he is immediately met with a spiritual confrontation. There is no advancement in the kingdom that happens without confrontation: when you make up in your mind that you are going to live for God, trouble shows up — you decide you are not going to miss church on Sunday anymore, and trouble shows up; you decide you are going to start reading the scripture every day, and trouble shows up — because the devil knows he is losing influence in your life. There is an increase of spiritual influence happening in your life: God is working in your life; he is changing how you think, changing how you speak, changing how you act.
- When Jesus is met by a man in Gaderah, the Bible tells us he is possessed of many devils — an evil spirit, a dark spirit, a tormenting spirit. The man lived among the tombs; they tried to bind him with chains, but he would break free; no man could bind him; there was no human answer for the problem in his life; he would take stones and cut himself. But when Jesus shows up, everything starts changing: the man runs to Jesus and falls at his feet, and the spirit starts speaking through him — why have you come to torment me before my time? For the Bible tells us of a coming day: for a thousand years God will bind every demonic influence, and then, in the final judgment, God will remove every demonic influence; but until that day, demonic spirits have jurisdiction over the land — they live and operate in geographical territories. Jesus asked that spirit, What is your name? He said, Legion, for we are many — that meant several thousand. Not even all those devils could keep him down.
Yield yourself unto God
- It is time for you to name the negative influences in your life. Not even six thousand devils could keep that man down — and there is no addiction that can bind you, there is no trauma that can bind you, there is no abuse that can bind you; there is healing in this house for you today. But if you will receive what God has, you are going to have to yield yourself to the Lord. In Romans chapter 6 and verse 13, the Bible says: do not yield yourself to unrighteousness, but yield yourself unto God. That word yield means you have to let God go; you have to let God work. There is no spirit, whether of hell or heaven, no work of the enemy or of God, that will overtake your life: you must choose to yield yourself to its influence. It is time that we stop yielding ourselves to unrighteousness: if God wants to change my mind, I am going to let him change my mind; when I feel God's spirit moving, I am going to yield to his spirit — I am going to lift up my hands and my voice; I am going to open up my mouth and pray, as I yield to his work in my life. Some of you have lived under the trauma of abuse for decades; but today, if you will yield your mind to God — if you will yield to the influence of his spirit — you can be free of that trauma; you can be healed by his spirit.
Scriptures: Romans 6:13
You are the door to the harvest: the whole city came out
- The spirit that was working in that man was so violent that nobody else would pass through the region: the influence of that spirit, working through that man, had influence over the whole region — and the enemy knew, if I lose influence over this man, then I lose influence over this land. That is why the devil is binding you up, why he is attacking your mind, why he is afflicting your life: he knows, when you get free, a lot more people are going to get free. You are the door to the harvest; there is a harvest in Calvary in a measure you have not yet known, and the way it happens is, when we yield to God, then through me God gets the city. When they heard tell of what had happened, the man returned to the city, and the whole city came out. Pastor and I were driving around yesterday afternoon, and he began to speak of the vision that the Lord has given: a vision of a net covering our city. And I went back to Mark chapter 5, where God started talking to me on Friday, and I saw that the scripture said the whole city came out. There is an increase of spiritual influence happening in this body — it is going north, and it is going south, and it is going east, and it is going west.
- Friday night we proclaimed something: the people and the land. We were just a little church of 30-something people, meeting in a hotel conference room, using another church building to baptize people on a Sunday afternoon. We had finished baptizing three people, and that elderly pastor pulled us to the side and said, I am the pastor; I am done; I am tired out; but I see what God is doing in your church — what would you think about taking over this building, and the couple dozen people we have left? It was the people and the land; you could not have strategized that; you could not have planned that. I am not even sure if we had $10,000 in the bank; but five months later, we owned a $1.7 million building, with a 225-seat sanctuary. If he can do it there, he can do it here; if he can do it for me, he can do it for you.
