The Work of the Holy Spirit
Sunday Evening Bible Study
December 5, 1999
Introduction
We’ve talked about the Holy Spirit as a person. He’s not some impersonal force, He’s a real person. We have a relationship with real people. And we’ve talked about the deity of the Holy Spirit. He isn’t just any old person, He’s God. Sometimes we have a problem identifying just who a person actually is.
The Bible says that as Christians, the Holy Spirit dwells inside of us. Do we recognize who it is that lives in us? If we were to bump into Him in the grocery store, would we recognize Him? If we really had a clue who the Holy Spirit is, would it change how we relate to Him?
The Work of the Holy Spirit in the Believer
We’ve seen so far:
1. He dwells in us
2. He assures us of our salvation
3. He seals us – like putting God’s name tag inside of us
4. He is the Comforter
5. He works truth in us
6. He teaches us
7. He guides us – He leads us and shows us things to come
8. He testifies about Jesus
9. He helps us pray
10. He makes us "holy"
11. He produces "fruit"
Jesus said,
(Luke 6:43-44 NLT) "A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. {44} A tree is identified by the kind of fruit it produces. Figs never grow on thornbushes or grapes on bramble bushes.
You can tell what kinds of things are inside a person by what kinds of things their life produces. The thing that a life produces is its fruit.
Illustration
Sometimes we need to take an honest look at what our life is producing.
Illustration
In a painfully honest look at his own life, W.E. Sangster wrote in his journal that although he was a minister, the spiritual passion in his private life had languished. He made the following observations.
* I am irritable and easily put out.
* I am impatient with my wife and children.
* I am deceitful in that I often express private annoyance when a caller is announced and simulate pleasure when I actually greet them.
* From an examination of my heart, I conclude that most of my study has been crudely ambitious; that I wanted degrees more than knowledge and praise rather than equipment for service.
* Even in my preaching I fear that I am more often wondering what the people think of me, than what they think about my Lord and His word.
* I have long felt in a vague way, that something was hindering the effectiveness of my ministry and I must conclude that the "something" is my failure in living the truly Christian life.
* I am driven in pain to conclude that the girl who has lived as a maid in my house for more than three years has not felt drawn to the Christian life because of me.
* I find slight envies in my heart at the greater success of other young ministers. I seem to match myself with them in thought and am vaguely jealous when they attract more notice than I do.
-- As quoted by Gordon MacDonald, in Restoring Your Spiritual Passions, pp. 49-50. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1986), reprinted by permission.)
If the Holy Spirit is really at work in your life, then you will see things naturally appear. These aren’t things that you have to work at to manufacture, they are things that happen because the Spirit is working in your life.
(Gal 5:19-23 NLT) When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, {20} idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, {21} envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. {22} But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, {23} gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.
As we look at a brief definition of each, think about taking a pencil and underlineing the things in each list that would characterize you. Which list is a better picture of your life? Most likely it’s a combination of both of the lists.
Note: These lists don’t tell you how you are to act, they are simply a measure of how much you’re letting the Holy Spirit work in your life. You can’t manufacture love, joy, or peace. But you can let the Holy Spirit have more and more of your life.
The Fruit:
love – this is God’s kind of love, His agape love. It is not emotional, warm-fuzzy love, it is love based in your will. It is unconditional. It is choosing to place value on another person. It is defined by 1Cor. 13. The other words are in a way just further definitions, further ingredients in the main fruit, love.
joy – Joy is love’s consciousness. When we love, we are so filled with joy that even normally miserable tasks are pleasurable.
peace – Peace is more than the cessation of hostilities. Love that wishes no ill is the basis for true peace.
longsuffering – the characteristic of love that makes us kind after being continually mistreated, without keeping track of the offenses. It’s being patient with difficult people.
gentleness – Love is gentle, not harsh or abrasive.
goodness – Love is the only positive motive for goodness. Some people are "good" because they fear the consequences of doing something wrong, but that is not true goodness.
faith – this is a loving trust in people
meekness – power under control, not drawing attention to yourself.
temperance – self-control
Illustration
Henry Ward Beecher told of an acquaintance who barged into their home one day, his face flushed with anger. "He was in a terrible rage, supposing he had a serious grievance against us," said Beecher. "As the man aired all of his complaints, my father listened in complete silence. Then he said in a low tone, ‘You only want to do what is right, don’t you?’ ‘Certainly,’ replied the disturbed visitor. Before anything could be explained, however, he again flew into a rage and restated his charge. Father then inquired gently, ‘Brother, you are misinformed, wouldn’t you be interested in knowing the true facts in the case?’ When calmness was restored, our side of the story was quietly presented. The man cooled down as the circumstances were fully revealed. Meekly he said, ‘Forgive me, Sir, forgive me! I was wrong!’ My father had won a great victory. It was a lesson I never forgot, for it gave me an insight into the calming effect of Christian self-control."
Another way to look at the fruit is to look at them all in the light of love. After all, love is the key fruit.
Donald Grey Barnhouse wrote,
Love is the key. Joy is love singing. Peace is love resting. Long-suffering is love enduring. Kindness is love’s touch. Goodness is love’s character. Faithfulness is love’s habit. Gentleness is love’s self-forgetfulness. Self-control is love holding the reins.
Is your life producing fruit?
