Tap Inn to The Holy Spirit Gerald Van Horn
Series 1 of 5 on the Holy Spirit
Introduction:
I recently read an article dated March 12, 2012 in the Jerusalem Post that was titled, “Terror attack in Itamar: 5 family members murdered.” I remembered the feeling and the emotion that came over me when I read this article. The holy anger. The burden for the Jewish people.
The subtitle read, “Police suspect armed terrorist entered a house in West Bank and stabbed a couple along with 3 children; 2 other children escaped un harmed.
The article goes on to say that “Five family members were found murdered in their residence in the West Bank of Itamar settlement Friday over night, after a suspect terrorist broke and entered the house and stabbed the five to death.”
Why?
All this Jewish family was doing was exactly what was promised to them. God promised this land to them.
Here in America we Christians feel like our faith is being tested by something silly as a traffic jam. The truth is we are spoiled, including me,
And yet, we feel such a burden for these people. The Jewish people in Israel. Or, maybe you remember 911. Maybe the Holy Spirit laid it upon your heart to pray for one of the victims.
The Holy Spirit can stir our hearts in an unusual way. It is the Holy Spirit who places that burden in our hearts. He will make us do things like “pray.” It’s the Holy Spirit that keeps the situation on our minds. We can’t shake it.
Have you ever had a family member where the Holy Spirit places a tremendous burden on your heart for them? You pray. You fast. You need to feel the breakthrough.
I recently preached a sermon series entitled, “Necessary Enemy.” I had no idea what some of you were going through at the time. But later I found out that some of you have some huge enemies in your life. This is exactly how the Holy Spirit works. He knows what you need. He sets up the situation. He knows what you need. He sets up the situation. He moves. He breathes. He is working at all times
There is only one thing more powerful than seeing the Holy Spirit work in someone else’s life and that seeing him work in yours.
If you want power, confidence, joy, peace and more love in your life, ask the Holy Spirit come and do something new in you. You may be surprised how the Holy Spirit will show up in your life.
I promise you, when the Holy Spirit shows up in your life it will cease to be dry and mechanical. Instead your life will be exciting filled with awe at the power of the Holy Spirit.
Who is the Holy Spirit? I believe that many Christians have a blurred notion of who the Holy Spirit is. The holy Spirit is not a “Holy Ghost” in the Halloween sense of a ghost. Neither is he a force like the one found in the movie “Star Wars.”
The Holy Spirit is a real person. He is the third member of the Trinity. I believe he is the most overlooked and neglected of the Trinity. We hear preachers preach about God or Jesus but seldom do we hear them preach about the Holy Spirit. The truth is he is just as divine as the Father and the Son.
Facts concerning the Holy Spirit:
1. He possesses a divine personality and personally chooses people for ministry assignment. That’s right. It’s the Holy Spirit that gives you your assignment. It’s the Holy Spirit that spoke to us to plant a church in this area.
Acts 13:2. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Do you want to know your assignment? Begin ti fast. Begin ti pray. Begin to worship. The Holy Spirit will speak to you.
The second fact concerning the Holy Spirit is:
2. He communicates with us and searches out the deep things of God to make them known to believers. In the book of Revelation, we see this often, “He who has ears let him hear what the Spirit says.” It is the Holy Spirit that communicates with us. In 1 Corinthians Paul says, “but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit, the Spirit searches all things even the deep things ofGod. For who among men knows the thoughts of man except the man’s spirit with in him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”
So it is the Holy Spirit that drives us to know God more. To understand his Word more. To have a deeper relationship with him. It is the Holy Spirit that gives us knowledge concerning the things of God.
And then the third fact concerning the Holy Spirit is
3. He is the one who makes Christ a living reality to the believer and in fact is called the Spirit of Christ. It is the Holy Spirit that brings conviction. It is the Holy Spirit that draws people to Christ. Romans 8:9 “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit of God which lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.”
Then the fourth fact concerning the Holy Spirit is..
4. He is coequal with the Father and the Son as part of the mystery of the triune God. They are defines as the trinity. We know the Father. He is the creator God and is featured throughout the Old Testament. He is shown as the sovereign ruler of the universe.
Jeohvah Jireh, God our provider. He faithfully answers prayer. He is also the Holy One who gave the Ten Commandments to Moses and to Israel. He is God the Father.
Then we have the Son. Jesus. When Jesus came he came to do miracles. He came to teach us about the Father and the things of God. But the primary reason he came was to die. He came to die for those Israelites and anyone else who violated God’s laws which includes everyone. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. This was God’s plan. To rescue us for judgment. Salvation from sin called for the son of man to take our guilt and to suffer for the punishment of our sins.
Jesus paid our sin-dept for us. That’s why John the Baptist called Jesus the “Lamb of God” who would take away the sin of the world in John 1:29.
But Jesus’ death on the cross, as wonderful as it is, wasn’t the end of God’s plan. Before Jesus died, he told his followers about someone else that would be coming.
During the last supper, Jesus told his disciples that he was going away. Imagine how upset the disciples must have been to hear such a thing. He was their teacher. He was their leader. He was their savior. And now he’s going away! How could he leave them now, when they needed him the most? Then he made a statement that really confused them. He said, “ But I tell the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the counselor will not come; but if I go I will sned him to you.”
What? It is for our own good that Jesus going away? He explains why in John 14:16-17.”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 lives with you and will be in you.”
Now, the whole picture begins to unfold. The Father sent his Son to accomplish a specific work. Then the Son sends the Holy Spirit to accomplish a specific work.
Then Jesus gives them a specific instruction about the Holy Spirit. He told them in no uncertain terms, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.” :But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth..” Acts 1:8.
So they did as they told. They waited for promise of God. Then it happened. They received something from heaven. It was far beyond their intelligence, talents and training. The Holy Spirit came in power. For the first time. Thye understood why Jesus said it is for your own good that I go away. The helper came.
In the Gospels Peter often spoke at the wrong time. He misunderstood the meaning of Jesus’ teachings. He tended to boast of his superiority over the other disciples. But when Jesus was arrested, Peter not only fled but denied even knowing Jesus. Why was Peter so weak and mistake prone? Look at the benefits he had: He had the best teacher. He had the best role model. It was Jesus himself. What did all these resources do for Peter? Not enough! No outward teaching can compare to the inward power of the Holy Spirit.
But something happened to Peter on the day of Pentecost. He was filled with the Holy Spirit! “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place, And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:1-4.
Now Peter is a different man. He preached boldly about the name of Jesus to massive crowds. Was this the same man? Absolutely not! This was the new Peter! He was filled with the Holy Spirit!
Thanks to Mark Van Horn ,pastor of River of Life, Hurst, Tex.