Scriptures: Mark 5
Ephesus: the word of God prevailed
- There is a work of God that is for your life: there is a deliverance for you; there is a healing for you; you do not have to live bound up any longer; you do not have to live in chaos and confusion any longer. But when he does it for you, it is his desire that through you he gets the city. Paul walked into the city of Ephesus; he began to preach the gospel; he began to ask them, Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? Paul preached to them Jesus Christ and him crucified; they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus; they received the Holy Ghost; and God began to do a work in that city. It was a city bound up in spiritual darkness, given to magic and spiritual witchcraft; but when the word of God was spoken, the word of God started working: it started changing minds, and changing hearts. They brought all their magic books, all that spiritual darkness, and threw it in a fire — and the word of God prevailed. There is no sin, there is no struggle, there is no demonic spirit that is too strong for the word of God: if you will yield your life to the word of God, the word will prevail in your life. And in the space of just a few years, all of Asia minor heard the word.
The altar call: receive the increase
- Is there anybody who is looking for an increase in your life this morning? Do you want an increase of spiritual influence? Do you want to walk in an increased dimension of power? Do you want to walk in an increased dimension of authority? Do you want today to be the day that you put some things under your feet? Then step out of your seat, and come and press your way into this altar: if you want to receive the Holy Ghost, if you want to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, if you want to be delivered, if you want to be healed, press your way into this altar. There is about to be an impartation: we are going to yield ourselves to the influence of his spirit — and today is going to be the day that something changes in my mind, and it changes in my heart, and it changes in my life; and when it changes in me, it is going to change in my church; and when it changes in my church, it is going to change in my city. By the authority of the word of God, by the power of the name of Jesus, I command you now: receive of the Lord, in Jesus' name. Yield to it; open up your mouth and yield to it.
- His sermon ends on that exhortation to yield; the episode's final stretch is post-sermon worship and altar music, which stands outside this record — the evidence for the span stands in the marks on this record.
Scripture index: Galatians 5:16-18; Luke 4; Romans 6:13; Mark 5.
Transcript
Come on clap your hands to the Lord this morning. Let's give a big round of applause to the Lord. Lift up your voice and shout unto God with a voice of triumph. Give a big round of applause to the Lord. Hallelujah! Come on, his spirit is in this room today. The Lord is in this house. The Lord is here in this house. Victory is in this church. Victory is in the church. His power is here today to heal your life, to deliver you, to save you. Hallelujah! One more time clap your hands to the Lord. Give a big round of applause to the Lord. Man, I want to read from Galatians chapter 5 beginning at verse 16. I give honor today to Pastor Bishop and the ministry on this platform. I thank God for my translator and I thank God for you. And I give thanks to the Lord for each of you.
Aren't you glad to be in the house of the Lord today? Galatians chapter 5 verses 16 to 18. This I say then, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. These are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if you be led of the spirit, you are not under the law. Amen. Commencing Galatians chapter 5 verse 16. I say then, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Verse 18. But if you are led of the spirit, you are not under the law. The Apostle Paul is talking about the competing influences in our life. The Apostle Paul teaches us or speaks to us about the things that are in competition in our lives.
We can allow our mind and our actions to be influenced by the flesh or by the spirit. How many want the spirit of the Lord influencing you? I want to talk to you today for a few minutes about the increase of spiritual influence. Lord, we pray you bless your word. Give us ears to hear and let your spirit confirm the word with signs and wonders. And I want you to say it with me in Jesus' name. Walking in the spirit is not a promise that life will be without difficulty. The Bible speaks of Jesus in Luke chapter number 4. The Scripture says he was born with the spirit of the Lord. And he was full of the Holy Ghost. And he was being led by the spirit and he was tempted of the devil. For 40 days he was in the wilderness and the Bible tells us of three temptations that the enemy brings to him.
But in each and every temptation Jesus said it is written. Thank God for the power of his word. I have no power in myself. But when I live by his word. And when I obey his word. And when I speak his word. Then I have the power in the authority of his word. The Bible said at the end of those 40 days of temptation. That Jesus returned in the power of the spirit. This means to me that there is a difference in simply being led and being in the power of the spirit. It's one thing to be full of the spirit. But it's another thing to actually walk in the power of the spirit. And if you want to walk in the power of the spirit you're going to have some battles in your life. I don't know about you but I've had some battles.
