WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:09.440 Chapter 12 The New Covenant and the Role of the Holy Spirit 2 00:00:09.440 --> 00:00:13.960 The death and resurrection of Christ achieved God's purpose, marking the fulfillment of 3 00:00:13.960 --> 00:00:17.560 the old covenants and the establishment of a new one. 4 00:00:17.560 --> 00:00:22.960 At the moment Jesus gave His life on the cross, something extraordinary occurred. 5 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:27.720 Until that point, only the high priest could enter the intermost room of the temple, the 6 00:00:27.720 --> 00:00:33.160 Holy of Holies, and only once a year to make atonement for the sins of the people. 7 00:00:33.160 --> 00:00:40.080 This sacred space, both near to and separated from God, was shielded by a thick, woven curtain 8 00:00:40.080 --> 00:00:42.400 over sixty feet high. 9 00:00:42.400 --> 00:00:48.160 When Christ breathed His last breath, that curtain was torn in two from top to bottom. 10 00:00:48.160 --> 00:00:50.280 This was no mere physical act. 11 00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:53.360 It was a powerful, symbolic declaration. 12 00:00:53.360 --> 00:00:58.840 The old covenant, with its reliance on works, rituals, and human intermediaries, was no 13 00:00:58.840 --> 00:01:02.760 longer the way to access God's presence or embodiment. 14 00:01:02.760 --> 00:01:08.100 In that moment, the barrier was removed and a way was opened for every believer to engage 15 00:01:08.100 --> 00:01:10.600 in direct communion with Him. 16 00:01:10.600 --> 00:01:16.640 The tearing of the curtain signified the beginning of the new covenant ushered in through Christ's 17 00:01:16.640 --> 00:01:17.840 sacrifice. 18 00:01:17.840 --> 00:01:22.840 Through this new covenant, the Holy Spirit now dwells within believers, granting us direct 19 00:01:22.840 --> 00:01:25.600 access to the Almighty Himself. 20 00:01:25.600 --> 00:01:30.620 By His grace and through the work of the Holy Spirit, rituals and intermediaries were replaced 21 00:01:30.620 --> 00:01:37.280 by the intimate, personal relationship with God that is now available to all who believe. 22 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:42.720 The Spirit's indwelling presence is transformative, renewing hearts, reshaping minds, and leading 23 00:01:42.720 --> 00:01:46.960 to spiritual growth that is both profound and lasting. 24 00:01:46.960 --> 00:01:51.800 Unlike the old covenant, which relied on external works, the new covenant is grounded in the 25 00:01:51.800 --> 00:01:57.780 work of Jesus, resulting in a deeply personal relationship with God that changed everything 26 00:01:57.780 --> 00:02:00.200 for you and I. 27 00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:03.020 The Spirit at Work Through History 28 00:02:03.020 --> 00:02:07.880 The transformative power of the Holy Spirit has been especially evident in the great revivals 29 00:02:07.880 --> 00:02:10.000 of the past 300 years. 30 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:14.940 Unlike the generational cycles of revival and falling away experienced by Israel under 31 00:02:14.940 --> 00:02:19.340 the old covenant, these more modern movements have had lasting effects because they were 32 00:02:19.340 --> 00:02:25.060 rooted in the Spirit's internal work rather than mankind's external conformity. 33 00:02:25.060 --> 00:02:30.060 The First Great Awakening in the 1730s, led by figures like Jonathan Edwards and George 34 00:02:30.060 --> 00:02:35.340 Whitefield, awakened the faith of thousands, reshaping culture and society in profound 35 00:02:35.340 --> 00:02:36.620 ways. 36 00:02:36.620 --> 00:02:42.060 The Second Great Awakening in the early 19th century brought renewed fervor for evangelism 37 00:02:42.060 --> 00:02:44.560 and social reform. 38 00:02:44.560 --> 00:02:49.240 Movements like the Pentecostal and Charismatic Revivals of the 20th century, including the 39 00:02:49.240 --> 00:02:54.520 Azusa Street Revival, emphasized by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, empowering individuals 40 00:02:54.520 --> 00:02:57.560 to experience God personally. 41 00:02:57.560 --> 00:03:02.400 These movements demonstrated the Holy Spirit's power to transform lives and communities, 42 00:03:02.400 --> 00:03:07.480 yet even they were sometimes constrained by the imposition of religious hierarchies and 43 00:03:07.480 --> 00:03:09.880 denominational structures. 