We Believe in the Holy Spirit

Intro

Intro self:

(fam) >>ing KoG thru the collab of hlthy chs w/ hlthy pastors

Tag Abdel & Fam:

Abdel’s joy, Grace Fellowship loves whole family

Grab: Social media has invented a new title in our society: “Influencer”

Social media: [list] what they say on social media influences others

1000s followers

$ to mention (endorse) product / politics, sales / votes / opinions formed = “influence”

Qualifications? None! No training, no particular skill, no level of education, no accomplishments necessary

Top 10:

(Ronaldo, Bieber, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian, Beyonce, Felix Kjellberg (PewDiePie), Kylie Jenner)

These are the people telling us/kids what to buy, what to think about current events like COVID, and who to vote for

These people, “Influencers”

Xit: That's what the world offers as influencers. What does God have? Who is God’s influencer for us? (Or are we just stuck with this group?)

PV: SoF; #6: HS; 5 relationships HS has & influence He has on us

Pray: HS help!

Xit: HS has 5 key relationships that matter to us

1. HS has a special relationship with the Father

Begin w/The Trinity

1 God, eternally exists in 3 persons, FSHS; F=G <> S=G <> HS, how does it work?

HS is a member of the Trinity

Fully God (not 1/3 God)

Special r’ship w/Father: eternal w/perfect love, unity; special knowledge (1 Cor 2:11)

1 Corinthians 2:11 (ESV)

For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

The HS knows the mind of the Father in ways we never can

So, if we’re going to get to know the Father, we’re going to need the HS’s help

We can call HS a “person”

Not a human being

He has attributes of a person: He thinks for Himself, He wants things for Himself, He feels emotions

E.g. feels: Eph 4:30

Ephesians 4:30 ESV

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

MWE = Person

B/c He’s a Person, He can enter into relationships - with Father, Jesus, and with us

ID: Many feel that HS most difficult person of the Trinity to relate to

Jesus more clear

Father still pretty clear - even OT people

But less w/HS (some people feel)

Odd, b/c we can’t know the Father or Jesus w/o HS

It seems like He’s barely mentioned in Scripture compared to F,S (93 pp. notes)

He’s essential for the Xn experience - so we need to get to know Him better!

2. HS has a special relationship with Jesus

B/c Trinity, also RS

HS involved in every part of JC’s life on earth:

Prophecy, Mary, anointed, baptism, led to tempt, each step, how JC knew thoughts, miracles, resurrection

JC did 0 miraculous w/o HS

Otherwise, JC is not an eg we can follow. If He did things by

Now JC @rt hnd, HS continues the ministry of JC: Jn 14:15-17, 26; 16:7-15

John 14:15–17 ESV

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

Dwell in us

Forever

Presence (F in temple, JC in flesh, HS in us) - JC left, but continuing His presence among us

John 14:26 ESV

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 that I have said to you.

Teach

But in particular, the teachings of JC, continuing His ministry

John 16:7–15 ESV

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 go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

Convict our hearts to confess and put our faith in JC, continuing His message of faith in Him

Guide us as a church toward truth, from JC, continuing His guidance

Glorify JC - not Himself, but JC - HS’s ministry is always to drive us more toward JC

HS empowered JC, HS glorifies JC, HS continues ministry of JC

HS’s primary ministry today is to continue ministry of JC, to point us to JC, to form and shape us into the character of JC, to make our lives more and more about Jesus who is our King in His Kingdom

3. HS has a special relationship with Scripture

HS Inspired Scripture: (breathed words into authors) 2 Pe 1:21

2 Peter 1:21 ESV

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

HS Illuminates Scripture: (breathes meaning into us) 1 Cor 2:12

1 Corinthians 2:12 LEB

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, in order that we may know the things freely given to us by God,

CR: Have you ever been reading Scripture have your soul shake? Penetrate?

That’s the HS. He inspired it and He illuminates it. Your soul shaking in like the HS saying, “Hey, I wrote that - that’s good stuff!” Inspired + Illuminates —> shakes your soul.

4. HS has a special relationship with the Church

RS w/ppl: temple*, presence, success/prevail, decisions, unity/fellowship/love

Sent for the Church in particular

Sent for the Church Age - between Cross and return of JC

JC just before the Cross, “Don’t do anything until the HS comes upon you. But when He does, then … go be the Church until I come back!”

