A Spirit of Connection
Notes
Transcript
Who are you connected to?
Who are you connected to?
Growing up I can remember walking around places with my Pa (grandpa on my mom’s side) and people would just know him. We could be at the mall by his house and people would stop him. We could be at the mall by my house and people would stop him. He just seemed to know people and people seemed to connect with him. It was never just a passing hey how are you? typically it was a 5, 10, 15 minute conversation a real connection, and I always wondered how was this possible.
Fast forward and now I’m a pastor. I walk around places and more often than not I see someone I know or that knows me (totally different experience there). Today I want to ask you the question “Who are you connected to?”.
Before we look at the who however, I want to look at the how.
How we connect with others determines the level of connection, the depth of the connection.
12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
The Spirit of God changes us in three ways according to Paul.
12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh—
13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
The Spirit brings life where the flesh brings death.
It is a choice to obey the Spirit not a given.
The Spirit of God realigns our points of connection.
v. 12 debtors —> debtors to the culture (gods), to country, to family
The Apostle Paul says no, let’s realign our obligations to reflect what the Spirit is doing inside of us. Let’s change our priorities to reflect the love, hope, and future we have through the grace of Jesus Christ.
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!”
The Spirit leads us into an adoption by God.
16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.
The Spirit of God bearing witness with our spirit creates the conditions for us all to become heirs of God and Christ. Thus, in the body and flesh, we must hold nature together with us as we also must hold each other’s suffering. This collective movement of belonging and mutuality is the living of God’s glory enfleshed in our community.
The Spirit of God in our flesh will also mean freedom to love one another, to the point of living in a community that does not cling to the spirit of the world, but holds on to the Spirit of God, who shows Godself in and through our actions and our loving of one another.