For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. - Romans 8:5
This morning we will complete our series on “The Works of the Holy Spirit”. I hope that you’ve enjoyed these messages. There is a lot of bad theology about the Holy Spirit being circulated within Christianity today, so it is imperative that we have a Biblically sound understanding of who He is and what He does. My prayer is that this study has helped all of us, myself included, to gain greater insight into the true nature and work of the Holy Spirit. This concluding sermon is titled “Some Final Words About the Holy Spirit”.
I. EMPOWERS WORSHIP
In last week’s message, we discussed the empowering work of the Holy Spirit and concluded that He empowers Christians to evangelize boldly and serve the Lord fruitfully. This morning, let’s add another activity that the Holy Spirit empowers believers to do. Remember the sermon from 2 weeks ago when we learned that the Holy Spirit exalts Christ? He encourages believers to do likewise. In other words, the Holy Spirit empowers Christian worship (Philippians 3:3).
In Biblical times, certain heathen people worshiped their false gods while in a drunken state. Paul urged Christians not to get drunk with wine, but rather to be filled by the Holy Spirit when they worshiped. They were not to be inebriated, but rather to be sober and willfully submitted to the influence of the Holy Spirit. A Spirit-filled worshiper will sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with a sincere heart. They will offer sincere praise, adoration, and thanksgiving to God (Ephesians 5:18-20).
The Bible states that God is spirit, and that those who worship Him must do so in spirit and truth (John 4:24). This verse is not talking about the Holy Spirit, but rather explaining that people are to worship God with their hearts, souls, and minds. Emotion is an important part of worship, but it must be based upon truth. The Holy Spirit stirs the believer’s human spirit, prompting them to offer genuine, authentic worship that is founded upon God’s unchanging Word.
II. CORPORATE MOVEMENT
In this series, we’ve focused primarily on the work of the Holy Spirit within the life of an individual believer. There are times when the Holy Spirit moves corporately within the lives of several believers in the same place at the same time. As more and more people submit to the Holy Spirit’s leading, a spiritual momentum builds. The movement may begin within the heart of a single person, or perhaps a small group, but then spreads to the entire congregation, campus, city, nation, or so on. Depending on the scale of the movement, it may be referred to as revival or spiritual awakening.
During a genuine move of the Holy Spirit, Jesus will be magnified. Sinners will come under conviction and be saved. Believers will confess unconfessed sins and seek forgiveness. There will be a sense of unity and fellowship among the group along with expressions of joyful praise and thanksgiving. People will be motivated to serve and contribute to the LORD’s kingdom work. They will boldly and unashamedly share the gospel. Finally, they will seek personal holiness through obedience to the Word and will of God.
III. REVIEW OF WORKS
The Holy Spirit is the executor of all divine operations. Everything that the Father wills, plans, or devises to do, and everything that the Son has secured through His redemptive work, is executed or applied in creation by the Holy Spirit. Before bringing this series to a close, let’s review the major works of the Holy Spirit that we’ve discussed over the past 3 months.
1. Convicts the Lost unto Salvation - The Holy Spirit enables unsaved sinners to realize their guilt, depravity, and need for forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
2. Convicts Believers unto Confession - The Holy Spirit brings unconfessed sin to a believers attention they may seek forgiveness and walk in closer fellowship with God.
3. Restrains the Rise of the Antichrist - The Holy Spirit’s presence on earth within the lives of Christians prevents the rise of the Antichrist thereby delaying God’s final judgment.
4. Effects All Aspects of a Believer’s Salvation - The Holy Spirit is responsible for a repentant sinner’s regeneration, justification, sanctification, and eventual glorification.
5. Baptizes New Believers Into the Body of Christ - The Holy Spirit adds new believers to the Body of Christ, identifying them with Jesus and making them members of His church.
6. Adopts New Believers Into the Family of God - The Holy Spirit incorporates new believers into the family of God making them siblings with one another and heirs of His inheritance.
7. Gives Spiritual Gifts to All Believers - The Holy Spirit bestows 1 or more spiritual gifts to each Christian to be used for the edification of the church.
8. Inspired the Writing of the Bible - The Holy Spirit guided the writing of the Bible to ensure that it was a perfect, accurate, and sufficient record of God’s revelation to mankind.
9. Illuminates the Meaning of the Bible to Believers - The Holy Spirit enlightens the minds of Christians to understand the Bible.
10. Seals Believers Until the Day of Redemption - The Holy Spirit marks a believer as God’s own possession and guarantees their salvation.
11. Comforts Believers in Their Distress - The Holy Spirit helps and consoles Christians in the sufferings, grief, and anxiety.
12. Guides Believers in their Christian Walk - The Holy Spirit advises and counsels believers so that they can discern the will of God and walk in it.
13. Cultivates Christian Character (Produces Fruit) - The Holy Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
14. Leads Believers to Pray in God’s Will - The Holy Spirit communicates God’s will to believers that they might pray more effectively.
15. Intercedes on Behalf of Believers - The Holy Spirit prays for Christians in their weakness when they do not know how to pray for themselves.
16. Exalts and Echoes Jesus Christ - The Holy Spirit does not seek HIs own attention or speak from Himself, but rather glorifies Christ and calls attention to His words.
17. Empowers Believers to Worship, Evangelize, and Serve - The Holy Spirit strengthens believers to do those things which God has called them to do.
CONCLUSION
I want to conclude our study by reading a paragraph from The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 that summarizes our denominational beliefs about the Holy Spirit. As I read it, try to identify the various works of the Holy Spirit that we’ve covered during the past weeks.
“The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.”
May each of us hoist the sails of our hearts in faithful obedience to God, that He would fill us with the mighty wind of the Holy Spirit and propel us by His strength in the direction He wants us to go!
