Praying For A Collision With The Holy Spirit

How many of you are like us, before we go on a trip we say a prayer asking for travel mercies, something like this “Lord, we are praying for a collision”…

Y’all are looking a bit confused out there!

We’ll get back to that.

Today’s message will be centered around Acts 1:4-5, and we’ll look at several passages that will bolster this message, and why I believe the body of Christ (the church) needs a collision; now perhaps, more than any other time in our history.

Let’s begin by looking at a couple of words and phrases.

First, let’s look at a definition of collision:

“An encounter between particles (such as atoms or molecules) resulting in exchange or transformation of energy.”

Now, let’s look at a particular type of collision:

Perfectly Inelastic collision:

I’ll give you an abridged definition (believe me you’ll thank me for this), but this abridged definition won’t lose any context of the meaning.

“In a perfectly inelastic collision, a zero coefficient of restitution, the colliding particles stick together. In such a collision, kinetic energy is lost by bonding the two bodies together.”

So, when I said “we pray for a collision, your mind immediately drew a picture of vehicles colliding, or some variation of that, didn’t it?!

The birth of this message came to me several months ago, during a message Pastor Jeff was preaching, and that word that was spoken to me was “pray for a collision with the Holy Spirit.”

Naturally, I didn’t know exactly what it meant at the time, but I wrote it down right there during Pastor Jeffs message.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, todays message is

“Praying for a collision with the Holy Spirit”.

But before we dig in, I’m compelled to share something with you. Every week, Pastor Jeff calls for us to stand when we read Gods’ word. I had a feeling in my gut that he does this as a way to honor God’s word, but also that it must be somewhere in scripture. Now, this may not be where it derived from in him, but here’s what I found.

Nehemiah 8:5.

Quick backstory:

Nehemiah went to Jerusalem to prepare the people to rebuild the wall there. When he first arrives in Jerusalem, he finds that not only were the walls broken, but the people were broken also. He assembles everyone for a specific purpose at a specific time and place and began to read the Book of the Law of Moses. We are in chapter 8 and already a lot of work has been accomplished. We are told in Chapter 7, that the rebuilding of the wall had been completed. 8:5 “Ezra stood on the platform in view of all the people. When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet”.

• Here we see the people rise to their feet in respect and anticipation. They listened attentively and their lives were changed.

• This made me think “when we read Gods word, are we anticipating it to change our lives?” We sure should be!

Let’s get into Gods word together for a few minutes this morning.

Turn to Acts 1 as we read verses 4-5. Let’s stand as we read Gods’ word.

(read Acts 1:4-5)

Today:

1) I’d like us to examine 4 collisions in the Bible.

2)As well as two other collisions.

3)Then, leave us with a challenge today.

• First off, when I say “collisions” just know that I mean collisions with the Holy Spirit.

(Collision 1)

Dry Bones

Have you ever been in, or are you currently in a season of dry bones? How did you find your way out of that season?

Let’s go to Ezekiel Chapter 37:

This part of the book of Ezekiel is his prophesy of restoration for Israel. Throughout the book of Ezekiel, the Spirit of God; the Holy Spirit is paramount in vision and prophesy. Ezekiel has a collision with the Holy Spirit in Chapter 37.

(Read v. 1-10,14) (go back to v. 4-5 and emphasize “prophesy” and restate as “proclaim”) (v.”so I prophesied as I was commanded” do you see the obedience there? Facing a seemingly impossible or futile task, Ezekiel obeyed anyway!) (then, at the end of v. 7 “but there was no breath in them”. They were complete bodies but no life, but glory be to God, look at v. 14 “I will put my Spirit in you and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken it and performed it”, says the Lord.)

He will breathe life into His people.

Yes, this is a vision of the restoration of Israel, but it is also a promise of restoration for you and me.