INTRODUCTION: My marriage was in chaos! If you were to look from the outside in and discover what was going on “in the house” you would have said “no hope!”
I was telling someone the other day a story that the Holy Spirit reminds me of when I get to the place and I’m thinking “God are you sure you’ve called me to do this?”
(Share the story of building two churches in the jungle and needing confirmation walking through the Mayan ruins.)
I don’t know what it might be for you, but Hope is Here because the Holy Spirit is here.
How do I know Hope is here when the Holy Spirit is here?
Genesis 1:1-2– “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
hovering– to move above, to brood. (The Syriac definition) To be suspended above something with open wings!
Deuteronomy 32:10-11– “He found him in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, Carrying them on its wings,”
My friend God is committed to your care!
Only the Holy Spirit of God can put that sparkle back in the eye!
I like what one writer said. “The Holy Spirit was moving over creation. Preserving and preparing for God’s further creative activity.”
God began to form his creation in such a manner to sustain the purpose of His creation!
WHAT WAS THE METHOD GOD USED? THE POWER OF HIS WORD!
10 Times- “And God Said.”
God’s Word was busy bringing order out of chaos and creating the environment for God’s desire to be fulfilled!
John 1:1-5– “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”
John 1:14– “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”
HERE WE SEE THE DESIRE OF GOD! THE PURPOSE OF HIS CREATION!
Exodus 25:8- “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them.”
WHAT IS GOD’S GREATEST DESIRE?
- God’s Greatest Desire is You
(Our Vision Statement) We want every person to “Encounter God” and have a personal relationship with Him!
WHY- God’s greatest desire is YOU!
God’s Holy Spirit is brooding over your life, hovering over your life, because He desires you!
Matthew 1:23– “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son,
and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.”
John 3:16-17– “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”
GOD DESIRES YOU!
You may be thinking, “but I’m not desirable!”
Romans 5:6-8– “When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
When you were undesirable God desired you and sent his Son to die for you!
YOU COULD DO NOTHING TO MAKE YOURSELF DESIRABLE!
Friends God’s Holy Spirit has been hovering over you because God’s greatest desire is to dwell in you! Your body is His tabernacle!
WHAT IS GOD’S GREATEST DESIRE?
- God’s Greatest Desire is for Him to be Your Greatest Desire
Psalms 106:14– “In the wilderness their desires ran wild, testing God’s patience in that dry wasteland.”
WHERE ARE MY DESIRES EXPOSED?
Hebrews 4:12– “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”
A WORD OF CAUTION
2 Timothy 4:2-3– “Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.
HERE’S SOME GOOD NEWS
Philippians 2:13– “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”
WHAT DOES GOD BEING MY GREATEST DESIRE LOOK LIKE?
Matthew 22:37-38- “Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.”
Psalm 37:4– “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.”
God’s greatest desire is you and He desires that He be your greatest desire.
WHAT IS GOD’S GREATEST DESIRE?
- God’s Greatest Desire is for You to Tell Others They are God’s Greatest Desire!
Matthew 22:39– “A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
I love my neighbor, and I am going to tell them they are God’s greatest desire!
Matthew 28:16-20– “Then the eleven disciples left for Galilee, going to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him—but some of them doubted! Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
It’s important to note that the “Great Commission” of Jesus Christ is given in a moment of worship!
God’s Greatest Desire is the Great Commission! The only marching orders Jesus gave the church! But it doesn’t stop there!
Acts 1:8- “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
God’s greatest desire is you and He wants to be your greatest desire so that you can tell others they are His greatest desire! And His Holy Spirit will empower you!
Closing: Now the culmination of God’s Desire!
Revelation 21:1-3– “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them.”
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?