May 13, 2018
Out of the Box
Freedom in Christ to Engage with the Spirit of God
1. Creativity Allows the Spirit of God to Bypass Our Intellect.
- Creativity is a part of the character of God.
Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
- It’s also a part of who we are by nature
Genesis 1:27
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
- Creativity is part of who God is and it is part of who he created us to be. It’s a part of how he’s designed our relationship with him to operate.
Exodus 35:30-34
Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others.
- God cares so much about connecting with is people, that HE empowered them BY HIS OWN SPIRIT with all kinds of design and artistic abilities.
Exodus 36:8-19
All those who were skilled among the workers made the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim woven into them by expert hands. All the curtains were the same size—twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide. They joined five of the curtains together and did the same with the other five. Then they made loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and the same was done with the end curtain in the other set. They also made fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the other set, with the loops opposite each other. Then they made fifty gold clasps and used them to fasten the two sets of curtains together so that the tabernacle was a unit. They made curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle—eleven altogether. All eleven curtains were the same size—thirty cubits long and four cubits wide. They joined five of the curtains into one set and the other six into another set. Then they made fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in one set and also along the edge of the end curtain in the other set. They made fifty bronze clasps to fasten the tent together as a unit. Then they made for the tent a covering of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of the other durable leather.
- What God is doing here is investing in the atmosphere in which his people would experience His presence.
2 Samuel 6:14-15
Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
- He’s so excited to have the presence of God here in the midst of them that he literally dances with all of his might! This is his own creative response to who God is!
- "Finding Divine Inspiration" by J. Scott McElroy
- “Through the Arts the Spirit can bypass our intellect and get to our hearts in a profound way.”
2. Because of our identity in Christ we have freedom to be completely vulnerably before God.
- The wonderful thing about connecting with God in this deeper way, is that none of this is relying on your creative ability.
Psalms 29:1-2
Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
Romans 10:9
If we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead you will be saved.
- If this is something you have done, then here is what is true of you.
- Redeemed, complete, justified, adopted, saints, free from any condemning charges, assured that all things work together for good, established and sealed, seated with Christ, ministers of reconciliation, God’s coworker, and salt and light of the world.
- So what is holding us back in our worship?
- Fear
- Insecurity
- Pride
- Shame
- Apart from God we cannot be free
John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
- Because of Jesus we are not bound by law or expectations
Romans 8:1-2
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.
- Because of Jesus we’re not bound by striving for success, or perfection.
Romans 7:5-6
For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
- We’re free to be real about our faults. Vulnerability takes a whole different kind of confidence.
Ephesians 3:12
In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
3. Engaging with God is an active decision, not just something that happens to us.
- All of this to be vulnerable in worshiping God is in fact an active thing.
- This is what God wants with us. He wants us to participate and become involved with him.
- The proactive decision happens when we recognize that the attitude of our hearts does not line up with that of God and we make a decision to believe, and operate in what is true of us now, because of our new identity in Christ.
Psalms 27:1-3, 14
The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. Wait for the Lord ; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
- The emotional response is our vulnerable cry when something is unsettled in our hearts.
Hebrews 4:16
Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Psalms 42:1-3
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, "Where is your God?"
- These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng.
- As a result of our identity in Christ, we have freedom to commune with the Spirit of God, and engaging our senses is the outpouring of our active decision to worship God.
- Whether we’re making a proactive decision or having an emotional response, it’s our minds and bodies telling our hearts to go to that place of vulnerability.
- Vulnerability that God so desires to see in us.
Communication Card
- I will actively look to engage with God in a different way than I have before.
- I will take the next step to walk in freedom and vulnerability with God.
- I want to know more about how to join the creative team!
