The Spirit In The Church

INTRODUCTION

This morning we’re continuing our series on the local church and why it matters.

A Christian without a church is a Christian in trouble. We were made for community.

There’s a direct link between our growth in grace and our belonging to a local church. A churchless Christian is a stunted Christian.

In this series we’ve discovered that the Church was created by God for a purpose. It’s God’s plan A for finishing what he started with the death and resurrection of Jesus. It’s God’s chosen vehicle for advancing his redemptive purposes in the world.

What Matters In Church

If that’s why the Church matters then it follows that certain things really matter when it comes to the life of the church.

For example, church membership isn’t just a loose affiliation with earthly organization. It’s a sacred obligation to join God in his mission to save sinners.

When you join a church you are joining God in advancing his redemptive purpose in the world.

That’s why we said members of a local church need to be (1) truly saved, (2) progressively sanctified and (3) joyfully submitted to the Lord Jesus in everything.

To help, Jesus has given the church four gifts that provide structure and power so that those ends can be achieved.

The Ordinances (baptism/ Lord’s Supper)

The Offices (church governance/pastors/deacons)

The Spirit (The Holy Spirit)

The Word (The Bible/Gospel)

Review of God’s House

We said the ordinances act as a door to God’s House. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper were given so that Christians could publically confess their faith in Jesus as Lord.

Through baptism a local church expresses to the world their affirmation of a person’s faith.

Through removing someone from the Lord’s Table they deny that such a person has a relationship with Christ because of their lack of spiritual fruit.

The offices (governance) act like the pluming underneath a house.

The plumbing in a house is crucial but often unnoticed until things get messy or you need to get some water out of the sink. Healthy churches have a healthy structure.

They are Christ ruled.

Congregationally affirmed.

Pastor Led and

Deacon/Member served.

The Word functions like the walls inside a house. The Word gives stability and strength and protection. At Broadview, we prioritize the Word because we prioritize Christ. The written Word and living Word always go together.

Finally this week we are looking at the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church.

The Spirit of God is like the electricity that runs through the walls of a house making everything in the house work.

The Church And the Spirit

I’ve always found it interesting that people sometimes pit the Spirit and the Word against one another.

I hear people talk about wanting a church that is “Spirit-filled.” I hear other people talk about wanting a church that is “Word/Gospel Centered.”

The truth is, a healthy local church is BOTH. It is filled with the Spirit and centered on the Word.

They are two sides of the same coin. If a church emphasizes one at the expense of the other then you’ll begin to see signs of sickness in that church.

The Spirit and the Word are like two wings on a plane. They must BOTH be present for the church to function properly.

We want to be a church that is filled with the Spirit and Centered on the Word. When the Holy Spirit and the Word of God properly function in the life of the church there is a Gospel power unleashed that is unlike anything else in this world!

How do we experience that in OUR church? We need to understand the

PERSON of the Spirit the

PURPOSE of the Spirit and be filled with the

POWER of the Spirit.

Read the Text

To answer these questions we’re going to examine Jesus’ teaching about the Holy Spirit in John 14:15-17.

In John 14 Jesus is preparing his disciples for his departure. As you might expect, they were upset about his departure but he comforts them by explaining that his absence is actually BETTER for them because when He goes UP then Holy Spirit comes DOWN.

John 14:15–17 (CSB)

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 17 He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.

THE SPIRIT’S PERSON

This is one of my favorite passages about the Holy Spirit because of the title that Jesus assigns to the Holy Spirit. Did you notice the phrase in verse 16?

“The Father will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.”

The Word translated “Counselor” is the Greek word paraclete. It’s a compound word. Para = alongside. Kaleo = called. So the Holy Spirit is that member of the God head who “comes alongside” or who is “called upon to help and assist.”

That’s why the CSB and other translations use the word “Counselor.” The Spirit acts as an advocate.

In other greek literature this word is used in a legal sense to describe someone who advocates for you in a courtroom. You’re legal counsel who would come to your aid anytime you got in trouble or needed help.

Notice also Jesus calls him “another” Counselor. It means “another of the same kind.”

He does say “the” or “a” counselor. He says another. The implication is that Jesus was already serving as their wonderful counselor but when he left the Father would send the Spirit to continue what Christ left off.

Christ Continued

In that way, the Holy Spirit really is Christ continued. The Spirit continues the ministry of Jesus on the earth but to an even greater degree than they had ever known.

Does that sound familiar?! The ministry of the Spirit and the ministry of the Church are linked.

The Church is the visible and external continuation of Christ’s ministry on the earth.

