Thankful: For the Holy Spirit

Prayer over scripture reading and preaching.

John 16:5-15

In a few days we will celebrate Thanksgiving.

We have so many things for which we should be thankful to God!

King David certainly felt that way when he wrote:

Psalm 9:1–2 (NASB95) I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. 2 I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

Psalm 18:46–49 (NASB95) The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation, 47 The God who executes vengeance for me, And subdues peoples under me. 48 He delivers me from my enemies; Surely You lift me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from the violent man. 49 Therefore I will give thanks to You among the nations, O LORD, And I will sing praises to Your name.

Psalm 30:4–5 (NASB95) Sing praise to the LORD, you His godly ones, And give thanks to His holy name. 5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.

Psalm 138:1–6 (NASB95) I will give You thanks with all my heart; I will sing praises to You before the gods. 2 I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name. 3 On the day I called, You answered me; You made me bold with strength in my soul. 4 All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, O LORD, When they have heard the words of Your mouth. 5 And they will sing of the ways of the LORD, For great is the glory of the LORD. 6 For though the LORD is exalted, Yet He regards the lowly, …

Other psalmists also think of many things for which to give thanks:

Psalm 105:1–3 (NASB95) Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. 2 Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders. 3 Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the LORD be glad.

Psalm 107:1–2 (NASB95) Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, For His lovingkindness is everlasting. 2 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary

Thanksgiving pours from this book from those who KNOW God.

Who have experienced and acknowledged His many blessings.

I encourage us to continually think about God’s many blessings and express gratitude to Him for all He has done.

Thankful for the Role of the Holy Spirit

As we look through the Bible considering the many deeds God has done, we realize that in …

The OT: The Father is center stage, patiently teaching about the saving ministry of His Son.

The Gospels: The Son is center stage securing our salvation through the fulfillment of the prophecies of the OT, according to the patient teaching of the Father.

His birth, sinless life, His preaching, His suffering, death and burial — just the end of the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry

Then the glorious ministry of the Son continues with His resurrection and ascension - so we see the victorious end of Jesus being at center stage.

Now Jesus is multitasking at a level incomprehensible to us, as He is

at the Father’s right hand interceding for each and every one of us…

while, simultaneously preparing a place for us so that where He is, we may be also.

But in Acts: The Holy Spirit takes center stage of what God is doing in the world,

He is the One bringing the world to salvation through Jesus,

but when Acts ends it is only the end of the beginning of what the Holy Spirit continues to do in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Because as we look at the Epistles:

We see the Holy Spirit is still center stage fulfilling what Jesus said He would do in giving us revelation.

But one day it will all be over:

Genesis 6:3 (AMP) Then the Lord said, My Spirit shall not forever dwell and strive (wrestle?) with man, for he also is flesh…

In Revelation 21:6–7 (NLT) [we hear God say… ] … “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.

Thankful for the Outpouring of the Spirit

But, before the end of this earthly realm, right now the Holy Spirit is occupying the center stage of al that God is doing.

Not that He is shouting: “Look at Me! Look at Me!”

To the contrary He is saying “Look at Jesus! See what He has done and what He is doing!”

In our text the disciples were struggling with understanding what Jesus was saying:

They knew Jesus, but they didn’t think they knew the Holy Spirit.

Even though He had been among them, anointing them as they did the works Jesus told them to do.

They could only hear Jesus saying: “I am going away … stepping out of the center stage — I’m going to My Father — but the Holy Spirit is coming.”

The disciples struggled with Jesus going away.

Jesus knew their hearts.

He said: “You are so consumed with Me going away that you haven’t even asked where I am going.”

“I’m going to the Father!”

“You should be overwhelmed with joy for Me.”

But instead, He said in vs. 6: “sorrow has filled your heart.”

But, I am telling you: “Don’t be filled with sorrow! NO! Be filled with praise and gratitude.

Because I am going to the Father, the Comforter is coming.

Convicting the World

Jesus encourages His disciples in Vs. 8-11 to be thankful the Holy Spirit was coming.

WE should be thankful the Holy Spirit is here.

Because, as vs. 8-11 of our text tells us — we have Someone who will help us share the Good News of our salvation.

It is like the shepherds at the birth of Jesus ...

AS says Luke 2:17–18 (NLT) After seeing [the baby Jesus], the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. 18 All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished,

The shepherds were filled with joy at the revelation of Emmanuel — they HAD to tell somebody

Like Andrew in…

John 1:40–42 (NLT) Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. 41 Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means “Christ”). 42 Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “Your name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas” (which means “Peter”).

Or like Phillip in …

After Phillip met Jesus in the previous verse, in John 1:45 (NASB95) Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

or like the disciples after the Resurrection ...

