Inland Empire: Riverside
Personality of the Holy Spirit - Audio
We normally do because it's a regional. So I want to remind you that if for some reason you can't, you know, you can't get here earlier, then you may need to park somewhere else. And so that somewhere else is right across the street at the high school, okay? So you park right at Poly High School. You can't park next door in this church building. You can park on the street because they'll tow your car and over here they could tow you as well. So we've had a few people park there. Kasey, even friends come. They don't know they can't. They park there and they get pretty upset. So just right across the street, the high school. And obviously if you get here early enough, it shouldn't be a problem, but there will be several people that'll need to park over there. So remember that. And as well, just wanted to remind you about for all your brothers, for Adrian's beach, room honoring parties coming up. It's gonna be a beach volleyball game, food, drinks. And of course, sharing. We talked about that last week or on Sunday. And the event will be in Long Beach on January 28th from noon to three. That's a Saturday from noon to three. And you can RSVP to John Nelson or any questions to John. He can give you one of these, which will give you directions as to how to get to the beach party room honoring. Amen. Amen. So I'm also grateful that we were able to learn a new song tonight. I do wanna encourage you, especially you brothers, if we sing that on a Sunday or whatever, except what the Lord has given you, don't try to sing bass when you're obviously not a bass. Okay, I know that's a little challenging. Every man wants to be a bass, but you're not. And so, you know, you gotta dance with the one that brung you. Amen. The sisters think it's pretty funny. So, anyway, I'm just using it. I can sing either. (laughs) It's just kind of a thing. And neither one of them very well, so I wouldn't feel bad about it if I were you. As you know, Gordon's gonna preach on what on Sunday? Holy Spirit, well, I thought that was gonna be a bigger, as you know, deal there. But Gordon, we'll be preaching on the Holy Spirit Sunday. And as Mike said, you have some materials. You know, for deeper teaching, that kind of thing. I'm sure, you know, it'll be great. I'm sure Gordon will do a fantastic job with that. And so tonight I wanted to lay a little bit of groundwork and just talk about one aspect or a couple aspects of the Holy Spirit, and then hopefully it will help us. And at that point in time, when we hear Gordon's message, it'll be able to resonate more with us. We'll be able to think more deeply about it. And I wanted to do a different lesson tonight, but I knew we had a couple things with learning the song and the children's ministry thing we needed to do, so I'm gonna do this lesson instead. But the idea of the Holy Spirit, of course, for us as Christians is super important, is it not? But I think a lot of times we either don't know a whole lot about it or we haven't, you know, just studied it that very much. And in a sense, we don't think all that much about it. We know that it's important, but how much time do we spend learning about the Holy Spirit, understanding the Holy Spirit? And so that's one of the main reasons that we wanted to spend some extra time in the beginning of this year talking about the Holy Spirit. And there again is the reason that we've asked Gordon to come in for our regional and speak on this topic as well, just to kind of really take us a little bit deeper in that area. But a quote from the Office of the Holy Spirit, written by Richardson, talking about the Holy Spirit, talking about the importance of the Holy Spirit reads, "There is no subject more important in religion than that of the Holy Spirit. Unless this be properly understood, a large portion of the Bible, and especially the New Testament, must remain unintelligible. On the other hand, a just view of it will do more than a knowledge of any other particular topic to give harmony, clearness, and consistency to what may be learned to all other matters presented in the Word of God." And so that's kind of his take on it. And so in other words, it's like his take is that you can't really understand the Bible and certainly not the New Testament in its entirety and in its depth, if you don't have a clear understanding of the Holy Spirit, that once you really know about the Holy Spirit and understand the Holy Spirit, then everything else makes more sense or becomes more clear. And you may or may not agree with that. I mean, obviously to him, it's paramount. I would say understanding Christ and what He's done would probably be the preeminent thing to me. But I think this is very important in understanding and having a deeper understanding of the scriptures. But despite how important the Holy Spirit is to understanding the scriptures as a whole, there tends to be a lot of confusion and even superstition