The Holy Spirit - The Holy Spirit: He's More than "The Force", Part 1

Are you struggling with a difficult relationship. Tough decision hard work situation. Are you confused about how to handle it or what to do next to Dale share with you how you can get a crystal-clear vision for decisions in your life. Stay with today. Welcome to this Tuesday edition of Living on the Edge with shipping Living on the Edges of international discipleship ministry featuring the Bible teaching of ship nature kicks off a series called the Holy Spirit experiencing his power and presence 24 seven over the next couple of weeks will take it up close and personal Holy Spirit is what his role is in our life.

You have to miss a portion of today's broadcast. We suggest that you download the chip and remap in here Living on the Edge whenever you want. Now with today's talk.

Here's chip. What did Jesus teach about the Holy Spirit. He said he was. How does it really work. There's a context. Jesus makes a promise is a rationale there's a command if you will turn to John chapter 14 and as you go there.

Let me give you the context context is this there is a handful of people. 11.

In particular, in probably another hundred and nine at least that are scared to death the night before his crucifixion, and he's been telling him all kind of weird stuff he just wash their feet. He took up a symbol and an event that they've known since they were little boys called the Passover and he began to tell them things that he's been telling them over and over and over about on the Passover lamb and I'm gonna die command and rise from the dead and they could.

They really didn't have a clue what that whole thing was about and and they're starting to get the idea that this Messiah, this champion was knocking to take over Rome.

They were in a sit on thrones, and they were going to sort of take over the whole political system and all of a sudden they're seeing that where he's going and what's happening is not all of their expectations are and they're afraid. And so after he washes their feet. John chapter 14 wants to reassure him. He says do not let your heart be troubled, trusting God trust also in me and he starts to give them some hope in my father's house there is many rooms.

If it weren't so, I was told you I am going there to prepare a place for you if I go and prepare a place for you. Come back and I'll take you to be with me that you may be there with me. Also, you know the way to the place where I'm going and then I love people like Thomas is collecting interrupts this little sees the Lord these other guys may get it but I really don't Thomas the Lord we don't know where you're going, so how can we know the way. In a passage, we often quote and I believe he looked them dead in the eye and you notice is a definite article before each one and he says to them.

I am the way, I am the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. If you skip down to verse 18.

He makes this promise because they're very afraid, and he says I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you and then if you backup just a little bit. He's going to give them a promise not think about the sometimes we so get this into Bible stories and another day and another time, imagine yourself following and sacrificing and believing he's real you seen the miracles and you actually been eyewitness of people coming back from the dead, and you were one of the people he gave you parts of the bread and parts deficient. And you are aware that he is God incarnate, but you can't quite get your arms around the story and is telling you that is going to leave and you're afraid and you just wonder how this will fit together. They didn't have what we have.

They couldn't look back.

They were looking forward. And then he says look I will leave you as orphans.

I'm not going to abandon you in the notices promise. Look at verse 16 of chapter 14 and he says I will ask the father and he will give you another counselor to be with you forever.

And then he describes his counselor comforter.

This Paraclete, it's the spirit of truth.

The world cannot accept it because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and notice this promise and will be in you.

He says he'll give you another and in Greek, there's a couple keywords for another one is Hector has had a Ross we get the word like heterosexual means someone of a different kind. This word is one of the same kind there's someone who will be called to do life alongside you, he will not just be with you as he has in the past. Here's the promise he will be in you. He's going to dwell in you. He's promising them that the spirit of God. He's describing the new covenant and some of their minds are going what Ezekiel versus having these was the promise. Could this be he's telling them that a new day is arriving. He's gonna leave in the spirit of the living God is actually going to indwell inside of them. Jesus goes on.

Verse 23.

If anyone loves me, he will be my teaching, my father will love him and we will come to him. Notice the plural. Now the father and the son we will come to him and make our home more literally our abode our dwelling place. We, the father and the son will come to those who are followers who demonstrate their love through obedience. We will come and we will dwell with or make our home with them. If you does not love me will not obey my teachings.

