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.
Last week we talked about the role reversal that takes place when we are baptized in the Holy Spirit. Jesus is still doing the same works that He always did, but now his power is distributed to each to do His work as the Holy Spirit – the One just like Jesus – becomes the Helper, the teacher, the guide, the author of mind renewal.
What is the purpose of living in power?
John 15:2 (NIV2011)
2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
The Holy Spirit, through the baptism enables you to produce fruit. The fruit of the Spirit that is in every believer now begins to flow out of you in power. love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control… The Holy Spirit that produced the fruit in you in the first place now in power releases those same fruit to work in your life.
But let’s take it a step further… producing fruit is not something that is to be self -contained. It is something that flows out of you to be a witness to others, who don’t know Christ, so that now those who are in the world become affected by the power flowing out of you. John 15:7-8 (NKJV)
7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Now then we see that the power of the Spirit alive in you has a purpose – to glorify the Father! That’s not all…
John 15:26-27 (NKJV)
26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.
27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
John 16:7-11 (NKJV)
7 Nevertheless 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 depart, I will send Him to you.
The Amplified bible says it this way,
But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him (the Holy Spirit) to you [to be in close fellowship with you].
The Holy Spirit not only has a role in your life, but also in the world…
8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me;
10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;
11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
Three major parts of the Holy Spirit’s ministry…
1. to the world… He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me… Now I want you to get this; the Spirit is in the world for this purpose but it does not mean that He will move in the life of every unbeliever. Romans 10:13-17 (NKJV)
13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!"
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?"
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
This is the power of the Spirit released to work in the lives of unbelievers through your testimony and your prayer and your faith at work. The essence of sin is unbelief and only the Spirit can convict the sinner of their unbelief. But it begins with you as you pray, especially when you pray in the Spirit … it is power to produce fruit in the world.
2. the second area of His ministry is convicting of righteousness. John 16:10 (NKJV)
10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; This is not only for the world but also for believers. The Spirit enforces God’s standard of holiness to which we all must strive to attain through the power of the Spirit in us. For the unbeliever this conviction is the awareness that one can never be good enough to please God. The Spirit would convict the world of its lack of righteousness because Jesus was going "to the Father"—through crucifixion and death—with the result that His disciples would "see Him no longer." Jesus had convicted those He contacted of their inadequate righteousness during His earthly ministry, but that source of conviction was about to depart. The Spirit would continue this ministry.
3. John 16:11 (NKJV) 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
The Holy Spirit has a role in showing the world that the ruler of this world, the prince of the power of the air, and his world system is already judged and will come to an end. Therefore our testimony concerning the return of Christ, the rapture of the church, and the judgment of the tribulation opens the door for the Spirit to move in the lives of all.
The ultimate result is this… John 16:13-14 (NKJV)
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
the Spirit of truth… John 17:17 (NKJV)
17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. The Spirit of truth will place in your heart a strong desire for God’s word. And He will guide you into all truth. As we read God’s word we must be careful not to discount the promised that are given as well as the correction that is given. The Spirit will guide us into those things.
He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak… Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV2011)
3 ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
He will tell you things to come… the gifts of the Spirit. Revelation through the word, prophecy… all come through the Spirit. The church being what the church is called to be through the work of the Spirit.
He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.
Everything that comes to us through the Holy Spirit empowerment is simply for this purpose – to glorify the Lord.
And it is in His power that we are called to do just that.
That power that is at work within you…
Seek the power…
Be refilled with power…
Be fruitful in the power…
