(11/25) I want to share with you about the divine connection and I want to introduce you or reintroduce you to the person of the Holy Spirit. Because like Jesus when you make that divine connection, you will receive the strength, the power, and the encouragement you need to fulfill your God-given purpose.

In other words, the Holy Spirit is more than just an influence, more than a breeze or wind, the Holy Spirit is a powerful personality abounding with creative energy. In the beginning, the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters and the Scripture tells us,

"The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life" (Job 33:4).

And so, even though you can’t see him yet, my goal in introducing you to the Holy Spirit is that he would become so real to you that as the psalmist said, you would be able to taste and see that the Lord is good (Psalms 34:8).

I believe the moment you recognize that the Holy Spirit is a person who talks and feels and touches and loves you, your spiritual life is going to grow and blossom. You are going to be fruitful and not just in your life, but your church is going to experience revival like never before, because when we recognize the powerful presence of the Holy Spirit as a living ever-present being who is very real and who desires a relationship with you, miracles, signs, and wonders are going to begin happening in our lives.

You are going to have visitations with the Holy Spirit, he’s going to meet you in your prayer time, and you’re going to see answers to your prayers. People are going to be saved, healed, and delivered around you, but it’s also going to be very personal because the Holy Spirit is going to sit down with you in the kitchen. When you go somewhere, he’s going to walk with you, he’s going to get in the car with you, because that’s what Jesus meant when he said,

"Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:20).

In other words, Jesus is no longer going to be confined to a small group of friends or a gathering of people, but now in the Spirit he’s going to be with you and around you everywhere and anywhere you go. That’s why Jesus said,

"It is for your good that I am going away" (John 16:7).

Because unless he goes away, Jesus said, "the Counselor, the Holy Spirit will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you."

The problem in our Christian culture today is that I don’t think many people really believe this. For the most part, those who identify as followers of Jesus, ignore the presence of the Holy Spirit. And yet, the Bible tells us that by the breath of God, I was created. Not only that, but by the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host (Psalms 33:6, ESV).

In other words, the Holy Spirit is a very powerful personality who spoke and the heavens were created. He breathed the Word, in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God, and with a breath all the stars were born. And so, with a powerful Word the world appeared at his command.

Now, I know that many of you believe this, but there are others of you who believe in God, you love Jesus, but you don’t have a relationship with the Holy Spirit. And that’s why I want to introduce you to the Holy Spirit, this invisible power who has expressed himself in countless ways from the beginning of time, throughout the ministry of Jesus Christ, through the apostles and in the Church down through the centuries; because I believe you are going to discover that the Holy Spirit is much different than what you thought or expected.

In other words, when you walk in the Spirit, keeping in step with the Spirit, the Bible says that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe (Ephesians 1:19, NLT).

"This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms" (Ephesians 1:19-20, NLT).

In other words, this mighty power of the Spirit of God is available for us who believe, who walk with him in faith, and who follow Jesus’ example of ministering in the Spirit’s power and grace.

You see, Jesus regularly spent time in the presence of God, making this Divine Connection, and he was able to be refreshed and recharged so that he was always prepared to tackle the unpredictable in his life and ministry. Because of the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, he had the unlimited ability to be present and powerful at all times of the day and night in the lives of everyone around him. And throughout the Gospels we find Jesus relentlessly ministering to the crowds with power and authority because the Bible tells us in Ephesians that God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church (Ephesians 1:22, NLT).

"And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself" (Ephesians 1:23, NLT).

In other words, Jesus Christ has all authority as our head and the Church is his body which is made full and complete in him, because he fills all things everywhere with himself. That means as the Church, as the body of Christ, we are made full and complete in Christ, because he fills us with his Spirit. And so, the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, is our Divine Connection where we can receive the strength we need to fulfill our purpose and calling.

That is why Jesus told the disciples to wait until they had been clothed with power from on high. And so, there is no secret to this mighty power like there was for Samson, because the psalmist said,

"I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come" (Psalms 71:18).

And Jesus told all of his followers, not just a select few,

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you" (Acts 1:8).

