The Third Person

We Believe  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  31:44
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God the Holy Spirit

John 14:16–17 NKJV
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.
We’re going to continue with our series “We Believe” this morning, and explore how the Holy Spirit wants to be our helper , but so much more!
What are some of the wonderful ways that the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, speaks to those who need His guidance? This Third Person of the Godhead tells us what He has received from God the Father and God the Son. The Spirit uses many methods to lead us.
Consider this. An explorer was traveling in Africa. One day some hostile people attacked the weary traveler. They drove off his carriers and robbed him of everything. Then they left him injured without food or equipment. He lay helpless beside the trail, hurt, discouraged, and completely lost utterly hopeless, he waited for death to come.
Feeling uncomfortable, he turned his body. Suddenly, he noticed a beautiful flower growing beside his head. All his life, he'd loved nature, and the exquisite color and form fascinated him. He studied its beauty for a long time. Then to his mind came a message his mother taught him years ago.
Matthew 6:28–32 NKJV
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
Through that little flower, the Holy Spirit seemed to say, "God sees you. He cares. There's hope for you." His fear left him, and he began to relax. His mind grasped the thought, "I shall not die, but live."
The weary man sat up. Gradually, he dragged himself to his feet, found a stick to steady himself, and slowly pushed down the trail. A power outside of him gave strength to his wobbly legs and a determination to press on. He knew someone else was in control.
Stopping often to rest, he remembered the words, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." About two miles down the trail, he heard voices. Trusting in God, he hid his fear and pressed on to little village. These Africans were friendly. Seeing that he was alone and injured, they guided him to a home, where he was cared for until he was well and could continue his exploration.
The Holy Spirit used a frail flower and Bible promises he had learned long before as messages of hope. Jesus said
John 14:26 NKJV
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.
I don’t know about you but the older I get the harder it is for me to remember things. Isn’t it wonderful that the Spirit can bring to our minds the things we need when we need them. But on the flip side if we haven studied and put those things that we need in our minds in the first place, the Spirit can’t help us when we need it.

Preview

Is the Holy Spirit truly God? The Bible makes it plain that the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Godhead, coequal with the Father and the Son. The baptismal formula in Matthew 28:19 tells us that we are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Let’s look at the apostolic blessing in 2 Corinthians 13:14:
2 Corinthians 13:14 NKJV
14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
As part of the Godhead He is the life giving Spirit
Romans 8:2 NLT
2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
Jesus called Him the Spirit of Truth
John 16:13 NKJV
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
His love and holiness are expressed in Rom 15:30
Romans 15:30 NKJV
30 Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me,
and in
Ephesians 4:30 NKJV
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
The Holy Spirit gives each of us spiritual gifts,
1 Corinthians 12:11 NKJV
11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
He is present everywhere (omnipresent), He will abide with us forever
John 14:16 NKJV
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
He knows all things(omniscient)
1 Corinthians 2:10 NKJV
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.

Points to Ponder

Was the Holy Spirit involved in creation?
Job 33:4 NKJV
4 The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
2. Will He be involved in the resurrection, too?
Romans 8:11 NKJV
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
3. How did the Holy Spirit descend on Jesus at His baptism?
John 1:32 NKJV
32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.
4. What is one of the most important works of the Holy Spirit?
Jesus said of the Holy Spirit, "He shall glorify me" (John 16:14). The Spirit takes the precious gifts from the Father and Son and gives them to us.
Jesus also said, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God" (John 3:5). The Holy Spirit is the agent of new birth and sanctification

Nuts & Bolts

The Holy Spirit is not an influence, a mere power or force, or an attribute of God the Father. He's a divine Person you can know and relate to. He is gracious, kind, and good.

1. What do we know about the Holy Spirit's personality?

Genesis 6:3 NKJV
3 And the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh; yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”
The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Volume 1 3. My Spirit Shall Not Always Strive

The word “strive” in the Hebrew means “to rule,” and “to judge,” as corollary to ruling. These words indicate that the Holy Spirit could continue working but a little longer, and would then be withdrawn from the unregenerate and unrepentant of the human race. Even God’s long-suffering must end. Peter refers to the work of the Spirit on the hearts of the antediluvians, saying that the Spirit of Christ preached to these prisoners of Satan (1 Peter 3:18–20).

