Underrated: The Holy Spirit
Introduction:
·
Who here has ever heard the name Bernie Federko?
[Not surprised] Federko was a hockey player, who played for my
favorite team, the St. Louis Blues. Federko had a pretty successful
career. He played in exactly 1,000 games, during which he scored
369 goals and 761 assists, for a total of 1,130 career points.
Because of his solid career, Federko was inducted into the Hockey
Hall of Fame in 2002. Federko was one of the best hockey players in
the 1980’s and yet many people have never ever heard of him. Why?
·
It may be due to another player who played during the
1980’s. Who here has ever heard the name Wayne Gretzky? [A few]
Gretzky is the greatest hockey player who ever lived. He played in
1,487 games, during which he scored a National Hockey League
record: 894 goals and 1,963 assists, for a total of 2,857 career
points. Gretzky still holds over 60 NHL records, won 9 MVP awards,
and won 4 Stanley Cup Championships.
·
As we see, Gretzky’s incredible accomplishments over
shadowed Federko’s still-solid career. The comparison between these
two players reminds me of a similar comparison we can make in the
Bible. We as Christians and even the average person, have at least
a working knowledge of who God is, and who Jesus is. But these two
seem to over shadow the Holy Spirit, who Himself plays a very vital
role in salvation. The Holy Spirit is vastly underrated. So right
now, we will examine ten facts about the Holy Spirit, so that we can
get to know Him better.
Facts about the Holy Spirit
1.
The Holy Spirit is a He.
He is not an “it,” not something, not just a feeling. When people
think of ghosts, of spirits, they tend to call them “its” because
they come off as mysterious and uncertain. Unfortunately, the Holy
Spirit is many times unfairly put into this category. But He is a
He, a real living being. John 16:7 “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.” NKJV He is referred to as He [capitalized
to show His deity and authority]. He also goes by many names
and terms, like Helper [as we just saw in Verse 7], Comforter, Holy
Ghost, Spirit of God, Spirit of Truth, etc. There are a total of 52
names. He is real; He is powerful; He is true.
2.
The Holy Spirit is equal to God and Christ.
I John 5:5-8 “Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who
believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is He who came by water
and blood – Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and
blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit
is truth. For there are three that bear witness in heaven: The
Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And
there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water,
and the blood; and these three agree as one.” NKJV Three that
testify and are in agreement: The Father, the Son, the Holy
Spirit. They are equal; they are together; they are on the “same
page and they never ever can contradict. Remember the God head:
Father, Spirit, and Son. Three in one.
3.
The Holy Spirit is eternal.
Genesis 1:1-2 “In the beginning God created the heavens and
the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was
on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over
the face of the waters.” NKJV We see that the Holy Spirit was
there at the very beginning of Creation and He’s always been
around. He is mentioned 88 times in the Old Testament and 264 times
in the New Testament. Hebrews 9:13-14 “For if the blood
of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the
unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more
shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered
Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works
to serve the living God? NKJV “Eternal Spirit” It is clear to
see that the Holy Spirit is indeed eternal.
4.
The Holy Spirit is omniscient [all knowing].
I Corinthians 2:11 “For what man knows the things of a man
except the Spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows
the things of God except the Spirit of God.” NKJV Just like
God, the Holy Spirit is all-knowing.
5.
The Holy Spirit is loving.
Romans 15:30 “Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus
Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together
with me in prayers to God for me,” NKJV
He is indeed a loving being, and He certainly loves
us.
6.
The Holy Spirit can experience bad things.
Let us look at three examples.
·
He can be grieved. Ephesians 4:25-32
“Therefore, putting away lying, Let each one of you speak truth with
his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry, and do
not sin; do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to
the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him
labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have
something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out
of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it
may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit
of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all
bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from
you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted,
forgiving, one another, even a God in Christ forgave you.” NKJV
·
He can be insulted. Hebrews 10:26-31 “For
if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the
truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain
fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will
devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies
without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how
much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who
has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the
covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the
Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I
will repay’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His
people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living
God.” NKJV
·
He can be blasphemed. Matthew 12:31-32
“Therefore I say to you every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven
men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven
him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be
forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.” NKJV
7.
The Holy Spirit helped guide the apostles and helped
to show that the Gospel is legitimate.
John 16:13-15 “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has
come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His
own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell
you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is
Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are
Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to
you.” NKJV Jesus told the apostles that the Holy Spirit would
give them guidance. He certainly did! Acts 2:1-4 “When
the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord
in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a
rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were
sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire,
and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the
Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit
gave them utterance.” NKJV This is where it started. The Holy
Spirit caused them to speak in other languages. People who saw
these uneducated men speaking other languages were astounded and
amazed and many knew the Gospel was real and true. The Holy Spirit
continued to guide the apostles throughout the New Testament.
He intercedes. Romans 16:26-27 “but now made manifest,
and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according
to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the
faith – to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever.
Amen.” NKJV
8.
The Holy Spirit convicts.
John 16:7-11 “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; of sin, because they do not believe
in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no
more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” NKJV
He convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He makes people
aware of these things, aware of the wrongs and the rights.
9.
The Holy Spirit unites Christians.
I Corinthians 12:12-13 “For as the body is one and has
many members, but all the members of that one body, being many are
one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized
into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free – and
have all been made to drink into one Spirit.” NKJV
We all have different and diverse pasts. But
wherever we come from, the Holy Spirit unites us into one body, one
faith, one church.
John 3:5 “Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I
say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot
enter the kingdom of God.’ ” NKJV We must keep in mind that,
unless we are baptized, the Holy Spirit cannot and will not unite us
into the church. We have to want it for ourselves. We have to do
it!
10.
The Holy Spirit abides in those who believe. I
Corinthians 3:16-17 “Do you not know that you are the temple
of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles
the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is
holy, which temple you are.” NKJV We make up the “temple of
God,” the church. The Holy Spirit dwells in each of us and
therefore, dwells in all the church! I Corinthians 6:17-20
“But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee
sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body;,
but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or
do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who
is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For
you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God to your body and
in your spirit, which are God’s.” NKJV We need to flee sin and
immorality because our bodies are truly the temple of the Holy
Spirit, who is indeed in us. If we defile ourselves, then we defile
the temple and the Holy Spirit.
Invitation:
There is a bonus fact about the Holy Spirit.
Revelation 22:17 “And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’
And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come.
Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” NKJV
The Holy Spirit is always welcoming.
He wants you to be redeemed from your sins, to be baptized, and
cleansed from your iniquities. Does He abide in you right now? If
not, please come now.
Zane Berner, Guest Speaker
March 13, 2016
The
church of Christ
