John 14:25-26

Sunday Morning Bible Study

August 11, 1996

Introduction

We are on the Thursday evening before Jesus is crucified, at the event known as "the Last Supper".

Jesus is alone with His disciples in the upper room.

:25-26 The Holy Spirit

:25 These things have I spoken unto you, being [yet] present with you

The things Jesus has said have all obviously been while He's been with the disciples.

But He's not going to be around forever to be their teacher.

It's going to be time to move on shortly. Real shortly.

:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost

The Holy Spirit is the "other" Comforter as we saw back in:

Joh 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; (AV)

Jesus had been their teacher and "comforter" for the last three years.

But the Holy Spirit will be their teacher for the rest of their lives, "for ever".

The guys are going to have to get used to a new mode of learning.

It will no longer be by walking and talking face to face with their Master.

It will now be through the invisible, yet very real and very close person of the Holy Spirit.

How about us?

Will we learn to adapt to the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives?

Lesson:

Plug into the new power source!
Illustration:

Electrical power

It's not until you have a major power outage, that you find out just how much you depend upon electricity.

Did you have fun yesterday with the electricity being off?

Wouldn't it be better if you had your own, independant source of electricity?

What if that source of power was portable, and you didn't have to stay hooked up to an electrical outlet?

Computers

It used to be that if you had a computer, you had it on your desk, next to an electric outlet, and whenever you wanted to use it, you had to go to your desk and work.

And you had to have the electricity working.

But no more.

Today we have laptop computers that can run on batteries, and you can go do your work at the beach if you want to.

You can even work when the power goes out.

Yesterday, I was working on my message on my laptop, out on the patio, running off of batteries, and I didn't know that the power had gone off inside the house.

The power shutdown didn't really affect me immediately, because I had my own, independant source of power.

As Christians, we can develop a dependance upon people.

And that's not always bad.

There is a sense in which we need each other.

When a person is new in the Lord, it's great to have other Christians around to help you, answer your questions, pray with you, support you, etc.

But people can fail you.

The power can get turned off sometimes.

Or we can get to the point where the only time we can act like Christians is when we're at church, or with these other Christians.

The disciples were now facing a time in their lives when they were going to be unplugged from their old power source, Jesus, and now would need to depend upon a new source of spiritual power, the Holy Spirit.

:26 whom the Father will send in my name

Again, we read last week:

John 14:16-17 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

The Father would be sending the Holy Spirit upon the disciples in response to Jesus' prayer for them.

The Holy Spirit would no longer just be "with" the disciples, but soon He would be "in" them as well.

The Sending of the Holy Ghost

After His resurrection, Jesus told the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit:

Acts 1:4-5 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

The Holy Spirit wouldn't just be "in" the disciples, but He would come "upon" them - a relationship with the Holy Spirit in which the disciples would receive power from God.

Ac 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (AV)

Look at the transformation of the scared, cowardly disciples when the Holy Spirit came upon them. These are men who just days before had run from Jesus, denying that they knew Him, and had been in hiding from the authorities.

Read Acts 2:1-13

Peter gets up to preach an impromptu sermon about Jesus with a great response!

Acts 2:37-40 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

All this coming from the man who had denied Jesus three times!

What about scared little Peter?

What happened?

The Holy Ghost happened!

When the Holy Spirit fills you, there isn't room for the old crud

Illustration:

Dwight L. Moody once demonstrated the principle like this: "Tell me," he said to his audience, "how can I get the air out of the tumbler I have in my hand?" One man said, "Suck it out with a pump." But the evangelist replied, "That would create a vacuum and shatter it." Finally after many suggestions, moody picked up a pitcher and quietly filled the glass with water. "There," he said, "all the air is now removed." He then explained that victory for the child of God does not come by working hard to eliminate sinful habits, but rather by allowing the Holy Spirit to take full possession.

Looking for victory? Let the Holy Spirit fill you!

Notice how Peter offers to this huge crowd the "gift of the Holy Ghost".

It's nothing to be hoarded, only for special, initiated people - it's for everyone who will believe.

Then we see the power of God continuing to be demonstrated through the people:

Acts 2:42-47 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

This is what happens when the Holy Spirit is allowed to get a hold of people's lives.

Lesson:
Seven Questions about the Holy Spirit:

1. Do you have to be baptized in water to receive the Holy Spirit? (after all, Peter did say, "repent and be baptized ...")

No.

Peter was led by the Lord to go to a pagan, pig-dog heathen Gentile's house, named Cornelius.

He began to give them a Bible Study, when he was rudely interupted.

The people were all filled with the Holy Spirit!

Ac 10:47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? (AV)

They were filled, then baptized!

It's not the water that counts with the Holy Spirit, it's believing in Jesus!

