The Difference the Holy Spirit Makes John 14-16

Transcription

1 The Difference the Holy Spirit Makes John The Church at Canyon Creek, Austin, Texas Monty Watson, February 26, 2017

2 THE DIFFERENCE THE HOLY SPIRIT MAKES John Like wind in your sails that s the Spirit-filled life. As the wind fills the sails, so the Spirit fills us, and empowers us to live a joyous and dynamic life in moment-by-moment relationship with God. It really is possible! Because the moment a person believes in Jesus is the moment a person is filled with the Holy Spirit. By faith, a child of God. With new life and new identity, with new purpose and new power. The Holy Spirit means God with us and God in us. Once and for all, forever. Yet, there is also a daily responsibility on our part to walk with the Spirit, to yield to the Spirit, and to be filled with Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). The book of Acts is filled with stories of incredible power, power that comes from the Spirit-filled life. Unfortunately, that power is not as evident in the lives of many Christians today. One reason is a lack of knowledge; a lot Christians have never learned about the Spirit-filled life. Another reason is that a lot of Christians are focused on lesser things and miss the Spirit-filled life. But it s promise that s too good to miss. Sadly, Francis Chan is right when he refers to the Holy Spirit as the forgotten God. He says too many of us are content with crawling when we can fly. 1 He writes, I am tired of merely talking about God. I want to see God move through me I know there s more And God has called us to more, through the presence and strength of the Holy Spirit. 2 But if you Google the Spirit-filled life, unfortunately it will send you into the confusing world of charismatic error and excess. So, one reason this series is important is to ground us on what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit and avoid theological error and excess. The Bible refers to the Holy Spirit as fire, as water, as oil, and as a wind. The Greek word for Spirit is pneuma, which means wind. It s hard to get a handle on the wind, and it s hard to get a handle on the Holy Spirit. When we think of God, we can imagine Him sitting on His throne in heaven. When we think of Jesus, we can recall a Bible story about Him. But when it comes to visualizing the Holy Spirit, we struggle. He has no face. He takes up no space. Even His name is not really a name, it s a title. And yet, He is the member of the Trinity with whom we have the most interaction. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Helper, and we need His help. Your bulletin insert lists the works of the Holy Spirit and all the ways He helps us. 3 The Holy Spirit causes us to be born again teaches us the word of God convicts us of sin intercedes for us when we pray gives us gifts and abilities for ministry helps us resist temptation bears the fruit of Christlike character empowers us for the evangelistic mission. In so many ways, the Spirit-filled life is like wind in your sails. It is the moment-by-moment presence, dependence, and influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Like Francis Chan said, we don t want to just talk about Him, we want to see God move, we want to experience the Holy Spirit. So, what real, tangible difference does the Holy Spirit make in our everyday lives? 1

