The Work of the Holy Spirit
Sunday Evening Bible Study
November 7, 1999
Introduction
We’ve talked about the Holy Spirit as a person. He’s not some impersonal force, He’s a real person. We have a relationship with real people. And we’ve talked about the deity of the Holy Spirit. He isn’t just any old person, He’s God. Sometimes we have a problem identifying just who a person actually is.
Illustration
TRUE STORY IN ATLANTIC CITY N.J.(WAS IN THE PAPER)
On a recent weekend in Atlantic City, a woman won a bucketful of quarters at a slot machine. She took a break from the slots for dinner with her husband in the hotel dining room. But first she wanted to stash the quarters in her room. "I’ll be right back and we’ll go to eat," she told her husband and she carried the coin-laden bucket to the elevator. As she was about to walk into the elevator she noticed two men already aboard. Both were black. One of them was big...very big... an intimidating figure. The woman froze. Her first thought was: These two are going to rob me. Her next thought was: Don’t be a bigot, they look like perfectly nice gentlemen. But racial stereotypes are powerful, and fear immobilized her. She stood and stared at the two men. She felt anxious, flustered, ashamed. She hoped they didn’t read her mind, but knew they surely did; her hesitation about joining them on the elevator was all too obvious. Her face was flushed. She couldn’t just stand there, so with a mighty effort of will she picked up one foot and stepped forward and followed with the other foot and was on the elevator. Avoiding eye contact, she turned around stiffly and faced the elevator doors as they closed. A second passed, and then another second, and then another. Her fear increased! The elevator didn’t move. Panic consumed her. My God, she thought, I’m trapped and about to be robbed! Her heart plummeted. Perspiration poured from every pore. Then....one of the men said, "Hit the floor." Instinct told her: Do what they tell you. The bucket of quarters flew upwards as she threw out her arms and collapsed on the elevator carpet. A shower of coins rained down on her. Take my money and spare me, she prayed. More seconds passed. She heard one of the men say politely, "Ma’am, if you’ll just tell us what floor you’re going to, we’ll push the button." The one who said it had a little trouble getting the words out. He was trying mightily to hold in a belly laugh. She lifted her head and looked up at the two men. They reached down to help her up. Confused, she struggled to her feet "When I told my man here to hit the floor," said the average sized one, "I meant that he should hit the elevator button for our floor. I didn’t mean for you to hit the floor, ma’am." He spoke genially. He bit his lip. It was obvious he was having a hard time not laughing. She thought: My God, what a spectacle I’ve made of myself. She was too humiliated to speak. She wanted to blurt out an apology, but words failed her. How do you apologize to two perfectly respectable gentlemen for behaving as though they were going to rob you? She didn’t know what to say. The 3 of them gathered up the strewn quarters and refilled her bucket. When the elevator arrived at her floor they insisted on walking her to her room. She seemed a little unsteady on her feet, and they were afraid she might not make it down the corridor. At her door they bid her a good evening. As she slipped into her room she could hear them roaring with laughter while they walked back to the elevator. The woman brushed herself off. She pulled herself together and went downstairs for dinner with her husband.
The next morning flowers were delivered to her room - a dozen roses. Attached to EACH rose was a crisp one hundred dollar bill. The card said: "Thanks for the best laugh we’ve had in years." It was signed, Eddie Murphy and Michael Jordan.
The Bible says that as Christians, the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us. Do we recognize who it is that lives in us? If we really had a clue who the Holy Spirit is, would it change how we relate to Him?
The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Believer
We’ve seen so far:
1. He dwells in us
2. He assures us of our Salvation
3. He seals us
4. He is the Comforter
5. He works truth in us
6. He teaches us
We need His work in our lives to be able to comprehend the things of God:
(1 Cor 2:9-14 KJV) But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. {10} But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. {11} For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. {12} Now 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. {13} Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. {14} But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Without the Holy Spirit, the things of God seem foolish. But when the Holy Spirit it present in our lives, it all begins to make sense.
The Spirit taught God’s people in the Old Testament:
(Neh 9:19-20 KJV) Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to show them light, and the way wherein they should go. {20} Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.
The Spirit teaches God’s people in the New Testament:
Luke 12:12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.
1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
The cults will teach you that you have to listen to them, you have to read their books, or you won’t be able to understand the truth. Not so. It’s not wrong to be taught by a person, the Holy Spirit gives a gift of "teaching". But it’s wrong when you are told that you have to listen to some particular person.
You are able to be taught directly by the Holy Spirit. Don’t be afraid to read your Bible. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you out of His Word.
He teaches and helps us remember:
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Teaching:
He will give us fresh understanding into the Scriptures.I am always amazed at the things the Holy Spirit will bring out of the Scriptures. It’s not uncommon for me to start preparing a message on a certain passage, wondering what in the world the passage even means. But after studying and studying, I am amazed at the things I learn. Sometimes I learn stuff through other teachers, like when I’m reading commentaries on the various passages. But it’s not uncommon for me to have the majority of my study in place after simply reading the passage five or six times, learning things I never saw before in a particular passage, and then finding that the commentaries agreed on what I had found!
I find it amazing that even after having taught a passage, if I am going back through a particular book for another study, how I’ll learn even more from the same passage. God’s Word is so rich, full, and deep. There are many, many treasures in God’s Word, if we’ll only take the time to be taught.
Remembrance: He will also bring the Scriptures back to our mind at certain special times. I haven’t gotten to the point where I’ve quoted whole chapters, but I’ve been amazed lately at how certain Scriptures will pop into my mind during a message and I’m able to quote them, I think word for word. Things I haven’t memorized. And they’re incredibly appropriate for the moment.
A note about remembering: You can’t remember what you haven’t ever learned. Get into the Word. Study the Word. Hide it in your heart.
