Scripture: Ezekiel 36:26–28; John 14:15-17; Acts 2:38
Series: Names of God
My name is ….. Ruah Qodesh – Hagios Pneuma – Holy Spirit
INTRO:
Grace and peace this morning in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We are only a few weeks away from celebrating Halloween. About 50 years ago, Halloween was mainly celebrated by children under the age of 12. They would go from house to house and pick up a few pieces of candy and come back home and sit down and try to eat as much as possible before their parents would take it all away from them.
Children would dress up like all kinds of things. You had your Spiderman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Underdog, Batman, Bugs Bunny costumes along with Cowboys, Princesses, Pirates, Clowns and of course the ever-present sheet over the head as a ghost. Very rarely would you see a teen or an adult dressed up or going to some type of party. Halloween was considered a minor holiday and it was usually a low-key affair.
That is no longer true. Today not only are children dressing up but more and more teens, young adults and even middle-aged adults are taking the time to dress up for trick or treating or just partying. Today, Halloween is over a 12-billion-dollar enterprise in the United States with over 700 million dollars being spent making sure that your pet has at least one or two Halloween costumes.
While we still have the Princess costumes and the Spiderman costumes we are seeing more and more people dressed up as witches, vampires, Axe murderers, Saw victims, Beetlejuice and the like. And while there is still an avalanche of candy for both children and adults there is a growing number of adults that are using the Halloween season to carouse, drink and hook up with someone.
It’s the spirit of the age, or so say the articles and news reports.
It is a time when we see all kinds of spirits out and about. Spirits that the Bible refers to from the book of Genesis to Revelation.
Now, we all should understand that we do have spirits at work in our world. Some of those spirits are evil and demonic in nature. The Bible refers to the following spirits at work today in our world:
+The Spirit of Fear +Demonic spirits in general
+The Spirit of Heaviness +The Spirit of sexual impurity
+The Spirit of Pride +The unclean spirits
+The Spirit of dullness +The Spirit of deceit
+The Spirit of bondage +The Spirit of Anti-Christ
No doubt at one time or the other we have seen one or more of those spirits at work. It could be at the workplace or it could be in the home. But it is true that we do have some evil spirits that are active at work today.
It is also true that greater than any of them is another spirit. It is one of the names that God uses to identify Himself – it is the Ruah Qodesh, it is Hagios Pneuma – It is the Holy Spirit.
I thought it would be good for us this morning to not focus on the evil spirits or those that want to harm us as humans but instead to focus on the Holy Spirit. For it is the Holy Spirit that is to be our focus as Christ followers.
I have a handout to give you this morning and after everyone has received theirs, we will take just a few moments to look at six different aspects of the Holy Spirit. Six things that the Holy Spirit wants to do in and through our lives:
*HANDOUT
THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is known by many names and titles, most of which denote some function or aspect of His ministry. Below are some of the names and descriptions the Bible uses for the Holy Spirit:
1. Author of Scripture
“For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” – 2 Peter 1:21
“All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
The Bible is literally “God-breathed,” by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit co-labored with the authors of the books to record what He breathed into their hearts and minds. When you think about it, that is amazing. Our God does not seek to just hand down things from the heavens but chooses to work with and through His creation to speak to all that will listen.
Perhaps think of it this way: It’s like a ship that is moved through the water by the wind in its sails, so the biblical writers were assisted by the Spirit’s guidance and direction.
The next time you open your Bible for a devotion, don’t just see it as some words on a page. Instead, allow the Holy Spirit to teach you, reveal the truth to you and appreciate how the Holy Spirit worked with the original writer. Allow the Word of God to come alive in your heart, your mind and your spirit.
2. Comforter / Counselor / Advocate
“And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear (respect) of the LORD.” – Isaiah 11:2
“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” – Ezekiel 36:26-27
“…when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.” – John 15:26
The Holy Spirit is a Comforter, a Counselor and an Advocate. All three of those words are ideals that are used when Bible writers in writing about the Holy Spirit were led to use the word Parakletos – or Paraclete.
The Apostle Peter reminds us that when we repent of our sins and receive Jesus as our Savior, we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). That happens when we open our minds, our hearts and our spirits to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not force Himself on us but He will joyfully join with our spirit all the days of our life.
With the Holy Spirit dwelling with our spirit, we will never face anything in this life alone anymore. That thought alone should bring us great comfort.
It means we can lean into His presence, His comfort and His peace.
+Think of the Apostle Paul and Silas while they were in shackles in the darkest part of the prison (see Acts 16)
In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (ESV), the Apostle Paul writes:
“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
Do not quench the Spirit. – 1 Thessalonians 5:19 (So you may be comforted and receive the counsel of the Holy Spirit)
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God – Romans 8:16
In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit – Ephesians 1:13
3. Convicter of Sin
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 go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. – John 16:7-11
Because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. – 1 Thessalonians 1:5
One of the merciful works of the Holy Spirit is to convict the hearts of humans of the need to be rescued and redeemed through Jesus Christ.
So many times, we think it is up to us or to some other human to convict people of their sins and the need for them to receive salvation. While it is up to us to share the Good News the reality is this -
True conviction happens through the work of the Holy Spirit.
We are to always work with the Holy Spirit and we can always be assured that the Holy Spirit is doing His best to help people come to faith.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God” - Ephesians 2:8
+Think of the Apostle Paul – Acts 9 +Think of Cornelius – Acts 10
+The Philippian Jailer – Acts 16 +Think of Lydia – Acts 16
4. Teacher
“…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 that I have said to you.” – John 14:26
“And we impart this in words not taught my human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.” – 1 Corinthians 2:13
There is no better teacher on our earth today than the Holy Spirit. Jesus promises and the Holy Spirit delivers if we tune in, receive and then obey and live out what He tells us to do. The Holy Spirit will never teach us something that is contrary to what we find in the Bible but will help us understand the Bible and how to live the Abundant Life.
+Think of the life of Timothy and the writings that St. Paul sent to Timothy. You can see how this young man was growing in the faith through the teachings of the Holy Spirit.
“But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” – Matthew 10:19-20
“Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” – Isaiah 30:21
“But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.” – 1 Corinthians 2:14
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” – James 1:5
5. Guide
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. – John 16:13
“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” – Galatians 5:25
“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.” – Psalm 143:10
“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.” – Galatians 5:16
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 5:5-6
Do you know where to go and what to do?
One of the greatest joys of being infilled with God’s Holy Spirit is the promise that He will be our guide in this life. He will be at our side ready to assist us to know where we are to go and where we are not supposed to go. It all hinges on us waiting on Him and leaning in to listen and obey Him.
Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” – Acts 8:29
While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.” – Acts 10:19-20
They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them… - Acts 16:6-7
6. Intercessor
One of the most encouraging and comforting aspects of the Holy Spirit is His ministry of intercession on behalf of those He inhabits. Because we often don’t know what or how to pray when we approach God, the Spirit intercedes and prays for us. He intercedes for us “with wordless groans,” so that when we are oppressed and overwhelmed by trials and the cares of life, He comes alongside to lend assistance as He sustains us before the throne of grace.
Key Thought - We cannot truly pray without the Holy Spirit’s assistance.
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. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. – Romans 8:26-27
Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints – Ephesians 6:18
End with Prayer – People praying for one another to experience anew the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in their lives and in the local church and the church at large.
Note: Please feel free to use the handout section – copy it, use it, adapt it and make it your own – have a great day!
*(assisted by reading and study the work of Dr. Tony Evans – on the names of God)