This morning we will complete our series on “The Works of the Holy Spirit”. I hope that you’ve enjoyed these messages. There is a lot of bad theology about the Holy Spirit being circulated within Christianity today, so it is imperative that we have a Biblically sound understanding of who He is and what He does. My prayer is that this study has helped all of us, myself included, to gain greater insight into the true nature and work of the Holy Spirit. This concluding sermon is titled “Some Final Words About the Holy Spirit”.
I. EMPOWERS WORSHIP
In last week’s message, we discussed the empowering work of the Holy Spirit and concluded that He empowers Christians to evangelize boldly and serve the Lord fruitfully. This morning, let’s add another activity that the Holy Spirit empowers believers to do. Remember the sermon from 2 weeks ago when we learned that the Holy Spirit exalts Christ? He encourages believers to do likewise. In other words, the Holy Spirit empowers Christian worship (Philippians 3:3).
In Biblical times, certain heathen people worshiped their false gods while in a drunken state. Paul urged Christians not to get drunk with wine, but rather to be filled by the Holy Spirit when they worshiped. They were not to be inebriated, but rather to be sober and willfully submitted to the influence of the Holy Spirit. A Spirit-filled worshiper will sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with a sincere heart. They will offer sincere praise, adoration, and thanksgiving to God (Ephesians 5:18-20).
The Bible states that God is spirit, and that those who worship Him must do so in spirit and truth (John 4:24). This verse is not talking about the Holy Spirit, but rather explaining that people are to worship God with their hearts, souls, and minds. Emotion is an important part of worship, but it must be based upon truth. The Holy Spirit stirs the believer’s human spirit, prompting them to offer genuine, authentic worship that is founded upon God’s unchanging Word.
II. CORPORATE MOVEMENT
In this series, we’ve focused primarily on the work of the Holy Spirit within the life of an individual believer. There are times when the Holy Spirit moves corporately within the lives of several believers in the same place at the same time. As more and more people submit to the Holy Spirit’s leading, a spiritual momentum builds. The movement may begin within the heart of a single person, or perhaps a small group, but then spreads to the entire congregation, campus, city, nation, or so on. Depending on the scale of the movement, it may be referred to as revival or spiritual awakening.
During a genuine move of the Holy Spirit, Jesus will be magnified. Sinners will come under conviction and be saved. Believers will confess unconfessed sins and seek forgiveness. There will be a sense of unity and fellowship among the group along with expressions of joyful praise and thanksgiving. People will be motivated to serve and contribute to the LORD’s kingdom work. They will boldly and unashamedly share the gospel. Finally, they will seek personal holiness through obedience to the Word and will of God.
III. REVIEW OF WORKS
The Holy Spirit is the executor of all divine operations. Everything that the Father wills, plans, or devises to do, and everything that the Son has secured through His redemptive work, is executed or applied in creation by the Holy Spirit. Before bringing this series to a close, let’s review the major works of the Holy Spirit that we’ve discussed over the past 3 months.
1. Convicts the Lost unto Salvation - The Holy Spirit enables unsaved sinners to realize their guilt, depravity, and need for forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
2. Convicts Believers unto Confession - The Holy Spirit brings unconfessed sin to a believers attention they may seek forgiveness and walk in closer fellowship with God.
3. Restrains the Rise of the Antichrist - The Holy Spirit’s presence on earth within the lives of Christians prevents the rise of the Antichrist thereby delaying God’s final judgment.
4. Effects All Aspects of a Believer’s Salvation - The Holy Spirit is responsible for a repentant sinner’s regeneration, justification, sanctification, and eventual glorification.
5. Baptizes New Believers Into the Body of Christ - The Holy Spirit adds new believers to the Body of Christ, identifying them with Jesus and making them members of His church.
6. Adopts New Believers Into the Family of God - The Holy Spirit incorporates new believers into the family of God making them siblings with one another and heirs of His inheritance.
7. Gives Spiritual Gifts to All Believers - The Holy Spirit bestows 1 or more spiritual gifts to each Christian to be used for the edification of the church.
8. Inspired the Writing of the Bible - The Holy Spirit guided the writing of the Bible to ensure that it was a perfect, accurate, and sufficient record of God’s revelation to mankind.
9. Illuminates the Meaning of the Bible to Believers - The Holy Spirit enlightens the minds of Christians to understand the Bible.
10. Seals Believers Until the Day of Redemption - The Holy Spirit marks a believer as God’s own possession and guarantees their salvation.
11. Comforts Believers in Their Distress - The Holy Spirit helps and consoles Christians in the sufferings, grief, and anxiety.
12. Guides Believers in their Christian Walk - The Holy Spirit advises and counsels believers so that they can discern the will of God and walk in it.
13. Cultivates Christian Character (Produces Fruit) - The Holy Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
14. Leads Believers to Pray in God’s Will - The Holy Spirit communicates God’s will to believers that they might pray more effectively.
15. Intercedes on Behalf of Believers - The Holy Spirit prays for Christians in their weakness when they do not know how to pray for themselves.
16. Exalts and Echoes Jesus Christ - The Holy Spirit does not seek HIs own attention or speak from Himself, but rather glorifies Christ and calls attention to His words.
17. Empowers Believers to Worship, Evangelize, and Serve - The Holy Spirit strengthens believers to do those things which God has called them to do.
CONCLUSION
I want to conclude our study by reading a paragraph from The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 that summarizes our denominational beliefs about the Holy Spirit. As I read it, try to identify the various works of the Holy Spirit that we’ve covered during the past weeks.
“The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Saviour, and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.”
May each of us hoist the sails of our hearts in faithful obedience to God, that He would fill us with the mighty wind of the Holy Spirit and propel us by His strength in the direction He wants us to go!