Wind II – Symbols of the Holy Spirit
Hillcrest Church, August 15, 2009
Text
" Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." 3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." 4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8 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."" (John 3:1-8 NIV)
" When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." (Acts 2:1-4 NIV)
Review
Last week, we learned several important things about the Holy Spirit by thinking about the wind.
The Holy Spirit is invisible.
In order to live in His fullness, we must be convinced of His reality.
The Holy Spirit is "feel-able."
In order to live in His fullness, we must cultivate spiritual sensitivity.
The Holy Spirit is inscrutable.
In order to live in His fullness, we must appreciate His mystery.
The Holy Spirit is unpredictable.
In order to live in His fullness, we must acknowledge His sovereignty.
In order to live in His fullness, we must be willing to respond to His initiatives.
Introduction
Today, we are going to learn three more important parallels between wind and the Holy Spirit.
This symbol is one of the most common in the Bible. In both the Old and New Testaments, in the original languages, the term "spirit" is linked to "wind." Jesus breathed on His disciples and told them to receive the Holy Spirit.
"22 And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." (John 20:22 NIV)
The Holy Spirit is directional.
The Bible does not compare the Holy Spirit to air, but to wind.
The definition of wind is "air in motion."
Air is static; wind is always dynamic.
Wind is always going somewhere. It is always blowing in a direction.
We feel the breeze as the wind blows across our skin. It is coming from somewhere and it is going to somewhere.
We stand in the "middle" of a breeze.
The Holy Spirit always has a direction He wants to move in.
"The task of every generation is to find the direction in which the Holy Spirit is moving and then to move in that direction." (Jonathan Edwards per R.T. Kendall)
He wants to take us somewhere we have never gone so that we can become something we have never been and do things for God that we have never done.
The Holy Spirit comes to give each of us the power to go somewhere to help someone.
The Holy Spirit wants to send each of us into someone's world somewhere around the world.
The Holy Spirit always concerns Himself with missions…!
Not just evangelism, but also missions…!
A church without a foreign missions program is a weak church.
A church without a foreign missions program is a sick church.
A church without a foreign missions program is a powerless church.
A church without a foreign missions program is a dying church.
A church without a foreign missions program is a sinful church.
A church which prioritizes missions will be a blessed church.
Testimony of Tri-County Assemblies of God in Hamilton, Ohio. In spite of many problems and heavy indebtedness, they actually increased their missions giving and paid their building off over time against incredible odds!
Paul's promise to the Philippian Christians was given in the context of a reference to their missions commitment (their financial support of his missionary ministry).
" 10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me…14 …it was good of you to share in my troubles. 15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need….18 …I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. 19 And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:10-19 NIV)
This verse is not a blanket promise made to every Christian. It is a specific promise made to missions-minded Christians…!
Jesus said, "You will be witnesses around the world," not you "could" or you "should" or you "might" have a world-wide witness…! He said, "You will be witlessness…!"
The characterized the early Pentecostal movement. In fact, the original purpose for the first gathering of what has become the largest Pentecostal denomination (the Assemblies of God) was a missions consultation in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Going to the ends of the earth implies change. In order to live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, I must be willing to embrace Spirit-inspired change.
- In order to live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, I must be willing to follow His leadings.
The Holy Spirit is powerful.
This was the promise of Jesus to His disciples concerning the Holy Spirit.
" In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." 6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."" (Acts 1:1-8 NIV)
Notice the context of this promise of power and the contrast between their priorities and that of Jesus:
The disciples were concerned about God restoring the kingdom; Jesus spoke about expanding the kingdom.
They were interested in what God wanted to do for their country; Jesus spoke about what God wanted to do for other countries.
They were focused on what God would do for them; Jesus said the Holy Spirit would come to help them focus on others.
Selfishness has always been a core human problem.
The human heart is essentially selfish.
Sin, in fact, is always an expression of selfishness.
That is why Jesus said the most important commandments (the two primary keys to holiness) were loving God and loving people as ourselves!
" 28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" 29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."" (Mark 12:28-31 NIV)
It is also why John Wesley rarely used the term, "sanctification," but instead spoke of "perfect love."
The selfish nature of every human heart is why every church in the world has an inherent tendency to turn inward, to focus on meeting its own needs instead of focusing on meeting the needs of others, like a car with its front end out of line that constantly turns to one side.
But, the Holy Spirit comes to help us overcome those tendencies…!
