Pentecost: The qualities of the Holy Spirit Lesson 2
Last week I talked to you about Pentecost and 5 qualities of the Holy Spirit.
1. He empowers Christians to witness to the unsaved
2. He gave the people the gift of tongues to do witness.
3. He convicts people of sin.
4. He gives us Peace, joy and hope .
I have heard from several of you that it made you think. Today we will continue. So let’s start with a story
OPEN: A missionary named Herbert Jackson, from the 20th century, taught at a Christian college and told the story. He had been given a car that wouldn’t start without a push. After pondering his problem, he devised a plan. He went to school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them give his car push to get it started. As he traveled around the area, he would either park on a hill or leave the engine running. Sometimes he would get other children in the neighborhood to help him push it to get it started. He used this ingenious procedure for 2 years.
At the end of that two years, however, he needed to return to the states because of health problems and a new missionary came to replace him.
Of course, the car would stay with the new missionary, and so Jackson began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started. As he did so, the new man began looking under the hood.
“Why, Dr. Jackson, I believe the only trouble is this loose cable.”
He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, pushed the switch and to Jackson’s astonishment, the engine roared to life.
For 2 years, the only trouble with that car was a loose connection. The power was there all the time. It was not plugged in…
The same is with us. We need to be plugged into God, and that is via the Holy Spirit.
We are going to continue this study on the Holy Spirit.
Now when Jesus told the disciples that they were to wait for the Holy Spirit , the gift from God to come. You don’t see our Lord’s disciples questioning, “ Who is the Holy Spirit.?” They were already familiar with Him, because the Holy spirit is often mentioned in the Old Testament.
I. Truths: 7 TRUTHS ( in addition to last week)
1. The Holy Spirit existed in the Old Testament as well as New Testament and today.
a. We first encounter the Spirit of God as far back as Genesis, chapter 1, verse 2: “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” At Creation, the Spirit was present and active.
b. The prophets spoke of the Holy Spirit…
Numbers 27:18
And the LORD replied to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man with the Spirit in him, and lay your hands on him.
Ezekiel 2:2 As He spoke to me the Spirit entered me and set me on my feet; and I heard Him speaking to me.
I just gave you two examples from the Old Testament and there are many more.
2. 2nd truth The Holy Spirit belongs to the Trinity: God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.
Although the bible does not say the trinity…(manmade term for explanation) compact them together.
a. Ex. But God speaks of Himself in plurality: In Genesis “Let us make man in Our own image” (vs 26).
Ex. of trinity: Matthew 28:19… Jesus says,
Ex. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
Ex. II Corinthians 13:4 14 May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Ex. I Peter 1 :2 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
Bunny trail. Side note. We have talked about the Holy Spirit existing since the beginning of time… (Roger S. and I had a talk while walking… He asked me about about the Holy Spirit when did he come into being… Thus the sermon. But I also want to back it up with Jesus. ) Jesus was also living in heaven at the beginning of time. (TRUTHS)
John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.”
John 17:5 English Standard Version
And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
In Old Testament when god appears in human form: a) Abraham being visited by God and 2 angels before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. b)Shadrach, Michach and Abindigo in the fire…when a 4 th person was in there too.
So now we have the basic Truths:
1. The holy spirit existed since the beginning of time.
2. Trinity – God, Jesus and Holy Spirit.
3. The Holy Spirit is a person. (__2_ pts)
#3. The Holy Spirit is a person. (__3_ pts)
a. Holy Spirit is referred to as a He and not an “it” NOR a nonfeeling entity or force.
ex. John 14:26 But the Comforter/Helper, , which is 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 have said to you.
b. He —Actions of a Person…not entity/force. Underlined in the verse above.
The title Comforter and helper, teacher conveys the ideas of advising, exhorting, comforting, strengthening, interceding and recall. People do that. So the Holy spirit is a Person.
c. But the Holly Spirit also has sorrow.
Ex. Ephesians 4:30
30 And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live.
A force does not have sorrow. Person does.
