We Believe: God Reveals Himself as Holy Spirit
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We Believe: God Reveals Himself
We Believe: God Reveals Himself
We believe: God Reveals Himself through His Word
We believe: God Reveals Himself through His Word
Ancient and timeless, a masterpiece of literature, the Holy Bible reveals God’s role in human history, our place in God’s plan, and truth to guide us and shield us from deception.
We believe: God Reveals Himself through His Word
We Believe: God Reveals Himself as Trinity
We Believe: God Reveals Himself as Trinity
We Believe: God Reveals Himself as Father
We Believe: God Reveals Himself as Father
There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three coeternal Persons.
We Believe: God Reveals Himself as Father
We Believe: God Reveals Himself as Father
God the Father is the source of all love and life. He sent His Son to save us from our sin and selves, and to show us what He is like.
We Believe: God Reveals Himself as Son
We Believe: God Reveals Himself as Son
Jesus became human to save us. Through Him—our helper, advocate and redeemer—we can begin again. He is preparing heaven for us and will return to take us there.
We Believe: God Reveals Himself as Holy Spirit
We Believe: God Reveals Himself as Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit inspires us, empowers us and guides our understanding. The Spirit touches our hearts and transforms us, renewing the image of God in which we were created.
God the eternal Spirit was active with the Father and the Son in Creation, incarnation, and redemption. He is as much a person as are the Father and the Son. He inspired the writers of Scripture. He filled Christ’s life with power. He draws and convicts human beings; and those who respond He renews and transforms into the image of God. Sent by the Father and the Son to be always with His children, He extends spiritual gifts to the church, empowers it to bear witness to Christ, and in harmony with the Scriptures leads it into all truth.
Why is the Work of the Spirit important? And how does He draw me closer to Jesus?
The Man Who Disappeared
During the appeal at the close of his message, Pastor Allen was thrilled to see a thirty-something man rise from his seat and make his way to the front of the worship center. The event was especially emotional because the pastor knew the back-story. Two years before, the man I'll call Irwin had begun attending Pastor Allen's church. Sporadically at first, then with regularity. Soon he began showing up every week for the morning Bible study class. There was strong evidence he was making progress toward the kingdom.
Then he stopped. Irwin dropped out of sight. I mean, he disappeared.
One of the local elders noticed the vacant pew where Irwin usually sat and he became alarmed. He sent out a prayer alert to the members. Pray for Irwin, ALAT (As long as it takes) he pleaded. The church did.
But that's not all. Several of the members of Irwin's Bible class sent him cards. Just to let him know he was missed. One of the members called Irwin and asked if they could have lunch together. Off and on some would stop by his house just to say Hi. (Or in the South where I live, they'd say Hey.) It was as though the church couldn't get Irwin off its collective mind.
Open with Prayer
Open with Prayer
When the midweek prayer meeting convened on Wednesdays, Irwin's name was near the top of the list. The folks poured out their intercession for their friend, asking God to push back the powers of evil that were warring with Irwin's soul and give him strength for his journey.
Then one morning, Irwin re-appeared. No one made a spectacle of it. There was no announcement from the front that, "Hooray, Irwin is back!" No one said, "Well, it's about time." There was just a deep sense that the Holy Spirit had won a battle in which they themselves had been participants.
Everyone loves a victory, especially at the conclusion of a spiritual battle. As Pastor Allen began his appeal and Irwin moved determinedly to the front, most of the congregation was in tears. Led by the local elder, the prayer meeting crowd, and the friend who took him to lunch. And the pastor. And Irwin.
We say a person is unchurched if they have no relationship to a local congregation. He or she may be a believer, but just hasn't come to understand the strength that comes from belonging. But when there is once a connection with a local church that puts its arms around that pre-member, a miracle happens. The guest inherits a family that won't let go. The members are haunted by the empty pew. They storm the gates of heaven with their praying. They scheme persuasive and tenacious ways to say, You are loved here. Nobody slips away from this family unnoticed. Nobody.
By Don Jacobsen From North American Division Prayer ministries
Who is the Spirit?
Who is the Spirit?
When you first met someone what do you ask?
What do you do and where are your from?
We try to find common ground.
We I am asked those questions people always respond with something about either about horses, fried chicken, a loved one that lives near me or that one time they came to or through the area. Sometimes people will tell me about a loved one who is/was a preacher or about there faithful or lack of spiritual life.
We tie our identity to our jobs
Once I guy told me you are a preacher for Kentucky? You are about as backwards as they get.
