The Ministry of the Holy Spirit

Suffering the parents are going to suffer because that child now even at teenage is very much dependent on their parents do you know the heartache of that in the same way if a Christian remains an infant you will always be a burden to other Christians they have to constantly worry about you is this brother brother is his sister getting offended they’re constantly worried are they going to complain they’re constantly finding faults constantly complaining constantly needing to be spoonfed faith and you are wondering when they are going to grow up could you imagine a church that is filled with infant Christians could you imagine a church where the pastor is the only spiritually mature one every Sunday the pastor will have to be putting out fires dealing with new complaints new headaches and when the pastor gives messages he has to give infant level messages he cannot go deep into the word why because everyone listening is still an infant see listen to what Paul said I cannot talk to you as people who live by the spirit why because you live according to the world yes you accepted Jesus Christ yes you took baptism but you still live and act like the world your actions only point to yourself you are not being led by the spirit and you are not walking in the spirit and your lives are not pointing to Jesus see dear brothers and sisters dear children it is extremely important if you are seriously in any way want to have a connection with Jesus you have to be spiritually mature you have to put away your carnal nature your nature your complaints your judgments you’re arguing your quarreling your jealousy your envy and you have to grow into spiritual maturity how do you do that by becoming more and more consistent in Walking with the holy spirit before I talk about what it means to live by the spirit I think you have to understand what it means to understand the holy spirit’s role or Ministry do you guys have the picture of the White House up let’s put let’s put that up so we’re going to put a picture on the screen and I want you to look at that picture oh I see it over here look on this side over here you see this picture I gave it away I told you what the answer was but what is it kids this is the this is the White House can you describe it to me describe it give me a quality NAA it’s white anyone else it’s huge it’s got so many windows it’s got so many doors this is a very familiar picture to anyone that lives here and across the world you know what this picture is did you know that these lights are on throughout the night to highlight the beauty of the building and when you guys described it you didn’t say anything about the lights but the lights are what point to the house and that’s why we see this building illuminated but imagine you look at this picture and now all your attention is not on the building but on the light oh what kind of light is that what kind of bulb is that how much power do those lights produce if you focus on the light you’re going to miss the whole point of the building right see the work of the holy spirit is this way the Holy Spirit was sent as a light as a spotlight to point and reveal Jesus and Jesus was sent to this earth to reveal the father let’s look at what Jesus said about the ministry of the Holy Spirit John chapter 15 verse 26 John 15:26 I’m going to read it and you can put verses up on the screen now we can go off this the White House picture John 15:26 when the helper comes whom I send to you from the Father the spirit of Truth who proceeds from the father he will testify of me so children the Holy Spirit testifies of who me is who Jesus the Holy Spirit testifies eyes of Jesus John 16: 13-15 when he the spirit of Truth has come he will guide you in all truth he will give you in other words the full Revelation he will not speak on his own authority whatever he hears he will speak and he will tell you the things to come he will reveal to you the things that are coming he will glorify me because it is from me that he receives what he will make known to you all that belongs to me belongs to the father is mine that is why I said the spirit will receive from me and he will make it known to you according to Jesus being a spotlight like you saw the lights on the White House being a spotlight is the ministry of the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit testifies of Jesus the Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus so whenever you look in a church for the work of the Holy Spirit you need to look for one crucial sign is it Christ centered the Holy Spirit was sent to exalt Christ and glorify Christ in the minds and hearts of people see the Holy Spirit takes the truth right we said he’s the spirit of Truth the Holy Spirit takes the the truth of Jesus and makes it into an experience of Jesus he does not talk about himself we read there the Holy Spirit does not speak on his own authority he is not there to focus attention to himself he says look at Jesus look at the cross see the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin he is the one that convicts us of sin not to condemn us but to make us aware of sin in our life so that we know that we can be forgiven and cleansed when we look to the cross it is the holy spirit like we said last week that opens the Bible for us that opens the word so that we can understand it why is that so important so when you face