Sermon Central
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Your Place To Stand Together Series
Contributed by D. Greg Ebie on Aug 21, 2016 (message contributor)
Summary: At unlikely times and places our love for each other will be TESTED. When the relational road becomes rocky God’s Spirit will blow into our lives in order to strengthen us to stand together in UNBROKEN UNITY. You cannot be in relationship with God alone.
UNLIKELY - Your Place to Stand Together
John 3:7-8 MsgB
“So don’t be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be ‘born from above’—out of this world, so to speak. You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it’s headed next. That’s the way it is with everyone ‘born from above’ by the wind of God, the Spirit of God.”
God has a place for the unlikely; the wind of the Spirit will blow us into surprising places to accomplish His purpose in our lives.
The Greek “pneuma” and Hebrew “rauch” are translated into English how?
Wind
Breath
spirit or Spirit
What does the “pneuma” “rauch” or wind follow? What does this tell us about the work of the Spirit?
The wind follows a PRESCRIBED PATH.
The Spirit works to fulfill GOD’S CREATIVE PURPOSE in our lives.
What caused Nicodemus to recognize the “pneuma” “rauch” as the Spirit of God?
THE UNBREAKABLE UNITY OF GOD.
The unbreakable unity of God also caused Nicodemus to recognize the “pneuma” “rauch” or Spirit of God as Who ?
THE MESSIAH
The New Testament demonstrates the unbreakable unity of God as the Spirit of God and Messiah are one. ⇛ Luke 4:14, 18 NIV
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. . . .18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me. . .”
The Spirit and Jesus the Messiah are ONE. Therefore Jesus is not a mystery or unknowable, but makes Himself known to us by the Spirit - His breath, His Wind - in us.
Will we YIELD to the Holy Spirit, or will we push back and RESIST the wind of the Spirit? We can choose to either push against the wind, or we can open the sail of our hearts to be carried along by the Spirit of God being transformed to be more like Jesus.
God has a place for the unlikely -
- a place in an uncertain future
- a place in the battle
- a place at the King’s table
- a place to give with open hands.
- a place to stand together.
At unlikely times and places our love for each other will be TESTED. When the relational road becomes rocky God’s Spirit will blow into our lives in order to strengthen us to stand together in UNBROKEN UNITY.
God has brought us into covenant relationship with one another.
You cannot be in relationship with God alone or in a vacuum. From the beginning God said “It is not good for man to be alone.” Adam was in a relationship with God unlike anyone else has ever had. Free from the curse of sin Adam enjoyed unbroken fellowship with God, but the LORD said this was not good. God did not want Adam to keep his relationship with the LORD to himself; this was not good. Adam needed to share his encounter with God with someone else. That’s why God gave Eve to Adam. Eve not only completed Adam as a helpmate, but Eve further developed Adam’s relationship with God. With Eve, Adam had someone to share his devotion for God with.
I know Susie loves me by how she relates with me; we enjoy spending time together. But I know her love in a deeper way by how she expresses her devotion to me as her husband with others. The way she talks about me with our children or others people proves her love in far greater ways than anything else she could do for me. She doesn’t jus love me when we are together; her love is expressed when she is with other people - even if I’m not there.
Our love for God is expressed in how we relate with each other. It is impossible to love God and not show it by how we get along with one another.
1 John 4:19-21 NIV
19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
Our love for each other will be tested. God’s desire is that we prove our love for Him by passing the relational test. Therefore, the Wind of God will blow into our lives at unlikely times and places to empower us to truly love each other.
Let’s look at two similar stories of conflict among the people of God to discover how God’s Spirit will blow into these unlikely places in our lives to accomplish His purpose.
