God's Gift of the Holy Spirit: Part 2

But tarry you in the city of Jerusalem until you be endured with power from on high. Acts one four, and being assembled together with them, commanded them, that is Jesus, his disciples, that they should not depart from Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the father, which saith he, you have heard of me. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Lord, we thank you for this day and thank you Lord for all that have come. We thank you for the opportunity to sing praises to your name of all the wonderful and mighty works that you have done particularly today of the incarnation and what that means to us who have come to know Christ as Lord and savior.

Lord, we thank you today and we pray Lord as we look into your word today that the holy spirit would use it to open our eyes to convict us of sin, to challenge us in your service, to conform us to the image of your son today. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen. So, Jesus told his disciples that he would send after his departure back to heaven. He died.

He rose again three days later. About fifty days later, on the day of Pentecost, he ascended back up not just before the day of Pentecost, he ascended back up to where? He ascended back up to heaven to be with the father. Where he's preparing a place for us who love him, where he intercedes there, in our behalf, every minute of every day. But when he went, he said to his disciples, to not be troubled, that he would send the what?

The comforter. The disciples were concerned. Well, if you're going to leave, what's that going to, we're going to be what? All alone and Jesus says, no, you won't be all alone. I will send you a comforter and in John fourteen, fifteen and sixteen, we read these passages last week.

We saw the promises that God made to his disciples concerning the one he would send, the comforter, the promise of the father from heaven who would be with them, who would never leave them nor forsake them, who would help them in the task that was laid out before them, who would be their teacher and their guide, reminding them of all that Christ had said, leading them into the truth, guiding them in the will of God. What a wonderful gift. What a wonderful promise. And I can only imagine the disciples anticipation as Jesus departed and told them to go back and wait for the what? And wait for the promise.

Wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Get up on Christmas morning as a child and you just can't wait to go in there and grab your presents and open em up. Because of your anticipation they went and they prayed and they waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit and he came. Acts chapter two, we read last week records the coming of the Holy Spirit. Now, not as though the Holy Spirit hadn't been here before.

Not as though the Holy Spirit had not done many wonderful works and people in the Old Testament as we covered last week but in a new fashion, the Holy Spirit was coming to live in the heart of every believer. To be their comforter and teacher and guide and many other things we're going to look at this morning and in Acts chapter two with great fanfare, the Holy Spirit came. The church was born. He filled and enabled them on that day to come forth out of that gathering place speaking in the native tongues of people gathered from all the world in Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost. Speaking languages unknown to themselves.

Garner the attention of people that something miraculous had happened and it had. The Holy Spirit had come. The prophecy of Joel had been fulfilled as Peter relayed in Acts chapter two and then the Holy Spirit emboldened Peter and he stood up and everybody else got quiet and he preached the gospel of Jesus Christ and he told people that the one they had crucified days earlier was the son of God. That he was the Messiah and that they needed to repent, to change their mind, to turn from their wickedness of unbelief, and to place their faith in Jesus Christ and the same holy spirit that the apostles and others gathered in that upper room had would also be theirs. And ours.

And all who come to Christ by faith. Receive the gift of God's holy spirit. For this was just the beginning. Others would follow turning the world upside down as one critic would later comment of Paul and his associates who by the power of this same spirit brought good news of the gospel to the Gentile world and people got saved. They were born again by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Their lives were changed. They were welcomed into the family of God I would like to take a few minutes more today to unwrap this incredible gift presented us by the father and son and examine from the scripture the work that the Holy Spirit does in the lives of his people today that we might better appreciate and use utilize this most blessed gift which we often take for granted. I have a present up here. Thanks to Cheryl that she handed out for Wednesday night to the kids and this one evidently was an extra and so it's my illustration today. If you have a gift you want to do what with it?

You want to unwrap it. You want to open it and you want to see what's inside. Okay? And there's gingerbread man and there's more gingerbread man and there's cookies and those are sugar cookies and there's wow. There's all kinds of stuff.

Anyway, so, sorry. It's for me, not you. Alright. I'm just kidding. The gift that we have today from God is a gift to what?

All of us who come to faith in Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter what what background, what ethnicity, what level of finances, none of that matters. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. Amen. And God gives to those who come to him by faith salvation, and this holy spirit.

