JESUS: THE GREAT GIFT GIVER
Sermon from Alan Carr
Intro: As Jesus and His Disciples made their way from the Upper Room to Gethsemane, Jesus taught them many valuable truths. As I have stated previously, these men are understandably upset at the notion that Jesus is going to be taken from their midst. Because of their distress, Jesus gave them the truths contained in chapters 14-16 to encourage them and to comfort them concerning the future. In this passage, Jesus is telling them of His Spirit. He promises that when He goes away, He will deliver unto them a great gift. That gift is the Holy Spirit of God.
This morning, I would like for us to look into these verses and see a portrait of Jesus: The Great Gift Giver. While the passage is all about Jesus Christ, the emphasis is on the gift. Therefore, let's take some time this morning to come to understand the Holy Ghost a little better.
By way of introduction, let me say that I often feel sorry for the Holy Spirit. Why? Because He is the most misunderstood, the most often ignored and the most underappreciated member of the Trinity. My aim this morning is to have you become better acquainted with this wonderful gift that we have been given. Let's consider Jesus: The Great Gift Giver this morning.
I. V. 7 THE WORTH OF THE GREAT GIFT
(Ill. Jesus told His men that it was "expedient" the He go away. This word simply means that it is profitable for the Disciples of Jesus for Him to leave. How would that be possible? Well, to understand the worth of this great gift, we must first come to understand something of His nature. Consider the following:
A. The Personality Of The Great Gift - Please notice that the Spirit of God is a "He" and not and "it"! He is co-equal with the Father and the Son and is as much God as they are, 1 John 5:7. However, His status as a Person is further illustrated by the Bible's use of pronouns when referring to the Holy Spirit. Notice John 16:7-8; 15-13; 14:16-18. Look at every instance of He and Him. Other truths that let us know the He is a Person are these:
1. He can be "grieved." - Eph. 4:30 (Grieve - to make sad or sorry.)
2. He can be "quenched." - 1 Thes. 5:19 (Quench - To put out a fire.)
3. He can be "lied to." - Acts 5:1-11
(Ill. Two other facts are worthy of special notice:
1. In John 14:16, Jesus referred to the Spirit as "another Comforter." The word "another" comes from the word "allos" which refers to "one of the same kind or quality." It implies a state of equality an sameness!
2. According to John 16:13-14 and John 15:26, the Holy Spirit will never promote Himself. He is in the sole business of pointing men to Jesus. I realize this flies in the face of many modern movements where the Spirit is emphasized in the services, but in truth, He did not come to make a name for Himself, He came to point men to Jesus!)
B. The Power Of The Great Gift - Note that the Spirit is called by the name "Comforter." This word comes to us from the Greek word "parakletos". It refers to "an assistant, a helper. One who comes alongside of another to offer aid. It can refer to a defense attorney." In reference to the Spirit, it refers to Him as One who comes alongside the saint of God to offer help for the journey. He comes to our aid. He encourages us. He teaches us those things we need to know. May I be so bold as to say that the Holy Spirit is the saint's best friend on earth?!
(Ill. It would be absolutely impossible to live the Christian life without the presence of the Holy Spirit. If He did not live within the child of God and give direction minute by minute, we would never be able to do the work of the Lord. Please bear in mind that even the Lord Jesus Christ lived His live solely in the power of the Holy Ghost, Matt. 3:17-18; Phil. 2:5-8. Jesus did not come into this world to live a God in a man's suit. He came to live as a man, fulfilling all the demands of God's righteousness. He came to live the kind of life that is possible only through the power of the Spirit of God.)
C. The Permanence Of The Great Gift - According to the Bible, the Spirit of God comes into a life at the moment of conversion, 1 Cor. 12:13, and then He just never leaves, John 14:16.
(Ill. There are many groups who say that a person must be saved by faith in Jesus and then at some later date that same person can meet a list of demands and then they can receive the Holy Spirit. When in truth, if you do not have the Spirit of God, then you do not have the Son of God, Rom. 8:9. They come together as part of the same package. You see, you can't have One without the Other!