The Holy Spirit comes to give us the power to overcome sin and to move beyond selfishness to selflessness.
" 16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." (Galatians 5:16 NIV)
"16 My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness." (Galatians 5:16 The Message)
The Holy Spirit comes to give us the power to meet human need.
Example: man at the gate of the temple called Beautiful.
" One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11 While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade." (Acts 3:1-11 NIV)
" The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day." (Acts 4:1-3 NIV)
"18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. 20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." 21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old. 23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them." (Acts 4:18-24 NIV)
"29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." (Acts 4:29-31 NIV)
Peter had walked by this man every day without feeling compelled to respond to his needs, but now, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, he reached out his hand in response.
The Holy Spirit comes to give us the power to live a life beyond ourselves.
The Holy Spirit comes to give us the power to meet the needs of others.
- In order to live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, I must be willing to respond to the needs of others.
The Holy Spirit is beneficial.
On a natural level, we easily realize that the right amount of wind at the right time brings tremendous refreshing to our lives.
My Amish experience – without air conditioning, ice cream and a cool breeze felt mighty good!
Of course, in the natural, wind can also be destructive (tornado/hurricane), but on a spiritual level, there is never anything to fear.
Man does not have any more power over the wind than he does over the day of his death, but God does!
"8 No man has power over the wind to contain it; so no one has power over the day of his death…" (Ecclesiastes 8:8 NIV)
God establishes the force of the wind.
"25 When he established the force of the wind and measured out the waters, 26 when he made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm," (Job 28:25-26 NIV)
Even the stormy winds do his bidding.
"7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths, 8 lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding," (Psalm 148:7-8 NIV)
Satan stirred up winds to destroy Job's house, but God recompensed him!
"17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!" 18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"" (Job 1:17-19 NIV)
"10 After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before. 11 All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him before came and ate with him in his house. They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the Lord had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. 12 The Lord blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first. He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys. 13 And he also had seven sons and three daughters. 14 The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch. 15 Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers. 16 After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation. 17 And so he died, old and full of years." (Job 42:10-17 NIV)
The Holy Spirit comes to edify the Body of Christ.
"3 But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening (KJV – edification), encouragement and comfort." (1 Corinthians 14:3 NIV)
"11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV)
In Scripture, God often used wind to bring blessings:
Provision – quail
"31 Now a wind went out from the Lord and drove quail in from the sea. It brought them down all around the camp to about three feet above the ground, as far as a day's walk in any direction. 32 All that day and night and all the next day the people went out and gathered quail. No one gathered less than ten homers. Then they spread them out all around the camp." (Numbers 11:31-32 NIV)
They responded wrongly and the flesh began to rot in their teeth, but God's provision came through the wind.
Deliverance – parting waters
Same wind brought judgment to wicked and deliverance to the innocent (cf. locusts)
"21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided," (Exodus 14:21 NIV)
"13 So Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and the Lord made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts; 14 they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again. 15 They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured all that was left after the hail—everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt. 16 Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. 17 Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me." 18 Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. 19 And the Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea. Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt." (Exodus 10:13-19 NIV)
Refreshing - rain
"41 And Elijah said to Ahab, "Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain." 42 So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. 43 "Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked. "There is nothing there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back." 44 The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea." So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.' " 45 Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel." (1 Kings 18:41-45 NIV)
New beginning – after Noah, winds caused the waters to recede.
"1 But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded." (Genesis 8:1 NIV)
In Scripture, there is even a connection between wind and angels.
"1 Praise the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. 2 He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent 3 and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. 4 He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants." (Psalm 104:1-4 NIV)
"1 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. 2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: 3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind: 4 Who maketh his angels
spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:" (Psalm 104:1-4 KJV)
In order to benefit from the power of the wind, we must position ourselves correctly.
Through my personal fascination with sailing, I am coming to better understand the value of wind. Sails have "trailers" that come off of the sail to help a sailor know if his sails are positioned correctly or not.
Our contemplative prayer class will help you learn to sense the moving of the Holy Spirit.
Some "places" are known to be more windy than others.
Sometimes revival is like that.
Concept of "prevailing winds" (sailing classes at Lake Ray Hubbard, the Gulf Stream – sailboats off the coast of the U.S.A., but sometimes weather patterns change.
- In order to live in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, I must be willing to rely on His resources.