We tie our identity and sometimes our self-worth to what we do or where we are from. We we answer those questions we often tell a lot about ourselves.
Transition: This morning we are going to look Who the Spirit is and what he is doing.
Open with Prayer
Our fifth fundamental belief states:
God the eternal Spirit was active with the Father and the Son in Creation, incarnation, and redemption. He is as much a person as are the Father and the Son. He inspired the writers of Scripture. He filled Christ’s life with power. He draws and convicts human beings; and those who respond He renews and transforms into the image of God. Sent by the Father and the Son to be always with His children, He extends spiritual gifts to the church, empowers it to bear witness to Christ, and in harmony with the Scriptures leads it into all truth.
Creator
Creator
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
We will look more at the act of Creation and how it shows us Jesus next week
Author of the Word
Author of the Word
,
“The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue.
;
for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
Explain Word for Word and thought inspiration.
Every Present
Every Present
Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Helper-comfort
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
What is the Spirit’s Purpose?
What is the Spirit’s Purpose?
;
If I was to ask you what is your purpose in life what would you say?
“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt
“The purpose of life is to contribute in some way to making things better.”
― Robert F. Kennedy
“You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense.”
― Rick Warren
“Make sure you are doing what God wants you to do--then do it with all your strength.” ― George Washington
― George Washington
“The Church exists for nothing else but to draw men into Christ, to make them little Christs. If they are not doing that, all the cathedrals, clergy, missions, sermons, even the Bible itself, are simply a waste of time. God became Man for no other purpose.”
― C. S. Lewis
But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.
What is the Spirit’s Purpose?
The Gospel
The Gospel
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
;
Mary Quotes this very passage in
And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.
;
Gospel
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
The Truth
The Truth
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
Helper-teacher
And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
Helper-teacher
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 things that I said to you.
John 14:26
Helper-truth
,
“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
Conviction
Conviction
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 depart, I will send Him to you.
And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.
However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
What is the Work of the Spirit?
What is the Work of the Spirit?
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Jesus’ power
Jesus’ power
But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?
Power of Jesus
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Our power
Our power
But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
His power Empowers us
His power Empowers us
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
The Man Who Disappeared
During the appeal at the close of his message, Pastor Allen was thrilled to see a thirty-something man rise from his seat and make his way to the front of the worship center. The event was especially emotional because the pastor knew the back-story. Two years before, the man I'll call Irwin had begun attending Pastor Allen's church. Sporadically at first, then with regularity. Soon he began showing up every week for the morning Bible study class. There was strong evidence he was making progress toward the kingdom.
Then he stopped. Irwin dropped out of sight. I mean, he disappeared.
One of the local elders noticed the vacant pew where Irwin usually sat and he became alarmed. He sent out a prayer alert to the members. Pray for Irwin, ALAT (As long as it takes) he pleaded. The church did.
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
But that's not all. Several of the members of Irwin's Bible class sent him cards. Just to let him know he was missed. One of the members called Irwin and asked if they could have lunch together. Off and on some would stop by his house just to say Hi. (Or in the South where I live, they'd say Hey.) It was as though the church couldn't get Irwin off its collective mind.
When the midweek prayer meeting convened on Wednesdays, Irwin's name was near the top of the list. The folks poured out their intercession for their friend, asking God to push back the powers of evil that were warring with Irwin's soul and give him strength for his journey.
Then one morning, Irwin re-appeared. No one made a spectacle of it. There was no announcement from the front that, "Hooray, Irwin is back!" No one said, "Well, it's about time." There was just a deep sense that the Holy Spirit had won a battle in which they themselves had been participants.
for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
Everyone loves a victory, especially at the conclusion of a spiritual battle. As Pastor Allen began his appeal and Irwin moved determinedly to the front, most of the congregation was in tears. Led by the local elder, the prayer meeting crowd, and the friend who took him to lunch. And the pastor. And Irwin.
We say a person is unchurched if they have no relationship to a local congregation. He or she may be a believer, but just hasn't come to understand the strength that comes from belonging. But when there is once a connection with a local church that puts its arms around that pre-member, a miracle happens. The guest inherits a family that won't let go. The members are haunted by the empty pew. They storm the gates of heaven with their praying. They scheme persuasive and tenacious ways to say, You are loved here. Nobody slips away from this family unnoticed. Nobody.
By Don Jacobsen From North American Division Prayer ministries
How will you allow the Holy Spirit to use you this week to draw someone closer to Christ?
