This morning we’re going to talk about the Holy Spirit. The first time we hear about the Holy Spirit is *Genesis 1:1-3a, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said let there be. . .”
Modern Physicists disagree… but the two most powerful forces ever unleashed this side of heaven are the Spirit of God and the Word of God. In verse 2, the Spirit of God is hovering over the watery depths. This is the imagery of a mother hovering over her nest—doting over, nurturing, guiding, directing, overseeing the life emerging within. In verse 3, the Word that proceeds from God powerfully creates, fashions, makes. The thing I take from Genesis 1 is that no amount of chaos in this world, no amount of emptiness, no darkness, no depth—nothing in all creation can impede not the Spirit of God, nor Word of God. In fact, from cover to cover in the Bible … God’s own Spirit and Eternal Word work in concert to bring about His purpose, plan, and designs.
There is no sure thing we can stake our lives upon than God’s Spirit and God’s Word. The Bible is a historical account of how God, in every generation, by his Spirit, and according to his Word, faithfully fulfills all he promises. This includes our generation as much as any other generation.
These past months we’ve been unpacking Luke and Acts. In Luke’s Gospel, Luke is showing how by his Spirit, and according to his Word, God faithfully fulfills his ancient promise to send forth Christ Jesus. *Luke 1:1, “Many have undertaken to compile a narrative about the events that have been fulfilled among us…” You can think of it this way. The Word is a witness of the Spirit; the Spirit is a witness of the Word. They always work in tandem with one another. . . so that all God does in the world, in our lives, in the church, in the kingdom… at every turn… is punctuated (authenticated) by God’s Word and God’s Spirit.
All across the digisphere, because of all the fraud, I’ve noticed they’ve done this very annoying thing. They’ve instituted double-authentication on all our accounts of importance. It’s not enough to input your username and password. No, they send a passcode to verify your cell phone. A computer calls your home to give a five-digit number. An email is generated with a QR code. They don’t ask your mother’s maiden name, childhood street address, or favorite team anymore. And everything has to correspond perfectly, every time, or you’re not trusted. God authenticates Himself to us not just by his Spirit but according to his Word.
I went back through Luke. Did you know Luke connects everything related to Christ directly to God’s Spirit and God’s Word? (1) John the Baptist… Luke says he was filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb. And in *Luke 1:15-17, he’d go before Jesus “in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous.” John the Baptist had the authenticating stamp of the Spirit but also the authenticating prophetic word of God (as spoken by Elijah). Luke wants us to see God is working through John Baptist in concert with his own Spirit and Word.
(2) Luke 1:31-33 an Angel of God appears to Mary. The angel tells Mary she will give birth a son, and to name him Jesus. “He will be great and be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.” Well, if an angel says it we should automatically just believe it right? Not so fast. In *Acts 1:16 Luke frames it this way: “Brothers and sisters, it was necessary that the Scripture (WORD) be fulfilled that the HOLY SPIRIT through the mouth of David foretold…” Our confidence isn’t in human beings, nor angels… no more than the digisphere places confidence in human beings. But if a thing (such as the arrival of John the Baptist, such as the birth of Jesus) carried Divine Dual Authentication of both the Word + Spirit then by golly it’s to be TRUSTED absolutely.
(3) *Luke 2:25-32. Some devout and righteous dude named Simeon, who was waiting for the consolation of Israel sees Jesus. Notice what Luke tells us! “. . .the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said, 29 Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation. 31 You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples— 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel.” *It’s not coincidental. The dual and divine authentication of both the Word and the Spirit is what excites Simeon’s faith.
(4) Luke’s Gospel. So, in Luke’s gospel Jesus is born and comes of age. How would God authenticate and commend his Son Jesus to the world? Throughout Luke’s gospel Luke is consumed with showing us two things. First, he shows us all the ways Jesus fulfilled God’s ancient Promises and Word! Second, he shows us how the Holy Spirit was all over Jesus’ life and ministry. The Spirit’s hovering, doting, nurturing, empowering, anointing, enabling power is one greatest facts of Jesus’ earthly life!
It's breathtaking. Luke 3:21-22. Jesus is baptized and the Spirit descends upon him. Luke 4:1 Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, is led by Spirit into the Wilderness where he not only does a supernatural 40-day fast, but overcomes every category of temptation Satan throws at him. Jesus full of the Spirit throws the Word of God back in Satan’s face three times. It is written, it is written, it is written. Satan cannot overcome the Word of God and the Spirit in concert in Jesus!