The Holy Spirit is the invisible and internal continuation of Christ ministry on the earth.

The local church cannot fulfill its purpose without the Holy Spirit fulfilling HIS. The two must go together.

That’s why I like to think of the Holy Spirit as the electricity that runs through the walls of a physical building. The building can look pretty but it’s ultimately useless unless it’s connected to a source of power. The Spirit of God is that POWER for the church.

This is why Jesus tells the disciples the Holy Spirit will not just be WITH you. He will also live IN you. And that’s BETTER for you and it’s BETTER for the world.

He not It

Notice that Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as a “person” and not a force. “HE is the Spirit of Truth...” The Holy Spirit is a HE and not an IT.

There are so many examples of the personhood of the Spirit. We could go on all day. Masculine pronouns, Jesus use of “another of the same kind...”

You can “grieve” the Holy Spirit. (Eph 4:30)

You can “lie” to the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3)

The Holy Spirit performs actions like a person...

“makes conclusions” (Acts 15:28)

“brings conviction” (John 16:8)

“calls and commissions” (Acts 13:2)

“distributes gifts” (1 Cor 12:11)

“teaches & reminds us” (John 14:26)

“leads us” (Rom 8:14)

“prays for us” (Rom 8:28)

“Seals us” (Eph 1:13)

“Fills us” (Eph 5:18)

“Baptizes us” (1 Cor 12:13)

“knows the deep things of God” (1 Cor 2:11)

“envies intensely” (James 4:5)

I could go on all day but the point is these actions are not done by an impersonal force. They are performed by a person! That person is the third member of the Godhead: God the Spirit. He is just as personal as is Jesus Christ and God the Father.

THE PURPOSE OF THE SPIRIT

Now that we have some understanding of WHO the Spirit is, what does this passage teach us about WHY the Spirit was given?

I just went through a laundry list of items that the Holy Spirit was given to accomplish in the life of a Christian and the life of a local church but if I were going to summarize his ministry from John 14 I’d place it under two major headings.

The Holy Spirit has an enabling ministry and the Holy Spirit has an exposing ministry. He empowers and he informs. He makes things possible and He makes truth plain.

Enables the Mission

First, the Holy Spirit enables us to fulfil our purpose and to advance Christ’s mission.

You see his enabling ministry in the very words that Jesus uses to describe him.

PARACLETE: The one who comes alongside to assist. The one providing our strength.

The idea implicit in John 14:15 is that the Holy Spirit empowers us to love one another in the church. It’s a supernatural gift of God’s grace to love one another as Christ has love us. That power to love is enabled by the Holy Spirit.

A few verses earlier in John 14:12 Jesus says, “The one who believes in me will also do the works that I do. And he will do even greater works than these, because I am going to the Father.” (AKA I’m going away and sending the Holy Spirit)

So EVERY WORK that is produced by the local church or by an individual Christian is a work enabled and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is who enables our “salvation.” We cannot save ourselves. We would not even DESIRE salvation outside of the enabling ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Salvation is a work of God from beginning to end - we add nothing to the process.

Jesus told Nicodemus, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” (John 3:5)

The Holy Spirit is also who enables our sanctification. We do not makes ourselves Holy. It is God who works IN US to will and to work according to his good pleasure. (Phil 2:13) This is from the Holy Spirit.

That’s why Paul describes “Jesus-like virtues” as the “fruit of the Spirit.” (Gal 5:22-23) Things like “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.”

Finally, it is the Holy Spirit that enables our mission in the Church. Our very Mission Statement in Acts 1:8 makes clear is is the HOLY SPIRIT who empowers us for mission. Acts 1:8 “8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses...”

Later in the book of Acts (after Paul’s Conversion) we have this little summary statement of the church. The church was at peace and growing in number day after day. What was causing the growth? The Holy Spirit!

Acts 9:31 (CSB)

31 So the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

The Holy Spirit has an encouraging enabling empowering ministry in the life of each individual Christian and each local church.

Exposes the Truth

That leads to the second ministry of the Holy Spirit which is to expose the truth.

In our textJohn describes the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth. (John 14:17) Jesus is truth personified. The Spirit continues that ministry.

Jesus makes this explicit a few verses later in John 14:25-26

John 14:25–26 (CSB)

25 “I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. 26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.

The Spirit teaches and the spirit reminds. That’s Jesus’ way of saying, “The Holy Spirit is going to guide you into what’s true.”

God’s World

This is true on several different levels. The Spirit of truth exposes truth at philosophical level, a theological level and personal/practical level.

