Resurrection and Life in the Spirit

The Breath of God

John 20:19-23 “When it was evening on that first day of the week, the disciples were gathered together with the doors locked because they feared the Jews. Jesus came, stood among them, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” Having said this, he showed them his hands and his side. So the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, I also send you.” After saying this, he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.””

Genesis 2:7 “Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.”

Ezekiel 37:1-6 “The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by his Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them. There were a great many of them on the surface of the valley, and they were very dry. Then he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I replied, “Lord God, only you know.” He said to me, “Prophesy concerning these bones and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Lord God says to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you will live. I will put tendons on you, make flesh grow on you, and cover you with skin. I will put breath in you so that you come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.””

The Disciples’ Big Question: So What Happens After the Resurrection?

Interesting to read the ends of the earliest gospel Mark and then the later gospels Luke, then John…Luke and John begin to catch on to something that’s bigger than the resurrection.

What could be Bigger than the resurrection??!!

Answer: The Promise of the Father

Luke 24:49 “And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.””

*This is what the early disciples had yet to understand: Jesus sending the Holy Spirit meant that his work of brining the Kingdom was both COMPLETE and STILL TO COME in its fullness!

The Holy Spirit is establishing Jesus’ victory on the cross through the Church (through you!) until his final triumphant return.

This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday when the church marks the outpouring of the Holy Spirit…the birth of the Church.

1 God, Three Persons

Before we can know the meaning of Pentecost, we have to know the giver of Pentecost....

Pentecost comes from the Greek word meaning 50th…It was the outpouring of the promise Jesus had made that a comforter would come.

Jesus told us the name of that comforter: Holy Spirit.

Forgotten God

Recently a few books have been written about the Forgotten God (another book called The God I Never Knew).

The Holy Spirit was not something new…He is referenced all throughout Old Testament history… (Gen. 41:37 Joseph was a man who had the Spirit of God; Num. 27:18 Joshua had the Spirit of God)

But the difference was that God had promised an “outpouring” or baptism of the Holy Spirit into “all flesh” (Joel 2).

Our Confession of Faith: The Nicene Creed (381 AD)

(We might not repeat this often, but this is how the church arrived at our Faith)

We believe in one God,     the Father, the Almighty,     maker of heaven and earth,     of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,     the only Son of God,     eternally begotten of the Father,     God from God, Light from Light,     true God from true God,     begotten, not made,     of one Being with the Father.     Through him all things were made...

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,     who proceeds from the Father and the Son.     With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.     He has spoken through the Prophets.

Pentecostal History

Charles Parham - 1901 (Topeka, Kansas) began teaching on the baptism of the Holy Spirit

William Seymour (a black man) had to sit outside in the hall to listen, but he caught on to this Spirit baptism and started preaching on the Holy Spirit…later invited to a revival in Los Angeles, California 1906 (Asuza Street Revival).

From that revival Pentecostal faith exploded across the US and into South American…and then worldwide.

Today its estimated nearly 600,000,000 Christians worldwide are Spirit-filled Christians!

Why is this a Big Deal?

Principle: The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity who BREATHES eternal life into our mortal bodies.

The Holy Spirit is God with us, making us ALIVE!!

Ezekiel Dry bones

John 20:23 “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.””

Acts 2:1-4 “When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.”

The Holy Spirit in my life today...

The Holy Spirit is the 3rd person of the Godhead.

My connection to the Holy Spirit draws me into the divine relationship of Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is Everywhere Always.

Jesus said “I will be with you to the end of the age”, but he was ascending....

By giving us the Holy Spirit, there is no place where God is not present.

Ps. 139 “Where can I go from your presence…?”

The Holy Spirit is a Gift.

The Holy Spirit is a gift to all who will receive it!

It does not make us more loved or

The Holy Spirit is our Comforter.

What do we do when we don’t know what to do? …Ask the Holy Spirit

How do we make difficult decisions in life? …Ask the Holy Spirit

How can I find peace when my world is turned upside down? …Go to the Holy Spirit

How should I start my day? …Pray this: “Come Holy Spirit”