This is the manuscript of the fourth sermon in the Recognizing and "Responding to the Indwelling Spirit" series of sermons to start the year of 2022. Without a proper response to the Holy Spirit, our lives will be unproductive, and our service will be feeble.
As our Lord approached the end of his ministry, his disciples were horrified at the thought of their loneliness and helplessness if he should be taken from them. To feel separated by distance or by death from someone who is very precious is one of life’s most painful experiences. It's even possible to experience painful loneliness in the midst of a crowd.
The disciples were no different than anyone else when it came to the fear of death. Even though they had been with Jesus, and had witnessed His power over death, the fear of death was always with them, especially when He spoke of His own death. Every time that Jesus told His disciples He was going to die, they were uneasy, and they sometimes even tried to persuade Him to give up His destiny of death.
Jesus wanted to encourage them and to equip them for future ministry by his teachings and by his promise of another comforter, another counselor, another helper. The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, in contrast to Jesus’ brief ministry of three short years, would come to as a continuing presence never to depart. This Comforter would not only be with them but would be in them.
You can watch a video recording of the entire service on the Christ Church YouTube Channel https://youtu.be/-hbFq6fXCR8
Scripture
John 14:15-21, 25-27 NIV “If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the 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. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymoIIre, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, 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. Peace 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.
Text: (Same as last week)
John 14:16 NIV And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—
Introduction
For the first four Sundays of this year we have been talking about the Holy Spirit and how we recognize and respond to the Spirt which dwells in us. As I said at the beginning, without a proper response to the Holy Spirit, our lives will be unproductive, and our service will be feeble.
As our Lord approached the end of his ministry, his disciples were horrified at the thought of their loneliness and helplessness if he should be taken from them. To feel separated by distance or by death from someone who is very precious is one of life’s most painful experiences. It's even possible to experience painful loneliness in the midst of a crowd.
The disciples were no different than anyone else when it came to the fear of death. Even though they had been with Jesus, and had witnessed His power over death, the fear of death was always with them, especially when He spoke of His own death. Every time that Jesus told His disciples He was going to die, they were uneasy, and they sometimes even tried to persuade Him to give up His destiny of death.
Listen to what Peter said;
Matthew 16:21-23 NIV From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Imagine for a moment how you would have felt, if you were one of the disciples, hearing from Jesus that He was about to die, and that they would not be able to come to Him to be with Him.
Jesus wanted to encourage them and to equip them for future ministry by his teachings and by his promise of another comforter, another counselor, another helper. The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, in contrast to Jesus’ brief ministry of three short years, would come to as a continuing presence never to depart. This Comforter would not only be with them but would be in them.
John 14:16-17 NIV And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the 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.
Jesus the Savior, the visible manifestation of the invisible God, was limited during his earthly ministry to being at one place at one time, that’s why He said,
John 16:7 NIV But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
The Revised Standard Version translates this statement, “It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I go not away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”
Jesus told them that the Father would give to them another counselor of exactly the same kind as he was, but who would be different in that he would “be with them for ever”, because He would be in them.
If Jesus had to get from point A to point B, He walked there like anyone else. Jesus got tired like we do. Jesus got sleepy like we do. And Jesus got hungry like we do.
Jesus could have done whatever He wanted, yet He put himself under the restraints of human frailty. The Bible tells us that God “sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we have.
Romans 8:3 NLT The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
From our perspective who live on this side of Calvary, the Resurrection, and the day of Pentecost, we can understand better what the disciples found impossible to understand.
They didn’t understand until something remarkable happened.
Acts 2:1-4 NIV When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Later on, that same day Peter, when speaking to the crowd said,
Acts 2:14-21 NIV ... “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
I. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to every believer.
In the Old Testament the Holy Spirit did not indwell people as he does on this side of Pentecost. Before Jesus' death, bural, resurrection, and return to heaven the Holy Spirit would come on chosen individuals for a limited period of time to equip them and to empower them for some unique task.
Exodus 31:2-6 NIV “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you:
The indwelling in the Old Testament was selective and temporary. The Spirit “came upon” Old Testament people like Joshua
Numbers 27:18 NIV So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and lay your hand on him.
