The Holy Spirit and Revival | Mark Finley

we'll discover who the spirit is how the spirit functions every Revival in the history of Christianity has taken place because of the mighty powerful moving of the Holy Spirit Father in heaven filled with love has willed your salvation Jesus came dwelt in human flesh Jesus came and met the Devil head on if you knew Jesus was going to be personally here wouldn't you want to sit at his feet he sends the Holy Spirit to come along our side as the helper to strengthen us thank you during this series we are going to be probing the depths of the ministry of the Holy Spirit we'll discover who the spirit is how the spirit functions what the work of the spirit is we'll discuss such topics as Revival and the Holy Spirit prayer and the Holy Spirit we'll talk about praying for the ministry of the spirit and opening our hearts to receive that power that life-changing power of the Holy Spirit will discuss the word of God and the Holy Spirit and then of course we need to discuss true and false manifestations of the Holy Spirit because not everything attributed to the holy spirit is in fact the work of the Holy Spirit we'll look at the latter rain the outpouring of the spirit at in time to finish God's work on Earth stay with us through this entire series on Three Angels Broadcasting this will be a series that not only helps us to understand more clearly the ministry of the spirit but it will be a series that enables us to be changed deep within as the spirit speaks to our hearts I'll be praying that God will open our hearts to receive the fullness of the spirit during this series so let's pray together Father in heaven thank you for the opportunity once again to open your word thank you that the same holy spirit that inspired the Bible will inspire us as we study together May the life-changing power of the Spirit come may the great comforter who Christ promised come May the third person of the godhead come and change our lives as we study together thank you Lord for the opportunity of opening your word may it speak with power to our hearts in Christ's name amen the title of this first presentation is the Holy Spirit and Revival every Revival in the history of Christianity has taken place because of the mighty powerful moving of the Holy Spirit but that leads us to a very important question some time ago I was lecturing on the Holy Spirit and a man came to me and he said I have a question for you Pastor yes what is it any very was very kind very humble but he began to kind of beat all around the bush as we could say you know he just was wandering he quoted a Bible text here and a Bible text there I said sir kid do you have a question he said yeah I do I said what's your question here was his question is the holy spirit of power flowing from God is some sort of impersonal influence or is the holy spirit a Divine person now there's a lot of discussion about that today who is the Holy Spirit is the holy spirit this power that emanates from God is the Holy Spirit and influence is the holy spirit some kind of impersonal force or is the Holy Spirit the third person of the godhead one thing is for certain what you believe about the Holy Spirit is going to make a dramatic difference if the holy spirit is merely a force that makes all the difference in your life and how you relate to the Holy Spirit but if the holy spirit is the third person of the godhead that makes a big difference too you say how does it make a difference if the holy spirit is a mere influence or power we might try to grasp this power we might try to use this power so if the holy spirit is simply a power then we are in control or charge trying to use that power for our own ends but if the holy spirit is the third person of the godhead then we fall in submission to Christ we fall in submission to the one who sent the spirit to testify of Jesus throughout those four great chapters on the holy spirit in the Book of John where Jesus introduces us to the subject of the Holy Spirit John 14 15 and 16. in those chapters the holy spirit is mentioned as he or him 24 different times which is really quite significant in the book gospel workers written over 125 years ago in 1892 the author makes this remarkable statement the book is written to pastors to Bible instructors to other lay leaders who are sharing the gospel and here's the statement a Revival of true godliness Among Us is the greatest and most urgent of our needs we must have the Holy unction from God the baptism of his spirit for this the only efficient agent in the proclamation of sacred truth it is the spirit of God that quickens the lifeless faculties of the soul to appreciate Heavenly things and attracts the affections toward God and His truth this is a remarkable and amazing statement actually notice it says that it's the holy spirit that quickens or makes alive the lifeless faculties of the Soul unless we have that outpouring of the Holy Spirit our spiritual life comes dull and our spiritual faculties are dead end the other thing about the statement that's very interesting is it says that we are attracted to Heavenly things by the holy spirit so we can go through the motions of Christianity we can go through all those perfunctory duties praying studying the Bible but unless the Holy Spirit comes into our lives unless God's holy spirit changes us and transforms us and creates within us the life of God unless the holy spirit is resident within us the faculties of the soul will become spiritually dead yet many people fail to understand the truth that the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit Dr Bill bright founder former president of Campus Crusade for Christ had his organization take a survey of people about their knowledge of the Holy Spirit and they concluded nearly 95 percent of the respondents have indicated that they