THE HOLY SPIRIT
Acts 1:4 and while being in their company and eating with them, he commanded them not to leave jerusalem but to wait for what the father had promised, of which [he said] you have heard me speak.(a) 5 for john baptized with water, but not many days from now you shall be baptized with ([a]placed in, introduced into) the holy spirit. 8 but you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the holy spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses in jerusalem and all judea and samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth.
Today I want to talk to you about one of the most important subjects you as person will ever hear.
- What he isn't
- What he is: a person
- Why we find it hard to understand how to relate to him
- Explanation of the trinity
The role of the members of the trinity:
The father issues the commands: He speaks
Jesus does it: He fulfils the command
The holy spirit manifests it : He reveals it
- The role of the Holy Spirit in salvation.
- Why was it good that Jesus left?
- The role of the Holy Spirit according to Jesus
John 14:15
If you [really] love me, you will keep (obey) my commands. 16 and I will ask the father, and he will give you another comforter (counselor, helper, intercessor, advocate, strengthener, and standby), that he may remain with you forever-- 17 the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see him or know and recognize him. But you know and recognize him, for he lives with you [constantly] and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn, helpless]; I will come [back] to you. 19 just a little while now, and the world will not see me any more, but you will see me; because i live, you will live also. 20 at that time [when that day comes] you will know [for yourselves] that i am in my father, and you [are] in me, and I [am] in you. 21 the person who has my commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves me; and whoever [really] loves me will be loved by my father, and i [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) myself to him. [I will let myself be clearly seen by him and make myself real to him.] 23 Jesus answered, if a person [really] loves me, he will keep my word [obey my teaching]; and my father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him. 24 anyone who does not [really] love me does not observe and obey my teaching. And the teaching which you hear and heed is not mine, but [comes] from the father who sent me. 25 I have told you these things while I am still with you.
26 but the comforter (counselor, helper, intercessor, advocate, strengthener, standby), the holy spirit, whom the father will send in my name [in my place, to represent me and act on my behalf], he will teach you all things. And he will cause you to recall (will remind you of, bring to your remembrance) everything i have told you.
27 peace I leave with you; my [own] peace i now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do i give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]
13 but when he, the spirit of truth (the truth-giving spirit) comes, he will guide you into all the truth (the whole, full truth). For he will not speak his own message [on his own authority]; but he will tell whatever he hears [from the father; he will give the message that has been given to him], and he will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].
14 he will honor and glorify me, because he will take of (receive, draw upon) what is mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.
15 everything that the father has is mine. That is what i meant when i said that he [the spirit] will take the things that are mine and will reveal (declare, disclose, transmit) it to you.
- Confusion about baptism in water and baptism in the holy spirit.
- How important did jesus regard the baptism of the spirit?
Luke 24:49 "I am going to send you what my father promised, but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
Acts 1:4 "don't leave jerusalem but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptised with water, but in a few days you will be baptised with the holy spirit"
NB: A persons last words before they leave are their most important.
What are the evidences of the baptism of the holy spirit?
(i) You receive power
Power to speak (Acts 4:31)
Acts 4:31 "after they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the holy spirit and spoke the word of god boldly"
Power to be above average (Acts 4:13)
Acts 4:13 "when they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled and ordinary men they were astonished and took note that these men had been with Jesus"
ii) You receive vision
Acts 2:17 "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."
(iii) A new prayer language
Romans 8:26 "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 with groans that words cannot express. 27 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."
2 for anyone who speaks in a tongue[a] does not speak to men but to god. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit
The difference between the gift of tongues and the baptism of the holy spirit.
1 Cor 14 1 follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the spirit, especially prophecy. 2 for anyone who speaks in a tongue[a] does not speak to people but to god. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the spirit. 3 but the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. 4 anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church. 5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues,[b] but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues,[c] unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified. 6 now, brothers and sisters, if I come to you and speak in tongues, what good will i be to you, unless i bring you some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or word of instruction? 7 even in the case of lifeless things that make sounds, such as the pipe or harp, how will anyone know what tune is being played unless there is a distinction in the notes? 8 again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? 9 so it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. 10 undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning.
11 if then i do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and the speaker is a foreigner to me. 12 so it is with you. Since you are eager for gifts of the spirit, try to excel in those that build up the church.13 for this reason the one who speaks in a tongue should pray that they may interpret what they say. 14 for if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful. 15 so what shall i do? I will pray with my spirit, but i will also pray with my understanding; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my understanding. 16 otherwise when you are praising god in the spirit, how can someone else, who is now put in the position of an inquirer,[d] say “amen” to your thanksgiving, since they do not know what you are saying? 17 you are giving thanks well enough, but no one else is edified.18 I thank god that I speak in tongues more than all of you. 19 but in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
20 brothers and sisters, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults. 21 in the law it is written: “with other tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me, Says the lord.”[e] 22 tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers. 23 so if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and inquirers or unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind? 24 but if an unbeliever or an inquirer comes in while everyone is prophesying, they are convicted of sin and are brought under judgment by all, 25 as the secrets of their hearts are laid bare. So they will fall down and worship god, exclaiming, “God is really among you!” 26 what then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 27 if anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret. 28 if there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and to god. 29 two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said.
30 and if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31 for you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. 32 the spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. 33 for god is not a god of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the lord’s people. 34 women[f] should remain silent in the churches. They are not allowed to speak, but must be in submission, as the law says. 35 if they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.[g] 36 or did the word of God originate with you? Or are you the only people it has reached? 37 if anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the spirit, let them acknowledge that what i am writing to you is the lord’s command. 38 but if anyone ignores this, they will themselves be ignored.[h] 39 therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 but everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
There is a big difference between the gift of tongues to be used in a meeting and tongues as the evidence of the baptism of the holy spirit.
1 Cor 12-14 is talking about the manifestation gifts of the holy spirit, not the baptism of the holy spirit.
We must understand that chapter 14 of 1 Cor is talking about the use of the gift of tongues in church. If we follow the line of reasoning that some people use to stop people speaking in tongues then we need to be consistent and tell the women to keep silent in the church. It must be read contextually.
Some say that according to 1 Cor 13 that tongues have ceased. In context it is referring to when we we see Jesus.
What does he want from us?
A) Availability
Luke 11:9 “so I say to you, ask and keep on asking, and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking, and you will find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 for everyone who [h]keeps on asking [persistently], receives; and he who keeps on seeking [persistently], finds; and to him who keeps on knocking [persistently], the door will be opened. 11 what father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 if you, then, being evil [that is, sinful by nature], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly father give the holy spirit to those who ask and continue to ask him!”
B) Hunger
John 7:37 on the last and greatest day of the festival, jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 whoever believes in me, as scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”[c] 39 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 not yet been glorified.
C) Relationship with him
D) Openness