The Forgotten God The Holy Spirit

I Got Jesus why do I need the Holy Spirit? The Holy Spirit revels Jesus to us. John 15:26 NIV "When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. The Holy Spirit unlocks the truth of Jesus. John 14:25-26 NIV "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

I Got Jesus why do I need the Holy Spirit? Confusion in this world 1 Corinthians 2:14 NIV The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowers life transformation in us. 2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Theology of the Holy Spirit 101 The Holy Spirit is a Person. He is not a “power” or a “thing”. John 14:17 “…the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you.”

Theology of the Holy Spirit 101 The Holy Spirit is God. He is not a lesser or different kind of Being than God the Father or God the Son. Spirit and God are used interchangeably in the New Testament. Acts 5:3-4, “Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

Theology of the Holy Spirit 101 The Holy Spirit is Eternal and Holy He is not a whimsical Spirit who comes and goes like the wind. He is an eternal being. John 14:16, “… And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—”

Theology of the Holy Spirit 101 The Holy Spirit has His own mind, and He prays for us Often times we do not know what to pray about, but the Holy Spirit intercedes for us on our behalf. Romans 8:27, “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”

Theology of the Holy Spirit 101 The Holy Spirit has emotions. God is the creator of emotions. The Spirit grieves when there is a breach in relationship. Did you ever think that your sins pains the Holy Spirit so much that it grieves? Ephesians 4:30, “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Isaiah 63:10, “Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and became their enemy and he himself fought against them.”

Theology of the Holy Spirit 101 The Holy Spirit has His own desires and will. We are reminded who is in control. The Spirit has a plan for our lives, for each of us. He has a plan for the church, including your individual church body and the worldwide body. 1 Corinthians 12:11 “ All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”

Theology of the Holy Spirit 101 The Holy Spirit is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. Omnipotent = All-powerful (Zech 4:6) Omnipresent = Present everywhere (Ps. 139:7-8) Omniscient = All-knowing (1 Cor. 2:10b) Isaiah 40:13 “Who can fathom the Spirit[a] of the Lord,     or instruct the Lord as his counselor?”

How does the holy spirit help us? Help us speak when we are in precarious situations and need to bear witness (Mark 13:11; Luke 12:12) The Counselor teaches and reminds us of what we need to know and remember. He is our comforter, our advisor, our encourager, and our strength. He guides us in the way we should go. (Ps. 143:10, Jn 14-16, Acts 9:31, 13:2, 15:28, 1 Co 2:9-10, 1 Jn 5:6-8) The Spirit draws people to the gospel. He also draws believers closer to Jesus (Acts 1:8, Ro 8:26, Eph 3:16-19)

How does the holy spirit help us? By the Power of the Spirit we put to death the misdeeds of the body. He sets us free from sins we cannot get rid of on our own. This is lifelong process we entered into with the Spirit when we first believed. (Ro 8:2) Through the Spirit we are adopted as sons and daughters which leads us into intimacy with the Father. (Ro 8:15-16) The Holy Spirit convicts people of Sin. He does this both when we enter into a right relationship with God and as we journey through life as believers (Jn 16:7-11, 1 Thess 1:5)

How does the holy spirit help us? The Spirit bring us life and freedom. (Ro 8:10-11) By the Power of the Holy Spirit we abound with hope and have joy and peace. (Ro 15:13) Each of us is given a manifestation of the Spirit in our lives for the purpose of the common good. (1 Co 12:7) Fruit of being led by the Spirit of God includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal 5:22-23)

Discussion Time 1. When was the last time you undeniably saw God’s Spirit at work in or around you? 2. How, if at all, is the power and presence of the Holy Spirit evident in your church? In your life? 3. Are you afraid of getting “too much” of the Holy Spirit and what that might mean for your life? Are you honestly open to being led by Him? 4. What fears do you have about completely following the Spirit, whatever that may mean and wherever that may take you? 5. “Being filled with the Spirit is not a one-time act.” Do you agree? Why or why not?

Discussion Time 6. Is the fruit of the spirit apparent in your life? (see Galatians 5:22-23) 7. How are you working out your salvation? Gauge yourself: In which areas of your life are you allowing God to work in you, and in which areas are you maintaining control? 8. In what ways do you grieve the Spirit? (see Ephesians 4:30 and context) 9. Why do you want the Spirit? Is your pursuit of miracles greater than your pursuit of God? (see James 4:3, 5 and 1 Corinthians 14:12) 10. On a scale of 0-10, how much do you trust God in your daily life? If not God, who or what are you trusting? 11. There are two major obstacles to experiencing intimacy with God: comfort and volume. Which of these is most detrimental in your life? How have you (or can you in the future) overcome them?