That was the normative experience of the early church when they put their faith in Jesus, they were baptized in water and baptized in the Holy Spirit. That is the Divine Connection that we all need, the mighty power of the Holy Spirit, the presence of the Living God coursing through our veins as we serve him and live for him.

But many people today don’t know the Holy Spirit, they ignore the Holy Spirit, or they deny that the Holy Spirit is active and present in the church today. Some even think they have the Holy Spirit figured out, but Jesus would say to them what he said long ago,

"You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God" (Matthew 22:29).

And so, we must come to the Scriptures with an open mind, receiving them by faith, because…

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16).

We must also acknowledge that the Holy Spirit is the most misunderstood person in the universe and so we must gently instruct those who oppose us in the hope that God would grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth. This is super important because the Bible warns that

"There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money… lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God… having a form of godliness but denying its power" (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

As we go to the gospel of Mark, looking at the example of Jesus, I want you to notice the grace of God and the mighty power of God that heals people who don’t even believe in him yet. Verse 29 says,

"As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them" (Mark 1:29-31).

That is pure grace, nothing but grace, and the Holy Spirit is so diverse in the expressions of his grace, so powerful and magnificent, that I believe we often do him a great disservice by reducing his presence down to goosebumps or feelings of heat coursing through our bodies.

We may feel that in the presence of the Holy Spirit, but he is so much more than that. You may have funny feelings deep down in the pit of your stomach, but when Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to someone who asks, he wants to baptize you in his presence, he wants to cover you with his glory. He wants you to put him on like slipping a shirt over your head, putting your arms into the arms, and slipping your legs down into your pants, because he said you will be clothed with power from on high (Luke 24:49).

You see, when you receive the promise of the Father, when Jesus baptizes you in the Holy Spirit, when you walk, he walks. When you talk, he talks, because he is in you, empowering you to be his witness. When you receive Jesus the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within you, but when you received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he covers you.

Let’s go back to the gospel, because there is more to the story. Jesus had healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law, and she began to wait on them. In other words, they had settled down for the night, they were going to eat and drink, but then verse 32 says,

"That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was" (Mark 1:32-34).

In other words, it is after dark, and they came knocking on the door like a bunch of trick-or-treaters. One after another, Jesus drove out demons, delivering people from spiritual bondage, but he refused to allow the demons to speak because he didn’t want demons testifying to who he is.

Not only did the demons know who he was, but Jesus’ reputation had preceded him, so much so that the whole town gathered at the door. In the flesh, in his humanity, this would have been an impossible task, but his entire earthly ministry was empowered by the Holy Spirit, because when he was baptized,

"The Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove" (Luke 3:22).

What a sight this must have been to see Jesus going from person to person, addressing need after need, healing the sick and setting people free from demonic possession.

"Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit…" (Luke 4:1).

Was taking back what the enemy has stolen, he was reversing the curse one soul at a time and destroying the works of Satan.

In the power of the Holy Spirit Jesus had already defeated Satan resisting temptation in the wilderness. After this great victory Jesus went back to Galilee, to a synagogue in Nazareth where he declared,

"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 freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed" (Luke 4:18).

Throughout his entire earthly ministry Jesus served the people in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the same power available for us who believe him, because God has put all things under the authority of Jesus, and we are his body made full and complete by Him who fills us with himself. And as we surrender to the Holy Spirit, he will empower us to carry out what Jesus wants to do in our lives.

But after a long day and an even more intense night of miraculous healings and deliverances, Jesus is exhausted and needs to recharge.

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed" (Mark 1:35).

And so, Jesus, the Son of God, gets away from the disciples, away from the crowds, away from the demands of ministry, to connect with the Father and the Spirit. The early morning is usually a great time to do this because the busyness of the day has yet to begin and what you do first thing in the morning can literally set the tone for the day. And so, Jesus is enjoying this quiet time connecting with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit when the disciples recognizing that Jesus was gone began to search for him.

"When they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!" (Mark 1:36-37).

Jesus was interrupted as the disciples broke his train of thought, that Divine Connection, but he had been strengthened in His presence as the psalmist said,

"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, eternal pleasures at your right hand" (Psalms 16:11).

