Pentecost and The Holy Spirit
Notes
Transcript
“Peace be with you.”
Read John 16:4-15
Pray: “Father may your will be done. Jesus may your word be proclaimed. Spirit may your work in us be accomplished we pray. Amen.”
I. What is Pentecost?
I. What is Pentecost?
(Lev. 23:15-17; Ex. 23:16,19)
(Lev. 23:15-17; Ex. 23:16,19)
Meaning “50th day” in Greek, Pentecost is an Old Testament festival where Israel offers their first fruits of the grain harvest by baking bread and presenting it to God as a grain offering and give thanks. This festival is to be observed 7 sabbaths after Passover. Flash forward to 50 days after Christ’s Resurrection and His first fruits of his labor is displayed in the birth of the Church.
A. Celebration
A. Celebration
Pentecost is unique and different in that it celebrates the harvest of the completed redemptive work of Jesus Christ. What starts as a celebration of the first fruits of the Harvest turns into a celebration of the first fruits of the word of Christ that have been planted.
B. Ceremony
B. Ceremony
Pentecost is also a ceremony. The ceremony between THE bride and THE bridegroom. An exchanging of rings takes places, Where Believers are baptized with water signifying their union to Christ, and a baptism by fire signifying Christ’s union with believers.
16 John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
1. Baptism by water.
1. Baptism by water.
Baptism with water signifies our union with Christ. That we give up our life and join him in death and walk as His. It is a sign that we have let go of this life of death and now cling to Christ for the life we now live. We become marked as His bride.
27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?
2. Baptism by Fire.
2. Baptism by Fire.
On the other hand, Baptism by Fire brings out union with Christ full circle. Fire, in the bible, symbolizes the presence of God. Look no further that the burning bush or Deut 4:24. Therefore, what we have at Pentecost is a baptism upon those who believe with fire, which is the presence of God (Holy Spirit) breaking into their hearts. This means that Christ unites his life with ours.
9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it never be!
17 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.
› The Baptism by water, joins our lives to Christ and marks Him as our Husband. The Baptism by Fire, joins Christ to us and marks us as His bride. These two Baptisms are the symbols of the union between Christ and His bride. “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine (Song of Solomon 2:16a.)”
So Pentecost is a celebration and a ceremony where the Spirit of Christ is given to those who are the first fruits of Christ’s labor. The loaves of bread made from the sowing and reaping of what has been accomplished. Now let’s look at what the Spirit does in the life of the Believer.
II. The Work of The Holy Spirit (John 16:4-15)
II. The Work of The Holy Spirit (John 16:4-15)
A. The Advocate(s)
A. The Advocate(s)
7 “But 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.
1. Advocate above us- Christ.
1. Advocate above us- Christ.
25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
2. Advocate in us- Spirit.
2. Advocate in us- Spirit.
25 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26 “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 said to you.
B. The Convictor (V.8-11)
B. The Convictor (V.8-11)
8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;
The Spirit convicts causing the people to realize their sin, acknowledging the righteousness of Christ, and reveals who is truly judged.
1. Sin…Concerning sin (not believing Jesus- v.9)
1. Sin…Concerning sin (not believing Jesus- v.9)
22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— 23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.
2. Righteousness…Concerning Righteousness (Because Jesus goes to the Father- v.10)
2. Righteousness…Concerning Righteousness (Because Jesus goes to the Father- v.10)
33 “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear.
3. Judgement…Concerning judgement (The ruler of this world has been judge- v.11)
3. Judgement…Concerning judgement (The ruler of this world has been judge- v.11)
34 “For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” ’
The Work of the Spirit is to convict the world so that they might cling to Christ.
11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
C. The Truth Teller (v.13)
C. The Truth Teller (v.13)
Teacher of Truth.
Teacher of Truth.
13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.
D. The Glorifier.
D. The Glorifier.
14 “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.
The work of the Spirit will always glorify Christ. This means that everything the Spirit does in and through your life is so that you look and live like Jesus. It is less about you and more about Jesus. Everything the Spirit accomplishes in your life will result in you being sanctified and glorifying Christ with your life. The Spirit will help you decrease so that Christ can increase in your life.