have little knowledge of who the holy spirit is or why he exists now these were Christians and it's quite amazing that 95 of all the Christians surveyed had little idea of who the Holy Spirit was little idea of why he existed A.W Tozer famous revivalists of past Century said this the idea of the spirit held by the average church member is so vague as to be nearly non-existent so if that is true in surveys bear out the fact that it is then and if it is true that it's the holy spirit that reawakens the lifeless faculties of the Soul if it's true that the Holy Spirit draws us out to understand Heavenly things if it is the holy spirit that changes us and transforms us from within yet there is this lack of fundamental knowledge about the Holy Spirit this lack of basic understanding of who the holy spirit is and how he works Bill bright goes on to say this in his book purpose and power page 34 I am personally convinced that if today's Christians better understood the Bible's basic teachings about the Holy Spirit and then invited him to release his power in their lives each day they he says would experience unprecedented joy and personal fulfillment more than that our verbal and non-verbal witness for Jesus would sweep the world would you like to experience in your life deeper Joy would you like to experience greater purpose in your life would you like to experience in your life greater peace greater sense of fulfillment a greater sense of power understanding the ministry of the holy spirit is the answer to that question would you like to experience unprecedented intimacy with God a closeness to God like you have never experienced before this sense of God's presence this sense that you know God this sense that your prayers were going higher than the ceiling but that you're really connecting with God what is the vital link that links Earth with heaven it is the ministry of the holy spirit so I repeat would you like to experience unprecedented intimacy with God I know that's the desire of your heart it certainly is the desire of of my heart would you like to receive Christ's Supernatural power to live a Victorious Christian Life did you notice that some people struggle again and again with victory in their own life they struggle over things like anger and bitterness and gossip they struggle over things like lust the impatience unkindness ingratitude they struggle again and again it's like they're chained it's like they're bound to these sins it's the Holy Spirit entering into our lives that gives us the power for victory and the power to overcome would you like to be a powerful witness for Jesus in the world why is it that at times we may give out a piece of literature give out a book pray with somebody study the Bible with somebody and it seems to have very little impact in their life could it be could it be because our own lives are not filled with the third person of the godhead and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit personally understanding who the holy spirit is and receiving him into your life is the key to a fulfilled Christian Life if we want fulfillment in the Christian Life if we want deep purpose in the Christian Life if we want power in our Christian lives if we long for something more possibly you've come to a plateau in your Christian Life possibly you've come to a point where you felt I've been stuck here could it be that what you're really longing for is the power of the holy spirit in your life the power of the third person of the godhead in your life the first thing to understand in the reception of the holy spirit is the question of who is the Holy Spirit back to the question that this gentleman asked me after one of my lectures is the holy spirit of force is the Holy Spirit the third person of the godhead who indeed is the holy spirit now we often equate Divine personality with visibility let me explain what I mean by that what do we mean by we equate Divine personality with visibility when you think of God at least you're thinking of God the father and you can kind of have some kind of picture of that as a human being a Divine being of course but as human beings we can picture somewhat in our mind this Divine being what about Jesus well Jesus dwelt in human flesh we can kind of picture Christ here we've seen artists drawings of him although those artist drawings of course are not a 100 accurate but we've seen that so you can picture kind of picture God the Father you can kind of picture God the son Jesus very difficult to picture the holy spirit because how do you picture something that is omnipresent how how do you picture something that seems to be present everywhere how do you picture something that is difficult to picture so we equate Divine personality with visibility and we think if something is visible then it must have Divine personality if it's not visible maybe maybe it doesn't how then do we understand the Holy Spirit as the third person of the godhead now thinking of the Holy Spirit as a force rather than a Divine being is a human attempt to explain Divine reality in other words the vastness of God the greatness of God the infinite wisdom of God and we we can't put God in a box we can't try to Define often Heavenly things with the weakness of our human mind one Theologian said to try to understand the Trinity is to lose one's mind to deny the Trinity is to lose one's soul in other words this idea of three separate co-equal co-eternal beings in the godhead now the Bible doesn't use the term Trinity I tend to would rather to use the word godhead what do we mean by godhead we mean that the Bible teaches there are three separate distinct beings in the godhead they're distinct beings they're not three beings merged into one we see that outlined in Scripture now you don't have to understand everything about something to appreciate the something