Or, to say it another way - the Spirit exposes the truth of God’s World, the truth of God’s Word (the Gospel) and the truth of God’s Will (for our life.)

This is why we believe the Bible is a reliable and trustworthy source of understanding God’s World. (inerrant, sufficient)

We don’t believe that because of the infallible wisdom of the authors. We believe that because of the infallible wisdom of the Spirit who inspired the authors.

Fallible men were carried along by an infallible Holy Spirit who enabled them to perfectly record God’s truth in the Scripture.

2 Peter 1:20–21 (CSB)

20 Above all, you know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The very word used for “inspired by God” in 2 Timothy 3:16 is “God-breathed” (theo-pnumata) The Word breath is the same Greek Word for Spirit.

The word of God is living and active because the Spirit of God is living and active. The living Word and the written Word always go together because it is through the Spirit that we encounter the person of Christ through his Word.

God’s Word

The Spirit doesn’t just expose the truth in a general or philosophical sense. The Spirit also exposes truth in a theological sense. He exposes the Word (the Gospel) so that it can be believed and received.

We read earlier that it is the Holy Spirit is who exposes the truth of our sin. John 16:8 “When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment:” Who brings conviction to our hearts so we can repent of sin and receive salvation? It’s the Holy Spirit!

The Holy Spirit also exposes the beauty of Christ in the Gospel. We saw this last week. When the Word of God is preached God uses it to TURN ON THE LIGHTS so people can see the glory of Christ. (2 Cor 4:6)

It’s not that Holy Spirit HELPS people understand the Gospel better. It’s that without the Spirit people won’t receive the Gospel AT ALL.

1 Corinthians 2:14

14 But the person without the Spirit does not receive what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually.

Conversely, those who DO have the Spirit of God DO understand the incredible treasure they’ve been given through faith in Jesus Christ. (1 Cor 2:12

1 Corinthians 2:12 (CSB)

12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we may understand what has been freely given to us by God.

It’s been said that the Holy Spirit is the “shy” member of the Trinity. His role is not to draw attention to himself. His role is to draw people’s attention to the Lord Jesus Christ.

He doesn’t just continue the ministry of Christ he exalts the person and work of Christ in the heart of Christians and the local church.

God’s Will

Finally the Holy Spirit exposes the truth of God’s will for our life. (Eph 5:17-18; Acts 13:1-2)

The Holy Spirit enabled the early church to select the first deacons and commission the first missionaries and guide the apostles on their daily decision making.

Paul tells the church in Ephesus “Understand what the will of the Lord is.” (to which we might say “HELP!” Directly following that he says, “Don’t get drunk with wine but be filled with the SPIRIT.”

The Spirit exposes the general will of God in the Scripture but he also exposes the particular will of God for your life in a specific sense.

Be Filled With The Spirit

Now that we have an idea of the Spirit’s Person and the Spirit’s Person I want to close our time with an exhortation that we be filled with the Spirit’s POWER.

This language of being “spirit-filled” is so misunderstood in our day and age.

Some people wrongly equate being “spirit-filled’ with some kind of second baptism, after your conversion, evidenced by intelligible speech like speaking in tongues. I understand why my brothers in other faith traditions might arrive at that conclusion but I do NOT think that’s what it means to be spirit filled.

In the book of Acts - every time a believer was filled with the Spirit do you know what ended up happening next? The spoke the Word of God with BOLDNESS.

The filling of the Spirit and the preaching of the Gospel go hand in hand.

Have you ever heard the phrase “that person is really ‘on fire’ for God?” By that they usually mean “they’re always talking about Jesus… their lives have been transformed… their passionate and excited about God...” THAT is what it means to be filled with the Spirit. (not surprising the Spirit falls as ‘tongues of fire!’)

It is true in the book of Acts that on certain occasions being filled with the Spirit enabled people to speak in tongues (whether ecstatic speech or other languages is debatable). But those were someone unique examples as the Gospel was making in roads into new cultures (Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, uttermost.)

Enabling Power Exalting Christ

The more normative effect of being spirit filled is a boldness is preaching the Gospel and effectiveness in accomplishing God’s will.

Spirit filled = a special divine enablement to exalt Christ and accomplish His will.

Remember, the role of the Spirit is to enable and expose. So a church/believer who is FULL of the spirit will be REALLY EFFECTIVE at exalting Christ and accomplishing his purposes. It’s special as in it’s greater.. more effective… beyond the pale.

Key word being “Christ.” The Spirit is ALWAYS about exalting Christ - never exalting the individual.