III. Application: The Evidence of The Spirits presence.
III. Application: The Evidence of The Spirits presence.
As Christ tells his disciples what the Spirit will do in their lives when They receive Him, he is also giving us forensic evidence that proves we have the Spirit in us.
Understanding how the Spirit works ON our lives helps us see the evidence of the Spirit IN our lives.
Understanding how the Spirit works ON our lives helps us see the evidence of the Spirit IN our lives.
When we are convicted of sin, when the actions of our lives produce righteousness, when we declare that Jesus is Lord these are all evidences that the Spirit is present in our hearts. This is what the Spirit does. When you find yourself having more peace, more patience, doing more good, doing things rightly, demonstrating more love towards others, When you’re more joyful than complaining, When you exercise self-control instead of indulgence that is how you know the Spirit is working on your life. We can be encouraged that Jesus’ promise to be with us is real and active in our lives. And that should stir up more love for Him than ever before.
But we can quench the work of the Spirit on us; resulting in less evidence of his work in us.
But we can quench the work of the Spirit on us; resulting in less evidence of his work in us.
The best way I think to get this point across is to use an analogy. An analogy of imagination! This week Beau asked me is Jesus is a real person. I told him yes he is. He asked why couldn’t he see Jesus then. I told him because he lives in peoples hearts. We see Him in acts of love, because he is with His Father right now in heaven but one day you will see him if you believe in Him. I also told him that though you don’t see if now he is everywhere. Beau said, is he sitting next to me on this seat. I said yes. Beau has a very active imagination. For him a stick is as real as a sword, and fairy tales have the possibility of coming true. His favorite made up super heroes seem and feel real to him. As real as you and me. And although our imagination isn’t always reality, it does help us better understand Spiritual realities like the work of the Holy Spirit that is as invisible as the wind. But something happens to us as we grow, a stick becomes a stick and we ignore or forget that we can use it like a sword. The same thing happens with the Holy Spirit. When we ignore or forget that He is present around us and in us, we become less impacted by his work. And instead of being lead by the Spirit we resume control over our own lives according to our flesh. Instead of submitting to the Spirit’s prompts in our lives, we act on our own intuition. And little by little we remove the Spirit from our lives and replace it with more of our flesh.
If this is the place you presently find yourself in, a place where you walk by the flesh instead of the Spirit, and you are asking How can I get back to the place where there is evidence that the Spirit is back working on me? Here is the good news. Ask the Father and He will give you the Spirit, believe in the Lord Jesus and you will receive the Spirit, Start walking by the Spirit and you will not satisfy the desires of the flesh. If you want to be Spirit filled, then orient your whole life in being in places, and doing things that cultivate a Spirit filled life. Surround yourself with others who are Spirit filled. Attend places where the Spirit is present. Saturate your life with things that you know the Spirit attends like God’s Word, God’s House, and God’s People. If you wanted to get in shape, you would attend the gym, eat differently, and establish a healthier lifestyle. The same works for growing the Spirit’s presence and influence in your life. (And know this, the fact that you even desire to have more of a Spirit filled life is evidence that He is working on you!)
The work of God is intentional. He has a plan resulting in our good.
The work of God is intentional. He has a plan resulting in our good.
What God initiated in the celebration of Pentecost all the way back in the OT , He intended for the ultimate celebration of the Harvest from the redemptive work of His Son. God instituted a celebration that gathered the people together. So that at the right time, when the people observed this celebration together, that they were already in habit of doing, He would break out among them in a special way and break into their hearts as promised.
God institutes special traditions (like Pentecost) for this people in order to accomplish His intentions to do something special in His people (like putting His Spirit in their hearts).
So what traditions has God initiated with His people that he could use to do something special in our lives? We are in a habit of gathering together on the Lord’s day. An though nothing particularly special may happen each Sunday, the bible shows us that something special could happen on a Sunday and therefore no forsake gathering together especially as the day of the Lord’s coming is fast approaching!!!!
