Empowered by the Spirit: Living as God's Temples

The stories involving Moses and the burning bush, Mount Sinai, the tabernacle, and the temple, all feature fire as a sign of God's presence and his dwelling space or temple. Now, in Acts 2, Luke, the writer of this book, connects the Pentecost story to these earlier events. The divine fire has previously rested on God's temple spaces, and so where does it rest in this scene that we see in Acts 2? Here's what it says. It says, they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. [00:07:35]

Before this amazing event, Jesus told his disciples in Acts chapter 1 verse 8, he says, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witness in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Some of those filled on the day of Pentecost with the Holy Spirit eventually scattered outside of Jerusalem to share this good news. Remember, there were 120 in the upper room when the sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven, and then it goes on to tell us that Peter addressed the crowd, and 3,000 people decided to follow Jesus. [00:08:30]

The story tells us that God now dwells within the community of Jesus' followers. These living temples are made of people who look like Jesus. Romans 8, 29 reads, God has predestined his people, you and me, to be conformed to the image of his Son. That is, to become like Jesus. Conformity to the image of God means to become like Jesus. It is by the indwelling Spirit himself that we are being changed from glory to glory. It is. It is amazing. It is a magnificent vision. [00:09:17]

The very spirit that filled Jesus, the spirit of fire and wind has now come to fill, to make a home within all who follow Jesus. If you are a follower of Jesus, you have been filled. You have been filled with the very power that brought form to God's creation, that parted the Red Sea. If you are a follower of Jesus, you have been tabernacled by the very same spirit that made a home in Jesus. [00:13:45]

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. You were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies. You, your individual physical body is filled with fire and wind that filled the Exodus tabernacle and that filled Jesus. You are the here and now dwelling place of God. You are a walking, talking tabernacle. [00:15:13]

No one is going to make you walk the plank so that you'll dive into the deep end. Grace abounds to all. So, what transpires for some is an awakening to the Holy Spirit, to his comfort, his transforming their hearts, his empowering to truly love God and others, his leaving them into memories they've been afraid to speak of, his healing as he leads them to renounce some of their negative memories, some mental strongholds that have kept them bound for years. [00:18:40]

It is their desire for more that drives them towards the cross of Jesus, to die to the old self, and then be resurrected to stand in their true selves. We need this awakening to the Holy Spirit to heal us of our need to control, our need to perform for the affections of others. We need this for a renewed hope and joy to those of us wrestling with our faith. We need the Holy Spirit to come into our lives so that we can pour into our families and pour out beyond the walls of this church to the lost, the houseless, the hurting, those that have suffered injustice. [00:19:19]

This, what I've just read to you, is what a Spirit-filled community looks like. This is why we need the Holy Spirit, dear ones. Because without Him, we will not bring justice to those that have suffered injustice. Without Him, we will want to hoard our money rather than freely give to the needs in this church. Because without Him, we won't see people healed from their painful childhoods of neglect and abuse. Because without Him, we will not love well. [00:21:01]

Billy Graham, famous evangelist, he says, Everywhere I go, I find that God's people lack something. They are hungry for something. Their Christian experience is not all they expected. And they often have recurring defeat in their lives. Christians today are hungry for spiritual fulfillment. The most desperate need of the nation today is that men and women who profess Jesus be filled with the Holy Spirit. [00:21:55]

Many, many of these people, many of that have been through our Healing Path group, have been healed of significant father wounds, mother wounds, tapped into grief and loss that have been buried for years. They've been empowered to forgive their abusers, to forgive their bullies. They've overcome their self-hatred, their shame and fears, and learned how to accept themselves as the beloved of God. You know, I tell my leaders, it's not us, it's the Holy Spirit. [00:29:11]

Our Western culture has kept us fearful of experience. We get into cognitive ruminations about the Holy Spirit and his presence in our lives. The power of the Holy Spirit should first change our imagination to one that is redeemed. It means seeing beyond the present reality to what is possible. This requires a spirit-shaped imagination to envision what can happen if the Holy Spirit fills our daily lives, including the chaos. [00:30:37]

If we opened our imaginations to the holy spirit who is active and creative today as ever we can see greater possibilities and so what are you aiming for what are you aiming for that is too small the same spirit that challenges our limited visions can also expand our imaginations if we let go and we surrender i'm almost done i was mindful of the laodicean church i think it's in revelation 3 and they believed i am rich i've acquired wealth and i do not need a thing but they did not realize they were wretched pitiful poor blind and naked let us not make that mistake hopefully we will become a church compelled by love instead of fear the world we live in creates enemies and divides people it's an election year folks falsely claiming that some are lovable and others are throwaways but not so in the kingdom of god in god's empire all people mutually love one another without partiality there is no favoritism in god's kingdom amen [00:31:52]