Wow! 2018 is off and running and we’re already three quarters of the way through January. Here at GT Church we are at the end of our first sermon series of the year, “Who is God.” To say that time flies is an overused understatement that usually drips from the tongues of those of us who tend to be a little older than eighteen. I can hardly believe that earlier this month I celebrated the two-year mark of coming on staff as the associate pastor. I can tell you without ostentatious rhetoric that my family and I truly love the people of GT and are conscious of God’s blessings in allowing us to serve you in this capacity.
A few people know that in my younger years and through adolescence I grew up in the Anabaptist denomination of the Church of the Brethren. Not only was I lucky to have a great-grandfather who was a Brethren minister, but I was fortunate enough to attend a church which gave me a great biblical foundation and taught me important theological insight on repentance, salvation, and the trinity. I, however, like so many that now attend our church who were not raised as a Pentecostal, hadn’t heard much taught on the Holy Spirit. I knew the Holy Spirit to be an equal part of the Trinity (Father God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit-Genesis 1:26), but he felt more like a rich distant uncle who I knew existed in theory but didn’t have the personal experience or any type of connection, interaction, or relationship. Quite frankly, when it came to truly knowing the Holy Spirit and realizing how intricate a role he wanted to be in my daily walk of faith, I could declare like the uninformed Ephesians did in Acts 19:2b "No, we have not even heard whether there is a Holy Spirit."(NASB)
If you attended the services with Pastor Greg Hubbard yesterday I am confident that you have a better understanding of who the Holy Spirit is. So, in this blog I’m not going to expound on exactly what Pastor Greg preached nor am I going to give you an exhaustive didactic, but I will describe Him who now lives in me. He who lives in me also lives in you “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and have believed in your heart that God raised him from the dead. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)
Please look at the following descriptive list from John Bevere’s book, “The Holy Spirit-An Introduction” (pg.18) and during your quiet time read the corresponding scriptures to discover more clearly who He is and how he flows in and through you.
The Holy Spirit is the:
Holy One (Psalm 78:41)
Lord (2 Corinthians 3:17)
Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9, 1 Peter 1:11)
Spirit of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:19)
Spirit of counsel (Isaiah 11:12)
Spirit of Knowledge (Isaiah 11:12)
Spirit of Might (Isaiah 11:12)
Spirit of Understanding (Isaiah 11:12)
Spirit of Wisdom (Isaiah 11:12)
Spirit of your Father (Matthew 10:20)
Spirit of Glory (1 Peter 4:14)
Spirit of Grace (Zechariah 12:10; Hebrews 10:29)
Spirit of Judgement (Isaiah 4:4)
Spirit of Burning (Isaiah 4:4)
Spirit of Life (Romans 8:2)
Spirit of Love (2 Timothy 1:7)
Spirit of Power (2 Timothy 1:7)
Spirit of Sound Mind (2 Timothy 1:7)
Spirit of Prophecy (Revelation 19:10)
Spirit of Revelation (Ephesians 1:17)
Spirit of Holiness (Romans 1:4)
My prayer for you as you study and experience the Holy Spirit, is that you will surrender your will to him daily. I pray that you seek Jesus, “the one who baptizes with the Spirit and with fire,” (Matthew 3:11) and that you will experience the Spirit baptism which is described in Acts 2:4, “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”
For a more in-depth study of who the Holy Spirit is, I recommend that you pick up John Bevere’s book which I notated above. Blessings to you!
Conversation Starter
What are some reasons you think people don’t like to talk about the Holy Spirit? Does it make you uncomfortable? Why or why not?
Discussion Questions
Question 1: Read John 16:7-15
What do you see in this passage that shows us that the Holy Spirit is a person and not just a power?
Question 2: Read 1 Corinthians 2:10-13.
Do you think God communicates to us through the Holy Spirit apart from the bible? If so, how can we be sure the message is from God?
Question 3: How should knowing that the Holy Spirit lives inside us affect our daily lives?
Question 4: Can you tell of a time you felt the Holy Spirit in your life?
Question 5: Read Galatians 5:16
What are some practical ways that we can walk by the Spirit in our everyday lives?
Prayer Focus
Pray that you would be able to more readily recognize the Holy Spirit at work in your life. Ask God to give you a heightened sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and when He’s speaking to you, and ask God to help you walk in the Spirit in your everyday life.