1 Peter 3:18–20 NLT
18 Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit. 19 So he went and preached to the spirits in prison—20 those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood.
Luke 12:12 NKJV
12 For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
John 16:8 NKJV
8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Acts 13:2 NKJV
2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
The Holy Spirit thus directs the affairs Of God's church.
Romans 8:26 NKJV
26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
2 Peter 1:21 NKJV
21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit was instrumental in inspiring the writings of the Bible.
Ephesians 4:30 NKJV
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
The Spirit has feelings that can be hurt.
Only a divine person can possess all these attributes!
It's impossible for our human minds to understand the mystery of the Holy Spirit. But perhaps we can get a vague idea of how He touches our lives from the tiny, glistening drops of dew that sparkle like diamonds on a sunny morning. Formed from moist, cool air, dew forms best on dark objects or materials that radiate heat best but quickly lose it and become chilled. That's why God wants us to be either hot or cold. Only then can the dew of the Holy Spirit fall on us. Dew and the Holy Spirit both refresh and revive, each in its own way. Both promote growth and originate in the heavens. Neither ever destroys, but both always restore and gently heal.
Dew can't form on windy nights because the moving air doesn't stay in contact with any object long enough to cool it to the dew point. Conditions must be just right. The dew or rain of the Holy Spirit will fall only on lives that are just right, too, in harmony with heaven.
Dew forms after the sun sets and disappears soon after sunrise. Could the dew be revealing to us a blessed secret? The best time to receive the blessings of the Holy Spirit is in the stillness of the evening and in the early morning hours before we're engrossed in the day's activities.
Dew penetrates and saturates all it settles upon with quiet, gentle thoroughness. There is no limit to the heavenly dew that you may constantly receive, if you will only stop and let it fall on you.

2. Everything the Holy Spirit does centers on Christ's mission of salvation.

Because of this, before the Spirit could be poured out in His fullness, Christ had to come to this earth, carry out His great sacrifice, and be glorified.
Matthew 3:11 NKJV
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

3. What did Jesus promise would happen after His resurrection?

Luke 24:49 NKJV
49 “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

4. What happened in heaven that enabled Jesus to send the Holy Spirit in His fullness?

Acts 2:33 NKJV
33 Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.

5. What happened at the same time on earth while 120 believers were gathered for prayer?

Acts 2:4 NKJV
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Notice from this that the mission of both Jesus and the Holy Spirit is total consistent and dependent on each other.

6. Notice how Jesus needed the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 1:18–21 NKJV
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. 20 But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
All though we can’t understand it, Jesus was some how conceived by and through the Holy Spirit
If we were to look at Luke 1:41, 67; 2:25, 26: we would see that Elizabeth, Zacharias, and Simeon acted under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
Mark 1:9–10 NKJV
9 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.
Jesus was proclaimed to the world by the Holy Spirit
Luke 4:1 NKJV
1 Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
The Spirit let Jesus into the wilderness.
Matthew 12:24–32 NKJV
24 Now when the Pharisees heard it they said, “This fellow does not cast out demons except by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” 25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. 26 If Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. 28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. 31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.
Jesus being a man here on earth was helped by the Holy Spirit to work the miracles that he performed.
Romans 8:11 NKJV
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God was the one that raised Jesus from the dead.

7. Jesus has promised to give us the Holy Spirit.

John 14:16 NKJV
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
John 16:7 NKJV
7 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 depart, I will send Him to you.

8. What are some of the functions of the Holy Spirit?

John 16:8–11 NKJV
8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; 11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
John 16:13 NKJV
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
Matthew 28:20 NKJV
20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
The promise of Jesus to be with us always is fulfilled through the Holy Spirit, in whom we can experience Jesus' presence at all times.
Acts 15:28 NKJV
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:
The Holy Spirit guides in all the affairs of His church on earth, from selecting missionaries to solving differences of opinion.
1 Corinthians 12:11 NKJV
11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Titus 3:5 NKJV
5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

Words to Remember

The Holy Spirit is a vitalizing, sustaining, stimulating, enabling power who always works with the Father and the Son.
Vitalizing: Energizing.
Sustaining: Supporting, giving life and nourishment.
Stimulating: Encouraging to action.
Enabling: Giving power and ability to accomplish objectives.
Blasphemy: Speaking against and/or rejecting the Holy Spirit.

The Difference Between

Justification and sanctification

Justification is the change God makes in us from unrighteousness to righteousness at the moment we receive the Lord Jesus Christ. It is also called the moment of new birth.
Sanctification is a lifelong walk with God, away from sinfulness into holiness.

I Truly Believe

Without Christ, and without the power of the Holy Spirit, we can do nothing (John 15:5). We am powerless to overcome sin. We cannot help others to come to Jesus. However, if we are connected to Jesus through the Holy Spirit, I and we "can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13).
Think carefully about each statement below. If, in your heart, you agree with the concept of each statement make them a part of your life.
I ask God to make me a channel to serve others and bring them to Jesus through the help of the Holy Spirit.
I believe the Holy Spirit is God's precious gift to me. I ask today that the Holy Spirit will fill me.
I pray that the Holy Spirit will draw me to the Saviour's side and reveal to me my deep need of Jesus.
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