44 00:03:09.880 --> 00:03:14.320 When human systems attempt to formalize or control the Spirit's work, they often limit 45 00:03:14.320 --> 00:03:19.080 its potential, diverting energy into maintaining institutional frameworks at the expense of 46 00:03:19.080 --> 00:03:22.280 more fully advancing God's Kingdom. 47 00:03:22.280 --> 00:03:25.020 The Problem with Hierarchies 48 00:03:25.020 --> 00:03:29.760 The early Pentecostal movement began as a radical departure from the rigidity of organized 49 00:03:29.760 --> 00:03:35.280 religion, embracing the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in each believer's life. 50 00:03:35.280 --> 00:03:37.960 It was a movement defined by freedom and authenticity. 51 00:03:37.960 --> 00:03:42.880 However, as the movement grew, hierarchies formed and denominational boundaries were 52 00:03:42.880 --> 00:03:46.580 drawn, limiting the Spirit's unrestrained work. 53 00:03:46.580 --> 00:03:51.920 Human effort frequently replaced divine leading, diminishing the movement's impact. 54 00:03:51.920 --> 00:03:56.080 Instead of fully embracing the new covenant, institutional Christianity often cleaves 55 00:03:56.080 --> 00:03:58.960 to an old covenant mindset. 56 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:04.280 While well-intentioned, this propensity, born of human effort and intent, can constrain 57 00:04:04.280 --> 00:04:08.480 a believer to allow the Spirit to move freely within. 58 00:04:08.480 --> 00:04:14.280 Changing rules, rituals, and doctrines over relationship with God reduces divine supernatural 59 00:04:14.280 --> 00:04:19.920 moves to something controllable by human standards, instead of encouraging the Spirit's transforming 60 00:04:19.920 --> 00:04:22.960 work in our lives. 61 00:04:22.960 --> 00:04:27.100 This shifts our focus from the renewal of our hearts and minds through grace to outward 62 00:04:27.100 --> 00:04:29.720 behavior and conformity. 63 00:04:29.720 --> 00:04:34.280 Faith becomes about meeting institutional standards rather than experiencing the power 64 00:04:34.280 --> 00:04:37.540 and the reality of a Spirit-led life. 65 00:04:37.540 --> 00:04:41.740 As a result, many believers find themselves disconnected from the vibrant relationship 66 00:04:41.740 --> 00:04:44.620 with God that Christ restored to them. 67 00:04:44.620 --> 00:04:50.540 Returning to the Spirit-led model, the earlier followers of the Way embraced a Spirit-led 68 00:04:50.540 --> 00:04:52.080 model of community. 69 00:04:52.080 --> 00:04:56.420 They gathered in homes, worshipped together, and shared a fellowship where every believer's 70 00:04:56.420 --> 00:04:58.820 God-given gifts were valued. 71 00:04:58.820 --> 00:04:59.940 Leadership was fluid. 72 00:05:00.000 --> 00:05:04.760 based on spiritual gifting rather than titles or positions of authority. 73 00:05:04.760 --> 00:05:09.240 This decentralized approach allowed the Ecclesia to grow explosively, spreading the message 74 00:05:09.240 --> 00:05:13.380 of Christ with authenticity and power. 75 00:05:13.380 --> 00:05:18.000 The Kingdom of God was never meant to be confined within institutional walls. 76 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:22.640 The Gospel thrived and the early Ecclesia flourished because they prioritized direct 77 00:05:22.640 --> 00:05:26.480 relationships with God over centralized authority. 78 00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:31.540 By relying on the Holy Spirit to lead, we become what we are meant to be, living, breathing 79 00:05:31.540 --> 00:05:37.680 expressions of God's love, grace, and power, conduits of the Kingdom of Heaven that transform 80 00:05:37.680 --> 00:05:42.800 lives and impact the world far beyond what human effort could ever achieve. 81 00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:46.360 A New Wineskin 82 00:05:46.360 --> 00:05:50.440 The New Covenant ended reliance on workspace righteousness. 83 00:05:50.440 --> 00:05:55.620 Under the Old Covenant, people struggled to be good on their own and they offered sacrifices 84 00:05:55.620 --> 00:05:57.300 for their sins. 85 00:05:57.300 --> 00:06:02.260 The New Covenant, however, is about accepting Christ's sacrifice on your behalf and allowing 86 00:06:02.260 --> 00:06:06.860 the Holy Spirit to transform and renew you from the inside out. 87 00:06:06.860 --> 00:06:11.700 True spiritual growth comes not from striving to meet external standards, but from surrendering 88 00:06:11.700 --> 00:06:14.380 to the Holy Spirit's work within you. 89 00:06:14.380 --> 00:06:20.100 The Spirit is your ultimate teacher and guide, equipping you with divine wisdom, peace, and 90 00:06:20.100 --> 00:06:21.820 renewal. 