Temptation when you go off to college when you go out into the work world you will face Temptation you will face situations of Anguish there will be days that you walk through the valley of the shadow of death there will be nights where your couch is going to be drenched with your tears and it is the holy spirit that reminds us that we have a high priest that could empathize with our emotions he feels our emotions Jesus Christ the high priest can empathize with us that is the work of the Holy Spirit pointing to who Jesus is and what Jesus did on the cross but the Holy Spirit also gives us spiritual gifts why to edify and build up the church the church of Christ the body of Christ the bride of Christ how do you tell if the a church is full of the holy spirit it’s the church that exalts Christ see there’s a lot of churches today all they do is focus on spiritual gifts come be healed come listen to prophecy come talk in tongues All Good Things dear children of God they’re all good things but when you look at these churches there’s no sign of Jesus in their worship they have no time to open the Bible and read the word understand the word and listen to what Jesus has to say to us they don’t have time for that they’re all about the spiritual gifts remember who the word is why do we take time for the word every Sunday John chapter 1 verse one in the beginning was the word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and then further down it says and that word came and dwelt with us in the flesh so who is the word Jesus so Jesus is the word so when we have when there’s a church that is hyperfocused on spiritual gifts but ignores teaching and understanding the depth of the word they have thrown Jesus out of the equation once again let me tell you the Holy Spirit does not draw attention to himself he points always to Christ now many of you are thinking this is so complicated it would have been easier if Jesus just stayed on Earth and didn’t have to go imagine if Jesus was still here on this Earth physically for you and me you can go talk to him you get to know him go grabb coffee with him take him with you to work to school you have Jesus physically wouldn’t that be easier it wouldn’t it be easier to have a relationship with a physical Jesus why do we need the Holy Spirit like a third wheel why do we need the holy spirit let me ask you this do you think you would have a better relationship with Jesus if you can physically see with physically see him and walk with him on this Earth do you think you would have a better relationship yes why who said yes why do you think you would have a better relationship John said listen to what Jesus said in the Gospel of John John 16 ver7 very familiar passage nevertheless I tell you the truth it is to your advantage that I go away if I do not go away the helper will not come to you but if I depart I will send him to you see imagine when Jesus is saying this it is good that I go away could you imagine the shock on the disciples face Jesus was their leader Jesus was the one that closely guided them they saw the Miracles that Jesus Jesus did Jesus is the one that counseled them strengthened them they saw him speak with authority they knew he was from God they knew he had power with their own eyes these disciples saw Jesus cast out demons heal the blind heal the sick heal the lame they left everything remember who the tax collector Fisher they left their profession they left their life to walk with the physical Jesus and now Jesus is telling them it is better that I go but what if Jesus had stayed let’s let’s look at that scenario for a second instead of leaving wouldn’t if Jesus had stayed here on this Earth the physical Jesus first of all there would be no Holy Spirit then because Jesus said I have to go for the Holy Spirit to come so if Jesus stayed on this Earth there is no holy spirit so if I want to receive something from Jesus who do I need to see Jesus I have to see physical Jesus which means I’m going to have to take a flight to Israel stand in a line of people to see Jesus and could you imagine how busy that place would be with everyone needing to see physical Jesus remember what Martha said Jesus if you were only here my brother would not have died what does that mean Jesus physically if you were physically here my brother would not have died see remember Jesus in physical form had limitations Jesus was tired he was exhausted he needed a nap he was hungry he was thirsty he could not be everywhere at the same time but then Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be with each one of us every day in every corner of the globe something that physical Jesus could not do and when he sent his holy spirit he didn’t just send him to be with us he sent the holy spirit so we can have a deeper understanding of who God is meaning you can have a deeper relationship with God through the Holy Spirit than with me Jesus said you can have a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit and understand who God is and understand who I am than any of these disciples did when they were with me physically on this Earth let’s look at what Paul said 1 Corinthians chapter 2 1 Corinthians chapter 2: 9-2 I’m going to read it what no eye has seen what no ear has heard and what no human mind has conceived the things that God has prepared for those who love him these things God has revealed to us by his Spirit and the next verse