The Holy Spirit Promise (Part 13)

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The Holy Spirit Promise

(Part 13)

Good morning and Welcome to Jesus Church – Here and Online

Jn. 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”

• So as Jesus is giving instructions to disciples (us) of “what now”
  • The very first thing he does to empower them
  • Breaths on them to receive the Holy Spirit
• So much of the New Testament church and ministry
  • It all revolves around the gifts & fruit of the Spirit
  • Yet many today dont know/think/care about the H.S. in their lives
• That can’t be the case for us if we wanna live in fulness of God’s plan
  • We must engage in a real relationship with the Holy Spirit
  • Your relationship will be strong or weak based on interaction
  • Just like any relationship would

Last week we talked about the dynamic between Holy Spirit and Worship

• John 4 says we worship in Spirit and Truth
  • And we know that there are many ways to worship Jesus
  • Singing is one of the vehicles… but so is service…

Rom. 12:1

Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer yourselves holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.

• And in the story of the woman who washes Jesus feet with her hair
  • We see a story that truly defines what worship is
  • Seeing Jesus – Desperate for him – Giving everything at his feet
• And that only happens when our eyes are on Jesus… not others
  • If you focus on other people – Worship won’t be to God
    • You’ll worship yourself if you focus on those worse than you
    • You’ll worship others if you focus on those better than you
  • And you will worship… who will depend on who you focus on

Tag: This week we will look at the Holy Spirts and being reborn

Jn 3:1-17

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? Very truly I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things? No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

[PRAY]

Anyone here say Cliché’s are a pet peeve?

Like I wrote down a few of my favorite

1. To be honest (because we all thought you were lying)
2. With all due respect (Followed by some demeaning statement)
3. One guy I know… constantly says “I’m gonna just sit there”

I have a sister-in-law a few years back was in college

• I guess the “in” thing to say was: Literally
  • Because literally everything needed the word literally before it
  • Like I literally drank a cup of coffee this morning
    • Opposed to figuratively drinking coffee
• Full disclaimer… I’m sure I’ll use multiple cliché sayings this morning
  • Because we all do it – we all use cliché’s like…
    • At the end of the day… what it all boils down to
    • Is basically… (Just used 3 clichés to make a sentence)

Something in our nature – wants to take the complexed & make it simple

• We want to take truth that has layers/complexities/depth
  • And shrink it down to 140 characters for our twitter feed
  • And in our twitterized world… something is almost always lost
• So where the original idea was effective… meaningful… profound
  • We package it up into a catchy phrase
  • And it becomes one dimensional and looses its power
• Looking at the passage we just read – Jn 3
  • 2 well know/overused/tired cliché sayings that need new life
  • And we need to open and look at again
  • They are “Eternal Life” & “Born Again”

First: Eternal Life (Lets understand the words used)

Eternal (GK) Ay-on-ion: Means Age or long period of time

• Greek scholars will read this as – The life of the Age to come
  • Because 1^st century Jews had different world view than today
  • They looked at human history as 2 ages – Age now & age to come
• And if you’ve been here for awhile… you have heard this lingo before
  • This age is where we live now
    • Time we live in now marked by rebellion against creator
    • Sin/Evil/Death/Injustice… even here today in our world
  • The age that was on the horizon – Age to come
    • Time in future when God would put the world to right
    • Marked by Justice/Peace/Healing
    • Heaven & Earth no longer separated but reunited
      • Names: Age to come/Eternal life/Kingdom of God
• So when you as a believer think of the idea of Eternal Life
  • Don’t just think of a never ending church service in the sky
    • Instead imagine hiking Yellowstone National Park
    • Or standing at the top of Mt. Everestt
    • Sitting on the sands of Hawaii listening to the waves
    • Imagine the taste of your favorite Steak or Tofu
    • Imagine incredible moments in time with friends & family
    • Imagine waking up to News App and no bad news
    • And the Spirit of God flooding every facete of your being
    • Even enhancing your senses – taste/color/smell
  • Imagine all the moments in life you wish you had a pause button
    • And now imagine all that not up in the sky
    • But here on this Earth… recreated by the creator himself
    • That is the age to come

And inbetween this present age and age to come – Resurrection of dead

• Where every single human who will ever lived (good/bad/ugly)
  • Comes back from dead to stand before creator to face judgment
  • Why Jesus rez was so hard for 1^st century Jews to understand
• They expected all humanity resurrected at the end of history
  • Jesus was one man resurrected in the middle of history
  • What does that mean…
• Jesus is weaving together the gap between here/now & age to come
  • Put it this way… Resurrection is dragging the future into present
  • Bringing the goodness of what we hope for into present reality
    • And this is what Jesus means when he says “Eternal Life”
    • And a lot of the time Jesus would shrink phrase to just “Life”

