THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
#584 THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Scripture John 16:7-16 NIV Orig. Date 9/17/1972
Rewr. Dates 10/20/1974
Passage: 7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
The Disciples’ Grief Will Turn to Joy
16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
Keywords: Holy Spirit Fruits of the Spirit
Introduction
A pastor went calling one Monday morning, and came finally to the home of a member of the church. He knocked upon the door, and it was opened by the lady of the house in her cleaning clothes and with mop in hand. He recognized that it was an inconvenient time, and made excuses to leave.
The housewife graciously encouraged him to stay and visit. She said, “I have wanted to tell you how much your sermon yesterday helped me.”
The pastor, of course, was immediately interested. He replied, “I am glad to hear that. But tell me please what it was I said that helped you so much.”
The lady then said that she did not remember exactly what had been said, but that it had helped her.
The preacher then, with a little of his vanity showing said, “How can the message have possibly helped you if you cannot even remember what was said?”
The housewife then preached a sermon in few words to her pastor. She said, “Bro. Pastor, I don’t keep the water my clothes are washing in, but it sure does help while it is going through.”
The work of the Holy Spirit is to take the mundane as well as the ennobling events of our lives and to give them spiritual clarity and meaning.
I. The Holy Spirit is at Work in the World to Lift Up the Name of Jesus. John 16:13-14 “he (the Spirit) shall not speak of himself; . . . he shall glorify me.”
This is the most important function of the Holy Spirit for at least three reasons.
If we would truly honor and praise God, then we must honor Him through His Son. Luke 2:12-14 declares a sign to men, “You will find the baby . . . in a manger.” Then there came a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God and peace among men.
Luke 19:37-40 When Jesus entered Jerusalem the disciples began to shout their praise of God through what they had seen in Jesus. The Pharisees wanted Jesus to rebuke them. If they are quiet, the stones will cry out.
It is through the name of Jesus that people are being saved. Jesus is the deed of God. Jesus takes religion out of the ethereal and makes it personal. Jesus came and taught man the language which God speaks.
Acts 4:12 There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby ye must be saved.
The unity of mankind is served in exact measure as the Holy Spirit magnifies the work of Jesus.
The problems in Palestine are a case in point.
Arabs – Ishmael – Abraham
Jews – Isaac – Abraham
And let it be known that the burden of world peace is upon the Christian. If we say that we have what they need and must have, then our lives must show the glow of it.
All of the new and encouraging emphasis upon the Holy Spirit in the lives of followers of Jesus, teaches us that what unites us as Christians is far more important that what divides us.
II. The Holy Spirit is at Work in the World to Implant Truth. John 16:13, When the spirit of truth is come, he will guide you to all truth.
Man has returned to an agnostic dilemma in his pursuit of truth. Jesus said to Pilate “I am here to bring truth to the world.” Pilate said “What is truth?” And man today is saying “How can I be sure about anything?”
How can you be sure of anything that really matters? How can you be sure of air and sunshine and rain and breath and sight and hearing and love?
It is in the area of the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives that the ability to get the most out of every magnificent minute [rests].
But truth in the simple terms of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is none other than trust. Hebrews 6:12 “be . . . followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
In the book God’s Smuggler, the authors tell the story of Brother Andrew and a faith in God that knew no bounds. Chapter 6 is entitled “The Game of the Royal Way.” It tells how, as a young man, God provided his needs against near impossible odds: the expired visa and a shilling going to the gutter; the man from the mission; the postman and thirty shillings.
As there are those who trust to receive, there are also those who trust to share. In Bro. Andrew’s need there as a prayer group at a place where he was formerly employed. There are different kinds of needs in our lives. For some of us the need is to share.
III. The Scripture has Much More to Say About the Work of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit gives to men the gifts of God’s choosing.
Ephesians 4:11-12, Some of us have been given special ability as apostles; to others he has given the ability to be able to preach well; some have special ability in winning people to Christ; still others have a gift for caring for God’s people as a shepherd does his sheep, leading and teaching them in the ways of God. Why? To equip us to better serve Him.
I Corinthians 12:4, God gives us many kinds of special abilities, but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all.
(Go into this in greater depth next week.)
The Holy Spirit brings conviction to men. See John 16:8: KJ-reprove/LB-convince/NEB-confute/___-convict. 1) conviction of sin; 2) conviction of righteousness; 3) conviction of judgment.
The Holy Spirit is the Resource through whom we may know that we are children of God. Romans 8:16, The Spirit beareth witness with our spirit. 1 John 5:6, 10, 6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because
Spirit is the truth. . . . 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.
Closing
And time does not here permit us to [speak] of the fruits of the Spirit of God in our lives. Of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
But time does permit us to say that the Holy Spirit is the crowning gift of God to His people to enable us in following the example and the teaching of Christ. And like any other gift, we do not ask for it, we just receive it from the hand of a friend. What we ask for is wisdom and knowledge in using this gift as the Friend intended.