Falling in Love with the Spirit
Falling in Love • Sermon • Submitted
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Intro:
5 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.
Today, we will continue our series on Falling in Love with God. We have discussed, Falling in Love with the Father, with Jesus, and today we will look at, [Falling in Love with the Holy Spirit].
When I was a full-time evangelist and I would preach in my home church in Oklahoma, my friends and brother would always joke, I wonder what Daniel will preach on tonight? Another person would answer, the Holy Spirit.
It never offended me. I kind of liked that they knew I loved to talk about the Holy Spirit. The truth is, I preached about Him a lot. I longed for Jesus to baptize people in the Holy Spirit.
What I love about the Holy Spirit though, no matter how many messages I’ve preached on His role, every time I write a new one, I notice something I did not notice before. Or I have will have a new thought that stirs my heart for more of Him.
We’ve discussed falling in love with the Father and Jesus. People often discuss God, others will take it a step further and identify that they believe in Jesus, but the Holy Spirit normally gets honorable mention.
I have mentioned these titles of a few books before, but they summarize what people think of the Holy Spirit:
The God I Never Knew
The Forgotten God
Surprised by the Power of the Holy Spirit
While churches around the nation have the Holy Spirit’s name and work in their statement of beliefs, He is often misunderstood or all together ignored.
But the fact is this, the Holy Spirit IS GOD at work in the church today. The Father is in heaven. The Son is seated at His right hand. Where is the Holy Spirit? Working in the body of Christ.
As I prepared this message, for some reason, I thought of my sister watching Disney princess movies. I was less interested in Disney princesses and more interested in building churches with my legos and playing church.
But sometimes I had no choice. I can summarize every movie. The names are different, the setting is unique, but the plot is the same. A girl is either locked in a tower, overshadowed by her family, or hidden from society. Until eventually a prince comes and sets her free and SUDDENLY she becomes the focus of the movie.
Some people, if they are not careful, can have a similar view of the Holy Spirit. They may not see His activity in the Old Testament, then BAM on the Day of Pentecost He is there. Then, many are comfortable for Him to fade once again into the background.
But that is not the role of the Holy Spirit. He did not suddenly appear in . He has worked in unison with the Father and Son since the beginning.
He was present at creation, hovering over the waters
He was involved in creating Adam and Eve
He empowered key figures like Moses, Elijah, or David, to name a few.
Every prophet prophesied under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
Every miracle was a result of the Holy Spirit’s work.
He worked behind the scened, but His role was of great importance. He was active in the birth of Christ, overshadowing the virgin Mary that she might conceive and bring forth a Son.
But, the Holy Spirit is as powerful and important as He has ever been. He still wants to become an active part of our lives and our church.
My aim today is to show, the Father and Son promote and approve of the work of the Holy Spirit. Part of the history of God’s people is, the Father sent the Son, the Son died for our sins and rose from the grave. Now the Holy Spirit works in and through us!
Let’s look at why we should fall in love with the Spirit, [The Father Sent the Spirit], [The Son Made Way for the Spirit], and [We Need the Spirit].
Let’s begin.
1. The Father Sent the Spirit
1. The Father Sent the Spirit
Unlike Matthew, Mark, and Luke, who wrote a biography of Jesus life, telling the stories as they happened. John’s book is vastly different.
By the time he wrote this book, those who knew Jesus while He walked on earth were dying. The other twelve disciples were gone by this point.
Therefore, the Holy Spirit prompted him to catalog his memories of Jesus’ life. Matthew, Mark, and Luke provided similar information. John filled in the gaps.
He detailed conversations the others did not. One of these takes place in . Jesus spoke to His disciples after the Last Supper and before His arrest in the garden.
He knew death was much closer than the disciples realized. He told them on more than one occasion that He would die soon. Now, He prepared them for what would get them through their sadness.
He explained, if you really love me, you will follow my commandments. I have told you to love God and love each other. Should you love me, you will do exactly that.
Here is the problem? How could they fulfill such a task? People are notorious for getting into it with each other. Jesus revealed the plan.
I will pray that the Father send you another Helper. The Helper He described is the Holy Spirit. The coming Helper will be an:
Adviser
Advocate
Counselor
Comforter
and Friend
Notice why the Father wanted to send the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit came, He would be with people forever.
No one can see the Father and live. When we die and receive our glorified bodies, will then have the ability to handle the glory of God. Until then, His face is hidden from us.
Jesus’ role on earth was to come, die, rise from the dead, and go back to heaven until the Father is ready for Him to come again. Therefore, humanity needs God’s help.
He plans to help us by SENDING the Holy Spirit. When the Father sends the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth will dwell in us. We will overcome the lies and deceit of Satan, because the Spirit will dwell in us.
Jesus knew the feeling of abandonment the disciples would feel. However, when the Spirit came, He will replace the orphaned feeling with comfort knowing they are God’s children.
The Father wanted to send the Holy Spirit. How do we know? Jesus explained He would ask the Father for this to happen. Jesus would never ask the Father anything contrary to the Father’s will.
Therefore, if the Father Sent the Holy Spirit...