3 What difference is there in me compared to the guy driving the car next to me in traffic? I m not driving down the road with a halo hovering over my head. I don t even have a fish symbol on the bumper of my car. The guy driving next to me is probably a good guy, loves his family, and works hard. So what difference does the Holy Spirit really make? Jesus tells us in John 14 and 16. This morning, we are going to take a peek into the upper room where the disciples shared their last meal with Jesus. The cross was only hours away. Jesus talked about His death, and the disciples were stunned and confused. And He talked about the Holy Spirit. He said, 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 (John 16:7, ESV). What could be better than Jesus right beside us? The Holy Spirit inside us. Jesus knew that life would be difficult. He knew that the Christian life would be difficult. That s why Jesus left a part of Himself to be with us and to be in us. HE HELPS Jesus said, I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever (John 14:16). The Holy Spirit helps. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Helper ; other translations use Counselor or Comforter. 4 The Greek word is Παράκλητoς, or Paraklete. It s someone who comes alongside and speaks into another person s life. Examples of a Paraklete would be a friend, a teacher, a counselor, or a coach. The Holy Spirit is all of these. He encourages, He exhorts, He consoles, He challenges. The Holy Spirit s role as Helper is to be with us in our struggle and help us press on. 5 In 2000, the naval destroyer USS Cole was attacked while refueling in Yemen. A small motorboat filled with explosives was used as a terrorist torpedo. The suicide mission left 17 sailors dead and 39 injured. The explosion left a 40'x40' hole in the side of the ship. Shortly after, Osama bin Laden praised the suicide bombing at the wedding of his son. 6 The Cole is 505 feet long and weighs 6,800 tons (over 14 million pounds). The transport ship Blue Marlin submerged to a depth of 75 feet, maneuvered underneath the Cole, and raised it out of the water. 7 The Blue Marlin lifted up the disabled Cole and brought it home. In a similar way, the Holy Spirit lifts us up when we are wounded and disabled. Whenever we are overwhelmed or weary, the Holy Spirit is there to help. The Holy Spirit s role is not limited to consoling. The word Comfort in Latin comfort means with strength. Comfort also means fortify. The Holy Spirit s role is to help us be brave. 8 The role of the Holy Spirit is not just to make our suburban lives easier. He is not there to help us find good parking spots or catch green lights. He is there to give us courage, to fortify our faith. That s a real, tangible difference that the Holy Spirit makes in our lives. HE INDWELLS Jesus shared something in the upper room that night that had never been taught before. Jesus promised, that from that point on, the Holy Spirit would not just dwell with but would dwell 2

4 in. The Holy Spirit indwells. In John 14:17, Jesus referred to the Spirit of truth, and said, you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. As a Christian, the Holy Spirit abides with you and in you. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit came upon certain people, as an external, temporary source of strength occasionally anointing certain people. In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit is in. He is an internal, permanent source of strength indwelling every believer. That s why Jesus told the disciples it was to their advantage that He depart. 9 What could be better than Jesus right beside us? The Holy Spirit inside us. Imagine that! The Bible says, you are a temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you (1 Corinthians 3:16). 10 To correct theological error and practice, we need to clarify theological language. There is a difference between the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the filling of the Holy Spirit. Over the next few weeks, we are going to talk about the filling of the Holy Spirit. The filling of the Spirit is an on-going, repeated, refreshing of the Spirit within us. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is a once-for-all, permanent act. The moment a person believes in Jesus, at the moment of salvation, a person is baptized with the Holy Spirit. The New Testament is very clear about this. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you so is the Spirit (Romans 8:9-10, ESV). 11 When Peter preached the Gospel, he said, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38, ESV). John confirms this. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us His Spirit (1 John 4:13, NAS). So, Peter, Paul, and John all confirm that the moment a person believes in Jesus is the same moment a person receives the Holy Spirit, because receiving the Holy Spirit is the regenerating act of being born again. Yet when we read the book of Acts, we read about people becoming Christians one day and much later receiving the Holy Spirit, and speaking in tongues. Why this separation? Why this delay? And if you re a Christian today, should you expect some subsequent experience with the Holy Spirit? Jesus talked about this delay of the Holy Spirit in John 7. On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified (John 7:37-39, NIV). People believed in Jesus while He was still on earth before the cross, before the resurrection, before the arrival of the Holy Spirit. These pre-pentecost Christians were true believers, but they did not yet have the Holy Spirit. 12 The Holy Spirit came 50 days after the resurrection and after Jesus ascended back into heaven. Acts 2 records what happened. When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:1-4, ESV). 3

