It? Series

Ghost Stories

Pt. 2 - It?

I. Introduction

Open with Campfire Scene - (Lights Dim)

Can you imagine the fear, anxiety, concerns the disciples must have had and felt when this man they had embraced as The Son of God and had now put all their hopes, dreams and futures in His hands and now He is telling them He is about to leave. They would probably battle feelings of despair, anxiety and maybe even feel abandoned. But the good news is that Jesus knew that upon His departure that these men (and we) would need help. So, this is where we start today. I want to read you the text but I want you to pay careful attention to this familiar passage of Scripture and the words used.

Text: John 16:5-15 (TLB)

“But now I am going away to the one who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going. Instead, you grieve because of what I’ve told you. But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate (paraclete - counsel for defense, an intercessor, a helper/comforter) won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged. “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’

So, I want to point out something really important from this passage as the simple backdrop to teach you some key things about the Holy Spirit.

Notice in John that Jesus didn't abandon His disciples or us! He, in fact, makes it clear that it is for our own good that He departs because this allows Him to send Him . . . that was an important statement.

If you mislabel something, then you will misunderstand something.

For example if you mislabel a cup as a plate you won't understand its purpose. Can you imagine how crazy it would be if you thought a cup was a plate? At fellowship meals you would be the person putting food in your cup based on a label that caused you to misunderstand.

This happens with the Holy Spirit. It is essential that you don't mislabel the Holy Spirit as an It! Jesus says that He will send Him! Jesus is making it clear that He is sending us the person of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is not an it! The Holy Spirit is Him!

I have heard the Holy Spirit mislabeled as a force. No . . . The Holy Spirit is a Him. If you don't embrace this, then you will not realize that it is possible to develop a relationship with Him just like you do with our Father and our Savior. If you label Him as an it or as a force, then you will view the Holy Spirit as a thing out there that isn't personal or approachable.

Now before I explain why this truth is so important let me stop and say this because I know my crowd. Some of you are nervous because you would say I am not Pentecostal so this doesn't really apply to me. Wait just a minute this is important to you because even if you aren't Pentecostal you have the Holy Spirit in you! I will explain that more next week. (Next week we will talk about 3 baptism in Scripture that some people have made scary and confusing.) However, let me prove Scripturally that the Holy Spirit is working in and through you.

1 Corinthians 12:3 (TLB)

But now you are meeting people who claim to speak messages from the Spirit of God. How can you know whether they are really inspired by God or whether they are fakes? Here is the test: no one speaking by the power of the Spirit of God can curse Jesus, and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” and really mean it, unless the Holy Spirit is helping him.

So, we are told by Paul that you can't even become a believer unless the Holy Spirit helps you believe. He is involved in the process. Again, I will explain more next week, but I just want to mention that so you don't dismiss the Holy Spirit out of your life. You need to know the Holy Spirit as a Him even if you would say you have never had a Pentecostal experience.