The Apostles Creed - Part III
"-- I believe in the Holy Spirit"
The following E-sermon was taken from the message entitled, "The Apostles Creed - Part III" presented on Sunday, February 25, 2007 by Pastor Bryan Pugner.
The Holy Spirit is God
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters."
"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.'"
The Holy Spirit is:- Living and active in the hearts & minds of believers.
- Not a different god or a lesser rank of God.
- Completely and fully God.
- Equally and fully Divine.
- Third Person of the Trinity.
- Is a Person, not an "it".
Father is God over us
Jesus is God beside us
Holy Spirit is God within us
- God is supernatural.
- We have an eternal spirit that lives inside of us.
- We are more spiritual than physical beings.
(Our physical body will die, but our spirit will live on forever.) - He does not draw attention to Himself.
- Always brings glory and honor to Christ – NOT US!
- Is a still, small voice inside our spirit.
I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you."
Ananias and Sapphira attempted to "test the Spirit of the Lord" – resulting in their deaths.Two Ways To Experience The Holy Spirit
1. Being Filled with the Spirit
Happens to each believer at the time of their salvation. The Holy Spirit within us then: bears witness that we belong to God. is our seal, pledge, or deposit of our salvation.II Corinthians 1:22, Romans 8:16
teaches us; reveals His Word to us. guides and leads us. convicts us; brings reproof. comforts us. helps us love the right things.2. Baptism of the Holy Spirit
With the evidence of speaking in tongues. John the Baptist spoke of:"I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire."
Jesus spoke of:"When the Counselor 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. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning."
"On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, 'If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.' By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had no yet been glorified."
"'For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' So when they met together, they asked him, 'Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them, 'It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.' After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight."
(Many times a person's last words are profound words – notice Jesus' last words)"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."
The Early Church experienced the baptism of the Holy Spirit:- by being obedient.
- by being open: God will not take over, we must give Him control of our mouths.
- by being patient, knowing it was God's timing.
- by being persistent: they did not quit seeking the Holy Spirit -- they recognized it as a free gift.
- by being in unity.
Is The Baptism of the Holy Spirit for Today?
"'In the last days,' God says,' I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.'"
(In the last days, dependency on the Spirit will increase and increase – we may not be able to depend on anything else)
"Peter replied, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call.'"
"While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, 'Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.' So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days."
These scriptures support and emphasis our need of the Holy Spirit today. And it also tells us that God wishes to fill all who seek the Holy Spirit.
Why do we seek the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?
- For our prayer life (when we don't know what to pray).
- To be a witness (look at the life of Peter after he was baptized in the Holy Spirit).
- To worship -- We don't seek "goose bumps", but the power to live a holy life.
- For the corporate setting -- God will sometimes manifest Himself in a gift of the Spirit to edify the church. It spurs our walk with God, boosts us, and gives us a zeal for Him.
- For Rejoicing -- To go back to that "God moment in your life", when God spoke - it should encourage us and cause us to rejoice in Him!
"'In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."
The New Testament is still being written – in us today, individually, and in our church!
How do we get there?
There is no formula. We must do as the early church did – seek Him with all our heart, be obedient to all He asks, be open & willing, and trust Him! Look at our lives and see if there are any areas we need to submit to him. And be open to the supernatural!!!
Sincerely,
Pastor Bryan Pugner