From Jesus’ example we recognize the importance of those times of refreshment in the presence of God. It is how we stay empowered for the challenges and trials of each day. Jesus teaches us to regularly tap into the presence of God, receiving a fresh download of the power of the Holy Spirit to live and serve in ministry as his witnesses.

Jesus had been interrupted by the disciples, they had broken his communion with the Father and the Spirit, but Jesus never skipped a beat. He simply clarifies the purpose of his ministry saying,

"Let us go somewhere else — to the nearby villages — so I can preach there also. That is why I have come" (Mark 1:38).

And so, he articulates the mission assigned to him and jumping to his feet,

"He traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons" (Mark 1:39).

You see, Jesus was mission driven and Spirit empowered. When he left the throne room in heaven and came to earth, he knew exactly who he was and what he had come to do, but he didn’t come alone. The Bible says,

"His mother Mary… was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 1:18).

And so, the Holy Spirit made the Son of God into a seed and prepared a tabernacle, dropping him into the virgin womb of Mary.

In the fullness of time Jesus was born in the flesh,

"He gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being" (Philippians 2:7).

He humbled himself in obedience to God, working in an apprenticeship as a carpenter’s son, and experiencing life as we know it. But when Jesus was thirty years old, he was baptized in the Jordan River, and the first thing the Holy Spirit did was fill him with the mighty power of God. The Bible says,

"God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power" (Acts 10:38).

Suddenly, we see miracles happening as, "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness" (Matthew 9:35).

He would soon multiply his efforts, advancing the kingdom exponentially by sending his disciples out to preach the same gospel, performing the same miracles, because he gave them the same authority to operate under the anointing of the Spirit of God. They went out and were successful as they duplicated the ministry of Jesus, but it wasn’t long before they would betray him, they would deny him, and Jesus himself would be crucified on an old rugged cross. The Bible says,

"God made him who had no sin to be sin for us" (2 Corinthians 5:21).

And in that moment, our holy God who cannot look upon sin, the Holy Spirit of God left Jesus there on the cross all by himself once again. He had been rejected by men, betrayed by his friends, and now all alone on the cross Jesus begins crying out,

"Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani" (Matthew 27:46).

In other words, he cries out in the prophetic words of Psalm 22,

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Psalms 22:1).

And it was a short time later that he took his last breath, and Jesus made you and I who were ourselves dead in our sins, alive forever. He forgave us all our sins, destroying the power of sin and death, and three days later he sent the Holy Spirit.

"For as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:39, ESV).

But after his resurrection, Jesus came in his glorified body, and the precious Holy Spirit, the mighty breath of God came back with him. He came to the disciples in the upper room and Jesus said to them,

"As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." (John 20:21-22).

In other words, receive the never leaving, never forsaking presence of God. That’s what happens when a believer professes his faith in Jesus Christ and they receive the Holy Spirit, they are filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit, and suddenly the glory of God dwells within them. That is the loving and gracious presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling within, through whom we are more than conquerors.

Not just a feeling, not goosebumps, but the supernatural presence of the person of the Holy Spirit. The Bible says, "The one who is in you," dwelling within you, "is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

But God intends that the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ would do greater works, exceeding the impact of Jesus Christ on earth. Not in terms of atoning for sin, because no one but the Lamb of God could do that, but when you are baptized in the Holy Spirit, he will give you the power to serve him, to represent him, and to walk with him in holiness. If you believe, if you receive him, you will be able to do ministry just like Jesus, because he promised,

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses" (Acts 1:8).

God’s intention is that the Holy Spirit would reproduce the ministry of Jesus Christ on earth. And those who are filled with the Holy Spirit are the body of Christ; we are the church, but it’s not by might nor by power, but by the Spirit (Zechariah 4:6). It is that same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead that produces fruits within us to serve him, to represent him, and to walk with him, because "it is we who worship the Father, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh" (Philippians 3:3).

And so, by the Spirit of God we have this Divine Connection, this fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ, because where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17).

Read past sermons by Pastor John Talcott