Experiencing the Pentecostal Love of the Holy Spirit
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Dave was a rather gruff, touch as nails type of shop teacher. He didn’t seem to smile much, unlike his wife. He was my neighbou and he started to come to church with his wife. Then he had two strokes, visited, called on the elders to pray with and for him. Read a book with him as he lost his will to live by technology of feeding tube. Forsaken by God. In some of the slow moving conversation - thumbs up or thumbs down. Question, do you feel loved by God the Father? NO, Do you feel loved by Jesus, the Son of God - yes - hadn’t understood the atonement. That the Cross wasn’t the cause of God the Father’s love, but the result of His Love with Father Son oand Holy Spirit. Now I hope you can answer that question today whether you are experiencing the Love of God the Father - adopted, chosen, true child of God like GEMS Sunday - not because earned it, because He has ade you part of his family in Christ. I hope you experience the love of Jesus.
But this morning in the church calendar that balances our teaching, we move from Easter Tide and Ascension Tide to the time of Pentecost. Kept these markers of the life and ministry of the LORD . And just like with my neighour Dave, I want to ask you a personal question, its the question the Lord’s brother asks of Christian’s so pulled by worldiness away from love of God, DO you suppose, know, consider does it seem to you - that God’s Spirit yearns jealousy, three words can be interpreted, - do you experience that God loves intensely and exclusively over the SPIRIT he has made dwell in us? DO you feel loved by the Holy Spirit within you? This is one of the main and most neglected reason for God giving the Spirit to every believers in His church on the day of PPentecost.
KEY TRUTH: God makes His Holy Spirit dwell within believers to experience His love, holiness, & power!
A) Understand the DWELLING in You was predicted and promised before hand.
In a most general way James says, Scripture doesn’t say in vain - that God is a jealous God. Not petty jealousy. Like you have something he wants, and he is grumpy and ornery until he gets it. That would be an evil sinful jealousy impossible for God. But like a mother watching on the play ground, all the kids, but you touch you bully her kid - this you are touching the apple of my eye. It is speaking specifically of the jealousy a husband and wife have for each other. Key words are intensely and exclusively. It is impossible to really love dispassionately, if you love a person, personally - if that you look for that kind of love and affection, outside of the relationship - drifter - oh well who cares. Could provoke to anger negatively.
And this is a bit of what James is saying: look at
James 4:4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
At the opening of the chapter he asked: what causes quarrels and fights?
CHART - desire for selfishness, old man - war - The Spirit wars against the felsh.
Galatians. You feel this. Big problem. Greed & gluttony in the NT are called idolatry.
But here greed, selfishness, are also called spiritual adultery. It is interesting that in times of anxiety a lot of our sinful habits became more apparent as we seek coping mechanisms. Talk to ER doctor - amount of alcohol related incidences, opiod overdoses. But what about in your life? But James is saying what is the ultimate source of conflict with others and God? My desires, envy, motives! Affections guiding my soul!
Of course you can have a lot of blessings of this world, MH, nothing wrong with that. I would say have them close to your heart, but not in your heart. But when in your heart, when they hold place living God should hold; guess what? Enemy within the gates! It is also that you are living as an enemy to God and his purposes! CHART
When a child of God struggles with this reality - James says, not that our spirit tends to jealousy, but that God’s Spirit YEARNS FOR US. This is the reality so poignantly described, that so many parents and even spouses know: Hosea 11:8-9
How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me; my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my burning anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and not a man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.
And when we realize this is God’s love drawing us back, when we realize how poor in spirit we really are, desperately wicked in our desires … look at the prophesy & promise
Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.
ANd that is my question for you this Petnecost Sunday. We have looked a number of times of what the Spirit does in continuing Jesus works through us as His church to the world. Often the gifting and work of the Spirit iis described in a group, not his work in individuals? But here the focus is on His work in us as individuals. , do you know the SPirit of God who dwells in you?
The prpehtes said, he would give us a new heart, htat the Spirit would not only be with us , but in us. John the Baptist said Jeuss would baptize his followers in the Spirit. Our text in
John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever,
he dwells with you , but will be in you… 21c “and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” Says, this is us receiving the Spirit would be how we would know the love of God and how Jesus would abide with us and we with Him and th4 Father. jOHN 3:5 jESUS SAID TO kICODEMNUS, UNLESS YOU ARE BORN OF WTER AND THE sPIRIT YOU CANNOT ENTER THE KINGDOM OF HEAVNE.
