Post Pandemic Preaching - The Spirit of the Living God
Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?
And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
This is the great and first commandment.
And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
Matthew 22:35-40 in the Recovery Version
[This is the 12th lesson of this series]
The religious leaders at the time of Jesus tried again and again to question Him, trap Him, discredit Him, destroy Him. Yet they were always unsuccessful (even after they schemed to have Him killed). These blind guides, without knowing it, were more concerned with having their moment, being in the spotlight, shining in the present time (being famous in their time) than what's in the future and helping people reach eternity in heaven.
They were so sure of themselves and their puffed up head knowledge of Scriptures and the Law (theirs and God's) and the Prophecies, but they lack two important things -- the most important One, the Holy Spirit and a new heart (9th lesson of this series).
Religion
Religious leaders and religious people have been playing religion for a long time. Then Jesus of Nazareth came along, showed us God's Kingdom, did away with religion, gave us a new heart and He left us under the guidance and the care of the Holy Spirit. But people merely went back to their religious games, did not matter if they were with or without the Spirit.
It takes a Damascus Road experience to (sometimes) wake us up from both our "wakeness" state or our stupor/slumber. It takes the Spirit to blind us, funny how like Saul (and his fellow Pharisees), we didn't know we were blind back when we could see. Like Saul, all legalistic people and some skeptics and stiff necked people were able to see, but didn't see God until they lost their physical sight. Thus making 'we live by faith not by sight' take on the proper meaning.
Pentecost
Without the event that happened at Pentecost (that what Jesus was referring to when He told the disciples to wait for power from high), then Peter would have been still Simon or Peter the wavering rock. All of the disciples would.
Damascus Road
Paul would have been still Saul and wouldn't have been able to reach the Gentiles (us) and write the Epistles (without his Damascus Road). But I digress. If not for Christ Jesus and God's plan of redemption and everything happening just as He had planned then nada, we all can do nothing.
New Life
We are made new once the old us has passed away.
Those who have been forgiven much, loves God much. Those who are self-made, self-sufficient, proud of self, no need of God (AKA legalistic, all about me Pharisees, Sadducess, Teachers of the Law, Scribes) will forever be relying on their own strength, own righteousness. They will always be old wineskins containing their old bloated dead old selves and egos -- full of themselves and no space for the Holy Spirit but their good works (and busy trying to appear as "righteous").
Love
Following the commands of God, doing ministry, doing "church", spreading the word about the Kingdom of God is nothing about the person sharing. It is nothing about us (or the preacher). God can always use someone else if we decide not to do what God had planned for us to do.
Religion
Religious leaders and religious people have been playing religion for a long time. Then Jesus of Nazareth came along, showed us God's Kingdom, did away with religion, gave us a new heart and He left us under the guidance and the care of the Holy Spirit. But people merely went back to their religious games, did not matter if they were with or without the Spirit.
It takes a Damascus Road experience to (sometimes) wake us up from both our "wakeness" state or our stupor/slumber. It takes the Spirit to blind us, funny how like Saul (and his fellow Pharisees), we didn't know we were blind back when we could see. Like Saul, all legalistic people and some skeptics and stiff necked people were able to see, but didn't see God until they lost their physical sight. Thus making 'we live by faith not by sight' take on the proper meaning.
Pentecost
Without the event that happened at Pentecost (that what Jesus was referring to when He told the disciples to wait for power from high), then Peter would have been still Simon or Peter the wavering rock. All of the disciples would.
Damascus Road
Paul would have been still Saul and wouldn't have been able to reach the Gentiles (us) and write the Epistles (without his Damascus Road). But I digress. If not for Christ Jesus and God's plan of redemption and everything happening just as He had planned then nada, we all can do nothing.
New Life
We are made new once the old us has passed away.
Those who have been forgiven much, loves God much. Those who are self-made, self-sufficient, proud of self, no need of God (AKA legalistic, all about me Pharisees, Sadducess, Teachers of the Law, Scribes) will forever be relying on their own strength, own righteousness. They will always be old wineskins containing their old bloated dead old selves and egos -- full of themselves and no space for the Holy Spirit but their good works (and busy trying to appear as "righteous").
Love
Following the commands of God, doing ministry, doing "church", spreading the word about the Kingdom of God is nothing about the person sharing. It is nothing about us (or the preacher). God can always use someone else if we decide not to do what God had planned for us to do.
There is nothing special about us, except the fact that God desires to use us if we so want to accept the mission, to be used to reach those within our circle and those we come in contact with. Not with force, coercion, intimidation, manipulation, rule keeping, or penalties. He already saved us from destruction when we weren't worthy and didn't know any better. He already loved us at our worst.
There is no need to beat a dead horse, when we accepted the finished work of Christ, our old us, died in the process.
There is no need to beat a dead horse, when we accepted the finished work of Christ, our old us, died in the process.
God's Spirit revives us and we have an overflowing of His kindness, gentleness, mercy, patience and compassion that makes us compelled to share, teach and be bold for His sake and for the sake of those we come in contact with. If we aren't, then there is something amiss, somewhere. We might still be our old "all about me" mentality, or that we have not received the love of God which first made us to love Him back, and love ourselves.
Loving God is the greatest commandment. To be able to do the second, loving others, we first need to learn to love ourselves (remember the command was to love others as ourselves).
Essentially, what is important is not us or who we are, what our names are. (Although I like the idea that God gave Peter and Paul their new names).
Essentially, what is important is not us or who we are, what our names are. (Although I like the idea that God gave Peter and Paul their new names).
What is essential is the most important Person on that fateful Pentecost Sunday, the Holy Spirit (the power from on high) -- the Spirit with God the Father, and God the Son in the beginning. Him who was hovering over the waters of the formless world. Him who is the least known, least understood, least acknowledged and least appreciated of the three God Heads, Him Who we shouldn't grieve, slander, ignore or not pay attention to. Yet, He is the One who points us to Christ and God's pefect plan for us.
This video is a toned down summary showing us who the Holy Spirit is, it tells what most believers will agree on. Although less extreme or less intense or less "controversial", many believers will still not agree with this summation. It's expected though, as humans, we can only know so much, yes especially without the Spirit's guidance.
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