Luke 4:14, “Then Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread throughout the entire vicinity.” *Luke 4:17-21 Jesus fulfills Isaiah’s Promise! “The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him, and unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written: “18 The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. 20 He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled.”
The Spirit authenticates Jesus by giving Jesus power and authority over sickness, disease, over death, over every power or force of darkness. Over temptation, over demons, over elements of nature. Jesus has power and authority to forgive even sin.
Here’s a little factoid for you. Jesus is so full of the power of the Holy Spirit he is accused of public drunkenness! Luke 7:33-35 “For John the Baptist did not come eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’” Do you remember any other occasion the Spirit filled some people to the point that they were accused of being drunk?
By far, the most incredible thing Luke tells us about Jesus, is in *Luke 11:9-13: “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, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” [ask, seek, knock for what prey tell???] “11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? [Oh, Jesus wants to give us a nice breakfast?? NO!] 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”
We already have God’s Word, that should be enough. But Luke quotes Jesus here. God is going to freely give—pour out his Spirit upon us—John baptized with water but Jesus has power to baptize into Spirit… to give Spirit to all who ask!
Do you remember how Luke ends? Jesus appears to the two discouraged disciples on the Road to Emmaus. They’d put their hope in Jesus, but Jesus had been crucified, and rumors were swirling about the resurrection, but they were depressed. Jesus meets up with them incognito as they walk along as they argue about… and do you remember what it was that instigated and excited their faith?
Luke 24:25-27, not just Jesus’ physical presence… the WORD excited their faith, and authenticated Jesus. “[Jesus] said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.”
But it isn’t just the Scriptures and Word. For *Luke 24:30-32 says, “It was as [Jesus] reclined at the table with them that he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Weren’t our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?”
Just notice that it’s not just the WORD, but it’s the tandem authentication of the SPIRIT (in concert with the WORD) burning white hot in these two disciples, that aroused their faith!
Why does Jesus’ seem so dead to people today? Why is faith dying? Why are so many people –this whole next generation-- drifting into disbelief and doubt, deconstructing… self-destructing? Could it be that we’ve neglected, and neither know the WORD of God, the Holy Scriptures… neither have we sought the ever-burning presence and power and fire of God’s Holy Spirit to light our hearts and faith ablaze! Apart from the WORD and SPIRIT we are spiritually dead. But just like the SPIRIT and WORD gave rise to all creation so the SPIRIT and WORD can resurrect our dead souls and cause us to become New Creations in Christ Jesus!
Acts 2 records the birth of the Church, By God’s Spirit and According to Word: The last verse of Luke, *Luke 24:49, Jesus says, “And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high.” The opening verses of Acts, *Acts 1:4-5, “While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about… for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.”
Do you know that in Scripture God makes two epic promises to you? The first Epic promise is found in *Jeremiah 31:33-34, “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin.” This is the substance of Luke’s Gospel of Jesus arrival…
The second Epic promise is found in *Ezekiel 36:24-28. God declares, “‘For I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25 I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances. 28 You will live in the land that I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.” This second promise is the substance of Acts. Acts is the Gospel of Holy Spirit’s arrival!
*Acts 2:2-13, “When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. 3 They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. 4 Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them.” (like Mary, like Simeon, John Baptist, like David, Like Elijah)
“5 Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under heaven. 6 When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 They were astounded and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.” 12 They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But some sneered and said, “They’re drunk on new wine.”
They already knew about the coming of the Spirit from the written word of God and from the living word of God Jesus Christ himself. But now they would have the Church would have the confirmation of the Spirit of God burning within their own hearts by faith.
The Spirit manifests audibly… as sound of a violent rushing wind.
The Spirit manifests experientially… it filled the house where they stayed.
The Spirit manifests visibly… appearing like tongues of fire.
The Spirit manifests personally… it separated and rested upon each “one.”
The Spirit manifests corporately… they were “all” filled with Holy Spirit
The Spirit manifests supernaturally… ordinary, uncultured, backwoodsy Galileans were empowered to speak in different recognizable languages.
The Spirit manifests internationally… representatives from all over world, Jews, devout people from every nation under heaven… each one heard them speaking in their own native language. …aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 How is it that each of us can hear them in our own native language?
Parthians, Medes, Elamites; those who live in Mesopotamia, in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts), Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the magnificent acts of God in our own tongues.
By His Spirit… According to his Ancient Word and Promises… God is authenticating fulfilling his very great and precious promises to all who might believe:
“I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. They will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”—this is the Lord’s declaration.
For I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries, and will bring you into your own land. I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.