There is an awesomely invincible purpose in the mind and heart of the Holy Spirit for us. And he has an unflinching, unwavering zeal for the glory of the incarnate God man Jesus.

What is the spirit's invincible purpose for us as the church?

John Piper opens Acts 1 15 to 26 to make that purpose clear in this episode of light and truth.

This sermon was originally preached at Bethlehem Baptist Church on October 7, 1990.

Let me take you back to last week's image of the little boy holding his father's hand. The picture of the ordinary normal,

good Christian life. I, you, the Christian, the little child holding God's hand and it feels firm on our hand and we've got a firm

grip on him and there's been forgiveness, there's been reconciliation, we trust him, he loves us. Life is good and you're walking down the sidewalk and suddenly in front of you there's a very, very wild looking man.

His hair's all like this and his eyes are glazed and piercing and he looks

right at you, the little child and says teeny stupid still holding on to your mama's hand and you're terrified

a little teeny kid, wild-eyed maniac looking you in the face, 10 feet away.

And as you look away from his terrifying face up to your father's face, what do you want to see as your father

looks at this man?

Let me give you my answer.

I don't want to see the same face that I was enjoying a minute earlier.

I don't want to see kindness, tenderness, warmth, I want to see strength, indignation, and confidence, so that I can feel

safe.

Well, before you have a chance to really check out your father's face, he's already got you pulled around behind him and the hand grip on yours would feel

uncomfortably tight in any other circumstance but communicates very

clearly right now even if your legs buckle and you pass out I'm not going to drop you, it's okay.

And he looks that assailant in the face and says, Mr, you better be careful.

I'm his father and then just boldly and confidently walks by with him between you and the man and goes on home. Now the point of this little picture is that we need not only to see the soft, green, warm clover-covered grasslands of the character of God,

but we also need very much to see the stark, rugged, steep granite cliffs

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