The resurrection of Jesus

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost

Introduction

Pentecost, the Jewish Festival, was a major festival to celebrate the wheat harvest and also known as the Feast of Weeks. It brought visitors from all over who were either Jews or Jewish converts and we get a clue to geography from the reading and Acts 2:41 the numbers as 3000 + become Christians that day, so there were a lot more! What a Day!

Until that day, since the latter part of Good Friday it seems the disciples were in an in-between place and it remained the same since the Resurrection and it also seems they were also fearful, certainly early on, and maybe even later.

At Pentecost they are released in two ways:

1. From this semi-captivity

2. From the last bit of mental captivity to Jewish expectations, cp Acts 1:6

Now, and in the first instance under Peter's leadership, we get what is the first proclamation of the message of true liberation and salvation which comes through Jesus. The fulfillment of promise, birth of the new era of God's Kingdom and so the birth of the Church which is the new Israel etc. This is the start of the restoration of the Kingdom to Israel.

All that proceeds from the monumental words that lead into the sermon from Peter after he quotes Joel and he says:

This is it, this is what God promised through Joel with reference to the last days. It is starting right now with the outpouring of the promised Holy Spirit to all and that mighty things will happen as they are happening right now in your presence. This is it. The Day has arrived and as you see and hear it arrived with a bang.

Today, too often, not always, we are left with a damp squib because some of our understanding of the Holy Spirit is deficit and so without real expectation and you are looking at one who can be as guilty as others! So, for my benefit, and hopefully yours as well, I am going to glance at some verses we have looked at recently along with a few others. 

This then will be a bird's eye view of the work, role and importance of the Holy Spirit.

As 7 is a good and complete number in the Bible, 7 points! Of course, there are other aspects to the work of the HS and other scriptures which make similar or complementary points to the ones I list which are quite key and foundational scriptures.

1. Spade Work

The Holy Spirit opens eyes and hearts to the truth.

John 16:5 -11 - Jesus speaking to his disciples in the upper room

[5] but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' [6] Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. [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.

Only God, through the Holy Spirit, can 'convict' people of their need to repent, turn to God through Jesus and come to a living faith. It follows on from here that when a person comes to that point the Holy Spirit moves to the next stage:

2. Birth Work

John 3:3-8 - Jesus in conversation with Nicodemus

[3] Jesus replied, "Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again."

[4] "How can someone be born when they are old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother's womb to be born!"

[5] Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. [6] Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. [7] You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' [8] The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

Spiritual birth - we are all born physically and as such live and grow into physical awareness. Likewise to be spiritually aware in God's Kingdom we have to have spiritual birth.

John 1:12-13 - John introducing the theme at the start of his gospel

[12] Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— [13] children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

Paul in Romans 8 talks about and compares life lived without and life lived with the HS - worth look at! He comes to this climactic statement which is apt h in what we are thinking where he uses the word for 'adoption' as the work of the HS:

Romans 8:14-17

[14] For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. [15] The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." [16] The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. [17] Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Galatians 4:4-7 - the same point but a different context and angle:

[4] But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, [5] to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. [6] Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." [7] So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

Jesus is the eternal and natural Son of the Father and heir of salvation - we are adopted as children, and as such co-heirs with Jesus of all he has inherited!

3. Sealing Work

Seal - as on a legal document showing ownership and authenticity. It follows on from what we have just considered:

2 Corinthians 1:21-22

[21] Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, [22] set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

4. Jesus Work

John 14:15-21 - back in the upper room and we looked at this in detail a couple of weeks ago

[15] "If you love me, keep my commands. [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. [18] I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. [19] Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. [20] On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. [21] Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them."

ANOTHER advocate - the HS being to us what Jesus was to his disciples before death, resurrection and ascension.

5. Growth Work

Galatians 5:22-26 - being like and becoming more like Jesus by bearing the fruit of the Spirit - note, 'fruit' singular, these are a whole!

[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is 

love, 

joy, 

peace, 

forbearance, 

kindness, 

goodness, 

faithfulness, 

[23] gentleness 

and self-control. 

Against such things there is no law. [24] Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [25] Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. [26] Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

How, as we walk in the light of God's word and with the help of the Holy Spirit we are changing and growing!

6. Prayer Work

There is a lot in Romans 8 to challenge, encourage and strengthen us but in terms of prayer I want to look at 2 vv - 8:26-27

[26] 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 through wordless groans. [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.

Paul isn't saying word don't matter but in searching for God's will (you will be done . . . ) words are not always the most important thing and the Holy Spirit helps us align to the will of our heavenly Father

7. Body Work

1 Corinthians 12:1-13

[12:1] Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. [2] You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. [3] Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.

[4] There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. [5] There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. [6] There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

[7] Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. [8] To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, 

to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, [9] 

to another faith by the same Spirit, 

to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 

[10] to another miraculous powers, 

to another prophecy,

 to another distinguishing between spirits, 

to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, 

and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 

[11] All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. 

[12] Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. [13] For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

As human beings we have gifts and abilities which we use of the benefit of others as well as ourselves albeit we keep some of them covered up at times!! What Paul outlines here is the oft maligned and neglected gifts of the spirit for the building up of the body of Christ -our brothers and sisters in him.

I was born with gifts, some have to be worked on others come more naturally. What then about when we are born again - cp the conversation of Jesus with Nicodemus? It seems that if we are born of the Spirit and adopted in the family we should have gifts from the Spirit for the benefit and building up of that church family!

Conclusion

Well, as we come out of this, I hope and pray it is with a renewed and invigorated faith and trust where we look to our heavenly Father to do mighty work in our midst and in our lives. A new and renewed liberation from where we have been to where the Lord takes us as churches in France and other countries as well as in us.

Your Kingdom come and keep on doing so, You will be done here as in in heaven and keep on doing so. Your power and glory being seen and appreciated in ever increasing ways, now and until on the very last, only known to you Father, day Jesus returns.

Pentecost

“Receive the Holy Spirit!'

 

Psalm 67 ^a

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.

1May God be gracious to us and bless us

and make his face shine on us— ^b

2so that your ways may be known on earth,

your salvation among all nations.

3May the peoples praise you, God;

may all the peoples praise you.

4May the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you rule the peoples with equity

and guide the nations of the earth.

5May the peoples praise you, God;

may all the peoples praise you.

6The land yields its harvest;

God, our God, blesses us.

7May God bless us still,

so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.

John 20:19-23

Jesus Appears to His Disciples

19On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 20After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

21Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 22And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

1 Corinthians 12:1-13

Concerning Spiritual Gifts

1Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

4There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, ^a and to still another the interpretation of tongues. ^b 11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.

Unity and Diversity in the Body

12Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by ^c one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

Acts 2:1-21

The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues ^a as the Spirit enabled them.

5Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, ^b 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11(both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

13Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

Peter Addresses the Crowd

14Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17“ ‘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.

18Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

and they will prophesy.

19I will show wonders in the heavens above

and signs on the earth below,

blood and fire and billows of smoke.

20The sun will be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood

before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

21And everyone who calls

on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ ^c