We hurt, grieve, cause sorrow, pain, unhappiness in God’s heart and the Holy Spirit’s when we disobey God’s commandments and disregard what He tells us. God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit have feelings…
Truths
1. The holy spirit existed since the beginning of time.
2. Trinity – God, Jesus and Holy Spirit.
3. The Holy Spirit is a person. (__2_ pts)
4. Holy Spirit prays for us.
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#4 Holy Spirit prays for us. Romans 8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans…(vs 27 the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
Truths
1. The holy spirit existed since the beginning of time.
2. Trinity – God, Jesus and Holy Spirit.
3. The Holy Spirit is a person. (__2_ pts)
4. Holy Spirit prays for us.
5. The Holy Spirit is with you forever.
#5 The holy spirit is with you forever. Old testament it would come for the work and then leave… Today he stays with us. Scripture:
John 14:16 ESV And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forevever
Ephesians 1:13-14 Ephesians 1:13-14 13 …When you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
Here believers are said to be “sealed” with the Holy Spirit, “who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” The picture of being sealed with the Spirit is one of ownership and possession. God has promised eternal life to all who believe in Christ,
NEXT QUESTION
it is possible for our sin to “quench or grieve the Holy Spirit”
I Thessalonians 5:19 19Do not quench the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:30-31 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 And do not BRING SORROW to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live.
Ephesians 4: 31 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour ( using noise as a confusion), and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.
“grieve the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 4:30). Sin always has consequences in our relationship with God. While our relationship with God is secure in Christ, unconfessed sin in our lives can hinder our fellowship with God and effectively quench the Holy Spirit’s working in our lives.
That is why it is so important to confess our sins because
God is “faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). So, while the Holy Spirit will never leave us, the benefits and joy of His presence can in fact depart from us.
So in this… we see 2 things about the Holy spirit. (SLIDE) Notice “to be with you forever.” He stays with you. but Your Will and your voice can overcome him. He is gentle. He allows your willfulness and lets you do YOU, despite the ungodliness of it and the grieving he has.
Truths
1. The holy spirit existed since the beginning of time.
2. Trinity – God, Jesus and Holy Spirit.
3. The Holy Spirit is a person. (__2_ pts)
4. Holy Spirit prays for us.
5. The Holy Spirit is with you forever.
6. The Holy Spirit is IN you.
..
Not only is he with your forever. #6 He is IN you. John 14: 15-17 V ESV “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. YOU KNOW HIM, FOR HE DWELLS WITH YOU AND WILL BE IN YOU.
Truths
• The holy spirit existed since the beginning of time.
• Trinity– God, Jesus and Holy Spirit.
• The Holy Spirit is a person.
• Holy Spirit prays for us.
• The Holy Spirit is with you forever.
• The Holy Spirit is IN you.
• The Holy Spirit empowers us to do special tasks.
#7 Throughout the OT the Spirit is seen empowering individuals for special tasks. So I want to give you examples….
a. ex. Leadership: In Joshua 1, Moses had died and Joshua was taking over leadership. God says to Joshua in ch 1 vs 5-6
“No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
b. Ex. A lot is empowerment for those in leadership. I Samuel 11: 5-6 –2nd story. King Saul had just become the 1st king. There was no palace at this time. King Saul didn’t know what to do…so he went and worked in his fields.
5Just then Saul was returning from the field, behind his oxen. “What troubles the people?” asked Saul. “Why are they weeping?” And they relayed to him the words of the men from Jabesh. 6When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God rushed upon him, and he burned with great anger.
He then called the people to fight. And God was with him and they conquered the enemy.
c. ex. Artistic ability- with wisdom, knowledge and in all forms of material
Exodus 31 :1-5 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, 4 to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, 5 in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.
So what ever God calls you to do. You can do it. From leadership, to music, to Sunday school…if he called you…You have the Holy Spirit and ask Him for help. Then go and do it.
Conclusion
When God created you, he made a place inside of us for him to dwell in us. So people are searching for fulfillment and happiness to fill this void.…not understanding that this comes when we follow God. (Time.)
God designed us to be dependent creatures. And God made us to have this place for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Once we become Christians. Our relationship with God, Jesus and the Holy spirit produces fruit. This fruit is “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23, NLT).
The more we scoot in close to God… the more we become like him.
As we continually surrender to the Spirit and draw closer to the Trinity, these are the characteristics we can expect to see in our lives. (life time)
But you have to be plugged into him, if not we will continue to experience defeat.
So let’s look again at some truths about the Holy Spirit and what he can do for us. Truths along with last weeks.
1. The holy spirit existed since the beginning of time.
2. Trinity– God, Jesus and Holy Spirit.
3. The Holy Spirit is a person.
4. Holy Spirit prays for us.
5. The Holy Spirit is with you forever.
6. The Holy Spirit is IN you.
7. The Holy Spirit empowers us to do special tasks.
8. He empowers Christians to witness to the unsaved
9. He gave the people the gift of tongues to do witness.
10. He convicts people of sin.
11. He gives us Peace, joy and hope .
