Holy Spirit: Plugging In

Joe’s Mighty Hammer.

Joe and Work partner, Rex, worked construction. They were framers – piece work, paid per house they framed. As a team, they were very, very good.

One day some guys next house over were unloading equipment – pneumatic powered nail guns. The new thing. Joe and Rex – what a joke – build a hose like real men. There was an exchange of words and a challenge – a race - $100.00.

So they set to work. They were running neck and neck. Joe and Rex skipped lunch to stay ahead. the hammering was Furious.

In the end Joe and rex – won, at least one hour before the other guys.

They celebrated, high fives, they were drenched in sweat and could hardly lift their arms.

The other guys packing up their equipment, like they had been at the beach. They were full of life and not worn out at all.

That evening, Joe and Rex bought a set of pneumatic powered nail guns.

We Are Expected To Get The Job Done

Whatever the tools we have, like Joe and Rex, we are expected to get the job done. We can work with a hammer or, we can work with power tools.

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. John 14:12

Jesus asks us to build our spiritual house. Remember we found that to build a spiritual house w must build it by the by the Holy Spirit. Any other way, and we are not building a spiritual house. Why? Because the Holy Spirit is specifically sent to empower us, we are to operate in step with the Spirit. We saw that when I give my life over to Jesus, commit my life to him, repent of my past life, I say past life, because when we become Christians, we are spiritually reborn, born again or born from above – as Jesus put it....When I give my life to Jesus, and become a Christian, I receive the Holy Spirit and now I can start to build my spiritual house. Because remember, no spiritual house is build without the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, there is only frustration.

How do we accomplish this? Look at the top of your outline, you will see the verse from Zechariah 4:6 - Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord Almighty.

We accomplish it by the Holy Spirit. No other way...No, other, way.

We accomplish by the Holy Spirit. Remember we saw how the trinity operates:

Father -Initiates

Son – Accomplishes

Holy Spirit – Empowers

Classic example: Father sends son Jesus; Jesus accomplishes salvation/reconciliation work / Departs; Holy Spirit is sent to empower his people.

We are not to use the same old tools we tend to use. We are to be used by the Holy Spirit. Well how do we do that? How do we change from our old ways and follow the Spirit? By Empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

We have received spiritual gifts from the Holy Spirit. We get them when we become a Christian. The reality is, just because I have the potential with spiritual gift, doesn’t mean I am living up to my potential.

Building a Spiritual house with the Holy Spirit is a process of receiving all that is ours. It is receiving all that is promised to us.

Joel 2:28 ‘And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.

29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

Joel is speaking about our time – the time of the Christian Church. This is the Scripture Peter quotes in Acts 2:17-21. We live in the time of the Spirit. We have the Spirit upon us. We are promised wonderful things from the Holy Spirit. Where is it in my life? We must receive the power of the Holy Spirit.

Eph. 5:18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

This isn’t speaking about a one time experience of the Holy Spirit – but multiple Experiences. Yes, when we become Christians the Holy Spirit resides within us. But no that is not all – there is more….For the Holy Spirit is given to us so that we may be equipped and empowered to carry out the mission of our Lord Jesus Christ. Holy Spirit: Justifies, Sanctifies…..Empowers. We have seen that the Holy Spirit is the one who moves upon us when we become Christians. When we repent and give our lives over to Jesus, the Holy Spirit is the one who converts us.