The Holy Spirit
Course:
The Ministry of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament Church
Section Two: The Ministry of the Holy Spirit in the
Gospels
Lesson 4
Lesson Title: The Time of the
Holy Spirit
Lesson Text: John 7:37-39, ‘In the
last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If
any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believes on me, as the
scripture has said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But
this spoke he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for
the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet
glorified.)’
Introduction: The time of the Holy Ghost. ‘…for the Holy Ghost was not yet given;’
The word ‘given’ is added.
‘The Holy Ghost was not yet’
meaning had not been poured out upon believers.
Time of
the Holy Spirit - the time when rivers of living waters flow out from
believers.
Illustration:
One hundred years ago it was not
possible to travel as we do today.
We could not travel by airplane, but
today we are able to do things impossible before.
Modern forms of transport have
changed the way we travel.
In the 19th
century if a person in
There was no
Today we can fly to these
places quickly and staying for a short period is not a problem. It is a different day.
If we feel led to preach in
a far away place, it would be foolish to cry out to God for a form of fast
transportation – it is already available.
It is not necessary to pray
for fast transportation but it is necessary to work out how to use the
resources available.
We need to be able to buy an
air ticket.
The Holy Spirit today is moving in a
way that was impossible among God's people in the Old Testament.
The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament
was given in a limited way to only a small number of people like Moses, Elijah
and Elisha.
New Testament Christianity is the power
of the Holy Spirit moving through the body of Christ.
The resource of the Holy
Spirit has been given.
We do not need to beg that
God will pour out His Spirit. He has
already made this possible.
We need to come into the
provision that God has made available.
This is the time of the Holy
Spirit because…
1) Jesus has been
glorified.
2) The Holy Spirit
has been outpoured.
3) It is possible
for all believers to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Main Points
1. Jesus
Glorified. John
The Holy Spirit was not
given to give the early church a boost.
The Holy Spirit was given because Jesus was glorified.
a)
The Ascension
Question:
What is the name above every name? Philippians 2
The name is Lord
Jesus Christ is Lord
He has always been Lord as
the eternal Son of God
When Jesus ascended He
ascended as
He has been given the name
above all names because He has been victorious over sin and death.
He has always been at the
right hand of the Father as the eternal Son of God.
Now as Man He sat down at
the right hand of the Father – it was a completed work.
Represented His people
He inherited as Man
everything that had always been His.
He inherited the Holy Spirit
for His people.
Crucified with Christ
Risen with Christ
Ascended with
Christ.
b)
Inheritance
Question: Why did the Holy Spirit come on the Day of
Pentecost?
The outpouring of the Holy
Spirit was given because Jesus was glorified. John 7:39.
Jesus glorified – His people
ascended with Him.
Where Jesus is that is where
His people are already.
Right now we are seated in
the heavenly places in Christ.
Everything that belongs to
Him belongs to His people.
The Baptism with the Holy
Spirit was given on the Day of Pentecost because of inheritance.
The 120 believers were
joined to Christ – the body of Christ.
They were waiting for the
Holy Spirit.
They desired the Holy
Spirit.
When the Holy Spirit came,
He took control.
Control of their worship
Control of their daily lives
Control of their
circumstances.
On the day of Pentecost there
came a sound like a mighty rushing wind.
The Holy Spirit came upon the disciples as He had come upon Jesus in the
The Holy Spirit was not
given to give the Church a boost.
The Holy Spirit was given
because Jesus was glorified.
2.
The Holy Spirit Outpoured John 7:37,
‘In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried,
saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.’
Question: Should we wait for the Lord to pour out His
Spirit?
If so then we will pray for
God to move.
Or does the outpouring
depend upon us moving in accordance to the Word of God?
If so then the outpouring of
the Spirit depends upon us being thirsty for Christ.
Then we should act according
to the word of God believing?
We need to
a)
Be thirsty for Christ – love for Christ
b)
Believe His Word – love for His Word
c)
Act according to the Scriptures – obedience to
His Word
Thirsting for Christ
If any man
thirst… let Him come to Me and drink.
Desire spiritual gifts
Gifts flow automatically.
1 Corinthians 12-14.
Deception of the enemy
Deceptive teaching that the
Holy Spirit is no longer being poured out upon believers as in the day of the
early church.
Question: What is that which is perfect – that which is in part?
1 Corinthians
Interpretation of some
churches is that it is the Canon of scripture.
When all scripture became
available to the Church then the gifts ended.
Cannot be a right interpretation:
1.
Not the context of the verse.
2.
Holy Spirit was given because Jesus was
glorified. Not because the Church was
waiting for the New Testament scriptures.
3.
Gifts have been known to operate even among
those who teach that they have ceased.
4.
Jesus said rivers of living water will flow
out of believers if they are thirsty and drink from Him. Promise.
5.
Scripture was not in the hands of the ordinary
people until after the Reformation so many generations have not known the
scriptures.
Church has been deceived
into laying aside the power of God.
Why did the gifts stop?
Why were the gifts not evident
throughout the history of the Church.
1. Unbelief
2. Wrong teaching
3. Carnality
(Revelation3)
4. People had no
desire for them
3.
Believers ministering in the power of the Holy
Spirit.
This is the time of the Holy
Spirit.
The rivers of living water
flows out of believers.
The Holy Spirit moves when the body of
Christ desires to move in the power of the Holy Spirit.
A revival begins when people
are thirsty for Jesus.
Desire Him.
Psalm
26:4 4 One
thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in
the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the
LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
Revivals do not happen until
people want the presence of the Lord more than anything else.
If we desire the power of
the Holy Spirit we must find thirsty believers.
It is no good being where
people are not thirsty.
Believers must have
fellowship with people who are thirsty.
A move of the Holy Spirit
will be hindered by the desire to promote ourselves
Self respect will stop the
move of the Spirit.
The Lord has chosen the
foolish things of the world. 1 Corinthians 1:27
Example of a move of the Holy Spirit
What happened at the Azusa
Street Revival?
Big leaders bypassed –
influence of Charles Parham but Revival led by William Seymour.
All believers need to move in the power of
the Holy Spirit
All believers are priests
All believers are called to
ministry
All believers should desire
spiritual gifts
Summary;
This is the time of the Holy
spirit
1) The Holy Spirit
has been given because Jesus is glorified
2) The Holy Spirit
was outpoured on the Day of Pentecost and we need to be thirsty for Jesus and
drink
3) All believers
should minister in the power of the Holy Spirit