we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of god that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God dear church God freely gave us that Spirit to understand what the things that eye has not seen the things that ears have not heard the things that cannot come into the comprehension of man he gave to us freely through his Spirit see now do you understand why Jesus said it is better that I go because now with the Holy Spirit more than the 12 disciples you and I have an opportunity to understand who Jesus is more than anyone else see let’s look at Paul for a second Paul had this level of relationship with the Holy Spirit you can read his letters in the New Testament Paul never physically walked with Jesus by the way he didn’t physically Walk With Jesus but he said something in Galatians 1: 11 to2 to prove that point Galatians chapter 1 veres 11-2 I want you to know dear brothers and sisters that the gospel that I preach is not of human origin I did not receive it from any man nor was I taught it I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ how was Jesus revealed to Paul if Paul never physically walked with Jesus he said the gospel that I’m preaching did not come out of human origin meaning no one told him Paul was a very educated man but he did not receive the Gospel from Seminary he didn’t receive knowledge of God from all his learnings and studies the spirit of Christ the Holy Spirit revealed God to Paul and you know what’s amazing about Paul’s Ministry Paul who never walked with Jesus one day in his life who wrote the most books in the New Testament Paul because of Revelation through the Holy Spirit but Peter has something interesting to say about PA and I want you to read it second Peter 3: 15 and 16 this is what Peter has to say about Paul 2 Peter chapter 3: 15 and 16 our dear brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom that God gave him he writes the same way in all his letters speaking of these matters his letters contain things that are hard to understand Peter saying this about Paul if you read Paul’s letters dear brothers and sisters there are some things that are hard to understand what an amazing statement this is the Peter by the way who physically walked with Jesus this is the Peter that saw all the Miracles that Jesus did Peter saw Jesus transfigured on the mountain Peter saw Jesus crucified Peter saw Jesus resurrected but even Peter says the things that Paul writes is hard to understand it was the spirit of Truth the spirit of Revelation that revealed all these things to Paul do you see what a relationship with the Holy Spirit can do for you you don’t have to walk with Jesus you just have to be connected to the Holy Spirit and he will reveal who Jesus is to you let me illustrate it to you this way you all know the US president you’ve seen him on TV and maybe you’ve seen him in person many of H how many of you actually know him you know of him but do you know him do you know how his mind works do you know how he thinks see this was the same issue that the disciples had see these 12 disciples they walked with Jesus for so many years so many years they walked with Jesus day by day saw Miracles saw everything but then Jesus said I’m going to prepare a place for you John chapter 14 I’m going to prepare a place for you and they had no idea what he was talking about what did they say let’s go to Thomas Thomas our friend our for all Indians Thomas is our friend what did did Thomas have to say when Jesus said I’m going to prepare a place for you Thomas said Lord we don’t know where you’re going how can we know the way this many years walking with physical Jesus and he still couldn’t figure out Lord where are you going Jesus spelled it out for them and he’s Thomas still is asking the question where are you going you see this is the limitation of the physical I’m trying to explain to you why a spiritual relationship with the Holy Spirit is the key to your Christian walk and why a physical relationship is the lowest level it doesn’t work because this physical this human tent Paul calls it the Earthly tent the shell is dying day by day the physical has many limitations there are many misunderstanding endings that can happen but Jesus said even though I am physically leaving I am going to send you the Holy Spirit and you can have a relationship with me still even though I’m going spiritually through the Holy Spirit and you can know who God is even more so even if your physical man is dying the Inner Man the spiritual man is now being renewed day by day but if you neglect to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit you will never know who Jesus is you will read the Bible you will see Jesus you’ll go to jbq You’ll memor memorize your verses you will have all this head knowledge of who Jesus is but you have no relationship with him what does acts say uh actually Romans say Romans 88:9 one of you said that verse for your testimony last week Romans 88:9 if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ they do not what they do not belong to Christ if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ if anyone does not have the Holy Spirit they do not belong to Christ dear Church the truth is if we can know Jesus closer we can have the wisdom if we want to know who Jesus is even better if we want to know who God is even deeper it is the work of the Holy Spirit the revelation of the holy