When God Breathes!

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Danny Davis
Northern District Conference (September 2010)
Scripture Focus
…the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7 NIV)

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

When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound
like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they
were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest
on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other
tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4 NIV)
Introduction
Your natural life began with a breath – the breath of God! Sure, it may have been your mother and father
who conceived you but it was, and always has been, God who provides life.

It is an unusual thing to think about God breathing. After all, when we think of God we think of a spirit
being, and we would be right. Jesus told the woman at the well, “God is a Spirit.” But have you
considered that God actually breathes and when He does awesome and spectacular things happen. God
doesn’t breath in order to live (because He is the source of life) but He breathes in order to give life. God
does not have to INHALE but when He does EXHALE and when He does the effect is always
empowering and life-giving.

In the Bible the word “breath” “wind” “Spirit” and even the word “life” are all translated from the same
original word.

(TRANSITION) The first time we see the powerful effect of God’s breath is in Genesis 1

The Breath of God Creates

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and
empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over
the waters.

Before anything ever was there was God! Before the earth and sky; before the fish and fowl; before the
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Danny Davis
Northern District Conference (September 2010)
plants and trees – there was God. First God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis tells us though that
this was not like the earth we see today. It was “formless and empty” and its surface was covered with
water, which was covered with “darkness.” But into that shapeless dark and watery mass comes the breath
of God.

Moses, in retelling the story of God’s creative work, says, “and the Spirit of God was hovering over the
waters.” The KJV says the Spirit of God, “…moved upon the face of the waters.” What do you think this
means? The word Spirit comes from the same Hebrew word as “wind” or “breath.” Basically, Moses is
telling those who read this account of God’s marvelous actions was saying, “The breath or the wind of
God was hovering/moving” on the face of that formless and dark thing called earth.

How did the Spirit hover or move? All one has to do to answer this question is to read the rest of Genesis
1 to see what it means.

- God said (v. 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26, 29)…

- When someone speaks they do so by moving their breath over the vocal chords to produce sounds.
- When “GOD said” --- there was!
- The breath of God was like a strong wind blowing away the darkness causing the earth to rise up
out of the seas.
- His breath (Spirit) MOVED – SHOOK that which had no form and molded it into what we now
call Earth.
- Think about folks. When God speaks --- His breath takes that which is NOT and forms it into that
WHICH IS.
- The breath of God CREATES
(TRANSITION) The same story of God creating is retold in the Genesis 2 but with more detail especially
surrounding His creation of Adam (2:7)

Gods Breath Is Life.

…the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7 NIV)
Think about it friends: God has already breathed into existence everything that Adam would need to
survive! Before God created Adam He created what Adam would need in order to have life. He gave him
water to drink, plants to eat (mealies for pap), cattle to watch over and much, much more. And on top of
that – this is just how good God is – He created all of these things with the ability to reproduce. In other
words, God provided an endless harvest in order to sustain His most prized creation: human beings.
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Danny Davis
Northern District Conference (September 2010)
Illustration: Maybe that is why Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 6 “…your Father
knows what you need before you ask him.” Then He taught the disciples to pray, “Our
Father, who art in heaven…give us this day our daily bread.” God knows what it will take
to keep us alive – but usually we want more than what we need!

After creating everything that Adam would need THEN GOD CREATED ADAM. How did God create
Adam? By using the materials that He created in the first 6 days. He took, “…the dust of the ground.” He
fashioned that dust into a body and then - GOD BREATHED!

- He took the lifeless and cold body of Adam up into His arms and BREATHED INTO HIS
NOSTRILS THE BREATH OF LIFE.

- BUT HIS BREATH DID SOMETHING TO ADAM – IT MADE HIM A LIVING BEING

When God breaths he doesn’t just create things for our enjoyment. He doesn’t just speak new cars, and
money into our lives HIS BREATH SPEAKS LIFE.