(Ill. Here is where the true worth of the Great Gift is clearly in view. The fact the He comes into the life of the believer and dwells in him is a remarkable thing. You see, Jesus, in His human body, is limited to one geographic location at a time. Also, in his body, it is impossible for Him to dwell in you. However, in the Person of the Holy Spirit, He is able to dwell in every child of God at all times! That is a thing of great value!)
I. The Worth Of The Great Gift
II. V. 7-15 THE WORK OF THE GREAT GIFT
(Ill. In 2 Thes. 2:7, we are told of the Spirit's Restraining Ministry. In John 3:5, we are told of the Spirit's Regenerating Ministry. In these verses, we are told about the Spirit's Reproving Ministry.)
A. V. 8-11 In The Lives Of Sinners - In relation to those outside Jesus, the Spirit of God performs a two-fold work.
1.) He Convicts - That is, He points out wrong and sin.
2.) He Convinces - That is, He points the lost person toward the truth. He reveals the truth of God to hearts that have been opened to it through the ministry of conviction.
This ministry involves Conviction and Convincing in the areas of:
1. Sin - The Holy Spirit convicts the lost sinner of the fact of his sinfulness. He makes Romans 3:23 and 3:10 to become real to the heart of the sinner. He points out their sin! (Ill. Men may deny personal sin, but when the Spirit of God comes by in conviction, the sinner knows that he is guilty! Ill. Conviction may not be very pleasant, but it is essential and it is a blessing from the Lord!)
(Ill. Not only does the Spirit convict of sin, but He also convinces of unbelief. That is, He teaches men the foolishness of not believing in Jesus. He show the sinner that unbelief is wrong. In fact, if there must be a classification of sins by their awfulness. The worse son a person can ever commit is not murder, blaspheme, abortion, adultery, etc. The worse sin a person can commit is unbelief - John 8:24. After all, it is the only sin that will send man to Hell! Thankfully, the Spirit of God just doesn't show us the bad side and then leave us to twist in the wind, but He points us to where salvation can be found - John 3:16. Verses like that one have been sprinkled throughout the New Testament to give hope and direction to every seeking sinner.)
2. Righteousness - The Holy Spirit convicts the lost man of the need for getting right with God. He produces in the heart of the lost a deep seated feeling of filthiness. We need to remember that we are absolutely unrighteous in and of ourselves! According to Isaiah 64:6, the very best we can produce is a pile of filthy, stinking, putrid rags. The term in Isaiah literally refers to menstrual wiping cloths. Totally defiled and absolutely wretched!
(Yet, in His convincing ministry, He points us to the truth that Jesus has paid the price for sin and that He has been accepted by the Father. Now, anyone who places their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation will be saved and declared righteous by God in Heaven. The righteousness of Jesus will be "imputed" to anyone who receives Him, Rom. 4:24! There is hope! Don't run from Jesus, rather run to Him!)
3. Judgment - The Spirit of God convicts the heart of man about the reality of approaching judgment and condemnation. Ill. Men may joke about Hell, and they may even use the word Hell as a by word in every day language, but deep in the soul of man, he knows that when he leaves this world without Jesus, that he is headed to a Christless eternity in Hell!
(While He convicts men of approaching judgment, He also convinces men of the great truth that the price of judgment has already been paid in full! He teaches us that when Jesus went to Calvary and died, that He satisfied the demands of God for sin and that judgment has already been passed. You see, Satan and sin have already been judged, all that remains is for the death sentence to be carried out.)
B. V. 12-15 In The Lives Of The Saints - While the Holy Spirit is active in the lives of unbelievers, He is also very active in the lives of God's people. There are several ministries that He conducts in our lives. Notice what they are:
1. Indwelling - John 14:17 - He lives inside every child of God!
2. Instructing - John 16:13 - He is present to give direction in the way of God, the will of God and the Word of God.
3. Infilling- Ephesians 5:18 - The Spirit of God desires to fill our lives with His presence and power so that we might be able to serve the Lord in an abundant and glorious manner. (Ill. This is a command! We are told, "You go on being filled with the Spirit!"