spirit that reveals Jesus to us this is why Jesus told Thomas our favorite disciple Thomas again after he was crucified and resurrected see Thomas had a little situation Thomas is so used to physical Jesus so what did Thomas say I don’t believe until I see him I’m not going to believe he was so reliant on physical Jesus that he said I’m not going to believe unless I could put my finger in his side and feel his nail-pierced hands so what did what did Jesus tell Thomas John CH 20: 29 blessed are those who do not see yet still believe Jesus was telling Thomas you believed because you put your finger in my side you felt my hand you felt my physical but there is a generation coming there is a group of people coming that will preach about me they will experience my presence they will know my mind at a deeper level without ever seeing me physically that is us that people is us that generation is us we are blessed more than any previous generation when Jesus told Thomas blessed are those who believe yet do not see that is talking about us we never walked with Jesus Acts chapter 2:1 17 it shall come to pass in the last days that I will pour out my spirit on All Flesh see we are the people that is described in that verse God freely poured out his holy spirit on our generation so we can have a deep and meaningful relationship with who Jesus is with who the Creator is so what does this relationship look like what does a relationship with the Holy Spirit look like so at the end of our services every end of service our pastor gives the benediction what’s the benediction who knows a benediction off the top of their head who knows we hear it every Sunday who knows the benediction off the top of their head think hard the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ the love of his son or the love of God the father and then what the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all Now and Forever This is a prayer of blessing this is actual Bible verse 2 Corinthians chapter 13 verse4 the grace of the Lord Jesus the love of God the father and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all Paul closed his letter to the Corinthian Church with this blessing and we close our services with this blessing as well because even though our church meeting is ending our gathering is ending we still need the grace of Jesus we still need the the love of Jesus the grace of God the father and the communion of the Holy Spirit to go with each of us as we go our separate ways see I want you to notice the word communion there see when we think of the word communion we think of this right here in the front that’s what we think of but actually the word communion it means in the original text the word communion means partnership communion means partnership or Fellowship see our relationship with the Holy Spirit is a partnership it is a fellowship in the few minutes that I have left I want you to understand the meaning of what Paul said the commun of the Holy Spirit see individually and as a church as a corporate body we have and are having communion with the Holy Spirit it is the holy spirit that keeps us in unity as a church and keeps each of us in unity with Jesus see we’re going to talk about that more in the next few weeks how the holy spirit gives us communion in the church gives us Fellowship partners with us in in church through spiritual gifts and the fruit of the spirit we’ll talk about that in the next few weeks but today I wanted to mention to you in the in the last few minutes how the holy spirit is with each of us individually in communion with us as we leave this building when you leave this building today you’re going to hear that benediction from one of our pastors May the communion of the Holy Spirit go with you and then you will go out from this building to start your school week your work week your outside of church week and it is the same holy spirit that is coming going with Pastor that is going with the sisters going with all the children it is the same holy spirit that is going with each one of us to wherever we go now we have to take that Holy Spirit we have to partner with him in the secular World specifically our work and our school most of you will agree that we spend most of our life and most of our time with work and if you’re not in work you’re in school which means you’re getting ready for work essentially that’s what school is you’re getting ready for the workforce that’s where most of your life is five days a week at least and then even Saturday it’s homework school and projects getting ready for school again there are many people who believe that the only way to please God is to leave their secular job and become a missionary or a pastor or go to a far off country or go to theology school and that’s actually incorrect the bi because the Bible tells us a different story there’s an interesting individual in the Old Testament and we find how God empowers him to do a secular job Exodus 35: 30 Exodus 35:30 the name of this gentleman is called Bessel Bessel and Moses is telling the children of Israel see the Lord has chosen bezel and he has filled him with the spirit of God a spirit of wisdom a spirit of understanding with knowledge and all kind of skills bezel was a regular man he was not a priest or anything special but he was filled with the spirit he was filled with the spirit of wisdom by the way in the Bible the first person recorded to