we may not know everything about so we're going to go into this subject quite deeply we may never fully understand it but you don't have to understand everything about something to appreciate the something that you don't understand everything about let me give you an example there's electricity here in the studio we have lights that are shining on me to make the picture a little more clearly we can see more clearly the picture now if you asked me what is the mathematical formula for electricity I couldn't tell you that if you asked me though how does electricity function so that these power produces Light It produced the race I may not understand that if I told you that there were pictures floating around in this room and if I had a little box with a glass on it and some knobs or a little remote I could get those pictures how do you explain a television wave how do you explain radio radio waves that go through the sky look because I understand everything about electricity doesn't mean that I'm never going to flip a light switch because I understand everything about how television waves work doesn't mean I'm not going to push a remote or take digestion for example can you explain to me how you eat that healthy granola and as you eat that you chew it all up and you swallow it and there are vitamins in that you get the B complex vitamins there's fiber there there's a little protein from the nuts in it can you explain exactly how digestion Works how how you chew it in the mouth and the saliva glands helped in the digestive process it starts in your mouth and you swallow it the food and and your stomach begins to process it all and it's absorbed into the bloodstream and these vitamins help to stabilize the nervous system and produce the muscle and are healthy to the organs can you explain all that to me from a scientific standpoint now maybe if you're a nutritionist you can but most people can't but because we can't understand it does that mean that we're going to stop eating not at all we continue to eat although we may not understand every vitamin mineral protein every carbohydrate right in the food that we're eating right and it's the same thing with Divine things we may not understand it fully but here's an important point when something is infinite you will never understand everything about it but that doesn't mean you can't understand anything about it if something is infinite the more you study it the more beautiful it becomes the more it becomes like a multi-faceted diamond that you hold in your hands and you turn it and as the sunlight reflects off that diamond you see it more beautifully and that's exactly what it's like when you study the Holy Spirit the more you study the Holy Spirit the more you understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit although it's infinite like an ocean before you the more it becomes beautiful to you the more power from the spirit comes into your life because the more you understand the more I can appropriate the holy spirit's power now thinking of the Holy Spirit as a force rather than a Divine being is a human attempt to explain Divine reality and that's not possible because it's infinite but it's also a contrary to the Bible you say what's contrary to the Bible the idea that the holy spirit is a force rather than a Divine being and the fact that someone will say well the Holy Spirit only an influence the Bible does not teach that let's look at three extremely plain New Testament passages that describe the Divine Trio in the godhead let's look at them the first Matthew 28 verse 19. go therefore and Make Disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of now don't miss this the father and the Son and the Holy Spirit now notice in this passage you don't have one greater God and two lesser Gods there's no difference you've got the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit three separate distinct Divine beings when you look for example at Ephesians 2 Verse 18 very similar through him that's through Christ we have access how by one Spirit under the father so here in one Bible passage you have Christ the Holy Spirit and the father three separate distinct beings but each one of these beings has their own function so they're not the same in function neither are they the same in person three distinct separate beings with different functions in scripture you have the father who often Wills the son who works and the spirit of witnesses there's a fascinating passage in Hebrews chapter 10 and verses 9 through 15. so let me share it with you Hebrews 10 verse 9 to 15. then he said behold I have come to do your Will O God now this is Jesus speaking so God has a will Jesus comes to do the father's will then it says verse 10 by what that will we have been Sanctified that's by the will of God we've been sanctified so God Wills then we look further down in the passage and we notice that there's something else that's taking place but this man that is Christ that after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down at the right hand of God so here in the passage you have the father who Wills our Salvation you have Christ who Tabernacles in human flesh Christ who dwells in human flesh Christ who comes to live the life we should have lived and die the death we should have died the son who comes and works out our Salvation then as you let your eyes drop down in the passage it tells us about the fact that the Holy Spirit witnesses to all of this it says in Hebrews 10 verse 15 and the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us the Holy Spirit witnesses to us so the father Son and the Holy Spirit play A Part together in our Salvation that's Paul's point in Hebrews chapter 10. it's the father who Wills our Salvation the incredible good news is that the Father in heaven filled with love has willed your salvation before