Who Is the Holy Spirit? - Part A

Ever wish you could just know the thoughts of God know what God's thinking. Know what's going on up there in heaven well according to Scripture you can to a certain extent through the Holy Spirit. We have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us we can to a certain extent the thoughts of God the Holy Spirit knows the thoughts of God's Spirit seems mysterious to a lot of people today don't connect with scripts and explains what the Bible itself has to say about the Holy Spirit matters to you now want to tell you about a resource that will encourage you to boldly live out your faith so you can make a difference for Christ is normal basic human instinct which you believe the children three years old already want to follow the crowd and fit in with the group of researchers counted at Duke University study Bible we learn that the most impact themselves by defining normal fears.

Skip, I think.

I think the Bible calls us to a holy defiance of the status quo.

Paul the apostle said, do not be conformed to this world but be trans by the renewing of your mind, so to go from transform, find out*it's not defined normal thanks to you when you get $35 or more to help expand his ministry today for direct line copies of these bold resources copies hundred 9288 or give online securely connect with get.com/author John chapter 16 as we join Nate Heights reported a study there's no better place to start study of the doctrine of the fundamentals of Christian with God himself is, after all, theology is the study of God according to Scripture, there is a single God who manifests himself in three distinct personalities. The Trinity we've been discussing for the past several weeks in the series as we continue in 2020, who God is and we looked at in depth the father and the son, and now were looking at the mysterious and often misunderstood member of the holy Trinity, and that is the Holy Spirit. I find the Holy Spirit is so misunderstood he so misrepresented. We have so many weird and false ideas about who the Holy Spirit is what his role is. So today were to be looking at the person of the Holy Spirit, not looking so much at the gifts of the spirit or the power of the spirit is usually when you hear somebody's in the do a message on the Holy Spirit you think are to be talking about miracles and speaking in tongues and in the power of the spirit. But today were looking at the person of the spear that is to say who is he who is the Holy Spirit, what are his attributes. What is his character like what is his role what is his job within the Trinity were to be discussing that this morning for our message. Who is the Holy Spirit in the first point that we see is the person of the Holy Spirit know some people have wrongly thought that the spirit is more than it rather than a him right when you think of the Holy Spirit. We tend to get really mystical about it like it's this weird energy. Or perhaps we think of like the apostles at Pentecost that it's fired it's disclaimed. It's kind of floats above you or we we conjure up these ideas about this. This power, like a bike. The force in Star Wars or something.

That's what we tend to think of the Holy Spirit as and that's probably due in part because of the descriptions of him in Scripture as being like the wind, the fire or coming on Jesus in the form of a dove, but I want to challenge you because that also has to be balanced with how Jesus refers to himself. Jesus refers to himself as the bread of life he refers to himself as the door. The good Shepherd in the same way God the father is referred to as a refuge is referred to as one who will protect us under his wings is also referred to as a consuming fire. So does this mean that Jesus is a loaf of bread, no. Does this mean that Jesus is the literal door.

Does this mean that God the father is a pile of rocks or a giant blast furnace or some kind of giant bird floating in the sky.

Of course not in the same way.

This doesn't mean that the Holy Spirit is some kind of a force or a power I told you to turn to John chapter 16 if you look at verses seven through eight with me if you don't have a Bible to be on the back screen behind me says that starting in verse seven 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. And when he has come, he will convict the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. Look at verse eight.

Again, it says when he is come, he will convict, not when it has come or when the power has come. But it's a definite person with a personality when he has come, he will convict you know, sometimes certain things in our lives seem to have a mind of their own domain like there so maybe appliances you have in your house, the elect has a mind of its own. It doesn't do what I wanted to do my washer never does what I wanted to do just does what it wants to be my toaster oven my car. My truck is got a mind of its own, especially in our day and age, with computers, computer seem to get smarter and smarter every single day right and now they can have a mind of their own. You can even talk to them and they have names Siri and Alexis and sometimes they talk you even when you didn't want to talk to them, they just hear your conversations and start talking to you and giving you random facts. You didn't even know you wanted, but that doesn't mean they're a person right Siri, Alexis, not a person.