Illustration: That is why some prayers are never answered (well actually there is an answer
in the non-answer – NO). You are praying for this blessing or that blessing but God, who
knows the end from the beginning, understands that if you have this or that thing it will
TAKE AWAY YOUR LIFE. God doesn’t breath things into your life those things that will
kill you – NO MATTER HOW MUCH YOU CLAIM IT OR PROFESS IT OR BEG FOR
IT (the truth is eventually God may give it to you just like he gave quail to the Hebrews
and it almost killed them).

WHEN GOD BREATHES HE BREATHES LIFE.

That is why this whole “prosperity gospel” message is Satanic.

- First, it replaces Jesus as savior by making money, power, influence, and

possessions into the thing that will save.

- Secondly, this doctrine promotes the idea that God is an “IDOL GIVER” who is
under obligation to give us what we want (which means we are in idolatry).

Then when we pray for what we want and it doesn’t come we blame it on God, get
disappointed with God and then think God is a liar. HE IS NOT THE LIAR – THE
FOOLS WHO PREACH THIS MESSAGE ARE THE LIARS! God is not giving you
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Danny Davis
Northern District Conference (September 2010)
certain things because HE WANTS YOU TO LIVE and NOT DIE!

When God breathes He brings life: abundant life, full life, a life that can live up to the challenges of the
day, a victorious life – a life that is not dependant on power or possession but on HIM! God’s breath does
not bring death to you – it brings life.

His breath produces WIND and the wind works to save, deliver, provide and bring victory to the lives of
His people…look

- Gen 8:1 – God sent a wind to push back the flood

- Ex 10:13 – East wind brought locusts to Egypt (to start the process of deliverance).
- Ex 10:19 – West wind drove locust out of Egypt
- Ex 14:21 – East wind drove the waters of the Red Sea back so Israel could pass on dry land
- Ex 15:10 – The wind of God brought the water back to destroy the Egyptians
- Num 11:31 – The wind of God provided quail for His people
- Ps 1:4 – The ungodly are driven away by the wind.

The Valley of Dry Bones (God’s Breath Reconciles and Restores)

Nowhere do we see the idea of God’s breath as creating and giving life than in the Book of Ezekiel (37:1-
14 - - the words “spirit,” breath,” “live,” “wind” are used 14 times in these verses). Most of us are familiar
with the story of the Valley of Dry Bones. But today I want us to consider this story in a new light – the
breath of God.

Remember that words “spirit,” “Spirit,” “life” and “breath” all come from the same word but are
translated into English based on the context of what is being told in the Bible. The Book of Ezekiel is a
recording of the prophetic words of Ezekiel to the people of God who are in exile.

- Chapters 1-24: Ezekiel prophecies of the coming destruction of the city of Jerusalem.
- Chapters 25-32: Ezekiel prophecies about judgments that are going to come against several other
countries for their part in Israel’s downfall.
- Chapters 33-48: Ezekiel moves from the doom and gloom of Chapters 1-33 and his prophecies
begin to shift to the idea of “RECONCILIATION and RESTORATION”
When we come to Ezekiel 37:1-14 we are in the part of the book where God is trying to show Ezekiel
how He will take the dead people of Israel and make them alive. The Lord is telling Ezekiel those people
who have been taken captive and into exile will be restored to relationship with Him. God does this by
giving Ezekiel a vision. In the vision…

- He is taken to a valley that is filled with the dried out bones of dead men (1-3)
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Danny Davis
Northern District Conference (September 2010)
- The Lord tells Ezekiel to speak to these dead bones and to tell them to hear the word of the Lord
(4)

- Then God tells Ezekiel that if he would prophecy to these dead bones that He would BREATH
LIFE INTO THEM and cover them with new flesh.

Ezekiel spoke – he used his breath – and as he spoke the bones began to shake and begin to reattach
forming skeletons. Then tendons and muscle begin to form; they are then covered with flesh. WOW!
What an amazing thing – but what is wrong?

Though they had new flesh and muscles they were NOT ALIVE.

The breath of Ezekiel could only do so much, even under the inspiration of God! BUT GOD IS THE
ONLY ONE ABLE TO BREATH LIFE INTO HIS CREATION!

