Who Is The Holy Spirit? 10.23.22

Who is the Holy Spirit? October 23, 2022 We continue our GROW series today by asking Who is the Holy Spirit? Let's stand for the reading of Scripture... (John 14:15-26) If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, (Comforter) who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn't looking for him and doesn't recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans-I will come to you. Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you...(v.23) Jesus replied, All who love me will do what I say. My Father will love them, and we will come and make our home with each of them. Anyone who doesn't love me will not obey me. And remember, my words are not my own. What I am telling you is from the Father who sent me. I am telling you these things now while I am still with you. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative-that is, the Holy Spirit-he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. Introduction: I want to start by asking you a pretty direct question. DO YOU WANT TO RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT? Think about it. It's not as easy to answer as it probably should be for a few reasons. * Some of you, probably think, "I don't really know. What is the Holy Spirit?" * Others of you maybe think, "No way! Those people who have the Holy Spirit are crazy!" or weird... The truth is there are lots of different ideas and thoughts that come to mind when people hear the words "Holy Spirit." (My mother never actually liked the term Holy Spirit because her KJV said Holy Ghost-but it's the same.) This is an important moment for our church because I believe far too many Christians are missing out on THE greatest gift God has for us (after salvation) either because we don't know or because we think we know. So what is so important and so wonderful about the Holy Spirit that Jesus wanted to make sure his disciples knew it was coming? The Holy Spirit has been a part of my vocabulary probably since I could speak. I grew up in a pastor's home and the Holy Spirit was always a part of our daily lives. I often heard my mother speak in tongues during times of prayer. We worshipped in a Pentecostal environment and believe me when I say I think I've seen it all! However, knowing the name of something doesn't necessarily mean you understand it. There are lots of things in life where you know the name of something and may even use it but do not know how it works... * Your cell phone, for instance. You have one, you know you can call people on it, but you have no idea how the message is sent or how the information is transmitted. * A computer * Electricity * The Internet So we have much to learn about the Holy Sourit and why We should want to be filled with the Spirit in our own lives. With the Lord's help, let's consider at least 3 questions today: 1. Who Is The Holy Spirit? 2. Why Do I Need It? 3. How Do I Get It? *remember you can text your questions to 330.212.9656 Who Is The Holy Spirit? * The Holy Spirit is God. o He is not an "it." o He is God himself (as we described last week). o He is not a magnetic force or some mystical energy aura floating around in the atmosphere. * He is God. * He was there, in the beginning, hovering over the earth in Genesis 1:1-2... In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.. Jesus says in (v.23) I am leaving, but when I return, WE will come and make our home with each of them." God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. * We have the opportunity to have God (in the form of the Holy Spirit) with us at all times.... o People in the Old Testament had voices and visions o Moses had a tent where he met God o David had a box (arc of the covenant) o The disciples got Jesus in the Flesh. But we get the better thing: God with us. He is Omnipresent, which means he is here with us but also in with believers in Mentor or South America or Australia. * This means that if we're to go to heaven today, we will not be any closer to God than we are right now. o Geographical location change will not bring you closer to God. o Through the Holy Spirit you have God with you right now. When we become aware of this it changes everything. * The SAME GOD who created everything * The SAME GOD who led the Israelites to freedom from Egypt. * The SAME GOD who walked on water. * The SAME GOD who healed the sick. * The SAME GOD who rose from the dead. * The SAME HOLY SPIRIT that fell on the Day of Pentecost (told in the book of Acts) is available to me. * He is not only with me but lives in me. * The Holy Spirit gives me strength when I am weak. o When my first wife died of cancer, the Holy Spirit was right there with my boys and I. o When my mother passed from this life 3 years ago, the Holy Spirit was my Comforter. o When we made the decision to come to LEC, it was the Holy Spirit that confirmed in our Spirit the will of God to do so! But there's more! * Jesus also tells us here that