be filled with the spirit is Bez actually recorded in the Bible first man to be filled with the spirit but what what was he filled with the spirit to do to preach to spread the gospel no to verse 32 to make artistic designs for work in gold silver bronze to cut and to set stones to work in good in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts you’re telling me the holy spirit filled someone to do art the Holy Spirit can fill you to work in medicine the Holy Spirit can fill you to work in it the Holy Spirit can fill you to be a teacher see we often think the work of the holy spirit is helping pastors preach helping the worship team sing and that’s our little work of the Holy Spirit the Holy Spirit was on bezel to make crafts and skillful work of art of gold of of silver of bronze of wood my message to you this morning children do not set the Holy Spirit aside do not think that it’s just for some Elite people it’s just for some special group of people the holy spirit is not just for your grandfathers and grandmothers the holy spirit is not just for the uncles and the aunties that’s what Joel said in the prophet Joel in ch in Joel chapter 3 I will pour out my spirit on All Flesh and he even goes another step and says your sons and your daughters will prophecy your young men will see Vision so every everyone can have that level of relationship with the Holy Spirit see when bezel partnered with the Holy Spirit I want you to listen to the last point when bezel partnered with the Holy Spirit he and those who were with him produced excellent results if you read Exodus uh 35 and 36 you can see a man that was filled with the spirit when he was doing work in his vocation whatever his skill was whatever his Talent was you see the result of what happened people started bringing donations for the work of the Tabernacle people just started bringing it he didn’t have to do any fundraising they were bringing it and even more in verse six it said they brought so much donation that Moses had to tell the people stop we have enough we don’t need anymore when you partner with the Holy Holy Spirit this is the quality of work this is the level of Engagement that you can have with people around you I don’t know what field you work in if you’re it if you’re a teacher if you’re a boss and you have people underneath you or you have a manager above you could you imagine that you are doing something at school or work that you have such enthusiastic support in everything that you do that people around you are saying stop we don’t need any any more it’s going so well we have more than enough this is the example that bezel shows with the Holy Spirit whatever you’re doing you’re an architect you’re constructing a building you’re growing your own business or a new product or any project that you are doing you have a chance to partner with the Holy Spirit for excellence if you want a modern day examp example look at the business model of Chick-fil-A look at the business model of Hobby Lobby this many years when their Founders started their business they said we will honor Jesus on Sundays look at their financial model they have not needed to open on a single Sunday for money reasons at all and they are still the top when it comes to finances why because they decided that they’re going to partner and honor God and they got the Excellence in those results so dear dear children dear Church dear brothers and sisters whether you are working with a hammer or a chisel whether you are sitting in front of a computer and a keyboard the Holy Spirit wants to partner with you to use your work to glorify Christ this is why I said last week worship goes beyond the the walls of this building building when God is in your work space others will come and learn about Jesus you don’t have to do anything special that’s why we said Romans chapter 12 your body is a Living Sacrifice from head to toe the tips of your fingers your intelligence whatever you eat Paul says in 1 Corinthians whatever you eat or drink whatever you do do it for the glory of God dear children dear parents dear Church may we be filled with the spirit from the tips of our fingers to the soles of our feet and glorify Jesus in everything we do so when you hear the benediction today as you leave today May the communion of the Holy Spirit go with you and go into your workspace go into your schools and be with each of you next week we’re going to talk about the Fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit we have two weeks left and we’re going to study the Fruit of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit let’s bow our heads and pray father God we thank you Lord for your holy spirit that you have sent to this earth to partner with us in our daytoday more than the dis 12 disciples could have partnered with you physically on Earth you have given us a deeper understanding of who you are through your spirit we thank you for your Holy Spirit that is Illuminating you and what the work you did on the cross we thank you for our children we pray that as they go from here today they have a deeper understanding of who the holy spirit is but more than that they can choose to live with you and partner with the Holy Spirit and get have a better understanding for who you are we pray for our parents we pray for our pastors everyone that is gathered here let your Holy Spirit move in our service today in your name we pray amen