Sister Ginny sings it each year at Resurrection Sunday — gotta tell somebody!

When WE have an encounter with the Risen Lord, and repent of sins, receiving forgiveness and cleansing through the Blood ...

WE want to tell others.

But we realize the inadequacy of being able to do so.

We don’t have the words.

We desperately need Someone who will touch the hearts of those to whom we speak.

So THEY can experience salvation as we have.

And that Someone, the Holy Spirit, come alongside of us

Convicting that person to whom we are speaking of their sin — of their NEED of a Saviour.

He reveals the glorious righteousness of God.

He reveals the surety of judgment for those who do not turn to Jesus in repentance and surrender.

And that person to whom we are speaking, has their own salvation experience!

Thank you Jesus for the Holy Spirit.

I don’t (CAN”T) argue people into salvation.

No matter how great my rhetorical abilities, it is only the Holy Spirit who leads them to salvation.

I can only be an instrument through whom the Holy Spirit moves.

Revelation

When we are born again, we not only want to tell others, the Holy Spirit plants an insatiable thirst for more...

More of who Jesus is.

More of what He calls us to do.

Jesus promised the disciples (and US!), that once we are in relationship with Him, in Vs. 12-15 tell us that the Holy Spirit gives us a clear revelation.

First, the Revelation of present reality

As we look around the world in which we live, we know what’s going on.

We see the spiritual realities.

We’re not confused, overwhelmed, shaken.

The Holy Spirit reveals the reality behind the appearance.

Through the Holy Spirit, we see, as says...

Ephesians 6:12 (NASB95) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 (NASB95) For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the [supernaturally provided] weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 [Through the Holy Spirit] We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

Jesus goes on to tell us in vs. 12-15 that not only will the Holy Spirit reveal present reality, He will also show us a Revelation of future reality.

The Holy Spirit “will disclose to you what is to come.”

He reassures us that it is not the angry, the wicked, the unjust, the evil who inherit not only the earth, but eternal life — as Matthew 5:5 says, it is the humble, the gentle, the Meek who inherit the earth.

As Matthew 19:16 says, it is the righteous who obtain eternal life.

As John 3:15 says, it is those who believe on Him, who receive eternal life.

And through the Spirit our hearts are filled with hope (that confident expectation) of what is to come.

That hope of the future gets us through the hopelessness of this world.

That light of future glory gets us through the darkness of present reality.

The Holy Spirit reminds us of what is to come.

What John saw in … the Holy Spirit tells us, “”This is yours, too!”

Revelation 21:1–7 (NASB95) Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” 5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” 6 Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. 7 “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.

Revelation of glory

Vs. 14 As we go through this dreary world the Holy Spirit gives us glimpses of glory

I don’t know about you, but I am so thankful that the Holy Spirit pulls back the curtain and shows me the glory of Jesus.

I don’t walk by sight or by emotions, I walk by faith.

But I am thankful, that in His wisdom, the Holy Spirit buoys my soul.

As says: Psalm 32:11–33:4 (NLT) So rejoice in the LORD and be glad, all you who obey Him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure! 1 Let the godly sing for joy to the LORD; it is fitting for the pure to praise Him. 2 Praise the LORD with melodies on the lyre; make music for Him on the ten-stringed harp. 3 Sing a new song of praise to Him; play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy. 4 For the word of the LORD holds true, and we can trust everything He does.

Revelation of the deep truths of the Father

In Vs. 15 Jesus reminds the disciples (yes, and us!) that the Holy Spirit will lead us ever deeper in the things of God.

Telling us who we are in Christ .…

Beloved — a Child of God

Seated in the heavenlies

Free from condemnation

Bought with the priceless Blood of Jesus

Redeemed

Assured that all things work together for good

Established, anointed, and sealed

Confident that what Jesus began in me, He will complete

That the Holy Spirit in me is greater than the devil who rules this evil world system

That I am salt and light

God’s masterpiece

A branch of the True Vine

The Temple of the Holy Spirit

An ambassador of reconciliation

Doing all things through Christ who strengthens me

Folks, that’s just a taste of the deeper things into which the Holy Spirit will take us.

Are You Thankful for the Holy Spirit?

So, yes, I am thankful for the Holy Spirit.

Are you?

As the Worship Team returns to the platform…

Have you tasted and seen that God is good?

Walking in the Spirit starts with walking with Jesus.

Have you repented of your sins?

Have you surrendered your life to Him?

Now, can you hear Jesus saying to you what He said in ...

John 7:37–39 (NASB95) Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Can you stand with me?

Lift up your hands and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you to overflowing with rivers of living water.