Illustration: You see folks we preachers can speak the Word of the Lord and help you to
see how to be reconciled to God or to have restored relationships. We CANNOT, however,
give you life! The Word of the Lord brings life for sure and the preaching of the Word
brings us to reconciliation because it produces faith (…faith comes by hearing). We are,
nevertheless, limited in what we can do – no matter how powerful the preacher.

It is God who breathes on your dead, sinful, and corrupt self by His Spirit. When He
breathes grace by His Spirit our wicked and vile soul is regenerated. Because God has
regenerated you now you can respond by FAITH to repent and confess your sins. It is the
breath of His Spirit that lovingly adopts us into the family of God and justifies us from our
sin.

In my mind the vision of Ezekiel is almost a picture of the Genesis story of Creation. God took the lifeless
valley of dead bones and created a body – just like He did with Adam. That body was without life though
until God breathed on it and made it a living soul.

For Ezekiel and Israel it was a picture of how God would take His chosen nation who had rejected their
God and restore them. It is a beautiful picture of how God takes what is wrong and corrupt; that which is
dead and void; and puts it back together to CREATE a new people and then breathe LIFE into them so
they can do what He has called them to do.

(TRANSITION) This idea is not lost on the New Testament.

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Danny Davis
Northern District Conference (September 2010)
The Breath of God

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

Jesus had been crucified and had been raised from the dead. He had appeared to Mary Magdalene. When
she ran to where the disciples were to tell them she had seen the Lord – they did not believe her. They
were all behind locked doors cowering in fear of the Jews. They had been with Jesus and heard the plan
but now they were no better than a bunch of dead bones in the valley. Then suddenly from nowhere Jesus
appears to them and showed them His hands and side. They were “overjoyed” and then Jesus gives them
the plan for what He is going to do

- Just as the Father had sent Jesus

- He was sending the disciples

The gospel would have to preached by the breath of men empowered by the breath of God to a world in
desperate need of salvation. So Jesus BREATHED on them and they received the Holy Ghost. They were
empowered by the Spirit – the breath of God - to accomplish the mission of reaching the world with the
gospel of Jesus Christ. He put life in them – courage – strength – boldness…

The Wind At Pentecost

Before Jesus ascended into Heaven he told the disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the
Holy Spirit that would be poured out on all flesh. The disciples and others gathered in a small room in
Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. They waited for the promise and they prayed for a touch of
God. Then…
2
Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the
whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that
separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:2-4 NIV)

As they prayed and waited God sent a wind – a mighty and powerful wind! The disciples and the others
were filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak in tongues as the Spirit gave them ability to do so.

The Bid Idea

When God wants to empower people for service He breaths into them and makes them alive.
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Danny Davis
Northern District Conference (September 2010)
- God is a Spirit – he does not merely breath but he is the breath of all life….

- When God created Adam He breathed into him and gave him life empowering man to survive and
thrive in the world.

- When God wanted to give Israel the hope of restoration He breathed on the valley of dead bones

- When God was ready to empower the disciples for their mission He breathed on them to empower
them for the task.

- When God was ready to launch the New Testament church He again breathed on his followers
who were dynamically empowered by the Spirit to do the work of reaching the world

And I would submit to you tonight that God is still BREATHING and He wants to breathe on this crowd.
Why? Because He is ready to launch this body of believers out into South Africa to accomplish the task of
reaching our nation, our cities and our townships. Before we can go we have to be empowered by the
Spirit – the breath of God!

Some of you have grown familiar with just letting the wind, the breath of God pass by you. You want
blessing and provision but you fail to understand that everything that was ever created. The breath of God
created everything that has ever been alive on this earth. What God wants to do NOW is give you the
opportunity to HARNESS THE WIND.

Like a ship sailing on the ocean requires the winds to propel it toward its destination – you need the breath
of God to be harnessed into you soul so that you can be propelled into the service of the King. If you
desire to be baptized in the Spirit – if you want to harness the breath of God in your life SO THAT YOU
CAN DO THE WORK OF GOD – then that is what will happen right now.

Altar Call