Like David,
1 Samuel 16:12-13 NIV So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.
He even came upon Saul, the first king of Israel.
1 Samuel 10:10 NIV When he and his servant arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came powerfully upon him, and he joined in their prophesying.
Throughout the book of Judges, we see the Spirit “coming upon” the various judges whom God raised up to deliver Israel from their oppressors. The Holy Spirit came upon these individuals for specific tasks.
The coming upon of the Holy Spirit a sign of God’s favor upon that individual (in the case of David), and if God’s favor left an individual, the Spirit would depart as in Saul’s case
1 Samuel 16:14 NIV Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.
In the Old Testament the Spirit “coming upon” an individual didn’t always indicate that person’s spiritual condition (e.g., Saul, Samson, and many of the judges). After Jesus' resurrection and ascension the Spirit only indwells believers and that indwelling is permanent.There is a marked difference in the way the Spirit came on individuals before Pentecost and the manner in which he comes to indwell each believer following Pentecost.
Take a look at;
John 7:37-39 NIV On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
John 14:16-17 NIV And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the 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.
A. The gift of the Holy Spirit comes by God’s grace.
We do not earn the privilege of having the Holy Spirit abide within us. The gift of the Holy Spirit comes to us through faith. It's by faith we receive Christ, and by faith we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 3:1-5 NIV You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?
II. The Holy Spirit is the continuing presence of the resurrected Christ within each believer.
John 14:18 NIV I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
In this specific passage our Lord was not referring to his glorious return at the end of the age. He was referring to his return in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost following his ascension to the Father.
Acts of the Apostles 1:4-5 NLT 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. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
When Jesus gave the Great Commission He said,
Matthew 28:19-20 NIV Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
We experience the presence of the living, triumphant Lord in and through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who has come to abide within the heart of each believer.
Galatians 2:20 NIV I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Paul, who wrote Galatians, experienced the presence of the living Christ through the abiding Spirit who had come to dwell within him and within the heart of every believer.
III. The Holy Spirit abides within us to teach us God’s truth.
He is the Spirit of truth who came to teach us all of the things that God wants us to understand.
John 14:25-26 NIV “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, 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.
The Holy Spirit’s mission is to guide us into all of the truth of God.
John 16:12-15 NIV “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak of his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
John 4:23-24 NIV Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
The Holy Spirit uses the Scriptures to teach us God’s truth, the church to help us understand the truth, and other believers to lead us into the truth.
IV. As I said last week The Holy Spirit creates conflict with the old nature of each believer.
The Holy Spirit creates a civil war between himself and the flesh of each believer.
Galatians 5:16-17 NIV So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.
The Holy Spirit fills us with a holy discontent until we let the living Christ reign supreme within our hearts.
A. The Holy Spirit comes to fill us and to give us victory over evil
Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Ephesians 5:18-20 NIV Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
B. The Holy Spirit produces within us the fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Conclusion
God has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit as the abiding presence of Jesus Christ. Let each of us recognize and rejoice in this precious gift of the Holy Spirit. Let us respond to the tender words, gentle impulses, and loving leadings of the Holy Spirit. Let us trust the Holy Spirit to guide us and enable us to do all that God wants us to do.
Though we don’t experience the same phenomenal scene as the apostles did that Pentecost Day, we do receive the same power of the Holy Spirit when we confess Christ as our Savior. The power in us is greater than anything this world can throw at us. It doesn’t make us invincible, or shelter us from storms, but it does ensure we never have to lose hope. We can choose to cling to the joy and peace Christ died to grant us, and live our lives to the fullest on earth, to bring glory to God.
Prayer To Be Led By The Holy Spirit
Heavenly Father, how I thank You for salvation, which You have given to us as a free gift of grace by faith in the Lord Jesus. Thank You also, that Your Holy Spirit has made us alive in Him and placed us into the family of God and the body of Christ.
Thank You, that He has set His seal of ownership on us and taken up residence within our hearts, to empower us in our spiritual walk, as He transforms us into a likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. In Jesus name
If you have not yet received Jesus as Savior, the Holy Spirit is prompting you to open the door of your life for the entrance of him who can forgive your sins and give you the gift of eternal life. Open the door today.
Romans 10:9-10, 13 NLT If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
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