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.
Praying for a collision with the Holy Spirit!
(Collision 2)
Turn with me to John 20:19-22 (read verses from my Bible)
A few things I found interesting in these verses.
“Peace be with you”. Verse 19.
? So many times in the bible we see “fear not” or “peace be with you” when something BIG is about to happen.
? Here’s the BIGGIE in this verse. Jesus has risen, as He said He would.
“Peace to you” verse 21
? As the Father has sent me, I am sending you!
? The BIGGIE here is “It’s about to get real boys”!
Verse 22 He breathed on them and said to them “Receive the Holy Spirit”.
? We don’t see anything “monumental” or “transforming” that happens to the disciples, in the last two chapters of John.
? I found that interesting that no immediate change happens with the disciples after Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit on them.
? I also found it interesting that it took Jesus “breathing” the Holy Spirit into them in order for them to receive the Holy Spirit.
? Let’s look at Acts 1:4 again (read from my bible)
? We look back at John 20:23 and nothing happened. But in Acts 1:4 Jesus says “wait”. I don’t know about you, but if I had been one of those disciples, I would have been “chompin’ at the bit” to go set the world on fire! But think about it, has God ever told you to “wait”?
Jesus says “But wait, something BIG is about to happen! The gift my Father promised is coming! Coming soon to an upper room near you!”
But what is this gift the Father promised? We need to go back to the Old Testament in Joel 2:28-32 (read from my Bible)
10 days after Jesus instructed His disciples to “wait”, Gods’ Spirit is poured out for all mankind as recorded in Acts chapter 2. A collision that changed the world!
Side note: if you want a deeper dig, study the word remnant in the Bible. It’s fascinating.
(Collision 3)
Read Matthew 3:16-17
At the very moment of Jesus’s collision with the Holy Spirit, God proclaims His love for Jesus. Also, at that very moment He proclaimed His love for us; because He knew the sacrifice that was coming!
The VERY next thing…
Matthew 4:1
Temptation
The Holy Spirit led him…Is that crazy or what?
Why was Jesus tempted? Scripture tells us why in Hebrews 2:17 (read 2:17)
Should we believe that when we accept Christ as Lord and Savior that temptation is obliterated? Hardly.
(tell my collision story)
(What about YOUR collision?)
(Collision 4)
Let’s look @ Acts 2 for a couple of minutes.
This is the pivotal point of the message today. (When I say pivotal point that means we are ALMOST halfway through)
In Joel 2:28 God says He will pour out His Spirit on His people. That alone could easily be a message or even a book in itself. (there probably are several books on these verses)
He will pour out… hold onto that for just a minute.
In Acts 1:8 Jesus said “the Holy Spirit shall come upon you”. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came upon those 120 people in the upper room and they poured out the Holy Spirit onto the world. God pours out His Holy Spirit on His people through His people.
Closing points:
Some collisions lead to:
o Restoration as we see in Ezekiel
Some lead to:
o Telling us to wait as Jesus told his disciples in Acts 1
Others may lead to:
o Temptation, as it did with Jesus
And yet other collisions may lead us to change the world!
(Relate the story of my anxiety over the numbers anticipated for our revival last November)
Billy Graham
But like the dry bones in the valley, we can become an army to change the world, through the works of the Holy Spirit.
While we as individuals may experience some combination of these collisions, I want to challenge us as the body of Christ to allow our collision with the Holy Spirit to change the world.
We are commissioned and equipped to do just that.
What are we prepared to do?
Are you in a season of dry bones?
Do you yearn for a collision with the Holy Spirit?
Are you struggling with your “calling”?
Are you in need of specific prayer?
The altar is open, and we’ll be here to pray with, for, and over you.
Pastor Jeff will you come close us out today?
