Series: Holy Spirit Rises
Joke: You Might Be Charismatic or Pentecostal If ...
You think the fire safety slogan "Stop, Drop, & Roll" is the title of a new book on Holy Spirit etiquette.
You stay home from church because you’re afraid some prophet will read your mail in public.
Your closet is divided into two sections - clothes that are appropriate for falling and those that are not.
You try to pray down fire from heaven on the dry cleaning outfit that ruined your suit.
When you break a fingernail, you blame it on spiritual warfare.
You think that the movie FREE WILLY is an instructional video on deliverance by the Happy Hunters.
You develop a slight hand tremor, and 40 people ask for your prayers during ministry time.
You lie on the floor to nap through boring sermons and are perceived as super-spiritual when you get up.
You speak King James English when disciplining your kids ... "Be-hold, thou hast sham-ed thyself , and sham-ed thy Gawd! To thy room!"
You praise God daily that your no longer a _______________ (fill in the name of the denomination you came out of).
As you can see from our funny side of life today we discover some people just don’t understand people who seek to be filled with Holy Spirit and desire to move out in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Quote: Mike McCartney, “The Holy Spirit is a person in and of God and a presence who dwells within a spirit filled believer and as a result there is tangible difference in that persons life!”
Summary of the 11 attributes of the Holy Spirit:
1. The Holy Spirit possesses a divine personality and personally chooses people for ministry assignments (Acts 13: 2).
2. The Holy Spirit communicates with us (Rev. 2: 7).
3. The Holy Spirit searches out the deep things of God to make them known to believers (1 Cor. 2: 9– 12).
4. The Holy Spirit is the one who makes Christ a living reality to the believer (Eph. 3: 16–17).
5. The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8: 9).
6. The Holy Spirit is coequal with both the Father and Son as part of the mystery of the triune God.
7. The Holy Spirit is God’s Agent of change and transformation on this earth sent by Jesus to us – the question is do you want Him to come into your life and transform you! (Acts 1: 4, 8; 2:1-4).
8. The Holy Spirit can be grieved – can be offended and hurt. The Bible warns us not to grieve or quench the Holy Spirit in our lives or in our churches. We need to be cautious that we do not forsake the Word of God, or be rebellious, sinful and divisionary, we need to make sure we do not forbid the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and we need to make sure that prayer stays at the forefront of our spiritual lives – both independently and in the corporately (Ephesians 4:29-32; 1 Thessalonians 5: 19-22)
9. The Holy Spirit is our personal tutor sent by Jesus to enlighten our hearts and minds to the teachings of the Word of God, to be able to understand and grasp the concepts of the Bible and the spiritual realm in which we all live. He instructs us in what is right and wrong. He leads us to truth –He instructs us and guides our decisions in life – He teaches us how to flow in His spiritual gifts and to understand what Jesus has already taught (John 16:1-15).
10. The Holy Spirit resides in a Spirit filled believer, in other words we are told from Scripture that our bodies are Temples of the Holy Spirit and He lives inside of them in the heart of a Spirit filled individual. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “19Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
11. The Holy Spirit is presented to us in the Bible as symbols to help us understand who He is and what He does. Here are three of them: Fire from Matthew 3:11-12 and Acts :1-4; wind from Acts 2:1-4 and Water from John7:37-39
• In Summary:
• We can be set on fire by the Holy Spirit and become a fuel source for others spiritually. We can burn brightly for the Jesus and make a difference in this dark world.
• We can be filled with the breath of God and blow where He wants us to go so that our lives bring the breath of life to bear on other lives. In essence the Spirit within us can blow into another person’s dead lungs and bring them back to life just like a person doing CPR on another person in crisis. Would you like to see the dead raised to life?
• We can be filled with the Holy Spirit to bring life giving water to a dry and parched land or life and see this source of life produce new crops and new fruit of the Spirit. We could see a great harvest come in through our Spirit filled lives if we allow Him to immerse us in His presence and power.
Here is another illustration from the lighter side of life:
Joke: A Baptist preacher and his wife decided to get a new
dog. Ever mindful of the congregation, they knew the
dog must also be a Baptist. They visited kennel after
kennel and explained their needs. Finally, they found a
kennel whose owner assured them he had just the dog they
wanted. The owner brought the dog to meet the pastor
and his wife.
"Fetch the Bible," he commanded. The dog bounded to the
bookshelf, scrutinized the books, located the Bible, and
brought it to the owner.
