The Acts of the Holy Spirit - Getting to know the Holy Spirit

Introduction

As we read this we get to know the person of the Holy Spirit. Repeatedly, as we look through the book of Acts, we see reference to the activity of the Holy Spirit in the lives of these saints. This wasn’t just for them but us too.

Over the weeks ahead we are going to spend time looking at the “Acts of the Holy Spirit”. That’s a journey that I want to invite you on with me. I am kicking us off in that direction today as we journey on “Getting to know the Holy Spirit”.

It’s important because we’re living in a time when we’re in danger of extremes.

Father, Son and little Holy Spirit

Big Holy Spirit and little Father and Son

Acts 19:1–7 CSB

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions and came to Ephesus. He found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” “No,” they told him, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” “Into what then were you baptized?” he asked them. “Into John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the one who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.” When they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy. Now there were about twelve men in all.

Paul comes across some disciples. They had believed something, but, as we will see, there were holes in their belief. Paul knew that he needed to evaluate their spiritual standing, and this leads him to ask 2 questions...

1. “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”

Their response was, “We haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”

This is more important than you realise because the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit is vital to the health and life of a true Christ follower. There are many who claim to be Christians, but their Christianity is form, outward, but who have never come to know God Himself. A characteristic of every true Christ-follower is that they have the spirit of God in them.

You can be religious but not know Jesus and the Holy Spirit!

2. “Into what then, were you baptised?”

They say, “Into Johns baptism.” That places them at a point on the journey where they were looking for the Messiah and what He will do and not what He has done. But this is also what helps Paul present Christ to them because - the one who came after John. Christian, our position is that we look back and stand in what God has done!

Note the posure of these disciples - they were teachable. Teachableness is a key evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence and a quality of a true disciple.

Baptism is an important step in any disciples journey. 2 baptisms here

A Baptism into the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 2:38). This is a public, radical testimony of what Jesus has done. We call it water (or believers) baptism, something that signifies what has already been done - based on what Christ has done and not what Christ will do.

Acts 2:38 CSB

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

A Baptism in the Spirit (something we will look at more in coming weeks). It is the initial work of the Holy Spirit in a persons life. Here the evidence of it was in the speaking of tongues and prophesying.

Paul was looking for evidence of the presence of God in His people. In the O.T the people were charactetrised of God with them. In the N.T it is God in us. That’s what we are looking for because fellowship with the Spirit (2 Cor 13:13; Phil 2:1) is always seen. Otherwise it’s just religion!

The questions Paul was was exploring was, “Had they come to know God and had they come to know Him personally.”

1. The Holy Spirit is God

He is not just an expression of the Father, but a distinct person in the Godhead who possesses all the qualities and attributes of God. He is Omniscience (Isaiah 40:13-14; 1 Corinthians 2:10), Omnipresence (Psalm 139:7-10), Omnipotence (Job 33:4; 1 Corinthians 12:11), Eternality (Heb 9:14 – called the “eternal spirit”).

Not a mystical power to be conjoured up

Not an impersonal force

He is God in us! When we say that God’s Spirit lives in me we are saying that God Himself lives is us. No wonder the enidence of the life of God in a person is so clear.

2. The Holy Spirit is a person

2.1. The Bible speaks of Him in this way

John 16:13–14 (CSB)

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come. He will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.

He, not it!

As real as Jesus is, so is the Holy Spirit.

2.2. Qualities of a personal being

Mind - see Isaiah 11:1-2 . In fact the Spirit guides the church with His wisdom and understand - see Acts 8:29; 15:28.

Isaiah 11:1–2 (CSB)

Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—a Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

Acts 15:28 CSB

For it was the Holy Spirit’s decision—and ours—not to place further burdens on you beyond these requirements:

Will

Acts 16:6–7 CSB

They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia; they had been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

Emotions/feelings - He can be grieved - Is 63:10; Eph 4:30. We can pick up this wonderful truth in Romans 8:26 where we learn that the interecedes for us with inexpressible groanings.

2.3. This makes Him knowable

God has invites us into fellowship with Himself. You can see this in the book of Acts as there is a personal relationship with the disciples that is observed.

3. The Holy Spirit is working

These were the experience of these men in Ephesus even though wouldn’t have initially seen it.

3.1. To draw our attention to Jesus

“Because God has made us that we long to become like what we adore, the Spirit helps us see Christ increasingly as glorious and worthy of praise, and when this happens, we seek to become more and more like him.” (Bruce Ware)

To guide us into truth because won’t know the fullness of God and His life until you know Jesus. The Spirit of God is called the Spirit of Truth.

When the Spirit of God is moving, people fall more in love with Jesus!

3.2. To convict of sin, righteousness and judgement

3.3. To manifest the active presence of God

3.4. To testify with our Spirit

The Spirit of God testifies with our spirits that we are children of God. Romans 8:16

4. The Holy Spirit is inviting

4.1. Not to simply be a spectator

Pragmatism - how can we do it without the h.s.

Nostalgia - that's how the h.s did it in the past

Comparison - how the Holy Spirit is doing it somewhere else

4.2. Join Him

Spurgeon said, “Love the Spirit. Worship the Spirit. Trust the Spirit. Obey the Spirit, and, as a Church, cry mightily to the Spirit! Beseech Him to let His mighty power be known and felt among you. The Lord fire your hearts with this sacred flame, for as this made Pentecost stand out from all other days, may it make the close of this year stand out in our history from all other years. Come, Holy Spirit, now! You are with us, but come with power and let us feel Your sacred might!”

2 Corinthians 13:13 (CSB) The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.