We'll take a few minutes again to just unwrap this wonderful gift and see what he means and what he does for each and everyone of us that we might appreciate this gift more. The first thing I want us to see today is the Holy Spirit regenerates us. He regenerates us. That means he gives new life to that which was once lifeless. He makes new our cold and dead hearts lost in trespasses, dead in trespasses and in sins and he quickens us and he makes us alive.

Second Corinthians five seventeen. Second Corinthians five, it won't come to me. For if any man, there it is. For if any man be in Christ, he is a what? New creature.

All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. How does that happen? The Holy Spirit.

Moment of salvation making us a new person in Christ Jesus. Titus three five says, not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy, he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy ghost, the holy spirit. When you put your faith and trust in Jesus, when you call upon Jesus in faith, to forgive you of your sins, and to be your Lord. The Holy Spirit comes and he quickens us. That means he makes us alive spiritually.

Before we come to Christ, we are spiritually dead. When we come to Christ in faith, we are made spiritually alive. In Adam all die in Christ shall all be made alive by the power of the Holy Spirit who regenerates us. We're like that radio or TV or light bulb. It sits there lifeless.

It does nothing until you do what? Until you plug it in. Until you plug it in, you can play with the knobs and kick it and hit it and do whatever you want to. It is not going to come on. It is what?

Dead. When you plug it in, it comes to what? It comes to life. When you receive Christ as savior and you are regenerated by the power of holy spirit, you are made alive. Before that time, we're dead to God.

We're unresponsive but when you get saved and the holy spirit comes in, he changes you, doesn't he? Hasn't he? You that have it. You that have been saved. Hasn't he changed your life?

I know some of you that have been saved in the past couple years since I first met you and I can see what he's done in your life. And he's not done yet. Okay? But it's just started. In Roman John six sixty three, it says, it is the spirit that quickeneth.

The flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life. Second Corinthians three six, who also hath made us able ministers of the New Testament, not of the letter but of the spirit for the letter killeth but the spirit giveth what? It giveth life. The spirit giveth life.

The Old Testament law could not give life. It only pointed to the fact that we couldn't keep it. That's right. The Holy Spirit who who comes into the heart of every believer today. He gives life everlasting life.

John three, six, and seven. Jesus speaking to Nicodemus of the new birth says, that which is born of flesh is flesh. That which is born of spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, you must be born again. You must be born.

Again, born of the what? Born of the spirit through faith in the son who died on the cross for your sins and rose against. The only way to be born again. It's only way to have life in Jesus Christ is through faith in the Lord Jesus and the quickening power of the holy He regenerates us. Number two, he baptizes us.

He baptizes us. Now, I doesn't I don't mean the Holy Spirit takes you and floats you up here and dunks you in the water, okay? That's not what I mean, okay? There are two different baptisms in scripture. You may not have known that but there are two different baptisms.

There's a baptism of the Holy Spirit and there's the baptism of water. Okay? And the two though related to one another are not the same. When you get saved, when you trust Christ as savior, that same holy spirit that makes you alive baptizes you thus places you into the body of Christ by immersion in himself. The Holy Spirit places us into the body of Christ through immersion in himself.

He places us into the family of God whereby we all become members upon our profession of faith in Christ. We are baptized into the body of Christ. In Mark one:eight John the Baptist said this, I indeed have baptized you with what? Water. But he shall baptize you with what?

The Holy Ghost. Who is the he? The he is Jesus. John baptized people symbolically as a symbolic representation of their repentance of their sins. Jesus would do better.

He would baptize them not with water symbolically. He would baptize them literally and spiritually and eternally in his holy what? In his holy spirit. That their sins might all be washed away and that all Jew or Gentile alike through faith in Christ might become part of his glorious body and of his wonderful family. The baptism of John and in water and the baptism of the church today does not and cannot save anyone.

However, Jesus does save and that salvation is found in baptism not of water but of the holy spirit. First Corinthians twelve thirteen, for by one spirit, we are all baptized into one body. Whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have all been made to drink into one spirit. We all who know Christ have many things in common and one of those is we have the same what? Holy Spirit living inside of our heart that has placed us into the body of Christ.

Immersion in water symbolizes what has happened within and by it we are placed into a local church. Immersion in the spirit happens upon our confession of faith in Christ and by it, we are placed into the family of God. My question this morning, my earnest question is not whether you have been baptized in water but whether you have been saved and born again and baptized into his spirit. Today, when we are saved, when you are saved, you receive the same baptism. It makes no sense nor it is scriptural scripturally supportable to say as some do that you can be saved at one point and baptized by the spirit at a later point.

