Jeffrey C. Long

This is part 2 of a sermon that was preached on September 25th, 2005 at Filer Mennonite Church. To read part one, please click on the link here.

What does the Bible say about The Holy Spirit?

1. The Holy Spirit is a comforter

John 14:16 I will pray to the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may be with you forever

2. The Holy Spirit is a teacher of what Jesus taught.

John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.

This is very important when you experience the supernatural. Test the spirit by lining it up with the teachings of Jesus. If a spirit teaches contrary to Jesus then it is not the Holy Spirit.

Hans Denk an early anabaptist writer said

“Whoever thinks that he can observe the law by means of the Book ascribes to the dead letter what belongs to the living Spirit. Whoever does not have the Spirit and imagines that he will find him in Scripture looks for light and finds darkness, looks for life and finds only death.”

3. The Holy Spirit testifies to Jesus

John 15:26 ““When the Counselor has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will testify about me.”

4. The Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth

John 16:7-15 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth: It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I don’t go away, the Counselor won’t come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he has come, he will convict the world about sin, about righteousness, and about judgment; 9 about sin, because they don’t believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to my Father, and you won’t see me any more; 11 about judgment, because the prince of this world has been judged.

12 “I have yet many things to tell you, but you can’t bear them now. 13 However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take from what is mine, and will declare it to you. 15 All things whatever the Father has are mine; therefore I said that he takes of mine, and will declare it to you.

5. The Holy Spirit gives us power to be witnesses of Jesus

Acts 1:4, 5, 8 Being assembled together with them, he charged them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. 5 For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”

A.W. Tozer wrote

“if the Holy Spirit were taken away from the first century church, 90 percent of what they did would come to a halt. But if the Holy Spirit were taken away from the 21st century chruch, only 10 percent of what it does would cease to exist.

What is the filling of the Holy Spirit?

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What is the filling of the Holy Spirit?

I like to call myself a frustrated pentecostal. I believe that the gifts of the Spirit are still present. I’m frustrated because a subconscious part of me still believes my pentecostal upbringing that the gifts of the spirit are only manifested in supernatural signs like tongues. But consciously I am more like the charismatics that teach that the gifts of the spirit are not only manifesting in supernatural signs. How difficult it is to undo the teachings of our childhood.

Anyway, I believe that when we become a Christian we are initially filled with the Spirit. But fillings are not just when we become a Christian

The book of Acts tells multiple stories of people being repeatedly filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 4:8, 10-12 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “You rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 10 be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, in him does this man stand here before you whole. 12 There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!”

Acts 4:31When they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were gathered together. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

Acts 13:9 But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fastened his eyes on him,

Contrast

“Believers often fall into one of two camps regarding the ministry and gifts of the HOly Spirit. One extreme emphasizes the work of the Holy Spirit in practically everything they say and do. They have conferences on the Spirit, sing songs about the Spirit, and constantly talk about the work and the gifts of the Spirit. Often they are so busy seeking direct revelations from the Spirit of God that they overlook the clear written revelation in the Word of God. Although these believers may have a genuine love for the Lord, their desire to witness “power” has led them into unscriptural practices.”

“At the other end of the spectrum, we have Christians whose focus is on Bible exposition. They study the Word, learn the Word, and memorize the Word (as we all should). Unfortunately, however, sometimes these zealous students or Scripture are close-minded to the working of God’s Spirit. They can be very knowledgeable about the Spirit and yet quench the Spirit by not allowing Him to move in their lives outside their time-honored traditions.”

“The key is balance: knowing the Word of God and implementing the practical power of God’s Spirit.

A good example of the need for balance is in Acts 2:16 Peter put speaking in tongues and prophecying in the context of God’s Word. “This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel.”

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