W H I S P E R I N T H E W I N D
O V E R S H A D O W M E
I N T H E S H E L T E R O F Y O U R W I N G S
H O L Y S P I R I T C O V E R M E
O V E R S H A D O W M E
O V E R S H A D O W
I A M O V E R W H E L M E D
I C A N H A R D L Y T A K E I T I N
I C A N H E A R Y O U R S T I L L S M A L L V O I C E
W H I S P E R I N T H E W I N D
W H I S P E R I N T H E W I N D
INTRODUCTION – WIND and WIND IN ACTS
One thing about the wind is that it blows wherever it wants. There is very little you can do to predict where it will wander and what it will do.
Wind comes up many times in scripture. One of the most exciting times for me is in Acts when the Holy Spirit was poured out for the first time.
The apostles were all in the upper room and a strong wind blew through the room.
The wind was followed by an outpouring of the Holy Spirit that enabled the apostles, empowered them, gave them abilities beyond what they were used to.
PETER EG
Peter who kind of only really opened his mouth to change feet before, became one of the most gifted preachers of all time. It was a wind that blew into their sails motivated them and took them to great heights.
LINK QUESTION – RAUCH HA KODESH
Wouldn’t be awesome if that was the only type of wind we have in our lives?
The wind of Rauch Ha Kodesh. The wind of God. The Wind of the Holy Spirit.
Wouldn’t be incredibleif every moment of the day in every situation we find ourselves, we can have a transforming answer to whatever life question we are facing. A whisper coming on the wind. Shaping us, and as Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, “Helping us.”
NOT THAT SIMPLE – OTHER WINDS BLOW
Unfortunately though, especially if you come from Cape Town like I do, wind is not always helpful. There are some winds that blow us all over the place – totally unpredictable – Some even destructive.
SOLOMONS WINDS (ECCL 1:1-8)
The winds that blow through our lives are more like the wind that Solomon spoke of
In my opinion, nothing is worthwhile; everything is futile. For what does a man get for all his hard work? Generations come and go, but it makes no difference. The sun rises and sets and hurries around to rise again. The wind blows south and north, here and there, twisting back and forth, getting nowhere. The rivers run into the sea, but the sea is never full, and the water returns again to the rivers and flows again to the sea . . . everything is unutterably weary and tiresome. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied; no matter how much we hear, we are not content. History merely repeats itself. Nothing is truly new; it has all been done or said before. What can you point to that is new? How do you know it didn’t exist long ages ago? We don’t remember what happened in those former times, and in the future generations no one will remember what we have done back here.” Eccl 1:1-8 (Living)
SOLOMONS SITUATION
Solomon seemed a little discouraged.
He was the riches man alive.
He was the most powerful man alive.
He had hundreds of wives and concubines that fulfilled his every fantasy.
He was the world’s wisest man.
He probably accomplished more than anyone else of his day.
And yet he seems so lost. He seemed to be continually searching for his purpose in life.
He was hungry for the Whisper on The Wind – “He was hungry for the wind that blows when the Holy Spirit flows”
SOME THINGS JUST DON’T MAKE SENSE.
Some things just don’t make sense. You just have to accept it. You’ll go crazy trying to make sense out of stuff.
Let me give you some examples of stuff you don’t want to think too hard on.
Does the reverse side also have a reverse side?
Why is the alphabet in that order?
Why is a carrot more orange than an orange?
How come abbreviated is such a long word?
Why are there 5 syllables in the word "monosyllabic"?
Why do scientists call it "re"search when looking for something new?
Why are they called apart-ments, when they’re all stuck together?
SOLOMONS CONCLUSION
Whispers of The Holy Spirit. The Wind of God will give us a purpose.
Solomon found his purpose. Solomon found the wind that drove him.
He concluded Ecclesiastes with this:
“Here is my final conclusion: fear God and obey his commandments, for this is the entire duty of man.” Eccl 12:13
I guess you can boil everything down to that one statement. “Fear God and Obey Him.” “Fear and Obey”. I don’t know about you – but I need a little bit more than that.
THE WIND OF LIFE VS THE WINDS OF WHISPER (CHANGE)
God has placed in us the Holy Spirit.
He gave us that to help us, encourage us, fill that hole that comes from us living our lives without purpose and without direction.
He transformed us by making it available for us to receive. For us to be immersed in Him, He sent a part of Himself to be with each of us forever.
