THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT PT 2

Puzzles are a great way to view worldviews, especially because they’re made up of many individual pieces. When all the pieces fit together, you’re able to clearly see the big picture. Of course, to get the picture exactly right, you have to work with all the right individual pieces. If you are missing pieces, or if you have mixed puzzle pieces, you can’t and won’t get an accurate picture. Here’s the bigger problem, though. If someone were to dump a puzzle box at your feet, it would represent where some Christians are in their theology and worldview. It’s a box full of pieces that have never been put together. It’s just a pile of pieces. These individual pieces can be made up from your church upbringing, what you’ve learned at home, perhaps a Christian school environment, discussions with friends, podcasts, and other spiritual influences. But it’s possible you’ve never taken the time to put the pieces together. Furthermore, you can’t see if you’re missing any important pieces. You also have never figured out if you’ve got pieces of the wrong puzzle in with yours—bits of other worldviews—mixed in by accident that don’t fit picture on the box. Or, you might get confused when others take some Christian pieces and fit it in with their worldview pictures. Even with all the right pieces sitting in the box, few Christians have assembled their puzzle in order to make sense of the whole thing. The result is a skewed reality.

The Holy Spirit can help us put the pieces together so we can begin to see the picture – I don’t believe we will ever get the puzzled completed before we die. The Holy Spirit can also help us identify those pieces that act like they will fit but don’t – false doctrine, worldview, selfishness.

Last week we talked about the work of the Holy Spirit and that He has Purging Power, Praying Power, Pardoning Power and Preaching Power – today we talk about the last 4 working “powers” in our lives.

Let us pray -

The Work of the Holy Spirit

Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1–4

The Holy Spirit wants to work in the hearts and lives of men and women. He can do more for us in a few moments than we can do for ourselves in our lifetime. He wants to fill us, empower us, guide us, and work through us.

V. PRAISING POWER—John 16:14

A. Praise through prayer—Acts 3:1–12

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God, and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s. And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?

B. Praise through preaching—Acts 2:14–41. Peter’s preaching lifted up Christ.

Peter preaches the Gospel and closes with vs. 37-41 – Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

C. Praise through worship as a form of praise—Acts 2:46–47.

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

VI. PERCEIVING POWER—John 16:13-14 – 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.

A. The Spirit helps us understand God’s will for our lives.

Romans 12:2 – And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Ephesians 1:9 – He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him

James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Hebrews 10:36 – You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

B. The Spirit shows us the meaning of God’s Word.

John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

1 Timothy 2:3-4 – This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

2 Timothy 3:16 – All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Hebrews 4:12 – 12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

John 16:13 – 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.

John 17:17 – Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

1 John 2:27 – But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

C. We can understand God’s personality and power by the help of the Spirit.

Romans 8:26-27 – 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. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Ephesians 1:13-14 – In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Romans 5:5 – 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.

Romans 8:11 – If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Isaiah 11:2 – And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

1 John 2:20 – But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.

2 Peter 1:21 – 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.

1 Corinthians 1:5 – that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—

VII. PERSONAL POWER—John 14:26 – 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

A. Power to teach us. He shows us right from wrong.

Romans 11:33 – Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

B. Power to train us. He helps us remember.

VIII. PACIFYING POWER—John 15:7 – These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

A. Comfort in sorrow—Ephesians 6:22 - I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts.

Jeremiah 31:13 – Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old shall be merry. I will turn their mourning into joy; I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.

Isaiah 51:11 – And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

John 16:20-22 – Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. 22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.

B. Comfort during separation—Matthew 28:20 – teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

John 14:16 – 18– 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. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

John 14:26 – 27– 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. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Philippians 4:19– And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

C. Comfort when sick—Psalm 30:1–3. If God does not choose to heal a sick person, He will give that person power to endure.

Psalm 30:1-3 – I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol; you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

Deuteronomy 7:15– And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you knew, will he inflict on you, but he will lay them on all who hate you.

1 Peter 5:7– Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Psalm 23:1-4 – The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

How do you praise God through prayer?

How do you praise God through preaching/teaching/sharing your faith?

How engaged in worship are you?

How do you praise God in worship? We have praise and prayer time at the end of each service – praising Him is worshiping Him – how can you step up to the plate and praise God in worship?

Are you being transformed by the world or the Holy Spirit? How has the Holy Spirit transformed your life, not just since you were saved, but from last week? From the beginning of the service?

How much time do you spend in scripture? Is it on par with the news? TV? Smartphone and electronics?

Remember that the writer of Hebrews said this - Hebrews 4:12 – 12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Do you allow His word to penetrate your heart? Your mind? Do you allow it to speak truth into your life?

How does the deposit of the Holy Spirit in your heart, being sealed by Him demonstrated in your worship, work, your free time?