91 00:06:21.820 --> 00:06:26.900 Unlike man-created paradigms and systems, the Spirit provides a transformative connection 92 00:06:26.900 --> 00:06:30.420 to God that religion cannot replicate. 93 00:06:30.420 --> 00:06:36.340 While church can provide fellowship, encouragement, and shared worship, it is not a sure foundation 94 00:06:36.340 --> 00:06:37.880 for faith. 95 00:06:37.880 --> 00:06:43.540 Your relationship with God must rest on intimacy with Him through the Spirit, not on theologies, 96 00:06:43.540 --> 00:06:46.100 doctrines, or rules. 97 00:06:46.100 --> 00:06:51.340 As such, much of the current infrastructure of Christian religion resembles an old wineskin 98 00:06:51.340 --> 00:06:57.440 that cannot hold the new wine of Revelation or fresh moves of the Spirit without bursting. 99 00:06:57.440 --> 00:07:00.460 See Luke 5, verse 37. 100 00:07:00.460 --> 00:07:05.300 Churches that are focused on their institutional rules and denominational traditions, in preference 101 00:07:05.300 --> 00:07:09.740 to following the direct guidance of the Spirit and who encourage their congregants to do 102 00:07:09.740 --> 00:07:15.380 the same, are leaving believers spiritually stagnated, disillusioned, and wounded by their 103 00:07:15.380 --> 00:07:17.180 experiences. 104 00:07:17.180 --> 00:07:22.860 Christ invites you into something more—a vibrant, dynamic relationship with God, empowered 105 00:07:22.860 --> 00:07:24.420 by His Spirit. 106 00:07:24.420 --> 00:07:28.900 You can let go of old rituals and traditions that have left you feeling disconnected and 107 00:07:28.900 --> 00:07:31.460 embrace intimacy with God. 108 00:07:31.460 --> 00:07:35.980 Walk with Him, converse with Him, and approach His throne in confidence whenever you need 109 00:07:35.980 --> 00:07:37.020 to. 110 00:07:37.020 --> 00:07:41.800 This is part of the abundant life Christ has prepared and restored to you. 111 00:07:41.800 --> 00:07:45.700 Your spiritual life is not about adhering to someone else's conditions for a relationship 112 00:07:45.700 --> 00:07:46.900 with God. 113 00:07:46.900 --> 00:07:53.700 It's about the terms God set for a relationship with you—terms of grace, mercy, and love. 114 00:07:53.700 --> 00:07:57.700 Under the new covenant, the Holy Spirit empowers you to walk in alignment with the kingdom 115 00:07:57.700 --> 00:08:00.220 of heaven and the will of God. 116 00:08:00.220 --> 00:08:04.740 If you've ever felt stuck or hemmed in—in church—it's likely because you've been 117 00:08:04.740 --> 00:08:09.660 relying on religion to do what only a direct relationship with God can. 118 00:08:09.660 --> 00:08:13.620 The good news is that the door to intimacy with Him is always open. 119 00:08:13.620 --> 00:08:18.340 The Holy Spirit is ready and waiting for you to turn your attention to the Lord. 120 00:08:18.340 --> 00:08:23.040 While churches and denominations have good intentions, the institutional model too often 121 00:08:23.040 --> 00:08:28.420 stifles the very essence of what it means to know and walk with God. 122 00:08:28.420 --> 00:08:33.860 When religion gets prioritized over relationship, it creates a religious mindset that obscures 123 00:08:33.860 --> 00:08:37.580 and obstructs the Spirit's transformative power. 124 00:08:37.580 --> 00:08:41.580 The key to thriving in your faith is intimacy with God. 125 00:08:41.580 --> 00:08:48.500 This relationship is what transforms you—not rituals, not traditions, not human determination. 126 00:08:48.500 --> 00:08:53.460 Put the Holy Spirit in His rightful place as your teacher, guide, and source of truth. 127 00:08:53.460 --> 00:08:57.500 Then you can step into the abundant life Jesus promised. 128 00:08:57.500 --> 00:09:01.380 The call of the Ekklesia is to follow the leading of the Spirit. 129 00:09:01.380 --> 00:09:05.620 This is the power of the new covenant and the path to living the life you were created 130 00:09:05.620 --> 00:09:06.620 for. 131 00:09:06.660 --> 00:09:12.100 When you step into a direct relationship with God, everything begins to change. 