Sunday June 10, 2007

Come Holy Spirit, We Need You!
Ezekiel 36:25-28

I. Introduction

Richard Daly was mayor of Chicago for 21 years (1955-1976). Mayor Daly was known as a rather forbidding guy
to work for. And as the story goes one of Mayor Daly's speech writers came in and demanded a raise. Mayor Daly responded as could be expected. He said "I'm not going to give you a raise. You are getting paid more than enough
already. It should be enough for you that you are working for a great American hero like myself." And that was the end
of it...or so the mayor thought.

Two weeks later Mayor Daly was on his way to give a speech to a convention of veterans. The speech was going to
receive nationwide attention. Now one other thing Mayor Daly was famous for was not reading his speeches until he got
up to deliver them. So there he stood before a vast throng of veterans and nationwide press coverage. He began to
describe the plight of the veterans. "I'm concerned for you. I have a heart for you. I am deeply convinced that this country needs to take care of its veterans. So, today I am proposing a seventeen point plan that includes the city, state and federal government, to care for the veterans of this country." Now by this time everyone, including Mayor Daly, was on the edge
of their seat to hear what the proposal was. He turned the page and saw only these words: "You're on your own now,
you great American hero."

I don't know if Daly learned anything at that moment. With his great ego perhaps he did not. But he should have learned
that all of us, no matter how great we think we are, need help. We need advocates who work behind the scenes to make
us who we are.

God has an advocate for you. He is the Holy Spirit.

(Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com, April 2002 – Story of Daly taken from: Journey Toward God, New Community
Small Group study on Exodus (Zondervan), p.33.)

The last time I preached I began what is going to be a series of messages on the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

My focus will not be on what the Holy Spirit does (although towards the end I will talk about this); my heart is that we
grow in our understanding of who the Holy Spirit is.

We desperately need the Holy Spirit!

The last time I preached, I began to share with you why I believe it is so important for us not only to talk about the Holy Spirit, but to determine in our hearts to seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Today, I would like to quickly review the two reasons I gave in my last message as to why we need the Holy Spirit and
then present two further reasons.

Why do we need the fullness of the Spirit?

A. Because God commands us to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

“Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, 20 giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
(Ephesians 5:18-20, NRSV)

The words “be filled” are in what is called the second person plural imperative.

An imperative is not a suggestion – it is a command.

I find it amazing that we need to be commanded by God to be filled with His Spirit.

Why would we not want more? What is holding us back? Why would we not desire to be totally immersed in God?

B. Because to hunger and thirst for the Holy Spirit is to hunger and thirst for God.

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give
you another Advocate, to be with you forever. 17 This is the Spirit of truth… You know him, because he abides
with you, and he will be in you. 25 I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate,
the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.” (John 14:15-17, 25-26, NRSV)

Where is the Holy Spirit? The Spirit is God with us.

If we want to know God, we must hunger and thirst for the Holy Spirit of God.

And why would we not want to be filled or baptized (immersed) in the Holy Spirit?

II. Our Need for the Holy Spirit

Why do we need to be baptized in the Holy Spirit?

C. Because it has always been the purpose of God to fill His people with the Holy Spirit.

“I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols
I will cleanse you. 26 A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from
your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put my spirit within you, and make you follow
my statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. 28 Then you shall live in the land that I gave to your ancestors; and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.” (Ezekiel 36:25-28, NRSV)

“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men
will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. 29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour
out my Spirit in those days.” (Joel 2:28, 29, NIV)

When God says He will pour out His Spirit on all people it speaks of a lavish pouring out. We are not talking about a trickling of the Spirit; God longs to deluge us in the Spirit.

The word used here has the sense of God emptying Himself into His people. He desires to hold nothing back from us.

My question is, “Why does it seem that God is holding back? What is hindering this outpouring that is promised by God?”

I think the answer lies in the verses previous to what we have just read in Joel.

“Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13 rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the Lord, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow
to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing. 14 Who knows whether he will not turn
and relent, and leave a blessing behind him?” (Joel 2:12-14, NRSV)

And in Acts it says, “Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, 20 so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.” (3:19-20, NRSV)

We cannot live in disobedience to the Word of God and expect the blessings of God at the same time.

Times of refreshing (the outpouring of the Spirit) will come when we repent of our stubborn and self-willed ways and turn our hearts over completely to God.

“Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate
will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness,
because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; 11 about judgment, because the ruler of this
world has been condemned.” (John 16:7-11, NRSV)

Within the context of this passage it is clear that the advocate (helper or counsellor) spoken of here is the Holy Spirit.

D. Because the only way to accomplish God’s purpose for the church is to be empowered by the Holy Spirit.

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord;
6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.” (1 Corinthians 12:4-11, NRSV)

Authentic ministry flows from the Holy Spirit and it is always exercised for the common good.

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:10-11, NIV)

The word “gift” is translated from the Greek word ca/risma (charisma) and is related to another word in this passage…the word grace ca/ritos (charitos).

Are you familiar with a term that we still use today that is similar to these two words? Charismatic(s)

If being a charismatic means that the grace (charis) of God flows through the gifts (charismas) God has given me “so that
in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ” then I am glad to be known as a charismatic.

I want to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to do the work God has called me to. I want His grace to flow through my
life to each of you and that happens when I am filled with and anointed by the Holy Spirit!

It is welcoming the gifts of the Spirit to flow through us for the common good of all.

III. Application

Do you remember Mayor Daly? He was a great politician and I am sure he was a gifted man, but to do his job effectively
he needed help.

We also need help if we are to be everything God has created us to be and do everything God has called us to do.

And God has given us the greatest Helper we could ever want or need in that He has given us Himself – the
amazing Holy Spirit.

Why do we need the Holy Spirit?

• Because God commands us to be filled with the Holy Spirit
• Because to hunger and thirst for the Holy Spirit is to hunger and thirst for God
• Because it has always been the purpose of God to fill His people with the Holy Spirit
• Because the only way to accomplish God’s purpose for the church is to be empowered by the Holy Spirit

Are there areas in your life that are hindering the work of the Holy Spirit in you?

I have good news for you today, Repent and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, 20 so that times of
refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord.”