It doesn't have a personality for a being to be considered a person he or she has to possess certain characteristics and there's three important ones that I believe really define what a person is number one. You have to have intelligence number two is will you have to have the ability to make decisions on your own.

And third is a motion all three of these are required if personality is to exist without human beings. You and I we possess all three of these attributes.

Therefore, we can be considered persons with personality, but trees, plants, rocks, cars, and yes even Syria don't care how funny her jokes are do not possess those three attributes, and so therefore they cannot be considered persons. Let's examine each one of these, and we look at the person of the Holy Spirit to see how the Holy Spirit possesses these attributes number one. The Holy Spirit has intelligence first Corinthians chapter 2 verses 10 to be on the back screen here says this but God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God for who among men knows the thoughts of man except the man spirit within him in the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. This really conveys that the spirit has intelligence. He knows things not only does he know things he knows the thoughts of God, and you wish you could just know the thoughts of God know what God's thinking. Know what's going on up there in heaven well according to Scripture you can to a certain extent through the Holy Spirit. We have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us we can to a certain extent know the thoughts of God because the Holy Spirit knows the thoughts of God. Only a person with intelligence can know things of fire doesn't know things a plant or a tree doesn't know things of the Holy Spirit knows things number two. The Holy Spirit has a will. Speaking of the gifts of the spirit. Paul says in first Corinthians chapter 12 verse 11 that the Holy Spirit distributes each one individually as he wills. That is to say the decision on what gifts you been given that decision is made by the Holy Spirit will get to pick and choose what gifts we have right we'll get to say it all.

Take miracles because that sounds really great nothing.

They make a great practice as a doctor but does heal people, all take that one. But words of wisdom. Not only that one know the Holy Spirit decides with his will. He dictates which gives each person receives also in acts chapter 15 verse 28 the disciples answered a question of church doctrine by saying it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us, and I find that God often works in this way as he reveals truth, he often does so as he speaks to us and then we can then speak and share to others. See God has the power that if he wanted to he could individually teach every single person exactly what they wanted instantly to just talk to you and tell you exactly what he wants to tell you but he doesn't do that. Rather, God has chosen to use us to work in and through us to be part of his tools and vessels in accomplishing his plan were to get to that in a little bit as we look at the profession of the Holy Spirit and how he works and what he does in this world today showing his will. The Holy Spirit also set apart certain people for service acts chapter 13 verse two says will they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them, set them apart. He chose them specifically for the task that he had just a note, as were on that. I believe that the Holy Spirit has chosen each and every one of us for a task. This is part of the reason why he chooses what gifts he gives to some and not to others because he gives us the gifts that we need to accomplish the task for which he is called out to. I would challenge you. Do you know what God is called you to do you know what the Holy Spirit has called you to do.

You know the gift means that the Holy Spirit has given to you. I find the best way to tell what you're called to us to start with your gifting's because I could say all day that I'm called to do something, but I am not gifted to do it that I'm probably not called to. So I challenge you learn the gifts that the Holy Spirit has given you. Matt mention life tracking. One of the things we do in life track as we take a spiritual gifts assessment so you can discover what gifts the Holy Spirit has naturally given you.

You can learn how to hone those gifts and then you can begin to find out discover specifically what God has called you to. With in his kingdom, but it's so important that we learn what the Holy Spirit is called us to third and finally the last in the dictates of motion of this one might surprise you.

The Holy Spirit has a motion he has a motion there's things that make him sad. There's things that make him angry.

There's things that make him joyful. He has a motion in the Bible there certain offenses against the Holy Spirit that are mentioned in the New Testament the Holy Spirit can be grieved, the Holy Spirit can be quenched. The Holy Spirit can be resisted. He can be blasphemed in the Holy Spirit can even be lied to in the story of Ananias and Sapphire up, we find that their sin was lying to the spirit.

Some of these sins apply specifically to unbelievers and others apply specifically to believers and for some there might be a little overlapping.

