Audio from Senior Pastor Vaughn Drawdy on Sunday morning March 4th, 2018.
These sermon notes are made available through the YouVersion free Bible app.
https://www.bible.com/events/371910
Jeremiah 16:14-21 NIV
14 “However, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’ 15 but it will be said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ For I will restore them to the land I gave their ancestors. 16 “But now I will send for many fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they will catch them. After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt them down on every mountain and hill and from the crevices of the rocks. 17 My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes. 18 I will repay them double for their wickedness and their sin, because they have defiled my land with the lifeless forms of their vile images and have filled my inheritance with their detestable idols.” 19Lord, my strength and my fortress,my refuge in time of distress,to you the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say,“Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods,worthless idols that did them no good. 20 Do people make their own gods?Yes, but they are not gods!” 21 “Therefore I will teach them—this time I will teach them my power and might.Then they will know that my name is the Lord.
As we continue our study on “The Building Blocks of Faith” today we are going to look at: Who is the Holy Spirit?" What is His function?
As you look at Jeremiah 16:21, we see that God is going teach of His power and might. I believe that this is a direct reference to the sending of the Holy Spirit into the lives of believers so that they may truly know and understand God’s ways, be empowered to walk in His ways, and in this power, be light in darkness, ambassadors for Christ, ministers of reconciliation, and the fragrance of Christ among the lost and perishing.
In the Old Testament God spoke to his people through primarily through prophets. People like Isaiah, Daniel and Jonah. He spoke to the prophet and the prophet spoke to the people.
Then Jesus came and spoke face to face with people about the Kingdom of God. When he walked this earth for 33 short years he was the voice of God. After his ascension into heaven He sent the Holy Spirit to continue His work. The Bible says:
John 14:26 NIV
26 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.
So who is this TEACHER - The Holy Spirit?
Here are a few of the Holy Spirit’s functions. (As we understand the function, we will get a much better understanding of WHO He is.)
1. FUNCTION: To Teach Truth
John 16:7-15 NIV
7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer;11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. 12“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
First off - note: the Holy Spirit is part of the triune God. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Not three Gods… One God uniquely expressed in three parts. In this, the Holy Spirit is NOT a mystical force, power or just an influencer. The Holy Spirit is spoken of as HE not as “it”. This is important because if you listen carefully to people speaking, many times the Holy Spirit is referred to as a force or power. If seen just as a power or influencer - the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives loses the personal aspect. The Holy Spirit needs to be thought of in the person of God the Father and the Son. As a person, HE may be grieved (Ephesians 4:30), HE may be quenched in terms of exercise of HIS will (1Thessalonians 5:19) and HE may be resisted (Acts 7:51).
John 16:8 "When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:
The Holy Spirit’s function is to convict the world of sin and righteousness and judgment.
-Why do you think you feel guilty when you lie?
-Why do you think you feel shame when you mistreat someone?
If you are a born again Christian the Holy Spirit will work in your life and convict you of sin. You can try to convince yourself that what you did is justifiable or surround yourself with other people who are just as wrong as you so you feel right, but deep down inside, the Holy Spirit is revealing the truth.
Why? Because it is the Holy Spirit’s function is to convict the world of sin and simultaneously convict the world of righteousness. That means that the reason you know what is wrong is because the Holy Spirit is working in you to reveal what is right.
The Holy Spirit teaches us the right path to walk on and the wrong path to avoid.
2. FUNCTION: Indwell believers.
John 14:16-17 NIV
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 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 in you.
Ephesians 1:13-14 NIV
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Because of the Holy Spirit’s dwelling in me… I can be led by Him, in a personal way. I can genuinely feel His abiding peace and presence. In this, God is revealed. Through Him: Ministry occurs... Sometimes I feel absolutely compelled to call someone or reach out to someone or help someone. I know that it is the Holy Spirit living in me that is prompting me to take action. That’s one way that God works. As the Holy Spirit lives in you and you listen to Him, He will guide you.
Because of His dwelling in you, His power and presence is transforming you as you surrender to Him.
3. FUNCTION: To Renew Believers
Titus 3:5-7 NIV
5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
When we surrender our lives to the Lordship of Christ, we are saved from the wrath of God and His judgement against our sin. In repentance we are are forgiven, washed clean, made alive in Christ…this is all because of the rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit poured in us. Hallelujah!
God is at work in us by the Holy Spirit.
GRACE: God’s changing and enabling power through His presence in our lives, causing us to be who He would have us be, doing what He would have us do. (Our lives revealing His love)
We are being changed from moment to moment.
2 Cor. 3:18 says we are “being transformed into his image.”
Philippians 1:6-7 (NIV) that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Is Jesus Christ the Lord of your life?
If so, are you allowing the power of God to transform you into who He would have you be or are you still on your own agenda, chasing your own ways for your own pleasure, results and desires?
I encourage you: Allow God to teach you, renew you as He dwells (tabernacles) in you. Stop and ask God to teach you, speak to you of His ways. Open the Word of God, pause and ask… meditate on His Word, He will teach you, instruct you, and in this, He will empower His Word through you for His glory.