Sermon Tone Analysis

The Holy Spirit

 

A Series of Four Lectures

 

Hilltop Chapel

 

May 2004

 

 

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Introduction –

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Adam’s song leading “Fruits of the Spirit”

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Long time since I’ve heard anyone talk about this subject

                                                    i.

Probably avoided in most assemblies due to abuses in charismatic churches

                                                  ii.

Similar to the way most Protestants avoid discussing Mary due to abuses in the Catholic church

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Series of 4 talks

                                                    i.

Personality~/deity of the Spirit

                                                  ii.

Works of the Spirit

                                                iii.

Gifts of the Spirit

                                                iv.

Fruits of the Spirit

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Much of my outline, except for the last talk on fruits of the Spirit, is taken from “The Moody Handbook of Theology” by Paul Enns, published in 1989  

#. Personality and Deity of the Spirit

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Introduction                                                     i.

Holy Spirit is both a person and God, and has characteristics of both.

ii.

He is represented various ways in the scriptures, that illustrate some of his characteristics

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Controversial – many heresies have arisen

                                                    i.

Arianism

1.     Taught by Arius, a priest of Alexandria (Egypt) in mid 3rd century

2.     Asserts that Spirit is only an influence, emanating from the Father

3.     Also that Jesus was a created being and therefore not God

4.     Condemned by Council of Nicea in 325 AD (Nicene creed came from this council)

5.     Lives on today in doctrines of Unitarianism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, The Way and others

                                                  ii.

Sabellianism

1.     Taught by Sabellius, a Roman of the early 3rd century

2.     His view denies the separate personality of Christ and the Holy Spirit.

3.     Today this view lives on in another branch of Pentecostalism called Oneness Pentecostals, or United Pentecostals, or Apostolic Pentecostals.

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Personality                                                     i.

Identified repeatedly in the scriptures as a person, not as a force or influence: not a Star-Wars like “the force be with you!”

                                                  ii.

Will look at his attributes, works, position, designations

                                                iii.

Attributes

1.     Intellect –  He has a conscious, thinking mind:

a.      1Co 2.10 - But God hath revealed /them/ unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

b.     Rom 8.27 - And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what /is/ the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to /the will of/ God.

2.     Knowledge – he possesses knowledge: 1Co 2.11 - For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?

even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

3.     Emotions – he has feelings

a.      Grief: Eph 4.30 - And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

b.     Vexation (being puzzled, irritated, distressed): Isa 63:10 - But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, /and/ he fought against them.

4.     Will – power of sovereign choice and decision, as well as command

a.      Directed Peter to go to Cornelius: Acts 11.12 - And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting.

Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house:

b.     Directed in the choice of missionaries to be sent out: Acts 13.2 - As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

c.      Exercised it in influencing the movements of Paul:  Acts 16.6 - Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

                                                iv.

Works – he performs many works, similar to those of the Father and Son

1.

He teaches: John 14.26 - But the Comforter, /which is/ the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

2.     He testifies: John 15.26 - But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, /even/ the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: (also illustrates how he comes from the Father)

3.

He guides: John 16:13  Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, /that/ shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

4.     He convicts:

a.      John 16.8 - And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

b.     Greek word for “reprove” is “elegcho” which means to convict; also used as rebuke, convince,

5.

He regenerates

a.      Ezek 36.25-27 - Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do /them/.

b.     Tit 3.5 - Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

6.

He intercedes

a.      Ro 8.26-27 - Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what /is/ the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to /the will of/ God.

b.     Eph 2:18 - For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

v.

Position – things can be done to offend him that don’t make sense unless he has real personality

1.     Blasphemed

a.      Consists of attributing to Satan the works of the Spirit

b.     Mk 3.28-29 - Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:

2.     Resisted

a.      Acts 7.51 - Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers /did/, so /do/ ye.

3.     Lied to

a.      Acts 5.3 - But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back /part/ of the price of the land?

4.     Obeyed – entire narrative of Acts 10 is a study in obedience

                                                vi.

Designations – always referred to with masculine pronoun “he” although a gender-neutral word for Spirit exists in Greek

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Deity – concepts similar to what I discussed regarding deity of Jesus *(had to leave out this whole section when preaching due to time constraints!)*

i.

Look at – divine titles, attributes, and works

                                                  ii.

Divine titles

1.     Repeatedly referred to as “spirit of God” (26 times)

2.     As the spirit of man is intrinsic to him and bound up in him, so the Spirit of God is an inseparable part of his being

                                                iii.

Divine attributes

1.     Omniscience – 1Co 2:10-12 - But God hath revealed /them/ unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?

even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

2.     Omnipotence –

a.