Sermon Tone Analysis

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I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit.
This morning we come to the third “I Believe” statement of the Apostle’s Creed: I believe in the Holy Spirit.
This part of the creed give us the completion of our profession of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
It is the Holy Spirit who works in us to bring to bear all the benefits of Christ’s redemptive work on the Cross and to make us into a new creation.
In this message I want to explore the work of the Holy Spirit in the world and in the believer's life.
Most of you are familiar with the Charles Dickens' story A Christmas Carol.
Ebenezer Scrooge is miserly humbug of a man who does not contain a shred of compassion for the plight of others.
His only concern is himself and his wealth.
But his life is going to change dramatically.
On Christmas Eve he is visited by three spirits who help him understand the true spirit of Christmas, and of Christ.
In quick succession the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Future all call upon him.
After these erstwhile visits, Scrooge is a radically changed man.
At the end of the tale we’re told: /“He became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world.
Some people laughed to see the alteration in him, but he let them laugh, and little heeded them ... “/
As Christians we do not believe in ghosts, but we do believe that there is a Spirit Who has radically changed us, and is at work in our lives each day helping us to be more like Jesus.
He was at work in our lives before we became a Christian.
As believers, the Holy Spirit is at work in your life this very moment securing the saving work of Christ He wrought in your life.
And the Holy Spirit will be at work in our future as the day of resurrection arrives and the Holy Spirit changes our mortal bodies into resurrection bodies in the twinkling of an eye.
Let's look at our text this morning to see these things.
!
I. THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT PAST: /REVEALING THE PURPOSE OF GOD/
* /"And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,"/ (Ephesians 1:9, NIV)
#. most people like a good mystery
#. especially those where you're not really sure what the outcome will be until the last few pages
#. mystery is fine for novels, but not very good when it comes to our eternal life
!! A. THE MYSTERY OF GOD'S PURPOSE HAS BEEN REVEALED IN CHRIST
#. the word mystery is one of the Apostle Paul's favorite words
#. he uses it throughout his writings 20 times
#. the word we translate mystery does not have the same idea we commonly give it in our culture
#. to our culture a mystery is something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain
#. in the New Testament, the word mystery means an "open secret" and refers to a previously hidden truth that has now been disclosed
#. the mystery Paul is referring to is none other than salvation through faith in Christ for both the Jew and the Gentile
#. why has God revealed this mystery?
* /Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith—"/(Romans 16:25-26, ESV)
#.
God’s desire is to bring about the obedience of faith in the lives of lost sinners
#. it is the work of the Holy Spirit to help lost men understand this mystery
#. in "His good pleasure" God has decided not to leave man in the dark concerning His will and His plan of salvation
#. just how does the Holy Spirit reveal this mystery in our lives?
#.
FIRST through revelation
* /All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."/(2
Timothy 3:16-17, NIV)
* /For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."/(2
Peter 1:21, NIV)
#. the Scriptures have been provided as a record of God's activities and His truth
#. they are infallible and inerrant and will never lead us astray
#. this same Spirit that revealed the Scriptures to Prophets and Apostles, also reveals their truth to us
#.
SECOND through illumination
* /We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.
7No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.
8None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”— 10but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
11For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him?
In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
12We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us."/(1
Corinthians 2:6-12, NIV)
#. without the Spirit of God at work in the life of the unbeliever, the Scriptures are just noble words on a page
#. without the Spirit of God illuminating them the Scriptures are only classical history
#. without the Spirit of God illuminating them the Scriptures are only interesting philosophy and good moral advise
#. but the Holy Spirit turns them into undeniable truth that changes our lives and our destiny
#.
THIRD through conviction
* /But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away.
Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.
8When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned."/(John
16:7-11, NIV)
#. in revealing the purpose of God, one job of the Holy Spirit is to make the sinner feel really rotten about their sin
* ILLUS.
Adrian Rogers tells the story of a man who came to him after a worship service and said, /"Pastor, were you preaching at me?" To which Adrian responded, "Sir, I was shooting down a hole.
If you were in it, there's nothing I could do about it."/
!! B. THE MYSTERY OF GOD'S PURPOSE HAS BEEN REVEALED IN THE FULNESS OF TIMES
* /"to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ."/
(Ephesians 1:10, NIV)
#.
God's timing has always been perfect
#.
He has always provided just the right amount of revelation at just the right times
#. at just the "right time" He delivered Israel from Egypt
#. at just the "right time" He raised up prophets to call the people back to God's law
#.
at just the "right time" He send John the Baptist to prepare Israel to receive the Messiah
#. and now, God reveals His purpose and will about salvation in Christ
#. and he reveals Christ through the Spirit
* /"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me."/ (John 15:26, NIV)
#. /The Work of the Spirit Past: Revealing the Purpose of God/
#. the only reason any of us knows Christ, is because the Spirit reveal the truth of Christ to us
!
II.
THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT PRESENT: /KEEPING THE CHRISTIAN SECURE/
* /"But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption."/
(Hebrews 9:11-12, ESV)
* ILLUS.
We are living at a moment in history were Americans are wondering about their financial security.
People are seriously asking, “What’s happening with my 401k Plan?” “Are my bank accounts safe?” “Will I able to get a house loan, or a car loan?” “Will I have a job next month.”
Government officers repeatedly assure us that our savings are secure, and that the economy will eventually turn around.
But let’s be honest, a lot of Americans are living with some real insecurity right now.
#.
God, however, does not want you to feel insecure about the transaction He has wrought in your life through the redemptive work of His Son
#. the bible tells us in Hebrews 9:12, that the atoning work of Christ on the cross has secured for us an eternal redemption
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