you ever born he had a divinely predestined plan for you to be saved he pre-designed a plan for you to be saved he willed your salvation now your choice can determine whether you will accept his plan or not and because he's a pre-designed plan doesn't mean you are locked into that plan it automatically will be saved not at all what it does mean is that he willed your salvation but who worked out your salvation Jesus Jesus came dwelt in human flesh Jesus came and met the Devil head on Jesus came and faced the Satan's Temptations Jesus worked out the plan of the father but how do we have access to that plan who witnesses of that plan it's the Holy Spirit living in our lives that witness of that Plan of Salvation throughout scripture the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit cooperate to accomplish Heaven's purposes in the Plan of Redemption they work together separate distinct beings but all working for our Salvation let's go back and notice some of the Milestones there in creation and Old Testament history and Redemption if you go back to Creation for example the Bible says that God created the heavens and the Earth Genesis 1 1 in the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth but then in Ephesians chapter 3 verse 9 it says that Christ created the heavens and the Earth it says that Christ created all things but then in Genesis 1 it says the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters how do you explain that again the father Will's creation he is the Divine strategist who plans it Christ carries out those plans but how by the power of the Holy Spirit uh or think about for example Jesus baptism Christ is being baptized as Christ is being baptized what happens the father speaks from Heaven this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased so you have Jesus going into the water the father speaking from heaven and then a dove the Holy Spirit comes down upon Jesus and so you have the father son the Holy Spirit Christ baptism what about Christ's death and Resurrection who raised Jesus from the dead who raised Jesus did did the father raise Jesus from the dead did Jesus raise himself from the dead did the Holy Spirit raise him yes yes and yes in other words the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit all participated in Christ's Resurrection Jesus said if I lay down my life I'll take it up again then if you look though it says that the father's power raised him from the dead in the New Testament Romans 8 says the Holy Spirit raised him any contradictions not at all father son Holy Spirit participate in the resurrection of Christ from the dead so throughout the Bible you have this concept of the godhead father son Holy Spirit working together to accomplish the purposes of humanity in second Corinthians chapter 13 verse 14 one text you have these three mentioned again the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all amen now notice she got it three of them the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit so God's love provides Grace and we receive that grace through the power of the holy spirit so all through scripture you have this idea of the Father Son and the Holy Spirit working for our Salvation isn't that incredibly good news Heaven has provided everything possible for you to be saved Heaven is provided the richness of the Heavenly gifts to save you and to save me heaven has provided Grace that Grace flows from the heart of a God that loves us beyond what we'll ever know that he Wills us to be saved but that Grace is received through Christ as the Holy Spirit applies that Grace to our hearts as we come to Jesus and recognize the Father's Love recognize the father's desire for us to be saved as we come on our knees seeking God because of the love that has been manifest To Us by the father through Christ the Holy Spirit impresses us the Holy Spirit impresses us with the attitudes in our hearts in our lives that separate us from God there may be bitterness Within there may be resentment within there may be anger towards somebody else within there may be self-centeredness and and egotism and pride within as we're on our knees praying the Holy Spirit begins to reveal to us those things in our lives that are not in harmony with God's will but not only does the Holy Spirit impress us with those things the Holy Spirit grants to us the power to overcome so it's the holy spirit that the third person of the godhead not some impersonal force not some unusual power but it is rather the power of the of God through the holy spirit that enters our life you know when you look at the holy spirit in Scripture the Holy Spirit has the attribute attributes of Personality for example Genesis 6 when it's talking about the flood it says my spirit shall not always strive with man a force can't strive with you uh Romans chapter 8 says the Holy Spirit Witnesses or pleads for us the Holy Spirit presents us before God's Throne our prayer is with groanings that cannot be uttered strives pleads Witnesses groanings um Ephesians 4 verse 30 says grieve not the Holy Spirit you can't grieve a force you can only grieve something that has to have Divine personality it's through the holy spirit that we enter into into intimate communion with the divine it's the holy spirit that reveals to us who Jesus is who reveals to us the love of God it's the holy spirit that we enter in in our prayer life with this intimate relationship with God in John 14 verse 9 Jesus said he who has seen me has seen what the father so when Christ came he was the representative of the father now if you look at the Old Testament the father is on Center Stage in the Old Testament we see Jesus veiled in the Old Testament veiled in the sacrifices veiled in the various feasts that the Old Testament Israelites performed so in the Old Testament God is on Center Stage