Holy Spirit

I.  Who or what is the Holy Spirit?
     A.  The Holy Spirit is a person.

        1.  He is known by the following names:

a.  Holy Spirit.

b.  Holy Ghost.

c.  Comforter.

d.  Helper.

e.  Counselor.

f.  Paraclete.

2.  The Holy Spirit is the heart and soul of Christianity

             and without the Holy Spirit our lives cannot be

             fulfilled.

     B.  The Holy Spirit is first seen in the very beginning.

1.  “In the beginning God created the heavens and the

              earth.  The earth was without form and void; and

              darkness was on the face of the deep.  And the Spirit

              of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
              (Genesis 1:1-2).

2.  “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image . . .”

(Genesis 1:26).

C.  The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity.

1.  God the Father.

2.  God the Son.

3.  God the Holy Spirit.

II.  What is the work of the Holy Spirit?
     A.  John 16:8-11 is the Scripture that explains this.

1.  The Holy Spirit will convict the world concerning sin, 

           righteousness, and judgment.

2.  The focus of the Holy Spirit is on Christ, the crucified

             Savior.  The focus is on the sin of unbelief.

3.  If we focus on Christ first, rather then our sins, Jesus

            will help us overcome our sins.  

4.  The Holy Spirit’s chief work is to glorify Christ and 

          convict people of their sins.

5.  The Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth.  

III.  The Holy Spirit will grow the church.

A.  Jesus gave all Christians the Great Commission.

1.  “. . . All authority has been given to Me in heaven 

and on earth.  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, teaching the
             to observe all things that I have commanded you;

             and o, I am with you always, even to the end of the

             age.”  (Matthew 28:18-20).

2.  The church cannot grow and the Great Commission

cannot be fulfilled without the help of the Holy 

Spirit.

B.  Jesus told the apostles and disciples to stay in 

         Jerusalem until they received the Holy Spirit.

1.  After His resurrection from the dead, Jesus spent 40 days
            with His disciples instructing them on the

          Kingdom of Heaven.  He then ascended into heaven,

          but before He left, He told them to stay in Jerusalem

           until they received the Holy Spirit.  

2.  Jesus knew they would not be able to grow the 

          church on their own abilities.  It would require the 

          work of the Holy Spirit to do this.

3.  Ten days after Jesus ascended to heaven, the 

          Holy Spirit came on the day of Pentecost.  

            (Acts 2:1-4).

4. Pentecost means 50.  Thus, subtract 40 days that

         Jesus was on earth after His resurrection and you

          have ten days that the disciples were in the Upper

         Room following His ascension to heaven.

 
  C.  The focus of the Holy Spirit.

1.  To glorify Christ.
        2.  To convict people of their sins.   
        3.  To lead people to the truth.

D.  People have two choices to make in response to the 
           Holy Spirit.

1.  To accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior.

2.  To reject Jesus Christ as their personal savior.

E.  The work of the Holy Spirit comes down to this:

1.  Have you truly believed in your heart that Jesus is

          the Christ, the Son of the living God?

2.  Do you repent of your sins?

3.  Do you believe that by His death on Calvary that

          He paid for your sins?

4.  Do you now accept Him by faith as your Lord and

          Savior?