Advantage Card

My family and I started to watch the show survivor again. A lot has changed in the game! Growing up all the game had was, hidden immunity idols that you can use to at tribal council that would let you be safe from getting votes casted on you. It was always a huge blind side when a group was planning on voting that person out and they used it.

Now, the game has a bunch of different “advantages”. Some of them are hidden, others are given out based on decisions you make.

The worst part in the show, is when someone has a hidden immunity idol and they don’t use it and they get voted out that night at tribal council. How embarrassing that they had a something that could have helped them out in the game and they never used it!

Did you know as a follower of Jesus, you have an advantage that is greater than having Jesus physically present with you?

As a Christian, a faithful follower of Jesus, Jesus gave an advantage that is better than having Him physically with you. If you are a follower of Jesus, then you have an advantage in this life!

Its God Himself, The Holy Spirit. The 3rd person of the Trinity. we don’t talk much about Him but He is the Spirit of God

Jesus is talking with His disciples right before He goes to the cross, and he tells them that they too will suffer many things in His name and that He was going away to be with His Father. They looked sorrowful, not expecting that to be told to them.

Did you know this promise that Jesus said was not just to His disciples but also to ALL who believed in Him. We would be outcasted, persecuted and hated for believing in Jesus! He didn’t promise a easy life, but a hard life.

Maybe you have experienced it first hand. Getting called out because of your faith, hated for because of your faith, left out of friend groups because of you faith in Jesus.

You have a hard time standing out and making a stand for Jesus, and living different than the world like He called us to live, because you are thinking about what others may think of you.

We may think that it would have been just easier for Jesus to just be here, for you to change or stand up for your faith.

Well we can rest assure because Jesus’ promise was greater than Him being physically here with us.

John 16:5–7 (ESV)

5 But now I am going to him who sent me, and none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

The Holy Spirit is our Helper.

He walks alongside, guides us, and leads us in the path God has plan for us. He also helps us learn and understand! Teaching us more about Himself & also things in life. Helping us in school, in relationships with friends, even as we learn a new skill, HE is here helping us.

John 16:8–11 (NLT)

8 And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. 10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. 11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.

The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement.

He proves us to be wrong or guilty of our sin. Sin is missing Gods mark of perfection.

He does this before entering a relationship with God & also as we walk with Him.

Don’t get conviction confused with condemnation. These are two different things!

Condemnation is meant to tear you down and continually points out our failures.

Conviction is meant to show you the answer for our failures.

Conviction brings us to the One who paid for our sins: Jesus. Romans 8:1 “1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.”

The Holy Spirit shows us how we are not right with God and leads us to HOW to be right with God.

The Holy Spirit also shows us that there is judgement for those who are not right with God.

The Holy Spirit will GUIDE YOU.

John 16:13 (NLT)

13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.

He leads us to & teaches us all things. John 14:26 “26 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.”

That word advocate means to be a representitive or spokesperson of someone elses purpose.

He will reveal to us what God wants us to know.

When you don’t know how to handle a situation with your friends or at work or what school you need to go to. Go to the Holy Spirit for guidance and He will lead you into which way you need to go or how to handle that situation.

The Holy Spirit Glorifies HIMSELF.

John 16:14 (CSB)

14 He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.

The main reason we have the HOLY SPIRIT is not to bring glory to us, but it is to reveal JESUS to us, and bear testimony of Jesus. John 15:26 “26 “But I will send you the Advocate—the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will testify all about me.”

He is not to bring glory to us, but instead reveal Jesus to the world.

The Holy Spirit lives inside those who believe.

You may ask yourself, “how do I know if I have the Holy Spirit?”

1. Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior?

At the moment of salvation the bible teaches this: Ephesians 1:13-14

Ephesians 1:13–14 (NLT)

13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

2. What fruit are you producing?

In other words, what is your character like? Galatians tells us that “the Fruit of the Spirit” is:

Galatians 5:22–23 NLT

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Paul tells us that if we are being led by the Spirit, submitting to Him, then we will: Galatians 5:16 “16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.”

Are you giving into your sinful nature more and more? Good news is that we can experience grace! Getting something that we don’t deserve: FORGIVENESS. If we confess our sins and turn away from them then God will forgive us.

BUT Some of us need to make that first step with Him today: accepting Him as our LORD and Savior.

Pray.