ELECTRICITY AND THE SPIRIT OF GOD
The mighty power lines that carry electricity at enormously high voltages from power plants to our homes can deliver up to 750,000 volts! But the appliances in your home only need 110 to 250 volts. If you tried to power a toaster or a TV from an electricity pylon, it would instantly explode! So we reduce high voltage electricity from power plants to our homes with a piece of equipment called a transformer. A transformer reduces or steps down the strength of the power so it can be useful rather than deadly.
The spirit of God is like unlimited or infinitely high voltage power. If humans were exposed to his direct spirit/power, we would instantly die. His power must be stepped down for us to not die from his presence. Much of my teaching is based on the heart, in this illustration you can look at your heart as the transformer that steps down God's power. Jesus taught this in the parable of the sower. He basically says that you can experience as much of the kingdom as your transformer/heart will allow you to experience. I pray you increase the capacity of your transformer to allow more power to flow!
One day our mortal bodies will be changed into the same kind of eternal body Jesus has and we will forevermore see and live within the unbridled, infinite power of God! Praise God!
Until then we have a limited experience with his power/spirit due to our mortal bodies. But again, our hearts are directly connected to the powerful spirit of God; not just with any old kind of connection, but from within. It's mind-boggling that think God has placed his life essence, his creative power, his glory, his holiness inside all believers. The reason we can interact with his spirit/power is because he's made us like him. In essence, the deepest eternal aspect of a believer is like God by nature. He even gave us promises so we can experience that nature.
2 Peter 1: 1 Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
WHAT IS SPIRIT?
"Spirit" is the life animating essence of any living thing. It can also be a reference to the general tone of an entity like "the spirit of America." Individual living things have a spirit, like the spirit of man or the spirit of God. And of course, God is A spirit. So with those points in place let's look a little deeper at "spirit."
First things first, it's important that you have the spirit of God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. Romans 8:9
Another important truth from Romans 8:9 is this; the way you know that you're in the spirit is if God's spirit is in you. You don't have to shapeshift and go into the spirit realm, you're already there if God's spirit is in you. His spirit actually animates the spirit realm, so you have the source of all life within you.
Have you ever felt that God was far away? Not true.
Have you ever wanted to walk deeper in the spirit? You already do.
Have you wanted to experience more of God's spirit? Now we're getting somewhere.
The fact is, you're already directly connected to the full glory and power of God. That's not just a doctrinal point or an interesting idea, it's true. So why don't we experience him more? Think about your relationships with your spouse or your friends, how do you become "closer" with them? It's the same with God, invest in the relationship, get to know him better and you'll experience him more.
HOW DO I INTERACT WITH GOD'S SPIRIT?
John 4:13 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water (spirit of God) will thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.
The short answer is; let it spring up within you and it will be unto you everlasting life. I use the word "yield" often to describe the way to let that water/spirit spring up. To yield is to slow down or stop and let someone go in front of you. Making it a practice to stop your natural reasonings and logic and let God's promises/logic/instruction go before you in your thinking is the key to drinking of this everlasting water.
The water will do what it's designed to do, nourish and give life. Acknowledge God and he'll direct your steps, yield to his power/spirit and you will experience life. You can't stop the sun from making the grass grow, let the spirit shine brightly within you by focusing your thoughts on him and watch miraculous things happen.
Speaking of miracles, watch this incredible testimony from my friend Jimmie.
Wow!! God can perform bypass surgery. Listen to my whole message above for more commentary on his miracle and why he was healed while others aren't.
WORSHIPING IN SPIRIT
Worshiping in spirit isn't when you have a vision, hear the audible voice of God and 27 people are miraculously healed...worshiping in spirit is when you are expressing gratitude to God and you are more convinced of his promises than you are of your problems. Worshiping in spirit isn't about a mystical experience, it's about your heart being more convinced of his truth than your temporary circumstances.
WALKING IN THE SPIRIT
Walking in the spirit is when you make choices inspired by God's promises. Everyday we have choices to make, we respond in anger, we make decisions based on fear and lack and we are pessimistic about our futures. Walking in spirit is to walk in the reality of who you are in Christ. Walking in the spirit starts with setting your mind on things above, where your citizenship truly is, then making choices accordingly.
It's perfectly natural for you to worship, walk in and experience the spirit of God because he has changed your nature to be spiritual. I pray that these concepts help you shift your thinking a bit and empower you to pursue relationship rather than power. I pray these truths bring you peace and a sense of completeness rather than promote an endless pursuit of mystical experience in God. And I pray that you are able to bring others into a meaningful encounter with the spirit of God who loves and saves all who believe.
Life Group Discussion
1. What did you get out of this message?
2. Was there anything that caused you to see your connection with God differently?
3. What are some ways that you will change about how you choose to "walk in the spirit?"
