Holy Spirit #1 - Who is the Holy Spirit?

Intro:

This morning we are going to begin studying about the Holy Spirit.

For the next 3 months, we will look at things such as…

Who is the Holy Spirit?

How does the Holy Spirit work in our lives?

Why do we need the Holy Spirit's work in our lives?

How does the Holy Spirit work in the midst of the church?

What are the gifts of the Holy Spirit?

We see the Holy Spirit's name come up over and over in the Bible…

Yet, the Holy Spirit is so often misunderstood… and sometimes even ignored by Christian

But the truth is that we need the Holy Spirit's power daily in our lives…

Some goals of this series:

1. That we would each come to understand just how important the work of the Holy Spirit is in our lives

2. That we would learn to trust the Holy Spirit as walk with Jesus Christ

3. That we would come to rely on the Holy Spirit’s grace and power in our daily lives

I. John 14:16-17 - The Gift of the Holy Spirit

Before Jesus went to the Cross, he told his disciples that he was going to be leaving them

He explained to them that he would soon be glorified and we go back to the Father

As he comforted them, he promised that he would not leave them as orphans (vs. 18)

He promised that he would send the Holy Spirit to be with them … and to help them

Jesus calls the Holy Spirit in verse 16 the "Helper"

Your Bible may say "Comforter"

The Greek word used is "parakletos", which means "one who comes alongside to help"

And who is this helper? Who is this one that will be with us forever, as Jesus says?

Vs. 17 - Jesus calls him the Spirit of Truth

In vs. 26, Jesus says, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you."

So the Helper … The Spirit of Truth … Is the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit has been given to you and me to come alongside and help us as we follow Jesus

Now, you might be thinking …

Why do I need the Holy Spirit?

Why do I need help?

I know what I believe and I have the Bible - that's enough, right?

The quick answer to that question is, “No, you need the Holy Spirit”

A long time ago, someone gave me this tool called a 'vise-grip' …[show picture]

I had never used one before … And as far as I was concerned, my toolbox was complete …

I had everything I needed to fix my car, so why would I need this weird vise-grip thing?

Well, this weird vise-grip thing has now become the first things I buy when I need to buy tools …

Because it has come to my aid in so many different ways …

If you have a vise grip and an imagination … you will be unstoppable (like a superhero)

If I could only have one tool on me all the time, it would be a vise grip

Jesus has given you the Holy Spirit as a gift … and it’s possible that you might not understand why

Don’t worry, "why" comes a little later

First, we need to simply recognize and understand that the Holy Spirit has been given to us as our Helper …

And the more we learn about the Holy Spirit, the more we will come to understand why we need him

This morning, we're going to focus on the question, "Who is the Holy Spirit?"

I've given you a hand out with a lot of Bible verses on it …

We're not going to walk through each one of those Bible verses … but we will highlight some important verses as we go

II. The Holy Spirit is God - the Third Person of the Trinity

Just under the title on your handout, it says, "The Holy Spirit is God - the Third Person of the Trinity"

What does that mean?

We're going to unpack the statement for the rest of the message today

The Holy Spirit is God

What does it mean when we say that the Holy Spirit is God?

Does that mean that the Holy Spirit and Jesus are the same?

Does it mean that the Father in heaven and the Holy Spirit are the same?

The answer is found in what we call the Trinity

God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit [show trinity picture]

One God, but three persons

Look at this box … it's one box … [show picture]

But it has a height, a width, and a depth …

Three dimensions make up this one box …

and it's only a box if it has those three dimensions

Or think of an egg … [show picture]

You have the shell, the egg white, and the yolk …

Three individual parts of the egg …

But together they make up one egg …

And if you lose one of those things then you no longer have an egg

Now, we don’t worship 3 different God’s … because there is only one God

But just as a box or an egg illustrates … the one true God is made up of three persons

God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), God the Holy Spirit

Each of these are God (singular) … the same God …

However, each of them has their own personality

The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity

Now, some people think of the Holy Spirit as being like a power or a force … an essence coming from God

Like the smoke that rises from incense … or like the force in Star Wars

But the truth is that the Holy Spirit is not just a power … the Holy Spirit is a person (not a human, but a person)

What that means is that the Holy Spirit has a personality

Nowadays, we're starting to see robots come into life more and more … [show picture]

Do you remember when Softbank started playing with robots many years ago?