the Holy Spirit is an Advocate. o Advocate is not the only word used in many translations. * The word used in the original Greek is so rich no one English word to replace it. o So translations use words like.. * Counselor * Comforter,- not all soft and cuddle like your bed spread but broken down means "con" with fort "strength" * Helper-guiding us. Like a tour guide helping us along the way. When you need COMFORT... When You Need GUIDANCE... When you need a FRIEND... When you need someone to speak TRUTH! So.... Why Do I Need The Holy Spirit? * You may think-you just told me all the things He is but it's better than that... (Ephesians 5:15-20) So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. * Being filled with the Spirit is the key to REAL WISDOM and not worldly wisdom, Godly wisdom. * Being filled with the spirit gives us JOY to praise his name. * Being filled with the Spirit gives us COURAGE. Paul compares "being filled with the spirit" to being drunk **(I've never been drunk on any drink) but from what I've seen of people who are drunk-I see Paul's point... o Drunk people see other people differently. * Expressive Gratitude- * Uncharacteristic Courage and boldness * Joy and laughter The Holy Spirit helps us to pray... (Romans 8:26-28) And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them The Holy Spirit prays for us when we don't know what to pray. o He prays the perfect will of the father. o When I pray it sounds like "I'm so tired and I don't know how much more I can take, I may give up. * When He prays for me it sounds like "God has never failed me and this temporary issue is probably setting me up for a powerful miracle or blessing! o When I pray "I'm a terrible parent and my kids hate me" * When He prays for me "these children are God's children first and I've got them in my hands" o When I pray God I'm trying to survive" * When he prays "If God is for you, who can be against you." 2 Things You Cannot Do w/o Being filled with the Spirit You cannot become more like Jesus without the Spirit. o Becoming more like Jesus is becoming more Holy, and that literally is the first part of His name, the HOLY Spirit. o You will no longer be controlled by your sinful nature but controlled by the Spirit living in you. You cannot do Kingdom work without the Spirit. How Do I Get Filled With the Spirit? o God wants you to have the filling of His Spirit. o On the Day of Pentecost they were gathered in prayer as Jesus had instructed them... o The earth shakes o Tongues of fire come down. o They begin speaking in different languages to the point people on the street hear and think they are drunk? o Peter steps forward (just like a leader should do) and reminds them that this was foretold by the prophet Joel... (Joel 2:28-29) Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on servants-men and women alike. ALL PEOPLE (offensive to the Jews of that day) o But the Holy Spirit came for all of us. o This is an invitation to every believer To receive Him. When this happened... o Some were amazed o Some doubted o Some mocked and made fun Just like today o If you are a believer you already have Him. o If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, it only happened through the Holy Spirit, even though you may not have realized it at the time. (Galatians 4:6) And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, "Abba, Father." Now there is something more that happens to you when you become "filled" with the Spirit... * It is a daily filling. * A daily surrender to Him. * Maybe you are scared of what you think the Holy Spirit is... o It's not tongues o It's not shouting o It's not emotionalism * Don't let what you saw, what someone told you hold you back from going to another level in your relationship with the Lord. Conclusion: We have the Holy Spirit with us and in us, but what we lack is our own awareness. o I'm going to tell you what I wished someone would have told me when I wanted to be filled with the Holy Spirit o I got caught up in the experience of how others received the Holy Spirit and I was chasing the experience and not the Spirit... * Being filled with the Holy Spirit is as easy as breathing in and breathing out. * To be filled with the Holy spirit is a complete and total surrender of yourself to God...letting go of what you want, desire and taking on all of God and inviting Him to fill you completely with His spirit. * He will not impose Himself on you * You must invite him. * The Holy Spirit will radically change your life. You won't be the same person when you are filled with the Spirit. * Living the spirit-filled life * Letting God put His power in you so that you can do the will of God (Romans 12:1) And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. * You must open yourself up to God (open the door) for the Holy Spirit to come in and have all of you. * Salvation means turning from you sins * Holy Spirit baptism means allowing God to have all of you