The two happen simultaneously. They're confusing the baptism of the Spirit with the filling of the Spirit. You can only be baptized in the Spirit once and that's when you are born again through faith in Jesus Christ. That is what happens. Salvation when we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ.

We are regenerated and baptized into the body of Christ. Number three, he seals us and is our earnest payment on eternity that assures us of a home in heaven forever. He regenerates us. He baptizes us. He seals us and is our earnest payment on eternity.

Now if you have Ephesians chapter one and verses thirteen and fourteen you can read along with me. Ephesians one thirteen and fourteen and it says there this, which is the earnest of verse 13. In whom you also trusted after that you heard the word of truth, that is trusted in Jesus Christ. After that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation in whom also after that you believed, you were what? Sealed with that holy spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory.

Two very important things there. The Holy Spirit seals us and he is our earnest payment until we reach where? Heaven. Until we take possession of our eternal inheritance in heaven. The Holy Spirit seals us until that day.

Ephesians four thirty, And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed until the day of redemption. Second Corinthians one twelve, Who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts. To seal in context meant to stamp or to sign or to use in Rome. They had a the leaders had a signet ring and when they made an issued a decree, they folded it up and they did what? They sealed it.

They sealed it with wax in their ring and that was done. It could not be what? It could not be changed. It could not be altered. It could not be open till the person to whom it was sent received it.

It was sealed. When you get saved and you're born again, the spirit seals you. He puts his seal upon you as a child of who? A child of God and that cannot be changed and that cannot be what? Altered.

No man can take us out of the father's hand. We are secure in him. We have been what? Sealed by the Holy Spirit. Philippians one six says, being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it, will finish it until the day of Jesus Christ.

When God began in you, when you trusted Christ as savior, you can be assured he will what? He will finish. He has sealed you by his spirit. He has given you the earnest that is the Holy Spirit is our down payment on eternity. Second Corinthians five five.

Now he that hath wrought us for the self same thing as God who hath also hath given unto us the earnest of the spirit. An earnest payment is often used in real estate sales today to assure the seller that the full amount is on its way. When you go to buy a house and you sign the initial contract before closing you give them a what? An earnest payment. What that payment?

It's usually a $1,000 $2,000 a small percentage of the amount the entire amount of the sale. You're giving them that amount to assure them that they are going to receive the what? The full amount. When the day of closing comes. So, the Holy Spirit is our earnest payment of complete redemption and a home in heaven.

A peace of heaven and eternity. We are given in advance. We haven't taken possession of our inheritance yet in heaven but we can be assured it is coming because we have who? We have the Holy Spirit. He is our earnest, our down payment that assures us of our home in heaven.

An earnest payment was similarly losing Christ's day in purchasing expensive items like a cow or given to a family of one to be wed. We call that a what? A dowry. This assured the family that their daughter would be wed at the appropriate time though it may be yet a ways off. Today, we do not usually give brides to be a dowry but the groom to be gives them a what?

A ring. We call it an engagement ring. What is that engagement ring represent? It is the earnest. It is the assurance.

That ring assures that the wedding is what? The wedding is coming. Now, people don't always keep their promises but you know who does? God always does and God's going to keep his promise and us who have been saved and sealed by the Holy Spirit, we have a home where? In heaven that faded not away Reserved in heaven for us who are kept by the power of who?

By the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last days. That's from first Peter one. The Holy Spirit is our engagement ring which assures us his children that the wedding day is coming. He seals us. Amen?

Amen. Regenerates us. He baptizes, seals us, and he indwells us. He takes up residence where? In your in our hearts, in you.

He takes up residence in you. He indwells us. John fourteen seventeen. Every even the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it see it him not. Those who reject Christ are not going to receive the what?

The spirit of truth which is the holy spirit but for us who have but you know him for he what? He dwelleth with you and shall be what? In you. The world who rejects Christ doesn't have the Holy Spirit. They don't know the Holy Spirit but you who are saved through the power of God and the Holy Spirit.

You know him. He doesn't just dwell with you as he did in those days when Christ was on the Earth but now after Pentecost, he dwells where? He dwells in us. He dwells within us. He has taken up residence in us, in our hearts.

We become his temple. As God's very present presence resides in us personally as he did corporately among the nation of Israel. They had a temple to go to worship at. Today, we are the temple. This building is not called a temple.

