The Missing God Series

Video Illustration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIzHb9YNEOY

Sermon Series: Soul Care and the Holy Spirit

Thesis: The Holy Spirit takes an active role in the life of the Spirit filled believer to help care for their soul. He does this in many ways and His names reflect how He works in the life of the church, the believer and the unbeliever.

Scripture:

John 14:15-18:

15“If you love me, you will obey what I command.

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.

18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

John 14: 25-27:

25“All this I have spoken while still with you.

26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 16:13:

13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

Introduction:

As I have studied the Holy Spirit and observed the work of the Holy Spirit. I continue to be amazed at this 3rd person of the Trinity.

I really want us as a church to go deeper in our understanding of the work and the role of the Holy Spirit in soul care.

As I look at the church in the United States today and if many of us honestly looked at the lives of professing Christians we would say, “Something is missing in the church of America?”

How many of you would agree with me on this inner thought or pondering question?

I read of famous Christian musician who just became an atheist. I saw how people wanted to blame other Christians and blame the church. I really believe the problem is the condition of the soul and the seemingly missing God in their lives - “The Holy Spirit.’

Charles Spurgeon preached a great sermon years ago about how people want to do church and Christianity without the Holy Spirit! I look around today and see many Christians and Churches trying to live a spirit filled life without the Holy Spirit! The Bible says, “This will not work!” What will happen is you will burn out, flame out, fall into sin and even deny God’s existence. Why? Because you have denied the important role of the Holy Spirit in your life and within your soul. Many want religion without God’s Spirit, a church without the Spirit and God’s presence. Some feel that manmade programs and entertainment are what the church needs not the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Francis Chan stated, “If I were Satan and my ultimate goal was to thwart God’s kingdom and purposes, one of my main strategies would be to get churchgoers to ignore the Holy Spirit.”

Illustration: Tug or war rope.

We seem to live with a tension among Christians when it comes to the Holy Spirit. But if we want to be able to pull the world and our culture toward truth we must have the power of The Holy Spirit!

Acts 1:8 "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Testimonies: On the power of the Holy Spirit.

A Spirit-less church will produce a Spiritless church filled with Spiritless people who have no power to change the world, the culture or themselves. The Spiritless Church will become political and deceived when the Spirit is absent from it ranks – so once again look around – Are you dissatisfied with the church and with Christianity? If you are let me suggest maybe it is because we have x-ed out the Holy Spirit? We have been deceived into thinking that the Holy Spirit is not for today and that the gifts of the Holy Spirit died with the apostles but that is not what my Bible tells me! Yes, I have heard others say this but this is not what my Bible tells me!

Francis Chan states, “I believe that this missing something is actually a missing some one —namely, the Holy Spirit. Without Him, people operate in their own strength and only accomplish human-size results. The world is not moved by love or actions that are of human creation. And the church is not empowered to live differently from any other gathering of people without the Holy Spirit. But when believers live in the power of the Spirit, the evidence in their lives is supernatural. The church cannot help but be different, and the world cannot help but notice.” Chan, Francis (2009-09-01). Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit (pp. 16-17). David C Cook. Kindle Edition.