Helps us be one, around world across 2000+ years

Instead of just many people who happen to gather under same roof: (Eph 4:3)

Ephesians 4:3 ESV

eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

True church unity is a work of the HS holding us together, even when we disagree about non-essential issues

Letter written by HS (2 Cor 3:1-3) - messed up church; radically changed by JC —> letter written by HS

2 Corinthians 3:1–3 ESV

Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, as some do, letters of recommendation to you, or from you? You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

CR: You, Genesis EFC, are a letter written by the HS:

Are you perfect? But have you been radically changed by JC? Are your hearts being changed by the Gospel? That’s the HS, with a pen in His hand, writing a letter called “Genesis EFC of Wichita.”

What a special relationship we as a church have together with the HS!

I’m so thrilled we are all part of the same district together

5. HS has a special relationship with you (the believer)

Amazing!!!!!

Xit: Possible b/c He is a “person” (thinks, wants, feels; MWE) —> r’ship

CR: can we really have an r/ship w/a Person we can’t see? (fan) (Jn 3:8)

Kids

Fan - see? how know it’s there?

John 3:8 ESV

The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

We can have an r’ship w/HS b/c He’s a Person, and even though we can’t see Him, we can feel His impact in our lives!

HS @work before we believe: convict (~ fan), rebirth (you can’t), baptizes into family of God / KoG

HS @work after we believe: still convicts (~fan), indwell/lives, fill, equip to do F’s will, gifts, teaches, guides, bears fruit

Fruit = what He produces in us: Gal 5:22-23

Galatians 5:22–23 ESV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

This is what the HS does in us, produces through us. We don’t make this fruit. He does.

When you have real love, real joy, real peace - that’s the HS at work in you. When you have [] “”.

But this is where we struggle!

Sometimes, it feels like there is no HS at all! What kind of relationship is that?

HS is God’s “Influencer” for us

Xit: Instead of our influencers being …

Ronaldo, Bieber, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Katy Perry, Kardashians & Jenners, Beyonce, PewDiePie

Or cable news, FB, popular kids in school

Influencer for

Billions of followers: over the course of church history

>Ronaldo

Endorses one thing: (^toothpaste) JC: wind always blowing us toward JC

AOT whoever $$ for latest trendy product forgotten < 1year

Influences us: what to do, what to think RE current events, decisions

AOT b/c Taylor Swift telling me what I should think about abortion

Bible uses other words: Helper, Advocate

We either walk by the HS or we walk by the flesh

Only two choices for influence: Sp or flesh, both are influencers

Not really Kylie Jenner: she’s not the real influencer

Your flesh is. Kylie Jenner just says things that appeal to your flesh. Our flesh wants to be famous like Ronaldo. It’s really our flesh. We are influenced either by our flesh or by the Holy Spirit.

How? By allowing HS develop in us the same 5 r’ships He has = Influence

Allow Him, invite Him, to develop in you the same 5 r’ships He has [list]. Allow Him to be your Influencer.

1. With the Father:

We can’t know the Father except thru the Spirit, who knows the mind of the Father

But as we get to know the Father >>, the more we get to the know the Spirit who helps us to know the Father

E.g. My translator. Not only am I getting to know you better, but I’m also getting to know my translator better the more that he/she helps me communicate with you

2. With JC: who sent Him, focuses on:

Want to get to know someone? Get to know his fav subj. Who is HS’s favorite subject.

E.g. If you want to get to know Abdel better, get to know his family, b/c his family is his favorite subject (other than Jesus)

3. With Scripture:

Want to get to know an author? Get to know what the author wrote.

Do you want to get to know CS Lewis? Read what she wrote: The Chronicles of Narnia.

4. With the Church: (Mt 18:20)

Matthew 18:20 ESV

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Get to know the Sp by spending time w/those filled by Sp

5. With Yourself: (He has a sp r’ship w/bvrs)

Get to know the Spirit by recognizing the work of the HS in you

CR: what is the HS moving in my life like this sheet?

He’s constantly at work in you - always at work in all believers

You are loved by the HS, sealed by HS, indwelt by HS, can be filled by HS, influenced by HS, led by, convicted of sin by

Look for where the wind is blowing things around in your life, learn to recognize the work of the HS in your life —> know Him better

Summing up

Most helpful for me: look for Him everywhere/everyday; expect Him; put your sail up [demo up and down]

Benediction: Intercedes (Rom 8:26)

Romans 8:26 ESV

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.