These words you hear are not my own. They belong to the father who sent me all this, I've spoken to you while still with you, but the counselor, the advocate, the guide, the Holy Spirit, the friend, whom the father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything that I have said he saying that the spirit of the living God. The third person of the tri-unity is going to come and take up residence inside a human body and everything that I ever taught you review and manifest the very presence of Jesus and the resurrected power of Jesus of the father. Did you notice the Trinity come through here. The father will send the father and I will dwell the spirit will actually take up residence in a human body and his abode will be with you and inside you and then he talks about how it's relational. Those who love me will obey me. Those who follow my teaching those who the conduit of your heart and life's promises. I'll be in you, not just with you is rationale is basically that what I'm about to do is better than staying turn in your Bibles if you will, just a couple chapters, he gives the great illustration about the spirit and the relationship with the father and the son of chapter 15 and I am the vine and Mike father's the vine dresser and he gives this picture of abiding that they clearly understood what he teaches them early on.

It's not about performance.

What he teaches him early on, it's about relationships. What he teaches him early on is it's the life-giving spirit brings transformation and your only real job is just to stay connected to the father in the name of the son by the power the Holy Spirit and when you're in relational connection that has to do with yes renewing your mind and obedience in the community of God's people, but that relational connection. The spirit of God will produce the fruit supernaturally and the fruit will be what he's like and after using that picture. In John 15 that hears his rationale is that I tell you the truth it's for your good or for your advantage that I'm going away unless I go away, the counselor will not come to you, but if I go away. I will send him to you. John 16 verse seven skipping down to verse 12 he says I have much more to say to you more than you can bear. Now but notice the promise, but when he, the spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all 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. He will bring glory to me by taking what is mine and making it known to you all that belongs to the father is mine and that is why I said the spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. Did you see what he say someone's gonna take up residence inside of you disciples. He's going to take all the truth. Anything you've ever heard he's going to guide you right now. Peter, John, James, you got in on the Mount of Transfiguration that was pretty amazing was that you were with me when I raised curious his daughter from the dead and the member when he had a big question Peter and the other guys were over there and you came over and you talk to me. I work through some of those issues with you. Why was talk with you, James and John can talk with me. I want you know it's better because you, James, John and every believer will have access to me 24 seven unlimited I will be there counselor. I will be the truth.

I will reveal the truth of God from his word. I will speak to them in their heart. I will be available. I will live, not just on the earth.

I will live inside of you and all manifest the person the presence the power and the reality of the father and the son and the Holy Spirit inside of you on that. I'm not sure most Christians get that at all. I think most Christians you to ask and they think Holy Spirit is a lot like the force's controls force guide you there creative wonderful exciting movies and teachings in Buddhism for the last 30 some years and average Christian. I think things there some sort of neutral spiritual power or energy somehow working, somehow I don't know who years. I don't how it works.

Don't know what it is and some people say a lot about them and some people don't say much about it other people just don't afraid of it as they say, when I listen to Christians talk with the Holy Spirit.

Often, your will get it to. He is a person, Jesus told his early disciples in the midst of their fear and uncertainty that it is better for him to go because they would have access to God relationship with God and intimacy with himself like no one ever ever before, and we are of that clan New Testament saints story goes on Max. He gives him a command makes this promise, but this isn't like well you for those of you that are second milers and really want to experience. Got an amazing wife noticed the command acts chapter 1. If you want to turn your Bibles.

There you may know the story already. I'll pick it up in verse four it says on one occasion while he was eating with them he gave them this command. Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift notice speak in the Holy Spirit. The father promise what you've heard me speak about.

For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit by the were the literal meaning of the word baptism means to dip the metaphorical meaning has to do primarily with being identified with it does certainly have to do with water and we are baptized at this picture but dying with Christ being raised with him but but the meaning of the word to baptize primarily needs to be identified with connected with a new identity. That's why when a couple. The disciples got their mother to see if they can get you know and the places of physician. Jesus turned them said can you be baptized with the baptism that I will baptize with speaking of his death, and they said yes what he was saying is, can you identify with me. I'm going to the cross and if you want to follow me. You have to go to the cross with me and now he saying John baptized with water, it was a baptism of repentance.

It was an external thing was in people understood they were far from God may turn from their sin and they found a Savior but I say what I'm to baptize with the spirit, and that is going to describe and tell them what that means.

Verse six so when they met together, they ask him, Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel.

