We Believe: The Holy Spirit Series

We Believe: The Holy Spirit

Text: Jn. 16:5-15

Introduction

1. So, I found this amazing quote this week, from a man who lived a long time ago named William Granall. He said, “Without the Spirit you lie like a ship on dry ground. It is the Spirit that is both the tide and the wind that sets your soul afloat to carry you on. — William Gurnall (1617-1679)

2. Every week, Christians all over the world recite the words of the Apostle’s Creed, which says, “I believe in the Holy Spirit.” And yet He is the most misunderstood member of the Trinity.

3. We understand the Father as the creator of heaven and earth, and we understand Jesus His Son as our Savior and Lord. But who is the Holy Spirit?

4. Let me be clear, there is no way that I could explain to you everything about the Holy Spirit in one sermon, or we would be here a very long time. However, it is imperative that we have at least a basic understanding about the third member of the Trinity is and why He is so important to the church today.

5. Read John 16:5-16

Transition: Let’s take a journey together as we explore the answer to the question…

I. Who is the Holy Spirit?

A. The Apostle’s Creed now moves from Jesus to the third member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Who is the Holy Spirit?

1. First of all, the Holy Spirit is not an “it,” but a “who.” The Holy Spirit is a spiritual being, and not an inanimate object.

2. Second, He is the third member of the Trinity. As Methodists we believe in the Holy Trinity, which is one God consisting of three persons -the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

a. “After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” (Matt. 3:16-17).

b. So, here we have Jesus after being baptized, the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus like a dove, and the Father speaking from heaven. Now, there’s either a Trinity or God’s a really good ventriloquist!

3. Third, He is the giver of spiritual gifts. “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. 5 There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. 6 God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. 7 A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” (1 Cor. 12:4-7).

4. Another thing that the Holy Spirit does for us is He teaches us.

a. “But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.” (Jn 14:26).

b. The Holy Spirit teaches us by reminding us of what Jesus said.

c. In fact, we can go so far as to say it wasn’t for the Holy Spirit, we wouldn’t have most of the New Testament, because it was the Holy Spirit reminding the different writers of what Jesus taught His disciples.

B. As believers, when do we receive the Holy Spirit? The Bible tells us that we receive the presence of the Holy Spirit inside of us when we receive Christ.

1. “And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14 The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.” (Eph 1:13-14).

2. We call this “regeneration.” The Holy Spirit comes into our lives and begins changing us from who we were before Christ, into who He created us to be.

C. However, the Bible also teaches us that there is a second work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers called the “Baptism in the Holy Spirit.”

1. In the Book of Acts 1:4-5, it says, “Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

2. Why do we believe that this is a second work of the Holy Spirit?

a. Well, before Pentecost came, the disciples already had the Holy Spirit living inside of them.