Untitled Sermon (9)

One of the popular ads for the 2011 Super Bowl was a Volkswagen commercial that pictures a child dressed in a Darth Vader costume attempting to use "the force" around the house.

With the familiar Star Wars music associated with Darth Vader playing in the background, the boy marches down the hallway and then raises his hands dramatically toward a dryer in the utility room—nothing happens. Next the young Darth points his hands at the family dog lying on the floor. The dog looks up quizzically—but again nothing happens.

Darth does not give up. Now in the bedroom, he raises his hands forcefully toward a doll seated on the bed. The doll stares back blankly without budging an inch. Darth's arms drop to his sides in frustration, and he slumps in discouragement. In the kitchen, still in costume, he now stands dejectedly at the counter with his black-helmeted head on his hand. Then his father pulls into the driveway, and Darth runs out to the car as his father walks into the house. He hasn't given up! One more time he raises his hands and points them dramatically at the auto. He waits, hands upraised. Suddenly the car's yellow turn signals light up and the engine starts! The startled child stumbles backward. We see that the playful father had started the car from the kitchen using a push-button ignition. The amazed child whirls to look toward the house, then back again toward the car. This ad playfully illustrates a fundamental principle of doing God's invisible kingdom work. Just as the child could do nothing without the intervention of the father, so we can do nothing in the work of the Lord apart from God. When spiritual things happen, we can be sure that God did it.

The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force, but a real person with his own personality.

Why do we say this? We say this for several reasons.

The Holy Spirit is involved in a personal relationship with the Father and Son.

Matthew 28:19–20 NIV

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

2 Corinthians 13:14 NIV

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

Jude 20–21 NIV

But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

The Holy Spirit has characteristics of personhood.

He is intelligent

Isaiah 11:2 NIV

The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—

1 Corinthians 2:10–13 NIV

these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.

1 Corinthians 2:101

The Holy Spirit has a will

1 Corinthians 12:11 NIV

All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

1 Corinthians 12:11

The Holy Spirit is distinguished within the Trinity.

Distinguished from Jesus

John 14:16 NIV

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—

John

Matthew 3:16–17 NIV

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

The Spirit is referred to with personal pronouns.

John 14:16–17 NIV

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

John 14:16-17

John 15

John 15:26 NIV

“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.

The Holy Spirit is affected like a person.

Blasphemed

Grieved

Insulted

Lied to

Obeyed

Quenched

Resisted

Tested

shows love

The Holy Spirit has moral capacities.

Convicts the world of guilt and sin

Glorifies Jesus

Guides into truth

Intercedes

Makes alive/ regenerates

Restrains evil

Sets apart

The Spirit does what a person does.

commissions

communicates

encourages

gives gifts

leads

speaks

strengthens

teaches

testifies

gives life

What are some implications of the Holy Spirit being a real person who has a personality?

We can get to know him.

We can have communion with him.

We should not ignore him/his existence

We can have friendship with the Holy Spirit. How do we develop this friendship/relationship?

T - thank you for your indwelling presence in my life. You live within me to make me look more like Jesus. Here is how I might do it.

John 14:16 NLT

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you.

John 1

John 14:17 NIV

the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

John

R - Release illumination. Open my eyes.

Ephesians 1:17–19 NIV

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength

U - Use me. Release your power and gifts in my life in a new and fresh way.

Ephesians 1:17–20 NIV

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,

U - Use me. Release your power and gifts in my life in a new and fresh way.

S - Strengthen me. Increase my capacity to contain more of your wisdom, grace, power.

S - Strengthen me. Increase my capacity to contain more of your wisdom.

Ephesians 3:16 NIV

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

Ephesians

S

T - Teach me.

John 14:26 NIV

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

John 16:13 NIV

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

Friendship.

Personal

Story

Him

Lord, I Need You (ending song)