2. Jesus Made Way for the Spirit
2. Jesus Made Way for the Spirit
5 “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. 7 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.
The reality of Jesus’ impending departure began to settle in their hearts. It didn’t help matters much that Jesus told them, when I leave:
They will expel you from the synagouges
People will kill you
And those who killed you will think they’ve done God a favor.
Obviously this was a lot to handle, considering some of the disciples were rather fickle. The shock of these words silenced their curiosity for where Jesus planned to go.
Jesus sensed their sadness and He issued a promise. Yes I am going, but it is better for you, it is for your benefit that I leave.
WHAT? How can it benefit us if you leave, especially if you have to die to go and do whatever it is you are supposed to do.
Jesus wanted them to know, your benefit is that when I leave, the HELPER/HOLY SPIRIT will come! When He comes, then everything will make sense.
Jesus wanted the Father to send the Holy Spirit. Therefore, for this to happen, Jesus had to leave. However, He could not leave until He died on the cross.
Later that night, Judas betrayed Jesus. The Jewish leaders arrested Him. The next day, He stood before Pilate and the crowd released a notorious murderer in exchange for Jesus’ life.
The disciples were undoubtedly confused. They left everything to follow Jesus and now He is dead. When rumors of His resurrection began to spread, they were simply that rumors. They had not yet seen the resurrected Christ.
Until suddenly He entered the room where they hid.
19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.
John
When this happened, the Spirit, which had been WITH them, was now IN them. I believe it is at this point God brought their spirits from death to life. This is called regeneration. The moment where we become new creations in Christ Jesus.
It would almost appear that the Holy Spirit’s work was complete. It was through HIs power that Jesus rose from the dead, and now He dwelled within the disciples.
But Jesus took it a step further. Just before His ascension He spoke to His followers:
49 “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”
5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”
8 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.”
Acts 1:
8 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.”
Let’s think of this, why did Jesus tell the same people who had recieved the Holy Spirit on the day of His resurrection that they He would baptize them in the Holy Spirit very soon?
In this we read the genius of God. Every person receives the Holy Spirit when they accept Jesus as their Savior. However, the Father and the Son worked with the Holy Spirit to reveal their plan.
There is a gift available to EVERY believer. The Father wants to give us the same power the Son had while He walked on earth. We receive this power through the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
Once Jesus issued this promise, He ascended to heaven. THEN, ten days later, the Holy Spirit fell upon them and when they were filled with the Holy Spirit, they all began to speak in tongues.
This was part of God’s plan all along. The Father sent the Holy Spirit because the Son made way for the Spirit. Now...
3. We Need the Spirit
3. We Need the Spirit
We read John’s words of Jesus’ instructions of what WOULD happen when He left. But what is available for us when we choose to fall in love with the Holy Spirit.
We read that the God’s love is poured out and brought near to us, BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. The Holy Spirit helps us fall more in love with the Father and the Son.
Why else do we need the Spirit? Let’s look at some of the benefits of living a life full of the Holy Spirit
We are released from condemnation and guilt
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
We have the same power that Jesus had
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
We have confidence that we are children of God
14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
We have supernatural assistance in our prayer life
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
We can have wisdom because we pray the mind of God
27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
We will have the fruit of the Spirit working in us
17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
We will have hope and power in our present and our future
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
When we realize our need for the active role of the Holy Spirit, we will become more like Jesus and we will fall more in love with Him. BUT we will show more love to each other!
Remember, the love of God is poured out in us by the HOLY SPIRIT! And as He pours out His love in us, we will not be like Paul wrote:
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
NO, when we pray in the Spirit and when we worship in the Spirit, and when we sing in the Spirit, there is this cycle of love that rises from us to God and cycles back down from God to us.
Then we will show HIs love to the world through walking in the FRUIT of the Spirit and operating in the GIFTS of the Spirit.
As I stand here, I can’t help but want to shout it out, WE NEED HIS SPIRIT!
Close:
The Godhead has worked in unity and unison before time began. The Father showed His love by choosing to send His Son. The Son shows His love by reconciling us to God and meeting our needs.
But how does God do all of this? How does Jesus reunite us with the Father? The Holy Spirit is at work, behind the scenes:
He convicts us of us
He draws us to the Father
He washes us clean when we repent
He restores our comfort
He reminds us of our place in the Kingdom
He empowers us to do what we cannot do in our own
He helps us forgive others
He assists us study of the word
He points us to Christ
And today He wants to be an active part of our lives.
I remember the song we sang in Salem, I thank you Lord for the Holy Ghost, I thank you Lord for the Holy Ghost, He’s my Comforter, my Helper, on Him I do depend, thank you Lord, thank you Lord for the Holy Ghost!
Whether the Holy Spirit’s work is new to us, or if we’ve been baptized in the Holy Spirit for decades, God is calling out to us, WILL WE RECEIVE THIS WONDERFUL GIFT FROM HEAVEN?
Then let’s start by praising Jesus and thanking Him for all He has available to us!
When we fall in love with the Holy Spirit, we have every spiritual weapon on God’s arsenal available to us
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,