Author: Stephen Thomason

Who is the Holy Spirit & How Does He Affect Our Lives?
Intro:
1. Halloween focuses on the spiritual, the metaphysical — ghosts, hobgoblins, demons, etc.
2. From the Renaissance to the middle of the 20th Century, humanism believed that the only things that could exist were what you could experience with your 5 senses.
3. Since that time science has acknowledged the existence of the metaphysical — the spiritual realm.
4. Now, you can take classes in the metaphysical sciences in state universities.
5. Christians have always believed in the metaphysical realm because of what the Bible teaches.
6. There are two spiritual arenas according to the Bible: the realm of God & the realm of Satan.
7. People focus on the realm of Satan on Halloween. Let’s look today at the realm of God — the Holy Spirit.
John 14:15-27
I. Who is the Holy Spirit?
A. He is one of the persons of the Trinity.
1. The Trinity is 1 being expressed in 3 distinct characteristics & persons.
a. The Father: the part of God Who is all powerful, invisible & everywhere all at the same time.
b. The Son: Lord Jesus Christ — the part of God Who took on humanity to identify with us, experience our life & temptations — & then, went to the cross & to the resurrection. Phil 2:5-8 — Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross! c. The Holy Spirit: He is invisible & the part of God responsible for inspiration & the supernatural power of creation and life. 2. Each of these characteristics are viewed in the Bible as distinct, individual persons! 3. This is hard to explain & probably impossible to fully understand! B. v15-27 — He took Lord Jesus’ place when Jesus ascended to the Father. 1. As the Son in human form, the Lord could only be conducting His ministry in one place at a time. 2. As the Holy Spirit, He can indwell each believer multiplying His ministry millions of times!
II. What Does the Holy Spirit Do in Your Life?
A. He gives you direction — guidance.
1. He controls the movements of Christians. ILL: The Conversion of Cornelius (Act 10:1-48)
2. He chooses the fields of operation. Act 16:6 — Paul & his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia & Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.
B. He provides comfort.
1. He is called “The Comforter” in John 14:16. (KJV)
2. He makes you competent to be ministers. II Cor 3:6 — He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant . . .
C. He provides you power to live a victorious life.
1. He helps you in your weakness. Rom 8:26-27— In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He Who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.
2. He provides the Fruit of the Spirit in your life.
a. Gal 5:22-23 — But the fruit of the Spirit is love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control. Against such things there is no law.
b. Eph 5:9 — . . . for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth . . .
III. What Does This All Mean?
A. God identifies with ordinary people.
1. He had brothers & sisters.
2. He experienced being a baby - a child - & even a teenager.
3. His parents were average lower middle class.
a. They were not in poverty, but they didn’t have a lot of money either.
b. They had to offer 2 turtle doves instead of an ox at Jesus’ dedication.
4. Lord Jesus worked hard as a carpenter & brought home an average pay check.
B. God knows what it’s like to be tempted. (Matt 4)
C. God experienced what we experience: pain, disappointment, frustration, bodily needs.
D. God used His human experience to impress upon us His love - the cross.
Knowing these things should enhance your witness! You can say, “God loves you so much He was willing to empty Himself of all His majesty so He could experience your life & identify with you. Now He is inviting you to experience His life & identify with Him in heaven forever!
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