Back To The Basics – Holy Spirit Series

Back to the Basics – Holy Spirit

April 29, 2012 Morning Service

Immanuel Baptist Church, Wagoner, OK

Rick Boyne

Message Point: The 3rd person of the Trinity convicts us to salvation, seals us unto redemption, and is our ever-present comforter.

Focus Passage: Acts 2:1-13

Supplemental Passage: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23 NASB)

Introduction: The power of the Holy Spirit is not just for salvation, but transformation, a process that might be slow and gradual. The difference might look like this:

You can take ten gallons of gasoline and release a tremendous amount of power and energy by just dropping a lighted match into it. It makes a dramatic onetime impact. But there is another way to release the energy in that gasoline. Place it in the fuel tank of a new Honda, designed to get 30 miles to the gallon. The high tech engine will use that ten gallons of gasoline to take a person 300 miles or more.

Explosions may be spectacular, but the sustained, controlled burn has staying power. You don’t want to be a flash in the pan, you want to make a difference in this world over time. You want to last for the long haul. You don’t want the Holy Spirit to just save you for heaven, you want Him to use His power to transform your life. You want Him to use you in this world for kingdom purposes. – Tony Borst

I. The Holy Spirit convicts the lost unto salvation

a. "But 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 He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged. (John 16:7-11 NASB)

b. He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, (Titus 3:5 NASB)

c. "Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. "Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:31-32 NASB)

II. The Holy Spirit seals the believer unto redemption

a. In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. (Ephesians 1:13-14 NASB)

b. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30 NASB)

III. The Holy Spirit constantly guides, teaches, and works through the saved

a. "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 said to you. (John 14:26 NASB)

b. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16-17, 25 NASB)

c. The Holy Spirit equips each believer with a gift for use in building up the church and God’s Kingdom. These gifts include, but aren’t limited to: Prophecy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Giving, Leadership, Mercy, Miracles, Healing, Helps, Administration, Evangelist, Apostle and Pastor. Each believer is given a gift; it is up to them to actually use it.

i. If you do not know what your gift is, the best way to find out is to ask others.

Invitation: In many Christian circles the Holy Spirit is either neglected, forgotten, or misunderstood.

The One given to unite the body of Christ is the center of controversy…

So often Christian work is so rigidly programmed that it seems we need no longer depend on Him--yet Jesus said, "Without Me you can do nothing." ...

The late Dr. A. W. Tozer, author and pastor, said, "If the Holy Spirit was withdrawn from the church today, 95 percent of what we do would go on and no one would know the difference.