Another Counselor Series

February 19, 2017

Morning Worship

Text: John 14:16-17

Subject: The Holy Spirit

Title: Another Counselor – The Holy Spirit Part 2

We continue this week in our series on the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. I believe this is so important to the life of any church and there is so much value in the fact that Jesus wants us to have the baptism in the Holy Spirit that He told His disciples don’t do anything until you have been endued with power from on high.

Can you see this? Everything that we are, everything that we can be, is hinged on what we will allow the Holy Spirit to do in us.

16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

I believe this is God’s word…

I believe it is for me..

I accept it as mine…

I will appropriate it to my life today…

Last week we focused on the word “another”. In the Greek there are two words translated “another” and they have two different meanings. 1) another as in something totally different. “let’s move in another direction” or, 2) another as in different but exactly the same. That is the word that Jesus used here. Allos.

But when Jesus said He would send another counselor that must mean that another was going to be replacing one that already was – Jesus Himself. He was their counselor, their comforter, their teacher and now He is sending another one.

The significance of this is seen in the empowerment aspect of the coming promise of the Father. Jesus Himself never began His public ministry until the Holy Spirit had come upon Him for empowerment.

Now we have to stop here and set apart the two different acts of grace concerning the Holy Spirit. The first is when the Holy Spirit comes into the life of the believer at salvation in indwells them. It is the evidence of a changed life for everyone who has accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. John 20:22 (NKJV)

22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.

The second act of grace is the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. It is this baptism in the Spirit that Jesus was speaking of when He told His disciples to go into the city and wait.

Acts 1:5 (NKJV)

5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

John 7:38-39 (NKJV)

38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

The indwelling of the Spirit at salvation is for eternity… the baptism in the Holy Spirit is for now! I want you to listen to this. Both acts of grace – salvation and the Baptism only come through faith. Both require that your mouth be involved. Romans 10:9-10 (NKJV)

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Mark 16:17 (NKJV)

17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

In submitting your tongue to the Lord you are allowing yourself to be under submission to the Spirit and then tongues come as the evidence that you have received the baptism in the Spirit. Oh and those tongues are so beneficial to the believer. But it is the power that comes that we must focus on.

How often do we gloss over what the Spirit wants to do in our lives in power! First of all, at salvation we are endued with the fruit of the spirit. And often people struggle with trying to live out their faith walk and sometimes you just don’t see much difference between the “church” and the world. When Jesus walked with His disciples He showed them an example of how their lives should look. And then in John 14:12 He told them that they would do the same things He had been doing.

John 14:26 (NKJV)

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 things that I said to you.