The Holy Spirit, our advantage (3)

James Byrd

The Holy Spirit, our advantage • Sermon • Submitted a year ago

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Good morning, CHURCH!

(Opening joke)

A preacher closed the services one Sunday morning by saying, "next Sunday I am going to preach on the subject of liars.

And in preparation for the message, he told the congregation that he would like for them all to read the seventeenth chapter of Mark."

Everyone agreed to do the reading assignment.

On the following Sunday, the preacher rose to begin, and said, "Now, then, all of you who have done as I requested and read the seventeenth chapter of Mark, please raise your hands."

Nearly every hand in the congregation went up.

Then he said to everyone who’s hand was raised, "You are the people I want to talk to in today’s message.

One bold person said, “Why us?”

He said,”Because there is no seventeenth chapter of Mark."

Are you ready to be equipped today?

Let me see your Bibles.

Let’s go to the book of Galatians 5:25-26 ESV for this week’s wisdom Vaccination.

This Week’s Wisdom Vaccination

Galatians 5:25-26 ESV

If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

There is a certain morality that we should be known by as believers/Christians.

And we can see here that the Pastor or the church shouldn’t have to try to police the partitioners.

If we live by the spirit, the morality that is becoming of a believer would be automatic.

We would then be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled people.

Today’s message title is:

The Holy Spirit, our advantage

If I was able to have the world’s greatest chess player sit beside me and whisper what moves to make as I took on competitive chess matches, I would be unstoppable.

I would be undefeated and win every tournament I entered.

But my chess advocate would know that people wouldn’t allow me to continue in tournaments with him being able to whisper the moves to me.

My coach would say, it would probably be better for you if I stop showing up and we find another way for me to help you.

He would give me some glasses that also had a camera in the center of the frame and a bone density hearing transmitter at the ends of the frame that attached to my ear.

Now that he was not physically in the building with me but was still able to help me, I could go on dominating in the competitive chess world.

And everyone would think that it was me doing this because they wouldn’t be able to see my helper.

So, the moral of the story is that with a perfect helper helping us, we should be unstoppable, victorious and the most loving people on the planet.

Success lies in following the Spirit, not in your wonderful strategies.

Point #1

Jesus had the Holy Spirit too

Sometimes I think we look at the spread of the gospel which started with Jesus and the disciples and has grown to billions of people as a mere pyramid multiplication technique for growth.

And at times that’s how we operate in our churches.

The growth of the gospel was attributed to Jesus and the Holy Spirit working through him with sign and wonders.

Matthew 3:16 ESV

And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him

We see here that the baptism of Jesus itself wasn’t even described but what was described was the Holy Spirit coming to rest on him.

It was almost as if, now that the Holy Spirit is resting on you, it’s time to get to work.

With the help of the Spirit, Jesus would go on to heal the sick and feed the hungry and show great compassion for the widows.

If you remember the account in Luke 7:11-17

Luke 7:11–17 (ESV)

As he drew near to the gate of a town, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her.

And when Jesus saw her, he had compassion on her.

Then he came up and touched the bier in our day casket, and the pallbearers stood still.

And he told the young man to get up, and the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.

And the kicker is that the report about him began to spread all throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.

And that is what sparked many to finally start believing in the one true God.

What am I saying?

It wasn’t the structure of Jesus having 12 disciples that caused the gospel to spread. It was Jesus working with the power of the Spirit that caused the spread of the gospel.

Point #2

I must leave you

John 16:7 ESV

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.

Jesus emphatically stated that it would be to their advantage that he departs.

The coming of the Paraclete would be good for the disciples, even though they had no understanding of the significance of this statement at the time.

Just like many of us today say, I wish I had Jesus to be the one to disciple me.

But Jesus is the one saying that it would be to our advantage if he went away and sent the Holy Spirit to us.

Prior to Pentecost, the limitations to growth in the kingdom where limited to only the results of Jesus in physical body and what he could achieve.

But after he went away and sent the helper, the Holy Spirit came out the gate with a miracle.

Acts 2:1-4 ESV

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Through the 120 in the upper room the Spirit immediately began to influence society through these other followers of Christ.

Now, we have something that was different than before.

When Jesus was on the scene, with all that he did, he would still leave the people and go to other towns and regions.

But with the Holy Spirit now on the scene and inside the believers, they were never alone and ever without the power and help of God.

Point #3

The Holy Spirit working through us

Remember we talked about the account in which Jesus raised the widows son from the casket and presented him back to take care of his mother.

Now, Peter and John were going up to the temple at the 9th hour the hour of prayer. 2 And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple.

And look what happens.

Acts 3:3-6 ESV

3 Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. 4 And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.”

5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.

6 But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”

Remember, prior to Jesus departing and sending the Holy Spirit, they would have never been able to do something like this.

It went on to say:

7 And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong.

8 And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

And again, here is the kicker.

Acts 3:9-10 ESV

9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

And if you keep reading you see the power of the Holy Spirit at work in their midst opened the door for Peter to preach to them.

As Peter addressed the crowd he pointed all the praise towards Jesus.

Acts 3:16 ESV

And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.

(Closing illustration)

If you’re watching online or here in the room, I have a very important question to ask you.