132 00:09:12.100 --> 00:09:14.940 Spiritual transformation happens through intimacy with God. 133 00:09:14.940 --> 00:09:19.820 It is a product of the Holy Spirit working within you, not through your own self-effort 134 00:09:19.820 --> 00:09:21.820 or external performance. 135 00:09:21.820 --> 00:09:26.560 It is the Spirit who equips, empowers, and renews you—nothing less. 136 00:09:26.560 --> 00:09:31.300 When you learn to listen, lean on, and follow God directly, you experience a kind of spiritual 137 00:09:31.300 --> 00:09:35.880 growth and transformation that religion simply cannot provide. 138 00:09:35.880 --> 00:09:40.000 No amount of striving to meet standards will renew your heart or mind. 139 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:42.080 Only the Holy Spirit can do that. 140 00:09:42.080 --> 00:09:46.920 Now, to be perfectly clear, when I refer to the problems of the church or its issues, 141 00:09:46.920 --> 00:09:49.160 I am not saying that churches are bad. 142 00:09:49.160 --> 00:09:50.160 I am not anti-church. 143 00:09:50.160 --> 00:09:56.400 There is tremendous value in the church experience, including fellowship, sharing, and moving 144 00:09:56.400 --> 00:09:59.320 together with a collective sense of purpose. 145 00:09:59.320 --> 00:10:00.000 Lifting our voice 146 00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:05.720 us together to give thanks, express gratitude, and give God glory from our hearts isn't merely 147 00:10:05.720 --> 00:10:07.060 an exercise. 148 00:10:07.060 --> 00:10:12.760 It brings us into agreement and aligns us with the Heavenly Host to give Him glory. 149 00:10:12.760 --> 00:10:17.080 Community is crucial, and it unlocks heavenly dimensions of power in the Spirit that can't 150 00:10:17.080 --> 00:10:19.320 be conceived of in the natural. 151 00:10:19.320 --> 00:10:22.280 It strengthens and bolsters our souls. 152 00:10:22.280 --> 00:10:26.840 This is the reason we are admonished not to neglect or give up meeting together. 153 00:10:26.840 --> 00:10:29.120 See Hebrews 10, verse 25. 154 00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:35.260 I fully support church in its proper context, but it is not, and cannot be, the cornerstone 155 00:10:35.260 --> 00:10:37.620 of your relationship with God. 156 00:10:37.620 --> 00:10:42.600 It is a girder, a pillar for your house that sits upon the bedrock of relationship and 157 00:10:42.600 --> 00:10:46.960 intimacy you have with God through the Holy Spirit. 158 00:10:46.960 --> 00:10:50.640 I am simply advising you to be mindful and aware. 159 00:10:50.640 --> 00:10:55.560 Be Spirit-led when it comes to selecting a congregation to join, or a community to become 160 00:10:55.880 --> 00:10:57.060 part of. 161 00:10:57.060 --> 00:10:59.800 More on this in chapter 16. 162 00:10:59.800 --> 00:11:04.720 Now that we've examined how institutional religion has strayed from God's original design, 163 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:06.640 it's time to look inward. 164 00:11:06.640 --> 00:11:10.840 Recognizing the limitations of man-made systems is just the beginning. 165 00:11:10.840 --> 00:11:15.960 As I've taken pains to point out, transformation happens when, under the guidance of the Holy 166 00:11:15.960 --> 00:11:21.320 Spirit, you address areas in your life where a religious mindset has taken root and has 167 00:11:21.320 --> 00:11:25.880 supplanted the relationship God desires to have with you. 168 00:11:25.880 --> 00:11:30.560 In the next section, I'll introduce you to a practical proven framework that will set 169 00:11:30.560 --> 00:11:34.960 you on the road and empower you to cultivate intimacy with God. 170 00:11:34.960 --> 00:11:39.740 You'll learn how to converse with Him, ask questions, receive answers, and respond to 171 00:11:39.740 --> 00:11:41.300 His guidance. 172 00:11:41.300 --> 00:11:45.040 This is not about adopting another set of religious practices. 173 00:11:45.040 --> 00:11:50.000 It's about learning to converse, allowing His Spirit to speak into every area of your 174 00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:51.400 life. 175 00:11:51.400 --> 00:11:56.160 Part 3 of this book will show you a way to break free from ritual and routine so you 176 00:11:56.160 --> 00:12:00.240 can experience a deeply transformative connection with God. 177 00:12:00.240 --> 00:12:06.120 Get ready to walk in greater freedom, clarity, and purpose as you learn how easy it is to 178 00:12:06.120 --> 00:12:10.000 speak to God, hear His voice, and follow His leading.