Now you get your food served by a robot when you go to Wafutei or Coco’s Restaurant

A robot have its own personality …

It simply does what it's programmed to do …

It responds how it is programmed to respond …

Even robots that learn can only learn the way they are programmed

Robots don't have real opinions … they doesn't get insulted when you don’t say please …

This is because a robot has no personality … it's not a person - it is programmed machine

The Holy Spirit is a person … not a human … but a person, a being who has a personality

III. The Holy Spirit has the Characteristics of a Person

Take a look at your handout… There is a list of passages that show the personality of the Holy Spirit (I'm going to skip around a little bit)

1 Cor. 2:10-11 - The Holy Spirit has knowledge… in fact, he understands the things of God

Rom. 8:27 - the Holy Spirit has a mind

John 15:26, John 16:13-14 - The Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus and exalts the Father and Son about himself

John 14:16-17 - The Holy Spirit comes along side us to help us.

1 Cor. 12:11 (Paul is speaking of the gifts of the Holy Spirit)

1 Corinthians 12:11 (ESV)

All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

1 Corinthians 12:11 (新改訳2017)

同じ一つの御霊がこれらすべてのことをなさるのであり、御霊は、みこころのままに、一人ひとりそれぞれに賜物を分け与えてくださるのです。

The Holy Spirit gives us gifts … But he gives us those gifts as he wills

In Okinawa, we have vending machines everywhere …

You can even find them in the middle of farms

We even have crepe vending machines and escargo vending machines …

Think about the last time you bought a drink from a vending machine…

You put your money in … you push the button of what you wanted … and the drink came out

As long as you have the money and push the right button … you can get what you want

But the Holy Spirit does not work like a vending machine …

He doesn’t give us gifts based on how much we have to give to him

He doesn’t give us gifts based on what we want from him

Rather, He gives gifts to us based on his own will - his own desires - for us

In other words, he knows what is best for us …

And he gives us what we need according to what he knows is best for us

Romans 15:30 - (Paul is speaking to the Roman church)

Romans 15:30 (ESV)

I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf,

Romans 15:30 (新改訳2017)

兄弟たち。私たちの主イエス・キリストによって、また、御霊の愛によってお願いします。私のために、私とともに力を尽くして、神に祈ってください。

Notice that it says the love of the Spirit … did you know that the Holy Spirit loves you?

When we think of spirits, we don't usually think of love…

In Okinawa, spirits bring fear … people are scared of being cursed by spirits

But the Holy Spirit loves us …

God is love … and the Holy Spirit is God … so the Holy Spirit is love … and he loves you with God’s love

So, as the Holy Spirit is guides you in God's will, he does it in love

IV. The Holy Spirit Acts in Personal Ways

On the handout…

Acts 13:2 - The Holy Spirit speaks

Romans 8:26 - The Holy Spirit intercedes for us

1 John 2:20-27, John 14:26 - The Holy Spirit teaches us

Acts 16:6-10 (this passage takes place during one of the Apostle Paul's missionary journeys) "And they went through … to preach the gospel to them." (read the whole passage)

Acts 16:6–10 (ESV)

And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Acts 16:6–10 (新改訳2017)

それから彼らは、アジアでみことばを語ることを聖霊によって禁じられたので、フリュギア・ガラテヤの地方を通って行った。 こうしてミシアの近くまで来たとき、ビティニアに進もうとしたが、イエスの御霊がそれを許されなかった。 それでミシアを通って、トロアスに下った。 その夜、パウロは幻を見た。一人のマケドニア人が立って、「マケドニアに渡って来て、私たちを助けてください」と懇願するのであった。 パウロがこの幻を見たとき、私たちはただちにマケドニアに渡ることにした。彼らに福音を宣べ伝えるために、神が私たちを召しておられるのだと確信したからである。

The Holy Spirit guides us … And sometimes even forbids us from going in a certain direction

The Apostle Paul was seeking to go into a certain region to preach the gospel … but the Holy Spirit kept him from going there

They tried to go to another region to preach the gospel … but again the Spirit kept them from entering into that area as well

Their motives were good … and yet the Holy Spirit restrained them from going where they wanted to go

Finally Paul saw a vision of a man saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."

