Using The Holy Spirit

“Using The Holy Spirit”

The past few weeks I have been speaking on the importance of the Holy Spirit and how He is essential to our salvation but that is only half of it.

So this morning, as the late Paul Harvey used to say, and now--- the rest of the story.

The rest of the story is having the Holy Spirit and using the Holy Spirit.

See we receive the Holy Spirit at baptism but if we don’t use Him He becomes useless to us.

An American with an English gentleman was viewing the Niagara falls one time, when he said to his friend: “Come, and I’ll show you the greatest unused power in the world.” And taking him to the foot of Niagara Falls, “There,” he said, “is the greatest unused power in the world!”

“Ah, no, brother, not so!” was the reply. “The greatest unused power in the world is the Holy Spirit of the living God.”

Folks the Holy Spirit is a spirit of great power.

Far more powerful than we all realize, but He is not to be USED by us like some kind of errand boy. He is, however, available to bless us and give us His strength for life’s trials

The Holy Spirit is present both inwardly and outwardly. Jesus said where two or three are gathered in my name I am there also. Jesus was saying He will be there through the Holy Spirit.

When we gather together to worship the Holy Spirit is with us and hopefully He is convicting those who have not accepted Jesus.

But I want to talk about the Holy Spirit being in us and how we should take advantage of His power.

Look at the statement Paul made in his letter to the church at Ephesus.

Ephesians 3:16 “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being.”

When life gets tough at work, in the world, wherever, we should pray and ask the Lord to strengthen our weak human spirit by His powerful Holy Spirit. We should pray, “Father, strengthen me powerfully by your Spirit who lives within me….”

How does God do this? Well that falls under the category of how did God create the world, or where did God come from, I don’t know.

There are many things that we don’t understand about God. If we did, we would be His equal, but we’re far from it.

Even though we don’t understand how God works at times, we must continue to pray and ask for His grace and strength.

But are we using the Holy Spirit to our full advantage?

We know the Holy Spirit guides us to help us fight Satan against temptation. Jesus proved that when He was tempted in the wilderness after the spirit came upon Him following His baptism.

And we know the Holy Spirit is with us when we pray for strength, comfort, and understanding but what about the way people know that we are in the spirit?

If the spirit is with us people will see us as Christians because the spirit is guiding us but what about when we worship?

Sometimes when I talk to people they tell me they feel that there are times when the Holy Spirit is moving them but they don’t act on it.

So why don’t we? Are we too embarrassed to praise God? Let’s look at Psalm 150?

Psalm 150 Praise the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary: praise him in his mighty heavens.

Praise him for his acts of power: praise him for his surpassing greatness.

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals: praise him with the resounding cymbals.

Let everything that has a breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

Now I am not saying that next Sunday you all bring in a bunch of instruments or come in dancing but we shouldn’t be embarrassed about praising God.

If you feel like raising your hands to heaven then do it.

Some think that you shouldn’t clap your hands in church.

Why not, the scriptures say make a joyful noise unto the Lord. When we clap our hands isn’t it showing joy?

Sometimes people tell me they want to come forward to accept Jesus or to pray but are embarrassed at what people will think.

Jesus said in Matthew 10:32 he that denies me before men, him will I deny before my Father in heaven, and he that accepts me before men, him will I accept before my Father in heaven.

Now maybe not coming forward isn’t necessarily denying Jesus but I believe it comes real close to be ashamed of Him.