We are continuing our series on "What I believe". So far those that weren't here last time, we started this series by talking about who is God and who is Jesus and had a few discussions about the idea of Trinity, one God in three persons.
So we've talked about God, the Father and Jesus the son, so this week we are looking at the third person in the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. I find it easier to picture a Father or Jesus the Son, but the Holy Spirit is a little harder. It is funny that even though we find it hard to picture the Holy Spirit, He is probably the one we interact with the most in our day-to-day lives.
Tonight we are going to cover three questions:
Who is the Holy Spirit?
What does the Holy Spirit do?
What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit?
Pray before starting.
Point 1: Who is the Holy Spirit?
To understand who the Holy Spirit is we are going to take a quick journey through the Bible.
HE WAS INVOLVED IN CREATION
The Holy Spirit is also known as the Holy Ghost and has even been referred to as the breath of God.
He was involved in the creation of the universe (Genesis 1:2)
He breathed life into humans (Genesis 2:7 and Job 33:4)
PARTICULAR PEOPLE, PARTICULAR TIMES, PARTICULAR TASKS
In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit gave people power:
to express themselves in art: Bezalel (Exodus 31:1-5)
to lead: Gideon (Judges 6:14-16, 34)
to perform feats of great strength: Samson (Judges 15:14-15)
to prophesy: (Isaiah 61:1-3)
JESUS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
Around the time Jesus was on the scene the Holy Spirit became very busy.
A man called John the Baptist announced that someone was coming who would baptise people not just with water, but with the Holy Spirit--that would be Jesus (Luke 3:16)
At Jesus ' baptism the Holy Spirit came down on him (Luke 3:22), and he received power (Luke 4:1)
Jesus predicted that his disciples would receive the Holy Spirit, but still they had to wait (John 7:37-39)
The Holy Spirit is now available to everyone! He can breathe new life into us and give us power and gifts to live for God. (Acts 2:38-39)
Point 2: What does the Holy Spirit do? (Believers and Non-Believers)
So that's a brief history of who the Holy Spirit is, now we are going to have a look at what the Holy Spirit does. We are going to split it into two parts. First we'll look at what He does is the lives of people who aren't yet believers and then we'll look at what He does in the lives of those who call themselves followers of Christ.
NOT YET BELIEVERS:
It is the work of the Spirit that brings a person into a relationship with God, through the conviction of sin, repentance, faith and adoption into God's family. Let's just briefly look at each of these steps.
Firstly, conviction. For someone to believe that they need a saviour, they first need to realise that they need to be saved from something, so the conviction that there is a problem that needs to be sorted out is the first step in which the Holy Spirit is at work. Jesus said the following in John 16: 7-8
7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.
Paul sums it up pretty well in 1 Thess 1:4-7 when he says:
4 For we know, brothers and sisters[b] loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. 6 You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. 7 And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.
Secondly, the Spirit is involved in a person repenting. People are naturally full of pride and confessing failures to God isn't an easy thing to do. We don't like to admit that we are wrong, but by the help of God's Spirit, a person can overcome their pride and come humbly before God in repentance.
Next is Faith. The bible tells us in Hebrews that...without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. So faith in God is key to a relationship with Him. Ephesians says: For by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not for yourselves, it is the gift of God.
Finally, it is through the Spirit that we are adopted as God's children. Check out what Romans 8 says: The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by hime we cry, "Abba, Father".
So the Holy Spirit is at work in our lives even before we give our lives to God and is in fact vital in the process. But he doesn't stop there!
CHRIST FOLLOWERS:
The Holy Spirit is at work in the hearts and lives of all believers, doing all sorts of things. Get into groups and have a look at these verses. Write down these different areas and ways in which the Spirit is at work in your life.
Activities
Coke can activity
Spirit at work (If I only let the door be half open, it's harder for them to work on a task).
1 person acts as the Holy Spirit, the task is to bring all of the balls from outside into the PowerStation.
I lock some of the doors and hold the other half open.
Ask the person: What could I do to help you do your work?
If I am willing to allow the Spirit to do it's work in me and through me, it can do a lot more than if I shut areas off and refuse to be guided by it.
Spirit dwells in us since Jesus (Things changed) John 14:16
Spirit is a gift to those who believe John 7:37-39, Galatians 3:14 and Romans 8:9
Given at the moment of salvation Ephesians 1:13-14 and Galatians 3:2
We are sealed with the Spirit for the day of redemption Ephesians 4:30 and 2 Cor 1:22
The spirit can be grieved, quenched (suppressed) Ephesians 4:30 and 1 Thess 5:19
We should aim to be filled with the Spirit Eph 5:18
The Holy Spirit teaches and reminds John 14:26
2 Cor 13:14 says, "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all."
Thank you Luke and Intake.
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