Revolution!

Our overall theme of the meeting was “Experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit.” 

There is lots of confusion about the Holy Spirit.  So, to avoid confusion, we went directly to Jesus’ teaching on the Holy Spirit in John 14.15-27.

In his book, Breathing Under Water, R. Rohr summarizes these verses: “Jesus calls this implanted Spirit the “Advocate” (John 14.16) who is “with you and in you” (14.17), who makes you live with the same life that he lives (14.19), and unites you to everything else (14.18,20).  He goes on to say that this “Spirit of truth” will “teach you everything” (14.26) and “remind” you of all you need to know (14.26).  Talk about being well equipped for life from a Secret Inner Source!  It really is too good to believe – and so we don’t.” 

We had some fun defining revolting, revolt, and revolution.   Paul states in Ephesians 4.17-24 that we are called to be part of a revolution!

¹⁷ With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. ¹⁸ Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. ¹⁹ They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity.

²⁰ But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. ²¹ Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, ²² throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. ²³ Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. ²⁴ Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. (NLT, my emphasis)

To be part of this revolution, we have to have the right mindset.

I was told when I first started my journey of recovery that my emotional age was the age of when I first started using.  Basically I was told I had the emotional maturity of a 12 year old! And I was 39 years old!  Scientific research verifies the validity of that statement.  But I’m not alone.  The same is true about all of us! 

Drugs not only stunt our growth emotionally, they affect the frontal lobe of our brains to the point we are unable to make logical, rational choices about life!  That’s one of the primary reasons that when we are dependent on drugs, alcohol, food, pornography, sex, etc., that the most important thing in life becomes our “drug of choice!”  Family, friends, career, safety, and consequences of our choices become of little or no importance to us.  Because of the brain changes caused by addictive drugs, drug use becomes central to the addict’s life.

Our addictions attack our rational thought process.  They block our ability to make wise choices!  They distort the truth about God, about who we are, and about our relationship with others.  They blur the lines of what is right and wrong.   

Recovery, then, for most of us, whether we’re 25 or 65, can be like growing up all over again.  We need to learn to live life differently.  To live life differently, we need to change our thought process, mature emotionally, and examine our behaviors.  Recovery is about taking back control over our lives!!!

Let’s take a closer look at this “call to revolution.” 

v.17-19 –  We all have a “dark side.”  It’s commonly called the “shadow self.”  It’s that part of us we do not want to see or cannot see.  It is that bit of chosen blindness that allows us to do evil and cruel things – without recognizing them as evil and cruel.  We’re blind because we don’t have the right mindset.  The blindness is the result of the brain distortion caused by our drug of choice/our addiction.  We all have that which we cannot see or refuse to see.

v.20-22 – There are several translations of these phrase.  The most common three are: “throw off” “set aside” “put off.”  Regardless of translation, it is something done with intention and effort.   Not something God is going to do FOR you but with you and within you.  Learning to live life differently is not a microwave event; it is a lifelong process. 

We had a group discussion of what we “lust” for in our lives.  Mentioned were:  power, control of another, drug of choice, a relationship, and money.  We also decided that “deception” is the same as manipulation – lying, cheating, using another, etc. 

We also came to the understanding that the only way to get rid of these characteristics was to “let the Spirit renew our thoughts and “values/attitudes.” 

v. 23 – “renew.”   A friend of mine bought an old medical bag at an auction that was filled with all kinds of old surgical tools.  The most startling was an instrument that resembled “a scoop.”  We laughed and wondered what it was used for!  To renew our thoughts and attitudes, we have to allow the Holy Spirit to “scoop out” the old alcohol-soaked and drug-distorted behaviors embedded in our damaged brains and be transformed!

One translation of verse 23 states we are called to a “spiritual revolution”!!

We joined the revolution by receiving a bandana showing our “gang colors” and we adopted a “gang sign.”  We agreed that we would revolt against the old way of life and that we would “fight to the end”!!

v. 24. The Message offers this translation:  “And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.”

The character of God manifests itself in what’s become known as the Fruit of the Spirit.  Galatians 5.22&23. 

This week’s homework: 

Your words: What was the most significant lesson you learned tonight?

Your story:  

Ø  “We all have a ‘dark side.’  It’s commonly called the ‘shadow self.’  It’s that part of us we do not want to see or cannot see.  It is that bit of chosen blindness that allows us to do evil and cruel things – without recognizing them as evil and cruel.”

When is a time in your life when evil won out in your life?  What has changed to lead you to good?

Ø  What does it mean to you to be called to a “spiritual revolution”? 

Ø  Jesus states that the Holy Spirit “lives with you” and “in you.”  The results of the inner workings of the Holy Spirit are listed in Galatians 5.22&23.  (read)

Share about a time when the Holy Spirit worked in your life to “produce this kind of fruit”? (you select the fruit)