In Living Faith Jimmy Carter writes:
A group of Christian laymen involved in missionary work approached a small village near an Amish settlement. Seeking a possible convert, they confronted an Amish farmer and asked him, "Brother, are you a Christian?"
The farmer thought for a moment and then said, "Wait just a few minutes." He wrote down a list of names on a tablet and handed it to the lay evangelist. "Here is a list of people who know me best. Please ask them if I am a Christian."
Sometimes we’re not so honest about ourselves. What would others say about your life? What would those who know you best say?
How to produce fruit.
John 15:1-8 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. {2} Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. {3} Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
a. Pruning
Part of the process of bearing fruit is "pruning".
Jesus is describing a vine with branches that are grafted into the main vine.
When a branch doesn't bear fruit, you cut it off
You want the branches that are bearing fruit to have as much as the vines life, or sap, as possible.
Branches that are bearing fruit are pruned back.
This isn't a pleasant process.
Note: It's the vine dresser's job to do the pruning.
My grape vine out back does NOT prune itself.
I have to constantly prune it back so that the "suckers" don't drain off all the life of the vine.
Pruning is when God cuts away from you the unnecessary things in your life.
It's getting rid of all the things in your life that drain your strength, and keep you from walking fully in the Lord.
We are pruned by God's Word.
Jesus "cleanses" (prunes) us with His Word.
As we read, study, and meditate, God does His pruning in our life, trimming stuff off.
Illustration
Donald Grey Barnhouse cites an amazing example of lasting fruitfulness:
In Hampton Court near London, there is a grapevine under glass; it is about 1,000 years old and has but one root which is at least two feet thick. Some of the branches are 200 feet long. Because of skillful cutting and pruning, the vine produces several tons of grapes each year. Even though some of the smaller branches are 200 feet from the main stem, they bear much fruit because they are joined to the vine and allow the life of the vine to flow through them.
He is the vine, and we are the branches. And when we need pruning, the goal is always more fruit.
{4} Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. {5} I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
b. Abiding
"Abiding" is nothing more than remaining where you are.
I used to read this and wonder what kind of mystical thing "abiding" must be. But all it means is to just stay "connected" to Jesus. Staying connected implies enduring. It implies staying connected to Jesus even when it’s uncomfortable.
As long as you stay connected to Jesus, you WILL bear fruit. As long as you stay connected to the Holy Spirit, you will see His fruit.
Note: Fruit is the natural result of the union of two living things.
When a flower is pollinated, it produces fruit. When a grape branch is grafted onto a healthy grape vine, it produces fruit.
If you try to "graft" two broomsticks together, you could water and fertilize as much as you want, but you’ll NEVER get any fruit. If you tried to "graft" a living grape branch onto a broomstick, the branch would die.
If you are alive, and Jesus is alive (and He really, really IS!), then as long as you stay connected to Him, you will bear fruit (love, joy, peace, etc.)
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
c. The Word and Prayer
Jesus gives us two concrete things that characterize "abiding".
Letting His Word abide in us; and asking in prayer.
It’s through the Word and Prayer that we maintain this living union with the Lord.
God wants us to bear fruit. Fruit is seasonal. But be careful how you look at the seasonableness of fruit –
Illustration
Charles Spurgeon writes,
It is said in praise of the tree firmly planted by the rivers of water that it brings forth its fruit in its season. Good men should aim to have seasonable virtues. For instance, a forgiving spirit is golden if it displays itself in the moment when an injury is received. It is but silver if it shows itself on speedy reflection. And it is merely lead if it be manifested only after a long time of cooling.
12. His fragrance
Exo 30:22-33
Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, {23} Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels, {24} And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin: {25} And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil. {26} And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony, {27} And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense, {28} And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot. {29} And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy. {30} And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office. {31} And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations. {32} Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you. {33} Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.As we've seen before, the oil represents the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures (1Sam.16:13; 1Jo.2:27).
Lessons from the anointing oil:
1. There is a beautiful fragrance about the Holy Spirit. vs. 23-25
(Exo 30:25 NASB) "And you shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.
Have you ever noticed how there’s a distinctive "smell" down at Calvary Chapel of Costa Mesa? Is it someone’s perfume, or is it the Holy Spirit?
Just like perfume, when the Spirit of God is on your life, there is a lingering "presence", a separate sense that something is on your life.
There is something about us as Christians, how we give off a "fragrance" to those around us. (2Cor. 2:14-16)
Whatever it touched was set apart for ministry. We too are made holy by the Holy Spirit.
There is nothing we do in ministry that is not to be led by the Spirit of God.
JOH 4:24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."
It’s the Holy Spirit that qualifies us in the first place for ministry.
I think it helps to acknowledge this by praying before we minister.
Whether it's a Bible Study, band practice, or an elders' meeting, when we stop to pray first, we ought to be taking time to acknowledge that this is God's church, and we want Him to be in control.
4. Don't try to imitate the work of the Spirit. (vs.33)
This mixture wasn't to be copied.
It's not uncommon for people to see what the Spirit is doing, and to try to conjure up some way of packaging it, and duplicating it in some way.
I get concerned with things that can be abused to create an emotional, pseudo-spiritual response in people.
Emotional speaking, voice control, gestures, facial expressions... Emotional music, soft organ music while the pastor is praying, rising to a climax, etc....