the father in the New Testament Jesus is on Center Stage Matthew Mark Luke John Jesus Center Stage he comes touches the eyes of the Blind and they're open touches the ears of the deaf and their unstopped touches the withered man's arm and it's healed touches the Lambs legs and they jump and walk again he delivers demoniacs forgives a woman caught in adultery so Jesus is on Center Stage in the New Testament Paul speaks about him every new desperate writer is saturated with Jesus Jesus Jesus and the grace of God when Christ ascends to Heaven he sends the Holy Spirit and the dispensation that we are living in right now is the dispensation of the holy spirit it's the time that God longs to pour out his spirit in abundance upon his people the holy spirit is just as real just as much a Divine person just as much a member of the godhead as the father and the son the Holy Spirit according to scripture is a Divine person not some force not something that simply precedes from the father Leroy Froome in his book The Coming of the comforter fruit was a great biblical scholar on page 41 writes Jesus was the most marked and influential personality ever in this old world and the Holy Spirit was to supply his vacated place now notice this sentence it's critical no one but a person could take the place of this wondrous person no mere influence would ever suffice so the Holy Spirit if he is going to come in Christ's stead must indeed take the place of Jesus so therefore has to be a Divine personality in the book evangelism Ellen White on page 615 confirms the biblical truth that the holy spirit is a Divine person or Divine personality there are three no no don't miss this living Persons Of The Heavenly Trio in the name of these three great Powers the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit those who receive Christ by Living Faith are baptized and these Powers will cooperate with obedient subjects of Heaven in their efforts to live the new life in Christ notice what it says there are three living persons in the Heavenly Trio have you ever heard a a ladies Trio sing so beautifully they're singing the same song but each one of the trio has a different uh voice inflection each one of the trio they might be an alto maybe a soprano each part of that Trio has a different song part to sing and so the father son of the Holy Spirit three what does it say there are three living persons in the godhead and each one has a different role to play We also find this in a book testimonies to ministers page 392. Illinois was writing to ministers here and she again confirms what the Bible says she wanted to be sure that ministers had this straight that workers for God had this straight it was so critical evil had been accumulating for centuries that's up to the first century when Christ came and could only be restrained by the mighty power of the Holy Spirit the third person of the godhead who would come with no modified energy but in the fullness of divine power so when Christ left this world when he left to ascend to Heaven he promised that the Holy Spirit would come and the Holy Spirit would come with no modified energy when something is modified it's reduced it's not with full force but he would come with the unlimited power of Heaven what incredible good news Christ's sins the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit comes with fullness of power to change our lives to transfer form Our Lives if we understand who the holy spirit is the third person of the godhead and get on our knees and claim and plead for the Holy Spirit you remember what it says in the Book of Luke in chapter 11 if you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more will your heavenly father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask the Holy Spirit comes as we're on our knees praying and seeking God for this power to come and to change our very lives now Jesus teaching on the holy spirit is life transforming let's go to Jesus teaching on the Holy Spirit what did Christ teach about the Holy Spirit and why is what Christ taught about the holy spirit so life transforming John 14 verse 16 and 17 Jesus says I will pray the father and he will give you another helper that he may abide with you forever even the spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him but you know him for he dwells with you and will be in you so Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would not some external Force but the holy spirit is the third person of the godhead would come and live within us as Believers dwell within us as Believers you say Pastor Mark I don't understand that and the skeptic would say impossible the cynic would say what are you crazy but that's what the Bible teaches that's what Jesus teaches and Jesus cannot lie it's impossible scripture says from the lie so he he tells us that the third person the godhead would come and live with us and that bubbling up within us would be this power of the living Christ so we could reflect his love reflect his goodness his kindness so Christianity is not clinching your fists it's not simply gritting your teeth and bearing it and saying I'm going to be a Christian if it kills me it's rather opening your heart to the loving Christ and allowing his Spirit to come into you to crush out the evil forces to try to dominate our lives we live in a world where seeing is believing and people say well if I can't see it I don't think I believe it but God's word tells us that by faith we can grasp the reality of the fact that the holy spirit is indeed the third person of the godhead the Holy Spirit indeed wants to live within us the Holy Spirit indeed wants to transform our lives and he's waiting for our permission to come and to transform us if you cannot touch it somebody says if it's not Material if you can't quantify it the idea is it does not exist but this