He wants and desire us to hear its whispering that blow on the wind from God. The nudging that help us make better decisions than what we do on our own.
The winds of God though, as we sang may need to change and transform us. They may be winds of change.
CONDITION DOES NOT NEED TO BE YOUR CONCLUSION
God knows that with the help of that wind. Just like those first century Christians, the wind of the Holy Spirit will change us, make us, better make us whole.
You may be sitting there this morning thinking that the life you have is one of running after the wind. Chasing things that really in the end are just puffs of air.
You like Solomon may not be very happy with where the winds of life have left you. God wants you to have direction and purpose.
Your present condition does not need to be your conclusion.
THE FRUIT
The Wind – The Holy Spirit
In Galations 5:22, The bible tells us what kind of results we will have in our lives if we are being carried by the right kind of winds.
The things that you will see in your life when you are allowing your life to be carried by the Holy Spirit….
If you are not seeing these kind of fruits, you need to check what wind is filling your sails.
SET OUR MINDS ON HEAVENLY THINGS
God makes His will for our lives even more clear.
Our lives need to have this focus.
I remind myself of Colossians 3:1 & 2 throughout the week.
To paraphrase, it says we are to have our hearts and minds on heavenly things.
I don’t know about you, but so often I focus on worldly things and fleshly things. But the world and the flesh are very temporal – it is very temporary. It is all going to quickly pass away. And we need to always keep in mind what we are here for. Chasing after the wind makes us empty and unfulfilled.
Congregation Response – Before / After
CHANGES US BUT SERIOUS DECISION
But being filled with the wind of God, the Holy Spirit is something that changes us forever.
It’s a serious decision you need to make – its life or death stuff.
Jesus said,
"But when I, the Messiah, shall come in my glory, and all the angels with me, then I shall sit upon my throne of glory. And all the nations shall be gathered before me. And I will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and place the sheep at my right hand, and the goats at my left.
"Then I, the King, shall say to those at my right, ’Come, blessed of my Father, into the Kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world.” Matt 25:31-34 (Living)
“Then I will turn to those on my left and say, ’Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.” Matt 25:41 (Living)
ETERNITY
The Holy Spirit will blow us in a direction of not only having the Gal 5:22 things happening in our life, but its blowing us towards eternity.
Its blowing us towards an eternal life with God. Its not looking at what you will get for the now. For the instant, its looking after your future. Its ensuring your eternity.
SERIOUS – SHEEP AND GOATS
Do you see that this life is a proving ground?
God desires that all of us be saved and spend eternity with Him. But most won’t. Why not? They are chasing after the wind.
Because they choose their will and the things of this life over Him.
And come the last day – there are only going to be two groups – goats and sheep. Obedient and disobedient. Believers and non-believers. Faithful and the faithless.
CHOICE OF WINDS
Those who allow the Holy Spirit to fill them move them change them, press them into their gifts, free them from static stayed worship. Those who freely surrender to those whispers, those who hear and receive those promptings are the ones whose lifes have direction.
Which group are you going to choose to be in?
What winds will you choose to be moved by?
The winds of the Holy Spirit or the winds that cause you to run around trying to fulfill self.
WHERE TO START –SURRENDER
How do I begin to hear the whispers of the Holy Spirit?
Well you need to choose the wind. You need to be able to stand and say I surrender to the wind. I am going to put my sail up and trust that He will blow in the direction that I need to go.
I need to surrender to the fact that the wind, the Holy Spirit can physically heal me if that’s what is needed.
He can quell that addiction in a heart beat.
He can change the heart of someone who is my enemy or who stands against me.
He can even make me say things that I don’t understand but I know is a word from God in the form of tongues.
But to be able to allow this to happen – you have to make a choice.
WORSHIPPER
You need to be a worshipper. Do you know what that means?
Becoming aware of God in our lives and world. He is, you know. Every breath we take; every tick of our heart is a miracle of God.
It almost takes my breath away sometimes. When I see God working in my life, interested in the common little problems and irritations that are so insignificant to most but important to me – I am so humbled and grateful. Worship begins with being aware of God in your life.
When I realize that He actually loves me – that I am important to Him – it touches me and I truly worship Him in my spirit. It’s real. It’s true.
And that’s how Jesus said we are to worship. In the Holy Spirit and in truth.