jESUS promised he’d power out His Spirit on us, we’d receive new power fromn on high Acts 1:8
How we’re to Experience the Spirit’s Presence in our Lives:
I. Experience LOVE not only by the Father and Son, but also the Spirit!
Now when I say Pentecostal, or even the Holy Spirit and ask how do you experience it? Many would suggest that there are occassional powers that come on a person, or vague feeling and inspirations - temporary and unusual. But James God has made the Spirit to dwell in us. That is our new birth - all agreed onthat, but what happens after a new birth - didn’t cause it, only God could. But after birth - James says, God gives more grace. Paul says, new ministry of the Holy Spirit, day by day,
Romans 5:5b God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
I want you to feel this. Without Christ manifesting his love and the love of His Father you, personally, as the Spirit dwells in you - you know how you feel: defeated, disapir, Jesus himself said you’d feel like orphans in this world. But now understand the extraodinary yet, not temporary but ongiong work of the SPirit that you must cooperate with.,
Here is a wonder, like the prophet of Ezekiel says, found a bloodied, abandoned baby in the field - raise dher up - maried her, made her my bride - purify - when world says don’t need another desperate abandoned baby - God out of sheer grace says I love you I will give myself to you.
And Jesus says, with all that forgiveness,s justification solved, now salvation in ongoing way is the Spirit of all holiness, willing to visit polluted hearts like ours, to make them his home, to ceaselessly work and patiently woo, through many groaning trials, slow tentative work - through constant grace - until we’ve been won over completely - put off the old self, put on the the new one completely, stand as astounding new purified creations before Jesus their Redeemer, God their Father, and the holy angels… And God says, I am the Lover of your soul even now!
This is why the epistles explain that it is the Spirit that is the Spirit of love, the spirit of adoption, by which we cry Abba Father!
Listen to how Paul describes this same work of the Holy Spirit in Romans 5:5 shedding abroad in our hearts, not putting love so you love better, but God’s love for you in your heart!
Do you get it? That hope, that main ministry of the Spirit, is not signs and wonders, its not crystal ball guidance, it’s not superhero powers. It is lovingly dwelling with your Spirit within and the resulting transformation that living iwth the Spirit causes! Young people you know this - if you move in with friends who love video games, start playing video games, if you have partiers as your social circle, start to party, if you live around people who serve neighbours, start serving your neighbours. We are transformed by who we dwell with. And when the Spirit dwells in you with Love, the transformation is Holiness. He is not jut called the Spirit of Holiness because He is Holy, but because He imparts, works, and is engaged in the ministry of holiness. He is about holiness.!
II. Experience the Motivation to Holiness
And here we must see the connection of the Pentecost event of God giving His Spirit to every believer and the living of daily life. The whole book of James is kind of like the Proverbs, the Wisdom book of the NT. And really we should have quotation marks around v.6a too. The Scripture does indeed say that He gives more grace. The Gk version of the OT
Proverbs 3:34 Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.
repeats those very words:
Toward the scorners he is scornful, but to the humble he gives favor.
God doesn’t write this warning for not effect, in vain. The proud who think I can turn to the world and find in my life without God, for what God alone says He can provide. The one who won’t break his idolatry, and stubbornly proudly lives without God really being Savior and Lord, in the end he or she will get to the throne of judgment and see that Jesus was right: You can’t serve two masters God and mammon.
But the humble, the ones who like Paul realize - Christian life isn’t auto-pilot of the holy Spirit
Galatians 5:16-18 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.... But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
So many Christian’s think that walking in step with the spirit, is us being passive and God’s Spirit doing directly - what we won’t do - whether that’s guidance, or supernatural gifts, or just emotional thrills. But James says, God causes the Holy Spirit to indwell us. Listen carefully, God’s very love by the Spirit beats with our own spirit, subtly working drawing our spirits with his, from within. That’s how every Christian is to engage in the war in themselves against the flesh and the wrong love of this world. The Spirit is seen here as part of our own very being, striving from within to keep us to himself and away from sin!
Now God didn’t make a half covenant with you, when he saved you, to be a temporary guest? Just to do some awesome works from time to time and then move on. The Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost divide on each believer, and reside it. Jesus promised you and me: He will abide with you forever! - continuously pursue you, who humbly acknowledge the LORD, even through our sin. Though we run from him, and backslide, at times, he does not!
Psalm 42:1 like a dear… to yearn after us, to be jealous of the world idols we give our hearts too… he wants us … Psalm 42:2 says, that panting is a thrist for God. But can you imagine that because of God’s love for you, the Holy Spirit thirsts for fellowship with you! know this love know foundation of real Christina JOY -
As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.
Benjamin Warfield preached: He is not driven away because we are sinners. He comes to us because, being sinners, we need HIm. He is not cast off because we reject his loving offices. He abides with us because our rejection of Him would leave us helpless. He does not condition His further help upon our recognizing and returning His love His cotinuance with us is conditioned only on His own love for us. And that love for us is so strong, so mighty, and so constant that it can never fail!” Isn’t that what you need? No Who you need? Daily and continually! When He sees us immersed in sin and rushing headlong to destruction, He does not turn from us, He yearns for us with jealous envy.