Why? Because the spirit of God does not dwell in this building. It dwells where? In you. Now, when you come to this building, guess where it dwells?

In this building. But when you go home, you are still the one. You're still the temple because he dwells. He has taken up abode in you. What know you not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own, for you are bought with a price.

Second Corinthians six sixteen, and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. What's the temple? That's the place of his residence that where he lives. For you are the temple living God as God has said, I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people.

That's a promise God made to Israel in the Old Testament. They had the law. They couldn't keep the law. They were they were frustrated. They failed over and over again.

They had the symbolism of the temple and they would come with the animal and the sacrifice to cover their sins but we have something better. We have Jesus Christ. We have salvation from sin and we have the holy spirit who dwells in us today. Romans eight nine. But you are not in the flesh but in the spirit.

If so be the spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he is none his. Once again the bible is very clear cut. You have the spirit or you don't. If you have the spirit you are a what?

A child of God. If you don't have the spirit you're not a child of God. There isn't this any of this half in, out, get the spirit later. You get the spirit when you're born again. That's how you're born again.

You trust in Christ, the spirit gives you life in Jesus Christ and you have the what? Spirit. If you've never been saved, guess what? You don't have the spirit but he's offered as Peter offered on the day of Pentecost. If you will repent and trust Christ, you can be saved.

Eternal life be born again by this very same spirit. The spirit that indwells every believer is as we mentioned earlier our comforter. He comforts us. He goes with us. We're not alone.

He will never what? Leave us nor forsake us. He as we saw last, he is our teacher and our guide in the knowledge of Jesus Christ and the understanding of the scriptures. He convicts us of wrong. He leads us in the right.

He is our teacher who is always with us. Anytime you pick up the word of God, anytime you bring the word of God, the sword of the spirit to mind, the holy spirit is there to use it and wield it in our lives and in the lives of others. He is there to teach us and guide us. If we will but listen, if we will but pick up the sword of the spirit and give him something to work with. He is there.

He will guide us. If you lack wisdom, ask of God. He will give you wisdom. He will guide you. And then he empowers us.

He empowers us to do his will. What did Jesus say to his disciples? He said, but you shall receive power after that the what? The Holy Ghost has come upon you. Ye shall be my witnesses.

In Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and under the uttermost parts of the earth, he told them, go back to Jerusalem and he said, wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit but when you were shall receive the Holy Spirit, then, you will be empowered to go and do. What I've called you to do. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. By the power of the holy spirit he's given me. I can do all things.

I have God's power dwelling, living inside of me. The devil cannot tell me I can't do it. The world cannot tell me I can't do it. The flesh cannot stop me if I am walking in the what? Walking in the spirit.

The spirit empowers us to do his will. He fills us and answer to our prayers that we might proclaim the gospel with boldness and effectiveness in bringing the lost to Christ. We need the filling of the holy spirit. He felt not that we only have a part of him and we need the rest of him. No, you either have him or you don't.

Filling means control and as we yield ourselves to Lord and we cry out for his help, he can fill us with his spirit. And empower us in his service. Ephesians five eighteen says, be not drunk with wine whereas in excess but be what? Filled with the spirit. Don't be under the influence of alcohol.

Be under the influence of God. The holy spirit who lives inside of you. In Acts four thirty one, it says this, the the the disciples in the early church and when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they assembled together and they were all filled with the holy ghost and they spake the word of God with what? With boldness. What was the manifestation of this filling?

They went out from the place and they preached the what? They preached the gospel and people were saved. If we would yield ourselves, if we would come to the Lord with repentant and humble heart and seek his power that only he can give, we too can be filled with the spirit and used in his service. Emboldened to speak his word, not just the apostles, not just the pastor, but every child of God who has the holy spirit can be empowered in his service. He gives us victory over the flesh and the devil.

Producing in us the fruit of the spirit. Look if you would Galatians chapter five. If you happen to be in Ephesians, you only gotta turn back one page or two. Galatians chapter five, the Holy Spirit gives us victory over the flesh and the devil. The Bible says, greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.

Who is in you? The Holy Spirit. He is greater than the devil. He is greater than your trial. He is greater than your temptation and your sin.

He can give you what? Victory. Galatians five sixteen. This I say then, walk in the spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit.

