Entering The Spiritual World

Entering the Spiritual Word Dr. Mike Fogerson May 9, 2012

Introduction

A The ancients believed earth was the very center of God’s creation & everything revolved around us.

1 We know different now.

a The sun is a main sequence Gz star that contains 99.86% of all the mass in our solar system.

aa The sun & planets in our solar system make up a small part of a galaxy, The Milky Way. (1 off 100 billion galaxies)

bb The combined mass of Jupiter & Saturn make up 90% of all the remaining mass.

cc From the sun to the edge of our solar system is between 90 - 120 astronomical units; at least 8,370,000,000 miles to the edge.

b Our little planet is the first & only in our solar system that is able to sustain life because of our...

aa Distance from the sun, rotational rate, axial tilt, geological history, atmospheric composition, & protective magnetic field.

bb The surface of the earth is 196,935,000 square miles & were traveling through space right now at 67,000 miles an hour!

cc The closest star is 4.2 light years away...

c David was ahead of his time when he asked. 3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? Psalms 8:3-4 (NIV)

2 This means our planet is an insignificant, speck of dust in the universe unless there is a creator God!

a Believing there is a God, we believe He exists without the limitations of our 3 dimensional world.

b He lives in what scientists call a universe parallel to our universe: This is only our best guess.

B Everything we know about the universe, cosmos is only the edges of God’s world!

1 Quantum physics speaks of eleven dimensions, yet God is not limited by times & spaces.

2 God lives in this universe parallel to ours: we’ll call it the Spiritual world.

a For this spiritual world to be understood we must consider it in three terms:

aa Spiritual realm

bb Spirit world

cc Spiritual world

b Immediately we think of angels playing harps, floating from cloud to cloud, souls of the departed glowing ethereal echos of their physical counterparts, wispy clouds.

3 To begin understanding the spiritual world we must understand something: the spiritual realm is not just “real” but “more real” than this one.

a Earth, solar system, planets, sun, the entire universe is subject to God’s judgement.

b 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.2 Peter 3:10 (NIV)

aa The Earth we all know as “real” can be wiped away, but the spiritual world is eternal / everlasting.

C In the N.T. the spiritual world was more than the eternal home of those who die.

1 The N.T. teaches the spiritual world is a present reality, that can be embraced / made available to all believers who embrace the work of the Holy Spirit.

2 The N.T. teaches us that humanity originates in the spiritual realm & also has a destin beyong this world.

D Paul speaks of wisdom / truth flowing out of the spiritual realm & into ones in 1 Cor. 2:6-16.

1 6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" --10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 1 Cor 2:6-11 (NIV), The only way these wonderful revelations can be made alive is by the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

a 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. 1 Cor 2:13 (NIV) We are taught by the Spirit.