The Holy Spirit – What He Does

Sunday Morning Bible Study

September 15, 2013

Introduction

In our first week we talked about Who the Holy Spirit is. He is a person. He is God. He is holy.

Last week we talked about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, the power for daily living that God offers to each of us. Though there may be times when God’s power is displayed in miraculous ways, our focus last week was on “ability”, that the Holy Spirit gives us “ability” to serve and obey God.

Will you surrender to the Holy Spirit today?

The power or “ability” that God wants to put into my life starts with whether or not I’m willing to surrender to Him.

God isn’t going to yank the controls of your life out of your hand.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t give Him the controls.

Years ago there used to be bumper stickers and license plates that said “God is my co-pilot”. But I have to tell you, God doesn’t want to be your co-pilot. He wants to be pilot. It’s okay if you want to be a co-pilot or “flight attendant” and serve others on the flight, but God wants to fly the plane.

As we learn to surrender or yield to the Holy Spirit in our lives, things are going to happen. What are those things? We’re going to be spending the next 3-4 weeks exploring the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

What The Holy Spirit Does

Helps

(Jn 14:16 NKJV) And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—

Helper – parakletos (“alongside” + “to call”) – called to one’s side; called to one’s aid

The word is used to describe Jesus’ role in heaven as our Defense Attorney, our “advocate”

(1 Jn 2:1 NKJV) My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

There may be times when everyone else is out to accuse you, but the Holy Spirit, just like Jesus, will be at your side to help you through your difficulty.

The verb form (parakaleo) is found 108 times and is used in many ways.

It is translated “beg”, like the time when Jairus came to ask for help for his sick daughter

(Mk 5:23 NKJV) and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.”

There may be times when the Holy Spirit is at work in you “begging” you to do something.

It is translated “exhort”, almost like a strong warning, as when Paul and Barnabas went back through the churches they had established and …

(Ac 14:22 NKJV) strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”

There may be times when the Holy Spirit is going to warn you about dangers up ahead.

It is translated “comfort”, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

(2 Co 1:3–4 NKJV) —3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

There may be times when you are deeply hurt, but as you yield to the Holy Spirit you will find God’s comfort.

If you surrender, He will help you.

Convicts

(Jn 16:8 NKJV) And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

convict – elegcho – to convict; by conviction to bring to the light, to expose; to find fault with, correct

Jesus uses it to talk about how we ought to confront one another when we’ve offended each other:

(Mt 18:15 NKJV) “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.

It’s the word used to describe how John the Baptist rebuked King Herod over his sin, leading to Herod putting John in prison.

(Lk 3:19–20 NKJV) —19 But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, 20 also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison.

It’s used to describe what happens when your sins become exposed.

(Jn 3:20 NKJV) For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

It’s used to describe the conviction of the crowd after Jesus told them that anyone without sin could throw a stone at the woman caught in adultery.

(Jn 8:9 NKJV) Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

These are all things that the Holy Spirit is at work doing.

(2 Ti 3:16 NKJV)

(Heb 11:1 NKJV)

(2 Pe 2:16 NKJV)

He convicts unbelievers

I think that’s what’s happening when Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost.

(Ac 2:37 NKJV) Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

He convicts believers

Conviction doesn’t stop once you come to Christ. There will be times when the Holy Spirit will be pointing out hard things, things that He wants to change in your life. The author of Hebrew is writing to believers when he says,

(Heb 12:5–6 NKJV) —5 And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.”

If you surrender, He will convict you.

Teaches

He doesn’t just convict us about our sin, He teaches us how to live, how to change.

Without the Holy Spirit, we are unable to understand the things of God.

(1 Co 2:14 NKJV) But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

But when the Holy Spirit is in our lives, we have the ability to learn spiritual things that were incomprehensible before.

(Jn 14:26 NKJV) But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

One of the main tools that the Holy Spirit uses to teach us about life is God’s Word.

(2 Ti 3:16–17 NKJV) —16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

We’re seeing this on Thursday nights as we’re going through the book of Acts. Just about every message by the apostles that is recorded in the book of Acts is filled with Scripture references.

I find it amazing that some churches stay away from the Old Testament scriptures. The apostles certainly didn’t. Their messages were filled with references from all parts of the Old Testament.

The apostles were like a fine tea, made with tea leaves that are steeped in hot water. The hot water was the circumstances they found themselves in, while God’s Word was like the tea leaves that flavors the water.

We too need to put God’s Word deep into our lives, steeped in the experiences of life, and learning from God’s Word.

It has been my practice to read through the Bible once a year for over twenty-five years. I have to admit that after the first couple of times I began to think that I knew the Bible. But the longer I live, study, and apply God’s Word to my life, I’m finding that the treasures in the Word are infinite. Don’t stop digging, praying, and meditating on God’s Word just because you know where the book of Habakkuk is.

Don’t stop reading because you think you know it all. You don’t. You just don’t. Shame on you if you think you’ve dug up all there is from God’s Word. You’re like the little boy that digs a hole in the back yard and thinks that he’s about to break through to China. Not even close.

Don’t be afraid of reading passages you don’t understand. Just learn to tuck the passage away in that folder in your head that’s labeled “Waiting for further information”. I’ve learned over the years that most of my questions will eventually be answered.

If you surrender, He will teach you.

Guides

(Jn 16:13 NKJV) 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.

guide

To be honest, this is a bit scary.

Some people are convinced they are being led by God’s Spirit, when they just aren’t.

Some of us are so afraid of making mistakes, we don’t ever go anywhere out of fear of blowing it.

Following God is a messy thing.

Yet if you never take a step outside of your comfort zone, you’ll never know the thrill of watching God work in your life. And sometimes you will make mistakes. Don’t blame your mistakes on God.

David wrote,

(Ps 32:8–9 NKJV) —8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. 9 Do not be like the horse or like the mule, Which have no understanding, Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, Else they will not come near you.

The choice is whether we are going to be led by God guiding us with His eye, or with a bit in our mouths.

Am I open to Him just making a slight gesture, and I take the hint and go?

Or do I require something in my life that causes me pain before I get off the dime?

If you surrender, He will guide you.

Prayer

(Ro 8:26 NKJV) Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Tongues

Some have seen the “groanings” as hinting at the use of the gift of tongues.

Paul does talk about “praying in the Spirit” when he is teaching the Corinthians about the gift of tongues. (1Cor. 14:15)

(1 Co 14:15 NKJV)

There may be times when you just don’t know what you ought to be praying for, and if you have the gift of tongues, that can be a good time to just put it all in God’s hands and ask Him to pray what needs to be prayed. He does know what needs to be prayed.

Groaning

It could be that Paul is talking literally. I’ve known people that when they don’t know what to pray for, they just groan.