Jn. 10:10 (NKJV)

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Jesus was constantly calling everyone… from pharisee to prostitute

• Saying come to me because life is available through me
  • And not just in the future
  • Its available in the present
  • So come to me all you who are burdened

Tag: That is cliché #1 – Hopefully a bit more open for all of us

Second: Born Again (Loaded with ton of baggage)

There is a stereo type the media has associated with Born Again

• When many hear term born again – Think extreme fundamentalist
  • They think of picketers with signs that say “God hates…”
  • Or a narcissistic born again leader who uses religion for own gain
  • Media (Like/not) use born again people against born again people
• That stereo type in the culture/environment we live in
  • It’s a huge turn of… even though it’s a gross exaggeration
  • The term born again has lost its meaning in our world today

What Jesus meant by Born Again: A complete change of your deepest self

• Because the problem with all of us… not that we make mistakes (sin)
  • Problem is that we want to sin – Before Jesus
  • We have a deep tractor beam pull away what is good/pure/true
  • And towards what is harmful for us/world/bodies
    • And if you don’t believe that… just have a kid

• And I’d say that my kids are pretty darn good – behave/love God
  • But the problem is that they are my children
  • So they inherit a lot of my problems and issues and quirks
• What this means is we are born… but we also need to be reborn

Titus 3 (Picks up on this idea of rebirth)

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. (couple things Titus teaches here)

One: We need a new heart (emotional core – not organ)

• When you are filled with the Holy Spirit and changed
  • God actually changes the desires of your heart
  • Your deepest desire is no longer for evil but is now for God
• Doesn’t mean you don’t have other desires – Just not your deepest
  • So you can have a strong desire that is very shallow
  • But in the new heart Jesus gives you… you want God above all

Two: We receive a new family

• Paul writes to Titus that we become heirs (reborn to new family)
  • Where God is the Father… and we are royal son/daughter
  • Which means we all become brothers & sisters
• And not just here on Sunday – But also in life groups of 10/20
  • Around a table… in a living room… not just friends
  • But are family

Three: We receive a new future

• Paul says that we have a Hope of Eternal Life
  • So we’re set on whole new trajectory – past death to age to come
  • This… is rebirth or being born again

Tag: And if that makes you want to sign up…

This is what Jn 3 is all about

Jn 3:1

Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night

Ruling council (Sanhedrin) was most powerful Jewish group in Israel

• Nicodemus being on it… very smart… powerful… significant
  • In fact Jesus names him “THE TEACHER OF ISRAEL”
  • This is a perfect picture of a good religious Jew
• But he comes to Jesus at night (John has a double meaning)
  • 1^st: Is simply saying that he came to Jesus at night – secretly
  • 2^nd: John uses metaphors of light & dark – night & day all over
    • Night was symbolic for IGNORANCE about God and his plan
    • Johns way of saying this is a famous guy living in ignorance

Jn 3:2-3

He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

Jesus really cuts through the pleasantries and right to the issue

• Jesus saying NO ONE (not even you) can see the kingdom of God
  • Unless they are born again
  • Unless they have a new heart/family/future
• Why… because the age to come some things are Not Gonna Make It
  • In God’s new perfect world there is no room for
    • Hate/Inequality
    • Racism/Injustice
  • And problem is these THINGS aren’t just external in culture
    • They are inside each of our lives (mind/mouth/twitter)
    • Coming out when we are at our weakest
• So for you & me… to have capacity to breath air of God’s new world
  • We have to be reborn… we need a new heart

Jn 3:4

How can someone be born when they are old? Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”

Now this isn’t a dumb or sarcastic question – Nic is a really brilliant guy

• Smart enough to know that even if we could go back into womb
  • Ever think “If only I could go back and do things again”
  • Everything in my life would be so much better with a DO OVER
• And sure some of that is 100% true
  • But what he understands is that even if he could do all that
  • Issue: Even if he changed all the bad decisions Nicodemus made
  • He is still Nicodemus… with the same issues/sin/self
• Nicodemus is smart enough to realize 2^nd chances won’t help
  • Because 2^nd chances lead to 3^rd and to 4^th
  • We need more than a new slate… we need a new heart (reborn)

Jn 3:5-8

Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

What Jesus is getting at hear first is baptism – Jesus says we need baptism

• This is how we express our repentance and faith that saves us
  • Away from my past and to my future with God
  • Dropping everything else and telling Jesus “I’m in”