He said to them is not for you to know the time of the dates the father set by his own authority.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth, not about you, but I didn't grow up reading the Bible. In fact, I didn't go to church, that even taught the Bible. I never open till I was 18, but even as a growing Christian I started to grow spiritually and it's not the first time ever heard people talk with the Holy Spirit, or acts, but how many of you when if you were sitting in the room and Jesus said I'm going to baptize you with the Holy Spirit was you said all so you're going to restore the kingdom. See these guys were not just a bunch of blue-collar workers.

They knew the Old Testament open your Bible want to see something open it to easy kill chapter 36 Ezekiel chapter 36 what I want you to get is Jesus is beginning to put the pieces together of all the promises of all God was going to do in the Old Testament economy and when he began to talk about. I'm going to leave the spirits coming. He won't be just with you. They understood the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament and that economy they understood that there were times of power and people were chosen and there was a David or there was a Saul and the spirit was given at times.

The spirit was taken away booze for a special service and it would be for a king or for profit or someone that a special special calling it allows people to have access and power, and hear God's voice and get direction, but Ezekiel at a time when Israel had was far, far from God. After talking about judgment judgment judgment was giving them hope. In verse 24 of chapter 36 he says, speaking to Israel for I will take you out of the nations because he says I promise because of your idols. I'll spread you around the earth. I'll gather you back from all the countries and bring you back into your own land and listen to this I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurity and cleanse you from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh, and I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

That's why they said when he said I'm gonna baptize you with the spirit that the lights went on, so you can restore the kingdom.

It's all gonna come together.

Jesus said guys at the good theological question, but when I restore the kingdom and the issue.

The issue is you responding to what I'm telling you you're going to receive power.

God's expectation of every believer who is a follower legitimately of him is that you possess power in the moment you receive Christ. You will receive power and you will be his martyrs. That's the Greek word, you'll be his witnesses. It's not you can be a good one or a bad one that you are one. The spirit of the living God lives inside of every single believer and so I just want to say this out loud, and you may know this theologically, but my challenge will be for you to let it sink from your head to your heart and then let it soak in the promise of the Holy Spirit is that all believers would receive the indwelling presence and resurrection power of the glorified Christ within us forever think that think that you've got a big problem.

You've got a financial need. You've got an addiction. You got a struggle in your marriage. You got a problem with 20 or kids. How many of us believe more than just at the intellectual level that the power that raised Christ from the dead, and the indwelling Christ actually on this moment dwells inside of you, so you need wisdom.

What's a good counselor do with the lives inside of you who give you wisdom you need power and strength you need the will to do what's hard to do. It's available right now. If you're a follower of Jesus. If you turn from your sin received him by faith in the spirit of God is come into your life. You have all the spirit you ever get. He doesn't come in installments.

What were to learn is that he can get a lot more view and has he gets more view and as you understand how sort to open up the conduit of your heart and your life will talk about exactly how you can access that power in ways that most Christians honestly are and it's not like trying hard to get Joy a byproduct of this relationship is love and joy and peace and patience and goodness and kindness and gentleness and self-control. It just gets produced as a byproduct is not a byproduct of trying to be loving and trying to be joyful. Certainly there's a responsibility on our part will talk about that. But before we go on I want you to get Jesus lives inside of you. The father and the son in the person of the Holy Spirit dwells inside every single believer and he longs to whisper in your ear, and he longs to comfort you and he longs to comfort you in ways that are beyond what any person or any book or any pastor or any counselor or anyone.

No one understands you like him. No one feels your pain like a lot of times we have decided there's this invisible energy or force over there somewhere, somehow, the spirit did that someday some ways we don't live that reality will be back in some additional thoughts about his message today, but if you're just joining us, you're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram the message you just heard is from chip series called the Holy Spirit experiencing is power and presence 24 seven.

This four-part series takes the mystery out of who the Holy Spirit is and how he works in our lives.

Chip explains that the same power that raised Christ from the dead is the same power within every believer to the life of the Holy Spirit. Chip brings a fresh balanced perspective to the sometimes controversial subject and reminds us of the comforting peace.