And they understood that Macedonia was where the Lord wanted them to go to preach the gospel

We often look at open doors as good things and close doors as bad things

But the truth is … just because a door opens doesn't mean that it's good door to go through …

And just because a doors closes doesn't mean that it's a bad door to go through

The Holy Spirit is our guide

He knows the best way for us to go … he knows what God's will is for our lives …

And so he will often close opportunities in order to keep us from missing the greater opportunity that the Lord desires for us to take

So when you find yourself frustrated in life because it seems like your way is being blocked …

You can be encouraged … because that means that the Holy Spirit is holding you back from going the wrong way … so that he can guide you in the best way

V. The Holy Spirit Can Be Treated as a Person

On the handout…

Eph. 4:30 - We can grieve the Holy Spirit

Hebrews 10:29 - We can insult the Holy Spirit

Acts 5:3 - We can lie to the Holy Spirit

Matthew 12:31-32 - We can blaspheme the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 4:30...

Ephesians 4:30 (ESV)

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Ephesians 4:30 (新改訳2017)

神の聖霊を悲しませてはいけません。あなたがたは、贖いの日のために、聖霊によって証印を押されているのです。

What does it grieve someone?

"To cause distress to someone" or "to break someone's heart"

This is a very emotional word … Yet, we're told that the Holy Spirit can be grieved …

The Holy Spirit can have his heart broken by us

Nowadays, we like to talk to our phones a lot … We say, "Hey, Google" or "Hey Siri" and tell her phone what we want it to do for us

When's the last time that you heard someone say please or thank you to their phone?

Does the phone care if I don't say thank you? Not at all

But what if my wife does something nice for me? If I don't say thank you, does she care?

Absolutely. In fact, my words or my lack of words could leave my wife with a hurt or broken heart … I can grieve her by taking her kindness for granted

In the same way, we can grieve the Holy Spirit by taking his grace for granted

The Holy Spirit is helping us follow after Jesus in our lives … and so he's guiding us, he's teaching us, he's warning us, he's empowering us … he is helping us in every way

But when we neglect or reject his help … and we go off and do things our way … it grieves him

Think of someone you know - friend, child, someone close to you - who decided to walk down a path that is not wise …

It hurts to see that person walking down that path that we know is only going to bring pain into their life … and the pain is even stronger if you tried to stop them

When the Holy Spirit is seeking to help us … and yet we turn away from his help …

He is hurt as he watches us leave the path of wisdom to walk a path he warned us against …

He is grieved when you and I turn away from him

Now this doesn't mean that the Holy Spirit is a weakling …

What is show us is that the Holy Spirit has a personality … and that the Holy Spirit loves and cares about you

VI. The Holy Spirit is Identified with the Father and Son as a Person

On the handout…

2 Cor. 13:14 - The Holy Spirit is named with the Father and Son in benediction

Acts 15:28 - The Holy Spirit is identified with the believers as a person.

Matthew 28:19

Matthew 28:19 (ESV)

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Matthew 28:19 (新改訳2017)

ですから、あなたがたは行って、あらゆる国の人々を弟子としなさい。父、子、聖霊の名において彼らにバプテスマを授け、

The important thing here is that the Holy Spirit is named along with the Father and the Son

When we baptize, we baptize in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit

Not just in the name of the Father or the Son or the Holy Spirit …

But in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit … because they are one …

And each is given an equal standing in God

Conclusion:

So who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is God - the Third Person of the Trinity

Back to John 14:16-17 (read)

After Jesus rose from the dead … after Jesus ascended into heaven …

He sent the Holy Spirit down to us

The Holy Spirit dwells with us and is in us

Jesus calls the Holy Spirit the Helper …

Jesus is sent us the Helper because we need help

The Holy Spirit is a gift given to us to help us walk with Jesus … and to help us be his witnesses in the world…

As we continue through this Holy Spirit series …

We are going to look at what the Holy Spirit does in our lives … and how he helps us

My desire as we go into the series…

That each one of us we'll come to see our need of the Holy Spirit in our lives

That each one of us will come to embrace and rely on the help and power of the Holy Spirit as we follow Jesus daily