But Jesus also uses this word Pneuma (Spirit) – Spirit or Wind

• So not only do you need to be baptized with water
  • But you need a real encounter with the Holy Spirit
• Which is why Jesus says flesh births flesh and spirit births spirit
  • Because if you try to be reborn by flesh… things will never change
  • As much as a dog gives birth to a dog 100% of the time
  • Flesh always gives birth to more flesh
• We need a different birth – We need a new source of life
  • But how does Jesus describe the Spirit – Its like the wind
  • And good luck controlling that.. so we need an encounter w/ God
  • But you can’t control that/manipulate that/force that

Tag: This is how Jesus tells us: You need to be saved.. can’t save yourself

Jn 3:9

“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not understand these things? 

• Nicodemus really can’t wrap his brain around this
  • Because Jesus is telling him… you need to be baptized
    • And baptism was – Way non-Jews became followers of God
    • So this was something for outsiders to come into the family
  • Baptism wasn’t something a Jew would ever do… didn’t need it
    • Like me telling you… you aren’t an American citizen
    • So go sign up to take the test again… recertified
• So Nicodemus hears this… is thinking – I don’t need this
  • I don’t need to be saved – I’m a Jew… already there
  • He doesn’t need this renewal that is being give

And doesn’t this just remind you of the world we live in

• People don’t ask the question “How do I become saved”
  • Instead they say “I don’t think I need to be”
  • Because look around us…
    • We have so much safety… provided… protected
• Why in the world would I ever need to be saved from anything
  • And its even offensive
  • They think: Who is this telling me about salvation

But even in this culture… these questions…

• There is a deep question that lingers… there has to be more
  • More than working a job… hang out… watch a movie
  • Eat… Sleep… and repeat
• British Writer: Julian Barnes
  • Talks about how we live in this age where we only need ourselves
  • Starts a book “I don’t believe in God… but I miss him”
• Sociologist Charles Taylor
  • Writes about secularism… century ago atheism was absurd
    • And now the entire world lives in a constant state of doubt
    • “Even in secular age… we are HAUNTED BY TRANSENDENCE”
  • And all our questions for meaning come up empty
    • And death is not supposed to be the end… just doesn’t sit
    • Because there has to be more…

Tag: There is a God and we need to be saved (Jesus goes on to explain)

Jn 3:16-17

For God so loved  (this is God’s nature… gets angry but default is love towards you) the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever (no one is exempt) believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (future and here and now). For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

If you want to know what God is doing in the world

This is it right here… God is on a rescue mission for whoever will receive

• Doesn’t matter who you are… what you’ve done…
  • God is passionately pursuing the entire world to save them
  • To reunite you and me with him now and in age to come
  • This is what God is doing – What he is after

End of the story is very weird – Because what happens to Nicodemus

• He literally disappears from the story
  • No exit or conclusion to the conversation
  • And as the reader… we want to know what happened
  • Did he believe or not (reborn or not)
• And we will never know… and not because John has ADHD
  • No its on purpose – Whole point is to find ourselves in the story
  • Because here is a little Nicodemus in all of us
  • Which makes this a warning… but also an invitation

To end – As a follower of Jesus

• Don’t forget who you are… you have been reborn with a new heart
  • There is a new mind and future
  • So when old desires come up – Don’t forget that’s no longer you
  • And your deepest desire is God itself
    • #1 Reason not to sin: Whatever sin gives you… Jesus better
    • And nothing is wrong the trade of vs life with the Spirit
• Also Don’t forget where you are going
  • Some of you… life is really good/happy/no issues
    • Some of you… stuggling with depression/anxiety/sorrow
    • Hard to get out of bed to face another day
  • Remember in the reality of this age we all live in
    • Don’t forget where you are going
    • Everything you are feeling is temporary
  • And that doesn’t mean its ok – or easy – or isn’t real right now
    • But it will make it easier
    • Because you can go through the emotions, but with hope
• And regardless of how hard it is right now… resurrection is coming
  • And with it is a new body is coming
    • A new cultural norm is coming
    • A new family and future is coming
  • The best side of the story
    • Its always on the other side of resurrection

And if you aren’t a follower of Jesus – Glad you are here

• And for you is an invitation to believe
  • Yes that Jesus was real and a very good teacher
  • But he was so much more… embodiment of God himself
  • And if you believe that (ask all the questions you want)
    • We are here to help
    • But if you are ready… next step is confession & baptism