16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. —John 14:16-18
This message begins a 4-part series focused on the person and work of the Holy Spirit. In this first message, we will learn about who the person of the Holy Spirit is, his purpose, and his presence in the life of the believer. The Holy Spirit is one of the least understood persons of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The real problem is not that the Holy Spirit has
, but that we do not . —Sinclair Ferguson
With that in mind, this message will bring to bear scriptural truth to help us understand who the person of the Holy Spirit is. This has critical ramifications for believers since we will learn directly what it is that Jesus had in mind when he informed his disciples of the Holy Spirit’s presence in their lives.
By way of background, beginning in the latter part of chapter 13 of the Gospel of John, Jesus tells his disciples that he is leaving, he is going to prepare a place for them, but this does little to assuage the loss and abandonment that was being expressed by the disciples. Their ministry had involved three years of walking, talking, and living with Jesus – the Savior of the world. Jesus encourages them by telling them that they will do greater works, and that anything that they ask through prayer will be done for them as they fulfill God’s will in their lives.
We cannot fulfill the mission that God has called us to without realizing the
THE PERSON OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
I. Jesus Identified who the Holy Spirit is…
A. His Personhood
He is “another” (allos) of the same kind (John 14:16).
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, —John 14:16
He is the “Helper”, Counselor, Advocate, Comforter, Parakletos
- B. His Personality
- He is part of the Trinity: “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper”
- If the Helper is “another of the same kind”, but not inferior
- He has a gender
Unless the believer understands that the Holy Spirit is
THE PURPOSE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
II. Jesus Identified what the Holy Spirit does…
A. The Holy Spirit performs the function of Jesus
To bear witness to the Father (14:9)
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? —John 14:9
To lead (Come follow Me, Matt 4:19), Teach (anxiety, Matt 6:26), Empower (All authority has been given to me…go, Matt 28:18-20)
19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” —Matthew 4:19
26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? —Matthew 6:26
18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” —Matthew 28:18-20
B. The Holy Spirit is a prosecutor (John 16:8-11)
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. —John 16:8-11
C. The Holy “Spirit is Truth” (John 14:6)
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. —John 14:6
D. The Holy Spirit perpetually (“forever”) aids the disciples
The benchmark of success in church services has become more about
than about the . —Francis Chan, Forgotten God
THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
III. Jesus Identified the Holy Spirit is active and trusted…
A. Dwelling in us (1 Cor 6:19-20).
19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. —I Corinthians 6:19-20
- He can be trusted upon.
- Greater works (John 14:12)
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. —John 14:12
The greater works that Jesus spoke of must be in context of
Small Group Questions
What did God teach you through this passage and sermon? Share the work of God in your heart with the group.
What questions did this passage and sermon raise in your mind? This would be a great opportunity as a group to use the Ask a Pastor feature and that way we can address it either directly or in the messages in the future.
How do the Scriptures help you understand who the person of the Holy Spirit is?
Why is it important to understand the purpose of the Holy Spirit, first in the context of our passage in John’s day, and then in our today?
How does the presence of the Holy Spirit encourage us as a Helper, Comforter, and Advocate today?