The Presence of the Spirit
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This morning we are going to be studying about the Holy Spirit and God's Holy presence.
I want to say this though. The Holy Spirit cannot be understood or fully known in 1 hour one random Sunday in July. The Holy Spirit is a pwerful individual and just as much a part of the trinity as the Father or the Son. We have alot of verses this morning. Alot. This is only meant to be a shadow of understanding.
Can we pray for this Word 1 more time before we delve in?
Your words and nt my own
Move in our hearts, reveal your Spirit to us
Give us understanding
Help us to come to know you
Insire us
Draw us in deeper in our own walk. Meet us where we are thi morning.
Now often times when we think of the Holy Spirit we remember the story from Acts on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, however, today we are going to look at some examples from all over the Bible.
It's no surprise to anyone in here that if you want to really come to know smeone most of the time, you would start at the beginning of their story
Now as we study this morning, i really feel like you should remember 2 very important things going in
Most importantly - The Holy Spirit is a Spirit. He is personable...he has his own thoughts and is in communion with The Father and The Son.
So often times we read the Bible through western eyes, but it's important to remember that the Hebrew syle of writing i dffeent from or our own
So if you want to open your Bible to the 1st account of the Spirit in the Biblical Story- The very beginning.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
So off the bat we are introduced to 3 people in the very beginning of the story - God, The Word of God, and the Spirit of God. And as we read on we ar going beginto understand the complexity of this relationship.
But we are also going begin to learn about the desires and hopes and the personalities of each being
Let's look back a te scene taking place, wath is the Spirit doing in Genesis 1?
Ruach- breath, Spirit, wind.
M’Rachaphet- brooding, hover, moving gently
What the auhor wnts us to see is a divine interaction taking place as God's Spirit continues to move about and to create and brngi order. Jwish people shared a powerful understanding of the Spirit o God
The understood that Spirit is like the wind just continuing to go out in th world encountering and interacting with.
The Bible never says that creation stopped after 7 days.
So to recap, God's Spirit so far has been a key part of binging order, creation
Read on to Judges 3 : 10 -14
The Spirit of the Lord came on him, so that he became Israel’s judge and went to war. The Lord gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him. So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.
Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and because they did this evil the Lord gave Eglon king of Moab power over Israel. Getting the Ammonites and Amalekites to join him, Eglon came and attacked Israel, and they took possession of the City of Palms. The Israelites were subject to Eglon king of Moab for eighteen years.
At this point in time, Isreal has left Egypt, moses has died, Joshua has died and the isrealites have arrived in the promised land. Things start getting too good so the isrealites take their eyes off God and fall into idaoltyr. Other nations come in and take, isrealites cry out to God so he raises up judges to intercede
We see the significance Spirit of the Lord be a catalyst for reconciliation, bringing God's people back t him
Of course we still experience conviction today! So like the Word says, he hasn't changed.
The Spirit gives Othniel power (says he over powered his enemy) and gave him a will to go to war.
Now on to 1 Chronicles 12: 18 -20
Then the Spirit came on Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said:
“We are yours, David!
We are with you, son of Jesse!
Success, success to you,
and success to those who help you,
for your God will help you.”
So David received them and made them leaders of his raiding bands.
Some of the tribe of Manasseh defected to David when he went with the Philistines to fight against Saul. (He and his men did not help the Philistines because, after consultation, their rulers sent him away. They said, “It will cost us our heads if he deserts to his master Saul.”) When David went to Ziklag, these were the men of Manasseh who defected to him: Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu and Zillethai, leaders of units of a thousand in Manasseh.
Here we see the Spirit move to create obedience and submission in Amasai And his men
Flip now to Isaiah 11 2
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
Isaiah is prophesying about Jesus, a root from Jesse, father of David
Micah 3 : 8-10
But as for me, I am filled with power,
with the Spirit of the Lord,
and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression,
to Israel his sin.
Hear this, you leaders of Jacob,
you rulers of Israel,
who despise justice
and distort all that is right;
who build Zion with bloodshed,
and Jerusalem with wickedness.
The Spirit of God gives the prophet Micah a boldness, power and might
Finally, in the new testament, but before Luke 2: 25 - 35
Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
Spirit of consultation and confirmation.
And while all of these things are great, this is only the before Jesus sends the spirit in his name from the Father (John 14: 26)
Spoiler Alert- THIS is the same Spirit we have today.
Something happens in Acts 2 : 1-5 and Jesus sends his believers the Holy Spirit to anoint them and dwell in them.
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.
He is sent to:
Teach and reveal all things in truth, remember who truth is- Jesus!
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.
A few verses later...
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
2. He comes to empower us
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Spiritual gifts - 1 Cor 12
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
3. He comes to give us peace and Joy. A peace that surpasses understanding and a Joy to carry us thrugh our lives.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Most Importantly though, he comes on us as a mark of our salvation.
In the beautiful scene of Jesus being baptized, we get this image where the Word of the Lord comes down from heaven as the Holy Spirit comes down in te form of a dove, over the waters.
Do you see it? The new cretion. The new man. As the Spirit descends on him. That's what hpens to us today.
Romans 8:2 says we ar set free from the law of death.
Because why?
Because we are a new creation 2 Corinthians 5 : 16- 18
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
Jesus gives us an image. He says I am the vine, you are the branches.
Then in Gal5 : 22 - 23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Doesn't this metaphor make prfect sense?
We can do nothing apart fr9m the Spirit of God. So when we are rooted by th vine, that is the word, and we are producing by the spirit the we are functioning as we are called.
Scripture says that where no fruit is produced that branch will be cut off.
I encourage you this morning to look into your life. To be aware of the fruit the Spirit is bringing up in you.
NNot Just good works but the peace He pours out on you.
And as you study the word to be rooted in Jesus more and more because when drought comes, the plants that still produce are the ones with the deepest roots.
I hope 6ou dont stop here.
I hope wedevelop eyes a d hears
I hope we make a habit of recosizing those fruits he bers through us.
I hope we make a habit of being personable with the Spirit.
I hope we start to embrace him more and mre and what he canxd and is doing.
I hope we claim his offers.