Do you believe that love of God shed abroad by the Holy Spirit inyour heart. DO you seize this promise of Scripture
James 4:6a But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
He gives favour, grace, greater grace. If you walk in step with he spirit, new grace each day, each challenge, wave after wave! John 1:16 says:
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
This is why this love of the Holy Spirit, is a purifying love. Spirit of holiness, actually makes you holy, gradually but truly and surely. The ministry of the Spirit of leading isn’t first of all, so you have a crystal ball tell you what business decisions, who to marry, what job to take, where to live. That is the category of obedience and wisdom. But the leading of the SApirit is all about enabling us to overcome sin and get in step with God’s Kingdom ways. Yes, we all have sin problems, and just look at our struggle, sin this world, you see all the effects. But the solution is the Spirit of God dwelling with in you - giving you new life, freeing you from bondage to sin. Start living no longer as a debtor to sin, its mpower mastering you. The Spirit implants His new principle of life - a new ruling POWER of life - holiness and love.
That’s the last part of our Pentecost text and it is a promises of power. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is in you and me - when we are in Christ!
III. Experience the Power of Holiness
James 4:6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
That word in the Hebrew is favour, strengthening power of God from the Spirit within you. And it is promised to all who humble themselves in His presence this morning.
This is not promised saving grace, but sustaining grace but to get this second kind of grace - you must ask for it and cooperate with it. Will you? What would that mean? It would mean you realize that every sin is a betrayal of the one who yearns within you. Spiritually cheating on the one who is totally faithful to you and truly desires your best. It would mean you acknowledge that your sinning actually grieves God. So then, you call to to him, and he will lift you up.
When you lose hope in yourself, when your present trouble becomes so dark and the future so black before you. When effort after effort of your own has just brought mounting disappointment - when sin looms big before our despairing eyes. You beat your head against so many walls… Oh look God
1 John 3:19-20 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.
By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.
That’s the ultimate power and strengthening - assurance of the greatest of all realities and revelations that God almighty Loves you! And when that love of you by God, is poured out washes over you, how can we have such hard hearts as to keep dallying with lesser loves of this world, seek our own selfish pleasures, forget our duties to God and neighbour. No we experience this love, and then we live in it. We love because he first loved us!
Maybe hope is dying in you, in the midst of this physical pandemic, maybe spiritually the pandemic of sin worn you down, remember the foundation of love isn not in the strength of your faith or good works or earnestness. The foundation and fountain is in this that God has made His Spirit dwell within us and yearning after us, with never stopping, relentless stop at nothing, love!
Yes, The love of the Holy Spirit experience by you you is an experience of i. exhilarating love, iii. purifying love leading to real holiness; it’s strengthening love that fills you with power to get through anything!
CONCLUSION: There are other ministries of the Holy Spirit from within you - conviction, guidance, peace. but the greatest is Him shedding abroad in your heart the love God in Christ has for you. And you recieving that love, is the same thing as abiding , dwelling , living in union with Christ, it is the heart of the Christain life. It is the distinguising mark of a Christain form the whole world: Romans 8:14
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
It is a lot easier to preach a Pentecost sermon, that says be faithful giving to world mission. Get busy with the grat commssion, do evnagielism like the early church. But knwo that all those good things are preceded by people who were first filled with, and delighted in, and received love and holiness and power from the Holy Spirit. Do you know the Pentecostal experience proised by the Risen Jesus to you today. His wrod was:
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
This is not a reward for spiritual performance, it is the condition for living a spiritual life at all. Bound to the Spirit and His good rule over our lives, He has the helm of our lives, to bring us to true holiness and happiness. Powerfully directed within by Him. You are not carried along on auto-pilot, but in firendship, in cooperation, with your effort you adavance with ihm. As Warfield put it: us. “It is His part to keep us in the path and to bring us at length to the goal. But it is we who tread every step of the way.” Weary and faint as we may become along the way,
Dear Friend, you need this experience of the Holy Spirit’s love, holiness, and of power in your life. I have a neighbour - spiritual - meditates, connects with people even father dying a coast away. But all impersonal energies - What do you need for this pandemic, chagnes it has brought, what do you need in struggle of life, of sin. - not just the arrival of Christ, Christamns Good Frtiday, Easter, you need the mystery of the gopsel - Christi ntyou the hope of glory . You need not just Christ arriving in your heart, but you need Christ abiding in your heart. And this is the why of Pentecost. Have you Jesus to experience it more fully - why we sing Dwell in Me Oh Blessed Spirit