5 This was the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel, in which God said, In the last days, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. On men and women, young and old, Jew and Gentile. The Holy Spirit is for anyone and everyone. And speaking in tongues was a symbol of that. These tongues were known dialects, and people were speaking and understanding each other in languages they had never learned. It was to show that the Gospel was for all people. But not all Christians were there when it happened. Acts 2 records what happened to Christians that one day in Jerusalem. There were hundreds of Christians in other cities; who became Christians before the cross, before the resurrection, and before Pentecost. That s why there was a delay in some people receiving the Holy Spirit. The reason this is important is to correct erroneous charismatic theology about a second blessing, the belief that a person can become saved one day and the expectation of being filled with the Holy Spirit later on through some phenomenal experience of speaking in tongues. A map shows what happened. The Holy Spirit fell upon the Christians in Jerusalem first. That s Acts 2. But Acts 8 tells us that Peter and John traveled to Samaria and found Christians without the Holy Spirit. So Peter and John laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. 13 The same thing happened in Caesarea in Acts 10. When Peter arrived, he found many believers who did not have the Holy Spirit. So these people received the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues. This was to convince Peter that even Gentiles could be saved and receive the Holy Spirit. The same thing happened in Ephesus in Acts 19. When Paul arrived he asked the believers, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? And they said, No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit (Acts 19:2, ESV). So Paul laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues, to prove their faith was authentic. The explanation of the delay we see in Acts, a separation of believing in Christ and receiving the Holy Spirit, is geographical, not theological. In Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell on those who were in Jerusalem. But there where hundreds of believers who were not in Jerusalem and scattered across the country. This delay was during an historic period of transition from the old covenant to the new covenant. 14 Pentecost was a once-in-history event, not to be repeated and not be considered normative. There no other accounts of this delay after Acts 19. Therefore, there is no second blessing subsequent to salvation, and there is no mandate of speaking in tongues to prove that you are a Christian. The New Testament is very clear. At the moment of belief, at the moment of salvation, a person is immediately filled with the Holy Spirit. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you so is the Spirit (Romans 8:9). If you ve got Jesus, you ve got the Holy Spirit! Over the next few weeks, we re going to look at our daily responsibility to walk with the Spirit, to yield to the Spirit, and to be filled with Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:25, NAS). 4

6 HE TEACHES Jesus promised something else. 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 that I said to you (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit teaches. The Holy Spirit is our tutor. He teaches us everything we need to know to do God s will. And the primary way in which the Holy Spirit teaches us is illuminating God s word. Psalm 119 gives a wonderful picture of this. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105). The Spirit shines a light on God s word, and God s word shines a light on our path. The Holy Spirit also illuminates something deep within us. In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul describes how the Spirit gives us understanding of the deep things of God. No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. But to us God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God s deep secrets We have received God s Spirit (not the world s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us We speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit s words to explain spiritual truths. But people who aren t spiritual can t receive these truths from God s Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they can t understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means We understand these things, for we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:9-10, 12-14, 16, NLT). HE GUIDES Jesus tenderly explained to His disciples, I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now (John 16:12). The disciples were confused enough, so He promised them, When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit helps, the Holy Spirit indwells, the Holy Spirit teaches, and the Holy Spirit guides. This word is used elsewhere in the New Testament in reference to guiding the blind. 15 And in many ways the disciples were blind. They were confused. And sometimes, we re blind and confused. That s why we must rely on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The most devastating air disaster in history occurred in 1977 when two 747s collided on the runway of the Tenerife Airport in the Canary Islands. A bomb threat at one airport diverted all flights in the region to Tenerife. Air traffic doubled, and unfortunately, fog thickened at the same time. Both taxiways and runways were lined with planes filled with passengers. It was a dangerous scenario. Under these circumstances, you would expect experienced pilots would rely even more on directions from air traffic controllers. But one pilot did not. As a Pan Am 747 was taxiing down the runway, a KLM 747 was preparing for takeoff on the other end of the runway. Visibility was minimal, and patience was running thin. So, without clearance from the tower, the KLM pilot decided to take off, unable to see the Pan Am 747. That day, confusion led to the deaths of 583 people and the worst air disaster of all time. 16 Do you see the spiritual principle? When the fog is thick, we must slow down and listen to the Holy Spirit. If you are confused or uncertain, slow down and let the Holy Spirit guide you. If 5