At Broadview, we want to be a spirit-filled church because we want to be uniquely effective and supernaturally empowered to show people Jesus.

One Baptism - Many Fillings

This brings up the question of how many times does a person need to be “filled” with the Spirit?

Doesn’t the Bible teach that once you become a Christian you get all of the Holy Spirit you’re ever going to get? Answer: YES.

You don’t have to be a Christian very long before you discover that the spirit is willing but the FLESH is weak.

So you’ve got to daily surrender yourself and submit your flesh to being filled with the Spirit afresh and anew.

There’s one BAPTISM but many fillings.

In Ephesians 1:1 Paul writes the “faithful saints in Christ Jesus”

In Ephesians 1:13 Paul reminds them “you’ve been sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when they heard the Word of Truth.”

But that same guy, in that same book, writing to those same faithful saints says in Ephesians 5:18 “don’t be drunk with wine but be FILLED with the Spirit.”

Jesus baptizes us into the Holy Spirit when we hear the Gospel and respond in faith.

However, on certain occasions God - when you’re fully surrendered and God is ready - He will pour out His spirit in a special way and the results are nothing short of supernatural.

When it comes to being filled with the Spirit the question isn’t how much do you have of the Holy Spirit. The question is “how much does the Holy Spirit HAVE OF YOU?!

Implications At Broadview

That’s why every Sunday before I get up to preach I ask God “please fill me with your Spirit.”

I’m still praying that for our local church. God give us a fresh outpouring of your Spirit. Expose what needs to exposed about our sin, reveal what needs to be revealed about Christ, revive us, strengthen us, let us see your glory at work again!

This was the impetus behind so many of those early prayer meetings we had in our church. We just wanted to create space so we could listen to the Holy Spirit.

We wanted to turn down the noise of this world and turn up the voice of the Spirit so we could hear him expose the truth of our sin and the beauty of Christ and his will for our church.

The Vision Frame

I said earlier we want to be a church that centered on the Word and filled with the Spirit. What does that look like practically in our church?

If you’ve been around for a while you’ve heard me talk about our Vision Frame at Broadview. It’s Broadview on a napkin.

The are four sides to the square and the each answer a different question.

Our purpose: Become a Great Commandment, Great Commission, Acts 1:8 Church.

Our personality: Them before Us, There are no Strangers, Whatever it Takes,

Our Pathway: Worship in a Gathering, Connect in a Group, Bless on a Team.

Our Proofs: Abide in the Word, Love One Another. Bear Much Fruit. Walk by Faith

None of these things happen outside the of special enabling of the Holy Spirit. Our entire disciple-making process at Broadview depends on the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

Our Process Needs the Spirit’s Power

We cannot simply be a church in whom the Word of Christ DWELLS. We must also become a church in whom the Spirit of Christ FILLS. Filled with the Spirit. Centered on the Word.

Fulling our purpose and mission statement requires the person and of the Holy Spirit.

These “proofs” of discipleship will not materialize in your life nor our church without the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

Our pathway has these three different discipleship environments: gatherings, groups & teams.

We’ve all been to worship gatherings where you sense that the Holy Spirit was grieved or hindered from doing his special work. We’ve also had worship gatherings where it was like fire falling from heaven and supernatural things began to happen.

In our groups, when the Holy Spirit is REALLY at work you’ll find that people begin confessing sin to one another. You’ll find forgiveness begin to take place between people who’ve grieved one another. You’ll find people helping people overcome addictions and SERIOUS debiliating sins because of the Spirit of God using the Word of God in the relationships formed among the people of God.

In our ministry teams - whether door to door in Abilene or church planting in West Bengal - real spiritual fruit is only produced by the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

We cannot simply be a church in whom the Word of Christ DWELLS. We must also become a church in whom the Spirit of Christ FILLS. Filled with the Spirit. Centered on the Word.

Conclusion

Imagine what would happen in your life if both of those things were true. If you had hold of God because of your familiarity with Him through his Word and God had hold of you through your absolute surrender to his Holy Spirit.

Our city would be transformed.

Your life would be changed.

Your marriage problems would be healed.

Your worries and stresses would be exchanged with hope and courage for the future.

Some of us here this morning need to pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit. But it’s not enough to just ask. You’ve got to put yourself in a position to receive. That requires a spirit of repentance and absolute surrender.

Maybe you’re here this morning and you’ve never received the Holy Spirit because you’ve never repented of your sin and put your faith in Christ. You have an opportunity to do that this morning.

(Gospel Presentation)

(Invite Band Up)