A Breath of Fresh Air - The Breath of Heaven
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Intro
Choose life instead of going through the motions… internal vs. the external
Step 1 Fall in Love with Jesus
Step 1 Fall in Love with Jesus
Step 2 Choose your Attitude…
Step 2 Choose your Attitude…
Choose a Christlike Attitude
Step 3 Slow Down - - -
Step 3 Slow Down - - -
Principle of the Sabbath
We are going to talk about HS… Holy Ghost..
Most are ok with the Father...
Most are ok with Jesus…
19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!
Today, we will talk about the source of breath… the HS
AS THE WIND BLOWS
AS THE WIND BLOWS
Today, we want to talk about the Spirit.
OT - Hebrew
NT - Greek
Mentioned over 800 times in scripture
That’s the English word used to describe him. Original Manuscripts are not in English.
The OT word is
Ruwach - a wind, a breath, a violent exhalation, blast of breath.
Ruwach - a wind, a breath, a violent exhalation, blast of breath.
It’s found in the 2nd verse in the Bible.
2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
So when God spoke, the wind of God, the exhalation of Him saying Light....
In the NT the word is …
Pneuma - a current of air, blast of breath, a strong breeze
Pneuma - a current of air, blast of breath, a strong breeze
63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.
Every time you read the word “Spirit” - it really means breath or wind.
The word Spirit means wind… it brings life.
That’s what the HS came to do
To put life into your religious experiences.
Why all the mystery? Why is it so hard to understand the HS?
It’s hard to describe wind… There are a lot of crazy representations of HS
There are some characteristics of wind… of breath that make it hard to understand...
Today, I want to help you understand His nature.
Like the wind or a breath, the HS is ...
Wind is unseen.
Wind is unseen.
Problem - we like to see stuff to believe it’s real. God never intended you to just understand God, but to feel his presence.
Wind - you can’t see it but you know it’s there.
ILL - It’s kind of like the old by that went t a Pentecostal church. Upon leaving he looked like he had seen a ghost. Preacher asked how he like the service. He said, Preacher, there was something in that room. Preacher - did you like it. Man - I’ll be back…
One minute in the presence of God is a good thing. Who doesn’t want some of the presence of God in your life? Who wants to sit on the deck with no wind? No one. I want the presence of God now.... not in the past NOW
So many reject HS because they want to see - not feel. They feel more comfortable with things they see, not feel
After the Resurrection, Jesus met with disciples … doubting Thomas
29 Then Jesus told him, “You believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me.”
If he is going to be your BF, it will require faith. … OK with feeling him w/o seeing him.
Wind is unpredictable.
Wind is unpredictable.
Wind is unpredictable… golfers know what I am talking about. (my game is not impacted by the wind)
Pilots and field goal kickers know what I’m talking about.
Wind is constantly changing.
This messes us up, because we want order.
8 The wind blows wherever it wishes; you hear the sound it makes, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going. It is like that with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Pneuma...
The problem is, we like to standardize everything… how we got denominations. We want to ties God down to a system or a set of beliefs. If God works in a certain way, we want him to do it that way all the time… Moses and buring bush… 1st church of BB
If you like things to be orderly and clean, HS will mess you up.
If he is going to be your best friend, get comfortable with the un-expected. If you have to have order, HS will mess you up… We want God to always do it the way he used to.
Wind is powerful.
Wind is powerful.
Wind can generate electricity… sail a ship… destroy a city.
I have no interest in serving a powerless God, or even one that used to be powerful.
At the heart of it, HS is about power… supernatural power.
An intellectual Gospel is alway in danger of creating a God that looks like us… that’s our size.
Charles Finney - called America’s formost revivalist in the early days
Major leader in the Great Awakening… great impact on America.
Some historians say he led over 500,000 to Christ.
Most don’t know - He was HS filled.
“But as I turned and was about to take a seat by the fire, I received a mighty baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit descended upon me in a manner that seemed to go through me, body and soul. I could feel the impression like a wave of electricity, going through and through me. Indeed it seemed to come in waves and waves of liquid love; for I could not express it in any other way. It seemed like the very breath of God.”
“But as I turned and was about to take a seat by the fire, I received a mighty baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit descended upon me in a manner that seemed to go through me, body and soul. I could feel the impression like a wave of electricity, going through and through me. Indeed it seemed to come in waves and waves of liquid love; for I could not express it in any other way. It seemed like the very breath of God.”
We need more that human effort & ability. we need the breath / wind of god to blow...
However, most would rather deal with God on an intellectual level. That’s how we have been discipled into… intellectual.
5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” 7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
BREATH OF HEAVEN
BREATH OF HEAVEN
11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.
He is the source of Fresh Air
We have to...
1. Let go of fears and misperceptions.
1. Let go of fears and misperceptions.
If you’re like a lot of people, especially those raised in church
You have a lot of misconceptions … maybe even some biases that make it difficult for you get close to the person of the HS.
Quote -
I remember the first time I heard about it. I was probably 12 years old and our church was having a business meeting to discuss it. I really wasn’t clear what it was, but it was causing a stir. Years later I discovered that our church was fighting (uh I mean discussing) over a doctrinal issue concerning the Holy Ghost. It was all confusing to me. All I remember was that people were saying to stay away from those who had received the Holy Ghost. Sounded good to me. Whoever liked a ghost anyway? From that moment on, when I heard about people who believed in the Holy Ghost or spoke in tongues, I thought it was some hypnotic trance – for the gullible. That was the tambourine and hair in a bun crowd – stay away
The truth is that most people are just un-informed.
Most don’t know the Bible
Their belief comes from things they have heard people say.
Ot it comes fro things they have seen… and its turned them off.
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
2. Go all in.
2. Go all in.
You can’t go half way.
Some pray like this… HS I want what you want for me, but You’re going to have to behave yourself.
Old Hymn - I surrender all
You can’t do it half-way.
13 You will seek me, and you will find me because you will seek me with all your heart.
contrast...
You won’t find me if you don’t seek me...
3. Develop an intimate friendship with Holy Spirit
3. Develop an intimate friendship with Holy Spirit
I wish you would know Him in an intimate way
God wants to relate to you in different ways – different roles
14 The amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with all of you.
We need to be in relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Notice that this beautiful benediction begins with Jesus then the Father, then HS
It all starts there
Because His unique relationship to you is that He gives grace to save you
Definition of grace – what Jesus did for me that I can’t do for myself
When you receive Jesus’ grace – what He did on the cross
Then you can experience the extravagant love of the Father
But after that – we need a daily intimate friendship with the Holy Spirit
We need His friendship in our lives every day
He wants to relate to you – talk to you
We need to know him better than we do our iPhone.
21 Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.
30 Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.
Step #4: Get to know the person of the Holy Spirit.
Step #4: Get to know the person of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit just wants to be your best friend
Not some mystical force – not a ghost
That’s my prayer for you – to know Him intimately
Your best friend
But you may need to relate to that first person - Jesus