Either way, one of the sins that a believer can commit against the Holy Spirit which shows his emotion is grieving him to agree means to make sad or sorrowful. We read in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 30 to 31 exactly what it is that makes God sad. It says and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Judges ask us to look a little introspectively for a second in in this very divided season that were in in this current state of the United States of America.

Judges ask you personally for the church. If the Holy Spirit might be grieved because of the way they were treating her brothers and sisters in Christ.

The time if the Holy Spirit were to look at your social media comment sections and some of the things that you're saying are believers are saying to one another. Do you think you'd be grieved because of the bitterness. The rage that anger the brawling the slander the malice that exists in this world today and armor as a kid when I would do something wrong. Often times, most times out you discipline for when I was younger I did a spanking as I got older I'd be grounded. I have things taken away but I remember a few times when I did something so bad when I did something that was so deserving of punishment armor. My dad would come into the room only a couple times I can remember, and he would look at me and he would pause for a second he would say I just want you to know that you broke my heart. You made me sad. You hurt me and that was the worst thing you could ever hear was in it. In that moment you like. Just hit me, spank me take my car away ground me to do something because I want to feel the physical pain for the thing that I've done I don't want to know that I've hurt you in the same. If that's true with God. I wonder how hurt.

God is at times just looking at the state of the church today looking at the divisiveness and the bitterness. I wonder how that grieves the spirit of God. When we allow bitterness to poison our lives are slander others. We are grieving the Holy Spirit.

The second thing we see about the Holy Spirit seeing the person of the Holy Spirit malice look and examine the profession of the Holy Spirit.

That is to say what is the job of the Holy Spirit in this day and age.

What is he doing here on earth. One of the aspects of the Holy Spirit is that he has a job which is keeping a lid on things. His job is to keep a lid on the things that are ultimately going to happen and erupt within our society. Second Thessalonians chapter 2 verse seven says for the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way or is the NIV says but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so until he is taken out of the way and then the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming. Part of the profession of the Holy Spirit is to keep the wholesales spread of destruction and evil within the world and if you're like me, you might look around in society today and say I'm not sure he's doing that great of a job like we be honest it's okay to doubt God sometimes only read certain scriptures were like man. If this is keeping a lid on things. I don't want to know what it's like when the lid is off and that's exactly the point. My challenge to you is if this is keeping a lid on things.

Can you imagine what the world is gonna look like when the Holy Spirit removes himself when he allows the fullness of sin, destruction, lust, greed, anger, violence to erupt upon this world can you imagine what that will look like if this is what this looks like right now it's terrifying is to think about what will ultimately become of the world. The work of the Holy Spirit through the church is a restraining force in the world today were to talk about this. The primary way that the Holy Spirit restrains the forces of darkness and evil within this world is through the church. It is through us being salt and light. It is through us being and Weldon filled with the Holy Spirit standing against evil standing against what is wrong standing against what is untrue.

We are a preservative nature within this world through the power of the Holy Spirit. Now, as we look at the world today. In 2020. Just this year. It's crazy to think about what is happened we see senseless violence and disregard for human life that is truly unprecedented and terrifying.

Just this year in 2020. We saw the murder of George Floyd and so many others in the ensuing polarization and violence that broke out because of it. We saw a blast in Beirut Lebanon that took many people's lives and displaced even many more we hear of terrorism.

Continuing in places like Israel, we saw how fragile our own cities were when riots broke out within our streets and out of all of that we have the legalized murder of 125,000 babies every single day and some even want to extend that timeline all the way to the very moment of birth know these are not inanimate objects. These are babies that cry babies that move babies that feel pain babies that have souls and plans and purposes for their lives. They have been given to them by their Creator. And that doesn't even begin to discuss the natural disasters were seen today when we look around again in 2020. We have a pandemic that's running rampant through the world. We have wildfires and earthquakes.

We have hurricanes we literally have birds falling out of the sky. We have locust swarms. I'm not reading the plagues of Exodus to you. This happen this year. In 2020, all of that happened this year.