"Now find Psalm 23," he commanded. The dog dropped the
Bible to the floor,and showing marvelous dexterity with
his paws, leafed through and finding the correct
passage, pointed to it with his paw. The pastor and his
wife were very impressed and purchased ! the dog.
That evening, a group of church members came to visit.
The pastor and his wife began to show off the dog,
having him locate several Bible verses. The visitors
were very impressed. One man asked, "Can he do regular
dog tricks, too?"
"I haven't tried yet," the pastor replied. He pointed
his finger at the dog.
"HEEL!" the pastor commanded. The dog immediately
jumped on a chair, placed one paw on the pastor's
forehead and began to howl.
The pastor looked at his wife in shock and said, "Good
Lord! He's Pentecostal !"
T.S. - Today we will explore more symbols of the Holy Spirit wrapping up our series on Holy Spirit Rises.
Sermon: Symbols of the Holy Spirit pt 2
Scripture Verses:
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. – John 14:26
And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him.--Mark 1:10
Introduction:
In our churches, religious art, and prayers, we use a variety of symbols to represent the Holy Spirit, all of which come from the Bible. Here are 3 more of those symbols of the Holy Spirit.
I. The symbol of the Dove
a. One of the most common symbols of the Holy Spirit is a dove.
i. It comes from the story of Jesus' baptism, when Jesus saw “the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.” (Mark 1:10) The other three Gospel writers use similar wording to describe the event (see Matthew 3:16, Luke 3:22, and John 1:32).
1. This symbolism is taken from the Gospel accounts where the Holy Spirit descends upon the Lord Jesus Christ in the form of a dove at His baptism.
a. Luke 3:21-22: 21When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
2. All four Gospels describe the Holy Spirit descending like a dove on Christ at his baptism and therefore reveals to us How the Holy Spirit empowered Jesus and was with Jesus as he ministered to the people (Matthew 3:11-17).
a. 11“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
b. The dove is a symbol of purity, gentleness and tenderness – we see all these qualities in Christ’s life and ministry.
i. Jesus said, I am sending you like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves and I am gentle and humble in heart. The gentle Savior invites the weary and burdened to come to him (Matthew 11:28-30):
1. 28“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
2. The dove is used here to reveal the gentle, yet powerful, workings of the Holy Spirit that will come through Jesus life and ministry.
a. John 1:32-34: 32Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.”
3. A dove is noted a gentle creature that is easily shooed away, so no wonder Paul warns the church against grieving the Holy Spirit in (Ephesians 4:30).
ii. Jesus by the presence of the Holy Spirit demonstrated compassion by healings and miraculous feedings of the multitudes, and by his willingness to give the ultimate sacrifice of his own life for mankind’s salvation.
1. Matthew 8:1-4: 1When he came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” 3Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. 4Then Jesus said to him, “See that you don’t tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”
a. My story from India praying for the people with leprosy.
2. John 11:32-36: 32When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34“Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. 35Jesus wept. 36Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
3. Luke 19:41-44: 41As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”
iii. Doves have been referred to as “the sheep of the bird world” because of their gentle disposition.
1. From http://www.heraldmag.org/2005/05so_2.htm
c. The dove is also known for its commitment to their mates or loves ones.
i. Doves in various writings are noted for their devotion to their mates and their loyalty to another for a lifetime.
ii. It is not unusual for two doves nesting together to each take the beak of the other into their own, much like a lover’s kiss.
iii. So the symbolism here could reflect the commitment of Jesus to us – His love for us and the Holy Spirit’s mission to lead us to life-long commitment to Jesus. The Holy Spirit is committed to making Jesus and His teachings relevant and understandable in today’s world.
d. The dove as viewed in the OT.
i. The Hebrew word for dove is yohnah and is derived from the word anah, meaning, “to mourn,” showing that the name comes from its characteristic mournful coo.
1. The dove was the preferred bird for sacrifice if only one bird was used, and usually mentioned first when both a dove and a pigeon were required.
2. Because of their docility when caged and their use in sacrifice, they were allowed to roam freely and often appeared in vast numbers, so much so that Isaiah 60:8 refers to them as coming in clouds. When flying in the sunlight, their wings looked like silver and their plumage like gold (Psalm 68:13).
3. The dove is thus used as a representation of the Holy Spirit apparently because of its sympathetic nature, compassion for the human race and gentle disposition.
a. The above from http://anyonecare.wordpress.com/2008/11/09/the-consistent-ongoing-symbols-of-the-holy-spirit-in-the-bible/
e. The dove is also used today as a symbol of peace.
i. We see it portrayed throughout various paintings of early Christianity.