of course is a secular way a humanistic way a post-modern way of dealing with Divine things we come not simply looking at things from a strictly rational standpoint we come humbly we come in faith we come accepting what the word of God says where Jesus says I'm going to send you the Holy Spirit and he is going to live and dwell within your life as a Believer he's going to Journey with you through the dark valleys of Life he's going to Journey with you over the mountains that you must climb he's going to Journey with you walking by your side the first and second person of the godhead the Father the Son and take residence in our hearts through the third member of the godhead the holy spirit so how is it that God dwells in us how is it that Christ dwells in you it is through the Holy Spirit the third person of the godhead Jesus when he was going back to Heaven did not leave us orphans we're not orphans sitting by the wayside begging for food from spiritual food from the heavenly father he didn't go back to heaven and abandon us he didn't leave us alone in this world to struggle you know one of the most tragic things is when a child is left alone as an orphan they're left by the side of the road their parents maybe can't afford to support them any longer parents can't afford to feed them so they just leave them there there have been instances where babies have been wrapped in blankets and left in a little basket on the doorsteps of a hospital with a note saying please find somebody to take care of my child but that's not the way it is in Christianity Christ did not Ascend to heaven and then leave us alone what did he say in John 14 verse 18 I will not leave you orphans I will come to you Christ promised that he would come to his disciples and how was he to come how was he to return to them through the ministry of the holy spirit for example Jesus fills us with his personal presence through the Holy Spirit that's how we experience the presence of Christ in the book steps to Christ a book that has been circulated with hundreds of millions of copies one of the best sellers ever in Christianity paid 74 and 75 it says this Pentecost brought them the presence of the comforter of whom Christ had said he shall be in you and he had further said is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the comforter will not come to you henceforth through the spirit Christ was to abide continually in the hearts of his children their Union with him was closer than when he was personally with them does this kind of Amaze you does this kind of overwhelm you Jesus said to his disciples it's expedient what's another word for expedient necessary it's necessary that I go away and if because if I don't go away the comfort is not going to come and I can imagine Peter James and John I can imagine this dival saying Jesus please don't do it Jesus please don't go away what do you mean is expedient that you go away Jesus no don't go and then this remarkable statement in the book steps to Christ that says that we can have closer Union with Jesus now today through the Holy Spirit than we could if he were personally here wow if you knew Jesus was going to be personally here wouldn't you want to sit at his feet wouldn't you want to listen to what he had to say how could it be that we can be closer to Jesus today through the ministry of the Holy Spirit then if he were personally here I think the reason that is true is is there's a couple of reasons it's true one if Jesus were here anywhere in one physical place he couldn't be in another place he would have the limitation of his physical body but now every believer in the world because of the omnipresent of the of the holy spirit because the spirit could be present everywhere can experience his closeness to Jesus you say Pastor I don't understand that don't worry about it nobody else does either there's a lot of things we may not understand but we can accept as we mentioned earlier by faith there's another reason Jesus can speak to us but the Holy Spirit can live within us and Christ lives within us through the ministry of the holy spirit so Jesus said it's expedient necessary that I go away because if I don't go away the holy spirit's not going to come and you're going to experience closer relationship with me because the holy spirit's going to live within you he's going to dwell within you and give you strength and power he's going to his love is going to flow out through you his kindness is going to throw it through you his goodness is going to flow out through you in the review and Herald November 29 1892 the review in Herald was a a Christian Magazine review meaning Advent review and it and rather the Sabbath reviewers reviewing the Sabbath truth and Herald the Advent Herald in November 29 1892 this Christian magazine the author Ellen White said the work of the holy spirit is immeasurably great how great is it everybody how great immeasurably great it is from this source that the power and efficiency come to the worker of God and the Holy Spirit is the comforter as the personal presence of Christ to the soul so the holy spirit is this personal presence of Christ to our soul the Holy Spirit comes into our life and and resides there now what's the work of the Holy Spirit what does the Holy Spirit do when it comes into the life of the believer we've already alluded to it a little bit but let's even probe it more deeply what does the Holy Spirit do what does this precious Heavenly gift desire to do for each follower of Christ as we open our hearts to receive the Holy Spirit what can we expect the spirit to do in our lives what is Jesus longing to do through the gift of the holy spirit in your life now the holy spirit is our personal helper our personal helper as we Face Temptation our personal helper as we struggle with sin our personal helper as we climb the Steep