Your Spirit Series

GENESIS 1:26-27 - THEN GOD SAID, "LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE, ACCORDING TO OUR LIKENESS; AND LET THEM RULE OVER THE FISH OF THE SEA AND OVER THE BIRDS OF THE SKY AND OVER THE CATTLE AND OVER ALL THE EARTH, AND OVER EVERY CREEPING THING THAT CREEPS ON THE EARTH." GOD CREATED MAN IN HIS OWN IMAGE, IN THE IMAGE OF GOD HE CREATED HIM; MALE AND FEMALE HE CREATED THEM.

• ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE, MANKIND IS DISTINCT AMONG ALL LIFE ON EARTH, IN THAT WE ARE MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD.

• AS THE GODHEAD HAS THREE PARTS -- FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT -- SO MAN HAS THREE PARTS -- BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT.

• LAST WEEK WE BEGAN OUR SERIES ON THE DIMENSIONS OF YOU WITH “YOUR SOUL”.

• WE SAID THE SOUL IS THE PART OF MAN THAT MAKES US ALIVE.

• WE ALL KNOW THAT THE BODY IS THE SHELL, THE REPOSITORY THAT CONTAINS OUR SOULS AND SPIRITS.

• THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT ALL THREE, BODY, SOUL AND SPIRIT MAKE UP WHAT MAN IS ON EARTH.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:23 - NOW MAY THE GOD OF PEACE HIMSELF SANCTIFY YOU ENTIRELY; AND MAY YOUR SPIRIT(MIND) AND SOUL AND BODY BE PRESERVED COMPLETE, WITHOUT BLAME AT THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.

• THE BODY OF MAN IS THE WAY THAT WE LOOK ON THE OUTSIDE.

• THE BODY MAKES US ANIMATE CREATURES - ABLE TO DO THINGS.

• ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THE PHYSICAL WORLD.

• THE SOUL OF MAN GIVES US LIFE, THE ABILITY TO THINK AND REASON.

• THE SOUL PLACES US ABOVE ALL LIFE ON EARTH.

• IT ENABLES US TO EXPERIENCE THE SPIRITUAL WORLD.

• THE SPIRIT OF MAN IS OUR NATURE – THE KIND OF PERSONS WE REALLY ARE.

• INFLUENCED BY OUR GENETIC MAKE-UP, OUR ENVIRONMENT AND EXPERIENCES,

• OUR SPIRITS ARE THE WAYS WE THINK AND REASON.

• THIS MORNING – THE DIMENSIONS OF YOU PART 2 – YOUR SPIRIT.

• BUT BEFORE WE START THAT PART OF THE LESSON, LET’S PRAY.

• THINK FOR A MINUTE ON THE MANY SPIRITS OR NATURES PEOPLE CAN HAVE.

• SOME PEOPLE ARE SWEET. SOME ARE MEAN. SOME ARE CURIOUS.

• OTHERS ARE PLAYFUL, SERIOUS OR REALLY SINCERE.

• THOSE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE SPIRITS OF MEN.

• OUR SPIRIT MAY OR MAY NOT BE KNOWN TO THE WORLD, WE CAN ACTS ALL THOSE WAYS AND REALLY NOT BE THEM AT ALL.

• BUT THE PEOPLE CLOSEST TO US KNOW OUR TRUE SPIRIT.

• THEY SEE IT OR HAVE SEEN IT ON A REGULAR BASIS,

• THESE BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS HAVE BEEN WITH US MOST OF OUR LIVES.

• THAT’S NOT SAYING THAT WE CAN’T CHANGE THE WAY WE INTERACT WITH THE WORLD.

• BUT THE SWEET PEOPLE, HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SWEET. THE CURIOUS, ALWAYS CURIOUS, THE COMPASSIONATE, ALWAYS COMPASSIONATE.

• THROUGH THE YEARS THEY CAN MELLOW IN THEIR SWEETNESS. THEY CAN GROW IN THEIR CURIOSITY. WE CAN MATURE IN OUR COMPASSION.

• OR, THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE OF LIFE, THEY CAN LOSE THOSE QUALITIES.

• THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE, JESUS SPIRIT REMAINED CONSTANT. HERE HE IS AS A BOY OF 12 –

LUKE 2:46-49 – THEN, AFTER THREE DAYS THEY FOUND HIM IN THE TEMPLE, SITTING IN THE MIDST OF THE TEACHERS, BOTH LISTENING TO THEM AND ASKING THEM QUESTIONS. AND ALL WHO HEARD HIM WERE AMAZED AT HIS UNDERSTANDING AND HIS ANSWERS. WHEN THEY SAW HIM, THEY WERE ASTONISHED; AND HIS MOTHER SAID TO HIM, “SON, WHY HAVE YOU TREATED US THIS WAY? BEHOLD, YOUR FATHER AND I HAVE BEEN ANXIOUSLY LOOKING FOR YOU.” AND HE SAID TO THEM, “WHY IS IT THAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR ME? DID YOU NOT KNOW THAT I HAD TO BE IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE?”

• AS A MAN IN HIS THIRTIES…

JOHN 4:34 - JESUS SAID TO THEM, “MY FOOD IS TO DO THE WILL OF HIM WHO SENT ME AND TO ACCOMPLISH HIS WORK.”

• IN THE LAST DAYS OF HIS LIFE…

JOHN 17:6 - “I HAVE MANIFESTED YOUR NAME TO THE MEN WHOM YOU GAVE ME OUT OF THE WORLD; THEY WERE YOURS AND YOU GAVE THEM TO ME, AND THEY HAVE KEPT YOUR WORD.”

• JESUS WAS CERTAINLY MORE FOCUSED THAN WE ARE BUT WHEN YOU GET DOWN TO IT, WE MAY HAVE MATURED AND GROWN UP,

• BUT MOST OF US ARE STILL THE SAME PEOPLE INSIDE THAT WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN, THAT IS OUR SPIRIT.

• THE SPIRIT OF MAN HAS BEEN CREATED BY GOD.

JOB 32:8 – THERE IS A SPIRIT IN MAN AND THE BREATH OF THE ALMIGHTY GIVES HIM UNDERSTANDING.

• THE SPIRIT OF MAN BELONGS TO GOD.

ECCLESIASTES 12:7 – SPEAKING OF DEATH - THEN THE DUST WILL RETURN TO THE EARTH AS IT WAS AND THE SPIRIT WILL RETURN TO GOD WHO GAVE IT.