The Holy Spirit is Life
September 2002
John 6:63
“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”
Romans 8:1-2
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”
Job 34:14-15
“If it were his intention and he withdrew his Spirit and breath, all mankind would perish together and man would return to the dust.”
Psalms 104:30
“When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.”
Luke 1:35
“The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will he called the Son of God.”
1. The Holy Spirit is the creative force in our lives.
When you look into the animal kingdom, you do not see creativity. Robins sing the same song, Blue Jays sing the same song. Beavers build the same kind of dam. Spiders of the same type build the same type of web. Birds of the same type build the same nest. Animals do not exhibit creativity. Birds do not create new music; they sing the songs that were ingrained into their mind by the creator. Animals do not have the creative abilities that man has. God, through the Holy Spirit is creative.
· Creativity is simply our ability to make something new, something that did not exist before. It is the ability to do things in a new way.
John 20: 21-22
“Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”
Genesis 2:7
“The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”
· Living being – speaking spirit (Hebrew translation from the Jewish Torah)
· Notice what happens when the Holy Spirit creates Man – He immediately becomes creative.
Genesis 2:19-20
“Now the Lord had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam, no suitable helper was found.”
Mark 13:11
“Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.”
· There is nothing fundamentally wrong with careful planning and preparation. However, we must leave room for the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 55:8-9
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
· IT IS NOT FAIR TO YOUR COMPETITORS – WE ARE PLAYING THE GAME OF LIFE WITH A DECIDED ADVANTAGE.
How do we release the creative nature of the Holy Spirit in our lives?
1. Make sure your soul and body are rested.
“The world is ruled by tired men.”
2. Be still and listen.
3. Believe what you hear.
2. The Holy Spirit is your ticket to a life of great adventure.
“ Oh yeah! Life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone.”
– John Cougar Mellencamp, sufferer of chronic depression and songwriter/singer.
“The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives.”
- Albert Schweitzer, missionary and pioneer doctor to Africa
· Do you know why you have been attacked? The Enemy fears you. You are dangerous. If you ever got your heart back, your creativity back, you would be a huge problem.
John 6:35 (NIV)
“Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.”
· Most believers today are simply bored – too busy trying to live up to all the standards of morality, fairness, and sensitivity and not living the adventurous life we dreamed as children.
· Man was created to explore, build and conquer.
· Every man needs a battle to fight, an adventure to go on, and a woman to win.
There are two types of believers – pioneers and settlers.
1. Pioneers
· Wright Brothers – first flight, flew the first plane that actually worked.
· Lewis and Clark – explorers of the Louisiana Purchase.
· Hudson Taylor – Missionary to China
· Neil Armstrong – first man to walk on the moon.
· The Marines at Omaha Beach on D-day
Acts 8:39-40 – Phillip was taken away by the Holy Spirit and appeared later in a nearby city.
Pam and I in the neighborhood ministry.
Ken Jackson’s Prophecy story.
2. Settlers - Can you name a famous settler who was not first a pioneer?
What must we do to live a life of adventure?
1. Take some risks.
· The Holy Spirit is the Great Comforter, but He does not live and operate in our comfort zones.
2. Believe that God is powerful and present in your life.
3. Make room for it in your schedule.
