Relationship with the Holy Spirit Part 1

Intro: Being in a relationship with the Holy Spirit can be complicated

My experiences:

I’ve been pressured into a relationship with the Holy Spirit

I’ve seen people prophecy who pressured more than served

I’ve been pushed over by people and didn’t feel anything

Here’s the tension that exists: Transcendence (Unknowable) vs Imminence (knowable).

We’re going to look at the trinity for a moment for this to make sense:

God the Father: gives us the example of transcendence

He created everything in the Genesis account

OT: His ways are not our ways

NT: We will never know the depths of his love

God the Son: gives us the example of transcendence and imminence

The world did not accept him verse. People did not recognize him, but they were able to know him and recognize that he was God.

He was 100% man (imminent) and 100% God (transcendent)

God the Holy Spirit: gives us the example of imminent

1 Corinthians 6:19 “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,”

John 14:26 “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

Main point: God desires to do transcendent results through imminent moments with me.

This is at the heart of the Gospel. That we would get closer and closer to God.

Practical Permission: You can look for the Holy Spirit’s imminent communication

Think through how you communicate with your friends and people close to you, here’s a few things to think through:

Volume: You don’t have to yell at people who are right next to you. Sometimes the only reason you hear from the Holy Spirit at a retreat or big emotional moment is because you’ve finally eliminated the distractions. The only times people yell in relationships are because the other person isn’t listening.

You have permission to acknowledge the small imminent voice as God’s voice.

When I was a kid and got a prophetic word but didn’t think it was from God

Body Language: When you’re close to someone you don’t need to say words. You can tell how they’re communicating, what they’re looking at, what they’re point at.

You have permission to follow the Holy Spirit’s spiritual body language

Personal story: When I was at Getgo trying to listen for the transcendent voice instead of imminent

Ask Offensive Questions: We may realize the Holy Spirit is close but treat the Holy Spirit as close. Some of you are frustrated, hurt, and confused and you think that the Holy Spirit doesn’t want to hear any of it. But the Holy Spirit does!

Personal story: Every time I’d think about leaving for NYC I’d always think that there’s no one I’m going to make it. I’m not smart enough, cool enough, you name it. I resolved to a place of saying, “I’m just not good enough.” I was walking with a friend and we were talking about how/ why God chooses people. I was about to start saying my little montra for 1 Corinthians 3 about how God chooses the foolish things. But then the Holy Spirit stopped and said, “Do you really think that’s why I chose you? Because I put a lot of amazing things inside of you for this. I’m not sending you there because I think you’ll fail, I sending you there because you’ll succeed.” If we would have talked sooner, I wouldn’t have been struggling with my self-worth for so long. And the Holy Spirit is right here, and because of the imminent moment, there’s going to be transcendent results.

You have permission to ask the Holy Spirit offensive questions.

You have permission to embrace the imminence of the Holy Spirit