The Outpouring of the Spirit
It's pouring heavy rain outside as I write this.
Droplets hammer on the rooftops.
They, at times, sound furious and explosive, as if at war with the earth.
And at other moments, they withdraw a bit, in a soft, gentle, motherly hush.
Gentle and furious.
Powerful and yet peaceful.
This is the nature of the Holy Spirit.
In John 3, Jesus compares the Holy Spirit to wind, and I hear it roaring today.
But the Bible also compares the Holy Spirit to rain (Psalm 72:6, Isaiah 45:8, Hosea 10:12).
The Holy Spirit, as rain, is powerful enough to turn deserts into forests, dry valleys into abundant riverbeds, and barren places into abundance.
But He is also a refreshing rain, that nourishes, revitalizes, remaking the whole world as if it were new again.
For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They shall spring up among the grass like willows by flowing streams" Isaiah 44:3-4.
Rain is challenging imagery for the Holy Spirit, because, as Christians, we believe in the Indwelling Presence...
And yet we can grow comfortable with God inside us...
With God "inside me," I can limit Him to my size.
But many times we forget He falls UPON US in an Outpouring.
He Outpours to saturate our limited lives with POWER for His purposes.
It's not about our lack of faith, our limitations, or our disqualifications...
It's all based on what Jesus has done.
And He's much bigger, more powerful, and more generous with Himself than we even know.
Jesus says, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come UPON you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" Acts 1:8.
"This Jesus God raised up...Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has POURED OUT this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing" Acts 2:32-33.
“Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before....I will POUR OUT my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will POUR OUT my Spirit" Joel 2:23,28-29.
The Holy Spirit is leading Jesus' work on earth now...and He's doing it through real people like us.
We will be endlessly frustrated in the things of God if we camp on our own limitations.
Instead, when the Holy Spirit is UPON us, the world can see the power of God. The world witnesses Jesus.
This Sunday, as we conclude our Abundant Life series, we'll focus on "The Holy Spirit UPON us," not just as Indwelling Presence, but Outpouring in Power.
We'll move our mindsets from being "Limited" sinners to being "Powerful" saints because of His Outpouring, as God saturates our lives for the sake of the world.
Let's put down our ponchos and dance in the rain ;)
Pastor Dave