NOT SHUTTING HIM OUT - EXCUSES
Not shutting him out, saying he doesn’t care. Not denying him access to you by shutting Him out of your heart.
That’s not how you are going to find the wind that blows to eternity. That’s not going to open your sail to Love joy peace long suffering kindness goodness faith and self control. Find Him in everything!
“You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest.” Jer 29:13 (Living)
"… you will find him when you search for him with all your heart and soul.”” Deut 4:29 (Living)
“But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matt 6:33 (KJV)
GAVE SON GAVE HOLY SPIRIT
Part of being a worshiper, part of finding God in everything is seeing Him when he did the greatest thing he could do. He extended an invitation like no other. And He did it twice.
First he became man and sacrificed his son so that we may have that Wind inspired God whispered life. And then he blew that wind into us. He gave us the Helper. He sent the Holy Spirit.
Two steps did you notice. Lets look at the last few verses of Mark 16:15-20.
To be able to fully grasp the first part of this process.
BELIEVE – BAPTISE - RECEIVE
You see – we have to believe in Him – we have to be a worshiper, but then to demonstrate a moving from a life blown about by the winds of the world to a life blown by God, we need to be baptized. And then the wonders of what the Holy Spirit will do will be ours.
THREE GROUPS - NEEDS
So this morning we are talking to three distinct groups of people. Amongst us this morning there may be those who need to confess their belief in Him.
BELEIVE
There are those that need to stop chasing after the winds of self. Stop chasing after tomorrow on their own and start believing in him. Become a worshipper.
BAPTISED
Then we have to demonstrate the seriousness of our decision. We need to wash away any of our own desires. We need to demonstrate that our sails are set for Gods Kingdom and we need to get baptized. We need to wash away the things that made our lives empty, hollow, The things that made us part of the world. We need to wash those things away and make a stand. Baptism is how Jesus not only taught us how to do that, but also demonstrated how we should do that. He was baptized to commit himself to Gods kingdom and all it stood for. You may be those that want the same.
RECEIVE HOLY SPIRIT
And then according to Acts and many other bible books we need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. We need to open our bodies our minds our hearts our all. We need to surrender to His wind. Our tongues will be loosed our minds renewed. Bodies will be healed. Relationships restored. Signs and wonders will be part of who we are. And we will receive maybe for the first time if we accept Jesus for the first time, or perhaps a renewal, a fresh outpouring. But we need to be expectant of the Holy Spirit to change us.
That Holy Spirit will be loosed in us. He will keep us and make sure we remain in the way of Christ.
“But when the Father sends the Comforter instead of me --and by the Comforter I mean the Holy Spirit--he will teach you much, as well as remind you of everything I myself have told you.”
John 14:26
BETTER AS A CONGREGATION
It works better if a whole group of people do these three steps together. It means that as a group, or as a church, we will be fulfilling our destiny. Our destiny is to be an Acts 2 church. A Church on fire for God. Fire needs a little bit of air. It needs some wind to blow over the cooling coals and blow the flames to life.
We can not do this on our own. You need to be part of the body to share this wind, to be shaped and taught. Get involved here at the local church. Be part of a Home Cell. You need to gather with other windswept or is that Holy Spirit swept people.
You need to ‘belong’. You are a part of a wonderful family when you accept Christ. You are adopted into God’s family and you suddenly each of us as we come to believe are baptized and receive the Holy Spirit, we will have many brothers and sisters. You need to recognize that and accept it and choose it. There is strength in the family. There is encouragement in the family. There are opportunities in the family. Satan knows that. So what is one of his favorite tactics? He tries to separate the immature lamb from the flock where he or she is vulnerable.
HOPE OF THE WORLD
People who believe, baptized and surrender to the Holy Spirit, are the hope. They are the life line for this floundering world.
,
"You are the world’s seasoning, to make it tolerable. If you lose your flavor, what will happen to the world? And you yourselves will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the world’s light--a city on a hill, glowing in the night for all to see. Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father.”
Matt 5:13-15
“…go and make disciples in all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” Matt 28:19 (Living)
Do you think maybe we ought to share our faith a little more? Paul wrote:
“You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of people who are crooked and stubborn. Shine out among them like beacon lights.” Phil 2:15
CONCLUSION
Your condition is not your conclusion. To change your condition. You need to believe. You need to be baptized and you need to accept the Holy Spirit into your life.
Believe
Baptise
Receive
