Paradigm Of Receiving The Holy Spirit.
Gal. 3:3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
This speaks directly to all of us in this room, not only the Galatians Paul is writing to. In essence Paul is telling us this: If your spiritual rebirth was accomplished by the Holy Spirit. Then your spiritual walk is accomplished by the Holy Spirit.
If we look at this same from the translation THE MESSAGE we see:
Gal. 3:3 Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it?
Clearly only God can spiritually renew us – only God can complete us spiritually. Have you been living this way? Trying hard by your own will and power to make your Christian life work? Let’s take a short self examination: When was the last time I was lead by the Holy Spirit to act or speak? What was the last situation I couldn’t handle, but clearly God handled it? When was the last time I felt the powerful presence of the Spirit?
Those are easy questions for some of us and not so easy for others of us. We have looked at the Holy Spirit and have seen that he is sent to us to empower and equip our lives. Today as we wrap up looking at the Holy Spirit. We will look specifically at – how do I receive the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
In Galatians 3:3 Paul reminds us that it is not by human effort we strive, but by the Spirit.
In 3:2 he reminds us how we receive the Holy Spirit. Gal. 3:2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?
We receive the Holy Spirit by faith. It is pretty simple – but at the same time pretty complex. Calvin tells us in his commentary on Galatians, he tells us that the meaning of receiving the Spirit here is two fold: One – In faith when we first believed. Two - In faith as the Spirit enables us to live our Christian walk. This confirms what we learned earlier, the Spirit comes within us when we turn to Christ and the Spirit comes upon us in enabling power again and again. Why is it, that w as Christians have full access to the Holy Spirit but had a hard time answering those questions I asked earlier?
Dr. Loder – Ego and the Holy Spirit. Coping with difficulty in our life. We all have difficultie and so we gradually build walls for protection around our ego. In some it is more obvious than others. This is reality.
Little kids say anything, don’t they – they are so open to the world. When I would go shopping with Spence at age three, everyone we pased by he would say, "Hi I’m Spencer, what is you name?" Many people were so taken back - who is this kid?
It is no coincidence that about majority of people come to Christ before age 18.(Poll – how many here became a Christian before age 18) I did. A lot of the reason, is because the walls of self preservation are not built up as much yet.
For us this morning we are looking at receiving the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. How we do that is by faith. Let’s see how that faith works out in our lives.
Spiritual Hunger For The Lord.
Jesus teaches that he is living water, and the people do not understand.John 7:38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
John 7:40 On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”
John 7:41 Others said, “He is the Christ.”
Still others asked, “How can the Christ come from Galilee?
John 7:43 Thus the people were divided because of Jesus.
Why did they not understand?
Verse 39 tells us: 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.
What they are to thirst for? Not water – but the Spirit. What you long for in life is not: Success, Security, Adventure, Being the best you can be, but the Spirit. Many here can testify that they have worked hard and accomplished more than they ever thought possible. But with every accomplishment, there is the realization that, that wasn’t it. We thirst for the Spirit.
In the same way In John Chapter 6, Jesus teaches that he is the bread of life, and the people do not understand. John 6:47 I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life.
49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”John 6:60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
They do not understand. They want to accomplish without the Spirit. This is why it is so hard to understand.
Jesus informs us that the thirst and hunger in our life – he will fulfill.
How will he fulfill them….? 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. Jesus will fulfill them through the Spirit. They will not be fulfilled by what we accomplish – without the Spirit. They will not be fulfilled by how well we act – without the Spirit. They will be fulfilled in no other way. We are all given a spiritual thirst, a spiritual hunger, something we try to satisfy in so many ways. The place to start is to direct the thirst and hunger in your life toward Christ.
When I Hunger and Thirst for more of Jesus Christ in my life I set the stage - I then need to understand that God will do what he will do….
Expectation of the Spirit’s Power.
Eph. 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
We have fairly limited expectations. What are your expectations of God in your life?Another way of saying what are your expectations is: What kind of faith do you have in Jesus? Clearly understanding that my faith will not make things happen, God will make things happen shows the right expectations in a Christian life.
If you pray for God’s blessing on your life – what do you really expect?
John 14:18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
Jesus promises us, promises us, we will not be left spiritually alone. When you put your faith in Jesus, expect him to act. You can bank on it. Our expectations lead us to be willing to receive.
Willingness To Receive The Spirit.
I can have all the faith and expectation in the world, but if I am not willing to receive the power of the Spirit, my expectations are for nothing.
Luke 11:9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Asking God for something is not going out and getting it. If I come before God and ask for the power of the Holy Spirit - That is not taking it or appropriating it - It is asking – and that is perfectly ok. If I want the blessing of the power of the Holy Spirit and don’t express a desire,
do I really want it? No.
James 4:2 You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.
That’s pretty straight forward,I think a little strong for us, but really, if we don’t ask, how can we complain.
Story – Well, did you pray about it.
Fred had several enterprises working at once. Everything started floundering at once. If one or two had, a little trouble things would be ok, but not everything at once.It was a nightmare, Fred thought he would lose everything. He didn’t know what to do. He was seeking counsel from some others at church – good move.
Then Sharon joined in the conversation she i one of those people whoeople who just say it, she doesnt beat around the bush, she doesn’t worry about approaching an issue softly. "Well, have you prayed about it?." Turned out to be the best advice. Fred had never approached God about his business. What happened in the next two years changed his life.
Do I want it bad enough to ask?
Faith In The Promises Of God.
Hunger, expectation, willingness and faith.
1John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
It is not that we ask and receive, but ask and receive within his will. It is also not subject to our emotions or experience – but the promises of God.
Gal. 3:2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?
We receive by faith, not any other way. Obedience to the Holy Spirit. Finally we need to take chances, if we think, feel, understand the Holy Spirit moving us in a direction, we need to be stepping out and taking a chance.
Matt. 14:29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
Peter took a chance. He took that chance by faith. And it didn’t work out so well did it? He started sinking when he realized what he was doing. Who else got out of the boat? I’m sure Jesus was pleased. Why do you think Peter was in the inner circle of the disciples? Because of his success? Hardly. Because of his openness to Jesus, Jesus was able to work with him. Obedience to the Spirit followed.
Surrender Of The Will
The sovereignty of God is behind all of this.
Hunger, expectation, willingness, faith, obedience
To sum all this up - surrender of my will to God. If we truly desire and ask God for the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives He will provide, in his way and in his time.
Next Week: The Resurrection: What does it mean for us today?