7. He guides us
John 16:13
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.guide
– hodegeo – to be a guide, lead on one's way, to guideThe Holy Spirit guides us into truth in the sense of helping us discern right from wrong, truth from error.
show you - anaggello - to announce, make known; literally, "to be a messenger from God right in your midst". NAS – "He will disclose to you what is to come"
I think this covers two different subjects:
1. Prophetic events in Scripture.
The New Testament is filled with insight from the Holy Spirit into the prophetic events of the future.
2. Personal revelation.
And I think there's room here for "personal revelation" as well, though we need to be careful about this.
I think there are times when God will personally speak to your heart and give you a clue as to what the future holds for you.
This happened in Paul's life:
In Acts 21, a prophet named Agabus showed up and warned Paul that he was going to be captured by the Jews in Jerusalem, and handed over to the Gentiles. (Acts 21:10-11)
What Paul was told was very personal, it had to do with his own neck!
Personal Example:
My wife and I met at church, and when we first started dating, I was kind of a mean guy, breaking up with her twice.
During one of the times that we were broken up, and she was depressed and upset, she felt that the Lord was speaking to her that she would marry me one day, and that she would be a pastor's wife. She wrote it down on a piece of paper, and tucked it away in her Bible.
It wasn't until after we were married, that she thought about the paper, and showed it to me.
If she had told me this before we were married, I might have been scared off.
I've known people who have used this trick to try and hook a mate, and I shudder.
But the fact that it came true, without using it to twist my arm, showed me that it was from the Lord.
And to think, we almost didn't get married, several times!
He shows us things to come. He will sometimes give us a clue as to what is around the corner.
Romans 8:14
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.led
– ago – to lead, take with one; to lead by laying hold of, and this way to bring to the point of destination; to lead, guide, directJohn MacArthur writes of Rom. 8:14,
"A merely professing Christian does not and cannot be led by the Spirit of God. He may be moral, conscientious, generous, active in his church and other Christian organizations, and exhibit many other commendable traits. But the only accomplishments, religious or otherwise, he can make claim to are those of his own doing. His life may be outstandingly religious, but because he lives it in the power of the flesh, he can never be truly spiritual and he will never have the inner conviction of God’s leading and empowering.
"When someone confides in me that he has doubts about his salvation, I often respond by asking if he ever senses God’s leading in his life. If he answers yes, I remind him of Paul’s assurance in this verse: All who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God."
Examples of God’s leading:
(Acts 8:26-35 KJV) And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. {27} And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, {28} Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. {29} Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. {30} And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? {31} And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. {32} The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: {33} In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. {34} And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? {35} Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
Philip had been in the middle of a revival in Samaria. But an "angel" of the Lord told him to go to Gaza. "Angel" (aggelos) simply means "messenger". It may have been an actual angel, or a prophet, or even the Holy Spirit Himself.
All the angel said was to get to a certain road. Once he got to the road, then the Spirit told him just to go up to the oncoming chariot.
The Spirit sometimes will simply lead us just a step at a time.
We would like to get a five volume, detailed plan of what is going to happen each step of the way, but sometimes all the Holy Spirit does is take you a step at a time.
What’s important to realize is that you will often not get the next step until you’ve obeyed what you’ve been told.
Illustration
The Norwegian sailors used to have a unique way of navigating the fjords at night. They had a series of lighthouses that would be stationed at various points along the dangerous waterways. What a captain needed to do was to aim his vessel at the lighthouse ahead of him. As long as he stayed on course, heading for the lighthouse, he was safe. But after awhile, he would come around a cliff and the next lighthouse would come into view. The captain would then change course to head for the next lighthouse.
We too are sometimes going to be led by the Spirit only one step at a time. We need to just keep faithful to what little promptings that He gives us. Go from lighthouse to lighthouse.
(Acts 13:1-3 KJV) Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. {2} As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. {3} And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
Here it’s very possible that the Lord "spoke" through one of the prophets that were gathered there. The Spirit gave a word of guidance. It’s very important in these kinds of circumstances that the prophets are "judged". Don’t be quick to put yourself in a position where you go to some person for a personal "word", and allow that person to exercise authority over you by telling you what they think the Lord is saying. We need to test each word. Here in Acts 13, they realized that this was indeed the Lord picking Barnabas and Saul out.
(Acts 16:6-7 KJV) Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, {7} After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
Here the Spirit guided them in what He kept them from doing.
forbidden – koluo – to hinder; to withhold a thing from anyone; to refuse one a thing
(Rom 1:13 NNAS) I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that often I have planned to come to you (and have been prevented so far) so that I may obtain some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.
How did the Holy Spirit "forbid" them?
Luke doesn’t tell us how. It might have been through circumstances. Perhaps all the wagons leaving for Asia were full. It might have been through a prophetic word. It might have simply been that quiet impression on their heart.
assayed – peirazo – to try whether a thing can be done; make trial of, test
suffered – eao – to allow, permit, let; to allow one to do as he wishes
Here’s another insight into the working of the Spirit.
Paul apparently is doing something to "test" to see if it’s okay to go to Bithynia. He’s not sure. He apparently gives it a try. But again the Spirit says "no".
Illustration
A few years ago I helped take one of our kids’ classes on a field trip a few weeks ago. We were taking the kids all the way through L.A., and so I suggested that those drivers that had cell phones swap phone numbers so we could stay in touch in case we got separated. We got everyone’s phone numbers, then took off. I was the last car, and got separated immediately from everyone, even before we got on the freeway. I thought, "Aha, I’ll just phone them and tell them to drive slowly until I catch up!" But they all had their phones turned off!
Are you even open to the Holy Spirit speaking to you? Is the phone on?
Then learn to listen for Him.