"God The Holy Spirit - The Unseen Comforter"

Cornerstone Church April 29, 2012

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT – THE UNSEEN COMFORTER

John 14:15-18

Intro Thoughts:

Children are refreshing, honest and say the darndest things:

“A little girl named Lucy asked God: ‘Dear God, are You really invisible or is that just a trick?’

Norma asked: ‘Dear God, did you mean for a giraffe to look like that or was that an accident?’

One of my favorites was asked by Nan: ‘Dear God, who draws the lines around all the countries?’

Anita asked: ‘Is it true my father won’t get into heaven if he uses his bowling words in the house?’

Hilarious, charming, innocent… and oh, so perceptive! Don’t you wrestle at times with similar questions?

I saved Seymour’s question for last: ‘Dear God, How come You did all those miracles in the old days and You don’t do any now?’”

Embraced by The Spirit by Chuck Swindoll, pg. 7

I hope I will not be remembered this morning like these children for asking an outlandish question. I have one I want to ask.

Why don’t we talk more about the Holy Spirit?

Talk more about The Holy Spirit with one another?

Talk more about The Holy Spirit in the church?

We know plenty about God the Father.

We know significantly more about Jesus – God the Son

But when it comes to God the Holy Spirit the third person of the Trinity our knowledge seems to dissipate like fog or morning mist.

“The Holy Spirit is God’s agent on earth, yet He is the least understood, least preached about, and least discussed member of the Trinity. And that is sad, because without Him, our spiritual lives will always become a dry, mechanical struggle.”

Spirit Rising: Tapping Into the Power of the Holy Spirit by Jim Cymbala, pg. 17

Perhaps it is because of our lack of understanding and reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit that has led the American Church to rely so heavily on: marketing, business, and entertainment to build and expand the church.

Chuck Swindoll says:

“Most of us are intrigued by the Holy Spirit. Like a moth to a lamp, His bright warmth attracts us. Our desire is to draw nearer, to know Him intimately. We long to enter into new and stimulating dimensions of His working – but yet we hold back. We’re hesitant… fearful of being wrong of misunderstood.”

Embraced by The Spirit by Chuck Swindoll, pg. 6

The hesitancy comes from not wanting to go too far in either direction:

We want to avoid becoming too excessive bordering on the mystical or weird.

Or

We want to rely too heavily on our intellect and reason that we leave the Holy Spirit out of our study to know God’s word or service for Him becoming sterile like the Ephesians that lost their first love.

This morning I hope to stir our hearts to want to know more about the Holy Spirit.

Not every question related to the Holy Spirit will be answered.

I am purposefully avoiding an exhaustive look because the subject is too vast for our time together today.

I. THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

John 14:15-17

I remember vividly the last conversation I had with my father before he died last year. While neither one of us realized it would be the last time we would speak it was a great conversation. It is one I cherish and will not forget.

Farwell thoughts shared with others come at different times:

It might be thoughts shared by a parent (father or mother) with their children as death nears.

Son or Daughter – as you continue on your journey remember this truth.

It might come when someone makes a long distant move across the county.

It might be the words and wisdom shared before a deployment.

Whatever the reason the words shared:

You remember!

They carry and hold great weight!

This is the context for our verses this morning.

* Jesus and the Disciples are Celebrating Passover (The Last Supper)

* Jesus was going to die soon. He will die, be resurrected and ascend back to His Father.

* Jesus spent 3.5 years with His disciples (nearly 24/7/365).

* Jesus knew:

o Each of their strengths

o Each of their weaknesses

o What made each of them smile

o What made each of them sad, mad or afraid!

Jesus in His farewell words:

* Tells them that He is preparing a place for them (in Heaven)

* Tells them that He is sending someone to reside within them

“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the 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 will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.