1. We see it in the Roman catacombs and other ancient historical places depicting this symbol of peace.
2. From the 15th to the 20th century we see the symbol of the Dove with the Olive branch as a symbol of peace.
f. Doves are always willing to come back to their home.
i. The dove and the pigeon:
1. Although closely related, there is a marked difference between a pigeon and a dove.
2. Pigeons are wild and migratory while doves do not migrate. Their return was a joyful sign of spring and the start of new life (Song of Solomon 2:12).
a. So we see the Holy Spirit associated with a new life a new start.
ii. In one appearance of the dove in the Bible, there is another aspect to this symbol. The Darby translation of Isaiah 60:8 speaks of the dove, when domesticated, willingly returning to its master’s home, called a dovecote: “Who are these that come flying as a cloud, and as doves to their dove-cotes?”
g. The account of the flood and the dove.
i. It is this habit of the dove that plays such an important role in the biblical account of the flood in the days of Noah. Genesis 8:6-12 tells us that after the ark had settled on Mount Ararat for forty days, Noah sent forth a raven to scour the earth. Not being a homing bird, it did not return to Noah. Then Noah sent forth a dove. It found no resting place and returned to its mate. Seven days later Noah sent it forth a second time and it returned with an olive leaf, perhaps motivated by its instinct to feed its mate. Seven days later it was again sent forth and did not return. Perhaps it was building a nest for its family. An article in Reprints 5328 suggests that these progressive probes by Noah were indicative of the investigation through the spirit for signs of the Kingdom’s operation. The first excursion by the dove brought no evidence of the Kingdom; the second brought evidence of some fruitage; the third indicated that the time had come to leave the ark.
h. Jonah’s name means dove - Jesus applies part of Jonah’s experience to himself: “For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the heart of the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth” (Matthew 12:40).
i. Because the name Jonah means dove and a dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, there may well be a consistent interpretation.
1. Perhaps the book of Jonah is really a prophecy acted out to demonstrate the role of the Holy Spirit in God’s plan. When viewed from that perspective, the following drama emerges:
CHAPTER TIME PERIOD HOLY SPIRIT’S ACTIVITY
1 Jewish Age Through Israel, fleeing God’s commission to bless
2 Gospel Age Through Christ and Church, suffering persecution and dying
3 Millennial Age Through Christ and Church, converting and blessing the world
4 Moral Lesson Compassion for even enemies required to bless the world
T.S. – The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit representing gentleness, peace, commitment, love, a willing sacrifice, as always returning home to the master, compassionate, purity, and tenderness. So we learn a little more about the nature of the Holy Spirit from the symbol of a dove but know let’s look at the symbol of oil for the Holy Spirit.
II. The symbol of oil
a. Anointing with oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit's uniting us with Jesus, the Messiah, the Anointed One. (Acts of the Apostles 10:38;1 John 2:20-27)
b. The idea behind Anointing Oil from http://www.heraldmag.org/2005/05so_2.htm:
i. “And Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them. . . . And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head, and anointed him to sanctify him.” − Leviticus 8:10,12
ii. We read in the OT the following: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek . . . ” − Isaiah 61:1
1. These two texts show a close connection between the holy anointing oil and the work of the Holy Spirit.
2. The olive tree was a staple of ancient Israel’s agricultural economy. Olive oil was one of the main commodities used in the services of ancient Israel’s tabernacle in the wilderness. It was used for anointing and as fuel for the golden candlesticks. It was baked into certain wafers used in sacrifice and poured upon other sacrifices. In fact the word oil appears some ninety times in the books of Exodus and Leviticus alone.
iii. In Scripture there seems to be a parallel in the operation of the Holy Spirit and anointing oil:
1. Anointing. The act of anointing indicated the bestowal of authorization through the spirit to act in certain capacities.
a. The anointing symbolized the empowerment of the individual by the Spirit to fulfill His divine calling.
2. Kings were anointed. The kings of Israel anointed (1 Samuel 10:1; 16:13).
3. Priests were anointed. In establishing a priesthood for Israel, not only was Aaron anointed (Leviticus 8:12), his sons were too (Numbers 3:3). The unity of the priesthood’s anointing with the high priest is nicely expressed in Psalm 133:1, 2.
a. Throughout the Old Testament we see oil being used for holy purposes. The priests were consecrated and ordained unto God as oil was poured upon their heads … "Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him" (Exodus 29:7 - see also Leviticus 8).
b. During such ceremonies oil was used abundantly, for it ran down the priest's beard and clothing … "It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments" (Psalm 133:2).
c. The large quantity of oil used reminds us of the New Testament Baptism in the Spirit.
i. So we seek to immersed in water baptism rather than sprinkled.