mountains of Life as we journey from Earth to heaven in fact John 14 verse 16 Jesus says I'll pray the father and he'll give you another helper that he may abide with you forever now you see this word helper here it's a very fascinating word Jesus continues for if I do not go away the helper notice this word helper will not come to you but if I depart I will send him to you incidentally a helper has to be more than a force a force is not much of a helper it may be a power but it's not much of a Helper but helper will not come to but if I depart I will send what him again third person pronoun uh personality Divine personality see this word helper in the Greek word language which is the original language of scripture this word is paraclete paraclete para means something that comes alongside of like you have two train tracks that are parallel you have a paragraph sentences alongside one another so para is something that's alongside cleat the last part of the word comes from a Greek word that means called so the holy spirit is the paraclete the one cult alongside the one that is there to help now the ancient World under word world understood this word paraclete very clearly it was a legal term and it means called to the side of for the purpose of helping so if you are called to court a paraclete would come to your side Leon Morris has an outstanding commentary called The Gospel according to John and he comments on this word paraclete on page 665. and he says any friend who would take action to give help in a time of legal need might be called a paraclete or an advocate in other words here's a person that's on trial here's a person that is facing some Court sentence in those days the food in the prisons was lousy I mean it just was almost unedible so your paraclete could come and Supply your need of bringing that food bringing you food into your prison cell also it would be could be very cold or damp in those prison cells so your paraclete the one that the came alongside to help you court appointed helper they could bring you mittens or they could bring you socks they would also stand as your defense attorney so to think of a paraclete or this helper the word that Jesus used to describe the Holy Spirit think of somebody who will supply all your needs how does Jesus know our needs because he tabernacled inhuman flesh he was hungry he was tired he was without a home he was rejected despised he suffered hunger he suffered physical mental and emotional pain there at the cross all the disciples forsook him and fled uh there at the cross when the nails went through his hands he experienced more pain than any of us could ever go through there in the wilderness when he chose not to eat for those 40 days he had physical Cravings greater than any physical craving we could ever imagine greater than the craving of a person trying to give up tobacco or alcohol or or illicit drugs when Jesus went through that that starvation period really is what it was he was starving for food when he went through that period in the wilderness of hunger and the intense hunger pains those physical pains were greater than any physical craving so Jesus himself experienced the full gamut of human pain the full gamut of emotional trauma and so when you and I get on our knees and pray now because Christ understands what we're going through because Christ has walked this way before us because his footsteps have trod our path he sends the Holy Spirit to come along our side as the helper to strengthen us to encourage us to lift the burden of discouragement off our shoulder to bring comfort and peace and joy to our hearts so if you are feeling lonely tonight if the mountain is high if the road is rough if the thorns on the road of Life have been bruising your feet the good news is Jesus understands it and as you get on your knees to pray he will send the comforter the Divine paraclete to come by your side to give you hope to give you encouragement to give you strength to go on in the trauma of life when we're lying there on the hospital bed and the trauma of life when a loved one is injured in a car accident in the trauma of life when the fires are raging all around us when there is Hurricane and cyclone and tornado in the trauma of life when there's war when there's famine and sickness and suffering and disease Jesus comes through the Holy Spirit he leaps into our lives to give us strength and new courage and he says my brother my sister you can make it you can make it I'm with you I will never leave you never forsake you his holy spirit is there I've seen the Holy Spirit work so powerfully we were holding meetings in Los Angeles California there were two sessions each evening an early session in a later session between the two sessions would usually get a little soup or something to eat to give us enough strength to preach the second time and I was sitting there with my staff and somebody said Pastor Mark our sound technician kind of fainted and he never came to supper he he's fallen over in the midst of the chairs in the auditorium we rushed back in tried to revive him called 9-1-1 they revived him temporarily but one day later he died in the hospital of of a heart attack had a blood clot and died of that heart attack where is God in trauma like that I will never forget the courage that his wife had certainly a sword pierced her heart certainly there was great sorrow but to see the Holy Spirit Come As the comforter you know Jesus says the holy spirit is the comforter and to see the Holy Spirit comfort that that dear Christian lady and give her strength to go on with life after the death of her husband she could continue to go on Jesus said I will pray the father and he'll give you another what comforter that he may abide with you forever look at that word comforter it comes from two Latin words come meaning with and Fortis