Back to the Basics: The Holy Spirit
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
Thank you for coming out
Continuing back to the basics
Last week we looked at the bible and our relationship with it.
This week we will be looking to the Holy Spirit and how He interacts with us and how we should interact with Him.
We first gain our relationship with the Holy Spirit through salvation.
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
But what does that mean for our daily lives? Is it mysterious or mystical? Is it real or practical?
Those are a couple questions we hope to answer tonight. Let’s jump in
We are first going to look at how the Holy Spirit ministers to our heart.
The Holy Spirit ministers to our hearts
The Holy Spirit ministers to our hearts
The first mention we have of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament is just before Christ was crucified. He was explaining to His disciples that He would be leaving and that another would come.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
We already saw a few weeks back that the Holy Spirit is God and we know that He indwells our hearts at salvation.
Following that He ministers to us.
He is known as the divine comforter
He is known as the divine comforter
This was the title Jesus gave Him on 4 different occasions when speaking of Him.
We saw that in and we also see that in , ,
On Sunday a preached about Christians having the same troubles and trials as other people but I believe ours are easier to deal with because of who we have helping us get through it. Yes, we keep our focus on Christ but it’s the Holy Spirit that guides us to the truth of God’s Word, that reveals who Christ is to us.
The Holy Spirit guides us to truth
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
He guides you to truth
He guides you to truth
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Without the Holy Spirits guidance towards scripture and illumination of scripture to us we would be left to navigate life on our own.
However if we listen to the Holy Spirit, He will often bring scriptures and biblical principles to mind that speak to the needs of our lives.
Part of his work in guiding us is to help us understand the Bible.
Remember, He inspired the Bible so who better to ask about what it means?
He strengthens you for service
He strengthens you for service
One of the basics of Christianity we will be looking at in the future is our service. It is the Holy Spirit of God that supernaturally equips us for service in the Lord’s work.
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
He empowers us to witness
He empowers us to witness
One of the earliest desires of a new Christian is to share the good news of salvation with others. But we can’t convince others with our own cleverness no matter how much we try.
It’s the Holy Spirit that uses our witness and convicts those whom you talk to of their need for Him.
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.
and the events of at the day of Pentacost, leads me to understand that one of the most important works of the Holy Spirit is to empower our witness.
Some will teach that the Holy Spirit will make you dance, get emotional, and speak gibberish. I’m not saying we can’t be physically or emotionally moved by the Spirit of God but I don’t believe that is His primary work nor should it be regarded as the most important.
It’s why we need to be careful with statements such as “I felt the Spirit today” and “The spirit really moved in the service.”
In my mind that reduces the Holy Spirit to nothing more than an emotional reaction. The Holy Spirit is much more than that and should be seen and regarded as such. He is God.
Every day the Holy Spirit is with us to minister to our hearts in ways we may not even be aware of. It is needful for Christians to learn to depend on the Holy Spirit daily to empower them for the what God would have them do.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit makes the Christian life work
Being filled with the Holy Spirit makes the Christian life work
Trying harder to be a Christian without the Holy Spirits guidance will lead to frustration, burn out, and a sour spirit.
The Holy Spirit works from the inside out in our lives.
Scripture instructs us to be filled with the Spirit.
Scripture instructs us to be filled with the Spirit.
This is different than the indwelling of the Sprit. That takes place when we get saved.
But being filled with the Spirit refers to us being controlled by his actions.
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
When a person is under the influence of alcohol or mind altering substances they lose all inhibitions. They have their liquid courage and will do and say things they typically would not.
When we are filled with the Spirit, we may do things and say things we typically would not because of the Holy Spirit working in our lives.
Scripture tells us to walk in the Spirit
Scripture tells us to walk in the Spirit
Growth in the Christian life take space in daily choices.
,
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
It’s a matter of saying no to our fleshly impulses and saying yes to the Holy Spirit.
Scripture warns us not to sin against the Spirit
Scripture warns us not to sin against the Spirit
Christians can quench the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives by willfully sinning against Him.
This is called Grieving the Holy Spirit. We do this when we are disobedient . It’s when we are convicted of something and continue to pursue it.
When we continually ignore the Holy Spirit and resist Him we become less and less sensitive to Him and what He would have us to do.
But when we yield to Him, He will begin to cultivate the fruits of the spirit in our lives.
The Fruit of the Spirit is Evidence of His Transformation in your life
The Fruit of the Spirit is Evidence of His Transformation in your life
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Those qualities listed are known as the fruit of the spirit.
It’s the Holy Spirit that produces love
It’s the Holy Spirit that produces love
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
The Holy Spirit produces joy
The Holy Spirit produces joy
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
The Holy Spirit produces peace
The Holy Spirit produces peace
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
The Holy Spirit produces longsuffering
The Holy Spirit produces longsuffering
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit produces gentleness
The Holy Spirit produces gentleness
But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
The Holy Spirit produces goodness
The Holy Spirit produces goodness
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.
The Holy Spirit produces faith
The Holy Spirit produces faith
And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
The Holy Spirit produces Meekness
The Holy Spirit produces Meekness
This is not weakness. This is strength under God’s control. It’s our way of yielding for God’s glory.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
The Holy Spirit produces temperance
The Holy Spirit produces temperance
This is the opposite of excess. It is self control- a disciplined life.
And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
Conclusion
Conclusion
So what do we do with this?
Make a definite commitment to yield every part of your life to Him.
Daily reaffirm your commitment to yield to Him
Specifically ask the Holy Spirit to develop the areas in your life that you are lacking.