I have some good news and I have some bad news. First the bad news it's gonna get worse. Gonna get worse.

You know I think it's good that we have hope. We talk a lot about hope and and every one of us always looks of the next year of next year's gotta be better, 20, 21 has got to be better than 2020. You know maybe maybe it well. We have ebbs and flows and I get a little bit better but understand this, ultimately it's just gonna get worse. Ultimately, everything is just trending downwards, not upwards ultimately, things are going to get that much better. And when the Holy Spirit finally removes himself. Things are really going to get bad things are really going to start this downward spiral as we read of life in this world in the book of Revelation we know that the worst days are ahead with the emergence of the antichrist and demonic powers running amok bad news.

Now the good news of Jesus Christ will come back for his church, Jesus Christ will come back for you and for me and not only that, he will remove us from this earth before the worst happens now that should cause you and me to look at the state of the world today and seen and this feels pretty bad. This feels like the worst that I've ever seen America.

This feels are the worst I've ever seen the world that should cause us to say if this isn't the worst and I can't imagine anybody that I know having to live through the worst that should cause us as Christians want to preach the gospel with such a fervency and a desire so as to not have to have anybody no matter how bad they are live through the worst and then ultimately after the worst beef punish and judge for their sin and spending eternity in hell. That should cause us as Christians to rise up and preach the gospel, recognizing that the gospel is the only thing that can change the world, that the love and the blood of Christ is the only thing that can purify sins and make people righteous. It should cause us to rise up as the church be filled with the Holy Spirit, be the salt and light in this world and realize that were not home but were headed there.

The Holy Spirit is the one restraining the complete outbreak of the mystery of lawlessness. He's holding the lid on this world boiling keg of violence and once he's removed and no longer restrains evil the power of darkness will take over.

I mentioned this before, but one of the ways the Holy Spirit does.

This is through you and me. Again, God has chosen to use us as his vessels to accomplish his will. So if the Holy Spirit's job on this earth is to keep things from boiling over in bitterness and anger and malice and discord means that one of the ways he has chosen to do that is through you and through me.

Jesus has told us as his children to act as both salt and light within this world salt in ancient times was a preservative that is to say God uses us to preserve what is righteous and true. He uses us to stand against what is unrighteous to stand against sin and he uses us as a preservative nature to stop the ultimate decay and spread of the disease of sin within this world. We are to be salt within this world.

He uses us to stand up and preserve what is right and true to stop the wholesale spread of evil within our culture, but is also called us to be like and to be light means that we are to let others know of our faith in Christ. Jesus said, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven were to be salt and light preserving stand against the evil stand against what is untrue, but also be light and love one another. The Bible says that we are to love God with all our heart, soul and mind. In the second commandment is like it and that is love your neighbor as yourself who is your neighbor everyone your neighbor. It is the people in this room, your neighbor is your physical neighbors at home, your neighbor is the person on Fox news or CNN you just can't stand hearing talk because it just grades you your neighbor is the president or the presidential candidate. You just can't imagine having to live under your neighbor as all of us in the first and greatest commandment is to love God and the second is to love your neighbor to be salt and light. How are we doing it loving our neighbor, that's me with the message from the series 2022. Skip to tell you about how you can keep encouraging messages like this 1 Coming Your Way as you help connect others to God's truths. Did you know that Christianity is all about redemption, God redeemed us.

He bought us out of slavery.

He took us from our sins, and he sent Jesus to pay for those sins on the cross. That's good news. We want to share that with as many people as possible and you can be a part of letting others know about this abounding love of God. Here's how you can give today to reach others with the gospel.

You can give online@connectwith.com/donate. That's connect with.com/donate or call 800-922-1880 800-922-1888. Thank you. Tune in tomorrow is Skip Sunday heights share some extra insight how the Holy Spirit works in your life. Once God is converting you once the Holy Spirit is converted you as a mark of a seal upon your life that again. As I said before, this is not your home you have an address somewhere else and until that day comes as a seal do not belong here