Sermon Tone Analysis

So what is so special about you?

What makes you special?

If you were to ask someone what makes you special, what would they say?

Would it be your personality?

As we continue our talk about the Holy Spirit today we will look at His personality.

For us to be able to better understand the scripture we need to understand the Holy Spirit.

There is much said about the Holy Spirit and there is much confusion about the Holy Spirit in the minds of many people.

Is the Holy Spirit a person or a “what?”

If a person then the person would have a, or possess, a personality.

If a what, as some believe, the Holy Spirit is simply an impersonal force that emanates from God.

Members of a group, Watchtower Society, believe this and in one publication (The Truth that leads to Eternal life) says “As for the Holy Spirit, the so-called ‘third person of the trinity’, we have already seen that it is, not a person, but God’s active force.”

Personally in a book entitled “The Office of the Holy Spirit” the author, Robert Richardson, says this.

“There is no subject more important in religion than that of the Holy Spirit.

Unless this is properly understood, a large portion of the Bible, and especially the NT, must remain unintelligible.

On the other hand, a just view of it will do more than a knowledge of any other particular topic to give harmony, clearness, and consistency to what may be learned to all other matters presented in the Word of God.”

So as we go through this lesson, using the Bible as our text I pray, I hope to show the personality of the Holy Spirit.

For I believe the Holy Spirit is the third “PERSON” of the Godhead.

We will look at:

Holy Spirit’s works prove is a person and has personality

Holy Spirits characteristics prove He is a person

Holy Spirits feelings prove He is a person

I. Holy Spirit’s works

The Bible speaks of the works of the Holy Spirit, works that are similar to works that any person would do.

So let us see how the Bible speaks on the works.

The Holy Spirit speaks (1Tim4:1, Act8:29, Act10:19-20)

So in this passage the Spirit “explicitly says”

Here the Holy Spirit spoke directly to Philip and gave him direction (by the way which he followed)

The Holy Spirit spoke to Peter, gave direction and Peter did it.

This lead to the Gentiles getting the good news and accepting it and then Paul propelling it.

The Holy Spirit teaches (Jn14:26, Jn14:16-17)

The Holy Spirit teaches (be sure to put this in context)!

Notice the Holy Spirit “with” and “in” you.

He is a helper, the Spirit of truth!

The Holy Spirit bears witness (Jn15:26-27)

The Holy Spirit that speaks, testifies, testifies of Jesus in which the Father sent.

Why?

So the Spirit would be “with them” and “in them” so they too could bear witness.

Just as the Apostles were to bear witness; the Holy Spirit bears witness.

, The Holy Spirit Guides, hears, speaks, tells (Jn16:12-13)

The Holy Spirit, a person, is referred to as a “He”- an impersonal force that emanates from God would not be considered a “He”.

The Holy Spirit forbids (Act16:6-7)

The Holy Spirit here did not permit and forbid them.

The Holy Spirit intercedes (Rom8:26)

(expand on this)

This is just the start, Speaking, teaching, bearing witness, guiding, hearing, telling, forbidding and intercedes, but wait there is more.

II.

Holy Spirits Characteristics

The Holy Spirit, who is a person, a He as proven by the previous point, possesses personal characteristics

He has a mind (Rom8:26-27)

Needed to keep to keep the scripture in context.

- From this passage you can see He has a mind and in having a mind he can think, reason, and in turn intercede for us.

That means he has (intellect)

He has intellect, knowledge (1Cor2:11)

He knows our thoughts, and the thoughts of God, proving the intellect but also the deity of the Spirit.

He has affection (Rom15:30)

Love, the Holy Spirit loves, an interpersonal force or influence cannot feel love.

All of these together leading to the point that the Holy Spirit has “a will.”

He has will (1Cor12:11)

He wills, He distributes, because He has knowledge and a mind.

He is the deliverer of the gifts that each of us have, possess, and hopefully use.

(expand on this)

Just like anyone else, who has a personality, The Holy Spirit has a personality and the some of the same characteristics any person would have.

III.

Holy Spirits Feelings

Feelings are a part of what make you, you, right?

The Holy Spirit has feelings and this just further proves the Holy Spirit is a person.

The Holy Spirit can be grieved (Eph4:30)

(expand) - He can be grieved through our willful neglect.

The Holy Spirit can be blasphemed (Mt12:31-32)

(expand on this; spend some time here)

The Holy Spirit can be insulted (Heb10:29)

(expand on this; deny the Son of God and you insult the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Grace, the Holy Spirit in which we were sealed for redemption.

The Holy Spirit can be lied to (Act5:3)

Remember the Holy Spirit knows the heart of God and the heart of man.

Also the Holy spirit revealed this to Peter.

Though not said, but surely implied.

And, the Holy Spirit can be resisted (Act7:51)

(expand) - don’t be stiff necked, don’t resist the evidence revealed by the scripture.

As you can see from what the Bible says, there is sufficient evidence that the Holy Spirit is a person who has feelings too.

(Conclusion)

I think it is pretty clear from the scripture that the Holy Spirit is a person not an it.

The Holy Spirit is personal and not a mere principle or influence.

(Lead to invitation)

Consider the evidence we have looked at today, consider your position with the Holy Spirit, Do you have Him?

Are you resisting Him?

You have the ability to receive the Holy Spirit

(insert invitation slide)

(insert exit slide)