The Holy Spirit
The Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 7 viewsNotes
Transcript
“What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use—men of prayer, men mighty in prayer.”—E.M. Bounds
The most misunderstood person of the Trinity. We have a great grasp on who God the Father is, we are getting a better understanding on who God the Son is through this series, but we now come to God the Holy Spirit.
The great google definition describes the Holy Spirit this way:
The Holy Spirit is God's personal, active presence, the third person of the Trinity, who guides, comforts, and convicts individuals, empowering believers through spiritual gifts and leading them into truth. He is a distinct person with attributes of God, such as a mind, will, and emotions, and is involved in creation, spiritual transformation, and the application of salvation by bringing people to faith in Jesus Christ.
This is honestly a great description of the Holy Spirit, but it is lacking something.
It is lacking the personality, the true role in our lives, and the beautiful attributes.
Let’s stop here and see what Christ said about the Counselor, the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit.
“If you love me, you will keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. 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.
Let’s pray!
Moon trees were grown from seeds astronaut Stuart Roosa carried in his personal kit on the Apollo 14 mission in early February 1971. About 500 loblolly pine, redwood, sweet gum, sycamore and Douglas fir tree seeds went up with him and orbited the moon 34 times. (Roosa stayed on board while astronauts Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell made the third moon landing.)
Roosa had been a smoke jumper (that's a forest fire first responder) for the U.S. Forest Service prior to becoming an astronaut, and he brought the seeds not only to honor the service, but also to run a simple test: Would the seeds that had gone to the moon sprout as easily as Earth-only seeds?
About 450 of the seeds sprouted in similar numbers and as typically as their Earth-only control seeds. After a few years of care at NASA, the now-baby trees were planted in locations across the United States, many as part of the 1976 bicentennial celebrations.
Where are the trees? According to NASA,
A loblolly pine was planted at the White House, and trees were planted in Brazil, Switzerland, and presented to the emperor of Japan, among others. Trees have also been planted in Washington Square in Philadelphia, at Valley Forge, in the International Forest of Friendship, and at various universities and NASA centers."
...Roosa died in 1994, but a moon sycamore grows at his grave at Arlington National Cemetery.
As it turns out, a moon tree is no different from its earthly counterpart. Merely visiting the moon didn’t change the nature of the seeds. All that changed was the world’s estimation ... it made them famous.
One has to wonder why anyone ever thought that simply orbiting the moon 34 times would somehow change the nature of a seed. Likewise, one has to wonder why it is so many seem to believe that simply attending a church every week will somehow change the nature of a person.
The truth is, people who go to church are subject to the same temptations as people who don’t attend. And many of them fail, just like their non-church attending counterpart. Human nature doesn’t change just because we've spent time in close proximity to a church. However, faith in God’s promise does invite the presence of God's Spirit, resulting in a new capacity to desire the things of God.
And since we do not invite the Holy Spirit in our lives, we do not see the true power of the Holy Spirit.
One of the ladies at the facility said to me, I have seen people come to the Lord and never even knew a word of the bible, I have seen people walk straight again, I have seen people prophecy over each other, but I get here and the Holy Spirit is gone.
A lot of scholars and other members of the church will say it is because of cessations. That the need for these things have stopped because the church does not need them anymore or that these acts stopped with the end of with the apostles.
I disagree. The reason I disagree is because we are telling God He can not be God anymore.
The main reason we do not see the mighty move of the Holy Spirit is because the church has stifled the Holy Spirit.
Christ said, “The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him”
So today, let’s try to get a better understanding of the Holy Spirit.
So this message will be tailored with what the above definition was lacking.
So let’s first look at
The Holy Spirit’s Personality
A Person, Not a Force
We must stop thinking the Holy Spirit is this unknown force. It is not some force where you can be like a Jedi from Star Wars and deflect force lightning.
He is a person that can be grieved:
And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption.
He is a person who speaks on our behalf:
In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.
He can give commands:
As they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
He is a person. The third of the Trinity. Which also mean he is divine and has
Attributes of God
The Spirit possesses personal attributes like having a mind, will, and emotions,
Now God has revealed these things to us by the Spirit, since the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.
and also exhibits divine attributes such as omniscience, omnipresence, and eternity.
Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
The Holy Spirit is not merely a spiritual force but a fully divine person, equal in substance to God the Father and God the Son.
So we must see the Holy Spirit as the person He is, and then we must look at
The Holy Spirit’s Role In Our Lives
Convicts and Transforms:
He convicts people of sin, leading them to faith in Jesus and transforming their hearts and minds, giving them a new nature.
When he comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: About sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.
Guidance and Comfort:
The Spirit serves as a guide and comforter for believers, leading them toward righteousness and helping them understand spiritual truths.
For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons.
Spiritual Gifts:
He distributes spiritual gifts to the church, such as wisdom, faith, and prophecy, which are given to strengthen and benefit the body of Christ.
Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person.
Sanctification:
The Holy Spirit is involved in the ongoing process of sanctification, helping believers live a righteous life and grow more like Christ.
His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
The Holy Spirits Role In This World
Creation:
The Holy Spirit was active with the Father and the Son in the act of creation.
Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness covered the surface of the watery depths, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters.
Application of Salvation:
He is the presence of God in the world, applying the work of Christ's salvation to individual lives. He is the Counselor!
In him you also were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed. The Holy Spirit is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.
Witness:
The Holy Spirit testifies to the truth of Jesus Christ. He is the Spirit of Truth.
Jesus Christ—he is the one who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water and by blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and these three are in agreement.