meaning strength so the holy spirit is the paraclete that comes along our side he is the great comforter that strengthens us in the challenges and trials of Life the holy spirit is the one that is is ever near when we need him most he is the one that provides help for our daily needs he is the one that's there with us Mourning midday and evening to supply that help Christ's object lessons page 96 book on The Parables of Jesus says this none are so vile none have fallen so low as to be yet to be Beyond The Working of this holy spirit's power in all who would submit themselves to the Holy Spirit a new principle of life is to be implanted the Lost image of God is to be restored in humanity not only is the holy spirit our guide not only is he our thing our comforter but he is the one that takes our lives and makes us over again what did the statement say none are so vile none have fallen so low but the Holy Spirit can take them and change them and lift them up he takes us from the gutter most to the uttermost from the depths of Despair in our lives to to the Delights of discipleship of walking with Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit an entire change can be made in your life an entire change can be made in my life through the power of the Holy Spirit now the Holy Spirit also is our personal teacher Jesus said in John 14 verse 17 when he the spirit is come he will teach you all things and he talks about the Holy Spirit as the spirit of Truth the spirit of Truth what does it mean that the holy spirit is the spirit of Truth it means a number of things first the devil tells you lies about yourself the devil lies to you the devil says you're not good enough the devil says you can never make heaven the devil says why don't you give up now the devil says you are worthless the Holy Spirit reveals the truth that you're created in the image of God the Holy Spirit reveals the truth Christ died for you and because of the sacrifice of Christ you can live in heaven forever the Holy Spirit reveals to you that he will be by your side helping you to make it through the trials and challenges of life the holy spirit is our teacher in addition to that the Holy Spirit reveals to us the truth of God's word when we are seeking for truth when we are truth Seekers and we say I'm not satisfied with what I have maybe you're thinking I'm not satisfied with the church that I've been going to maybe you're you've not attended any church and you're thinking I'm not satisfied with what I have it's always Spirit as you get on your knees say God reveal to me truth John 16 verse 13 however when he the spirit of Truth has come see the holy spirit is the spirit of Truth he's going to be revealing to you truth in God's word he'll guide you into all truth for he will not speak on his own authority but whatever he hears he will speak and he'll tell you things to come and so you come to Christ and you say Jesus guide me into all truth Lord I'm seeking for truth Lord I've gone down this pathway and it hasn't worked and I've gone down that pathway and hasn't worked and Lord I'm kind of confused but seek Lord all I want to know is your truth and God through his holy spirit will lead you into truth as we study the word the same holy spirit that inspired the Bible will inspire you the holy spirit that inspired the word will inspire you the Holy Spirit that inspired every one of these Bible writers is going to inspire you steps to Christ page 114 we can attain to an understanding of God's word only through the illumination of that Spirit by which the word was given if we try to study the Bible without seeking the Holy Spirit we are going to become confused but God says to us the same Holy Spirit who revealed truth to the Bible prophets as they wrote the Bible reveals truth to us as we study scripture notice Psalm 119 verse 107 I'm Afflicted very much revive me according to your word Psalm 119 154 please my cause and Redeem Me revive me according to what your word the Holy Spirit revives us I love that prayer oh Lord whatever truth you have for me I desire it whatever changes you want for my life I want them o Divine Heavenly Dove come and instruct me is this your prayer would you like to say today Jesus I need your spirit I sense that your spirit is not some Force I sense that your spirit is not some power merely but it's the third person of the godhead and I I long to have an intimate relationship with Christ I longed have the power of Christ Living in my heart I longed have the peace the Fulfillment the meaning the purpose that only Christ can bring Jesus come by your spirit and walk at my side through life Stand By Me Lord because I can't go through life without you the Lord May the paraclete come the one who walks by my side Empower me God by your spirit because I desperately need your spirit oh Divine Dove come and live in my life is that your prayer when I bow your head with me just now as we pray Father in heaven we're so thankful that we are not orphans we are so incredibly thankful that you have not left us alone in this world we're thankful for Jesus who has sent his holy spirit to fill our hearts to change our lives to bring us joy and peace and Power we're thankful for the one that walks by our side momentarily guiding and directing us through the Journey of life when the day is long the night is dark thank you for the Illuminating Light of the spirit that gives us hope and encouragement and thank you for the promise of your spirit in Jesus name amen [Music]

Channel: Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN)

Views: 72,103

Keywords: revival, Holy Spirit power, Transformed life, power to change, God's hlep, Helper, Comfort, How to change, Break bad habits, new life, new you, Mark Finley, 3ABN, keys to revival

Id: _bTMvN0TMCA

Length: 58min 9sec (3489 seconds)

Published: Sat May 20 2023