2023.05.05. Sermon Notes. Awaiting His Return. Prepare to meet thy GOD. Born of Spirit
William Akehurst, HSWC
Counting the Omer – Day 32 of 49 to Pentecost - Born of SPIRIT
Counting the Omer is preparing, cleansing, purifying until receiving GOD’s Law, Torah.
Law = Truth; Lawlessness = living the lie.
BIG IDEA: Pentecost is the celebration of the HOLY SPIRIT come upon mankind to all who believe in JESUS. We are saved by faith and sealed by the HOLY SPIRIT.
What evidence do you have of HIS SPIRIT in you? Have you changed?
Galatians 4:6 (NLT) And because we are HIS children, GOD has sent the SPIRIT of HIS SON into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”
Matthew 6:9b-13 9b Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
IT DOESN’T GET ANY CLEARER THAN THIS…
Amos 4:12 “…Prepare to meet thy God…!”
BE READY
Matthew 24:44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
THE MOST FAMOUS ENCOUNTER
John 3:1-21 1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
BORN OF WATER is Physical. Humans birth humans. When a woman gives birth, what is the first thing to happen? The water breaks.
John the Baptist baptized with water in the baptism of Repentance, of Change, turning back to GOD. But he also indicated that there would be ONE who would baptize with fire. That is, JESUS, and the HOLY SPIRIT.
BORN OF SPIRIT is Spiritual. GOD’s SPIRIT births Spirit.
BORN OF SPIRIT – GOD’s SPIRIT IN US. The Rebirth into Eternal and Everlasting, reintegrated with GOD with nothing between us. With GOD’s SPIRIT within us, giving us new life – born again. When we truly believe in JESUS, the whole trajectory of our lives changes—we are awakened to new life within us.
Continuing John 3
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?”
10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.
JESUS LIFTED UP *
FOR OUR SIN, UPON A POLE – DEATH TO SIN
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent* in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
SERPENT – The Garden of Eden. Represents Sin.
See Numbers 21:4-9*
*EXODUS – SAVED THROUGH THE RED SEA
*Numbers 21:4-9
4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way.
SIN – COMPLAINT
5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.”
JUDGMENT FOR SIN
6 So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.
REPENTANCE
7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
FAITH (LOOK) AND LIVE
8 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
WHOSOEVER BELIEVES HAS THE BLESSED HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
NO CONDEMNATION SEE ROMANS 8:1-2 **
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned**; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
DO YOU WALK ACCORDING TO SPIRIT?
**Romans 8:1-2 1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
THIS IS THE CONDEMNATION.
CHOOSING darkness/death/lies over LIGHT/life/truth
DARKNESS – hiding, unaccountable.
LIGHT – exposed, accountable.
Continuing with John 3:19-21
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
ILLUSTRATION:
A Christian arrives in Heaven and meets the people of the OLD TESTAMENT Scriptures.
To Noah, he asks what it was like to be in the ark with all those animals.
To Joseph, he asks what it was like to be understand dreams and be 2nd in command of all of Egypt.
To Moses, he asks what it was like when the Red Sea parted.
To David, he asks what it was like to take down Goliath.
To Solomon, he asks what it was like to have such great wisdom.
To Daniel, he asks what it was like to be in the Lions Den.
As they each responded, they in return asked one question…
What is it like to have the SPIRIT OF GOD IN YOU?
GOD SENT THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST INTO OUR HEARTS
Galatians 4:6 (NLT) And because we are HIS children, GOD has sent the SPIRIT of HIS SON into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”
ARE YOU LED BY SPIRIT?
Romans 8:14-17 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
RECEIVE THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTION
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
SPIRIT BEARS WITNESS
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
CONSIDER YOUR WAYS
Haggai 1:5 Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts: “Consider your ways!
EXAMINE YOURSELF
2 Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified.
SELF EXAMINATION – Are HIS SPIRIT’s Fruits evident in you?
Galatians 5:22-23 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
SEALED BY HOLY SPIRIT
Ephesians 1:13-14 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
HIS LOVE FOR US TO BE CALLED HIS CHILDREN
1 John 3:1-3 (NKJV)
1 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
NOT PERFECT, UNDER CONSTRUCTION, UNTIL...WE SEE HIM FACE TO FACE.
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
PURIFY ONESELF IF YOU HAVE HOPE IN CHRIST
3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
EAGERLY WAITING FOR THE HOPE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS BY FAITH.
Galatians 5:5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE BLESSED HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE, AND THE GLORIOUS APPEARING OF JESUS
Titus 2:13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…
Let's Pray,
FATHER GOD, Let YOUR Light of Truth shine into our hearts to expose the darkness, the things we are hiding, so that we may be purified by YOUR SPIRIT in us, to YOUR praise and glory, in JESUS Name, Amen.
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Bill