2. Is the "baptism" of the Holy Spirit different from being "filled" with the Holy Spirit?

No. They're the same thing.

Jesus calls it "the baptism ..." (Acts 1:5)

But when it comes, the disciples are "filled" (Acts 2:4)

It's also called "the promise" (Acts 1:4; 2:33), a "gift" (Acts 11:17), receiving the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:47; 19:2), and the Holy Spirit "falling" upon people (Acts 11:15).

3. Is this a "one time experience", or does it happen over and over again?

The disciples were "filled" many times, not just in Acts 2:

Ac 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, (AV)

Ac 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. (AV)

Paul wrote:

Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; (AV)

Literally, "be continually filled ..."

4. Can a person believe in Jesus and not be baptized in the Holy Spirit?

Yes.

(Some people teach that the "baptism of the Holy Spirit" occurs when a person believes in the Lord, so all who believe have been baptized in the Holy Spirit.)

Philip was in the middle of a revival in Samaria, and many people were coming to believe in Jesus, and be baptized by Philip.

Ac 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. (AV)

But apparently, though the people believed and were baptized, they had not received the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:14-17 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

Paul also found a group of people that believed, yet without the power of the Holy Spirit:

Acts 19:1-2 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

Acts 19:6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
5. Do you have to speak with tongues?

NO!

It does not occur, at least clearly so, in every occurance in Acts.

Ac 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. (AV)

The revival in Samaria, and subsequent visit of the apostles is lacking any mention of tongues (Acts 8).

Paul wrote:

1Corinthians 12:27-30 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. 29 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

The wording of his question demands the answer "no".

Some have said that the reason it's "no" is because the Corinthians were such a carnal church.

But that's not Paul's point here.

They don't all speak with tongues because there's supposed to be diversity in the church.

We're all supposed to have different gifts, different ministries, and different results.

If we were all the same, then there would be no diversity. (cf.1Cor.12:17)

6. What is the evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit?

a. Power

Jesus said:

power - dunamis - We've often heard this referred to as the "dynamite" power of God.

That's kind of okay.

It's root idea is: strength, power, ability

It comes from a word dunamai which means to be able, have power; to be able to do something; to be capable, strong and powerful

Before the baptism of the Holy Spirit, Peter was running, scared, and denying the Lord.

After, he had the ability to stand up in front of a huge crowd and preach, leading 3,000 people to the Lord.

b. Fruit

We believe that the overall evidence that a person has been filled with the Holy Spirit, is the fruit of the Spirit.

The fruit of the Spirit is what naturally develops in a person's life when they begin to continually walk in the power and fullness of the Holy Spirit.

It's the kind of things that the Holy Spirit gives you power, or ability to do.

This singular "fruit" has nine different qualities:

Ga 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (AV)

When you are truly filled with the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit will begin to produce each of these nine qualities in your life.

If you want to understand these things better, get the tapes we've been doing on Galatians.

7. Ok, How do I get it???

I believe one of the most clearest answers to this is found in:

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. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake 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.)

We could summarize it with three steps:

a. Thirst

Jesus said, "If any man thirst ..."

You need to realize that you have a need for the power of the Holy Spirit.

If you aren't needy and thirsty, you aren't going to receive anything.

But if, on the other hand, you realize that you have a great need in your life for the Holy Spirit, you're in the right place.

Jesus said:

Mt 5:6 Blessed [are] they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. (AV)

Illustration:

A city dweller moved to a farm and bought a cow. Shortly after he did, the cow went dry. When he reported this fact to a neighbor farmer, the farmer expressed surprise. The city man said he was surprised too. "I can't understand it either, for if ever a person was considerate of an animal, I was of that cow. If I didn't need any milk, I didn't milk her. If I only needed a quart, I only took a quart." The farmer tried to explain that the only way to keep milk flowing is not to take as little as possible from the cow, but to take as much as possible.

b. Ask

Jesus said, "let him come unto me, and drink"

He also said:

Luke 11:11-13 If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

You need to ask for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

c. Believe

Jesus said, "He that believeth on me"

It's not a matter of feelings, it's a matter of trust.

You may feel a rush of warmth down your spine.

You may feel nothing.

But Jesus didn't ask you to feel, He asked you to believe.

The rest isn't really crucial.

Sometimes people had hands laid on them to receive (Acts 8), but other times they didn't (Acts 2)

Sometimes people were in prayer when they received it (Acts 2,4), sometimes they were just at a Bible Study (Acts 10).

Just believe

John wrote:

1John 5:14-15 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Is it God's will for you to be filled with the Holy Spirit?

Then ask, and you will receive it!

:26 he shall teach you all things

We'll start into this next week ...