The spirit against the flesh. These are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot do the things you would. But if you be led by the spirit, you are not under the law. Now, the works of the flesh are manifest which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lascivious, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like of which I tell you before as I have also told you in times past that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God but the fruit of the spirit is what? Love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, against such there is no law.

God who has given us his spirit has given us his spirit to produce in us the fruits of the spirit that are listed here. In order that we might conquer the lusts of the what? The lust of the flesh. And if we will walk in the spirit and if we will be led by the spirit and the word of God, we will get victory. You say, but pastor, I have this issue and I have that issue.

Yes, you're not the only one. But know this, there is victory in Jesus Christ. You can conquer that addiction. You can conquer that temptation. You can do the things God has asked you to do.

You can conquer that fear. You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. You walk in the spirit. He will produce the fruit in your life. That can know in no other way be produced.

It is the fruit of the spirit. He indwells us. He comfort us, teachers, guides us. He fills us. He gives us victory and he bestows upon us last point this morning, the gifts of the spirit.

Look if you would in Romans chapter 12. He bestows upon his children. There are several lists. We'll look at the one from Romans 12 this morning. He gives us gifts.

The Holy Spirit provides us with the ability to do the things particularly that God has called you to do. You say, pastor, God hasn't called me to be a preacher. No, he doesn't call everybody to be a preacher. God hasn't called me to be a missionary. He doesn't call everybody to be a missionary.

God hasn't called me to do this or that but God has called you to something. God has a ministry for you and he has gifted everybody in the body of Christ through the Holy Spirit gifts. Yes. To be used in his service. And some of them are listed here for us in Romans 12.

Romans 12 verse six. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophecy according to proportion of faith or ministry. Let us wait on our ministering or he that teacheth on teaching or he that exhorted on exhortation, he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity. He that ruleth with diligence, he that showeth mercy with cheerfulness. Let love be without dimmit dissimulation, pour that which is evil, cleave to that which is good.

God has given us by his spirit wonderful gifts. They are different and distinct and unique for each one of us for we have been equipped by the Holy Spirit to fulfill the ministry that God has for you. Yes, he has a ministry for you and he has equipped you by his Holy Spirit to fulfill that ministry. What a wonderful, wonderful thing. God has given to us in the Holy Spirit.

Are you using the gifts? God has given you in his service. You know, just sitting in a pew and by the way, don't get me wrong. I'm glad you're here this morning sitting in a pew, okay? But just sitting in a pew alone is not using your what?

Is not using your gift. God has given us gifts to be used in the body of Christ. Now, they can also be used at home. They can also be used at work. But we are to be using those gifts to bring people to who?

To Jesus. We'll be using those gifts to demonstrate the love of Christ. We're using those gifts in order to encourage other Christians in the faith. Are you using those gifts? Are you walking in the spirit?

Are you walking in the flesh? Are you listening to the spirit? Are you grieving the spirit? If you'll walk in the spirit, you will get victory. Over the lust of the flesh.

And finally, do you have the spirit? Going back to Acts chapter two, they cried out to Peter, what shall we do? He said, repent. Repent. Turn to Christ in faith.

You will receive the gift of the what? If the Holy Spirit. You can be born again and saved. But you must repent and trust Christ. Have you done that?

If you have and you're born again, you have the spirit. Maybe you don't feel him quite so much because you've been grieving the spirit. Maybe you haven't been listening. Maybe you've been walking according to lust of flesh and not the spirit who dwells within you. Then you too need to repent, not to be saved, but to receive the joy of your salvation and the fullness of the work of the spirit in your life today.

That if you've never trusted Christ, you can. Today, let's pray. Dear heavenly father, we thank you Lord for your word. What a blessing it is to learn about the spirit that you have given to us. And Lord, how sad that we do take you for granted.

Lord, we don't listen. We walk in the flesh and not according to the spirit. We we set aside your word and we don't use the gifts that we have been given and they grow stale because we're not using them Lord. I pray that you would forgive us of our sin, of our complacency, of our ingratitude, and today, Lord, we might recognize as we have unwrapped this beautiful gift we have. What a wonderful gift it is and that we might allow the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts that we might respond in faith and with humility.

We might trust you and step out in service to you. We might repent when we are convicted and confess our sins and that we might get victory. For greater sin, he that is in us than he that is in the world. There's one here today, Lord, who's never trusted you as savior. I pray that they would come as we sing this hymn of invitation.

Amen.