4. Enabling - Acts 1:8 - What transformed the Disciples from a group of terrified men hiding in an upper room into a group of men who took the world by storm? The power of the Holy Spirit!
(Ill. The Spirit of God is a giver of gifts - 1 Cor. 12:7, 11.
5. Encouraging - John 14:18 - The Spirit of God carries out a blessed ministry of encouragement in the lives of God's children. He knows every trial we face and He is able to support us, aid us and keep us during all of life's difficult times. How is this possible? He is ever with us, Heb. 13:5; Matt. 28:20; He even helps us in our prayer lives - Rom. 8:26-27.
I. The Worth Of The Great Gift
II. The Work Of The Great Gift
III. 14:16-18 THE WONDER OF THE GREAT GIFT
(Ill. The fact that the Holy Spirit is a wonderful gift should be abundantly apparent by now. However, I would like to point out three great truths that illustrate the wonder of the great gift.)
A. V. 17 The Wonder Lies In His Presence In our Lives - Just the simple truth every child of God is a living, breathing Temple of God is astounding - 1 Cor. 6:19. Think about it, there is nowhere we can go and be separated from the presence of God. Everywhere we go, He goes in us! The key to experiencing this is learning to yield to him so that He won't just be in us, but that He will also be able to live through us.
B. V. 16 The Wonder Lies In His Permanence In Our Lives - Once and person is saved by the grace of God, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in that life. At the very instant of salvation, the Spirit of God is sealed in the heart of the believer and will remain there until this life is over - Eph. 4:30.
(Ill. Someone may ask about backsliders. When a person backslides, don't they lose their salvation and also the Holy Spirit? No! He will be quenched and He will be grieved, bu He is sealed inside the believers and He will abide there forever. You can't get away from Him - 2 Tim. 2:13.)
C. V. 16 The Wonder Lies In His Performance In Our Lives - As I said at the outset, the Holy Spirit is the most misunderstood, most neglected and most often ignored member of the Trinity. Yet, as far as our day to day lives are concerned, He is the most active in our lives and the One on Whom we are most dependent. Therefore, instead of ignoring Him and being afraid of Him, let's rejoice in the gift we have been given and allow him to have His way in our lives so that we might serve the Lord in a deeper, fuller way.
(Ill. His performance is astounding! He is able to take a man who is headed for Hell and who doesn't care about God, and take that man, bring him under conviction of sin, point him to Calvary and then save him by the grace of God. After he saves the lost man, he then takes that life that was so wicked and wretched and He turns it around and makes it a thing of honor and glory to the Lord, 2 Cor. 4:7. Then, He uses that new life to carry the Gospel to other sinners who need to meet the same life changing Savior, and the process begins again! To me, that is a thing of wonder!)
Conc: Where did this message find you today?
Did this message come to you as you are struggling in sin? Maybe you know that your are lost and that if you die, you will go to Hell. That is the Holy Spirit speaking to you. My challenge to you this morning is for you to come to this altar and for you to ask Jesus into your heart and life.
Did this message find you already saved, but living in your own power and energy? My challenge to you is also for you to come to this altar and confess you sins to the Lord and He will forgive you and use you again for His glory.
Did this message find you saved, but struggling with the difficulties and burdens of life? My challenge to you is that you also come to this altar and there lay your burdens out before the Lord who cares for you and who will come alongside of you in the Person of His Spirit and will help you through this difficult time.
Wherever the Lord may have found you this morning, please know that you do not have to remain there. Whatever your need is today, I challenge you to bring your life to Jesus and that you allow Him to do His great work in you. Why not come to Him and experience the great gift of the great gift giver right now?
No comments:
Post a Comment