about the Holy Spirit, even in religious circles. And so it's kind of like, in some ways, baptism. Baptism seems to be fairly clear, but there are some difficulties in understanding baptism and really getting into the depths of baptism and all the nuances therein. And so that's why there's so many different concepts and ideas about it. And so you really have to go to the scriptures. And that's always what we want to do as a church, right? We are a Bible believing church, yes? And more than that, we want to be a Bible applying church, right? And every church I ever went to my whole life all would have said we are an absolute Bible believing church. But I can tell you my experience and you know, you may think, well, how many of churches, you know, could you have been to? You're very still very young today. You've been a Christian for a long time, so you're incredibly young then. But, and that's all true. But I did go to a lot of churches growing up in Texas and grew up in the South and went to a lot of different churches before I came here and before I was introduced to this church on a campus in Denver, Colorado. And they all claim that. But this I can tell you from my experience is the first church that ever really expected me to live by the Bible. I mean, that's my experience. You may have something different. I'm talking about, I went to Catholic Church for a long time. I went to Presbyterian Church. I went to Baptist Church. I went to non-denominational churches. And they all, you know, espouse that we believe in the scriptures. The Bible is our standard, but we also have, and we also have, and I can remember being a college student and inviting people to church. And if they were religious, you know, there's probably fewer and fewer people that are religious these days. But still probably students, you probably run into people that think they're Christians or claim to be Christians and perhaps some that may be Christians. But they would always always ask me, so what are your tenants of faith? And I'd say, well, you know, we just go by the Bible. Right, right, right, I know that. Everybody goes by the Bible that believes in Christ. But what are your tenants of faith? But we just go by the Bible, you know? And so I wasn't as, you know, spiritual and, you know, I, I, I, I, I used to like to argue. And so, no, they say I used to, you know, like to. And so occasionally I would entertain an argument or a debate or two on campus and, you know, anywhere from solo scriptura to, you know, what are your tenants of faith? And, and so basically the whole point was though that, you know, well, our church goes by the Bible too, but we also have this. And I, I just said, well, we don't have an also. We just, you know, there's nothing written. I, we have some studies that we do, but again, they're just scripture, scripturally based. They all go by, you know, it's just verse after verse in the Bible. And so, you know, the idea about the Holy Spirit, of course, is confusing because of that, because many people believe in the, believe in the Bible, but they don't really study it. And that's one thing that going to church all my life, I didn't really study the Bible. I memorize a lot of scriptures in vacation Bible school and that kind of thing when I was a, you know, a young boy and that, you know, so I could get the star on the board and all those kinds of things, but I never really studied it. Does that make sense? Until I came to this church and then it's like, it just wasn't optional. And so I would like to propose that we go back to the days when studying our scriptures is not optional in this church. (audience clapping) (audience clapping) Right. Sometimes I help you out to know the emphasis in my points, right? But I do think it's very important and it does help us guys so much in our clarity, so much in our understanding, so much, we get so much more out of Sundays, we get so much more out of mid weeks, we get so much more just out of conversations and out of discipling times and think when we're really reading our Bible. And have you ever found that when you've been studying your Bible light a lot, it doesn't really matter what topic or what book or whatever, but it seems like inevitably during that day, you'll have several opportunities to say, oh, I'm glad you said that or oh, let me share this verse with you because whatever reason somehow God just puts it on your heart and you're able to share that thing, it's something you read earlier that day or maybe the day before and it totally edifies that person. And it could be on a myriad of subjects, but somehow that one verse sometimes applies to their situation no matter what it is. And that's how God will use us if we're going through and studying the word of God, amen. And so I really want us to look at, you know, what does the Bible say about the Holy Spirit? And so because of that, we'll have several verses that we'll look at tonight, depending on how much time we have here, amen? So a good place to start is to, you know, consider who or what is the Holy Spirit? Who or what the Holy Spirit is? And, you know, is the Holy Spirit a person that possesses, you know, what we would call personality, okay? Or is the Holy Spirit simply an influence or an impersonal force that emanates from God? And that's what, you know, members of the Watchtower Society, they would tell you. Members of Jehovah's Witness faith would tell you that it's simply an influence or an impersonal force that emanates from God and, you know, witnessed by in their tract the truth that leads to eternal life, they write. That's for the Holy Spirit, the so-called third person of the Trinity. We have already seen that it is not a person, but God's active force. And so that's what we want to decide in the scriptures. Is that what it is or is the Holy Spirit actually a person? Does the Holy Spirit actually have what we would call personality? Amen? You guys wanna do that tonight? I appreciate that 'cause you're going to anyway, amen? But I believe obviously, you know, you can probably guess which side I'm on on this and I think the scriptures will back me up, but I believe that it's a personal being, possessing every trait of what we would call personality and it's not an impersonal force. And so that's why it's entitled The Personality of the Holy Spirit tonight. And so the Holy Spirit, number one, the Holy Spirit's works reveal its personality. And as you read through the scriptures, you will see different things that the Bible teaches us about the Holy Spirit. If you look over in 1 Timothy chapter four in verse one. Okay, let me get to my Bible here. Chapter four in verse one, the Bible reads here. The spirit clearly says that in later times, which we all live in today, amen? But the spirit clearly says that in later times, some will abandon the faith and follow the seething spirits and things taught by demons. And so in some ways we could look at that and go, oh, well, there's no way I've become a devil worshipper. But that's obviously not what the scripture's talking about. Here's that actually demons will master aid as angels of light, yes? Angels of truth, angels of mercy. And people will literally follow those things. And typically it's because it's easier. And in all my years of experience, I'm sure Mike has been in the church even longer than I have. Steve's been in the church a long time. I would guess, I don't know if we've ever talked about three of us, but I can tell you that most of what I've seen throughout those years is that I've almost never, if ever seen, anyone leave our fellowship to go to a different fellowship where things are just harder, tougher, it's more as expected. I just rarely, I've typically always seen people want to go somewhere else where it's easier. Where people kind of stay out of their business, where they can do kind of what they want, where they don't have to quote, unquote, feel any pressure, okay? And so the spirit clearly says, and later times that'll happen, that some will abandon the faith and follow the seething spirits and things taught by demons. Such teetings come through hypocritical liars whose consciousness have been seers with a hot air. So it says the spirit clearly says, the spirit clearly says, and so that doesn't really sound like something that's impersonal, okay? Secondly, if you look in Acts eight in verse 29, I wanted to get these scriptures sooner to Michael so we could just have them all up here to save the time, but does someone have that? Okay, there it is. The spirit, thanks Michael, that's awesome. Let me go back to this then. The spirit told Philip, go to that chariot and stay near it. So we've seen that the spirit clearly says that the spirit told Philip, and then Acts chapter 10, 19 and 20. Not that one? Okay, who's got that one? Somebody stand up and read it. Loud. Okay, Brenna, she's gonna do it. I'm not, sorry, don't be. While Peter was still thinking about submission, the spirit said to him, Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go up with them. Christ, I'm sorry. Okay, again, the spirit clearly speaking, right? Giving direction, in a sense, as one person would to another. And then in Acts chapter 13, let's look there. Acts chapter 13, see the reference there is one through four. Now, in the church at Antioch, there were prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaean, who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, set apart for me Barnabas and Saul, for the work of which I had called him. So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. The two of them sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, and then down to Salusia and sailed from there to Cyprus. And so the Holy Spirit speaks. You know, in a sense, it's not some impersonal force, but the Holy Spirit speaks. What else? The Holy Spirit teaches according to Scripture. Look in John 14, in verse 26. John 14, in verse 26. But the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you. So the Holy Spirit will teach you, okay? And then in Acts chapter, I'm sorry, in John 14, earlier in that chapter, the Bible refers to the Holy Spirit as He. Let's go and look at that. John 14, in verse 16. Everyone there? Okay, Jesus writes in 15 and says, if you love me, you keep my commands and then says, and I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever, the spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him for He lives with you and will be in you. And so Jesus clearly refers to the Holy Spirit as He, not it. He doesn't say it will be with you, it will teach you. He will be with you and He will teach you. So the Holy Spirit speaks. The Holy Spirit teaches and the Holy Spirit witnesses, okay? In John chapter 15, just the next chapter there. John chapter 15 and verse 20, is that what I said, verse 26? Okay. 26 and 27. When the advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, He will testify about me. And you also must testify for you've been with me from the beginning. And that's kind of a lesson in itself as well, right? For you also must testify. Are we doing that? Are we out there testifying about the Lord? Are we, you know, telling people about Jesus? Are we sharing our faith and inviting people to church? Inviting people to come into a relationship? Because that's what the Holy Spirit does. And the Holy Spirit lives in us and that's what we need to be doing. Amen church? And I know that there was a long time, you know, where we didn't want to talk about that. We didn't want to have any lessons on evangelism. We didn't want to be challenged about sharing our faith. We certainly didn't want to have any kind of, you know, numbers that we were going for, right? I mean, we didn't want anyone to say, how about you share with five people today? Oh, I, you know, I just want to let the spirit lead. Well, we're talking about the spirit now. And the spirit clearly testifies the spirit, you know, talks about it all the time. And the spirit is alive and then he says, and you need to be testifying as well. So I want to challenge you and encourage you, share your faith with somebody tomorrow. Amen? Right, how many of you, how many of you will make a decision right now you're going to share your faith? At least somebody tomorrow. That's awesome. I know some of you didn't raise your hand, that's okay. Keep praying, build up your faith, talk to somebody that maybe you're nervous about doing it. You know, we used to have a lot more teaching and training. We probably need to do that some more where we literally have some mock sharing where people go up and share with people so you can see how it's done, right? But ultimately the spirit's with you. All you gotta do is open your mouth and it doesn't matter what comes out. People, sometimes something so weird comes out. People just feel sorry for you. They just say, tell me where to show up. You know what I mean? So you can't really, you can't really go wrong, amen? No, Terence is not something weird comes out, it's just a lot comes out. So, exactly. So the spirit speaks, guys. The spirit teaches it, the spirit testifies our witnesses. The spirit guides, the spirit hears, the spirit speaks. And so again, we're talking about just one aspect here that the spirit has personality. If you look in John chapter 16, 12 and 13, okay? It's the next chapter over, turn 12 and 13. I have much more to say to you more than you can now bear. And I know I've made people feel that way many times. So I'm a lot like the Lord, hitting that way. And verse 13, but when he, the spirit of truth, when he, the spirit of truth comes, he will what? Guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own, he will speak only what he hears. So the spirit speaks, he guides, he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. So we're beginning to see clearly that the spirit has personality in all these different ways. And finally, look over in Romans chapter eight. Takes me a little bit to get there. Romans chapter eight. And we're gonna read 24 through 26 here. Here's what we'll do. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen as no hope at all. Who hopes what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the spirit helps us in our weaknesses. We don't know what we ought to pray for, but the spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he researches our hearts, knows the mind of the spirit because the spirit intercedes for God's people in accordance with the will of God. And so the Bible teaches us here that the spirit intercedes, that the spirit has a mind, right? And something that's just a force that emanates wouldn't have a mind, but the mind of the spirit, just as the mind of Christ, the spirit has that. And Jesus Christ intercedes on our behalf, according to the scriptures, amen? The Bible also teaches that the spirit possesses personal characteristics. For what? Like we just said, Romans eight and verse 27 there. The spirit has a mind. Obviously suggests that the spirit, just like Jesus, or just like God can think on its own, okay? The mind of the spirit, like we just read. The spirit has knowledge. Somebody stand up and read first Corinthians two, in verse 11. Really? Okay, do I need to do it? Nick, do it. - All right, I wrote you first Corinthians two. (audience laughing) - First Corinthians. - So the Bible teaches us that the spirit knows the things of God, just that the spirit of man knows about man. Again, it's a personal being who knows, who has knowledge, okay? The spirit also can show affection. Paul speaks of, and we won't turn there, but in Romans chapter 15 and verse 30, Paul speaks of what? The love of the spirit. The love of the spirit. And so the spirit can show affection, okay? So the spirit, again, we're just seeing over and over again that, and this is why I get confused about certain teachings sometimes. It's like, how can someone say that it's just a force, an impersonal force, or to even say, you know, we know, of course, that the so-called Trinity, the so-called third person, the Trinity, is not a person, but only a force. And yet you read all this. Is that what you see in the scripture? Is that what you feel like we're learning tonight? Amen. Clearly, we're not. And so the spirit can be affectionate. The spirit has a will. According to 1 Corinthians 12 and 12 in verse 11, all these are the work of one and the same spirit, and he gives them to each one just as he determines. So the spirit determines which gifts he's gonna give. The spirit makes that decision, yes? It doesn't say that God tells the spirit what to do, and then the spirit just goes and does it. The spirit determines. And so the spirit has the ability to have its own will to just as God and Jesus do, even though they're 100% unified in the same in that sense. And it was the Holy Spirit who decided what person received which gift, amen? So they're all characteristics we've seen so far of a being, if you will, that possesses personality, possesses intelligence, the same as we do. And finally, the Holy Spirit can suffer personal injury for lack of a better way of saying that, okay? So the Holy Spirit can be grieved. If you look in Ephesians chapter four and verse 30, Ephesians four and verse 30, you know this verse? And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit, so obviously the Holy Spirit can be grieved. You can be made sorrowful through really us neglecting obedience to God. The Holy Spirit that grieves the Holy Spirit. And I know that that's not something I'm sure I feel pretty confident if you're a little bit like me that you probably don't think too often, man, I wonder if that made the Holy Spirit sad. I wonder what I'm doing right now is grieving the Holy Spirit. But the Bible says, yeah, it is. If it's something I know God doesn't want me to do, that's something that God wouldn't be proud. The Holy Spirit is grieving from that perspective. The Holy Spirit can be blasphemed. According to Matthew chapter 12, 31 and 32, you know, and we don't have time to go into the unforgivable sin. Steve can explain that to you after tonight. Okay, I know some people have had questions about that before, but that's the verse that it talks about, you know, do not blaspheme the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit can be insulted, okay? Look in Hebrews 10 and verse 29. Hebrews 10 and verse 29, you know this verse as well. 10, 29, and I'm there. How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing, the blood of the covenant that sanctified them and who has insulted the spirit of grace? So the Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit as being he and himself and all these different things. And it says that ultimately the Holy Spirit is a spirit of grace. The spirit of grace in a sense is not some separate spirit or a different spirit. It's that the Holy Spirit embodies that and the Bible teaches us here that we can literally insult the spirit of grace. Well, how do we do that? We'll look up in verse 26 right above that. How many of you have read this verse before? If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and a raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. That frightening at all? If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and a raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Wow, and so in essence he's saying that that fire will someday consume the enemies of God and those of us who've tasted the gift and have become Christians and trample that underfoot and are so willful that we're gonna do things our way. And sometimes willfulness is not a matter of, I don't care what you say I'm doing this. Sometimes it's a matter of God, I don't care what you say. I know you say don't go on the internet and do this. I know you say don't look at those magazines. I know you say share your faith and yet I don't. I know you say read, see what I mean? It's all sort of the things we don't do that God does. But those are willful things. And the Bible says if we're gonna deliberately just sin, you know, it's not that often that we accidentally sin. It could, you know, I suppose it could happen. You stub your toe really badly and, you know, you say crud or something, you know, and so, okay, wow, you didn't mean, oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Man, that, oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, you know. But most of the time it's willful, it's deliberate. And you know, you know, because oftentimes the spirit is talking to you even before you do it. And certainly while you're about to do it and certainly while the spirit is just going, don't, don't do this. Never felt that? Have you ever been in a situation where you wanted to do something, but there was something saying don't, don't, don't, don't, don't. How many of you, how many have you ever been in a situation? Okay, now the hard part is how many of you were listening to the spirit you really wanted to, but you went ahead and did it anyway. Okay, Don, raise your hand. (audience laughs) No, I tease you because I'm near you. But, you know, and so, and how many of us then, okay, we've listened to the Holy Spirit, we've thought, we resisted, we've argued, and we went ahead and did it anyway, and then how many of us were glad we did it? Right, that's the truth, isn't it? Like there's just no payoff, there's nothing positive, and yet, it just shows you how we lack so much foresight. Because we never, you know, I mean, we might harden our heart for a minute and go, I don't care, and, you know, I've been really good, and, you know, whatever, we might, but in the long run, which isn't usually very long, we feel terrible, right? And then we gotta go through all these mental gymnastics and all these things of what's wrong with me, why am I like this, how come I can't? You know, why don't other people, you know, and just, it's a field day for Satan. But the Bible says we can't, you know, we must not grieve the Holy Spirit in that way. The Bible teaches us that the Spirit can be insulted, can be hurt, and usually it's by our willful disobedience to God, the Spirit can be lied to. Somebody look in Acts chapter five and verse three. Charles, do you even bring a Bible tonight? Brian, beat ya. - Loub, bro, you gotta face everybody in. - This is here. (audience laughs) - Ananias, how is it that Satan has so failed your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and kept itself from, kept itself some of the money that you have received from the Holy Spirit. - Okay, and so most of us are familiar with that story, Ananias and Zavira, you know, on their own behest, you know, said, hey, we're gonna sell our house, we're gonna give all the money, all the proceeds from this property sale, and we're gonna give it all to the Lord. Well, then they must have, maybe they got more money for it, they thought they were gonna get, so they said, you know, we're gonna keep a little bit back. And then of course, Peter just, you know, said, was that really the price that you got for this property? Yeah. And so then Peter says, how is it that you've lied to the Holy Spirit by saying that was the price? Wasn't it your money in the first place? You didn't have to offer it to the Lord, you didn't have to stand up boldly and proclaim in front of the, you know, the saints that you were gonna do this great thing? That was your choice, and now you've lied to the Holy Spirit, and so the Holy Spirit can be lied to, and finally, the Holy Spirit can be resisted. Look in Acts chapter seven. Acts chapter seven. Okay. In verse 51, you stiff-necked people. Right? Preaches to yourself, Doug. Preaches it, I know that's what you're thinking. Man, I wish my wife was here. Oh, I wish my husband didn't have kids' kingdom tonight. Oh, listen to, I would, amen, sis, I appreciate that. You stiff-necked people! How many of you know what stiff-neck means? Okay? Seven of you know what that means. So I want the rest of you to go and study out what he means there. Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You're just like your ancestors. You always resist the Holy Spirit. Was there ever a prophet your ancestors didn't persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the righteous one, and now you have betrayed and murdered him. You've received the law that was given through the angels, but have not obeyed it. And so Stephen rebukes him and says, "You've resisted the Holy Spirit." And again, the whole idea of some impersonal force or just some power that kind of goes out from God. And the word is the Greek word is like "ruach" or something like that. It means "wind" or "breath." And so some people extrapolate that to mean that just as our breath kind of goes out from us. But the Bible teaches that, yeah, that's a way of describing the Holy Spirit. That you can't see, you know, like the wind. You can't see where it goes and where it comes from in a sense. But the Bible teaches very clearly, as I think we've learned tonight, that the Spirit certainly is a person. That the Spirit has all the qualities that Jesus has, all the qualities that God has that they really are three in one. And how many of you have ever done a thorough study of the Trinity? Okay, and how many times has the word Trinity mentioned in the Bible? Okay, zero, right? It's not in there. So some people say, "Well, obviously, then there's no such thing." But no, the Bible clearly speaks about God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit, right? After we make someone into a disciple, who are we supposed to baptize them into? Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, right? Baptize the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Baptize them into the name of Jesus. And so some people say, "Well, no, here is His Father, Son, Holy Spirit, "but here it says into the name of Jesus." Well, it's the same thing. Because Jesus is the embodiment of the Father and the Holy Spirit. And the Father is the embodiment of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. And God is the embodiment of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The Father, you don't understand what I'm saying. I don't know if I said that right, but you know what I'm saying. Jesus is all three, God is all three, and the Holy Spirit is all three, right? And they are separate and distinct, as we've learned here tonight. But when you're talking about one, maybe a certain situation, you may be speaking about distinctly the Holy Spirit in this way or that way. But ultimately, when you're speaking of any one of them, you really are because they are the embodiment of the others, amen? And so, you know, again, I was going to do a different say tonight that talks more about other aspects of the Holy Spirit, but a new time wouldn't allow. And so, just hopefully, you know, maybe you already knew this. But at the very least, this seems to your mind that the Holy Spirit is certainly a person, right? The Holy Spirit works, reveal the personality, the fact that it possesses personal characteristics and that it can suffer, you know, just like anyone can. And we know that Jesus was hurt at times, that God is hurt by sin, and the Holy Spirit is as well. And the Holy Spirit cares for us is what the Bible teaches. We talk about the love of the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit, guys, as you know, is what comes to live inside of us when we're baptized as a disciple. It allows us now, it gives us the strength and the power to go out and live the Christian life so that we don't have to deliberately sin. And when we do, that's why when we sin, guys, you know, Jesus said, "I've got to leave, right?" And so, you're going to actually do greater things than I've been. Why? Because I'm going to send back the Holy Spirit. You know, he's going to be -- he's going to be -- come back in a sense the way that God is. Jesus was there in the flesh at that time, and he said, "Don't worry. I have to leave so the counselor, the comforter, can come. The strengthener can come." And how many of us, you know, if someone said, "Hey, I'm going to teach you how, you know, for at no cost to you, for the most part, no financial cost to you, that you can have a comforter with you all day long. You can have a counselor with you all day long. You can have your own personal advocate with you all day long, and you can have, you know, not just a strength coach, but someone that literally makes you stronger all day long. Right? We'd say, "Sign me up, yeah?" Well, the Bible teaches that's what we have. My question is, are we living like that? Do we carry ourselves in such a manner that reveals? Because that's the only way that people will know, "Wow, this person's really different." You know, this person really has something that I don't have. I need to know what that is. Because we've got -- and that's why Paul, you know, was telling Timothy, "Fan into flame," the gift of the Spirit. "Hey, there's a spark left in there. Stop resisting the Holy Spirit. Stop snuffing it." And fan into flame. Because that's where the power, that's where the strength, that's where the counseling, that's where the comfort, that's where the enabling to be a Christian comes from. And so, hope this will help you out. And I think, you know, obviously when Gordon speaks on Sunday, he'll come at it from a totally different angle. And then we'll begin to see just how rich this subject is and how many different ways there are of looking at it. And then we'll have lessons to follow even after Gordon is gone. Amen? So you can go ahead and break up in your groups. And in a few minutes here, you can go get your children. And as always, thank the Children's Ministry Workers. [applause] [BLANK_AUDIO]
Midweek kickoff for IE regional service. Lesson by Doug Wens.