I did not like them. But I'll tell you I'm thankful for them. Because it's the battle that helped me grow. It's the battle that showed me how good God is. It was the battle that showed me how strong the Lord is. So I don't like the devil but I'm thankful he showed up. Because it was then that I realized how strong I am in the Lord. There's a scripture in the New Testament. A story is in several of the Gospels. Jesus crosses the Sea of Galilee. There on the eastern side is a land called Gaderah. He steps into the land of Gaderah. And he is immediately met with a spiritual confrontation. Now there is no advancement in the kingdom that happens without confrontation. When you make up in your mind that you're going to live for God, trouble shows up. You decide you're not going to miss church on Sunday anymore and trouble shows up.
You make up in your mind you're going to commit to that Bible study and trouble shows up. You decide you're going to start reading the scripture every day and trouble shows up. Let me tell you why because the devil knows he's losing influence in your life. I come today to tell somebody in this church that there is an increase of spiritual influence happening in your life. God is working in your life. The Lord is leading you. He's changing how you think. He's changing how you speak. He's changing how you act. It is the influence of his spirit. I want to show you something in the scripture now. When Jesus is met by a man in Gaderah, the Bible tells us he's possessed of many devils. This was an evil spirit. It was a dark spirit. It was a tormenting spirit. The Bible tells us this man lived among the tombs.
They tried to bind him and chains but he would break free. No man could bind him. There was no human answer for the problem in his life. He would take stones and cut himself. It was a tormenting spirit. A suicidal spirit. An erect havoc on his mind. But when Jesus shows up, everything starts changing. And that man knew that there was a new spiritual influence. He runs to Jesus. He falls to his feet. But now the spirit starts speaking. He asks the Lord. This is the spirit speaking through the man. Why have you come to torment me? In one Gospel it specifically says why have you come to torment me before my time? This is because the Bible tells us of a coming day. For a thousand years God will bind every demonic influence. And then at the conclusion of that thousand years in the final judgment God will remove every demonic influence.
And then at the conclusion of that thousand years But until that day demonic spirits have jurisdiction over the land. They live and operate in geographical territories. And Jesus was confronting a spirit that had controlled that region for a long time. That devil knew there was coming a day. And that day was not yet. But he could not deny the authority and that spiritual influence he felt. Jesus asked that spirit what is your name? He said Legion for we are many. That meant several thousand. That man was possessed of several thousand devils. And Jesus showed up. Not even all those devils could keep him down. I have a word for somebody today. It is time for you to name the negative influences in your life. I don't know if you feel it. I think you do. But let me tell you what you're feeling. The delivering power of the Lord Jesus Christ
is in this room. You are feeling the influence of God on your life. And I want to help you receive what God has brought to you today. Not even six thousand devils could keep that man down. And there is no addiction that can bind you. There is no trauma that can bind you. There is no abuse that can bind you. There is healing in this house for you today. But if you will receive what God has you're going to have to yield yourself to the Lord. In Romans chapter 6 and verse 13 the Bible says do not yield yourself to unrighteousness. But yield yourself unto God. But if you will receive what God has that word yield it means you have to let God go. You have to let God work. There is no spirit whether of hell or heaven there is no work of the enemy or of God
that will overtake your life. You must choose to yield yourself to its influence. And I've come today to say it's time that we stop yielding ourselves to unrighteousness. We can no longer yield ourselves to dark demonic influences. God has something for our life but the only way we get it is to yield to him so if God wants to change my mind I'm going to let him change my mind and when I feel God's spirit moving I'm going to yield to his spirit I'm going to lift up my hands and my voice. I'm going to open up my mouth and pray as I yield to his work in my life I'm telling somebody in the Holy Ghost today there's a healing in this house for you some of you have lived under the trauma of abuse for decades but today if you will yield your mind
to God if you will yield to the influence of his spirit you can be free of that trauma you can be healed by his spirit but it's not just you there's something happening in this church there's an increase of spiritual influence happening in this body the Bible said that the spirit that was working in that man was so violent that nobody else would pass through the region what you think about that now the influence of that spirit working through that man had influence over the whole region and the enemy knew if I lose influence over this man then I lose influence over this land that's why the devil's binding you up that's why he's attacking your mind that's why he's afflicting your life he knows when you get free a lot more people are going to get free you are the door to the harvest