The Holy Spirit can provide. Regardless of our circumstances, the Holy Spirit, experiencing his power and presence 24 seven is available for a limited time or special on-air discount price for complete details call us at 1-888-333-6003 or check it out online at http://livingontheedge.org will chip as we begin the series on the Holy Spirit today of what you think this topic is so important and then second what we can learn over the next several broadcasts together first and foremost I taught on this because there's a lot of ignorance in the church. A lot of people really don't understand the Holy Spirit is a part of the Godhead. Jesus said that when he left that he would send the Paraclete or the Holy Spirit. Another counselor in the word. For another, there is another like me at the Holy Spirit's job and we talk about Jesus in our heart or we talk about experiencing God's power were experiencing God's presence. This entire series is the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and the doctrine don't make that some big theological word is what the Bible actually teaches about the spirit of God living inside of you. And what I've discovered is a lot of people don't understand about his presence power in the Christian life, spiritual gifts, and so that's why I taught it, and at times it's become a point of controversy because people really don't know what the Bible says so.

We come from different traditions. So what we wanted to do is say what do we know for sure. The Bible actually says about the Holy Spirit.

So it's got to be a great journey for many people I'm going to go a little bit fast. I'm covering a very big topic. I have very thick books in my library that have hundreds if not thousands of pages and working to do this in about 45 messages are about eight or nine you know programs and so on the Internet there's some message notes that if people would go to the Internet LivingontheEdge.org download those for free and follow along, it would greatly increase their ability to really get the most out of the series which are by no many people enjoy those message notes and I know we give them away free along with a lot of other resources on our website. So how can we afford to create resources that we just give away were a ministry and what ministries do is you serve people. So we have a team of people that give generously. Some of them every single month and we use that money to create all kinds of resources so we can provide things free for people that can afford it and so I would just very grateful for our partners who allow us to offer things like this free or at reduced prices so we can help the most people become Christians that really live like Christians, but strip and thank you to those of you who give regularly and provide the financial means for us to offer free and deeply discounted resources.

One of those resources is our current series. The Holy Spirit experiencing is power and presence 24 seven it's discounted now for as long as it's only here for complete information about the series and other special offers, visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or if you prefer. Just give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 to order your copy of the Holy Spirit experiencing his power and presence 24 seven well with some final thoughts from today's talk.

Here's our teacher. Chip Ingram as we close today's program.

I want to remind you that you are not trying hard to live a good moral life with some vague super natural power. Like the force but the fact is, there is a person living inside of you and the person is the person of the Holy Spirit.

He's an actual person with thoughts and and feelings, and he literally is the very person and presence and power in the reality of Jesus, who is taken up personal residence inside your body.

As I taught this so I'll never forget. It was very recently and I was asking some people so what did God say to you I mean you know we were sitting around after the teaching times and I said you give me some feedback on where did you really sensed God speak and there was a lady who just tilted her head around. Never forget it. She said you know something I've been a Christian for 20 years and I don't know. It's not like I've never heard this before, but a light came on and she said I realized some one that lives inside of me instead of something she said.

I've always thought of the Holy Spirit. I mean honestly likened it like some sort of power, but it vague and she said when I began to think of a counselor at someone who would guide me someone that would really direct my steps who would who would whisper in my ear and say, oh, don't go down that path. That's a bad path or someone who would encourage me. She said, as I've been reading my Bible the rest of this week during this teaching time she visits kind of revolutionized my relationship with Jesus and I don't know where your ad, but I think a lot of us very unconsciously begin to think that the Holy Spirit is in it and I want to remind you there is a sensitive kind, loving, all-powerful counselor who wants to do life with you. And if you're a follower of Christ. He lives inside of you and could I ask you just a step back today and pray a very simple prayer O Holy Spirit, the very living presence of the triune God inside of me would you make yourself real to me, would you help me listen to you think of that when you make yourself real to me and will you help me listen to you and then get ready because he'll speak it will great way to stay engaged and connected to chip and Living on the Edge is with the Chip Ingram map will get free access to all of Chip's recent messages is message notes and much more. Not only that, but it couldn't be easier to order resources or call or email us directly from the app download the Chip Ingram map when you go to Google play or the app store will next time she will continue her series the Holy Spirit experiencing his power and presence 24 seven so be sure to make plans to join us that courtship and the entire team. This is Dave saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge