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Holy Spirit Part 1

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Today we are starting a new series called “The Spirit”
• In it we will be examining many facets of just who the Person of the Holy Spirit is.
• Most comprehensive one we have done on this topic so far

And my biggest prayers for you during this series is
• that you would come to a place in life where you would fall deeply in love with God
o For the first time or all over again.
• And that God would make the person of the Holy Spirit real to you
• and that you would earnestly desire to
o live a supernatural life,
o that you wouldn’t be satisfied with just living an ordinary life.
o That you wouldn’t be satisfied with the Status Quo of Christianity today.

We are going to start our study in John 14 –
• turn there in your bibles with me,
• also avail smart phones via Youversion Live - or on the screens.

As your going there (Background)

John 13 –
Jesus tells his disciples he is leaving –
• their hearts broke –
• they were so in love with Jesus – it killed them.

Many of you have been through this in the natural –
• the person you are in love with most is dying –
• it is horrible it is miserable.
• Person we love the most is telling us he is leaving us.
• Filled with Grief.

John 14 it’s in this context that Jesus begins to comfort them –

John 14: 1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.2 In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

I am leaving somewhere –
• but I am going to prepare a place

Imagery was clear in their day –
• man would go away for a while to prepare a place for a new married couple to live –
• helped keep things pure –
• leave – prepare a place for his bride –
• come get her.

Don’t worry we are going to be together – don’t let your heart be troubled.

5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” 
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Jesus says I am the way there –
• the only way there –
• keep following me and you will get there –
• keep your eyes on me – cross –
• I am going to die for you. –even those of you who don’t know me yet

Tells them where they WILL BE GOING
But also tells them how THEIR LIVES WILL BE CHANGED HERE

v. 12 12 I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.13 And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.

Even though I am going away –
• I can still hear you,
• you can still talk to me I will still be with you –
• I can hear your prayers and whatever you ask I will do it.

In fact you will do greater things than the miracles you have seen me doing –
• wow –
• wait up wait a minute. .
• Are you serious

And If I ask something in your name you will do it.

Incredible sets of words dripping with power to live the supernatural Christian life.

Stop – let it sink in for a minute.

• Jesus your leaving – wow – grief- but this is mind blowing

Then the Ultimate encouragement v. 16

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever–17 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.

I am going, but I am going to send someone else down-
Try to picture this –
• you have been with Jesus for 3 years –
• I am leaving –
• but I am sending another counselor –

In the greek - I am sending you another that is just like me – It’s just like I haven’t gone.

Counselor – paraklete – t
• he one who comes along side –
• encourage –
• exhort-
o coach alongside a marathon runner –

Disciples have had jesus all along –
• constantly with them
• Now He is gone,
• but He is not going to leave them alone.

It’s confusing –
• Not going to say I understand the Holy Spirit –
• understand things about the holy spirit.

Seen me – seen the father – same? But not?
• Another counselor – holy spirit – like u but not?
• 1 God huh? Father/son/Holy Spirit

I believe it – I know this is true – but I don’t fully understand it.
But I can tell you that at times in our age – the Holy Spirit is the forgotten God.

We are going to talk about the Holy Spirit for the next couple of weeks-
• in fact however long it takes to really get to know Him.

Verse said you will know him for he lives with you and will be in you.
• You know how I have been walking along side.
• In fact, the holy spirit is going to come inside your human body

Hmm- what does that mean – is that cause to snore?

Or do u sit there and still marvel that the spirit of God is alive in u.

That I am not up here alone –
• Spirit of God is with me –
• supernatural things are going on.
• Living God in me – wow.

Jesus was telling them –
• I am going away but don’t worry –
• not only am I going away to prepare a place for you,
• You can talk to me,
• I will do what you ask,
• but I will also send another one down who will be inside of you so you will be able to do greater things than you have been doing.

I will help you
• The spirit of God will live in you.
• Amazing stuff, powerful stuff..
• Don’t miss the Majesty of it
• Stuff that somewhere deep down we know, but maybe we haven’t internalized or acted upon.

Think about this 1st church book of acts- crazy stuff –
• world changers –
• all by the power of the holy spirit –
• it was not from them sitting in the upper room doing a bible study on the holy spirit –
• they had no clue about the Holy spirit –
• God told them wait- pray – stand in unity – wait for him to show up.

Most of us know more about the holy spirit than the believers in that room did on that day –
• so their success was not based on knowledge??
• it was based on experiencing the living God.

I think that knowledge is great –
• it’s important,
• but my hunch is that most of u in this room know a lot about the holy spirit
• but most of you haven’t experienced him in a long time.

But I also suspect you want more of that.

Some of you feel like you r just getting by in your Christian lives
• Some of you feel alone
• That is not how Jesus wanted us to feel.
• Remember the passages we just left.

Take home and read john - I want u to have peace – power – you will never be alone

Are you experiencing that? Peace/Power
• Or are u struggling with stress.

Time I experience the most stress is when I take my eyes off the holy spirit.
• When I try to do things on my own power instead of in His power.

See I have found out that it is impossible to live the Christian life apart from the holy spirit.

23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
• God the one who made you is making a home for you
• He says he will live with us and make His home with us.
• We are not alone – how cool is that
• God the father/son/holy spirit making their home with me –
o what am I scared about.
o THERE IS NOTHING I CAN’T OVERCOME WITH GOD IN ME!
o Let us remember these promises

25 “All this I have spoken while still with you.26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. 


HE repeats it again –
• because we are dense at times,
• we need to be told over and over again –
• don’t be scared – the living God is inside of you!

Then a defining moment a pivotal verse actually spoken well in

John 16: 7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.

We often think it would be better to have Jesus standing here in the room.
• Given a multiple choice –
o have Jesus here or holy spirit in side of us most of us would say –
o I want Jesus here.

But Jesus says no – it is better – it is for your good that I am going away.


The believers in that day suffered a natural separation from Jesus in the flesh.

But they later experienced the power of the Person of the Holy Spirit coming alive in their lives.

God wants to make you come alive the way you were created to be.

My hope is that through this message something has begun to stir in your heart.
• That you are sensing what I am saying is true
• And that you deeply want a relationship with the God of the universe

If that’s you today is your day.
• We want to pray for you
• Here is what you can expect..
• People are going to cheer for you.