you are the door to the harvest there's a harvest I'm telling Calvary today there is a harvest in a measure you have not yet known and the way in which it happens is when we yield to God then through me God gets the city the Bible goes on to say that when they hear tell of what's happened the man returned to the city and the whole city comes out to hear God started talking to me from this scripture on Friday afternoon I hadn't really considered all that was in it Pastor and I were driving around yesterday afternoon he began to speak of the vision that the Lord has given he said we have a vision of a net covering our city and I went back to Mark chapter 5 where God started talking to me on Friday and I saw that the scripture said the whole city came out
and God said you go tell those people that there is an increase of spiritual influence happening in that body so I just come today to tell you it's happening it's going north and it's going south and it's going east and it's going west so I say give up give up it's ours it's ours Friday night we proclaim something the people and the land let me tell you what happened we were just a little church of 30-something people meeting in a hotel conference room using another church building to baptize people on a Sunday afternoon we finished baptizing three people and that elderly pastor pulled us to the side of the sanctuary and said I'm the pastor and he said I'm done I'm tired out but I see what God is doing in your church what would you think about taking over this building in the couple dozen people we have left
it was the people and the land you couldn't have strategized that you couldn't have planned that you couldn't have planned that but when there's an increase of spiritual influence the whole city starts to take notice I'm not even sure if we had $10,000 in the bank but five months later we owned a $1.7 million building with a 225-seat sanctuary if he can do it there he can do it here if he can do it for me he can do it for you come on lift up your hands lift up your voice stand together with me there's two facets to the Word of the Lord today two parts there is a work of God that is for your life there's a deliverance for you there's a healing for you you don't gotta live bound up any longer you don't gotta live in chaos and confusion any longer
if he can do it for that brother he can do it for any brother but I need you to realize today when he does it for you it is his desire that through you he gets the city Paul walked into the city of Ephesus he began to preach the gospel he began to ask them have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed if you are here today and you have never received the baptism of the Holy Spirit if you have never spoken in other tongues as the Spirit gives you the ability it is God's will that you receive it today it already happened in the earlier service and it can happen in this service Paul preached to them Jesus Christ and him crucified they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus they received the Holy Ghost God began to do a work in that city
it was a city bound up in spiritual darkness given to magic and spiritual witchcraft but when the word of God was spoken the word of God started working it started changing minds and changing hearts the Bible said they brought all their magic books they brought all that spiritual darkness they threw it in a fire and the word of the Lord said that the word of God prevailed there is no sin there is no struggle there is no demonic spirit that is too strong for the word of God I want you to hear me if you will yield your life to the word of God I promise you the word will prevail in your life the Bible goes on to say in the space of just a few years all of Asia minor heard the word somebody shall all all of Asia minor now somebody say all
of Oklahoma City I don't know if you can feel that but it's the increase of spiritual influence but it's an increase of spiritual influence passing beyond the four walls of this building passing beyond the four walls of your house passing beyond the four walls of your house all all my family all my friends all my city block all of my co-workers all of my co-workers and we won't stop until we see all until we see all all of my co-workers is there anybody who is looking for a little increase in your life this morning is there anybody who is looking for an increase in your life this morning do you want an increase of spiritual influence do you want to walk in an increased dimension of power do you want to walk in an increased dimension of authority do you want today to be the day that you put some things under your feet
do you want today to be the day that you put some things under your feet then step out of your seat and come and press your way into this altar if you want to receive the Holy Ghost if you want to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit if you want to be delivered if you want to be healed press your way into this altar there is about to be an impartation impartation we are going to yield ourselves to the influence of his spirit to the influence of his Holy Spirit and today is going to be the day that something changes in my mind and it changes in my heart and it changes in my life and when it changes in me and when it changes in me it's going to change in my church and when it changes in my church it's going to change in my city
lift up your hands to the Lord by the authority of the word of God by the power of the name of Jesus by the power of the name of Jesus I command you now receive of the Lord in Jesus name hallelujah lift up your voice it's time to declare it hallelujah it's time to advance to this altar receive what the Lord has that's it, that's the Holy Ghost that's the power of his spirit yield to it open up your mouth and yield to it
Scripture references as spoken: Galatians 5:16-18; Luke 4; Romans 6:13; Mark 5.