4. A Prophet was anointed. The only biblical example was when Elijah was told to anoint Elisha as his successor (1 Kings 19:16).
5. Jesus was anointed. The anointing spoken of in Isaiah 61:1 is applied by Jesus to himself in Luke 4:18, 19.
6. Christians Today: The same anointing he had is passed on to the Christian’s authorizing the church as his body to spread the good tidings in his name.
c. The formula for making anointing oil:
i. This was the formula for the oil used for anointing: “Take unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, and of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil an hin: and thou shalt make it a holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil” (Exodus 30:23-25).
1. These four spices might correspond to the four attributes of the Holy Spirit given in Isaiah 11:2, “The spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him,
a. The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
b. The spirit of counsel and might,
c. The spirit of knowledge and
d. Of the fear of the LORD.” (See also Exodus 31:3.)
d. Medicinal properties of anointing oil.
i. “Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord” (James 5:14).
1. The word here translated sickness in the next verse is astheneo, and literally means “without strength” and may refer to spiritual depression as well as physical sickness. In verse 15 the word sick is the Greek kamnos and is translated “be wearied” in Hebrews 12:3.
ii. The prophet wrote of medical treatment using oil: “From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment” (Isaiah 1:6).
1. The Good Samaritan “bound his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.”
iii. When Jesus sent out the twelve two by two, among other acts they “cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them” (Mark 6:13).
iv. In twenty-third psalm it says, “Thou anointest my head with oil.”
1. The Herald states, “Here is a detailed description of this act: “At the sheepfold there is a large bowl of olive oil mingled with spices, and a large jar of water. As the sheep pass through the gate, the shepherd examines each head and body for wounds. These are carefully cleaned as the shepherd dips his hand into the oil to anoint the injury. A cup is dipped into the water and comes out overflowing and the sheep drinks until refreshed.” {Footnote: The Herald, July/August 1999, p. xx.}.
e. Oil was used to keep the lamps burning in the Holy Place, and it was vital that they should never run dry.
i. "And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always" (Exodus 27:20).
ii. Without the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and churches, spiritual darkness soon overtakes us.
f. Oil was used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit to show that he heals, he illuminates the darkness for people, and He anoints a person enables a person to fulfill a divine roll through the power of the Holy Spirit, also symbolizes a seal of God’s chosen and His presence.
T.S. – So we have learned a little more about the Holy Spirit compared to anointing oil and now let’s explore the symbol of the Holy Spirit as a seal.
III. The symbol of a seal
a. Just as a shepherd brands his sheep with his own distinctive seal, so God puts his mark of ownership on believers.
i. The Holy Spirit himself is the seal. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13). No one can snatch God’s sheep from his powerful hands or from the nail-pierced hands of Christ (John 10:28-30).
b. The seal also shows that we are authentic believers. The seal is the Spirit of adoption who assures us that we belong to God and are part of his family (Romans 8:15-16).
i. Furthermore, the Holy Spirit is the deposit guaranteeing entrance into our inheritance (Ephesians 1:14).
c. Seals were used on official documents in the past (Nehemiah 9:38; Esther 8:8), and some documents today, are sealed with hot wax.
i. Then an imprint was made on the wax with the official seal of the person sending the document. In a similar way, we are “sealed” by the Holy Spirit to show that we are part of God's family. (Song of Songs 8:6; John 6:27)
Conclusion: Different Symbols for Different Aspects
Thus the distinct aspects of the Holy Spirit are shown by these symbols which picture the functions the Holy Spirit is to play in each of our lives:
Symbol Attributes of the Holy Spirit revealed
Dove Compassion, sympathy, peace and purity
Oil Healing power, cleansing and refreshment
Seal Authorization, authority, adoption
Fire Empowerment to witness, enlightened Truth, light, guide, comfort in the cold, purifies
Wind/breath Life-giving, creative functions, direction, power
Water Refreshing, life giving, essential for life, cleansing, purity
All these symbols help us to understand the ministry and the function of the Holy Spirit. I pray that you have a better understanding of the Holy Spirit and you choose to ask the Lord to immerse you in His Holy Spirit again and again. Why? So you can be empowered through Holy Spirit to be all that God has called you to be as His witness in this world.
Dan’s Testimony: At this time I am going to have Dan Ciprian share with you how the Holy Spirit has empowered Him in His life and ministry.