7 you re facing major decisions, the Holy Spirit offers to guide you through those decisions. And in the countless, daily decisions and choices we make, He offers to guide us through those too. So listen well. Sense His promptings. Follow His leading. And allow the Holy Spirit to guide you. CONCLUSION The church is not the Holy Spirit. The Bible is not the Holy Spirit. Worship is not the Holy Spirit. There is no substitute for the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Helper and He is with us and in us (John 14:17). And it is our responsibility to follow Him and to yield to Him, to be filled with the Spirit and walk by the Spirit. It is our responsibility to keep in step with the Spirit. If you were to ask me what difference does the indwelling of the Holy Spirit makes in my life every day, here s what I would say. When things from the outside bombard me, something from the inside helps me. And it s something beyond my wisdom, my ability, and my perseverance. When temptation bombards me, the Holy Spirit warns me. When I m about to do something wrong, something within me says, Don t do it. When I give in to temptation, when I m foolish or selfish, when I sin, the Holy Spirit stirs up conviction within me. There is appropriate guilt, and hopefully enough godly sorrow to move me to repentance. When I face painful circumstances, the Holy Spirit brings comfort to me. When I feel anxious or intimidated about something, the Holy Spirit pours courage in me. When I use my gift of teaching, the Holy Spirit anoints the message within me in a way that I know it s something beyond me. Do I always tap into the Spirit s help? No. Do I always feel His presence or follow His leading? No, not always, but enough times to know that He lives in me. What real, tangible difference does the Holy Spirit make in my life every day? I know I belong to God. And I know there is something different about me and something different in me. I believe God lives in me. And if you believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit lives in you. He will always be with you and He will always be there to help you. His presence that s the real, tangible, difference that the Holy Spirit makes. Like wind in your sails that s the Spirit-filled life. 6

8 NOTES 1 Francis Chan, Forgotten God (Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2009), page Ibid., page A survey of the activities of the Holy Spirit: John 6:63 gives eternal life to all who believe John 14:16 helps and assists with every need John 14:26 teaches us the word of God John 16:8 convicts and exposes sin John 16:13 guides us toward the will of God John 16:15 reveals all that God would have us know Acts 1:8 empowers us to fulfill God s evangelistic mission Romans 8:14 leads us to walk with God Romans 8:16 bears witness and validates our salvation Romans 8:23 redeems us from corruption and slavery Romans 8:26 intercedes for us when our praying is weak Romans 8:27 searches and probes our hearts Romans 15:16 sanctifies, sets us apart for the work of God 1 Corinthians 3:16 indwells us with the presence of God Himself 1 Corinthians 12:4 gives gifts for ministry 1 Corinthians 12:13 baptizes us into one united body of believers 2 Corinthians 1:22 seals us permanently as children of God 2 Corinthians 3:17 liberates us to experience the fullness of God Galatians 5:16 shields us from succumbing to sinful desires Galatians 5:22 bears the fruit of Christ-like character Ephesians 2:18 gains access to God Ephesians 4:23 renews our minds with a godly perspective Ephesians 5:18 fills us with a desire and power to live for God Ephesians 6:17 equips us to withstand spiritual attack Titus 3:5 regenerates us by causing us to be born again 2 Peter 1:21 inspires the Word of God 4 NIV and KJV respectively. 5 One of the most prominent ways the Holy Spirit helps is through prayer. Romans 8:26 says, The Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. He helps us pray when we do not know how to pray. 6 Bin Laden said, The young men rose up for holy war and destroyed a (ship) of injustice. [CNN.com, Bin Laden Praises USS Cole Bombers, March 1, 2001.] 7 The United States Navy, News Special, USS Cole (DDG 7) Returns to the Fleet, April 19, William Barclay, The Gospel of John, Volume 2, The Daily Study Bible Series (Philadelphia, PA: The Westminster Press, 1975), page See John 16:7. 10 See also 1 Corinthians 6: See Romans 6:3-4, 1 Corinthians 12: See Charles Stanley, The Wonderful Spirit-filled Life (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1992), pages See J. I. Packer, Keep In Step with the Spirit (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1984, 2005), page See Acts 8: See Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1994), Chapter 39, Baptism in and Filling with the Holy Spirit, pages See Matthew 15: See the Canary Islands tragedy is still the worst air disaster in aviation history. See also Sermon Illustrations, Steering Through the Moral Fog. 7